RISE
Reflecting · Inspiring · Sharing · Elevating
Your sacred space, with people who understand what this role carries.
Leading Indigenous relations inside an organization comes with a unique responsibility: to your organization, to Indigenous communities and to the generations that follow.
Do you feel alone in this?
Whether you carry this work on your own or as part of a team that does, the role asks something unusual of you. It reaches across departments rather than sitting inside one. It asks you to hold your organization’s commitments and your communities’ trust at the same time, and to keep both intact.
Some weeks that is energizing. Some weeks it is an uphill climb, and what helps is not another framework. It is people who already understand.
RISE exists because that experience is shared, and because it does not have to be carried alone.
A community of practice, not a network.
RISE brings together professionals working in Indigenous relations to reflect, learn, share experiences and strengthen their ability to influence lasting change within their organizations.
It rests on three things.
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1
Development
You leave more capable, not only better connected.
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2
Community
A group doing the same work, who you can call between sessions.
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3
Indigenous leadership
The program draws on the guidance of respected Indigenous leaders and the collective wisdom of the community, grounded in reciprocity and mutual respect.
We build things together.
RISE cohorts do not sit and listen. Each group decides what it needs, and then makes it.
Topics are shaped by the people in the room. Past cohorts have worked on:
- Clarifying what the Indigenous relations role is actually responsible for
- Laying the groundwork for trust and collaboration
- Helping teams understand Indigenous values and worldviews
- Influencing corporate policy toward Indigenous inclusion
- Overcoming barriers to Indigenous representation in corporate spaces
- Advancing Indigenous economic participation
- Cultural Intelligence (CQ) Certification
More than a job description.
This guide helps organizations position and value the role of Indigenous Relations Manager. It is a tool for reflection and action for executives, HR teams, EDI or ESG committees, and anyone who wants to contribute to more respectful and lasting relations between businesses and Indigenous peoples.
It covers the six key objectives of the role, the factors that decide whether it succeeds, seven pitfalls drawn from the field, a framework for evaluating performance, a sample dashboard, and the four phases through which the role evolves.
The role embodies a conviction: that reconciliation is first and foremost a relationship to be nurtured, day after day.
A Role at the Heart of Reconciliation
Reference Framework for the Role of Indigenous Relations Manager
Voices from the cohort
Thanks to Brigitte Skeene’s leadership and expertise, I was able to strengthen my practice and contribute more meaningfully to a more equitable future for Indigenous communities. I leave the program having grown, and supported by a network of committed and caring professionals.
Brigitte supported us with deep listening, leadership and expertise, helping equip our disciplines to contribute more meaningfully to transforming the Canadian economy toward greater equity. I came away from it having grown, and strengthened by a network of caring professionals I know I can count on in the years to come.
How it works
- Eight sessions across the year, 90 minutes each
- Two of them in person
- A cohort of five to eight people, kept deliberately small
- Cultural Intelligence (CQ) Certification, delivered in person
- Membership of the RISE community, with support and connection between sessions
- Moderated by Brigitte Skeene, founder of Talent iQ, with other Indigenous leaders as guests
Practical details
Let’s talk about whether RISE is right for you.
RISE is for people responsible for advancing Indigenous relations inside their organization. If that is your role, the next step is a short conversation.