If you want to put some action into your Reconciliation, join us! I am one of the founding members of the Reconciliation Action Group (RAG), which started in 2021 as ‘Change Langevin’. Here are the guidelines and membership form. You can email reconciliationactiongroupyyc@gmail.com with a scan of the membership form or with any questions.
RECONCILIATION ACTION GROUP OF CALGARY/MOHKINSTSIS
Reconciliation Action Group (RAG)
The Reconciliation Action Group (RAG) exists to challenge systemic racism and dismantle white supremacy. Our purpose is to amplify Indigenous voices, challenge ongoing colonization, and hold institutions and governments accountable. This accountability includes, but is not limited to, the calls and recommendations found in:
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action;
- Calls to Justice from the Final Report on Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2-Spirit (MMIWG2S);
- Articles in the United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP); and
- Pathways to Justice (Alberta).
Solidarity is about meaningful actions, and our group exists to coordinate and facilitate those actions. We welcome both Indigenous and non-Indigenous members to our group.
Helping non-Indigenous People Act in Allyship
We encourage non-Indigenous people to join us and to contribute to progress reconciliation and address the ongoing harm of colonization to Indigenous peoples. To provide authentic Indigenous allyship we must work on healing ourselves. Our non-Indigenous members understand that we have benefited from the process of colonization with its dispossession of Indigenous lands and the suppression of Indigenous ways of knowing, especially regarding the land and its resources. Treaty 7 was a broken promise from the beginning, and this group is a way for Settlers to work towards acting like Treaty people.
Commitments Required from non-Indigenous Members
To provide authentic Indigenous allyship, we commit to working on ourselves to:
- Unlearn the biases we have learned and acknowledge the privilege we have gained through colonialism.
- Acknowledge that colonial harm is ongoing, not historical, and act to stop perpetuating systemic injustices.
- Amplify Indigenous voices and advocate for Indigenous rights, sovereignty, and Indigenous language revitalization efforts.
- Recognize and trust the expertise and lived experiences of Indigenous people.
RAG Group Commitments
Within our group, we commit to:
- Always centering Indigenous voices
- Always amplifying Indigenous voices. We will always promote awareness and visibility of Indigenous led efforts with their permission, we will never speak “for” them. We will defer to the guidance from Indigenous led groups on how we can support their efforts.
- Always advocate for Indigenous leadership for programs or organizations that exist to help Indigenous peoples.
Required Reading
We ask that all non-Indigenous members of RAG read the following documents:
Accountable Space Guidelines:
- Express your views thoughtfully, courteously, and respectfully, and without
intimidation, discrimination or harassment in all communications either spoken or
written - Observe complete confidentiality when matters are deemed confidential
- Allow Indigenous people the opportunity to hold space as a priority
- Realize your privilege and be aware of potential power dynamics that might exist
within a space - Share the space and time to talk (be mindful of not talking too much or too long, or
repeating oneself) - Avoid making assumptions about other people
- Be open to critical self-reflection. If an individual tells you something that was
harmful to them, listen. - Understand that we all are in a place of learning. If you say something that is
problematic for someone – apologize, own your mistake, listen to the voices of others,
and then learn and adjust your behavior. - Speak for yourself. Use ‘I’ language; don’t speak for others and don’t share someone
else’s stories or experiences unless you have their permission. Notice your own
biases/judgments. - It is okay to pass on discussion questions. Take care of yourself. It’s okay to leave
the room at any time. If you need to, think of someone you trust whom you can debrief
with and plan to contact them. - Be accountable and hold each other accountable to these guidelines
– taken from the 12 Communities Safety Initiative Chapters and Chat Book Club and the AROC
Resources and Tools for NonProfits Appendix http://communitywise.net/about/aroc-and-theequityframework/
aroc-tools-and-resources
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action
- Calls to Justice from the Final Report on Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2-Spirit (MMIWG2S)
- Articles in the United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP);
- Pathways to Justice (Alberta)
Intersectionality and Issues Important to RAG
We acknowledge that systems of inequality based on race, colourism, Indigeneity, gender, sexual orientation, ability, neurotype, age, class, geography, and more intersect to create unique dynamics and effects. Therefor RAG’s efforts are intersectional. We support all efforts to stop the ongoing harms of colonialism such as racism, anti-trans and queer policy and actions, and ongoing violence and genocide as the result of colonialism. We will amplify voices from other marginalized communities and show up to support community events in solidarity.
In contrast, we cannot support any actions or programs that are not intersectional. For example, we support trans and queer rights but cannot, as a group, support organizations that are not including 2S and Indigenous rights within the 2SLGBTQ+ community. We support women’s rights but cannot, as a group, support organizations that are not addressing how systemic racism effects Indigenous women’s access to women’s programs and supports. We acknowledge that it can be challenging to address intersectionality and understand something that helps one group may be harming another. We do not tell members what to support outside of this group. But as a group we do not support initiatives that are not intersectional and ask that members be open and curious about understanding more how certain initiatives affect members of different communities from an intersectionality lens.
RAG agrees that “all forms of inequality are mutually reinforcing and must therefore be analysed and addressed simultaneously to prevent one form of inequality from reinforcing another… Without an explicit intersectional approach, equality and anti-discrimination policies will tend to reproduce the discrimination patterns they seek to address because processes of structural discrimination permeate all areas of society, including the fields of anti-discrimination and social justice.” (Center for Intersectional Justice, 2020). Or put more succinctly, “nobody’s free until everybody’s free” (Fannie Lou Hamer, 1971).
Activities carried out by RAG
Meetings
We hold regularly scheduled meetings, currently on Zoom every 2 weeks. At the meetings we discuss ongoing RAG efforts, current issues around ongoing harms of colonialism, and decide how to act. We also have instituted an settlers’ co-creators meeting every 2 weeks, in which we discuss white supremacy and unpack actions that may have caused harm.
Education and Awareness Campaigns
We maintain an Instagram and LinkedIn account which we use for education and awareness around issues related to racism, colonial harms, and reconciliation efforts.
Protests and Demonstrations
To raise awareness and put pressure on institutions we will organize protests and demonstrations or attend protests and demonstrations in support of other organizations.
Advocacy
We write press releases and letters to institutions, government and non-government bodies advocating for action to be taken against harmful, discriminatory, racist, and colonial polices and actions.
Mutual Aid
RAG will ask those who can help with financial assistance to reach folks who need cash directly with a mutual goal of supporting Indigenous and other communities affected by colonialism and white supremacy. RAG will also bring awareness and ask for support for other groups calling for mutual aid. To donate one can e-transfer to our email reconciliationactiongroupyyc@gmail.com or alternatively send your empty bottles to SkiptheDepot and a donation will be made to us: app.skipthedepot.com/reconciliation
Recommended Resources
In addition to the required reading above, here are some helpful resources:
https://www.nativecalgarian.com/podcast
https://www.intersectionaljustice.org/about
https://www.them.us/story/what-does-it-mean-to-decolonize-gender
https://www.commonground.org.au/article/first-nations-systems-thinking
https://mailchi.mp/davidbfdean/set-up
New Member Registration Form
This form is required for non-Indigenous members to join the Reconciliation Action Group. We acknowledge that we are all learning and that we may make mistakes, but we ask these items are given consideration and your best effort is made to follow through on these commitments.
I agree to:
- Work to unlearn the biases I have learned and acknowledge the privilege we have gained through colonialism.
- Acknowledge that colonial harm is ongoing, not historical, and act to stop perpetuating systemic injustices.
- Amplify Indigenous voices and advocate for Indigenous rights, sovereignty, and Indigenous language revitalization efforts.
- Recognise and trust the expertise and lived experiences of Indigenous people.
- Always invite Indigenous members to speak first.
- Always amplify Indigenous voices. I will always promote awareness and visibility of Indigenous led efforts by directing attention directly to the organization. I will ask for permission and defer to guidance from Indigenous led groups on how I can support their efforts.
- Always advocate for Indigenous leadership for programs or organizations that exist to help Indigenous peoples.
I have read or will read:
- Accountable Space Guidelines
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action;
- Calls to Justice from the Final Report on Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2-Spirit (MMIWG2S);
- Articles in the United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP); and
- Pathways to Justice (Alberta).
Print your Name________________________________________________________
Date & Sign____________________________________________________________
Email_________________________________________________________________
Please scan and send to reconciliationactiongroupyyc@gmail.com – thank you!
Settlers' Book Club 