INNOVATION September-October 2016

P HOTO CREDITS , T OP ROW : A BORIGINAL S TOCK I MAGES , G LASSGHOST CC BY - NC - ND 2.0, A BORIGINAL S TOCK I MAGES , A BORIGINAL S TOCK I MAGES , S AM B EEBE CC BY 2.0; L OWER PHOTOS : A BORIGINAL S TOCK I MAGES , P ROVINCE OF BC CC BY - NC - ND 2.0, BC M INISTRY OF T RANSPORTATION AND I NFRASTRUCTURE CC BY - NC - ND 2.0.

When you consider that more than 1.4 million Aboriginal people reside in Canada and that this is the fastest-growing population segment—according to Statistics Canada, the Aboriginal population grew by 20.1% between 2006 and 2011 compared to 5.2% for the non-Aboriginal population—the importance of investing in the well-being of our Aboriginal friends, neighbours, co-workers, and business partners becomes apparent from both the social and economic perspectives. We all have a responsibility to understand the people and cultures that make up our nation. The federal government seems to be trying to advance reconciliation through policy and action. Canada recently removed its permanent objector status to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ( UNDRIP ) , which, among other things, calls for the free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous peoples related to major development projects. Although the legal and constitutional implications of this move are not yet fully understood, it sends a strong message that positive change is on the horizon.

At the municipal level, many cities seem to be taking the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s directives to heart. Last year, Canada’s Big City Mayors’ Caucus released a statement of reconciliation pledging commitment to “creating new equal partnerships with Aboriginal peoples in Canada based on truth, dignity, and mutual respect.” Many cities are hiring Aboriginal liaisons and developing reconciliation policies and strategies. The Union of BC Municipalities has established a partnership with Reconciliation Canada, and at least one cohort of members has taken Indigenous cultural competency training. These examples demonstrate positive steps taken towards reconciliation by different levels of government. But what does reconciliation mean for the BC’s engineering and geoscience communities? The reconciliation imperative is strong for companies operating within the resource sector, given their direct interface with Indigenous communities on development proposals and projects, but what about other types of engineering and geoscience projects and businesses in Canada?

15

S E P T E M B E R /OC TO B E R 2 016

i n n o v a t i o n