Allyship: Amplifying Indigenous Voices
Learning about Indigenous Peoples and becoming a better ally can be done in so many ways that we often overlook.
Education can begin with something as simple as:
reading fiction and non-fictional novels
watching videos
listening to podcasts
The most crucial part of becoming a better ally is by listening to the Indigenous Community. Forming genuine relationships with Indigenous people and listening to their feedback is a crucial milestone in allyship. These real-life interactions are part of educating yourself about where racism stems from and how it impacts visible minorities.
To build an inclusive environment in the workplace, providing educational resources about topics such as Indigenous communities and ongoing racism, and being open to learning about diverse perspectives and experiences are just some ways to reconcile and amplify Indigenous voices.
The below is not an exhaustive list; it is simply a starting point to some resources that are widely available (and free at your local library!).
Are you part of a workplace Employee Resource Group ? Take a look at these two sessions from CultureAlly:
Books to Read:
Reading about different identities can help you understand the past, present, and future of their communities, and their experiences can therefore help make you a better ally. Books are a great way to learn about Indigenous people and their stories.
The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America by Thomas King published in 2012, writes about the lives of Native People in North America. The Inconvenient Indian is at once, a “history” and the complete overthrowing of a history. This short, critical, and personal meditation dissects and discusses the past 50 years and reflects on what it means to be “Indian” in North America.
King also reflects on his complicated relationship with activism. This book won the CBA Libris Award for Best Non-Fiction Book in 2013. Through personal anecdotes, King discusses racism, assimilation, the cultural representations through films and media and the idea of “savages.” He also discusses the relationship between Indigenous people and white settlers and the evolutionary understanding of the accumulative effects of ever-changing laws and treaties on Native peoples and lands.
Five little Indians: This fiction novel by Cree Canadian writer Michelle Good, discusses the horrors of the Indian residential school system in Canada. This novel discusses the reality of the abuse of children and what they had to live through. That being said, it is intended for adult readers and describes the abuse of children. For this reason, the material might not be appropriate for sensitive readers.
This story is told from multiple points of view and tells the experiences of five Indigenous children who survived the residential school system and then follows their lives over 30 years. While the novel is fiction, some of the stories were based on the actual experiences of the author’s mother and grandmother, who were survivors of the residential school system. While describing the adult lives of the survivors of the residential school system, the novel explores the themes of the failure of the assimilation theory, post-abuse coping strategies, and the journey to find home.
Indian Horse: Indian Horse, a novel by Richard Waganese, an Ojibway man, merits the Winner of Canada Reads People's Choice award. With compassion and insight, author Richard Wagamese traces through his fictional characters the decline of a culture and a cultural way.
Indian Horse is set in northern Ontario, all rock, marsh, bog and cedar and the story follows the main character, Saul, who is taken forcibly from the land and his family when sent to a residential school. Saul’s incredible gifts as a hockey player become his lifeline for a little while. But the harsh realities of living as an Indigenous boy during1960s Canada, he battles unyielding racism and the indefinite effects of cultural alienation and displacement.
The Marrow Thieves: The Marrow Thieves, a dystopian young adult fiction novel by Cherie Dimaline is set in a futuristic world destroyed by global warming. The people have lost the ability to dream, and dreamlessness has led to widespread madness. However, the only people that are still able to dream are the Indigenous People of North America, and it is their marrow that holds the cure for the rest of the world.
Getting the marrow and dreams means death for the unwilling donors. The Indigenous narrative is about the loss of culture, abuse and murder by a majority population, but the resilience and survival of the Indigenous people. In this novel, "the Recruiters." are the ones seeking and taking the Marrow, which is an excellent parallel to the reality of the white settlers who took everything from Indigenous people.
Videos to Watch:
According to this Forrester report, research states that people are 75% more likely to watch a video than read print. This is why videos can be a great way to learn about Indigenous communities and culture.
The Indian Act Explained
Bob Joseph, discusses his book, "21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act: Helping Canadians Make Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples a Reality."
Since 1876, the Indian Act has profoundly affected the relationship between Canada and Indigenous Peoples.
Although the act is well known, the contents and specificities are often not discussed fully to understand its importance on Indigenous peoples.
Ted Talk: Indigenous in Plain Sight
The speaker Gregg Deal is a member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. He speaks on how the indigenous existence in Western and American culture is narrowly viewed and accepted without input from actual Indigenous people. Deal analyzes the use of history as a tool and also navigates the restrictions forced onto his work as a contemporary artist, and urges the people who hear his words to take responsibility for their knowledge and create room for the United States Indigenous People.
What is a Pow Wow? (Pow Wow Meaning to Indigenous People)
If you ever wondered what a pow wow is or the meaning of the pow wow, this is an excellent video for you to watch. You will learn about what precisely the pow wow meaning is and the pow wow dance styles from Nimkii Osawamik of DNA Stage. This video intends to educate people on the meaning of the Pow Wow.
Podcasts to Listen to:
Podcasts have gained popularity in the entertainment world in recent years. A podcast is a series of spoken word audio episodes that focuses on a specific topic or theme. Podcasts cover almost any topic and are usually free and on-demand, which means anyone can access them at any time and across a multitude of platforms, which is a great way for auditory learners to receive information about Indigenous communities and culture.
Unrooted: This podcast is presented by The Indigenous Foundation and focuses on amplifying Indigenous voices and stories. This podcast intends to dismantle systems of oppression and “uproot” the issues of racism that still exists in today’s society.
Listen to the episode titled Indigenous Representation in Media hosted by Meera and Sena with guest Michaella Shannon as they explore the representation of BIPOC with a focus on Indigenous People in the media industry. They discuss inclusion and diversity, how diversity in the media industry is constantly changing, and Michaella’s experience as a model and actress in the industry as a Nehiyaw, Lakoya, and Irish heritage woman.
Well Said: Hosted by CEO Heather Reisman and journalist Shivani Persad, this podcast connects listeners to authors, leaders, and experts and invites you to listen in on meaningful conversations about various topics. They encourage you to listen, live well and learn.
Listen to this episode titled Thomas King on the Importance of Indigenous Storytelling Thomas King. Thomas is a writer, professor, and broadcaster and is widely regarded as one of the most influential Indigenous writers of his generation. This episode is hosted by Amanda Gauthier. He talks about the high-wire act of mixing humour and tragedy. He discusses how inherent respect for the material goes a long way in storytelling, and it is essential for the writer to appreciate and respect what they are writing about. Plus, he shares how his experience filmmaking has proven to be more creatively challenging than writing.
Unreserved: Presented by CBC radio, Unreserved is the “radio space for Indigenous voices.” Hosted by Rosanna Deerchild guides the path to better understanding Indigenous communities shared stories. She engages in conversations to help listeners to understand Indigenous stories better and learn and unlearn together.
Listen to the episode titled “Retelling history from Indigenous History.” This episode gives insight and an Indigenous perspective on the Battle of the Little Horn, and Rosanna discusses with the organizations of festival du Voyageur in Manitoba, who discuss and encourage re-learning and re-tell the history of Turtle Island and the accessibility of education and resources and the rich and layered oral histories.
Story keepers Podcast: This monthly podcast is hosted by Jennifer David and Waubgeshig Rice. In each episode, they are joined by a guest host to discuss written works by Indigenous, Métis, and Inuit authors.
Listen to the episode titled “Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing.” which features Ojibway author, playwright, and television host Drew Hayden Taylor to discuss Tom Highway’s classic play Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing, which is known as one of the most influential pieces of theatre in history. Staged in 1989, this award-winning play is set in the fictional Wasaychigan Hill reserve in Northern Ontario and is about seven men who all have different ideas for what they want in their lives.
Tips for Selecting Media Resources:
Representation and Credibility: Media such as books, videos and podcasts can provide people with excellent sources of information. A good resource chooses its language carefully and thoughtfully to explore an issue without accusing or poorly representing a subject. Representation matters. A credible resource will use trustworthy facts from resources checked for accuracy. An excellent resource to become a better ally towards Indigenous communities will be presented by Indigenous voices or authors. Listening to the stories and receiving information from Indigenous voices is crucial.
Look for Recommendations: Recommendations based on other shows you have already listened to will be shown Apps that you use to listen to podcasts, like Spotify or iTunes. Check out the "You Might Also Like" section. This section will contain a list of other popular podcasts that share the same theme. You can also consult your colleagues to see if they have any recommendations. This is a great way to start a conversation about the topic of race and to gather other insights from your fellow peers.
Resources that promote education: A reliable resource chooses its language carefully and amplifies the voices of those whose stories they are sharing. It is important to take the time to find resources that accurately explain the history of Indigenous people and respectfully describe their culture. To be an ally, you must be familiar with the issue(s) you are fighting for or against.
There are so many ways to become a better ally to Indigenous communities, an excellent way to do so is by educating, re-learning and amplifying Indigenous voices through various forms of media such as books, videos and podcasts.
Involving yourself extremely and another way to support Indigenous communities by attending events, volunteering your time and advocating alongside your indigenous counterparts. To create an inclusive workplace, it is important to learn about ways to support Indigenous employees. Sharing resources with your team is a great way to educate and start conversations amongst colleagues.
