Land Acknowledgement
Traditional Lands
We acknowledge that Ivey Business School and The University of Western Ontario are located on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek (Ah-nish-in-a-bek), Haudenosaunee (Ho-den-no-show-nee), Lūnaapéewak (Len-ahpay-wuk) and Attawandaron (Add-a-won-da-run) peoples, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum. This land continues to be home to diverse Indigenous peoples (e.g., First Nations, Métis, and Inuit) whom we recognize as contemporary stewards of the land and vital contributors of our society.
You can learn more about the stewardship and treaties connected to where you’re situated by visiting native-land.ca.
Truth and Reconciliation
We encourage our community of co-creators to read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s report and incorporate the principles of the 92nd Call To Action: Business and Reconciliation, which reads as follows:
“We call upon the corporate sector in Canada to adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
as a reconciliation framework and to apply its principles, norms, and standards to corporate policy and core operational activities involving Indigenous peoples and their lands and resources. This would include, but not be limited to, the following:
- Commit to meaningful consultation, building respectful relationships, and obtaining the free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous peoples before proceeding with economic development projects.
- Ensure that Aboriginal peoples have equitable access to jobs, training, and education opportunities in the corporate sector, and that Aboriginal communities gain long-term sustainable benefits from economic development projects.
- Provide education for management and staff on the history of Aboriginal peoples, including the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal-Crown relations. This will require skills-based training in intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights, and anti-racism.”
How We’re Addressing the 92nd Call-To-Action
We recognize that interdependence and relationships are innate to both an Indigenous worldview and to systems innovation, and can reshape how businesses see themselves and show up in the world .
In western philosophy, business often treats people, things and activities as discrete and separated. That is, businesses are separated from each other and society, and transactions are governed by markets and contracts.
An Indigenous worldview is relational—from people to things, and even ideas. It is a worldview that recognizes that relationships take time to form and generate mutual responsibilities.
We believe that business is a part of the natural environment and the community; it does not sit outside of them. Tima Bansal, Innovation North’s founder, has written for Forbes.com about “What Business Leaders can Learn from an Indigenous Worldview.”
You can watch some of the discussion highlights from our lab session with Melanie Goodchild for more insights into this point of view:What Business Leaders Can Learn From An Indigenous Worldview