The Good Practices Guide to Indigenization

Introduction

Once you’ve undertaken self-reflection, it will become easier to identify and evaluate cultural appropriation. I often ask myself, ‘What would an elder think?’ when I undertake various tasks. If I believe that an elder might disapprove of my approach, I modify it. I continuously hold myself accountable to Indigenous communities, and this is an approach you can adopt as well. If you’re hesitant to embark on this journey alone, you don’t have to! Employ an Indigenous person to work alongside you! Budget for this—it isn’t as difficult as you might think! It requires considerable daily effort to avoid veering off course and sliding back into colonization. Remember, colonization doesn’t benefit anyone in the long run. It may currently be advantageous to Euro-centric colonials, but as the world changes, these ways of living will undergo significant transformation in the coming decades. If Euro-centric colonials wish to hold onto their power and privilege now, be aware that the younger generation will call them out—it’s already happening.

Appropriation typically occurs when Indigenous knowledge and practices are used in ways that: 1) Detach them from their original cultural context; 2) Lack appropriate acknowledgement; and 3) Are exploited for institutional recognition (for instance, ticking a box to indicate that ‘some reconciliation’ has been fulfilled for the year). This can be damaging as it perpetuates stereotypes, erases epistemological distinctions, and disrespects Indigenous peoples’ perspectives, beliefs, pedagogies, traditions, languages, laws, and values.

It’s important to remember that the aim of Indigenization is not merely to include Indigenous content, but also to transform how you understand, value, and engage with Indigenous ways of being and living. This journey requires continuous learning, unlearning, and relearning, as well as respect, relationality, reciprocity, humility, courage, trust, honesty, wisdom, love, commitment, and accountability. It involves creating ethical spaces that genuinely respect and adhere to Indigenous sovereignty, rights, land, perspectives, and reconciliation efforts. This is demanding and exhausting work, but the pinnacle of understanding that you will reach is well worth the effort.

Addressing Lateral Violence: Nurturing Respect and Support within Indigenous Communities during the Indigenization Journey

Lateral violence—a term that refers to the harm inflicted within Indigenous communities due to the internalization of colonial oppression—is a critical issue to consider during the process of Indigenization. This harm can manifest as bullying, gossip, shaming, or other forms of aggression by Indigenous individuals towards their Indigenous colleagues. The complexity of this issue can impact both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike, often inciting deep fear in those on the receiving end. What everyone needs to remember is that true elders who possess the knowledge do not behave this way. If any Indigenous person is shaming another Indigenous individual, this is not our way of treating each other; this is lateral violence.

Being the target of lateral violence can be incredibly challenging, frightening, and confusing. It’s crucial to establish boundaries and strategies to cope with these inevitable occurrences. As a non-Indigenous person, you should educate yourself on what lateral violence is and how it surfaces. Be prepared for it to be directed against your Indigenous colleagues, and don’t be surprised or caught off-guard when it happens. Most importantly, don’t believe the narratives being spread and don’t distance yourself permanently out of fear. If you do, those perpetuating lateral violence win, leaving your Indigenous colleagues to deal with it alone. In my life, I adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards lateral violence, shutting it down early. It’s a trap that I refuse to fall into. Be aware of this, and don’t get drawn into the drama.

Embracing Trauma-Informed Practice: Cultivating Ethical Soundness in the Indigenization Journey

A trauma-informed approach is increasingly recognized as a critical component in the process of Indigenization within institutions. This approach acknowledges the extensive impact of trauma and understands potential paths for recovery, thereby facilitating the creation of ethical spaces—be they physical, emotional, spiritual, or mental (in the mind).

Indigenous Peoples, who have faced historical and ongoing systemic colonial and racist oppression, often bear the burden of acute intergenerational trauma across Turtle Island. Therefore, maintaining awareness of your general approach and preparing to create ethical space when discussing subject matter new to you in the process of Indigenization can foster autonomy, identity, and healthy growth. This allows for an environment in which all individuals feel understood, respected, and supported, thereby contributing to a more inclusive, equitable, non-hierarchical, autonomous, Indigenous-centric, and collaborative environment that can sustain pain.As we all learn the importance of being trauma-informed, a paradoxical situation may emerge. Increased awareness of intergenerational trauma might cause fear of inadvertently causing harm or triggering traumatic responses, leading to inaction and stagnation in the Indigenization process. So, what’s the way forward?

Reflective practice is key. Understand that reactions like ‘freezing’ or ‘reverting to what you know’ can lead to further marginalization of Indigenous Peoples if you don’t engage in this journey. My approach is to prepare extensively. I thoroughly research and consult with Indigenous communities on the subject area I am discussing so that when the inevitable occurs, I am ready to respond with humility, bravery, honesty, transparency, truthfulness, wisdom, respect, and love or ‘care’ for the situation at hand.

In the pursuit of truth and reconciliation, a trauma-informed approach doesn’t guarantee a path devoid of errors. However, it does promise a path of genuine engagement, where mistakes become stepping stones to progress, fostering healing and growth within both you and those around you. In the long term, it’s worth it. In the short term, this process may be exhausting and painful. However, by embracing these challenges, you will cultivate ethical soundness.

Creating Respectful and Autonomous Spaces: Guiding Principles for Engaging with Indigenous Colleagues in the Indigenization Process

Indigenization efforts are indeed beneficial, but it’s important to acknowledge that Indigenous Peoples lead lives beyond assisting others in their reconciliation efforts. We have our own interests and responsibilities outside of serving as guides for your understanding. Indigenous liaisons hired within your institutions, or those who own their own companies, can assist you. However, it’s crucial to approach these interactions by respecting the Indigenous person and being cognizant of their autonomy. Here are a few recommendations:

• Refrain from projecting colonial attitudes and expectations onto your Indigenous colleagues.
• Be open to feeling uncomfortable with the information you receive from Indigenous colleagues.
• Recognize that Indigenous individuals may have different but equally valuable ways of approaching things.

The Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action urge all Canadians to participate in this work. If you’re unsure where to start, consider the following actions:

• Reflect on why you might lack connections with Indigenous Peoples and communities.
• Follow Indigenous individuals and organizations on social media.
• Support Indigenous-owned businesses.
• Attend workshops and training led by Indigenous Peoples.
• Actively listen to Indigenous voices without interjecting your own perspectives.
• Read Indigenous news sources such as ‘Windspeaker’, ‘Alberta Native News’, ‘APTN’, and ‘IndigiNews’. Avoid relying solely on mainstream media outlets like CBC or the Globe and Mail.
• Use Google or other search engines to research Indigenous Nations. There is a wealth of information available online.

Remember, Indigenization is a journey, and each step you take brings you closer to respecting Indigenous rights, sovereignty, lands, time, and the need for autonomous space.

Navigating the Path of Indigenization: Confronting Re-colonization and Cultivating Ethical Spaces

In the pursuit of Indigenization, a critical but often overlooked aspect is the potential for inadvertent re-colonization to emerge within your processes and practices. Re-colonization can occur when the dominant culture imposes its worldview, values, or practices on Indigenous worldviews, rather than truly integrating and valuing Indigenous knowledge, laws, ethics, traditions, pedagogies, and perspectives. It’s a paradoxical situation where the attempt to include Indigenous content, instead of promoting Indigenization, unintentionally perpetuates colonial attitudes and structures.

Re-colonization can manifest in various ways within a classroom setting. For instance, it can occur when Indigenous knowledge is presented through a Eurocentric lens, undermining its intrinsic value and distinctiveness. It can also take place when Indigenous content is included superficially or tokenistically, without genuine engagement with or respect for Indigenous Peoples or Indigenous epistemologies and protocols. Moreover, re-colonization happens when the complexities and diversities of Indigenous perspectives and ways of knowing are oversimplified or homogenized, or when Indigenous voices are not given the space and respect they deserve.

To avoid the risk of re-colonization, it’s crucial to approach Indigenization with humility, respect, transparency, and a genuine commitment to learning. This involves acknowledging and confronting biases, and actively seeking to understand and value Indigenous knowledge and perspectives on their own terms. It’s about creating ethical environments where Indigenous voices can be heard, respected, and integrated meaningfully into the processes. This allows you to model what humble and transparent learning is as a teacher in front of students, and it also permits others to observe you taking an Indigenous-centric approach.

The journey towards Indigenization requires more than passive acceptance or the choice of an ‘alternative course’; it demands active inquiry and a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths as you strive to enact positive change. An individual’s role in Indigenization extends beyond merely imparting knowledge – it involves continuously educating oneself, understanding the complex contexts that impact one’s practice, and actively seeking to redress the structural imbalances deeply entrenched in current systems. This commitment to continuous self-reflection, honesty, transparency, and accountability to Indigenous Peoples and the local Indigenous communities whose land you occupy, is a foundational step towards the goal of genuine Indigenization in academia. Self-awareness is a paramount first step towards effecting capacity change for future generations.

The path towards understanding and integrating Indigenization requires courage and humility. For over 150 years, since Canada’s inception as a colony, Indigenous Peoples have been surviving, and it is time they thrived. As settlers, you can assist with Indigenization by breaking down barriers and creating ethical and meaningful internal and external spaces. You can also model this behaviour for other settlers who will be watching closely.

Conclusion

The integration of Indigenization in institutions is not merely important, it is an absolute, non-negotiable mandate. This complex journey is filled with both challenges and opportunities. It calls for openness to making ‘good’ mistakes, while remaining aware of the ‘bad’ ones: those processes and practices that further marginalize Indigenous livelihoods.

Striking the right balance between integrating Indigenization into your practice and avoiding both appropriation and re-colonization is essential. This necessitates profound respect for Indigenous cultures, laws, epistemologies, and perspectives. It requires creating ethical spaces and adopting a trauma-informed approach. It requires awareness of lateral violence and the courage not to retreat in its face; it calls on you to be brave under public scrutiny. But this should not deter you; instead, it should spur you on.

This journey isn’t merely about making society more inclusive or equitable, or simply creating a space where Indigenous knowledges, cultures, and peoples are recognized. It’s about inscribing these values into the very hearts of everyone on this land, for that is where the medicine lies and where the ancient ones speak. The pursuit of Indigenization is about moving inward — gently, and forward — relentlessly and unapologetically — one ‘risk’ at a time.

Sources:

Menard, Andrea. “Lived experience as an Indigenous person, educator, and legal scholar.” May 15, 2023.

University of Alberta, Indigenous Strategic Plan, 2022. ‘Guiding Values and Principles’, ‘Strength Based Approach’. pp. 14

*Here are additional instances where the principles of Indigenization are implied within the TRC’s Calls to Action, MMIWG2S’s Calls for Justice, and UNDRIP:

1. TRC Calls to Action
   • Call #27 & 57: Professional development and training for public servants and lawyers.
   • Call #50: In keeping with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, we call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal organizations, to fund the establishment of Indigenous law institutes for the development, use, and understanding of Indigenous laws and access to justice in accordance with the unique cultures of Aboriginal peoples in Canada.
   • Call #63: Building capacity for the revitalization and strengthening of Indigenous languages and cultures.
2. MMIWG Calls for Justice
   • Call for Justice 1.2: Recognize and protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples to their cultures and languages as inherent rights.
   • Call for Justice 1.4: We call upon all governments to uphold the social and economic rights of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people by ensuring that Indigenous Peoples have services and infrastructure that meet their social and economic needs. All governments must further ensure that all Indigenous communities have access to safe housing, clean drinking water, and adequate food.
   • Call for Justice 2.1: All governments with the cooperation and leadership of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people to create a National Action Plan to address violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people.
   • Call for Justice 15.2: Establish more Indigenous-specific and culturally safe victim services.
3. UNDRIP
   • Article 11: Indigenous peoples have the right to practice and revitalize their cultural traditions and customs.
   • Article 14: Indigenous peoples have the right to establish and control their educational systems and institutions, teaching in their own languages.
   • Article 31: Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain, control, protect, and develop their cultural heritage, traditional knowledge, and traditional cultural expressions.
   • Article 34: Indigenous peoples have the right to promote, develop and maintain their institutional structures and their distinctive customs, spirituality, traditions, procedures, practices and, in the cases where they exist, juridical systems or customs, in accordance with international human rights standards.
   • Article 40: Indigenous peoples have the right to access to and prompt decision through just and fair procedures for the resolution of conflicts and disputes with States or other parties, as well as to effective remedies for all infringements of their individual and collective rights. Such a decision shall give due consideration to the customs, traditions, rules and legal systems of the indigenous peoples concerned and international human rights.

These various Calls to Action, Calls for Justice, and Articles from UNDRIP highlight the importance of Indigenization across various sectors and the necessity of Indigenous perspectives, knowledge, and practices in these spaces. It’s important to note that these are just a few examples, and the comprehensive reading of these documents gives a much broader view of the changes that are needed.