First Legislative Assembly in North America to release an Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan.
Situation
A legislative institution with a historical legacy of colonialism and non-inclusion of First Nations in the province of British Columbia was looking to curve these negative realities and perceptions by charting a new path forward to build strong relationships with First Nations leaders. Underpinning the work in front of the institution was the acknowledgment of the truth in order to advance reconciliation and build a new relationship.
To build a new relationship with First Nations leaders, a push past the boundaries of comfortability was required for the institution while urging its figureheads to visit First Nations leaders in their communities to learn more about their culture and governance. Running parallel to the community visits, the institution established an Indigenous Reconciliation Advisory Committee comprised of prominent First Nations leaders to advise on immediate and longer-term reconciliation initiatives.
Through thoughtful discussions and dialogue, leading to the acknowledgement of past wrongdoing and the need to rectify, the figureheads of the institution determined that a comprehensive plan was required to achieve their reconciliation goals, as well as initiating a research project to identify a century’s worth of records that attributed to harms and negative impact of First Nations Peoples to share publicly adding to the historical record.
Solution
At the conclusion of the first round of First Nations community visits and receiving a summarized report with recommendations by the Committee, the institution agreed to move forward on developing and launching an Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan. The plan focuses on five key pillars of action – Understanding, Education, Inclusion, Representation, and Commemoration. The Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan focuses on reconciliation activities for implementation over a period of four years with further actions identified for the longer-term. The Plan was endorsed by a majority of the institution’s elected members and First Nations leadership organizations. Grounding the work in the acknowledgement of the truth of what occurred to Indigenous Peoples in history and committing to tangible action that moves beyond words to build a new relationship is a strong demonstration of how Indigenous reconciliation can be moved forward in a meaningful way. This initial work is just the beginning, and the Plan is a living document to adapt to the evolving new relationship through accountability to action.
Outcomes
- First Legislative Assembly in North America to release an Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan
- Stronger online presence with a dedicated section to the institution’s reconciliation commitments and efforts on their website
- Stronger relationships with the First Nations leaders and leadership organizations
- A commitment to extend the term of the Indigenous Reconciliation Advisory Committee beyond the current parliament with a renewed membership and mandate.
- A commitment to conducting listening tours with First Nations leaders beyond the current parliament, and in communities with a diversity in governance, culture, and geography.
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