Why ‘Curiosity’ Is Important To Indigenous Engagement and Relationship-Building?

Author Steve Francis, Indigenous Relations Practitioner

Being successful at Cultural Agility with Indigenous communities depends on applying a number of competencies effectively. Perhaps “curiosity” is a competency that ought to be mapped or considered relative to the particular community you want to engage with and ultimately build a relationship with, before focusing on other competencies like perspective taking, humility, and tolerance of ambiguity.

Why is it good to be curious about Indigenous people and communities before approaching them? Being curious may help you understand a community’s process (for engagement or relationship-building) that you are unfamiliar with or unaware of, so you can respectfully interact with that unfamiliar community; being curious may also help you probe and ask questions about a process or methodology, i.e., local individuals involved, steps and timelines, that are unknown to you, thereby contributing to earned trust; and because it will also indirectly contribute as a building-block to a longer-term relationship – a desire or a goal of many First Nation communities.

What follows is an actual situation that occurred to the author and might prove useful to you, the reader. This situation (or experience) could have been aided by respectful “curiosity” and by getting to know the community from an outside perspective.

While attending a First Nation community for the first time, the author failed to bring a cultural offering for his meeting host. Normally, the author carried a pouch of tobacco or a braid of sweetgrass to offer to his meeting host, a cultural protocol element that also served as a “thank-you” for taking the meeting. Every other initial meeting with a First Nation that the author arranged and attended was an opportunity to demonstrate respect for the meeting host and his/her community for being available and willing to meet with the author. Not having one of the four sacred medicines (tobacco, sage, cedar, or sweetgrass), the author gifted a beaded lanyard to his meeting host and asked what the community’s meeting protocols were for future adherence. Having addressed his oversight to the satisfaction of his host, the meeting went on successfully thereafter, and other meetings and engagements were held, and a working relationship was jointly established.

To avoid a situation like the author found himself in, consider doing the following: (1) verbally confirm any relevant meeting protocols, especially those related to culture, for each Indigenous community (before traveling to the community); (2) inquire about any process documents that may be relevant or used by the community when meeting with people from outside the community; (3) ask for any preliminary issues or questions that may be important to the community; (4) ask about the number of meeting participants and their roles (in representing the community) who may attend the meeting. Additionally, and importantly, the advice that follows should also be undertaken or addressed. Doing so will address the “curiosity” competency important for the individual who aspires to be culturally agile with Indigenous communities and people.

Advice and/or suggestions for a Practitioner.

1) Conduct desk research, i.e., review completed Traditional Land Use (TLU) and Socio-Economic Studies, both of which are often elements of completed environmental assessments (EA) per legislative requirements and will be publicly available, about the Indigenous community and people you want to initially engage with.

2) Ask whether a Comprehensive Community Plan (CCP) or a Cultural Assessment for the Indigenous community you are interested in has been completed and is available for sharing.

3) Before the first community visit, determine where the Indigenous community is on the cultural continuum by visiting the community’s public website, if one is available.

4) Ask or research whether the specific community you’re interested in has entered into any agreement with either a government or another party.

5) Google the specific community you are interested in to determine whether it has been a party to litigation.