Target Audience:
Fred Wrona, Chief Scientist, Environmental Monitoring and Science Division (EMSD)
Purpose:
Analyze evaluations of the EMSD Cultural Awareness Program (the program) and recommend direction moving forward
Background:
Key activity 3.6 in AEMERA’s 2015-2018 business plan states, “Develop and implement cultural awareness and training programs for AEMERA staff.”
Both federal and provincial governments formally adopted the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s 94 calls to action. Call to action 57 states, “We call upon federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments to provide education to public servants on the history of Aboriginal peoples, including the history and legacy of …show more content…
Being more culturally aware not only meets reconciliation goals for government employees, it also fosters positive relationships with Aboriginal people through shared understanding. Positive relationships will enable us to braid traditional ecological knowledge into our department’s work through increased trust.
Current Status:
The Stakeholder Engagement Team provided 5 cultural awareness sessions in April and June, drawing 82 participants: 79 AEMERA staff, 2 from Indigenous Relations, and 1 from Alberta Energy Regulator (see attached attendance sheet). Each session had evaluation forms (see attachments for evaluation summaries).
To celebrate and acknowledge Aboriginal History Month (June), several e-mails on Aboriginal culture and history were sent out to AEMERA staff and shared on the Alberta Environment and Parks news sharing website, The Current (see attached Aboriginal History Month e-mail topics).
No evaluation mechanism was delivered to assess the effects the program will have on staff relationships with Aboriginal people or braiding traditional ecological knowledge into