Innovation September-October 2023

F E A T U R E

ENGINEERS CANADA GUIDELINE ON INDIGENOUS CONSULTATION AND ENGAGEMENT PRESENTATION Danilo Caron EIT and Gayle Frank will be co-facilitating a presentation on the Engineers Canada guidelines at the Engineers and Geoscientists 2023 Annual Conference, October 26-28. The presentation will describe the guideline development process, the content of the guideline, and the evolving nature of Indigenous engagement. Check out all the Continuing Education options at the conference and sign up for the conference online at egbc.eventsair.com/ac23.

Engineers Canada Guideline on Indigenous Consultation and Engagement Thursday, October 26 9 – 10 am Whistler Conference Centre or live stream

Gayle Frank. P hoto : O lsen I maging

evolution of relationships that began when settlers arrived and have brought us to where we are now. Non-indigenous people often say things like ‘that was 150 or 200 years ago,’ and ‘it’s not my family who did that.’ But it’s not a blame thing. It’s not an attack. As a settler,

ability to prioritize things like giving Indigenous voices a seat at the table. That does not mean engineers do not have an important role in decolonization, however. “It starts with yourself,” said Caron. “You need to learn and understand the

you need to be aware of your situational identity, and of how we have come together. And that may be unsettling; it may be uncomfortable.” After that comes on-the-ground engagement. “Every engineer I know would love to engage with communities more, Indigenous communities especially,” said Caron. “The real challenge is that engagement is not well funded and many communities are remote, which makes engagement expensive. But there is no better substitute for being there in person, to get a good sense of what a community’s needs are and their perspective. It’s critical to building a high level of trust and respect.” Caron’s other major piece of research, a framework intended to help guide engineers involved in construction projects that involve indigenous communities, was published by Engineers Canada in June 2023. Developed in collaboration with Gayle Frank, Urban Systems’ senior advisor on Indigenous relations and Truth GUIDE EXPLAINS HOW TO "DO YOUR HOMEWORK"

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