Why Your Inclusion Strategy Must Include Truth and Reconciliation

This past June marked the celebration of many diverse communities — from Pride Month for LGBTQIA2S+ communities to National Indigenous History Month here in Canada.

I want to acknowledge that while these celebratory moments can feel both joyful and festive, they can also be painful as they remind us of the ongoing oppression that communities experience, including lives lost due to hate and violence and, in the case of Indigenous communities, genocide.

This reminder has been especially prevalent this year, with the very beginning of Indigenous History Month being marked by heartbreaking news about the discovery of the bodies of 215 Indigenous children in a mass unmarked grave at the former site of Kamloops Residential School. Soon after we learned about the discovery of the remains of?751 people , mainly Indigenous children, at the site of another former school in the province of Saskatchewan. In the wake of this national tragedy, many Canadians (myself included) have been reflecting on the shared responsibility we have as settlers to promote?Truth and Reconciliation ?and healing work.

Those of us who are not Indigenous have a?responsibility ?to call out the continued colonization, oppression, land theft and marginalization that Indigenous Peoples experience. We must work together —?both as leaders ourselves but also call upon leaders across sectors —?to do more to address the toxic systems that continue to oppress Indigenous Peoples.

At the individual level, each of us must commit to owning our roles in continuing to perpetuate the marginalization and racism that Indigenous Peoples experience. On a personal note, I was shook by the findings in Saskatchewan and British Columbia (and I’m bracing myself for similar news to come from across Canada and the US), and I’m re-committing to focusing on my personal work relating to Truth and Reconciliation going forward.

As it relates to diversity, equity?and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace, we must do more to prioritize inclusion for our Indigenous team members and colleagues, starting with addressing the dramatic systemic problems that prevent Indigenous professionals from accessing opportunities and from thriving.

As a leader or team member:

• Educate yourself ?about the historic and continued oppression that Indigenous communities face — and commit to disrupting these injustices through your actions and words
• Focus on building pipelines for Indigenous team members. This can include initiatives such as pipeline programs, educational scholarships, internships?and?mentoring programs
• Actively start to recognize experience over education when vetting qualifications during the recruitment process — this is especially key for Indigenous communities, as recent statistics show that just 8.7% of?Indigenous Canadians ?have a university degree. Our societies continue to emphasize education over experience, and we must call out how this preference is rooted in white supremacy
• Do the work to?identify?the biases ?you may be holding about Indigenous Peoples and actively work to?interrupt them
• Be an?active ally ?to your Indigenous colleagues, team members?and friends — which includes reaching out to check-in and to offer your support during this difficult time

In this moment, it’s more important than ever that we ramp up our DEI efforts for Indigenous communities. As always, at bci we actively advocate for these efforts and we stand in solidarity with Indigenous communities across Canada and globally.