ENGOs are keen to connect with Indigenous and racialized communities, organizations, and Indigenous governments. However, the ENGO sector has long prioritized the needs and voices of White and European people in the name of “conservation”, while exerting and perpetuating colonial violence against Indigenous Peoples and their lands and ignoring the voices of racialized peoples.
ENGOs are now grappling with the fact that they are trying to build relationships with Indigenous and racialized communities who they may have previously harmed at worst or ignored at best. Authentic community engagement requires more than sending a cold email to an organization or community that you have never engaged with before. The solution? Embedding Indigenous values, principles, and ways of knowing is the tide that raises all boats, conferring collective benefits.
Our Relational Accountability in Partnerships program gives ENGO staff the opportunity to be on a learning journey with one another to take a step back and explore how and why taking accountability in relationships is central to building community partnerships, in a good way.
This innovative program starts and ends with on the land learning in two Indigenous Communities in Ontario, with virtual sessions in between to maintain momentum on learning and relationships.
In this Community of Practice, expect to gather with 25 of your ENGO peers over a one-year period. Over 6sessions (two in-person sessions in Indigenous Communities in Ontario and four virtual sessions via Zoom) we will encounter our humanity and explore different relationship and partnership strategies, all grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing and being.
This Community of Practice will be led by Kerry-Ann Charles and Anna-Liza Badaloo, whose contrasting identities will bring a rich diversity of perspectives. To meaningfully demonstrate our commitment to Reconciliation, this program has been designed to benefit both ENGO staff and members of the two Indigenous Communities that we will visit. At two in-person sessions, Indigenous Community members will be engaged and will have the opportunity to get to know ENGOs and their staff. ENGOs will have the rare opportunity to spend time directly in Indigenous Communities. This presents the opportunity for both groups to engage in an innovative and impactful way that starts to address the usual power imbalance between ENGOs and Communities by meeting on Indigenous lands, in Indigenous Communities, on their terms is a powerful act of Reconciliation.
Limited to 25 people for an intimate experience, this program is for ENGO staff and Board members who are currently engaged in (or are preparing to engage in soon) building partnerships with Indigenous and/or racialized communities.
This Community of Practice is not a passive experience where participants sit back and receive lecture-style content. This is an active experience where participants are invited to lean into their humanity by sharing joys, challenges, and strategies via 6 sessions over one year.
Participants are expected to attend all 6 sessions to receive the full benefits and to meaningfully contribute to the Community of Practice. Although participants will have access to all (virtual) session recordings, they are no replacement for participating in real time with your peers.
We begin the series with a 3-day gathering at Scugog Island First Nation (a Community of the Williams Treaties Territory), located just East of what is now called Port Perry, Ontario. Over one evening, one full day, and one half-day, we will get to know each other and have the opportunity to interact with members of the First Nation. This gathering will foster psychological safety with one another, explore the nature of transactional relationships, and set participants up for success for the rest of the series. Accommodations will be provided by the Great Blue Heron Casino & Hotel, well known for its beautiful location and exciting gaming experience.
The Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation moved into southern Ontario from their former homeland north of Lake Huron around the year 1700. The Mississaugas are a branch of the greater Ojibwa Nation, one of the largest native groups in Canada. From time immemorial, Mississauga people secured all their needs from the surrounding environment (“Mother Earth”); hunting and fishing and harvesting plant materials for food and medicines. Wild rice, an important food staple, grows in shallow water and was gathered in late summer using birch bark canoes. Learn more about the past, present, and future of Scugog island First Nation here.
Scugog Island First Nation isn’t just the venue. Participants will have the unique opportunity to spend meaningful time with Scugog Island First Nation Community members and engage in activities and learnings together, in a good way. Openings and closings will be provided by Elders/Knowledge Carriers. Other interactions are anticipated to include creative activities with
Community crafters/artisans, storytelling, and a tour of the Community. We may even get our hands dirty with invasive plant species removal.
In contrast to our final session at Georgina Island First Nation, this first session provides participants with the opportunity to visit an “urban” Indigenous Community in the Southern part of the country.
View the Session One Itinerary HERE.
This first virtual session will build on the previous in-person session. All virtual sessions will be 2 hours long and include opportunities for large and small group discussion and activities, individual reflections, and intentional discussions of the role that Reconciliation plays for that particular topic. Participants will also be able to contribute asynchronously to group documents in between sessions to maintain momentum and engagement.
Potential discussion questions include:
· What do you have to offer as an organizational partner?
· What are you looking for in an organizational relationship?
· How can different roles in the organization support organizational partnership goals?
· What do performative actions look like vs. real contending and reflecting?
· What previous organizational partnerships have worked well? Which ones didn’t go well? What factors contributed to each?
At this virtual session we will explore the value of reciprocal relationships and their importance in partnerships. Potential discussion questions include:
· How do we appreciate different ways of knowing and being?
· How does the language we use contribute to tokenization and flattening of experiences (BIPOC, Indigenous, etc.)?
· How do differences in values factor into how we think about relationships?
· Are we really speaking the same language (i.e.: what do we mean by “reciprocal relationships”)?
· How can we personally reconcile with the land, and why is this essential?
At this virtual session we will explore governance and accountability in partnerships by being introduced to the Anishinabek Clan System. At this virtual session potential discussion questions include:
· Introduction to the Anishinabek Clan System, which represents a complex and deeply spiritual structure that defines identity, roles, and responsibilities within the Community. It is a system that upholds the values of harmony, balance, and respect for all living beings.
· By understanding the clan system, we gain deeper insight into the Anishinaabe worldview and how they interact with each other, the natural world, and the Creator.
· Role and Importance of the Clan System: social structure, kinship, and identity.
· Clans and Their Meaning: Anishinabek and other prominent Clans.
· Clan Responsibilities: Guardianship, Ceremonial Roles, Teaching and Mentorship, Conflict Resolution.
· Clan Structure and Leadership: Matrilineal Descent, Clan Chiefs, Elders' Role.
· Clan Revitalization, Cultural Preservation, and Role in Governance.
At this virtual session we will explore how the 7 grandparent teachings can guide authentic partnerships, and how to embed them in our daily lives. Potential discussion questions include:
· Introduction to the 7grandparent teachings: Principles of Wisdom, Love, Respect, Bravery, Honesty, Humility, and Truth.
· Introduction of the animals that represent each teaching (reflecting the qualities that are needed for a harmonious life).
· How the Teachings guide us to live in harmony with nature and the world around us and foster positive Community contributions.
· How we can apply these Teachings in our everyday lives, both personally and professionally.
We end the series with a 1.5-day gathering at Georgina Island First Nation, located on the Southern shores of Lake Simcoe, Ontario. Over one full day and one half-day, participants will be given the tools to bring together the learning of the last year and have the opportunity to interact with Community members. This gathering will set participants up for success to process and integrate their learnings and take these lessons back to the organizations. Accommodations will be provided by the Ramada Inn at Jackson’s Point, well known for its stunning location, and close proximity to Sibbald Point Provincial Park and the Georgina Centre for Arts and Culture.
The Chippewas of Georgina Island inhabited the Lake Simcoe region long before the arrival of settlers. They have successfully settled both at the Coldwater Narrows Land Claim which we now know as Canada’s largest claims as well as one of the largest Treaty settlements known as the Williams Treaties in their fight for recognition of displacement and stolen lands, as well as their inherent rights to hunt, fish, and gather. Georgina Island was the first community in Canada to ratify The Framework Agreement on First Nation Lands Management, which allows them to step outside the Indian Act with their own land code to take jurisdiction of their lands and natural resources on reserve. Their connection to the land is one of respect. As Anishinaabe people, they have a spiritual connection to the land, and they make their stewardship responsibilities a priority. Learn more about the past, present, future, culture, and teachings of Georgina Island First Nation here.
Georgina Island First Nation isn’t just the session location. Participants will have the unique opportunity to spend meaningful time with Georgina Island First Nation Community members and engage in activities and learnings together, in a good way. Openings and closings will be provided by Elders/Knowledge Carriers or a representative of Chief and Council, meals and refreshments will be provided by Community caterers, crafters/artisans will guide us through creative activities, Community members will engage the group in storytelling and Community Tour, and we may even get our hands dirty with invasive plant species removal.
In contrast to our first session at Scugog Island First Nation, this final session provides participants with the opportunity to visit a more remote Indigenous Community with limited access. Although located in Southern Ontario, spending time in this Community will give participants a sense of some of the joys and challenges faced by people living in remote Indigenous Communities.
View the Session Six Itinerary HERE.
We are pleased to offer three registration tiers in keeping with your organization’s annual budget. The program fee includes accommodations, meals, refreshments, and supplies for in person activities in Indigenous Communities. Participants are responsible for their own travel fees.
· Organizational budget of $1 million or over: $1,800
· Organizational budget of $500K to $1 million: $1,200
· Organizational budget of$500K or under: $600 (limited number of spots available)
Please complete this Application Form at your earliest convenience. We are accepting applications until we reach capacity. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance on a rolling basis until the program is filled.
Please contact the program facilitators for any questions:
Kerry-AnnCharles: ka.charles@indigenousaware.com
Anna-LizaBadaloo: anna-liza@sustainabilitynetwork.ca
Session 1: Settler Colonialism 101
Introduce ENGO representatives to the fact that colonization is a structure and not an event. Identifies key ways that colonialism moves through individuals and organizations.
Session 2: Positionality
ENGO representatives learn how to articulate their social location within a settler colonial state, and in relation to potential Indigenous partners.
Session 3: Inherent Indigenous Governance 101
Introduce the fact that Indigenous nations have their own sources of political authority that they can (and do) draw on when addressing environmental issues. Examples provided.
Session 4: Building Better Relations
ENGO representatives will road test ways they can implement previous workshop key points to re-imagine partnerships with Indigenous nations.
Cost: $100 (or register 4 staff from the same organization for one stream and get the 5th registration free)
All registrants will be provided with a link to access the recordings and presentation slides for 60 days following each session.
Session 1: Diagnosing Settler Colonialism in the Enviro Sector
Participants will be asked to share ways in which they have diagnosed and traced power in social justice movements and/or in the ENGO sector. This workshop will make space for discomfort as part of promoting decolonization.
Session 2: Inherent Indigenous Governance
A mix of advanced and introductory theory, this workshop delves into legal and political pluralism, naming the fact that Indigenous nations have their own sources of political authority that they can (and do) draw on when addressing environmental issues.
Session 3: The Nonprofit Industrial Complex
ENGO participants are introduced to theories and examples describing the Nonprofit Industrial Complex and the “Shadow State.” Purpose is to show how settler colonialism structures civil society.
Session 4: Decolonizing ENGO-First Nation Partnerships
This workshop delves deep into how ENGOs can partner with Indigenous nations beyond the Nonprofit Industrial Complex while promoting deference to inherent Indigenous political leaders.
Cost: $100 (or register 4 staff from the same organization for one stream and get the 5th registration free)
All registrants will be provided with a link to access the recordings and presentation slides for 60 days following each session.
The Indigenous only space will be collaborative in nature but critical in approach. This track is a space for Indigenous folks within the ENGO sector to come together to discuss their experiences and work, with an eye to taking a position on what the sector might need to do in order to promote decolonization. Participants will use the first session to define our goals for the remaining three meetings. Therefore, session topics named here are proposals only.
Session 1: Naming the Cannibal: Settler Colonialism in the ENGO Sector
Session 2: Proposed topic: Reflections on working in the ENGO Sector
Session 3: Proposed topic: Centering Indigenous Thought in the ENGO Sector
Session 4: Proposed topic: Visioning a Decolonial Environmental Sector
Cost: Free
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