RECONCILIATION: MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER - BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
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Nations, communities, and organizations on projects and strives to develop equitable partnerships with them. Furthermore, staff also commented on the organization’s dedication to learning and improvement. A few of them discussed that BC Housing tries to listen to Indigenous Nations, communities, and organizations and adapt their approaches to meet the needs that are expressed to them.
Why This Is Important These comments from BC Housing staff provide a sample roadmap for making progress on reconciliation: • Time for staff to devote to relationship-building through project development. • Resources to support the efforts of relationship-building perhaps for events, capacity development, etc. • Adapting program approaches to meet the needs and interests of diverse Indigenous Nations, communities, and organizations. Article 34 of UNDRIP emphasizes the importance of respecting cultural diversity, and states that Indigenous peoples have the right to their own structures, laws, and traditions. This suggests that BC Housing should adapt their project processes to accommodate (and not hinder) Indigenous organizations to operate in ways that work for them.
“We can all learn and try to do better, and BC Housing encourages us to go to workshops on reconciliation and on research approaches that are more inclusive and that respect different cultures. – BC Housing Staff Member
6.3.2.2 Suggestions for Improving Relationships Staff mostly agreed that BC Housing needs to invest more time and resources into relationship-building. We heard from multiple people that the organization can improve its efforts by taking the time to engage in more conversations with Indigenous Nations, communities, and organizations, visiting communities in person, being proactive through its planning practices, and redirecting BC Housing’s available resources toward building relationships.
We also heard that training staff to be in respectful partnerships with Indigenous Nations, communities, and organizations is key to improving these relationships. A few staff recommended making the Working Effectively with Indigenous Peoples training mandatory so that all staff approach their work with the same level of understanding. A couple of staff also shared that they think BC Housing should take more individualized approaches to building relationships with Indigenous Nations, communities, and organizations and emphasized the need for flexibility when working with Indigenous peoples. Specifically, we heard that BC Housing’s rigidity in project processes has hindered Indigenous organizations from operating in ways that work for them. One staff member shared that BC Housing should create space to hear from all Indigenous perspectives and voices, as opposed to being selective about who is given a seat at the table.
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