Reconciliation and Working with Indigenous Peoples

Our Approach 

Upside works with public, non-profit and Indigenous organizations on governance, risk management, planning and organizational decision-making. In this work, we recognize that approaches developed within conventional public-sector or corporate systems cannot simply be applied to Indigenous contexts without consideration of different rights, governance structures, knowledge systems, priorities and ways of working. 

Our approach is grounded in several principles: 

  • Recognition of rights and self-determination. Indigenous Peoples are rights holders, not simply stakeholders. We recognize the importance of Indigenous governance, jurisdiction, priorities and decision-making. 

  • Respect for distinctions. First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples are distinct, and individual Nations and communities have their own histories, governance, cultures, protocols and priorities. There is no single Indigenous perspective or approach that can appropriately be applied everywhere. 

  • Meaningful participation. Good governance and good risk management depend on understanding who should be involved, how decisions are made and what matters to the people affected by them. Where our work affects Indigenous Peoples or communities, participation should be appropriate to the context and should help shape the work, rather than simply validate decisions after they have been made. 

  • Respect for Indigenous knowledge. Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing can provide perspectives that are not captured by conventional organizational, financial or risk management approaches. Where appropriate, our work creates space for these perspectives alongside other forms of evidence and analysis. 

  • Respect for information and data sovereignty. Information gathered through consulting, planning, risk assessment and evaluation is not simply an input to a project. When working with First Nations and First Nations information, we recognize the importance of the First Nations Principles of OCAP® and the rights of First Nations to determine how information about their communities is collected, used, shared, accessed and protected. 

  • Practical application. Reconciliation should be reflected in how work is actually done. Depending on the engagement, this may influence governance arrangements, engagement processes, definitions of risk and success, decision criteria, measures of performance, information management, implementation approaches and recommendations. 

Working Together

Upside brings experience working within complex public-sector and Indigenous governance environments and understands that this work requires humility, adaptability and continued learning. 

We do not position ourselves as experts in the cultures, traditions or perspectives of individual Indigenous Nations or communities. Those perspectives belong with the people and communities themselves. Our role is to bring our professional expertise in ways that respect Indigenous leadership and knowledge, and to recognize when Indigenous expertise, participation or partnership should be part of the work. 

Where a project would benefit from Indigenous knowledge or expertise beyond our own, Upside seeks opportunities to work collaboratively with Indigenous professionals, advisors and organizations rather than attempting to speak on their behalf. 

An Ongoing Commitment 

Reconciliation is an ongoing process, not a completed action or a statement on a website. Upside will continue to learn, strengthen our practices and consider how the principles of UNDRIP, the Calls to Action and, where applicable, First Nations information governance principles should inform our work. 

Our objective is straightforward: to do work that is useful, respectful and appropriate to the people and organizations we serve, and to contribute to relationships built on recognition, respect and meaningful participation. 

OCAP® is a registered trademark of the First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC).