Cultures of Safety training available for McMaster students, faculty and staff

Faculty, staff, and learners can apply online to take advantage of these valuable training opportunities. 

In the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS), we are committed to fostering a culturally safe and humble environment to enable systems change and advance the work and concepts of truth and reconciliation with all aspects of Indigenous health.  

 In FHS, the Indigenous Health Learning Lodge (IHLL) has a variety of fully funded training opportunities available for learners, faculty and staff. These courses aim to enhance cultural safety and allyship within our community. Additionally, the IHLL is currently developing a Cultural Safety Training Program which is set to be released in the new year. Faculty, staff, and learners can apply online to take advantage of these valuable training opportunities. 

Many of our faculty, staff, and learners, have completed the San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training Program. This transformative program empowers participants to enhance their knowledge and begin reflecting on their roles in addressing systemic issues and transforming the systems we are part of. By acknowledging and addressing these injustices, we can cultivate a community where everyone feels valued, respected, and included.  

San’yas Cultural Safety Training

Description from the San’yas website:

“What is Indigenous Cultural Safety?

Indigenous Cultural Safety means working in ways that are more fair for Indigenous people, and free from discrimination. To do this we must consider colonial history and show respect for Indigenous culture, identity, and rights. Indigenous cultural safety is an outcome based on respectful engagement; it is when Indigenous people feel safer in relationships and when receiving services.

What is Indigenous-specific racism?

Indigenous-specific racism (or anti-Indigenous racism) encompasses the images, beliefs, attitudes, and actions that significantly disadvantages Indigenous peoples fair access to services. In Canada, colonialism is the foundation on which Indigenous -specific racism is built. It can be expressed at the interpersonal level through stereotypes, prejudice and discriminatory behaviour and is carried out at systemic levels through policies, practices, and legislation.

What services does San’yas offer?

San’yas offers online training courses for people working in any sector across Canada, as well as consultation services to support organizational and systems change.” (San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Online Training -sanyas.ca).

The Fundamentals of OCAP®

Description from the website:

“The course is “a unique online learning opportunity developed by FNIGC in collaboration with First Nations thought leaders, subject matter experts, and online education professionals. Newly revised and reimagined to mark the 25th anniversary of The First Nations Principles of OCAP^®, the course is the result of more than a year of design and teamwork and features important content updates, original artwork from First Nation artists, and voice-over narration from First Nations actors. The Fundamentals of OCAP® course introduces the OCAP® principles in a welcoming and culturally engaging way and takes learners on a journey through the importance of First Nations ownership, control, access, and possession of First Nations data

Who is The Fundamentals of OCAP® course designed for?

This course is designed by First Nations and is intended principally for First Nations who work with data and are asserting the First Nations Principles of OCAP® as part of that work. It is also intended for those who interact with First Nations data or information and are looking to learn how they can best respect the principles in their work.

Data in this context encompasses data from First Nations, including languages, cultures, knowledge, stories, songs, and ceremonies, data about First Nations such as demographics, housing, health, economies, labor, education, and data on or about First Nations lands and resources, which includes waters, medicines, and animals.

If you are asserting OCAP®, the course will give you the background and tool you need to exercise data sovereignty. By taking this course, you will learn what it means to assert and apply the principles OCAP® through the work you do.

If you are looking to better respect OCAP®, the course will provide you with the knowledge you need to understand First Nations data sovereignty in the context of work done in government, academia, non-profits, or the private sector. This is an important teaching and an expression of a commitment to Reconciliation.” (https://fnigc.ca/ocap-training/take-the-course/).