When I first started working in First Nations communities in 2014, I did not understand the power dynamics I was stepping into. I did not understand the legacy attached to people like me, a non-Indigenous healthcare provider coming into community to provide health services. I did not realize how the language I used, the “supporting patients” language, actually created a kind of power-over relationship. I thought I was helping. I did not see how easily “helping” can turn into deciding what is...

As a settler, I am learning how important it is to make space for Indigenous voices and to recognize the depth of knowledge that comes from culture and community. Katy Carson, a proud Métis woman and our Director of Organizational Relationships and Special Projects, and I often find ourselves having the same conversation with the Indigenous friends and colleagues we walk beside. We spend a lot of time encouraging them to pursue roles and opportunities they are more than ready for, even when...

After last week’s Teachings Tuesday , I received a response from a reader who saw the situation with Quw’utsun through a very different lens. And I want to be clear: these conversations matter. They are how racism is dismantled: not through shame or debate, but by staying in relationship long enough to listen, learn, and widen the view together. But I have been reflecting on the nuances of the exchange. There is a big difference between saying, “The problem here is not racism,” and...