UNDERSTANDING THE INDIGENOUS EXPERIENCE AT WORK
A long history of colonialism, genocide, and racism has led to inequities in many facets of life for Indigenous Peoples living on the land now called Canada. In the workplace, Indigenous Peoples are underrepresented, suffer a wage gap, and often experience isolation because of a lack of Indigenous role models at senior levels. Additionally, they are regularly surrounded by managers, colleagues, and senior executives who do not truly understand their history and cultures or the burdens they carry.
Catalyst recently conducted a survey that shows Indigenous Peoples also pay an emotional tax at work and experience low levels of psychological safety. Our study findings point to actions managers and team members can take to build the understanding, relationships, and work environments that will help Indigenous Peoples belong, contribute, and thrive in the workplace.
WHO ARE THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF CANADA?
Indigenous Peoples comprise 4.9% of the total Canadian population, and include three groups:
- First Nations: A diverse group of Indigenous Peoples who are not Inuit or Métis and who live in cities, towns, and First Nations communities across Canada.
- Inuit: Indigenous People who traditionally have lived in Inuit Nunangat, which is composed of the land, water, and ice in the Arctic region, including the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (in the Northern Yukon and the Northwestern parts of Northwest Territories), Nunavut, Nunavik (in Northern Québec), and Nunatsiavut (in Northern Labrador).
- Métis: People descended from Indigenous and European ancestors who self-identify with the distinct Métis culture and ancestry and are accepted by the Métis Nation.
How to cite this product: Thorpe-Moscon, J. & Ohm, J. (2021). Building inclusion for Indigenous Peoples in Canadian workplaces. Catalyst.