Phase 2 – Indigenous Collaboration Project – Advancing Engagement and Indigenous 101 – Cultural Competency Training

Increasing collaboration and engagement with Indigenous Peoples along the transboundary basins is an active priority for the International Join Commission (IJC). The International Red River Watershed Board (IRRWB) has identified meaningful Indigenous inclusion as a foundational element of its strategic plan in alignment with this priority. 

Phase 2 of this project built upon the results of the roundtable discussion in Phase 1 by focusing on the advancement of the recommendations presented by the IRRWB’s Indigenous Collaboration Task Team, specifically the recommendation referencing Historic Treaty Promises and UNDRIP (United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples). Advancement of this recommendation required the board to have a common understanding of Indigenous rights, treaties, connections to land and water, and legislative frameworks on both sides of the border.  

Phase 2 of the project addressed this through a Cultural Competency Training session which took place August 22, 2024, at Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, Manitoba. The training session had expert Indigenous speakers from both the United States and Canada share their knowledge and present information to members of the board. The project facilitated the board’s ability to refer to Historic Treaty Promises and UNDRIP to inform its work on an ongoing basis. This enabled the advancement of other recommendations and fostered greater inclusion and participation of Indigenous partners in the work of the IRRWB.