Last year I was brought onto a project as a sub-consultant to help facilitate a series of conversations between a government and group of Indigenous Nations. This is becoming more of a regular gig for me, wherein I “facilitate engagement” in a way that is culturally appropriate and helps Indigenous and Settler organizations find common ground to move forward. I also typically partner with Indigenous colleagues on these projects, to ensure multiple perspectives and experiences inform the facilitation process.
As I was working with the government client to plan for the sessions with the Nations, we were talking about a key interest that Nation representatives had shared early on, which was for there to be more Indigenous involvement in the sessions. We were thinking about different ways that this interest could be met, and I asked the question, “could we find a way to bring on Indigenous students to the facilitation team as note-takers and helpers?”
To my client’s credit, their first answer wasn’t “no, I don’t think so, that’s not in the budget.” Instead, they said “maybe…what do you think that might look like?” This opened the door for us to explore different options, discuss logistical considerations and potential risks and benefits. We decided that I could create a role description for the contract, and we could all share the opportunity among our networks with Indigenous student centres at local post-secondaries.
Within a couple of weeks, the client team had found the money to support bringing in the students from a different department’s budget who was also keen on building capacity and connecting Indigenous youth to meaningful experiences in policy development and community engagement. We had a job description that was shared locally, and received interest in the role from diverse Indigenous students who were excited about the opportunity to be part of the project.
Nine months later, the two students who were hired are still part of the facilitation team and have both spoken about their appreciation for the opportunity to be in the room for and contributing to such rich conversations. One of the students has even shifted her career path as a result of the experience, not having previously been exposed to career opportunities in Indigenous engagement.
Another student who applied for the contract originally but then wasn’t able to take it on due to other work commitments has done other contract work with Forum Community Relations, and will continue to support projects and clients in the future.
My point in sharing this story is that it really all started with five little words: could we find a way…?
I often hear Settler folks ask questions about what they can do to advance reconciliation. Many talk about the books they’ve read and learning they’ve done (which is hugely important as a first step), but they seem stuck when it comes to actually doing things. After you’ve done a bit of learning, a powerful next step is using your privilege to open doors. Whenever possible, ask the question “could we find a way…?” to identify potential steps for greater Indigenous inclusion.
And as your organizational cultures start to also shift to be more aware of the importance of reconciliation (Inclusion From Within, as I describe in a previous article), you’ll find a sense of collective creativity and opportunities that you haven’t seen before. And who knows? Taking action on one of those opportunities might just open the door and change everything.