Gord Downie’s legacy inspires action on reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Learn how you can answer Gord’s call and take reconciliACTION.

In 2016, on his final cross-country tour while battling terminal brain cancer, Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip played to a live and TV audience of an estimated 11.7 million viewers in Canada. Downie took this opportunity to ask us all to look at the state of Indigenous-non-Indigenous relations in this country and to “Do Something” to change it for the better. 

That same year, Downie released his solo project, Secret Path, which includes an album, graphic novel, and animated film telling the story of Chanie Wenjack. Chanie Wenjack was a 12-year-old Anishinaabe boy who died trying to escape Cecilia Jeffrey Residential School and reach his family 600 kilometres away in Ogoki Post. 

Today, Wenjack and Downie’s legacies live on through the work of the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund (DWF), an Indigenous-led organization that aims to build cultural understanding and create a path toward reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

Reconciliation isn’t an Indigenous issue — it’s a Canadian issue

On September 30, the fourth National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, DWF invites you to honour the legacies of both Wenjack and Downie as we reflect on the lasting impacts of residential schools and other colonial policies, whose harms continue to affect the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples across the country. The relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples is foundational to Canada and critical to our collective future.

Walking the path toward reconciliation with the DWF

DWF provides opportunities to learn, reflect, and take meaningful action through its various programs.

The Legacy Schools program provides over 8,362 educators all over Canada with free tools and resources to help them teach not only Canada’s true history but also the richness, strength, and diversity of Indigenous cultures. 

The Legacy Spaces program enables workplaces throughout Canada to create safe, welcoming spaces dedicated to learning about the true history of Canada and how we can all do something to move reconciliation forward. Today, there are 74 Legacy Spaces partners across 40 cities in Canada.

The Youth Ambassador program develops the next generation of leaders, offering four weeks of leadership training that has now supported 239 Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth in becoming champions of reconciliation in their communities.

Join us on the path toward reconciliation

Your support is essential in continuing this work. Every donation and partnership helps DWF to provide resources to educators, empower youth, uplift Indigenous artists and voices, and create opportunities for all to engage in reconciliation. 

Today, we invite you to answer Downie’s call to #DoSomething to move reconciliation forward. 

The post Gord Downie’s Call to #DoSomething appeared first on HiveInnovates.

Prioritizing Indigenous representation on corporate boards strengthens decision-making, fosters economic reconciliation, and drives meaningful engagement for all.

Canadian Council for Indigenous Business (CCIB) has a vision: for Indigenous businesses to be fully engaged in shaping the Canadian economy. By building strong business relationships and creating new opportunities for its members,  CCIB supports a thriving Indigenous economy that benefits all.

This vision extends beyond Indigenous businesses alone. It also emphasizes the importance of having Indigenous representation at the highest levels of decision-making in corporate Canada. “We bring unique, valuable worldviews and approaches to boards, blending traditional knowledge with strong credentials,” says Brenda LaRose, a Métis board director, leadership coach, and founder of BL Talent Solutions, who recently participated in a panel discussion on the topic hosted by CCIB.

Opportunity gaps    

A recent report from CCIB and the Diversity Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University highlights how diversity in the workplace improves decision-making processes, opens doors to engagement with diverse markets, and increases a company’s capacity for innovation. Despite this, only about one per cent of corporate board positions are held by Indigenous individuals. “Many don’t really understand the extent of knowledge and expertise we’ve developed over the last couple of decades,” says LaRose.

Barriers like colonial legacies, discriminatory practices, and a lack of cultural understanding within organizations lead to opportunity gaps for Indigenous individuals in corporate leadership.  Moreover, the absence of representation at executive levels perpetuates cycles of exclusion, as critical issues may be overlooked, further worsening social and economic outcomes for Indigenous Peoples.

Embracing strategy  

When Indigenous leaders are recruited and retained in executive and board positions, and when meaningful engagement is prioritized (“Don’t just bring someone on because they’re Indigenous, to tick a box,” says LaRose), the benefits are unmistakable.

Cherie Brant, Partner at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, joined the Hydro One board to contribute her expertise as a First Nations lawyer. “The Indigenous communities we work with at Hydro One can positively impact many aspects of the business, from land access to supply chain to equity participation in our major transmission line projects,” she says. Brant adds that her role has helped foster “greater understanding and interest in the ways our communities can contribute to a better and stronger Hydro One,” noting that trust-building enhances outcomes for the company and its customers.

LaRose and Brant recently participated in the panel, “Indigenous Women in Corporate Leadership,” presented at the CCIB 40^th anniversary business forum last spring, offering invaluable insight into the experiences of Indigenous women in leadership roles. Harnessing Indigenous Peoples’ contributions, experiences, challenges, and value is possible — but it must be strategic.

“To truly integrate economic reconciliation corporation-wide, there needs to be a strategy as to how an organization is going to work with Indigenous business, people, and communities to achieve Indigenous economic prosperity,” says Tabatha Bull, President and CEO of CCIB. “It’s not enough to create an Indigenous relations team and expect them to make reconciliation a reality within a company. It has to be purposefully integrated, reaching into all aspects of an organization, including at the board level.”

To learn more, visit ccab.com.

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We sat down with Bobbie Racette, the founder of Virtual Gurus, to ask her about how her journey as an Indigenous, Queer woman inspired her to build a platform that empowers marginalized communities.

Can you tell us about your background and how you started Virtual Gurus?

How has your identity as an Indigenous Cree-Metis woman shaped your vision for Virtual Gurus and its mission to support truth and reconciliation?

In what ways does Virtual Gurus contribute to economic opportunities for Indigenous communities, and how does this align with the principles of reconciliation?

How do you incorporate Indigenous values and perspectives into your leadership at Virtual Gurus?

Go to thevirtualgurus.com to learn more.

The post Q&A with Bobbie Racette appeared first on HiveInnovates.