CLBC has created a new video to raise awareness and understanding of the six principles that guide the Cultural Safety Policy:

1. Culturally Responsive Programming
2. Indigenous Anti-Racism
3. Indigenous Trauma Informed and Responsive Approach
4. Promoting, Maintaining and Sustaining Connections
5. Person-Centred Approach
6. Promoting a Coordinated Service Approach

Watch CLBC’s Cultural Safety Principles video here:

The video, along with the Cultural Safety Service Provider Practice Guide, is a tool to support service providers and CLBC staff to learn how to offer our services in ways that are as culturally safe as possible.

If you have any questions, please email CLBCIndigenousPracticeAdvisor@gov.bc.ca.

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On June 21, CLBC joins people in communities across the province and country in recognizing National Indigenous Peoples Day. This day celebrates the heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding achievements of Inuit, Métis, and First Nations peoples.

Learn more about National Indigenous Peoples Day here as well as National Indigenous History Month, which is recognized during the month of June.

This year has seen important steps in CLBC’s work to advance reconciliation and build trusting relationships with Indigenous communities.

In May, the Community Living Authority Act, which governs CLBC, was amended to formally include an Indigenous Advisory Committee, and to require CLBC’s Board of Directors continue to include at least one Indigenous person.

Earlier this month, an official CLBC Board Statement of Commitment on Advancing Reconciliation was signed at an historic and emotional ceremony in Richmond.

CLBC values the ongoing contributions and guidance of the Indigenous Advisory Committee and Indigenous Relations team who support us in our goal of improving services for Indigenous Peoples and communities.

Please join us in recognizing this important day.

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Community Living BC (CLBC), a crown corporation that supports adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities, celebrated an historic signing ceremony on June 3, promising to advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. An official Board statement was signed by CLBC leadership, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction Sheila Malcolmson and Neil Belanger, head of the CLBC Indigenous Advisory Committee (IAC). The signing was witnessed by IAC self-advocate Charlene Barney.

The emotional ceremony, which took place in Richmond, included the Indigenous tradition of using designated witnesses. The witnesses were asked to bring back the story of the ceremony to their communities. Speakers relayed how past systemic racism had resulted in feelings of shame and guilt, and of their struggles to be heard. As the stories were shared, others talked about the healing and trust they felt during the ceremony and noted the sense of dignity and respect being shown.

Speaking about the work that led to the ceremony, CLBC Board Chair Michael Prince said, “We needed to make sure we had an understanding of the ways that discrimination against Indigenous people combined with another form of discrimination – ableism…. In our first steps on the journey, we learned that we could only work at the speed of trust. We needed to do the work of building new relationships.”

Later in the ceremony Gwen Campbell-McArthur, of the CLBC Elders Council, wryly described how she’d been doing this work for nearly 50 years.

“As this work improves lives and services to Indigenous people, it also improves the lives of everybody,” said CLBC CEO Ross Chilton. “We will keep working to earn your trust. We can do better, and we will do better.”

The CLBC Board Statement, created with the Indigenous Advisory Committee, lays out four principles that now guide the work of CLBC: cultural safety and humility; equity and anti-racism; impactful, enduring and sustainable; and self-determination.

“Everyone benefits when our communities are inclusive and when all people have access to opportunities,” said Minister Malcolmson. “The signing of the CLBC Board Commitment to advance reconciliation is a significant step forward in our work together. We have so much gratitude for Indigenous peoples’ guidance and strength as we continue to identify, prevent, and remove barriers for people with disabilities.”

CLBC is taking specific steps to building trusting relationships with Indigenous communities, such as having the role of the Indigenous Advisory Committee enshrined into legislation on May 12 this year. Other steps include:

• creating a Vice President of Quality Services and Indigenous Relations.
• creation of a baseline survey, to ensure that Indigenous voices are not only heard, but also tracked.
• strengthening relationships with urban Indigenous organizations;
• embedding the value of cultural safety in the CLBC strategic plan.

“Here at CLBC our work of reconciliation has just begun. I hope this work has created an environment in which First Nations can now come to the table, knowing they will be heard and respected,” said Ross Chilton.

Videos from the ceremony:

Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction Sheila Malcolmson signs the commitment to reconciliation:

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Today we wear moose hide pins to signify our commitment to honour, respect, and protect the women and children in our lives and work with others to end gender-based and domestic violence.

Learn about the Moose Hide Campaign: https://moosehidecampaign.ca

Read the joint statement on Moose Hide Campaign Day from Premier David Eby; Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General; Murray Rankin, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation; and Kelli Paddon, Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity: Joint statement on Moose Hide Campaign Day | BC Gov News

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CLBC’s 2022-25 Strategic Plan is a guiding document for our work. The plan was created with individuals, families and service providers to inspire people about the future, and to focus our activities on what’s most important.

CLBC’s vision is for everyone in British Columbia to experience communities of belonging and lives with connection. The plan is helping CLBC to work towards this vision, to strengthen our relationships with the individuals and families we serve, and to ensure that our actions align with our commitment to the Rights of Indigenous peoples.

You can watch videos on the CLBC website to hear what self advocates, families, service providers and CLBC CEO Ross Chilton think about CLBC’s vision and strategic plan.

Visit CommunityLivingBC.ca/Strategic-Plan to watch the videos and learn about the 2022-25 Strategic Plan.

Kikékyelc shows the meaning of belonging

Kikékyelc is a unique housing development operated by Lii Michif Otipemisiwak Family and Community Services in Kamloops. It is home to Indigenous Youth, including those supported by CLBC, as well as Elders.

Kikékyelc came together through partners working together to create a model of culturally safe housing for Indigenous Youth.

CLBC has created a new video to share the story of Kikékyelc and inspire communities to think about the different kinds of inclusive, accessible and culturally-safe housing that can be created.

The video, Kikékyelc: A Place of Belonging, was shown at the Housing Central Conference and the Indigenous Disability and Wellness Gathering during the fall.

Watch the video at: CommunityLivingBC.ca/Belonging

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The formal inclusion of an Indigenous Advisory Committee into the Community Living Authority Act (CLAA) is an enduring change made as part of CLBC’s plan for Reconciliation.

“We want the people served by CLBC to be directly involved in its decisions, so there’s ‘nothing about us without us’,” said Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. “These changes support community inclusion and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.”

Other changes will require CLBC’s Board of Directors to continue to include at least one Indigenous person, two people eligible for CLBC services, and one family member of someone eligible for CLBC services.

While CLBC’s Board has generally already been meeting these requirements, including them in the law will help ensure the Crown corporation established in 2005 will continue to be guided by those it serves.

“CLBC was established in response to individuals and families who wanted services that would advance inclusion and be responsive to their needs,” said Michael Prince, CLBC Board Chair. “These changes will help ensure that vision as we go forward.”

“The work of reconciliation is difficult, but it is necessary, and starts with humility coupled with meaningful and legitimate actions,” said Neil Belanger, CEO of the BC Aboriginal Network on Disability Society and Chair of the CLBC Indigenous Advisory Committee. “The government has taken an important step by incorporating the knowledge and directions of the Indigenous Advisory Committee into the legislation that governs CLBC.”

CLBC’s Board of Directors is currently made up of 11 members and includes two individuals with disabilities, three immediate family members, and two Indigenous individuals. The Board is supported by a Provincial Advisory Committee made up of individuals eligible for CLBC services and family members and since 2012 has had an Indigenous Advisory Committee that includes Indigenous leaders from around the province.

The Board of Directors worked with these groups to create its current Strategic Plan and seeks input from them on provincial issues and concerns throughout the year. It also consults with them on major improvement projects such as the creation of welcome workshops for individuals and families entering services, and the development of a new support service called L.I.F.E. to support learning, inclusion, friendship and employment.

The CLBC Indigenous Advisory Committee is helping oversee a reconciliation plan that includes building new relationships with Indigenous partners and communities and creating culturally appropriate and safe services, such as new culturally safe housing support for Indigenous youth in Kamloops.

“These amendments reflect our ongoing efforts to respond in meaningful, enduring ways that will make a difference for the people we serve,” said Ross Chilton, CLBC CEO.

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You can read the official B.C. Government proclamation here.

The British Columbia Aboriginal Network on Disability Society (BCANDS) first created Indigenous Disability Awareness Month in 2015. On the eighth anniversary of recognizing this month, BCANDS / Indigenous Disability Canada (IDC) is hosting the 2022 Indigenous Disability and Wellness Gathering in Victoria. The Gathering brings together Indigenous and non-Indigenous governments, leadership, service providers, community members and others to learn, connect, and collaborate in addressing the unique barriers Indigenous people with disabilities face.

CLBC is proud to be a sponsor of The Gathering, and to take part as an exhibitor. CLBC’s CEO Ross Chilton will be delivering a keynote address and Joanne Mills, VP, Quality Services and Indigenous Relations, will be taking part in a fire side chat during the event.

Strengthening relationships with Indigenous individuals, families and communities is a top priority for CLBC, and is reflected in one of the key goals of our 2022-2025 Strategic Plan: Our actions align with the rights of Indigenous peoples.

CLBC’s Indigenous Relations team continues its work to improve awareness of available supports and services among Indigenous Peoples and communities and to increase CLBC staff knowledge of Indigenous Peoples’ history and culture. A newly-established Elders Advisory is providing important guidance to CLBC on serving Indigenous individuals and families in culturally safe and appropriate ways.

During November, you can search for and follow the hashtag #IDAM2022 on social media to find posts about the month, including on CLBC’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

We hope you will join us in recognizing this important month in communities across B.C.

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Last year, CLBC’s Indigenous Relations team led by Joanne Mills, Executive Director of Indigenous Relations, distributed over 650 Orange Shirt Day shirts to all CLBC staff, which features special “Every Child Matters” artwork commissioned by CLBC and painted by Wyatt Collins who is Nlaka’pamux from the Nicola Valley and has Autism.

Wyatt explains his inspirations included, “children on the red road. In Indigenous culture the red road signifies a spiritual path and being connected to everything, respecting all our relations, Mother Earth and Father Sky. It reminds us to honour our ancestors. It is walking the right path in life and believing in a power higher and greater than us.”

CLBC announces new Cultural Safety Policy

As part of CLBC’s work toward reconciliation, we have developed a new internal policy that will shape how we work with Indigenous individuals, families, and communities: a Cultural Safety Policy.

This policy describes the cultural safety principles and practices that will guide how CLBC staff and service providers engage, support, monitor, and plan with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit individuals, their families and/or support networks, and communities. It promotes inclusion, anti-racism, equity, reconciliation, and flexible service delivery for Indigenous individuals CLBC serves.

More information on the policy, including opportunities to engage with individuals, families, and service providers about culturally safety, will be shared in the coming months.

What is cultural safety? Cultural Safety is an outcome of respectful engagement based on recognition of the power imbalances inherent in government and other systems, and the work to address these imbalances. A culturally safe environment for Indigenous peoples is one that is physically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually safe without challenge, ignorance, or denial of an individual’s identity.

Respectful ways of observing the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation:

Listen to stories of residential school survivors, wear an orange shirt in solidarity, donate to Indigenous-led causes, and choose to personally fight for one or more of the 94 calls to action.

For more information about other upcoming events happening in our province, please visit: https://irshdc.ubc.ca/orange-shirt-day/whats-on-osd-2022/

About National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, September 30

In 2021, the Government of Canada declared September 30 the “National Day for Truth and Reconciliation”. The declaration of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation responds to a Truth and Reconciliation call to action which involves the creation of a statutory day “to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.”

This day of commemoration was also prompted by the tragic rediscovery of the unmarked graves of 215 children that were found near the former residential school of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation in Kamloops. The publicity of this event shocked and reminded Canadians of the dark history we share. In total, across Canada, 2,207 unmarked graves of indigenous children have been discovered outside of Indian Residential Schools since the 1970s.

About Orange Shirt Day, September 30

Orange Shirt Day is an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day that honours the children who survived residential schools and remembers those who did not. This day relates to the experience of Phyllis Webstad, a Northern Secwepemc (Shuswap) from the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation, on her first day of school, where she arrived dressed in a new orange shirt, which was taken from her. It is now a symbol of the stripping away of culture, freedom and self-esteem experienced by Indigenous children over generations.

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The Elders Advisory’s role is to offer perspective and guidance into what’s culturally appropriate when developing policies, programs, and trainings.

What is an Elder?

Elders are respected people within Indigenous communities that are knowledge keepers and wisdom holders. They work to keep Indigenous culture alive through passing on traditions, guidance, and teachings to those in their communities.

The Advisory is made up of six Elders who represent five First Nation communities from around British Columbia.

• Eugene Harry, Cowichan Tribes, resides in Squamish
• Gwen Campbell MacArthur, Métis
• Linus Lucas, Nuu-Chan-Nulth, Port Alberni
• Ruth Hetu, Saulteau First Nation, Moberly Lake
• Cheryl Schweizer, Métis
• Gerry Ambers, Nuu-Chan-Nulth, resides in Victoria

They have been meeting monthly since September. They are also called upon for consultations with CLBC staff who are working with individuals receiving our funded services.

Elders hold a lot of cultural knowledge in communities where culture had the potential to be forgotten or misplaced because of the harm done by colonization. The cultural perspective provided by the Elders Advisory helps ground the work that CLBC does in a culturally informed way.

Cultural safety is one of CLBC’s core values, as outlined in the new Strategic Plan. For our organization, it means:

• All people feel spiritually, socially, emotionally, and physically safe when interacting with us
• We are aware of our own cultural beliefs and identities and recognize that we have much to learn.
• We strive to reflect the diversity of B.C. in our workforce.
• We support people to draw strengths from their identity, culture, and community.
• We acknowledge that only each person can determine if they feel safe.

“Elders keep us grounded when it’s easy to get caught up in the work, the expectations to achieve and the goals of it all, says Jody Bauche, Cultural Safety Coordinator who helps coordinate the Elders’ Advisory” Elders help us remember our spirit. And when we’re talking about cultural safety, we’re talking about people feeling emotionally, psychologically, physically, and spiritually safe.”

For cultural safety to exist within an organization, people at all levels need first understand the complexity of Indigenous history and culture to become more culturally aware. Engaging with these learnings with cultural humility and curiosity will help us shift practice and ultimately create safety for Indigenous people using and interacting with our services. This is practicing with cultural sensitivity. Cultural safety comes when the knowledge, action, and engagement become embedded into organizational culture and practice to the point where all people feel safe.

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There were 30 people in attendance, including elder Gwen Campbell McArthur, drummer Bill Robbins, CLBC CEO Ross Chilton, as well as guests from Vernon Native Housing, North Okanagan Community Council, our CLBC Indigenous Relations team, and staff from the Vernon & Salmon Arm offices.

The practice of acknowledging Indigenous Traditional Territories is particularly important to CLBC as it aligns with the government mandate to adopt and implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action. It is also a critical part of CLBC’s commitment to building relationships with Indigenous communities, and CLBC’s Indigenous Relations team plans to host land acknowledgement ceremonies at all CLBC offices.

Special thanks to Kekuli Café for serving up delicious salmon sandwiches, salads, bannock, and saskatoon berry juice.

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