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CATIE Statement on Reconciliation

 

With gratitude and respect, CATIE acknowledges that our work takes place on Indigenous land. CATIE’s office is situated on the traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, The Haudenosaunee, Six Nations and the Huron-Wendat, which is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis people today. We acknowledge that our outreach and education work is also carried out on Indigenous territories across the country.

The HIV and hepatitis C epidemics among Indigenous peoples in Canada are rooted in colonization, including the legacy of residential schools and the racism that continues to this day against First Nations, Inuit and Métis people.

As a country, we cannot respond to HIV and hepatitis C without addressing the underlying social determinants that place Indigenous people at greater risk of infection and poor health. To begin this process, we support the Calls to Action released by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. We also recognize the importance of the self-determination of Indigenous peoples as articulated in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

As a non-Indigenous organization, we acknowledge our own privilege and role in the systems of colonization, and we strive to dismantle them. We are also committed to decolonizing our own work:

  • We are committed to an ongoing process of self-education to improve our awareness of Indigenous issues and to increase the cultural competence of our staff and board members
  • We embrace Two-Eyed Seeing, a theoretical framework that acknowledges and gives equal consideration to Indigenous and non-Indigenous views of health and knowledge
  • We are committed to always working in partnership with Indigenous peoples, and to consult and take their lead when working on their land and with their communities

CATIE has been promoting reconciliation in its thinking and actions over the last few years. It will continue to use its influence and leadership to promote these values to the communities it serves.