Join us for a 2.5-day workshop in the Lakota Homelands, Spearfish, South Dakota, USA
October 1-3, 2024
This workshop will teach leaders in government, industry and philanthropy new conceptual frameworks and strategies for building relationships with Indigenous Peoples that lead to mutually beneficial outcomes and advance our collective progress towards reconciliation.
The Indigenous Engagement Institute is a collaborative project by Gwen Bridge and James Rattling Leaf Sr. This workshop is a unique opportunity for leaders to develop skills that champion equity, inclusion and reconciliation in their organizations.
About the workshop
This culturally immersive experience will teach Indigenous engagement from an Indigenous perspective. We invite you to spend 2.5 days with us in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota, USA, where we will share our culture and experience in guiding productive and meaningful relationships with Indigenous peoples. Together, we will build our understanding of Indigenous Knowledge, history and culture, the roots of conflict, and learn best practices, skills, tools and new conceptual frameworks. Equipped with this capacity within yourselves and your organization, you will be poised to tackle the great North American challenge of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations.
Testimonials
This workshop is for leaders who:
- Need direction on how to advance Indigenous relationships because of new internal mandates, need for social license, or governmental commitments.
- Want to be guided by the most current best practices in reconciliation.
- Are tasked by their governments to advance Indigenous rights protection in the context of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) implementation.
- Coordinate inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge consistent with the US White House ITEK memo, subsequent guidance, and other governmental laws, and policies/initiatives.
- Require new solutions for navigating economic and jurisdictional inequities.
- Seek solutions to respond to the calls to action issued by Indigenous Peoples for economic reconciliation.
- Are building partnerships to achieve Indigenous-led conservation.
- Need to build their organizational structure and culture to reflect readiness for advancing Indigenous relations.
- Want to know how to collaborate, co-develop, co-produce, and co-manage with Indigenous Peoples.
Outcomes
- Solid foundation of core knowledge on Indigenous issues in Canada and the United States, including the impacts of historical and contemporary laws and policies on Indigenous land management.
- Understand Indigenous processes of developing agreements with partners.
- Learn about Ethical Space, an Indigenous framework for creating respectful, reciprocal, relevant and resolution-oriented dialogue.
- Understand the fundamentals of Indigenous worldviews, values, laws, and protocols and how they are important in your work.
- Expand your network with leaders at the forefront of proactive Indigenous engagement in a dynamic and curated cohort.
- Tools and resources to develop your plan for incorporating Ethical Space into your work with Indigenous Peoples.
- Begin your journey to understanding the nature of Indigenous Knowledge.
- Guidebook to implement the IEI Indigenous Engagement Strategic framework.
About the workshop
This culturally immersive experience will teach Indigenous engagement from an Indigenous perspective. We invite you to spend 2.5 days with us in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota, USA, where we will share our culture and experience in guiding productive and meaningful relationships with Indigenous peoples. Together, we will build our understanding of Indigenous Knowledge, history and culture, the roots of conflict, and learn best practices, skills, tools and new conceptual frameworks. Equipped with this capacity within yourselves and your organization, you will be poised to tackle the great North American challenge of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations.
Outcomes
- Improved Knowledge and skills required to develop more effective relationships and partnerships with Indigenous peoples.
- Deep understanding of Indigenous processes of developing agreements.
- Understand, fundamentally, Indigenous worldviews, values, laws, protocols, societal structure, and what pragmatic steps in individual and organizational change are needed to support the integration of these components into engagement strategy and process, organizational culture and the relationships themselves.
- Expand networks with those also at the forefront of proactive Indigenous engagement.
What makes this different from typical training?
We are not trainers. We are practitioners in this space, with on-the-ground, in-the-relationship knowledge. We have come together for this unique opportunity to bring our deep expertise from the USA and Canadian Indigenous experience in productive engagement to you. We will conduct our work grounded in a land and culture-based experience, providing experiential applied learning opportunities. We will share learnings built from over 50 combined years of praxis, knowledge contextually specific, and the skills that support systems change. You will come away connected with a network of engaged leaders on a journey of building relationships to improve collective ecological, economic, and socio-cultural outcomes. Lakota and Cree cultural knowledge will be shared. We will be on the territory of the Lakota people and will have cultural experiences and knowledge sharing by local Elders and experts.
Accept Invitation?
All Day Cultural Event - Lakota Cultural Ceremonial Experience
Welcoming Back the Thunders or similar
If the day synchronizes with Welcoming Back the Thunders – a ceremonial pilgrimage will be made with local guides and community. This will be a six-hour hike so please come prepared. If the day does not synchronize with Welcoming Back the Thunders an alternative equivalent cultural event will be offered with workshop participants welcomed by the local community to share in cultural traditions and ceremony.
This event will include a hike through a mountain trail, which has steep sections, may be snowy, wet or slippery, and take several hours. Food will be served, however no provisions can be made to accommodate dietary restrictions.
What’s Included
- Accommodation.
- Food, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages.
- Cultural activities and ceremonies.
- Guest speakers.
- Guidebook for IEI Indigenous Engagement Strategy framework.
- Totally unique cultural and intellectual experience.
You are welcome to bring a companion who is not a workshop participant and will share your accommodation, select this option on the registration page. Personal travel to Spearfish Canyon Lodge is not included. We recommend flying to Rapid City, SD.
If there are needs that prohibit you from being able to drive to the venue from the airport, please let us know and we will work with you on a solution.
Dates
October 1, 2024
8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Evening Cultural Activity.
October 2, 2024
8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Evening Cultural Activity.
October 3, 2024
8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Registration
Early Bird (until June 1, 2024):
$8,500 USD
Regular Registration:
$9,000 USD
Accommodation, Meals, Snacks and Drinks are included.
Capacity
Maximum of 25 attendees.
Participant cancellation up to August 4 will be at 50%. After August 4, there will be no cancellations or refunds. 50% credit may be applied to a future workshop if another is offered.
If the Event is unable to operate, whether due to Acts of God, force majeure, pandemic, epidemic, illness, public safety, fire or state of emergency, or because of any other occurrence out of our control, or otherwise, the Indigenous Engagement Institute may cancel, postpone or terminate the Event.
Gwen Bridge Consulting Ltd. waives any and all claims that may arise against the Indigenous Engagement Institute or Gwen Bridge Consulting Ltd. for damages or expenses and agrees to accept in complete settlement and discharge of all claims, a 100% fee refund.
This workshop is composed of an unfolding learning expansion, please plan to attend the entire session, if you’d still like to come but have to miss some time, connect with us to ensure we can accommodate your learning needs.
Review the most up-to-date information about Travel Canada restrictions related to COVID.
Register early, limited spaces available.
Complete the registration form and walk with us on indigenous knowledge and learning journey.
Can’t make it to South Dakota?
Other opportunities to work with Indigenous Engagement Institute are available!
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