Blog #11: Indigenous Engagement: Part 3: Engagement Preparation
In my previous Indigenous Engagement blogs #9 and #10, I shared insights I learned from my far north First Nations mentors that answer what, why, when, who, where, and how. In this blog, I address some basic preparation that you, as an individual wishing to engage with First Nations, must undertake. In a subsequent blog, I will speak to engagement principles.
Identify the First Nations to engage with: The first step is to identify the First Nations you need to engage. Recall, you are not asking for personal information. You are trying to link geographic areas to First Nations homelands. But for some First Nations the boundaries of their homeland area are confidential. Start by looking at a geographic map that shows the locations of First Nations reserves across the geographic area of interest. Be aware that homeland boundaries are complicated. Some suggest using trap line maps to define homeland areas, but that is not accurate for many reasons. Trappers may change their band affiliation. Trap lines may have been subdivided or informally shared within a family. Homeland areas may change seasonally, may follow drainage basin areas, and may overlap with, or be contested by, adjacent First Nations. However, this is a first step. I would suggest calling and asking the First Nation if your project area lies within their homeland.
Photo 1: Distribution of Yukon’s First Nations homelands. Image source: Who Are Yukon’s First Peoples.
You should also connect with people working in federal, provincial, and municipal government departments, especially departments that work with First Nations. It may be a department responsible for legislative and regulatory decisions, an Indigenous affairs department or ministry, or a health-services department. Federal and provincial governments may not be able to share information about First Nations boundaries if it is considered confidential or if they are not certain. Then check with local colleges and universities: they may have come across this information during their research. Some private sector companies may also have this knowledge, but may be reluctant to share it if you are perceived as a competitor. There may also be people in your own professional network you can ask.
Research the First Nations history: Familiarize yourself with the history and issues faced by the First Nations you wish to engage. Learn about their culture, traditions and practices by searching social media, news stories, and books about them. These factors will colour their world views and perspectives on a range of topics, including their possible response to you and the organization or sector you represent. What you learn prior to engagement is a small part of what you will learn when you engage with the community. Share these insights, including sensitive issues that could trigger conflict, with your entire engagement team.
Photo 2: This is an example of an information source relevant to engagement with First Nations in the far north of Ontario. Front cover of the book Walking Together: Engagement Lessons from My Learning Journey by author Andy Fyon. Published November 2024.
Initial contact: I generally contacted the First Nations Chief with a formal written letter. I included a brief description of the project, in non-technical language, and offered or sometimes requested, to meet with the Chief or appropriate person. In my experience, the Chief and council of remote First Nations communities usually preferred to meet in person, in the community. Be mindful that Chiefs and council members are very busy and are often out of the community to attend to other business. Be flexible when discussing meeting dates. On several occasions, I had a Chief, councillor, community advisor, or lawyer reach out to me or one of my staff as a first contact, particularly if they had an issue or an interest in the topic. In my experience, a first contact meeting involves a smaller group consisting of Chief, council, and advisors. I only recall two initial meetings where the entire community attended; those were related to conflict.
Photo 3: Left: Deputy Chief Eno H. Anderson. Right: Chief Gordon Anderson, Kasabonika Lake First Nation, Ontario. Photo composed in Thunder Bay, Ontario, December 1, 2005. Photo by Andy Fyon.
Delayed response: Do not attribute a delayed response to disinterest on the part of the First Nation. There are many reasons why you may not receive an immediate response to your correspondence. If you send an email or fax requesting a meeting, be sure to follow up. I recall an instance where my office sent a fax to a remote community, using a number I had tested and confirmed, but the fax never arrived, despite me standing beside the fax machine. The community may be experiencing the death of a member. Perhaps they are being evacuated due to a forest fire or spring flooding. Perhaps they are on the land engaged in the spring hunt. Perhaps the internet is down. Be patient, but follow up.
Meeting preparation: Discuss with your community contact what the meeting will be about. What topics would the participants like to discuss? This will ensure that all share the same understanding of the meeting’s purpose. Ask what material the participants would like to see and in what form – PowerPoint or posters. Avoid techno-jargon in the meeting material. Share who will accompany you and ask the First Nation who they will ask to attend. Will Elders attend? Ask about meeting practices. Is a gift exchange customary? If so, between whom? Will the meeting start with a spiritual ceremony, such as a Christian prayer or smudge? Will First Nations interpreters attend? This may seem like an odd list of questions, but it is a way to provide what the First Nation needs and avoid being embarrassed or taken by surprise. It’s best to ask a community contact person about some of the meeting details – see next topic.
Photo 4: Elder Chris Metatawabin at the Youth Centrem Fort Albany, close to James Bay, Ontario, July 7, 2015. Photo by Andy Fyon.
Community contact: I cannot over-emphasize the importance of establishing a First Nations community contact to guide you through the engagement process and to help enhance your understanding of the community. This person may be an advisor to Chief and council or a member of a First Nations technical service, such as a tribal council. I found it helpful to ask during the discovery meeting for the name of a person I could work with in the future.
Should you retain an engagement consultant?: I never retained a consultant to engage with First Nations on my behalf. Engagement is about establishing relationships. If you outsource the engagement, you outsource the building of the relationship. However, when appropriate, I did ask consultants or topic area experts to speak to a topic about which I had no knowledge or authority. Delivering accurate information is critical.
Cultural awareness and sensitivity: Each of us has specialized skills. First Nations engagement was not one of my skills. There is great value in having every engagement team member, from the person who answers the office phone to the most senior person, enroll in cultural awareness and competency training. Such training prepares your team for what they may encounter, helps dispel fears related to a journey that lies outside their experience or comfort, and provides skills needed to work respectfully with Indigenous communities. The community will deliver some of that training, but pre-engagement training is an investment.
Maintaining the engagement relationships: Building relationships is the goal of First Nations engagement. Maintaining the relationship is critical. One way to maintain and nurture a relationship is to follow through on commitments. Don’t make commitments you can’t fulfill. Report back on the issues and questions raised that lie within your scope of authority. Follow up to determine if there are new questions. Don’t answer questions that lie outside your knowledge or authority. Instead, commit to directing such questions to the appropriate third party expert. Follow up with that expert to ensure the First Nation has received an answer. Your relationship is at stake.
Does engagement guarantee success?: Assuming we agree on what constitutes success, the simple answer is no. An engagement process jointly developed with a First Nation does not avoid all issues. After preliminary engagement, you may discover that neither you nor the First Nation are ready or willing to engage. Respective priorities may not be aligned or may drift apart. There may be bigger political factors that cause suspension of the engagement process or rejection of a mutually endorsed collaborative project. In short, it may not be the right time for you or the First Nation to engage because conditions have changed. But that does not mean you shouldn’t try. Meaningful engagement, conducted with integrity and honour, is recognized and respected. Earned respect is the foundation for future engagement efforts, perhaps with a different First Nation. Engagement also builds communication processes to identify and address issues before they explode into conflict.
I say, without hesitation, that the engagement experiences I enjoyed in the far north First Nations communities had a profound impact on me. Many times, after visiting a far north First Nations community, I took several days to process what I had seen and experienced. Some experiences were emotionally demanding and weighed heavily on me for days after my return. Some experiences were downright funny. All the experiences played an important role in helping me understand a First Nations reality I had never been exposed to. The engagement learnings enriched me. They changed me as a person. That change was positive.
