Indigenous people are donors, volunteers, partners and beneficiaries in the charitable sector. Non-Indigenous teams need to be well-equipped to respectfully engage with Indigenous people in all of these roles. It’s both basic respect, and it’s mission-critical for modern charitable organizations’ funding models.
Since its establishment in 1971, the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) has grown to become a non-profit supporting Indigenous communities from coast to coast across Canada. This year, the NAFC rings in its 50th anniversary, and executive director Jocelyn Formsma opens up about the movement’s importance to community members today and into the future.
A strong sense of belonging builds community resilience, which has been vital during COVID-19. This is especially true for Indigenous communities, facing already-existing inequalities that have been exacerbated by the pandemic. As organizations move towards recovery and look to improve their services, they must centre inclusion — something that is integral to Anishinaabe thought and philosophy.
When creating COVID-19 protocols, the government didn’t always engage Indigenous communities, leaving many Indigenous leaders out of the decision-making process. Moving forward, that has to change; Indigenous youth are Canada's fastest-growing demographic, and for full COVID-19 recovery — one that takes into account the wellbeing of Indigenous communities — young policy leaders need equal say in building a better future.
“A key strategy in the colonization process, the residential school system, and the Indian Act, was to remove Indigenous Peoples from the land and displace Indigenous economies for the benefit of the settler population,” reads the Sage Initiative website. “This initiative is designed to reverse that process.”
After its initial refusal in 2007, Canada endorsed the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People: a piece of legislation impacting everything from resource extraction to land disputes. With Indigenous youth being the future of their communities, it’s vital that UNDRIP be implemented with Indigenous youth policy leaders at the forefront, shaping what future legislation looks like in Canada.
