For Linda Isaac, a citizen of Alderville First Nation and national director of education for reconciliation, equity, and inclusion at education content provider Nelson, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a day to be worked toward and prepared for; while it may be tempting for employers to see this day as a checkbox to be ticked, she advocates for deeper, year-round commitments to learning and reconciliation within the workplace.
We arranged a discussion between Canadian HR Reporter and Nelson’s People and Engagement Operations Manager Samara Cazes and Linda Isaac about the importance of continuous education and reflection.
“All businesses, all organizations, need to know what the calls to action are, and what their place in it is. And this is a really good day to examine the calls to action and what it might mean for their company or organization,” says Isaac.
“Employers can explore direct initiatives such as working with Indigenous organizations or supporting Indigenous charities, as Nelson has done at various times throughout the year. [It’s about] those influences tightly woven into the fabric and the culture of Nelson and our workplace; there’s ongoing, different ways that we continue to educate our employees, and we continue to call them in instead of call them out, when it comes to all of our equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives,” says Cazes.
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Representation in education empowers Indigenous youth: educators
Nelson recently launched a three-part series of Live Lessons: Learning from the Past, Navigating the Present, and Inspiring the Future for educators. These lessons are developed and presented by Indigenous educators.
Linda Isaac and Liz Halina, a member of Sagkeeng Anishinaabe Nation and an educator with Edwin, sat down with LiveWire Calgary to talk about the significance of these lessons for educators and students.
“Reconciliation is hope and we’re building hope in those live lessons and with the Indigenous content that we are putting out there so that Indigenous and non-Indigenous people better understand [Indigenous cultures] and we can fulfill one of those calls to action to build capacity for better understanding and mutual respect,” says Isaac.
Halina added, “We know about the past, so what are we doing about it right now? What can you do in the future? How can you, even as a Grade 6 student, have an impact?”
Read the article here: Calgary public school districts promise to empower Indigenous youth in their schools
