Training design and format

“Learning depends on who the teacher is and what they are teaching; and whether student/participant is listening – education is not a guarantee of learning.”

Ovide Mercredi

In-person and regionally focused

Indigenous partners were clear that they view delivery in-person as the most effective training method. Bringing in people to personalize conversations would be helpful. Adopting a learning format that immerses public servants in Indigenous communities to better understand their realities is recommended.

There are numerous Indigenous perspectives across the country, so education and training should take a regional lens. When concepts are too high level or generalized for the whole country, they start to lose their meaning. Different community realities should be taken into consideration. One example provided was the importance of understanding challenges within the fisheries industry, including the differences between coastal and inland fisheries as well as issues such as lack of funding for inland fisheries and the impacts of contaminated lakes on food production and livelihood. Several Indigenous partners provided regional examples of Indigenous-Crown relations and emphasized the importance of comprehending the federal and provincial dynamics that create barriers to advancing Indigenous rights. A regional context can increase understanding that words mean different things in different places, for example, what ‘remote’ means in different regions may vary.

All training programs could start with shared foundational information to provide context and then be adapted to address the specific needs and interests of each participant group. If a training session is delivered in a particular area, examples and references specific to that area should be included.

Multi-format learning

Although there was much agreement that in-person is the best way to allow discussions and possibly have more impactful training, some Indigenous partners recognize that it is not always realistic and that how to provide trainings in the most efficient way is one question to consider. Figuring out what gets absorbed when information is shared in training is another question to consider.

Some partners suggested multiformat training that could include online, self-paced (for background and general information) modules followed or supplemented by in-person workshops and discussion sessions with experts. This would personalize the discussion and offer opportunities to explore intersections with the UN Declaration and increase understanding of complex topics. Other suggestions include a tiered approached to training modules: some parts could be virtual or videotaped, while others could be in-person. Small table learning formats for executives that would include Indigenous peoples, leveraging Microsoft Teams to expand networks, and using discussion paper formats to encourage dialogue is recommended.

Some Indigenous partners suggested a video series that includes Indigenous advocates for the UN Declaration speaking about what they aimed to achieve by going to the United Nations, namely, the need for mechanisms to fulfil treaties, and section 5 examples, could be useful. Some Indigenous organizations offered to develop a recorded video providing their perspective on the UN Declaration that could be shown with the foundational UN Declaration Act training for public servants.

A challenge that partners identified was providing sustained training and continuous learning to public servants beyond a one-time training module. As with reconciliation, learning is an ongoing process, not a checklist. The continuous nature of the learning was critical for partners to increase understanding and capacity for public servants and evaluate that information is being digested properly and confirming the training content remains appropriate. Some partners shared that their approach to training includes a wrap-up module on reconciliation that re-centers how participants can engage with reconciliation in their personal life as well as work.

Who should deliver training on Indigenous topics

Partners had several thoughts on who should deliver the training. A few partners spoke to the importance of trauma-informed approaches to learning, both in the content and in the delivery. They provide safety nets and include the presence of Elders as support systems in their training delivery. Partners noted that realizing the UN Declaration in Canada through the implementation of the UN Declaration Act and its Action Plan is fundamentally about decolonization and shifting power away from the State and towards Indigenous peoples. For this reason, and others, partners emphasized their preference that training on Indigenous issues and related to the realization of the UN Declaration in Canada be Indigenous-led.

Hiring Indigenous educators to lead training was recommended, as well as a revolving speakers list and gender balance. Collaborating with Indigenous women’s and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations to deliver training is encouraged as they are well-positioned to articulate community needs and concerns. The “engage with proper persons” concept is recommended, meaning taking a topic-specific approach to identifying experts because one person cannot be knowledgeable about all topics. A list of Indigenous partners who are willing to contribute to co-creation of training for public servants and subject matter experts suggested by Indigenous partners has been created. This preliminary list is evergreen. It is for informational purposes and is not intended to constitute government endorsement.

Presentations

The current presentations developed by Canada are packed with information. A few partners advised dividing them into modules to enable learners to better assimilate the content. They also suggested keeping the presentation content to a minimum and creating links to resources that offer practical content so participants leave with tools to support them in their daily tasks. A more visual, less busy format would be preferred. Some partners suggested that the visuals in the slides be historical and depict Indigenous movements and leaders.

“To make the content easier to assimilate, we would need to include more exercises and real-life case studies to better highlight the benefits of UNDRIP”

First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Sustainable Development Institute

Case study-based learning was recommended, starting with posing more basic questions first, followed by deeper questions. People see value where they can relate tangible impacts to implementation. Even if the UN Declaration Act has not existed for a long time, rights implementation has taken place for some time and can be a source of case examples. Inclusion of key legal cases was also suggested. ITK suggested including stories to show how instruments, such as Modern treaties or the Inuit Nunangat Policy, are being applied in beneficial ways. Many partners also suggested using practical examples in training materials to show how systemic infringement of rights may occur, for example, in relation to hunting, conservation, and policing.

Alongside the basic training courses, toolkits, checklists and additional information should be created to support public servants in their day-to-day tasks.

Some Indigenous partners emphasized that any documentation, education materials, and engagement materials for the general public should be written in plain language to ensure that everyone can be involved in the conversation and stay informed about the progress, regardless of personal, professional, and educational backgrounds. These resources should be accessible in online spaces where youth already gather. IYR spoke about their successful use of Indigenous-led stories and plain language materials about what the UN Declaration, UN Declaration Act and the Action Plan means in their engagement with Indigenous youth.