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>> [MUSIC]. Today is
the national day for |
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truth and reconciliation and |
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our next guest is here to discuss |
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ways we could be true allies
to indigenous people. |
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Welcome Sara Majdanek. |
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This is something you speak about |
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daily through your
work as president and |
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CEO of the Gord Downie
and Chanie Wenjack Fund. |
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Just explain what the fund is
for viewers who don't know. |
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>> For sure. As an indigenous person |
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and a member of the
multi-nation of Alberta, |
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I live and breathe
this work every day. |
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What we really seek to do at |
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the Gord Downie and Chanie
Wenjack Fund is to build |
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cultural understanding
and create a path towards |
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reconciliation between |
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indigenous and non-indigenous
peoples in Canada. |
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How did we do that? |
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Our work is really
based on the pillars of |
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awareness, education,
and connection. |
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All of the programs that we have at |
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the Gord Downie and
Chanie Wenjack Fund |
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invite all peoples to join |
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us on this journey
towards reconciliation. |
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>> This is, I feel crucial because |
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folks watching at home who are |
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not indigenous are
always looking for ways, |
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how do I jump in, how
do I get in there, |
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how do I not do the wrong thing? |
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Let's talk about just broad strokes. |
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What does an indigenous
allyship look like? |
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>> It really means listening, |
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leaning into the discomfort of
doing something wrong or not |
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knowing where to start or
a feeling disassociated |
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from a responsibility to
contribute to reconciliation. |
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When we heard about the
recovered bodies of |
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children at residential school
sites all across the country, |
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there was feelings of shock and |
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outrage and horror
and anger and grief, |
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but then what, how
was that momentum, |
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how is that energy translated |
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into improving outcomes
for indigenous people? |
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How many folks took that next
step to take responsibility, |
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to lean in to their own
personal connection, |
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to reconciliation and to
how they can contribute? |
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>> Let's talk a little
bit about that. |
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I'm going to break it down
so we can talk about what |
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allyship looks like in |
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the different places where
we breathe and live in work. |
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Let's talk about the classroom. |
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What does this look like,
what does allyship look |
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like for the teacher
and for the students? |
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>> For sure. In the classroom, |
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it's really insuring that the
true history and impacts and |
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legacy of the residential
school system is being |
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taught to children in this country. |
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The Gord Downie and Chanie
Wenjack Fund actually |
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helps provide free resources to |
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educators to help them |
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feel supported to be able
to teach this content. |
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They can sign up for free online and |
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we provide tools and
resources to help them feel |
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confident to teach about
the true history and legacy |
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of the residential school system |
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in this country and
also the strength, |
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resilience, and, |
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the vast differences between
indigenous communities. |
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One of the things that
has been tremendous in |
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our work is seeing the
need for that content, |
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the need for that support. |
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We're currently
supporting over 3,000 |
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educators in every province
and territory in this country, |
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and we're not even four years old. |
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That's really just meeting the
needs of educators coming to us. |
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It's an interesting place
to be in where we can |
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support education faster than
you can reform curriculum. |
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>> That I have to say, Sarah, |
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I've seen the difference |
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between when I was in
school and what we learned, |
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which was a completely
whitewashed history of |
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Canada to now what my
kids are bringing home, |
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and their assignments,
and I'm thinking, |
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oh my gosh, there has definitely |
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been a change and there
needs to be so much more. |
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But I am seeing |
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the change that your organization |
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is contributing to,
which is amazing. |
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Let's get into the workplace now. |
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You're in a workplace setting, |
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what does indigenous
allyship look like there? |
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>> We designed our
legacy space program |
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around helping
organizations, employers, |
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communities on their
reconciliation journey by holding |
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physical space to acknowledge |
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their commitment to
advancing reconciliation, |
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and then taking a look inwards, |
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what does that translate to
in terms of the diversity, |
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equity, and inclusion policies, |
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what does that translate
to in terms of hiring |
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practices and retention
of indigenous employees, |
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does that mean I'm holding |
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space to create more
equitable opportunities for |
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indigenous voices to be heard at |
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all levels within an organization, |
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including board room
tables across the country? |
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There is a commitment
that needs to be made by |
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employers to taking it beyond
that next step of being a policy, |
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but actually acting on it
and implementing it in |
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the ethos of the work |
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the company does and the way
it treats its employees. |
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>> Good, so it's the hiring
for them is to follow through, |
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its is this safe space
for these employees, |
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do they have a voice, |
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do they have a seat at the table, |
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are they talking at the table? |
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All of that has to happen. |
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Let's talk about the community. |
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You are in a community and you are |
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wondering how you can
be an indigenous ally, |
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do you have tips for us? |
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>> It can really be as simple as
reading the 94 calls to action, |
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finding one that
resonates with you and |
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actioning it within your
home, your community, |
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within your workplace, |
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understanding who's traditional
territory you're on, |
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building relationships
and connections |
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with indigenous
communities and peoples, |
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reading, indigenous authors, |
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taking the time to educate yourself. |
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Because if you didn't learn in |
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school and you're just
reading these news headlines, |
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do you actually understand |
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the truth that needs to
come before reconciliation, |
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and education is such an
important piece of that. |
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>> It is crucial. |
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The first step,
definitely and then ally, |
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always remember as a verb, |
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so it's about the action. |
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Sarah, thank you so much for that. |
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>> Thank you. |
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>> Great information. |
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To find out more about
the Gord Downie and |
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Chanie Wenjack Fund and it's |
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allyship resources or for a
list of reconciliation ideas, |
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head to our website, cityline.tv. |