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Inclusivity - Reading Materials Chapter 03: Indigenous Peoples

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Introduction

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Chapter 01: Women and Gender and Chapter 02: Gender-Based Harassment and Violence are prerequisites to the review and implementation of the content of this unit. 

Best and Promising Practices

In 2022, Hydro One announced a new major initiative that is setting an industry standard regarding partnerships with Indigenous communities. Their Equity Partnership Model offers First Nations a 50 percent equity stake in all-new, future large-scale capital transmission line projects with a value exceeding $100 million. They have already entered into agreements with nine First Nations partners and plan to develop five more transmission lines using the new Equity Partnership Model. Hydro One has partnered with the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) to deliver the Hydro One Indigenous Entrepreneurship Grant. Each year, ten recipients receive grants of $7,500 each, a move by Hydro One to continue building respectful relationships with Indigenous communities and individuals by investing in their prosperity and success. Learn more

Fort Severn First Nation strives to reduce its dependency on diesel-generated energy to protect its traditional territory, shared with Ontario’s last remaining polar bear population. Chief Paul Burke and the Council provided the leadership and persistence to turn the community’s vision into action. They are working with Hedgehog Technologies to transform the vision into a project plan and execute it despite climate, geography, and technology challenges. The Fort Severn First Nation solar array will save the northern Ontario community up to 400,000 litres of diesel fuel annually, an important step towards energy sovereignty as the community strives to improve their cultural ties to the surrounding wetlands. Chief Paul Burke and Hedgehog brought the community together to hear opinions, involve residents in the supervised building of panels, create training initiatives such as the Solar Install Training Program, and provide general education on maintaining the new solar array. The goal is to build independence within the community to manage their energy needs sustainably while empowering the people to be part of the solution. Learn more

Indigenous Corporate Training Inc., an organization dedicated to fostering understanding, respect, and collaboration between individuals, organizations, and Indigenous communities, has a publicly available document entitled “A Guide to Terminology” that includes usage tips and definitions. This ranges from whether to and when to use Indigenous or Aboriginal, information on First Nations, Métis peoples, and Inuit, punctuation recommendations, and some other frequently used terms. The guide intends to provide insights into usage and best terminology so that individuals and organizations can be better equipped when building relations with Indigenous communities. Download the guide

Victoria Island University (VIU) Elders Protocol is a program entitled Elders-in-Residence that recognizes Elders’ essential role. The program falls under the First Nations Studies department and began in the 1990s. The Elders represent their respective communities and knowledge to the broader university community by supporting and using Indigenous knowledge and Aboriginal languages with VIU, supporting learners by offering traditional knowledge and spiritual guidance, improving the access and retention of Aboriginal learners in post-secondary education, and assisting faculty, staff, and administration to build capacity in areas of cultural knowledge and understanding. According to VIU, the Elders “provide counselling, support, and guidance to all students at VIU. You will often hear the students referring to the Elders as ‘Auntie’ or ‘Uncle,’ which signifies affection and respect. Vancouver Island University Elders are active in a variety of areas encompassing student support, classroom instruction, teaching traditional protocols and cross-cultural sharing.” Learn more

Policies/Procedures

  • Be aware of trauma mining in your quest to be inclusive. Read more
  • All staff should be certified in the free course on Indigenous Canada through the University of Alberta. Access the course
  • Conduct anti-racism and anti-colonialism workshops for all staff.
  • When possible, begin meetings and presentations with a meaningful land acknowledgment. The land acknowledgment should include a Call to Action, a learning or lesson, and the correct pronunciation of community names, places, and individuals is included. Here’s a webinar on YouTube on Transformative Territory Acknowledgments.
  • Avoid the use of colloquialisms throughout all organization communications. This is a good general rule for individuals to follow across all aspects of everyday life and understand that many colloquial expressions are grounded in colonial and racist connotations.
  • Avoid using “stakeholder” as a term to describe working with external clients or Indigenous peoples when discussing protected rights and Nation-to-Nation business.
  • Consult with Indigenous peoples before beginning a project, initiative, and/or policy change within or outside the organization. Consultation involves seeking and listening to Indigenous peoples’ perspectives, views, and knowledge so that an organization takes a holistic approach.
  • When possible, collaborate with Indigenous Friendship Centres to host events for the organization. Include food and beverage contractors with ties to the Friendship Centre.
  • Consider a “Land Back” policy with all non-governmental contracts or funding agreements where the organization will donate a portion of revenue to Indigenous-led charities or not-for-profits. Learn more
  • Work with an external contractor to develop an organizational Reconciliation Action Plan. This should include policy and procedural recommendations and key timelines to ensure accountability. Once developed, be transparent and share this with the entire organization. Communicate what each individual in the organization is responsible for and their role in ensuring the plan is successful.
  • Encourage employees of the organization, including executive leadership, to find out and learn about the traditional territory they live on and that the organization operates on. Learn more
  • Encourage the organization to enter into partnerships with Indigenous entrepreneurs when possible. This may include graphic designers, web content creators, videography crews, contractors, visual artists, etc.
  • Encourage employees to learn about Indigenous artwork such as beadwork, weaving, sculpture, and carvings.
  • When hiring more individuals from Indigenous communities, consider different career search avenues. Work with local representatives, engage meaningfully and ensure that your organization has worked to create a safer space so that new hires feel a sense of inclusion and belonging throughout their onboarding process.
  • Train human resources professionals and those who look at applicants’ resumes to recognize transferable skills in language specific to Indigenous communities.
  • To retain employees, organizations need to ensure policies that acknowledge and accommodate traditional values are in place. This may look like flexible work options during fishing and hunting seasons, holiday swapping, and extra days off for traditional practices around mourning or harvesting.
  • Provide educational programs that will allow Indigenous employees the opportunity to upgrade their professional skills. Opening the window to skills upgrading options and career advancement is a good indicator that a worker is considered a valued member of the organization.
  • Ensure that organization-specific and individual Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action are available for all employees. They are communicated to staff continuously with tips, tools, and educational resources to engage with them meaningfully and make change.
  • Employers should develop relationships with local First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities. This will help with recruitment and retention. It is an organizational best practice to ensure land and treaty rights are respected, and environmental decisions are made in collaboration with the communities they will affect.
  • Provide resources for validating Indigenous identities and combating the issue of fake claims of Indigenous heritage. Organizations can utilize tools and guidance from reputable sources to verify Indigenous identities, ensuring respectful and accurate representation in engagements. Resources can include guidelines on respectful inquiry, collaboration with Indigenous organizations for identity verification, and education on the significance of authentic Indigenous representation.

General Resources

The Wolastoqey Nation Ally Toolkit and Educational Resources

Important Dates

March 20
Two-Spirit and Indigenous LGBTQQIA+ Awareness to Celebration Day

May 5
National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls / Red Dress Day

June
National Indigenous Month

June 21
National Indigenous Peoples Day

August 9
International Day of the World’s Indigenous People

September 30
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

October 1
Treaty Day in Nova Scotia