 Creating new or supporting existing grassroots community strategies that are well-grounded in cultural recognition, led by Indigenous peoples and communities, and have shared, long-term benefits for all community members.

Key Principles for Engagement

When engaging with Indigenous partners, there is not a one-size fits all approach, as each partner offers a unique perspective and may have specific governance structures, engagement processes or protocols that should be respected.

The following are some key principles to consider when engaging and collaborating with Indigenous partners during the community safety and well-being planning process:

 Take time to build trust and understanding: When engaging with Indigenous partners, it may take several meetings to build a strong connection, due to factors such as historical events, cultural protocols and availability of resources. Successful engagement occurs in the context of effective working relationships, which are developed over time and built on respect and trust. Be willing to develop lasting relationships.

 Know the history: Before you enter the conversation, you should have some understanding of the relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. Learn from local Indigenous community members, political/organizations' leadership, provincial Indigenous organizations, Elders, youth and others, to understand the historical and present day circumstances. The Report and Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada can also be a useful resource to guide discussions.

 Understand the impact of lived experiences: Recognize that many Indigenous peoples, communities and organizations are dealing with the intergenerational and on-going impact of colonization. Indigenous partners may be at different stages in reconnecting and reclaiming their cultural traditions and teachings and therefore engagement and collaboration may have different outcomes for everyone involved. Consideration of additional diversities that exist within and between Indigenous peoples and communities will also strengthen the outcomes of this work.

 Be prepared for the conversation: Step into your conversations with a good sense of what you can bring to a partnership and establish clear expectations. Invest in your staff to be ready for the conversation, for example a starting point could include participating in Indigenous cultural competency training. Further, knowledge of protocol creates a stable foundation of mutual respect, and sets the tone for the engagement. It is common practice when meeting with Indigenous partners to acknowledge the territory and follow any cultural protocol to start new relationships in a positive way.

 Identify shared priorities and objectives: Engagement is an opportunity to collaborate with Indigenous partners. When determining objectives for engagement, a best practice is to work with Indigenous partners to develop an engagement process that works for everyone. Be open to creating a joint agenda of issues and priorities and work together to develop initiatives and strategies.

 Engage early and often: Indigenous partners are often engaged at the end of a project's development when there is little opportunity to provide meaningful input. Engage Indigenous partners early on in a project's development and work together to determine the best approach for engagement. Ask Indigenous partners how they would like to be involved and develop clear roles and responsibilities that will support and strengthen mutual accountability. For example, invite Indigenous community representatives or organizations to participate on the advisory committee as part of the community safety and well-being planning process.