Understanding Cultural Safety in Organizations

1. Cultural Safety Presented by Laura Hockman, Executive Director Independent Living Vernon

2. Land Acknowledgement We will begin by acknowledging that we are meeting on the ancestral, traditional and unceded territory of the Syilx people. As visitors, we're grateful for the opportunity to meet here and we thank all the generations of Syilx people who have taken care of this land – for thousands of years. We recognize and deeply appreciate their historic connection to this place. We also recognize the contributions of Métis, Inuit, and other Indigenous peoples have made, both in shaping and strengthening this community in particular, and this province and country as a whole. This recognition of the contributions and historic importance of Indigenous peoples must also be clearly and overtly connected to our collective commitment to make the promise and the challenge of Truth and Reconciliation real in our communities. Please take a moment to notice whose traditional and ancestral territory you are joining from?

3. Questions to be addressed in this presentation? -What is Cultural Safety? Why is Cultural Safety important? -What actions can organizations take to implement Cultural Safety?

4. What is Cultural Safety? Cultural safety is an effect of a strengthening, encouraging, and empowering the cultural identity of Indigenous peoples. This extends beyond cultural awareness and sensitivity within services and includes reflecting upon cultural, historical, and structural differences and power relationships within the service that is provided. Cultural safety is an outcome of asking: How safe did the client/consumer experience a service or program, in terms of being respected and assisted in having their cultural values, and preferences taken into account?

5. Cultural Safety Origins Cultural safety is a concept that emerged in the late 1980s as a framework for the delivery of more appropriate health services for the Maori people in New Zealand. More recently it has become recognized that the concept is useful in all health care, education, social services and government services.

6. Why is Cultural Safety important for IL Centres? Cultural safety is needed in every institution, community, organization that serves and employs any Indigenous people in order to increase access to services and positive outcomes for service delivery. It involves a process of ongoing self-reflection and organizational growth for service providers and the system as a whole to respond effectively to Indigenous people. We are all Indigenous to somewhere and have cultural beliefs that guide us in our work and life

7. What are some actions organizations can take to begin to implement Cultural Safety practices? Start with a check-in/discussion with staff, volunteers & Board members about their understanding of cultural safety and where all team members are they indigenous to. Knowing our own Indigenous roots helps to set a foundation to begin to look at the history of Indigenous people in Canada.

8. Based on wise practices, to be skilled in practices of cultural safety and to work effectively with Indigenous peoples we must: • acknowledge our own cultural practices and individual behaviours and the impact that they may have on Indigenous people • understand and acknowledge the impact of colonialism on Indigenous people in Canada • learn about the diversity of values, ceremonies, and spiritual practices within Indigenous communities • act differently to our usual culturally preferred ways in order to respond to the issues we have learned about • take initiative to create cultural safety • review on a continuous basis and be open to direct and indirect feedback

9. Cultural Safety Quick Wins -Prominent display of local Indigenous artwork -Marketing material that specifically reflects local indigenous groups where your organization is located - Invite consumers to identify as Indigenous -When you are hosting activities, include an acknowledgment of the traditional territory where the event is being held -Invite an elder from a local indigenous community to offer a welcoming prayer events

10. Quick wins continued.... -Implement Cultural Safety training for all new staff and volunteers -As a team (Staff, volunteers & Board) review the 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission -Share any of these quick wins you are implementing on your social media to let the community know -Use your website & email signature to acknowledge the traditional territory you live and work on

11. Ensuring that culture is recognized within the continuum of care is part of the decolonization process that Indigenous people are striving to achieve

12. Thank you so much for participating today! If you have any questions or comments, please email me at laura@ilvernon.ca

13. Resources In Plain Sight: Report: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/app/uploads/sites/613/2020/11/In-Plain- Sight-Summary-Report.pdf Disrupting Current Colonial Practices and Structures: https://vikkireynoldsdotca.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/2020- disrupting-colonial-practices-dupuis-rossi-hellson-reynolds.pdf Solidarity Talk: https://vikkireynoldsdotca.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/2018- dupuis-rossi-reynolds-indigenizing-and-decolonizing-therpeutic- responses.pdf Indigenizing Therapeutic Responses: https://vikkireynoldsdotca.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/2018- dupuis-rossi-reynolds-indigenizing-and-decolonizing-therpeutic- responses.pdf