Context

    As part of an on-the-land learning event at Brown Bear Woman Cultural Centre in Tsuut'ina on August 10, 2022, the Indigenous Advisory Committee led a challenge map exercise for Champions. Participants were asked to reflect on three questions about Goal 3 of the Enough for All strategy: Indigenous people are equal participants in Calgary’s future. The key themes are summarized below.

    Why is Goal 3 important?

    • All voices need to be heard
    • Importance of diversity, equality, and inclusivity
    • To rectify historical and ongoing exclusion, violence, and oppression
    • Preserving Indigenous cultures, languages, and knowledge
    • Human rights (we are all human, we are equal, it is a basic human right, etc.)
    • It is our responsibility as settlers
    • Learning from the past, creating a better shared future
    • Indigenous people were here first, and this is their land
    • Changing the system, breaking the pattern
    • To make our community stronger – “the city will thrive when everyone is equal”

    What is stopping us from achieving Goal 3?

    • Fear (of change, of doing harm, of getting it wrong, of discomfort, of the complexity, of offending)
    • Lack of capacity (time, money, resources)
    • Unconscious bias
    • Existing policies, processes, practices
    • The people in power, government
    • Systemic barriers, systemic racism, systemic oppression
    • Lack of knowledge and understanding (where to start, what to do?)
    • Lack of relationships with Indigenous people and communities
    • Lack of education

    What is stopping you from achieving Goal 3?

    • Fear (of failure, of contributing to the problem, of doing harm, of insulting, of asking questions, of making a mistake, of conflict with colleagues, of being a performative ally, of offending, of the unknown, of mis-stepping, of going against the grain, of getting it wrong, of tokenizing people, of being overwhelmed)
    • Not knowing where to start or what to do
    • Impatience
    • Lack of time and energy
    • Feeling overwhelmed and fatigued
    • Feeling comfortable in Western/colonial culture/systems
    • Lack of knowledge and understanding
    • Privilege and internalized bias
    • Lack of relationships with Indigenous people and communities
    • Guilt, shame, discomfort
    • Lack of education, needing to unlearn