Indigenization and Decolonization
This page includes highlights about what actions are happening now, our hopes for the future and roles involved in this stream.
Decolonization is the process of undoing colonial systems, structures, and ideologies to restore autonomy, sovereignty, and cultural identity to Indigenous peoples and nations that were subjected to colonial rule.
Indigenization, on the other hand, moves beyond tokenistic gestures of recognition or inclusion to meaningfully change ethnocentric and colonial practices and structures. Power dominance and control are rebalanced and returned to Indigenous peoples, and Indigenous ways of knowing and doing are perceived, presented, and practiced as equal to Eurocentric or colonial ways of knowing and doing.
If decolonization is the removal or undoing of colonial elements, then Indigenization is the addition or redoing of Indigenous elements.
What Our Evidence Tells Us
Our 2023 JAIDE Survey demonstrated:
Representation matters.
2% of the employees who responded to our JAIDE survey in 2023 identified as Indigenous.
Belonging matters.
Half (50%) of these employees have experienced anti-Indigenous racism.
Stopping harm matters.
All (2%) have witnessed ant-Indigenous racism.
The Impact We Hope to Achieve
By rooting our YMCA in anti-colonial and non-Eurocentric ways of being - our hope is that we build trust, truth and transparency towards new pathways with Indigenous communities, so that we can be a place where these communities feel a sense of belonging.
By developing a foundation of relationship and trust with our Indigenous partnerships, we hope to increase Indigenous employee and leadership representation within our Y.
We will also look to evaluate our environmental impact and sustainability with an Indigenouslens to honour land stewardship.
Click into the sections below to see the steps we are currently taking to make an impact in this stream. This section is updated frequently and a part of our ongoing commitment and accountability towards action.
