Great post, Mason. I totally agree. Reconciliation has become an exercise in ticking the box and nothing more. In many years, almost nothing has changed despite the many Reconciliation reports and conferences. Part of the problem is organizations hiring and relying on pretendians and those with very loose connections to our actual communities. Centering non-Indigenpus voices and perspectives rather than lived experiences. In my own experience at a crown corporation, I was told by non-Indigenous people that as an Indigenous person I need to see things from a non-Indigenous perspective. As though our people weren't genocided to force non-Indigenous perspectives upon us. People in decision-making roles still have not faced any difficult decisions and instead focus on the performative actions, avoiding placing meaningful resources on the table. They also continue to use contracts to place restrictions on the exercise and practice of Indigenous Rights and voices. Confidentiality clauses. Non-competes. NDA's. All effictively telling us to keep our mouths shut. When is it enough?
PhD Candidate, Indigenous Governance Researcher, IndigeDoctor, and Community Capacity Builder
Reflecting on the journey since the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action Report, there's been a growing call to hire Indigenous peoples and bring Indigenous perspectives into organizations. However, a troubling pattern has emerged. When authentic Indigenous professionals strive to Indigenize and decolonize organizations, products, and services, they are often sidelined. Their genuine efforts to bring Indigenous values and practices are seen as too challenging to the status quo. Instead, organizations tend to hire "pretendians"—individuals who claim Indigenous identity without authentic ties to the culture—because they maintain the status quo and present less of a challenge. This contradiction is disheartening. Organizations seek to benefit from Indigenous knowledge yet resist true integration. Authentic Indigenous employees face a painful choice: assimilate to fit into non-Indigenous frameworks or risk their jobs and opportunities. It's time for a real commitment to embracing Indigenous voices in their true form. Authentic Indigenization and decolonization mean allowing Indigenous people to be themselves and honoring their contributions fully. Only then can we move toward genuine reconciliation and inclusivity. #TruthAndReconciliation #IndigenousVoices #Inclusion #Authenticity #Indigenization #Decolonization
CEO First Journey Consulting Ltd. / First Journey Catalyst Media, Managing Partner / Sesyí te Secwepemc!
4moI fully agree with your analysis above, Carl. You wrote: "Part of the problem is organizations hiring and relying on pretendians and those with very loose connections to our actual communities. Centering non-Indigenpus voices and perspectives rather than lived experiences." Having 30 years of experiences working with and living in small indigenous communities, I see this all the time and it drives me crazy. And this is coming from a Settler-Canadian. I believe remote work options, post-covid, only made this issue worse. I regularly have conversations with administrators, who rarely visit the community they work for and are completely removed from community life and grassroots issues.