BDO celebrates National Indigenous Peoples Day 2022
June 21, 2022
On National Indigenous Peoples Day, June 21, 2022, we recognize and celebrate the rich culture and history of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. This year's theme is storytelling, which is an important aspect of Indigenous culture through the shared connection of stories and oral history.
For hundreds of years, Indigenous peoples have long passed on knowledge from generation to generation through oral traditions, including storytelling. This practice encompasses historical, environmental, and sacred information while helping sustain communities and validate the shared experiences of generations.
Beverly Warnar, an HR Manager at BDO shared, “As a child growing up in Northern Ontario, I recall looking up and seeing streaks of green lights dancing in the sky. These were the beautiful Northern lights. We were told that if you whistle or howl at the spirits in the sky, they will start dancing, and we were warned that this would call the spirits to come and find us. Later, I learned that the moral of this story was that by drawing attention to yourself at night, you risked attracting hungry wolves. It is through these stories that we learn important life lessons.” She also added, “I have been exploring Indigenous children's literature for my daughter as I feel it is so important to keep the rich cultural history alive and pass on these lessons to the next generation.”
Bearing witness to these stories, we have the shared responsibility to listen, acknowledge, and begin to understand the perspective of others and their experiences. Jordon Brant, also an HR Manager at BDO, acknowledges that storytelling is also an important aspect of reconciliation. “For me, reconciliation is understanding the past to incite change for the future. When I hear an Elder share a story that is an integral part of their lived experience, I am now part of that shared oral history, and it's important that I truly take in what they are sharing and use this as a guide to help me make decisions moving forward.”
BDO continues to support the ongoing reconciliation process and is supporting all Indigenous people to help achieve the goals and dreams of their communities. From coast to coast, we work with our Indigenous clients as they labor on important territorial, provincial, and national initiatives. These projects aim at achieving the ultimate objectives of two nations sharing the land and resources to become a great place to live for everyone.
Internally at BDO, we are committed to creating an inclusive and equitable environment where all people can bring their genuine selves to work, participate fully, and be positioned for success. Our Inclusion, Equity & Diversity (IE&D) Committee's Indigenous pillar focuses on recognizing and honoring Indigenous history, culture, and traditions while raising our staff and partners' awareness of issues impacting Indigenous peoples in our local communities.
The dreams, goals, and initiatives of the Indigenous people of Canada are central to the focus and goals of BDO's mission; people helping people achieve their dreams. We take extreme pleasure and pride in working with our Indigenous clients as we continue our journey in support of reconciliation efforts in Canada.