Indigenous Leadership Workshops
Dene Nahjo has developed a series of 6 Indigenous Leadership Modules aimed at Indigenous peoples of all stages in their leadership journey who are actively working towards creating change through cultural revitalization, social innovation, sustainable community development, and art.
The workshops are designed to hold up local peoples, ideas and experiences to identify and foster Indigenous leadership values and skills. We believe that the strength and knowledge needed to overcome the challenges we are experiencing already exists within ourselves and our communities. Please send an email to inquire about costs.
OUR MODULES
/01 Indigenous Leadership Values
Be introduced to Indigenous leadership principles that guide major political decisions and the qualities and attributes that Indigenous cultures value in leaders.
Explore the importance of land and spirituality in decision-making processes.
Enhance your ability to ask Elders questions about leadership and learn from others about leadership.
/02 Indigenous Leadership in Action
Apply the leadership values discussed in workshop 1 to real life situations and contemporary problems.
Consider the role of leadership values in creating broad based political movements. This will focus on how leadership principles and values are important for creating common understandings and how one applies principles of leadership in order to foster discussions among various groups of people.
/03 The State, Law, and Indigenous Peoples
Be provided with a basic understanding of how political authority is distributed within Canadian Confederation. The perspective of a Nation-to-Nation relationship will be contrasted with the section 91(24) approach outlined by the federal government.
Be introduced to the concepts Doctrine of Discovery, Aboriginal Title, self-government and Aboriginal rights in relation to how they position Indigenous Nations within the Canadian Legal system.
Critically think about the differences between Canadian and Indigenous perspectives on Indigenous sovereignty and how these differences can be addressed within our current context.
/04 Understanding Colonialism - Four Perspectives
Begin to understand colonialism as a continuum that has both historical and contemporary impacts. Be introduced to the various frameworks to understand the impact of colonialism.
Learn to connect the social ills that occur in Indigenous communities today with an ongoing history of colonialism. Be introduced to concepts of lateral violence and state violence, and discuss how they are connected.
Be asked to reflect on how the historical and ongoing impacts of colonialism hinder the practice of indigenous leadership values and the development of Indigenous governance.
/05 Gender Dynamics in Indigenous Politics
Be given tools to understand the concepts gender, sex and sexuality: how they are related and how they differ. Be given tools to avoid essentialist understandings of gender.
Learn about traditional practices and understandings of gender.
Learn about the impact of colonialism on gender relations and also how colonialism can perpetuate itself through gender relations.
Learn to articulate the condition of gender relations in Indigenous communities today.
Reflect upon why and how just gender relations is an integral aspect of Indigenous Self-Determination.
/06 Indigenous Nationhood
Gain an understanding of how Indigenous political and legal orders are structured today. This will include a survey of different types of Indigenous governments and political organizations and attempts to practice and build legal order.
Discuss First Nation governments in relation to different forms of Indigenous political identity.
Discuss what the concept of Indigenous Nationhood entails. Learn to identify the ways it is practiced and the ways it can be strengthened in the future. Discuss how people from various Indigenous communities interact to create vibrant networks.
Apply the insights of previous workshops to discuss how Indigenous peoples can build political and legal orders that manifest Nationhood and self-determination.
Explore personal commitment to self-determination.