MacEwan University and Indigenous Peoples

In the past few months I have become increasingly impressed with MacEwan University's commitment to Indigenous peoples and reconciliation. While not a student or staff there myself, I live in Edmonton and have been at their campus for several events.

Here are some of the reasons:

At the start of an event I attended there, Fred McGinn, Dean of Health and Community Studies, in his opening remarks said that MacEwan has the goal of being the first university in Canada to meet the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action (presumably, those that apply to educational institutions). That's quite a goal!

kihêw waciston (Eagle's Nest) Indigenous Student Centre (logo at left) is "a home away from home for MacEwan University's Indigenous students. Here you can gather, work and grow in a community that honours the distinctive knowledge of Indigenous peoples and supports you on your post-secondary journey." There are also Indigenous student advisors available to assist students.

In 2019, it will be moving to a larger more prominent location in the Robbins Health Centre building.


Roxanne Tootoosis is the university's Indigenous knowledge keeper and facilitator. Read more about her.

[positive space at norquest college]

I saw this sign in an office at NorQuest College in Edmonton. Was intrigued by the design which includes the trans colours in the arrow shape as well as brown and black to be inclusive of different races.

Text reads: "This is a place where human rights are respected and where lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, two spirit, intersex, asexual, non-binary, queer and questioning people are welcomed and supported."

[whose land]

Here's a great website that helps us understand whose land we are on. Using an enhanced map, it offers four ways of exploring Turtle Island: territories by city, territories by land, treaties and agreements, and Indigenous communities.

As well, a "Where am I" feature will list the treaties and agreements that the land you are currently on (based on location) is part of, the Indigenous peoples that make this land their home, and the First Nations closest to your location.

Eight videos feature Indigenous people talking about their land and acknowledgements, and there is an extensive FAQ section.

If you zoom out, you will see that the map also includes data on what we know as Australia, Central and South America, and parts of Greenland.

Check this page out at https://www.whose.land

"Whose Land is a web-based app that uses GIS technology to assist users in identifying Indigenous Nations, territories, and Indigenous communities across Canada. The app can be used for learning about the territory your home or business is situated on, finding information for a land acknowledgement, and learning about the treaties and agreements signed across Canada. Educational videos are available to watch that will give you a better understanding of why land acknowledgements are important, and the way Indigenous people view their relationship to land.

The app consists of six different maps of Indigenous territories, Treaties, and First Nations, Inuit, and Metis communities. Each community's location will eventually host a land acknowledgement video, and other information that the community would like to include on their page. The app will be used as an educational tool to create dialogue around reconciliation. It will be a starting point for conversation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous citizens across this country about land, territorial recognition and land acknowledgement."

from whose.land about page

acknowledging the treaty lands we live and work on

Here's a quick way to add some diversity and inclusion into your own life while acknowledging the diversity of our land and peoples:

Edit your email signature to include an acknowledgement of the Treaty land that you live and work on.

The above is what I use (appropriate for Edmonton and other areas within Treaty 6 - for other treaty areas, change the "6" to the relevant treaty # or adapt as needed):

Here's some other examples that I've seen:

NorQuest College:

 

(Amiskwacîwâskahikan), Treaty 6 Territory

We acknowledge that NorQuest College is on the traditional lands of First Nations and Métis peoples, referred to as Treaty 6 Territory.

(I really like the inclusion of the Cree word amiskwacîwâskahikan meaning, "beaver hills house", which is the Cree word for Edmonton.)


An organization:
The [organization] is located on Treaty 6 territory, the traditional gathering place for the Cree, Blackfoot, Metis, Nakota Sioux, Saulteaux, Dene and other Indigenous peoples whose histories, languages, and cultures we acknowledge.


A colleague:
I would like to acknowledge that I live and work on Treaty 6 territory, a traditional meeting grounds, gather place and travelling route to the Cree, Saulteaux, Blackfoot, Metis, Dene and Nakota Sioux.
Moreover, I acknowledge the many First Nations, Metis and Inuit whose footsteps have marked these lands for centuries.

Another colleague:
Sent from Edmonton / Amiskwacîwâskahikan in Treaty 6 lands.


An acquaintance in BC:
Offering my acknowledgment of the Ktunaxa Kinbasket, the Sinixt, and the Okanagan peoples where their Traditional Territories meet and where the city of Nelson is located, & respectfully, my acknowledgment of the Traditional Territory you are working on.   Also, I would like to acknowledge the Métis People who live and work on the various Traditional Territories across BC.


MacEwan University, at the entrance to their buildings, has this acknowledgement on a fancy plaque:

We acknowledge that the land on which we gather in Treaty Six Territory is the traditional gathering place for many Indigenous people. We honour and respect the history, languages, ceremonies and culture of the First Nations, Métis and Inuit who call this territory home.

The First People’s connection to the land teaches us about our inherent responsibility to protect and respect Mother Earth. With this acknowledgement, we honour the ancestors and children who have been buried here, missing and murdered Indigenous women and men, and the process of ongoing collective healing for all human beings. We are reminded that we are all treaty people and of the responsibility we have to one another.

(This acknowledgement is first in Cree syllabics, then Cree in English characters, and then in English. I particularly appreciate the acknowledgement of missing and murdered Indigenous women and children and the mention of ongoing collective healing.)

There are any number of ways to adjust your acknowledgement to reflect where you live and your personal style. The point is to add an acknowledgement.

positive space programs - a primer

Expanding on my previous introduction to Positive Spaces, I wrote a longer document on "Positive Space Programs: Increasing the Safety, Visibility, Acknowledgement and Support of LGBTQ2S+ Employees"

This document introduces positive space programs, emphasizes the role of positive space champions and outlines the key components of positive space programs. As well, appendices list select positive space programs in Canada, sample images, and more.

Read the full document (PDF)

[new language of gender]

Here is a well-presented slideshare on the new language of gender. From the introductory slide:

Language Matters

Gender used to be viewed through binary terms: male and female, masculine and feminine. The new language of gender breaks out of that binary system in favor of blurred, fluid identities across a gender spectrum. To be culturally literate now demands knowing how to speak the new language of gender and knowing the difference between terms like sex, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

Click here to watch the slideshare and learn more

where is our solidarity?

Seen on Jasper Avenue in downtown Edmonton, summer 2018.

[retrospective of alex janvier's work]

The Glenbow Museum in Calgary has a major retrospective of Alex Janvier's work, incorporating  until September 9th. 

Very amazing work... and quite a history lesson with it. Go see it!

[best practices in architectural co-design and building with First Nations]

"The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) initiated Four Case Studies Exemplifying Best Practices in Architectural Co-design and Building with First Nations as a resource for designers, clients, funders, and policymakers.

As the leading voice for excellence in the built environment in Canada, the RAIC believes that architecture is a public-spirited profession with an important role in reconciliation – addressing injustices by giving agency back to Indigenous people."

You don't have to have a particular interest in architecture to learn from this article which talks about working together respectfully and how to integrate Indigenous culture and traditions into modern buildings in meaningful and authentic ways.

https://www.raic.org/raic/four-case-studies-exemplifying-best-practices-architectural-co-design-and-building-first

key principles for employee resource groups

The following is an excerpt from the Employee Resource Group Framework that I have been working on over the past six months. The full document when available will provide additional information on these and other key items for Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).

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Employee Resource Groups are voluntary groups which bring together employees who share a common identity, characteristics, and/or bond or background and provide optimum environments and opportunities for these employees to flourish and to contribute fully to the organization. ERGs also advocate for the necessary shifts required to accomplish this at a broader and deeper level in the organization.

Some of the most common Employee Resource Groups are for women, LGBTQ2S+ employees,  Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities and minority cultural groups.

Note that these key principles were written for a non-profit / non-governmental organization / government context, and thus will differ from what one sees in articles about company ERGs.

Key Principles for Employee Resource Groups

1. Based on People Attributes

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) bring together employees who share a common identity, characteristics, and/or bond or background.

In the context of a diversity and inclusion initiative, most if not all ERGs are attribute-centered, particularly around peoples who have historically been or presently are at the margins in the workplace. They are not primarily about shared interests, hobbies or skill development.

2. Focused on Flourishing

Employee Resource Groups are focused on enabling and increasing the flourishing of their members. While there are benefits to the employer, these are not the primary driver for having ERGs.

3. Member-Driven

“Nothing about us without us.” While some overarching policies and principles govern Employee Resource Groups, what happens at an ERG in terms of format and activities is determined by its members.

4. Inclusive of a Range of Needs

Employee Resource Groups can address a range of desired results for their members. The hierarchy can be expressed as follows:

Positive mental health and general well-being
Social networking and personal development
Organizational awareness and policy alignment; community outreach
Full integration into the business

While seeking to create movement forward, Employee Resource Groups need to remember those employees who most need help and support to be included and to flourish at work as well as those who are further along in their journey.

5. Geared to Their Members

Employee Resource Groups are geared to the needs of their members as related to their social context, barriers faced, etc., and can vary significantly from one another in their purpose and format.

6. Evolving over Time

It is anticipated that the form and structure of each Employee Resource Group will evolve over time as movement toward flourishing takes place and as the corporate culture evolves.

7. Intentionally Intersectional

Recognizing the intersectionality that runs through the lives of many employees, Employee Resource Groups will be intentional about using an intersectional lens in their planning and activities.

8. Collaborative

Employee Resource Groups will seek out opportunities to collaborate with other ERGs to share resources, optimize their efforts and increase unity.

9. Engaged with Allies

Employee Resource Groups are engaged with their allies to work together for the flourishing of all.

Rob Goetze

[on the importance of representation...]

Jamal Jordan writes about growing up in a world where he saw no examples of queer people of colour, and how he began taking portraits as part of changing this.

"As a child, I thought all gay people were white.

By the time I was 18 and living in Detroit, being gay was no longer a “problem” for me. I was out of the closet, and my family and friends were supportive, even encouraging. Yet, as I set off for college, and grew more comfortable calling myself an adult, a man — a gay black man — I was convinced that no one would ever date or love me.

Growing up, I had rarely seen queer characters of color in the gay young adult books I read, in episodes of “Queer as Folk” I watched or issues of “XY” or “Out” magazines I stealthily bought at Barnes & Noble."

Jamal Jordan, photographer, in Queer Love in Color

Read the rest of the article and see more portraits at: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/21/us/queer-love-in-color.html

See also https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/27/insider/brown-black-queer-and-invisible.html

[welcome and safe at steinhauer united]

In the lobby of Southminster Steinhauer United Church in Edmonton. 

Rainbow banners fly outside the front doors.

draw the circle wide

We sang the song "Draw the Circle Wide" at church a few weeks ago and it fits well with this blog. Some will say "there shouldn't be a circle at all" (and I generally agree) -- however, if you read the lyrics, you will see that essentially everyone ends up inside the circle...

Draw the circle wide, draw it wider still.
Let this be our song: no one stands alone.
Standing side by side, draw the circle, draw the circle wide...

God the still-point of the circle
Round you all creation turns
Nothing lost but held forever
in God's gracious arms

Refrain

Let our hearts touch far horizons
So encompass great and small
Let our loving know no borders
Faithful to God's call

Refrain

Let the dreams we dream be larger
Than we've ever dreamed before
Let the dream of Christ be in us
Open every door!

Refrain

Click here to watch the video if your device does not support embedded videos.

"Draw the Circle Wide"
Hymn by Gordon Light and Mark Miller

Read more about moral circles.

If there is no circle, you might either belong... or everyone might just be little bits floating around in the vastness of space...

[the limitations of welcome]

Evangelicals for Social Action recently published "The Limitations of Welcome: An Interview with Amy Jacober", who authored a book called Redefining Perfect: The Interplay Between Theology and Disability.

Some quotes from the interview:

Concurrently, Jacober reconstructs a far more hopeful and healing vision of the church, one that goes beyond making space for those with disabilities by merely providing accessible parking or seating or other accommodations. Instead, Jacober contends that Scripture invites us to honor the gifts those with disabilities can bring to communities in reciprocal, right relationships—gifts that can be used in worship, in discipleship, and in vocational calling.

This includes the paradigms we’ve created for what church leadership looks like. Real change will not happen within churches until those with disabilities are “absolutely” reflected in leadership, Jacober said. And this will not happen until people redefine how we traditionally view Christian leaders, theologians, and teachers.

Read the rest of the interview.

[transforming]