RECONCILIATION: MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER - UNDERSTANDING RECONCILIATION
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“Reconciliation requires a deep commitment to understanding and knowledge. And I think that we have only peeled back the first layer maybe and we have a long way to go. - Indigenous Nation BC HOUSING STAFF 4.3.2.1 Defining Reconciliation From a personal perspective, almost half of respondents defined reconciliation as: • Acknowledging past harms against Indigenous people and taking measures to prevent future harm; • Building respectful, trusting, collaborative, and balanced relationships; and, • Practicing cultural humility by listening and learning about the experiences of Indigenous peoples. Over one-third of respondents defined reconciliation as acknowledging and addressing disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. This means that there are underlying factors to explain the social and economic disparities between Indigenous and non- Indigenous people. However, this perspective needs to be discussed further within BC Housing about whether these factors or the history is understood.
We heard that being flexible and responding to unique and diverse needs of Indigenous Nations is important to reconciliation as well as building the capacity of Indigenous Nations, communities, and organizations to be self-sufficient. Staff stated that BC Housing needs to change the way they provide supports to be more flexible in building housing, providing amenities, and landscape design.
Why This Is Important While some flexibility in housing occurs, Indigenous Nations, communities, and organizations are wanting more control over and input into the type and nature of housing developed in their communities – size, cultural uses, and designs to address needs. Article 23 of UNDRIP emphasizes Indigenous Peoples’ right to be actively involved in developing and determining housing affecting them (UNDRIP).
”Reconciliation is not going to be a one-size-fits-all strategy or a one-size- fits-all definition. Things that define reconciliation will be different depending on [the] community. – BC Housing Staff A couple of respondents indicated that reconciliation includes the recognition and upholding of Indigenous rights and title which includes the duty to acknowledge that there are Indigenous rights to the lands on which BC Housing works.
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