This article is the second in a renewed collaboration between The Philanthropist and The Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada. The goal is to highlight Indigenous philanthropy and share Indigenous perspective and wisdom on reciprocity as well as Indigenous-focused work happening in the philanthropic community. In 2007, I wrote one of my first articles…
Contents: Indigenous Communities and Philanthropy
If you were to guess, about how many times would you say that you either heard, read, or said the word “reconciliation” during the past year? Depending on your identity and scope of work this will vary, but chances are the simple answer is “a lot.” Since the closing of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission…
In Dene culture, preparing fish requires careful and acquired skills with a knife. I watched an elder a few times before picking up the knife to try myself. I hesitated, but the elder told me “you just have to do it, it’s the only way to learn.” I was embarrassed when I mistakenly cut through…
Dans la culture dénée, la préparation d’un poisson exige une bonne habileté à se servir d’un couteau. Avant de le faire moi-même, j’ai observé quelques fois une aînée qui maniait le couteau. Je n’osais pas essayer, mais elle m’a dit : « Tu dois le faire, c’est le seul moyen d’apprendre. » J’ai été embarrassée lorsque, par erreur,…
Over the last several weeks, The Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada (The Circle) has been working alongside Canada’s philanthropic community on a national campaign to encourage individuals and organizations to learn, acknowledge, and understand more about truth and reconciliation. The Circle understands reconciliation as an “actioning” word, a verb that calls us…
This article is the eleventh in a series on Indigenous Communities and Philanthropy, guest edited by The Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada. SUMMARY: This article begins with the question of how philanthropy can possibly address the magnitude of the environmental and cultural change which is occurring on a global scale. Philanthropy can…
This article is the tenth in a series on Indigenous Communities and Philanthropy, guest edited by The Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada. SUMMARY: Mary Simon, OC, QC, is a former President of Canada’s national Inuit organization, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and she was an Honorary Witness at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings….
This article is the eighth in a series on Indigenous Communities and Philanthropy. SUMMARY: The Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada strives to promote dialogue amongst First Nations, Métis, Inuit communities; private, public and community foundations; corporate philanthropy programs, charitable organizations, and United Ways. This article describes the origins of The Circle and the…
This article is the ninth in a series on Indigenous Communities and Philanthropy. SUMMARY: The following is an edited version, approved by the author, of a keynote address delivered at the All My Relations Gathering in Winnipeg on November 18, 2015. RÉSUMÉ: On trouvera ci-dessous une version adaptée, approuvée par l’auteur, d’une conference prononcée à Winnipeg,…
Canada’s Arctic is beautiful territory that is home to more than 100,000 northern Canadians, a majority of whom are Indigenous peoples with rich cultures and histories dating back thousands of years. In 2012, Arnold Witzig and Sima Sharifi founded the Arctic Inspiration Prize (AIP) to recognize the extraordinary contribution of teams working to gather and…