Understand the norms of your community - whether your community is a geographical area or a particular group of individuals brought together by virtue of a similar situation or special interest.
Consider
What is expected of us in this community? What is this community’s preferred approach to engagement? How can we meet this community’s needs through engagement? What must we consider to ensure cultural humility and cultural safety?
Communities are not homogeneous entities. They are made up of diverse groups with different histories, social structures, value systems and cultural understandings of the world.
In planning the engagement, take a step back and work to understand the cultural dynamics of the people and institutions in the community in order to build relationships, identify ways to effectively collaborate and to build respect and trust.
Cultural humility is a process of self-reflection aimed at understanding both personal and system biases, in order to develop and maintain respectful processes and relationships based on mutual trust.
Cultural humility involves humbly acknowledging oneself as a learner when it comes to understanding another’s experience. It is about changing not just attitudes and thinking but also actions and practices.
Resources
To address the systems of colonialism and to positively impact the health and wellness of Indigenous peoples in BC, engagement needs to be grounded in cultural humility. The following frameworks and guides provide guidance on engaging with Indigenous communities.
- The First Nation Health Authority’s Policy Statement on Cultural Safety and Humility
- The Kootenay Boundary Division of Family Practice website
- Indigenous Engagement and Cultural Safety Guidebook: A Resource for Primary Care Networks
- Bob Joseph’s Working Effectively with Indigenous Peoples blog
- 94 Calls to Action from the Truth & Reconciliation Commission
- First Nations Health Authority’s Engagement Process
- BC Patient Safety and Quality Council resources: Cultural Safety & Humility
- Community Futures British Columbia Aboriginal Engagement Toolkit
- Doctors of BC’s commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
- Additional equity, diversity and inclusion resources for physicians