In divisive times its easy to forget we all belong to one family. Indigenous people have been underserved and oppressed by their governments all across the world. Seen as a threat to their cultural supremacy, governments would try to eradicate indigenous cultures and traditions in the hopes the indigenous people would “assimilate” to their way of life. In Canada, this was done by separating indigenous families and forcing indigenous children to attend residential schools, where they were taught a curriculum that separated them from their identity. Many children suffered abuse and neglect from the hands of their educators. Some even died. These atrocities were only brought to light due to the thousands of indigenous Survivors that gathered to demand redress for the abuses they suffered due to the government’s racist policies. Together, they won the biggest class action suit in Canada’s history and propelled indigenous issues into the public eye.

For reconciliation to be successful, better relationships between indigenous and non-indigenous Canadians must be established. Any peace project’s success is contingent upon strong relationships. Rotarians in southern Ontario foresaw this, and in 2014 they established Honouring Indigenous Peoples (www.rotaryhip.com)  HIP is a Rotarian initiative that seeks to empower Canada’s indigenous people through improving indigenous education and “promoting the understanding and awareness of the culture, history and issues of indigenous people to Rotarians and others” (HIP). To ensure HIP’s mission stays on track, its board is led by an equal number of passionate Rotarians and Indigenous People that make decisions based upon consensus. There is much to be done for indigenous people to achieve the equity they deserve. HIP and Rotarians across Canada are laying the groundwork, and building the relationships, to make that goal possible.