Abstract
Many mainstream organizations within the healthcare sector and beyond continue to advance their commitments towards reconciliation; however, it’s time to include but also move beyond land acknowledgements and individual level change such as cultural safety training. Essential next steps are meaningful inclusion of Indigenous perspectives, ways of knowing, and community voice when designing strategies to improve Indigenous health outcomes. Yet mainstream organizations are unsure how to start this next phase of their reconciliation journey as there are no playbooks directing them on next steps. IPHCC developed the Advancing Indigenous Inclusion Toolkit to support efforts among organizations looking to have Indigenous voices included with decision-making capabilities from the top down. Resources within the toolkit include:
1.Governance Guide: designed to increase awareness among non-Indigenous boards on the cultural dynamics when working collaboratively with Indigenous people while also preparing the Indigenous board members on what to expect when participating on a board and how to advocate to ensure their voices are heard. It includes practical recommendations on how to embed reconciliation strategies throughout board processes, such as the development of an Indigenous Advisory Circle.
2.SGAR Model: The number of mainstream organizations collecting Indigenous identity and subsequent health data continues to increase. While this approach is a step towards data equity as it will provide a clearer and more accurate health picture, without controls in place on how the data is accessed, shared, and presented, the risk of repeating past harms as it relates to data and research is of grave concern. The SGAR model outlines the importance of establishing an Indigenous Oversight Body to govern how the data will be used and who has access to use it, ensuring decisions regarding Indigenous data remains in Indigenous hands.
Audience: Researchers, academics, students, policy makers, administrators, executive leadership, healthcare providers.
Approach: We believe that learning is best achieved when attendees are active participants. Therefore, the instructional format of the workshop will be IPHCC discussing the importance of restructuring governance models to meaningfully include Indigenous voices. Additionally, firsthand experiences working as Indigenous peoples on mainstream governance structures will be shared, outlining both lessons learned and wise practices for change. Followed by the presentation, IPHCC will facilitate brainstorming sessions on how the shared information could be implemented in participant work environments. Depending on the size of the group, this may include breakout into smaller groups to allow for more intimate discussions, as well as anonymous surveying through Menti-meter so everyone can feel comfortable and protected in participating. When discussing restructuring governance models, attendees will lead discussions on what incorporation could look like in health care environment, identifying potential barriers and co-creating possible solutions to explore.
Outcomes: By the end of the workshop, attendees will be able to...
1.Understand the importance of meaningfully engaging Indigenous voices and perspectives on governance structures.
2.Appreciate the challenges Indigenous community members may experience when participating on mainstream governance structures.
3.Explore possibilities of implementing lessons learned and identify strategies to address perceived barriers or challenges.