Walking in Right Relations: United for the Journey 

A message from Andrew Callicum
United Way British Columbia, Director, Indigenous Priorities

“The road we travel is equal in importance to the destination we seek. There are no shortcuts. When it comes to Truth and Reconciliation we are forced to go the distance.” Justice Murray Sinclair, Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada 

September 30 is the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation, a day dedicated to honouring the survivors, families, and communities affected by Canada’s residential school system. It’s a day for reflection, education, and action.  

On this day, I would like to take a moment to be accountable for our organization and share the path that United Way British Columbia (United Way BC) has taken to support reconciliation. In 2016, following the conclusion of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission, we released a Statement of Reconciliation, which affirmed our commitment to ongoing work in the spirit of reconciliation, to building relationships based on truth, dignity, and respect.  

Our Approach

We took steps to support equity for Indigenous communities in grant-making practices, to build more authentic relationships with Indigenous organizations, and to build a strong rapport on foundations of trust and reciprocity.  These efforts continued into the COVID pandemic and beyond. In the Fall of 2022, United Way BC established a dedicated Indigenous Priorities team and I was hired as its Director. Our team grew welcoming Indigenous Relations Leads Veronika Murray in the Lower Mainland in Winter 2023 and Patricia Prince in Northern BC in Spring 2024. 

Our team grappled with how to best support the organization and its staff in service to reconciliation. About a year into our work, we honed in on our approach, inspired by the following quote from Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future: Summary of the Final Report of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada (p 6-7):   

“To the Commission, reconciliation is about establishing and maintaining a mutually respectful relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples in this country. In order for that to happen, there has to be awareness of the past, acknowledgement of the harm that has been inflicted, atonement for the causes, and action to change behaviour.” 

 This powerful message helped us frame our reconciliation work in a way that everyone could easily understand and embrace in the context of their own work. We further defined the four A’s in the context of our work as follows and are excited to share with you what this looks like: 

Awareness: Developing and enhancing our organization’s staffs’ understanding and respect for the vast diversity of Indigenous cultures in BC. 

How we’re doing: At present, over 100 UWBC employees have attended “Building Bridges Through Understanding the Village”, an excellent workshop that helps give participants an understanding of the roots and impacts of colonization. We have extended invites to external partners, including agencies United Way BC is funding or has funded in the past, donors, and many other not-for-profit organizations. The Indigenous Priorities team’s goal beyond this is to find opportunities for our colleagues to learn more about how colonial policies impacted Indigenous communities they live in or near to.  

Acknowledgement: Recognizing and validating the Indigenous experience by making public statements of support and supporting others to do the same. 

How we’re doing: We’ve been sharing the importance of recognizing and validating Indigenous experiences, which has been especially important with the current rise of Residential School denialism we’re seeing in communities across BC and Canada. This also means that we’re taking steps to make our messaging more meaningful, whether it is Land Acknowledgements or statements of support. 

Atonement: Supporting Indigenous-led healing initiatives and allies in our communities as they seek to bridge the divide, build relationships, decolonize their practices, and, at times, make amends for the past. 

How we’re doing: We have a dedicated Indigenous grant pool administered by our Indigenous Priorities team. Additionally, we support large events such as Healing Our Spirit Worldwide, which shares and celebrates the healing power of traditional Indigenous knowledge and cultures and the 48^th Annual BC Elders Gathering, which unites the First Nations communities of BC to share the wisdom of our Elders and the aspirations of younger generations, fostering a circle of mutual respect and reverence, as well as many events at the local level throughout BC. We also provide other organizations guidance as they look to get involved in their own reconciliation journeys. In Nanaimo, this included supporting a Reconciliation Conference hosted by Brechin United Church, Hope Lutheran Church, and Holy Trinity Catholic Church.  

Action: Pursuing opportunities to support Indigenous sovereignty and Indigenous self-determination, by seeking to give Indigenous people decision making power for programs and initiatives that affect their communities. 

How we’re doing: United Way BC works to ensure that Indigenous voices are included when selecting grants, this includes reaching out externally to colleagues at Indigenous organizations to participate in grant reviews and including feedback from the Indigenous Priorities team during the grant making and grant review process.  

We have established an Elders working group to provide extra oversight to our development of the 4 A’s, and to help provide an extra layer of accountability to the communities we serve across the province. 

Throughout our work, it is of utmost importance that we ensure we are authentic and genuine and approach relationships thoughtfully, ensuring that Indigenous communities and their members have given as much time as they need, without being impacted or driven by goals, meeting agendas and timelines.  

United for Reconciliation

As we continue this journey of reconciliation, there is no single destination but rather an ongoing commitment to nurturing more meaningful relationships and addressing the lasting impacts of colonialism. Our colleagues at United Way British Columbia remain dedicated to listening, learning, and acting in solidarity with Indigenous communities. We understand that true reconciliation requires humility, patience, and a willingness to take actions that align with the principles of truth, dignity, and respect. As we move forward, we invite our partners and colleagues, and all British Columbians to join us in this vital work.  

Learn more about United Way BC’s Indigenous Priorities.