Please note this is Part 2 of a 2 part course, and it is recommended you attend Part 1 first to get wholesome context to this session.

Culture is expressed in the worldviews of peoples from different backgrounds, lived experiences and histories. It is fostered through ones’ unique identification with ones’ values, beliefs, languages, and traditions. For Indigenous peoples this also includes a spiritual, social, physical, and emotional connection with the land.

We all hold truths to help us make sense of the world around us, shaped by the values, traditions and belief systems we acquire from family and societal influences. However, few Canadians take the time to recognize, comprehend and appreciate the values, traditions and belief systems of Indigenous peoples that may be markedly different from ones’ own. This training asks participants to shift their focus from the differences of Indigenous peoples, to how ones’ own beliefs, practices and histories have impacted the health and wellness, self-esteem, and the socio-economic wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples.

In Part 2 we examine how the past attitudes, policies and legislation has impacted the current situation of Indigenous peoples and how the current trajectory can be remedied. Indigenous peoples have displayed their resilience as will be shown by the many Indigenous success stories.