Building Relationships with Indigenous Partners
June is National Indigenous History Month and June 21 is National Indigenous People’s Day in Canada. It’s a time to celebrate Indigenous people, heritage, history, and an annual reminder for the work that still needs to be done to support Indigenous self-determination. June 21 was chosen because of the summer solstice, which holds spiritual significance to many Indigenous nations, and it is also the longest day of the year. This month is an annual reminder for all Canadians and Canadian industry to celebrate the unique culture and contributions of Indigenous peoples.
Across the AEC industry, companies and clients are recognizing how important it is to increase Indigenous participation on projects. One way to increase participation is through Indigenous procurement, a way to invest dollars into Nations, making a direct and positive social contribution to their economy through the supply chain. Indigenous procurement is how we as an industry can support Indigenous owned communities reach sovereignty and self-determination.
We developed our Indigenous relations strategy with Tim Laronde, national director, Indigenous strategies, built on the foundation of the Truth and Reconciliation Report, specifically call to action 92. It calls directly on Canadian businesses to commit to consultation and informed consent of Indigenous peoples, providing equal job opportunities, training, education, and anti-racism in the workplace. Under Tim’s guidance, our teams are working on the implementation of our Indigenous relations strategy, including 10 per cent Indigenous employees by 2024.
Tim is focused on connecting teams with Indigenous communities, cultural awareness training, growing Indigenous talent, and increasing Indigenous procurement. We work with impact organizations across Canada that help us increase Indigenous vendor and employee participation. One of the organizations we work with is the Indigenous Professional Association of Canada (IPAC), who promote Indigenous entrepreneurs and businesses for procurement opportunities.
On Bigstone Cree Nation, we’re working on a new secondary school that will be directly on the nation. The original RFP called for at least 15 per cent Indigenous participation, and we’re already at 33 per cent, including vendors and labourers. The school itself is being built in alignment with Cree teachings and curriculum, with a Tepee both inside and outside of the school, along with a common circular area and an industrial kitchen for teaching life skills like dressing game meat. Once the school is completed, graduation rates are expected to rise for the nation because the school building helps the community prioritize Cree teaching, ultimately helping the Nation reach sovereignty and self-determination.
There is still much work to do towards meeting the calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Report. June 21st is National Indigenous People’s Day, but working towards reconciliation is every day. You might ask, what can I do? Remember that reconciliation is a continuous learning journey and a process. “We can all learn more about Indigenous cultures and history, and how you can be a part of reconciliation. A great way to learn is to become involved, read a book, or attend a cultural event to further your education.” Tim said.
To learn more about reconciliation click here.