Truth & Reconciliation
Contact Indigenous Community for Leadership and Development to support your organization with operationalizing the TRC Call to Action #92
Why your organization needs to understand the TRC Call to Action 92, United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples & Bill 41 and its 10 Guiding Principles
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission described reconciliation as establishing and maintaining a mutually respectful relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada. Despite the seven years since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report and calls to action were first announced, the implementation of the recommendations across all levels of Canadian government and society has been slow to adopt.
For non-Indigenous people, particularly those who may have had limited interactions with Indigenous people, there can be a level of shame, embarrassment, fear, and overall lack of understanding of how to engage with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action. This is very understandable. There has however, never been a more opportune time in Canada’s history to seek a change in how Indigenous to non-Indigenous relationship are developed and nurtured well into the future.
The four pillars approach that our project team utilises to guide projects/research and training:
Cultural sensitivity
Knowing that the Indigenous Experience is unique vs. general societies experience.
Cultural awareness
Learning of the cause and effect of Indigenous experience with the colonial processes (intentional and supported process evidenced today).
Cultural safety
Becoming aware of the systemic violence, gaining education, accurate testimonials & information (Indigenous authors), statistics of failed system (child welfare, corrections), eliminating the colonial gaze and replacing with a more in-tunedness and being informed from Indigenous experience and worldview teachings.
Cultural competency
Actively applying new knowledge and supportive approaches that honors the Indigenous experience.
Operationalizing your organizations approach to reconciliation
It is our vision to build consensus on the meaning of reconciliation and the action items needed to support the reconciliation process. We suggest starting a phased approach by first working with leadership to assist with a strategy that would then be considered for the wider organization.
One of our key objectives is to provide staff/leadership with tools, techniques, and strategies as well as access to complementary resources to be successful in championing the Reconciliation process.
5 Steps to operationalizing reconciliation in your organization
1. Where have we been?
Your history of working with indigenous people.
What actions have you taken so far in working with Indigenous people:
Determine your Awareness and knowledge of :
- United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)
- Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) final report
Identify your policies guiding the reconciliation process
Have you provided Cultural Awareness training to staff?
Determine what Relationship building efforts have been established with indigenous partners to date?
Cultivate a shared understanding of what Reconciliation means.
3. Where do we want to go?
- Reconciliation action plans- developing common understanding of action plans with indigenous partners
- Identifying gaps in policies, training, awareness, relationship building
- Operationalizing action plans
4. How do we get there?
- Identifying strategies to engage the whole community
- Identifying short-term, medium term and long-term goals and creating quick wins
- Communication plan and Timelines
5. How do we know we have arrived there?
Joint organizational annual report and Indigenous partners.
Cultural Awareness Training
One of the most straightforward steps any organization can take towards reconciliation is providing Cultural Awareness Training to its teams.
- Explain the importance of acknowledging the traditional territory of the original people
- The whole story was kept secret; it was intentional; what can we do now?
- How to be a good Ally and start creating relationships with local Indigenous Communities
- Understand how to provide a culturally safe workplace