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A frequent misconception is that Indigenous Peoples are all the same in Canada but there is a clear diversity amongst Indigenous Peoples. Linguists refer to groups of languages that are clearly distinct, yet share enough “cognate vocabulary” to suggest common ancestry and origin, as “language families”. Canada is home to eleven distinct Aboriginal language families, of which seven exist in British Columbia. Each language family is completely distinct; the specific languages within a family may be as similar as French is to Spanish and a different as Czech is to Welsh.

In this article, we look at the barriers - some tangible, some not - that maintain the status quo of exorbitant rates of unemployment amongst Indigenous people in Canada.

There have been massive, comprehensive studies done on this issue for years yet sadly, the barriers identified decades ago are pretty much the same in 2019 - not a lot of traction on the ground in terms of change and improvement.

In this article, we provide the definition of Indigenous Elder and answer some specific questions people ask us in our Working Effectively with Indigenous Peoples® training. Questions such as: what makes someone an Elder, is being an Elder age-specific, how should you address Indigenous Elders and more.

“Anishinaabe, Métis, Coastal Salish, Cree, Cherokee. We have nothing much in common. We’re all aboriginal and we have the drum. That’s about it.”

Thomas King writing about a drum circle in “The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America”

A quick search on Google for "Indigenous awareness trainer" resulted in 67,500,000 results. So, what criteria does one use when trying to choose someone to deliver Indigenous relations training to your team? Here are eight aspects that should figure prominently on your checklist.

The following First Nation Elder protocol question popped up in our inbox and we are really grateful for the opportunity to respond. We appreciate people taking the time to reach out to us with specific questions that will help them in their goal for respectful relationships with Indigenous Peoples.

The definition of “myth”, according to the Oxford Canadian Dictionary, is “a widely held but false notion.” When it comes to the topic of Indigenous Peoples there are many widely held but false notions or myths.

A reader recently asked us a question about talking sticks.  We changed the question up a little so as to preserve the confidentiality of the questioner.  

It has been over three years (June 2, 2015) now since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada released its summary report and 94 calls to action for reconciliation. Testimony gathered during a six-year period from over 7,000 survivors of the residential school system, forms the basis of the report. The Calls to Action (CTAs) targeted key institutions including child welfare, health, justice, education, and business.

The severity and impact of forest fires dominate the headlines every summer. In 2016, the Fort McMurray, Alberta, wildfire invoked the largest mass evacuation in Canadian history, with nearly 90,000 people forced from their homes. Many of the evacuees were Indigenous from urban areas and reserves.