Decolonize and Rize

When stepping into decolonization or reconciliACTION, it’s common to feel fear, anger, or hesitation. These emotions can hold us back from speaking up or taking action. But these are natural responses when facing discomfort or challenging the status quo. By learning how our bodies instinctively respond to stress—whether through fight, flight, freeze, fawn, or flock—we can regain control, stay grounded, and build trust in ourselves. This awareness is a powerful tool in navigating disruptive work and cultivating the courage to push forward. As The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation draws closer, it’s likely you will be engaging in learnings, discussions, and reflections that have the potential to trigger some (even all!) of these responses. Cultivating awareness around when and how these instinctual responses show up for you can give you valuable insight into how you relate to the conversation around reconciliation and decolonization. It provides an opportunity for even deeper self-reflection and healing so you can expand your toolbox—and ultimately, your capacity—to continue to engage in this work for the long-term. We integrate conversations about the nervous system into our workshops and virtual circles to help change-makers like you build resilience and embody leadership with confidence. Connect with us to explore how. #EmbodiedChangemaking #Decolonization #NervousSystemAwareness #ResilientLeadership #TruthAndReconciliation #DecolonizeAndRize

On September 25th we're hosting a free workshop for the Small Business BC community on business and reconciliACTION. We'll be taking a deep dive into the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action—specifically CTA #92 which calls upon the business community and corporate sector. You'll begin to get a sense of practical ways your business or organization can contribute towards economic reconciliation and—we hope—will feel empowered by knowing you can make a difference, regardless of the title or position you hold in your organization. Register for free here: https://lnkd.in/gQhYQ43S This is open to the public, so please feel free to share with your networks!

Good morning and happy Monday 🌞 this is your weekly reminder that decolonization is not only the work of Indigenous folks; it is work that requires us all to show up for. We regularly reference this amazing TEDx talk by Nikki Sanchez-Hood in our circles and workshops. If you haven't watched it yet, please take 13 minutes and 18 seconds out of your day to do so. After watching it, we'd love to hear: what's one thing you've taken away from this?

Did you know that in addition to the work she does here at Decolonize and Rize, one of our co-founders Ariana Fotinakis also holds healing circles and ceremonies? This coming Saturday, September 7 from 9-11am PST Ariana is facilitating an online group breathwork session exploring our emotions and how they can support us in our change-making work. It can be challenging to witness and be aware of all of the atrocities that have happened and continue to happen in our world. Sometimes, this awareness can lead to overwhelm. "It's all so big...what could I possibly do?" Give yourself the space to acknowledge what's present in your emotional body and explore how you can tap into those emotions to propel you into greater service. This two-hour session will include group discussion, self-reflection activities, and a conscious connected breathwork journey. Here is the link to register: https://lnkd.in/gg82eVvj  💨🌊

Taanishi! Aniin! At Decolonize and Rize we hear alllll the time how folks are worried about saying or doing the wrong thing when it comes to reconciliation; working with Indigenous peoples; or being on their allyship journey. This fear often stops or limits people from doing anything as it freezes people into inaction -- thats not what we want! We hope these 6 ideas to overcome the fear/anxiety helps folks take the needed steps/actions necessary to collectively advance reconciliation and work towards decolonized systems. As this is a journey we need ALL of us in the canoe for. 6 Ideas include: 1). Acknowledge Perfection is a Myth 2). Practice Humility 3). Make an Effort 4). Let Your "Why" Ground and Guide You 5). Increase Your Emotional Regulation Toolkit 6). Understand There is No "One-Size-Fits-All" Read each of the squares for more details on each idea. We'd love to hear your thoughts below! P.S. regarding idea #3 - this is an awesome resource of all Indigenous communities in British Columbia and the phonetic pronunciation for each. Created by BC Gov. So helpful! https://lnkd.in/gFQ4Qzzd #Reconciliation #OnBeingaGoodAlly #Allyship #DecolonizeBusiness #Changemakers

Part of the work we do at Decolonize and Rize focuses on decolonizing business. As Elder Caroline Buckshot says "language and words matter". Colonialism is dependent on violence. Colonialism and capitalism are deeply intertwined. We wouldn't have the amount of wealth we see today if it wasn't for the exploitation and oppression of peoples (e.g. slavery; genocide; forceful displacement and stealing of land; labour exploitation; excessive extraction from the land, etc). Therefore, it is no surprise that our everyday business language is fraught with war-like expressions. Let's not normalize or glorify violence in our day to day. We can start to decolonize by being aware of our words -- as our words and language reflects our worldview. What other expressions can you think of not named here? What can we replace it with? Gratitude to Anna Taylor for creating this graphic. #DecolonizeBusiness #WordsMatter #DecolonizeandRize

Part of the work we do at Decolonize and Rize focuses on decolonizing business. As Elder Caroline Buckshot says "language and words matter". Colonialism is dependent on violence. Colonialism and capitalism are deeply intertwined. We wouldn't have the amount of wealth we see today if it wasn't for the exploitation and oppression of peoples (e.g. slavery; genocide; forceful displacement and stealing of land; labour exploitation; excessive extraction from the land, etc). Therefore, it is no surprise that our everyday business language is fraught with war-like expressions. Let's not normalize or glorify violence in our day to day. We can start to decolonize by being aware of our words -- as our words and language reflects our worldview. What other expressions can you think of not named here? What can we replace it with? Gratitude to Anna Taylor for creating this graphic. #DecolonizeBusiness #WordsMatter #DecolonizeandRize

Our co-founder Ariana Fotinakis led a beautiful breathwork session for the Indigenomics team retreat. Well-being is so important for any change-making work. Whether its reconciliation; social justice; community building; decolonizing or heart-centered leadership. We're grateful to play a role in holding space for this incredible team! #Indigenomics #Reconciliation #WellBeing #TeamRetreat

We're thrilled that one of our co-founders Vanessa Lesperance, MA, GDBA will be representing Decolonize and Rize at Indigenomics SHE conference in Winnipeg (Sept 23-24th). Vanessa will be leading a session on Decolonizing Business. Get your tickets, you won't want to miss out on this incredible event with so many inspiring speakers! https://lnkd.in/g5PVYmZw #Indigenomics #IndigenousWomen #IndigenousWomenEntrepreneurs

Amazing opportunity for any Indigenous learners interested in seeking a graduate degree! 📚 📝 💻 #IndigenousStudents #IndigenousScholars #KnowledgeisPower