What is Indigenous culture?
Indigenous Peoples are a culture that shares ancestral ties to the lands and resources where they live. More than 1.8 million people in Canada identify as Indigenous. Canada’s three groups of Indigenous peoples are First Nations, Métis, and Inuit, all with unique histories, cultural practices, languages, and spiritual beliefs. Every aspect of their life can define culture, including mannerisms, clothing, religion, rituals, language, and art. Generation after generation continues to pass these beliefs and traditions to the next, keeping their identifying ways of life alive. Although these groups in Canada are distinct, they share similarities, including historical injustices committed against them by colonists.
Celebrating Indigenous culture
For over a decade, the Assembly of First Nations wanted to establish a national Aboriginal solidarity day on June 21st of each year to recognize and celebrate Indigenous culture and contributions of the Inuit, Metis, and First Nations people of Canada. In 1996, Romeo LeBlanc, the Governor General of Canada, declared June 21st National Aboriginal Day, now known as National Indigenous Peoples Day. June is also Canada’s National Indigenous History Month, which originated in 2009 as National Aboriginal History Month. Indigenous Peoples Day is a way to honour and learn about their cultural and historical contributions and celebrate their heritage and resilience.
Better understanding Indigenous culture
The following are ways in which cultural sensitivity around Indigenous Peoples may be fostered in the workplace:
Incorporating cultural awareness training
Cultural awareness often involves recognizing similarities and differences during communication or interaction. Employers may choose to introduce such training in an effort to create a safe and respectful workplace through learning about the historical backgrounds, traditions, and current struggles of Indigenous Peoples.
Creating employee resource groups
Employee resource groups (ERGs) are voluntary associations led by employees with the aim of helping everyone feel like they belong within their organizations. These groups typically include employees who share ethnicity, religious beliefs, gender, lifestyle, or interests and can provide support, mentorship, a sense of community and enhanced career and personal development.
Recognizing traditional lands
Some businesses choose to acknowledge the traditional territories where they operate to demonstrate respect for Indigenous Peoples’ land, culture, and history. For example, some of Canada’s NHL teams embrace this practice as part of their commitment to reconciliation and Indigenous inclusion, particularly before games, where large audiences are present.
Celebrating Indigenous heritage
Employers may decide to honour Indigenous heritage by, for example, recognizing and celebrating Indigenous holidays, hosting cultural events and workshops, and inviting Indigenous speakers or performers to share their knowledge and experiences.
Respecting land stewardship
Businesses may adopt a variety of environmentally responsible practices to make their activities more respectful and sustainable. These could include minimizing energy consumption by investing in energy-efficient technologies, recycling, creating waste reduction initiatives, and implementing sustainable sourcing and procurement practices.
Offering flexible holidays
Employers may allow employees to take days off for traditional cultural practices as a means of demonstrating respect for Indigenous heritage and helping everyone feel like they belong in the workplace. Employers may choose to set up policies and procedures for requesting time off for cultural practices, giving employees equal opportunities to participate in their traditions while maintaining productivity and meeting business needs.
Incorporating Indigenous wisdom
Organizations might try to include Indigenous Peoples’ perspectives in decision-making, particularly if those decisions affect Indigenous communities or territories. For example, businesses may ask for input from Indigenous consultants and engage in discussions to show respect. Taking their perspectives into account may help businesses align their actions with Indigenous Peoples’ values, priorities, and interests. This, in turn, may enhance sustainable and ethical business strategies.
Providing spaces for rituals and practices
Some Indigenous employees may perform cultural or spiritual practices during the day. Employers may choose to provide a safe and quiet area so everyone has an opportunity to practise their traditions.
Supporting Indigenous businesses
Supporting Indigenous-owned businesses through partnerships or procurement policies is one way in which organizations may positively impact Indigenous communities while highlighting a genuine commitment to Indigenous economic development. Companies may consider creating employment opportunities and driving entrepreneurship within Indigenous communities to strengthen the local economy and social wellbeing. Supporting these businesses would be one way of promoting cultural preservation and self-determination since Indigenous entrepreneurs often incorporate traditional knowledge, craftsmanship, and values into their products and services.
Celebrating Indigenous culture typically involves an ongoing commitment to understanding, respecting, and inspiring Indigenous voices and experiences. From observing National Indigenous Peoples Day to incorporating Indigenous perspectives into workplace policies and practices, there are many ways in which cultural awareness, reconciliation, and belonging may be fostered in the workplace.
