Nbisiing Consulting has offered the Indigenous cultural competency course to:

• Governments and Public Sector organizations
• Land Owners and Real Estate developers
• Natural Resource developers
• Planners, architects, builders
• Existing project teams
• Public engagement firms
• Colleges, Universities, and Trade Schools
• Hospitals, health centres, long-term care homes
• Companies wanting to develop relationships with Indigenous peoples
• Media organizations
• Not-for-profit companies
• Any organizations working towards Truth and Reconciliation
• Equity, diversity and inclusion teams
• Children’s services agencies and providers

Bob Goulais has been providing Indigenous Awareness training for over 20 years, to private sector, public sector and to First Nations, Métis and Inuit audiences. We don’t like to name drop but would be happy to provide references.

This Indigenous Cultural Competency Training has been offered to over 8,000 learners who have been delighted with their learning and how it has impacted both their professional and personal lives.

From the very opening of the training, you will be a part of Indigenous ceremony, in the presence of the sacred bundle, handling sacred items, and making use of traditional Anishinaabe protocols. This type of learning goes beyond reaching your mind – it is designed to reach your spirit.

Yes. I’d be happy to provide these, electronically, by PDF, if requested. I will need to charge a nominal fee just to recover my costs.

Yes, most certainly. Once the training is completed, you will receive access to the Truth & Reconciliation learning presentations shared by the facilitator throughout the training. These contain further learning resources integrated throughout. You will also receive our insightful Training Resources provided though an online, cloud-based folder that will be accessible by all training session participants. For example: this folder contains my personal Reconciliation Resource List, with books, videos and online resources from over 100 Indigenous authors, scholars, and traditional knowledge holders.

Culturally Proficient Inquiry: A Lens for Identifying and Examining Education Gaps defines cultural competency as the capacity to interact compassionately, sensitively and effectively with people of different cultures.

Given that this training is, most often, part of workplace learning, Nbisiing also works to develop professional competencies in working with Indigenous peoples. In other words, we work to provide participants with the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviours that contribute to individual and organizational improvement in the area of Indigenous relations.

Culturally-based – The Nbisiing Indigenous Cultural Competency Training is offered, first and foremost, using Indigenous values and ways of knowing and being. Essentially, it is entirely culturally-based, and immerses the learner in Indigneous values, perspectives and concepts. However, we also use cutting edge technology, multi-media tools, and modern learning methods.

Authenticity – This course is offered by a First Nations teacher, with a lifetime of lived experience, and decades of professional Indigenous relations experience. The course includes Indigenous wisdom, and offered with the support of Indigenous elders.

Safe and Non-judgemental – The training offers respect to all levels of learners, and offered without judgement or shame.

That’s an important question! Given that the in-person training is offering using Indigenous protocols, there are certain requirements needed for the space:

• Adequate space to facilitate an Indigenous Sharing Circle;
• Ample open space in the circle for ceremony and facilitator movement. All tables are to be removed;
• The perimeter of the circle will include a single row of chairs for the learners;
• The space will allow for the gentle burning of medicines for a smudge. This is a right protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
• Access to video conference screen – or – an LCD projector and screen, a power source and extension cord.

Across Ontario, there may be space at your local Indigenous Friendship Centre. For example, in Toronto, our training may be held at the Auditorium at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto, Canada’s first and largest Friendship Centre. Your team would be responsible for the booking and catering arrangements. For more information visit here.