RECONCILIATION: MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER - INTRODUCTION
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actions governments are required to take to respect these rights. 17 In November 2019, the Province of BC passed Bill 41: Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act , which implements UNDRIP and aspires to pave a pathway forward for increased transparency, predictability, and respect for Indigenous peoples’ human rights. 18 The Province worked with the BC Assembly of First Nations, First Nations Summit, and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs to develop the document, but did not consult with the urban Indigenous, the Métis, and the Inuit populations. DECOLONIZATION Decolonization is a central component of reconciliation. It involves addressing power imbalances and deconstructing colonial ideologies and systems of oppression that have maintained the status quo, perpetuated colonial ideals, and privileged Western knowledge. In order to decolonize, individuals, organizations and governments must first develop an awareness about what colonialism is and how it has negatively impacted Indigenous peoples. Moreover, they must engage in a process of self-reflexivity, which involves looking internally to understand and reflect on how their histories or positions in society have contributed to systems of oppression and colonization. Decolonizing an organization means proactively dismantling the colonial structures that are in place and making room for Indigenous knowledge systems to be brought to the fore. Past approaches to working with Indigenous Nations, communities, and organizations, however, have often reinforced existing colonial structures and power imbalances. BC Housing’s approaches, for example, have centered Western knowledge in housing design and operations, which may have led to perspectives amongst staff seeing themselves as “experts” working for or “helping” First Nations communities. Indigenous Planning practitioners Aftab Erfan and Jessie Hemphill argue that even the idea of “empowering” a First Nation community can be problematic, as it implies that individuals outside of an Indigenous Nation, community, or organization possess more power than the Indigenous members of that Nation, community, or organization. 19 An important first step in restoring power balance is by working by/with (not for) Indigenous communities. 20 Building meaningful relationships with Indigenous Nations, communities, and organizations is also crucial in the process of decolonization. However, organizations should be cautious and ensure that they are engaging for the right reasons. Scholar-activist Libby Porter points out that to Indigenize their structures, many governments and institutions have taken inauthentic 17 Ibid. 18 Province of British Columbia, B.C. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act . Accessed July 20, 2020. 19 Aftab Erfan and Jessie Hemphill, “Indigenizing and Decolonizing: An Alliance Story,” Plan Canada 53, no. 2 (2013): 18, accessed July 20, 2020, https://doi.org/10.25316/ir-3043 20 Hirini Matunga, “A Revolutionary Pedagogy of/for Indigenous Planning,” in Indigenous Planning: from Principles to Practice , ed. Libby Porter et al., pg. 641
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