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Indigenous Awareness Training - Questions To Ask

Updated: Jan 31



The following 6 questions were created as a part of an Indigenous Awareness Training workshop that CIPS developed for a client interested in working with a First Nation Community. These questions were designed to help the client (and organization) assess what they need (and offer) for a potentially successful partnership.


It is very important to understand that before communicating with an Indigenous Community that your organization knows what it is they are expecting and what they are offering. Knowing this will help improve communication and expectations for a potentially beneficial partnership with a First Nations community or organization. Need help? Click here to contact us for a consultation.


Question 1: What Do We Have To Offer In A Relationship?

  • Data

  • Willingness to share our research

  • Certain expertise

  • Mapping

  • Certain knowledge

  • Capacity

  • Partnerships

  • Work towards common goal

  • Open to learning new things

  • Diverse talents

  • Diversity

  • Knowledge in key areas

  • Different resources

  • Expertise

  • Sharing resources

  • Sensitivity

  • Respect

Question 2: What Are We Seeking in a Partner?

  • Shared interests and goals

  • Mutual respect

  • Communication

  • Sharing knowledge

  • Monitoring (sharing SAR knowledge)

  • Better understanding of concerns

  • Stability

  • Trust

  • Honesty

  • Knowledge

  • Continuation of sharing of data

  • Communication

  • Honesty/trust

  • Indigenous support (doing the right thing)

  • Excitement/belief in what you’re doing

  • Expertise

  • Knowledge of the community

  • Co-operation

  • Flexibility

  • Openness

Question 3: What Are Our Relationship Limits?

  • Different backgrounds

  • Different cultures

  • Government

  • Stereotypes

  • Funding

  • Prior engagements

  • Commitment

  • Limits out of our control

  • Conflicting interests

  • Communication

  • Money (budget)

  • Knowledge

Question 4: What Baggage Do We Bring To The Relationship?

  • Stereotypes

  • People don’t want to work with us because they think we are government

  • Looks like we are trying too hard

  • Inherit frustration of expectations of CA by First Nation (ie you’re CA fix this)

  • Lack of internal knowledge between departments

  • Personal baggage based in life experiences/history

  • Lack of knowledge on both sides

  • Preconceived notions

  • Lack of support from Community -“government organizations”

  • Far away-geographical