Live it Earth Commitment on Indigenous Perspectives and Principles of Learning

We at Live It Earth acknowledge the traditional and unceded territories of the Syilx, Sinixt, Ktunaxa, Secwepemc, on whose land our office resides. It is now home to various First Nations and Métis peoples. We enjoy our daily life and learning about this land and appreciating the gifts it has given and continues to honour us with. 

We believe in the power of storytelling to enact meaningful change. We believe in Truth & Reconciliation through education. As said by former Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) Chair, The Honourable Murray Sinclair, “Education is what got us into this mess and education is key to getting us out of it.” With this in mind, it is crucial to include Indigenous worldviews in our educational programs in a respectful manner. Our team is doing the work to learn more about Canada’s colonial past and understand how we can move forward in a way that builds trust and meaningful relationships with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit. We’re on a learning journey and we know it’s a lifelong one to learn about and overcome the vestiges of our colonial past.

We are committed to working with Indigenous experts and advisors to guide our educational content. We are striving to do more, including building a more diverse team and supporting future educational programs that integrate Indigenous perspectives and principles of learning.

Live it Earth is committed to the principles of indigenization of learning. And, we’re aware that even the word “indigenization” can provoke feelings of tension, confusion and even distrust. Because of that, we have adopted the University of Saskatchewan’s innovative definition of the term to guide our efforts.

We take care to evaluate all our online content for authentic voice and application in an appropriate context.

‘Indigenization benefits everyone; we all gain a richer understanding of the world and of our specific location in the world through awareness of Indigenous knowledge and perspectives. Indigenization also contributes to a more just world, creating a shared understanding that opens the way toward reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. It also counters the impacts of colonization by upending a system of thinking that has typically discounted Indigenous knowledge and history.’

Additional resources: 

We encourage you to learn more about Indigenous Territories and Lands via the Native Land Digital Map. 

You can learn more about the history and culture of the Ktunaxa Peoples here. This website will give you more background on the Sinixt Nation and a great CBC radio documentary here. To learn more about the history and culture of the Syilx peoples, visit here and the ‘People of the Confluence’ or Secwepemc, here. 

You can visit Coinations (Circle of Indigenous Nations Society), which is an Aboriginal non-profit society that provides cultural support and counselling services to people in the West Kootenay and Boundary region.

The Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples are key building blocks in fully recognizing, respecting, protecting and fulfilling the rights of Indigenous peoples.

Each year, Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, explores the rich and diverse cultures, voices, experiences and stories of the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples

Educator Resources:

Respecting Indigenous Protocols

Indigenous Perspectives: Authentic Voice | Evaluating resources with Indigenous Canadian content