All employees and BOH members carry the knowledge, skills, understanding and compassion to create cultural safety by meaningfully applying anti-racist, trauma-informed, culturally humble practices that respond to the impacts of colonialism and  systemic oppression throughout public health. 

Ensure all employees and BOH members receive mandatory foundational Indigenous-led or supported cultural safety training with follow up opportunities for reflective practice and on-going support as needed for its meaningful application. 

Encourage employee participation in on-going Indigenous-led or supported professional development and relationship building opportunities. 

Support the work of the Truth & Reconciliation Action Committee (TRAC) that includes employees from all programs and services at all levels to advance health equity in Algoma through meaningful organizational, program, and community-level actions toward the shared goal of Truth & Reconciliation. 

Truth & Reconciliation Action Committee (TRAC)

TRAC is a revitalization of the former Indigenous Engagement Working Group, reflecting APH's growing relationships and ongoing commitment to working alongside Indigenous communities and health partners.   

In collaboration with local Indigenous health partners, Knowledge Carriers, and employees, TRAC is mandated to advance health equity in Algoma through meaningful organizational, program, and community-level actions focused on:   

• Creating an Indigenous anti-racist, culturally safe, culturally humble, and trauma-informed environment for employees, clients, partners, and communities.   
• Integrating the principles of Respect, Commitment, Trust, and Self-Determination and associated wise practices at organizational and program levels to foster meaningful relationships between public health and Indigenous communities and organizations.   
• Facilitating program and organizational awareness of collaborations with and expressed needs and preferences of Indigenous partners aligned with APH and ensure action with partners to address needs arising.   
• Supporting the development, implementation, and evaluation of APH’s Truth and Reconciliation Strategy.  

TRAC meets monthly and establishes Working Groups as needed to advance specific priorities and initiatives related to Truth and Reconciliation.   

TRAC includes Indigenous and non-Indigenous employees from across APH and is supported by a non-voting Executive Team Sponsor. TRAC also welcomes opportunities to learn from Indigenous partners and Knowledge Carriers to help keep its work grounded in community-informed priorities.   

We gratefully acknowledge Elizabeth “Liz” Edgar Webkamigad, who has walked alongside APH as a trusted partner and guide since long before the formal establishment of TRAC. We are deeply appreciative for her continued leadership and support, which allows us to more fully realize our commitment to working in culturally humble, trauma-informed ways, addressing anti-Indigenous racism, and promoting cultural safety.

Cultural Safety Training (CST)

Indigenous cultural safety training (CST) is important for all public health employees to address systemic power imbalances, dismantle anti-Indigenous racism, and advance health equity alongside Indigenous health partners and communities. Guided by our work with Indigenous health partners and our foundational guidance documents, we recognize that CST is essential to strengthening relationships, enhancing program delivery, and promoting health equity across the Algoma district.  

To ensure that all employees and Board of Health (BOH) members carry the knowledge, skills, and compassion to create cultural safety, APH is committed to the meaningful application of anti-racist, trauma-informed, culturally humble practices to respond to the impacts of colonialism and systemic oppression throughout public health.  To support this commitment, APH: 

Ensures mandatory CST for all employees as a starting point: Ensuring all employees and BOH members complete mandatory foundational Indigenous-led cultural safety training with follow up opportunities for reflective practice and on-going support as needed for its meaningful application.    

Supports sustainable integration: Standardizing the same quality training for new employees.   

Promotes on-going Cultural Safety Learning: Encouraging on-going employee participation in Indigenous-led or supported professional development, relationship building opportunities, experiential learning and encourage reflective practice as they emerge.   

Honouring Indigenous Days of Significance

Honouring Indigenous Days of Significance is an important part of APH's commitment to cultural humility, cultural safety, and Truth & Reconciliation. Participation in these observances supports Indigenous-led learning, reflection, relationship building, and awareness of Indigenous histories, cultures, perspectives, and priorities. These opportunities help reinforce and extend learning gained through cultural safety training by encouraging ongoing engagement, dialogue, and reflective practice. 

Examples of Indigenous Days of Significance recognized by APH include, but are not limited to, National Indigenous Peoples Day, Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Moose Hide Campaign, Red Dress Day, Treaty Recognition Week, and other Indigenous-led awareness, education, and community engagement opportunities as they arise. 

APH supports employee participation in Indigenous community-led events, ceremonies, gatherings, and awareness initiatives across the Algoma district. APH also creates internal opportunities for learning and reflection through activities such as flag-raising ceremonies, presentations and teachings from Indigenous Knowledge Carriers and partners, sharing educational resources, and recognizing Indigenous Days of Significance throughout the year. 

Together, these activities encourage employees to connect, listen, learn, and grow alongside Indigenous health partners and communities while helping strengthen relationships and support more inclusive, responsive, and equitable public health practice. 

Truth & Reconciliation Action Committee (TRAC) Book Club

Our spaces and places are rooted in cultural safety and anti-racism, providing a trauma-informed environment that counteracts the impacts of colonialism and systemic oppression. 

• Acknowledge the interconnectedness of Indigenous lives with the land.  Recognize the sacredness of the land we are on and work to keep this sacred.   
• Strengthen the planning, implementation and evaluation of public health structures, policies, processes, programs and services to create supportive environments for anti-racist, trauma-informed, culturally humble practices and cultural safety.  
• Decolonize: Identify and challenge colonial structure and systemic oppression, biases and assumptions embedded in public health systems and thinking. 
• Indigenization: Include Indigenous cultural knowledge systems, languages, art, traditional practices and medicines in public health places and spaces when/how advised by Indigenous health partners, knowledge carriers and employees.  

Neekokaabjigan: Local Indigenous Art Collaborative for all APH Offices

See link: Webpage Indigenous Artwork & The Stories They Inspire   

Guided by the Talking Together to Improve Health principles of respect, commitment, trust, and self-determination, APH collaborated with Indigenous health partners to integrate local Indigenous artwork focused on health and wellness into public-facing spaces across its Wawa, Sault Ste. Marie, Blind River, and Elliot Lake offices.  Our intention is to honour the original cultures of this land, value Indigenous healing practices and create a more inviting space for all.  
 

The initiative was developed through community-specific approaches identified by Indigenous partners connected to each office, including selecting local artists, determining how artwork would be acquired or commissioned, and identifying appropriate locations for installation.    

We learned from Indigenous health partners and artists that how we receive and take care of the art is just as important as the physical pieces. Each piece was received and welcomed into our space following the lead of Indigenous health partners, artists, and Knowledge Carriers.    

We acknowledge our on-going responsibility as caretakers of these pieces. Guided by Indigenous partners, artists, and Knowledge Carriers, we recognize that the artwork carries stories, teachings, and purpose, and that caring for these pieces is part of creating welcoming and culturally safer spaces for all.  

 The heart of this art collaborative is anchored in Neekokaabjigan, a gift of knowledge shared with us by Elizabeth Edgar-Webkamigad and her mother, Bea Shawanda. Neekokaabjigan is an Anishinaabemowin word that speaks about the act of connecting knowledge, family, people and communities ~ past, present and future.  It is the string that connects us from generation to generation. We all carry a sacred responsibility to bring forward truth and healing, ensuring that our actions today are guided by Seven Generational thinking to positively impact the next seven generations.   

 For APH, this means practicing cultural humility by acknowledging that, as caretakers of these art pieces, we have a responsibility to ensure our programs and services today contribute to a legacy of truth and wellness for future generations.  It also means reflecting on how our daily actions contribute to the long-term well-being of the communities with whom we are connected.   

 The following resources were developed to honour the local Indigenous artists and their artwork that was selected by our Indigenous health partners and to share the cultural significance behind each installation.  

Inclusion of Anishinaabemowin & Ililimowin on Algoma Public Health (APH) Building Signs  

APH collaborated with Indigenous health partners and language carriers to include Anishinaabemowin and Ililimowin (Cree) on APH building signs to help create a more welcoming and culturally safer space for Indigenous clients, partners, communities, and staff. Our intention is to be respectful and help Indigenous clients feel more comfortable accessing public health services.   

Through collaboration with local Indigenous health partners and Language Carriers Barbara Nolan and Matthew Wesley, APH incorporated Indigenous language translations into its building signs and provided learning opportunities to help employees understand the meaning, significance, and pronunciation of these translations. This initiative reflects part of APH's commitment to Indigenous language revitalization, cultural safety, and Truth & Reconciliation. 

Recognizing the important connection between language, culture, identity, health and well-being, APH continues to support awareness and respectful use of Indigenous languages throughout our organization. 

Translation Services: Ojibwe and Cree translation support is available for clients through Access Alliance Languages Services.  Administrative Support can set up these services upon request.  

Displaying and Honouring the Relative and Family and Caregiver Declaration of Values created by the Relative and Family Advisory Council (RFAC) 

As part of our Collaborative Partnership Agreement with the Maamwesying Ontario Health Team (MOHT), APH was invited to share and honour the teachings within their Relative, Family and Caregiver Declaration of Values that were developed by the MOHT Relative and Family Advisory Council.   

The Declaration of Values reflects Indigenous perspectives on health, wellness, relationships, and care, and shares teachings about how Indigenous clients, families, and caregivers would like to be treated: as relatives, respected members of the family. 

At the request of the MOHT, the Declaration of Values is displayed in prominent public-facing locations within APH's Wawa, Sault Ste. Marie, Blind River, and Elliot Lake offices.  Its purpose is to serve as a meaningful reminder of the importance of providing person-centred care that respects Indigenous cultures, customs, knowledge systems, and healing practices. 

As we reflect on the teachings within the Declaration of Values and carry them into our work, policies, programs, and relationships, we help create spaces where Indigenous relatives feel safer, welcomed, respected, and valued. This work is not about displaying the values as a visual symbol alone. It is about understanding what these teachings mean and considering how we embody them in our actions, decisions, and relationships. Employees are encouraged to review the Declaration of Values individually and as teams and to engage in ongoing reflection about its application in public health practice. 

District-Wide APH Land Acknowledgement  

Developed with feedback from Indigenous health partners, APH’s District-Wide Land Acknowledgement recognizes the Indigenous Peoples, Nations, territories, and treaties connected to the lands where APH programs and services are delivered.  

APH employees and Board of Health members are encouraged to respectfully share the Land Acknowledgement statement with a thoughtful reflection when meaningful and appropriate to do so. Our Land Acknowledgement is intended to support learning, reflection, and awareness of the ongoing relationship between Indigenous Peoples and the land.  Meaningful Land Acknowledgements should be accompanied by ongoing action, relationship building, and commitments toward Truth & Reconciliation. 

To support continued learning, the District-Wide Land Acknowledgement and accompanying guidance are incorporated into new employee orientation. Framed copies are also displayed in all APH office locations as a visible reminder of our commitment to Truth & Reconciliation. 

Use of Sacred Indigenous Medicines (Smudging) Policy, Procedures and Guidelines  

In recognition of the intergenerational traumas caused by colonialism, as well as the intergenerational strengths and knowledge of Indigenous communities, our Use of Sacred Indigenous Medicines (Smudging) Policy, Procedures and Guidelines support an anti-racist, culturally humble, and trauma-informed approach to promoting cultural safety. Together with accompanying cultural safety training, they help employees:   

Uphold the rights of Indigenous clients, partners and colleagues  

Respect and create spaces for Indigenous healing practices  

Counteract the harms of assimilationist laws designed to dismantle Indigenous cultures, identities, and legal rights. 

They do so by sharing foundational knowledge, culturally humble wise practices, and practical guidance to support the respectful Use of Sacred Indigenous Medicines within APH offices for Indigenous clients, community partners and employees. They are intended to welcome all employees to learn about Indigenous traditions, promote respectful relationships, support understanding of smudging protocols, and encourage shared responsibility for the care of Sacred Indigenous Medicines and medicine bundles. 

Implementing our Use of Sacred Indigenous Medicines (Smudging) Policy, Procedures and Guidelines is intended to honour the Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Carriers, and communities who have protected and carried this knowledge forward and recognizes the importance of Indigenous cultural and ceremonial practices in supporting wellness, healing, connection, and cultural identity. 

With great appreciation, we acknowledge the local Indigenous health partners, Knowledge Carriers, and members of TRAC who contributed to the development of this work. We especially appreciate the guidance and support of Knowledge Carriers Elizabeth Edgar Webkamigad and Lucia Laford. 

As we continue to listen to and learn from local Indigenous health partners and Knowledge Carriers, we can understand more about Indigenous traditions, like smudging, to create a foundation of cultural safety that respects the diversity of local Indigenous communities.  

Through the implementation of these policies, procedures, guidelines, and supporting resources, APH employees operationalize our commitment to work in culturally humble, trauma-informed ways that address anti-Indigenous racism and promote cultural safety within public health. 

Medicine Garden and Cedar Seedlings 

Guided by a local Knowledge Carrier and supportive employees with green thumbs, a small medicine garden and cedar seedlings are maintained through a collaborative process rooted in shared care, intention, ongoing learning, reciprocity, and cultural humility. 

By learning how to respectfully care for and harvest Sacred Indigenous Medicines, employees have opportunities to deepen their understanding of Indigenous traditions and the responsibilities that accompany them. The medicines grown in the garden contribute to medicine available for Indigenous clients, community partners, and employees, and may be used for smudging and when offering tobacco to Knowledge Carriers as part of respectful engagement. 

As part of our ongoing learning journey, APH continues to create opportunities for employees to learn directly from Indigenous Knowledge Carriers. Opportunities have included district-wide cedar planting ceremonies, teachings on the cultural significance of Sacred Indigenous Medicines, and hands-on learning about caring for and harvesting medicines with intention and respect. 

This work reflects APH's ongoing commitment to creating culturally safer spaces while honouring Indigenous knowledge, healing practices, and ways of being. 

Be a culturally humble partner that builds trustworthy relationships and collaborative partnerships.

• Engage in ongoing reflection and evaluate our partnerships with Indigenous partners, knowledge carriers, and employees with regards to the balance of power, equal respect among members, and meaningful engagement.   
• Continue to work with Indigenous health partners to identify their respective community’s self-determined public health strengths, needs, interests, priorities and potential opportunities for building and strengthening meaningful, reciprocal, mutually beneficial collaborative partnerships. 
• Centre Indigenous knowledge, governance, and self-determination. 

Displaying and Honouring the Relative and Family and Caregiver Declaration of Values created by the Relative and Family Advisory Council 

APH and the Maamwesying Ontario Health Team (MOHT) signed a Collaborative Partnership Agreement in 2024 during a Leadership Signing Ceremony, reflecting a shared commitment to improving health and well-being, reducing inequities, supporting Indigenous health in Indigenous hands, and advancing culturally safe and equitable services for Indigenous communities across Algoma.  

Our Agreement provides a foundation for ongoing relationship building, shared learning, reciprocity, and collaboration guided by the principles of respect, commitment, trust, and self-determination.  It continues to support collaborative initiatives, shared learning opportunities, and partnerships that strengthen culturally safer public health services and advance the shared goal of Truth & Reconciliation.   

This includes the promotion of the Relative, Family and Caregiver Declaration of Values developed by the MOHT Relative and Family Advisory Council (RFAC) and future MOHT Cultural Safety Public Health Kaizen events for APH employees when MOHT capacity allows. 

Resources appropriate to include? 

• Relative, Family and Caregiver Declaration of Values Created by the Relative and Family Advisory Council (RFAC)  
• Tree of Many Colours Painting: Gifted to the MOHT by APH.  Created through a collaborative process involving APH employees and Board of Health members, led by Tania Caputo, Executive Assistant to the Medical Officer of Health and TRAC members. 
• Seeds of Promise Painting: Gifted to APH from the MOHT. Created by Grace Swain. 
• MOHT and RFAC Declaration of Values Support Document