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Indigenous Awareness Training - Questions To Ask
Updated: Oct 17
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
Lack of understanding
Pre conceived ideas/stereotypes
Past experiences
Question 5: What Is Your Desired Objective Of The Relationship?
Positive working relationship
Desired commitment to the environment
Free flowing communication
Similar vision and execution of projects to ensure projects get completed
Become better teachers/communicators
Improve health of watershed
Certain leaders for certain subjects
Learn
Improve knowledge
Mutual respect and benefits
Long-term open relationships
Open communication
Honesty
Good understanding of each others goals
Success
Continued relationship building
Mutually beneficial
Understanding of both sides
Question 6: Call To Action Of Your Prospective Partner?
Reciprocal feedback and open communication
Positive contributions
Expectation that the First Nation will work with us (don’t want one-way relationship)
Open lines of communication
Informal engagement
Maintain the relationship
Room for improvement
Reach out
Mutually beneficial goals reached
Start a relationship
Decide what you want from relationship
Commitment
To gain more awareness insight, see Indigenous Awareness Training Parts 1 / Indigenous Awareness Training Part 2 and Indigenous Awareness Training Parts 3 for the more valuable First Nations awareness training.
To find out how we can help you with your Indigenous Awareness and Engagement activities, please see our web page Indigenous Engagement Training or contact us at: (705) 657-1126 (Email): spirit@indigenousaware.com
To set up a short 15 minute consultation with our CEO, Mike Jacobs, please see this page here. Chi Miigwetch (thank you) and good luck!
Related Articles:
How To Work With Indigenous Peoples
Achieving Effective and Meaningful Engagement with Indigenous Communities