RECONCILIATION: MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER - SUPPORTING RECONCILIATION
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7.3.1.3 Indigenous Self-Determination When asked how BC Housing involves Indigenous Nations, communities, and organizations in decision-making, many respondents indicated that BC Housing is participating in dialogue, providing support, adapting to needs of communities, and focusing on relationship building. Table 12 summarizes what we heard from respondents within each of these categories. Table 12: Ways BC Housing Involves Indigenous Nations, Communities, and Organizations in Decision- making Category Examples Participation in dialogue • Provides project update e-mails to Indigenous Nation, community, or organization • Includes Indigenous Nation, community, or organization on e-mails between BC Housing and consultants (e.g., architects) • Participates in frequent project meetings (e.g., bi-weekly, monthly) • Listens to what community housing needs are
• Asks Indigenous Nation, community, or organization what they would like to see in a project • Ensures Indigenous Nation, organization, or community is front and centre while identifying and selecting consultants and project design • Actively seeks input and collaboration from Indigenous partners • Provides suggestions, but ultimately the decision is that of the Indigenous partner • Has included Indigenous Nations, communities, and organizations in this reconciliation process • BC Housing’s Indigenous Relations is a new source of support • Provides examples of bylaws, constitutions, and tenancy agreements to assist communities in setting up their own non-profit housing societies • Prioritizes community procurement • Looks for opportunities to bring value to the project (e.g., comes to meetings well equipped with models and ideas from other projects) • Provides project guidance (e.g., where the plans are, what the Indigenous partner needs to do) • Doubled the capital grants compared to non-Indigenous housing • Collaborates and is flexible; works outside of the box to find resources and meet the needs of communities • Works out of their comfort zone; has the mentality of, ‘Ok, this is what you want, we will support you with that.’ • Enters into Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) with Indigenous Nations and ensures projects are based on the Nations’ way of knowing • Fosters relationships between new projects and successful projects • Attempts to create enhanced relationships • Accepts the colonial history; intention comes across as honoring the past but also moving forward • Facilitative and well attuned to listening, recording, and surfacing new ideas
Support
Adaptability
Relationships
We also heard that BC Housing is not involving Indigenous Nations, communities, and organizations in decision making. Table 13 summarizes what we heard from respondents.
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