June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada, officially since 2009 (then called National Aboriginal History Month). But I have only started hearing about it in the mainstream over the last few years. It’s an opportunity to deliberately set aside time in our days to honour stories, achievements, and resiliency of Indigenous Peoples. People who have lived for generations, thousands of years, moulding and shaping the land and waters we now call Canada. Canadians and many other global citizens are finally coming to terms with our colonial roots. Those of us who are non-Indigenous have benefited from the generosity of our First Nations and from settlers taking advantage of that generosity. There has been more movement of late, to try and figure out how to reconcile this recent history.
This June, I wanted to make sure I was taking steps to further my Truth & Reconciliation commitments. This post summarizes my recent activities. I’ve also provided some background information and links, for those less familiar with Canada’s history. It’s intentionally been kept light.
Calls to Action
As a beneficiary of colonialism, I think it’s only fair that I am consistently doing something to reconcile. My personal commitments are to continue to listen, watch, and share Indigenous content, stories, and ideas. I also commit to supporting Indigenous-led sustainable energy projects. Which I think is the most important component for fighting climate change.
In 2007, despite Canada voting against it, the United Nations Declaration On The Rights Of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) was adopted. This kicked off the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, the largest class-action settlement in Canadian history. More than a decade later, the BC government passed the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) into the provincial legislature. Canada followed suit, putting the UNDRIP Act into place in 2021. These are all much-needed steps on the path to true reconciliation. I try not to get too sad or mad at how slow we’ve been to implement so far.
Through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, came 94 calls to action for the government to right its wrongs. For businesses, Call to Action 92 is particularly relevant. These are the commitments:
- Commit to meaningful consultation, building respectful relationships, and obtaining the free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous peoples before proceeding with economic development projects.
- Ensure that Aboriginal peoples have equitable access to jobs, training, and education opportunities in the corporate sector, and that Aboriginal communities gain long-term sustainable benefits from economic development projects.
- Provide education for management and staff on the history of Aboriginal peoples, including the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal-Crown relations. This will require skills based training in intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights, and anti-racism.
Summary of June Learnings
This year, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Engineers & Geoscientists BC updated their mandatory regulatory learning module. I worked through the material last month, which is mandatory for all engineers and geoscientists registered with the province. It focuses on Truth and Reconciliation. Though a lot of information wasn’t new to me, it was beneficial to refresh my memory and hear from additional perspectives. The module was developed with support from Indigenous and non-Indigenous subject matter experts.
I also started working my way through another course from EGBC called ‘4 Seasons of Reconciliation‘. The proceeds from the course are donated to First Nations University of Canada students from across the country. The course work goes more in-depth on topics of Truth and Reconciliation, including topics of economic reconciliation, UNDRIP, Reconciliation, and Restitution.
Resources
A few organizations I follow shared resources and stories spotlighting Indigenous success stories and resources for Indigenous businesses and entrepreneurs.
Some resources for Indigenous businesses and entrepreneurs:
- Pow Wow Pitch is a grassroots community of Indigenous entrepreneurs across Turtle Island;
- NACCA is a network of over 50 Indigenous Financial Institutions dedicated to stimulating economic growth for all Indigenous people in Canada;
- Raven Indigenous Capital Partners has created an Indigenous culture-centred approach to impact investing and supporting communities;
- EntrepreNorth is focused on empowering Indigenous entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses and livelihoods across the North;
- Coast Funds provides financial support to First Nations in the Great Bear Rainforest and Haida Gwaii to develop their economies and communities in tandem with conservation efforts; and
- New Relationship Trust (NRT) administers and mobilizes capital to empower First Nations communities across BC.
More general resources from Startup Canada:
- A written spotlight on Jean Erasmus, co-founder of Dene Wellness Warriors;
- A podcast, How To: Foster Indigenous Values and Systems as an Entrepreneur; and
- Entrepreneurship as Reconciliation (Sep 2022).
Conferences
There were 2 conferences I attended in June. They were quite different from each other, but both underscored Indigenous-led success across BC and highlighted areas where there is a need for improvement.
At the Indigenous Partnerships Success Showcase, I had the pleasure to meet a ton of amazing people. Including this year’s chair Chief Ian Campbell, former MLA Melanie Mark, former mayor and Senator Larry Campbell, and many more. RoseAnne Archibald (Former AFN National Chief) also made a speech, where she highlighted the importance of and her excitement for Indigenous youth-led entrepreneurship. There were folks from all over the country, several local BC entrepreneurs, business owners, and Indigenous leaders. Although there was more discussion about oil and gas development than I would like, I had a great experience at the conference as a whole.
Later in the month, I attended Generate 2023, the big conference Clean Energy BC puts on annually. Kwatuuma Cole Sayers and the organizing team did a great job, each panel was engaging and informative. I was excited to reconnect with leaders in the BC renewable energy community, some of whom I had only met previously online. I also got to hear perspectives from developers, consultants, and operators, First Nations and non-First Nations, all working on renewable energy locally.
The journey doesn’t stop in July
It is no longer National Indigenous History Month. But celebrating the rich cultures, traditions, and history that First Nations, Metis, and Inuit people have; learning about Canada’s dark history of racism and colonialism; and supporting Indigenous-led businesses are actions not reserved for one month of the year. It’s important to continue to keep taking steps toward true reconciliation all year round.
As I continue to be a part of the business world, I need to keep looking for ways to bring Truth and Reconciliation into the work I do. Whether that’s building relationships, advancing employment and training opportunities, or keeping myself and the folks I work with educated and informed.
If you are interested in partnering or have ideas on how I can be a better ally, I’m always open to reach outs and suggestions.