Reconciliation matters. As Canadians, it ensures we learn from and address historic wrongs, and we work together to co-create a better future.
The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is committed to continuing our Reconciliation journey. We know that working with Indigenous peoples, learning from Indigenous Knowledge and applying learnings to our work are critical to successfully implementing Canada’s plan for the long-term management of used nuclear fuel.
On National Indigenous Peoples Day, we acknowledge the important contributions that Indigenous peoples and teachings have had on the project. And we renew our commitment to Reconciliation – working to address historic wrongs and build a better future together with Indigenous peoples.
The NWMO’s Reconciliation Policy was released in 2019 and is one of the ways we hold ourselves accountable to this commitment. On this National Indigenous Peoples Day, the NWMO is pleased to report on the progress we have made and the work we still have ahead of us.
Last year, a Reconciliation Baseline Evaluation Summary Report completed by Reciprocal Consulting, an independent award-winning and leading Indigenous-run consulting firm, reviewed the implementation of our Reconciliation Policy and found we have made significant progress. In particular, the report highlighted how the NWMO’s commitment to ensuring all employees receive cultural awareness and Reconciliation training has helped employees along their own journeys and in ensuring they apply a Reconciliation lens to their work. This training continues to evolve and expand with the goal of our employees’ understanding and awareness to grow and develop.
“I have found that the NWMO’s Reconciliation Policy opens up conversations with Indigenous communities,” said Lise Morton, Vice-President of Site Selection at the NWMO. “It is not just about the organization making this statement. It is about each and every one of us taking those steps together. As a team, if we do not acknowledge the historical wrongs and work towards a better future, we cannot begin to build a solid foundation with Indigenous communities, and our engagement would be disingenuous.”
As of June 2021, 95 per cent of NWMO staff have completed cultural awareness training, 95 per cent have completed our ReconciliACTION training (or Reconciliation training Part 1), and 50 per cent have completed Reconciliation training Part 2. Reconciliation training Part 3 will be piloted in fall 2021, as our Indigenous Relations training program continues to evolve, as requested by NWMO staff.
Ms. Morton, who joined the NWMO in March 2021, said her participation in these training sessions “provided a whole new perspective as I continue on my personal Reconciliation journey.”
We are also working to assess NWMO internal documents and policies to ensure they are living up to the ideals of our Reconciliation Policy, and thus far, more than 20 of those reviews have been completed.
“The Reconciliation Policy is critical to the work that myself and my team are doing, not just with Indigenous communities, but also within non-Indigenous communities. It is our hope that our project might strengthen and enhance, in some small way, the relationship between these communities,” Ms. Morton said.
The baseline report also identified areas and opportunities for improvement. One key point was the need to ensure those very communities we are working with are better included in our journey, and another that we did more to ensure our Reconciliation Policy was incorporated across the organization and embedded in our culture.
Monthly Sharing Circles, which bring together Indigenous and non-Indigenous employees to learn from one another, is one new way the NWMO is working to better incorporate Reconciliation activities across the organization. We have also launched an internal channel, called ReconciliACTION, for employees using Microsoft Teams, specifically focused on sharing news, thoughts and milestones related to Reconciliation, interweaving Indigenous Knowledge in our work, and sharing Indigenous news and culture. NWMO employees also share their own thoughts and actions towards Reconciliation. We are also working towards two Reconciliation events in our potential siting communities.
The NWMO knows that Reconciliation requires ongoing work and accountability, and our policy seeks to ensure we continually evaluate and readjust. But we also know that it is a personal journey for each employee, and our role is to facilitate that personal work that then helps our employees incorporate that knowledge into everything they do.
“Status quo has not served Indigenous peoples and will not serve them well in the future. If we are acting in a manner that is consistent with the status quo, we will not be successful as an organization. A 100 per cent, we will not be successful. That is our challenge – to change the way we are doing business to prepare for success through Reconciliation,” said Bob Watts, Vice-President of Indigenous Relations and Strategic Programs at the NWMO.
