06/21/2023
“Reconciliation is like a middle school dance. You’re kind of interested but don’t know what to do. Most of us are watching and afraid to get it wrong, so we hang back. Slowly, we meet in the middle of the room and dance in an awkward way. That is reconciliation, that is Indigenous engagement.” - Wanda Brascoupe, the Special Advisor, Maple Leaf Strategies and Co-Founder and Special Advisor, Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund
This National Indigenous Peoples Day, in an effort to foster greater inclusion of all Indigenous talent in the workplace, we asked Wanda, who is Bear Clan Tuscarora, Mohawk & Algonquin from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg, and Darren Sutherland, who is Cree, a member of Fort Albany First Nation, and works as the Specialist, Indigenous Affairs at Mashkawazìwogamig Indigenous Resource Centre, University of Ottawa, a simple question: What does it mean to be an Indigenous-friendly employer?
We’ve summarized our conversation, along with some practical tips for employers, on our blog: https://lnkd.in/g-TE8fTN
Darren says it’s not about instantaneous results, but rather, meaningful engagement. And Wanda agrees, saying the first step to engaging Indigenous talent is building trust, defining what belonging means in your organization and celebrating distinctiveness rather than sameness. “I like to work with employers that want to build together, know they are learning, and want to grow in the space of Indigenous brilliance,” she said.
To learn more, join us tomorrow at our webinar DEI for Beginners: Practical steps, key takeaways and lessons learned, where Wanda will be sharing her thoughts alongside a panel of guest speakers: REGISTER NOW https://lnkd.in/gah_PMyz
Ideas for engaging and including Indigenous talent
