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In this section, you will find resources we’ve designed to help our sector further its reconciliation journey with Indigenous peoples and communities across the province.
Developed in partnership with Kacey Yellowbird, an experienced Health Specialist and long time friend of ARPA, The Indigenous Employee Toolkit is designed to help organizations foster cultural sensitivity and inclusivity for Indigenous employees by addressing their unique practices, beliefs, and experiences.
On Wednesday, October 25th at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, in Lake Louise*, Alberta, ARPA Board of Directors and Staff came together with Indigenous Elders and partners to officially acknowledge the WWIC: ARPA’s Action Map as an official document of the organization by way of a traditional Pipe Ceremony led by Blackfoot Elder and Traditional Knowledge Keeper, Dr. Clarence Wolfleg.
This action map identifies 10 key actions that will guide our reconciliation work so that we can move forward together in a good way with Indigenous Elders and communities.
*Horâ Juthin Îmne (Traditional Stoney Nakoda name for Lake Louise) which translates to “Lake of the little fishes” – We’d like to thank our partners from Indigenous Sport Council of Alberta for sharing this teaching with us.
This 4 page document has been created by the Alberta Recreation & Parks Association (ARPA) with the intention of highlighting the role that reconciliation plays in recreation and parks settings, and will serve not only our internal staff members, but also our entire community of recreation and parks professionals, stakeholders, partners and communities as a resource to use and share.
The following sections are included in this toolkit: Land Acknowledgement, Reconciliation, Allyship, Inclusive Recreation, Inclusive Parks, A Success Story at ARPA, Cultural Use of Land & Land Sovereignty, Indigenous Traditional Food Systems, Residential Schools, ARPA’s Indigenous Oral Knowledge Hub, and Foundational Resources.
Smudge is a traditional practice that is common among many Indigenous peoples in Canada, and around the world. While smudge is most often conducted inside the home and/or in ceremonial and communal spaces, it is a practice that is increasingly being brought into professional buildings and public facilities.
This resource is intended to help our sector understand the cultural significance and historical context of smudge, and provide tips on how to accommodate smudge in recreation spaces.
Recreation and Parks are powerful tools for connecting people with nature. This new resource will help you find ways to move Nature from the background to the foreground of your recreation and parks activities.
Please visit our Oral Knowledge Hub where we have gathered all of our oral resources, alongside some external guest additions, to share with you. Our huge thanks go to the Elders and to our partners who have shared the gift of these incredible stories and teachings.
The Alberta Recreation & Parks Association would like to acknowledge the First Nations, the Métis, the Inuit and all of the people across Alberta who share a history and a deep connection with this land. We dedicate ourselves to moving forward in partnership with Indigenous communities in the spirit of reconciliation and collaboration.