RECONCILIATION: MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER - INTRODUCTION
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approaches to engaging with Indigenous Nations and communities. In addition to leaving these communities exhausted, she writes, “All of the ‘engaging’ is done on the terms of non- Indigenous institutions. One outcome is sheer tokenism. Projects are already designed, plans set, monies committed.” 21 Rather than actually serving Indigenous communities, these actions might be seen as performative. The intention behind them is not to contribute to sustainable change for Indigenous people but is instead “an exercise of box-ticking.” It is a way to bring in the Indigenous perspectives without decolonizing the organizational structure. Because Indigenous Nations, communities, and organizations are incredibly diverse, flexibility is a fundamental principle to working alongside Indigenous people to find solutions. What might have worked for one Nation, community, or organization might not work for the next. In other words, it is important to avoid one-size-fits-all approaches to working with Indigenous Nations and communities. Reconciliation Strategy In the past, BC Housing has approached reconciliation (specifically, Indigenous relations) by pursuing strategies such as: • Establishing and actively pursuing goals to improve relations with Indigenous peoples; • Participating in the Progressive Aboriginal Relations (PAR) program; 22 • Creating the Director of Indigenous Relations position internally; • Strengthening the Indigenous-focused teams within the organization; • Supporting the creation and operations of the Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA); • Transferring the Indigenous housing stock to AHMA; and, • Developing an Indigenous Housing Fund program. While these approaches represent aspects of reconciliation, they do not reflect the full spectrum of principles for reconciliation and decolonization (e.g., collaboration, Indigenous self-determination and self-government). In other words, these strategies do not represent a full relinquishment of control or devolution of decision-making power to Indigenous peoples, nor do they create space within the organization for Indigenous worldviews to be brought to the forefront. As the findings illustrate, these actions or decisions were made by BC Housing and not by Indigenous Nations, communities, and organizations, thereby reinforcing colonial power structures. Decolonization is a process of eliminating colonialism. In order to decolonize BC Housing’s past approaches to working with Indigenous peoples, the organization should examine their
21 Libby Porter, “What is the Work of Non-Indigenous People in the Service of a Decolonizing Agenda?,” in Indigenous Planning: from Principles to Practice , ed. Libby Porter et al., pg. 652 22 PAR is a certification program administered by the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business that measures an organization’s performance in Indigenous relations.
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