Introduction

The purpose of this report is to summarize what was heard in an initial phase of consultation and cooperation with Indigenous partners and organizations. The team intended this first phase to establish relationships with Indigenous partners and organizations that had identified training and education of public servants and members of the public about topics related to Indigenous people as a priority during the Action Plan consultation and cooperation process. Initial relationship-building with Indigenous partners took place between September 2024 to mid-March 2025 to lay the groundwork for consultation and cooperation on co-creation of training and educational materials. The Department of Justice Canada (Justice Canada) sought and received input and feedback on existing training materials on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration) and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UN Declaration Act) to ensure inclusion of diverse Indigenous perspectives.

This report shares the results of this work, including insights developed in conversation with partners on key themes and ideas related to co-creation of training materials on the UN Declaration, the UN Declaration Act, and other Indigenous learning topics.

The ultimate purpose of the report is to inform Justice Canada, the Canada School of Public Service (CSPS) and other government departments on recommended improvements to existing training on the UN Declaration and the UN Declaration Act, to identify priorities and opportunities for co-creation of training on various Indigenous topics, and to share, in a transparent way, what we heard through the process.

This report first provides the context for the consultation and cooperation carried out with Indigenous partners and organizations. Next, the report outlines the methodology for its development, including the key questions that the team posed for discussion. Then, a summary of the points participants made is presented. These are grouped into themes and include a variety of views on the topics covered. Finally, this report outlines additional considerations and options for work going forward on implementation of UN Declaration Act Action Plan Shared Priorities Measures (SP) 14 and 18.