People of EDC - Dianna Hudson

Welcome to People of EDC, a series dedicated to celebrating the diverse experiences of our workforce by getting to know them on a more personal level. This week’s article features Dianna Hudson , EDC’s small business and operations advisor.?

When Dianna Hudson first stepped foot into the corporate world, she felt like she had to leave her Indigenous identity at the door.

“When you're an Indigenous, especially a First Nations person, you put on a different hat when you're coming into a corporate environment,” Says Dianna. ”You have your Indigenous hat when you're at home because you can be yourself.”

The idea of leaving one’s identity at the corporate door is something that many can relate to. There’s even a term for it - “code-switching”.

Code-switching happens when a member of an underrepresented group (consciously or unconsciously) adjusts their language, speech, behavior, and/or appearance to fit into the dominant culture.

Dianna grew up in the Peguis First Nation, the largest First Nation community in Manitoba. As the child of a residential school survivor, she holds her culture and heritage very tightly.

“I'm a proud Treaty 1 member, and a proud Peguis First Nation member. It holds a lot of weight for people that are here because it's important to us as part of our identity...It’s a part of who we are and demonstrates our resiliency and courage,” says Dianna.

Dianna joined EDC nine years ago and currently works as small business and operations advisor, covering Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Through this role, she works closely with businesses in the region who are looking to get help from EDC, whether it’s financial or knowledge support. ??

She’s a part of EDC’s Indigenous Employee Resource Group (ERG), which was formed 3 years ago and gives its members a safe space to connect on issues that impact their communities. The ERG also provides opportunities to share the Indigenous history and culture with the entire organization.

In participating in the Indigenous ERG, Dianna gained more confidence to keep true to her identity when walking through the doors of EDC.

In fact, she has made it her mission to make sure that through her work, no one feels like they need to be someone else entering the workplace.

“When onboarding my new colleagues, I like to not only show them the culture at EDC, but also allow them to bring their own identity and experiences into the work culture and be a part of the mosaic”, says Dianna.

As we approach National Truth and Reconciliation Day, Dianna encourages us to reflect not only on the Indigenous children and families who were negatively impacted by the residential school program, but also reflect on how the actions stemming from this program benefited the lives of non-Indigenous people today.

For example, the nutritional guidelines that we follow today are based on the starvation of Indigenous children in residential schools, with tests being conducted on those children to determine what vitamins are needed to survive and what foods can they avoid without getting sick. Many Indigenous children suffered for years following the trials due to lack of proper nutrition, even resulting in premature deaths.

“Something as simple as considering the lasting impact that our history has on how we treat our bodies and how to be a healthy person, that was all taken from an Indigenous child who was forcefully removed from their family,” says Dianna.

In support of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30, we invite you to check out these resources to learn more about the history, languages, cultures, and experiences of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.