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Land acknowledgements are increasingly present at the beginning of meetings in board rooms, lectures, classrooms, entertainment events etc. Land acknowledgements are also appearing on an impressive number of websites and in email signature blocks. I have been advocating for land acknowledgements for over 25 years as an Indigenous relations trainer so it is rewarding to know that corporations, organizations, and individuals are making the effort to research the history of the Peoples on whose land they are meeting or working in order to draft the acknowledgement. It’s an important contribution to reconciliation and decolonization. 

During the 2019 federal election, the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (the Declaration) was included in four (absent from the Conservative platform) of the five party platforms but did not garner the degree of discussion it warrants. Canada, as an official supporter, without qualification, of the Declaration carries a responsibility to honour that commitment.

The minds and hearts of most Canadians are opening to the severity of colonial practices that helped shaped this country and how those policies continue to impact the socio-economic well-being of Indigenous Peoples. Improving the socio-economic well-being of Indigenous Peoples is key to reconciliation and will benefit the entire country. 

Advisory committees can be invaluable to the success of a business, organization, or social enterprise. But not all advisory committees are created equal. Those committees that include a diverse range of individuals provide a broader scope than committees on which everyone shares the same history, education, life experience, and worldview. 

When a company takes the reconciliation initiative to provide our Indigenous Awareness training to the majority of their staff we believe their actions should be applauded and broadcast.

By Lee Stevens, Indigenous Gathering Place Society of Calgary
Photo: Aaron Aubin Consulting Inc.

It started with one question posed by Chief Robert Joseph at Reconciliation Canada workshop held in Calgary, AB in 2014: “What does Calgary need to reconcile?” Born from a humble discussion by a group of passionate like-minded and like-hearted people at the table, the concept of an Indigenous Gathering Place (IGP) in Calgary was ignited. Our Elders tell us the dream, vision and effort toward a central gathering space by and for Indigenous Peoples is but a continuation of many prayers and actions that came before us. We are proud to carry on the torch with the guidance and blessing of our Elders toward this ambitious and necessary goal.    

In 2015, when the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) released its six-volume report on residential schools it brought the details, impacts and outcomes of the schools starkly into the spotlight. Canadians were shocked to hear that the federal government enacted policies of cultural genocide as a means to achieve the ultimate goals of separating Indigenous Peoples from their lands and sovereignty. The report presented a harsh contrast to the common perspective of Canada as a benign nation shaped through the foresight of the founding fathers and hard work of settlers. 

Indigenous languages the world over are in jeopardy. So much so that the United Nations declared 2019 the International Year of Indigenous Languages to raise awareness of the fragility of thousands of Indigenous languages and to underline the enormity of the situation.  

"Reconciliation is not an Aboriginal problem — it is a Canadian problem. It involves all of us." Senator Murray Sinclair

If Canada is going to heal from the pain and suffering inflicted upon Indigenous Peoples through colonization then we all need to look for ways to contribute to the recovery. If you think of the Indian Act as the wound, then the 94 calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) can be thought of as the tourniquet and reconciliation strategies as salve for the scars.

Tammy Robertson, External Relations Manager for the City of Kamloops has an ambitious goal: for the City of Kamloops to become a role model for Indigenous/municipal relations. The relationship between the City and Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc, over a short period of 18 months, has evolved from one of much uncertainty into one based on mutual trust and respect. They’ve gone from annual community-to-community forums with little outcome to working collaboratively on significant community projects and actively looking for additional opportunities to collaborate on projects.