The 4 “Ds” of Honouring the Protected Rights of Indigenous Peoples
June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day across Canada. I (Anne-Marie) have been on a path of unlearning and re-learning what I thought was Canada’s history while also acknowledging how colonialism and cultural genocide have long-term generational impacts on First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities.
In my learning journey, I came across the four “Ds” that I keep at my desk to help guide my work: Decolonize, Dismantle, Deconstruct, and Democratize*.
To DECOLONIZE is to be able to recognize the systems within Canada that are based on European/western ways of believing how to do things – which isn’t always the “right” way. Decolonization involves settlers reflecting and acting on the ways that our systems, ways of knowing, language, communications, and human interactions perpetuate colonial ways of thought.
To DISMANTLE involves finding ways to break down colonial ways of thinking to create systems that are reflective of what decolonization means within that area (i.e. new methods of health care, new ways of recognizing credentials for education/workplaces, etc.)
To DECONSTRUCT involves recognizing why some people seem to “matter” more than others in terms of privilege, status, access, race, ideology, gender, orientation, and so much more than can't be covered in a post.
To DEMOCRATIZE includes access to information, understanding other ways of knowing, empowering communities to have a say in their policies, and adapting current systems to be more reflective of what Indigenous peoples actually need, rather than what “Canada” thinks they need.
For National Indigenous Peoples Day, I encourage other non-Indigenous people to reflect on how the four “Ds” mentioned above may show up or be implemented in their spaces as a non-Indigenous person. Learn more about these concepts.
You may take a look at the Words for Impact website Resources section for some resources to help non-Indigenous people get with the times and embrace our duty as Canadians.
(*I cannot find the original source of the 4 Ds as referenced above, please tag or DM for proper credit)
Anne-Marie E. Fischer, BA (Hons), M.Ed., blends her passion for the written word with her vocation to create a better world through effective communications, education, and Community Based Research (CBR).
Words for Impact is the culmination of Anne-Marie’s passions, talents, training, experience, and education. This unique company offers grant and proposal writing, research studies, research reports, impact reports, content development, brand development, communications consulting, biography/autobiography (ghost)writing, education and training materials, curriculum development, podcast script writing, journalistic articles, press releases, developmental editing, in-line editing, and fact-checking.
Words for Impact has a specific interest in serving nonprofits, not-for-profits, community organizations, Indigenous organizations, highly-regulated sectors, individuals & entrepreneurs, podcast hosts, and innovative industries.
Learn more about Words for Impact’s services here and past Impact Projects that Anne-Marie has been involved in here. Dedicated to helping you find the right words for the things that matter.