Why pairing strategic skills with purpose is crucial to reconciliation

Preserving Indigenous cultures, knowledge, languages and practices are core steps in furthering reconciliation in Canada. EY is honoured to support this journey by working in ethical space with the Elders Knowledge Circle Society (EKCS).

The EKCS preserves, protects, revitalizes and shares wisdom from First Nations, Inuit and Métis Elders. Founded in Calgary, the EKCS is helping preserve Indigenous cultures through storytelling, putting Indigenous governance practices to work and building Elder capacity. This purposeful work is strengthening relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities and organizations to advance reconciliation in parallel Indigenous and Western ways.

Inspired by this purpose, EY was moved to ask: how can our professionals’ specific skillsets help the EKCS expand its reach and amplify its momentum?

One of the EKCS’s key goals is to build parallel ways of working between Western and Indigenous cultures, creating a space where both knowledge systems can coexist, respect one another and work alongside each other. By fostering mutual understanding and cooperation, the EKCS aims to bridge the gap between Indigenous traditional practices and Western methodologies, ensuring that both cultures contribute equally to decision-making, knowledge preservation and community development.

This approach encourages the blending of strengths from both systems, enhancing their individual and collective impact while maintaining respect for the values and wisdom inherent in each. For more than five years, EY Ripples volunteers have supported EKCS by contributing short-term volunteer hours spent in circle and ceremony. But they wanted to do more.

The EKCS is seeking to create a sustainable model to protect, revitalize and share oral knowledge and practice, bridge the gap in cultural understanding between Indigenous and Western ways, and serve as a centralized resource of knowledge and wisdom for Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups.

With that in mind, EY Ripples volunteers built on existing support to also provide the EKCS with pro bono professional services. This included modelling and budgeting, capturing governance practices in parallel for Indigenous and Western ways, as well as helping establish the organization as a registered nonprofit entity.

By aligning EY capabilities with the EKCS’s objectives, these allies are building robust infrastructure to carry the organization into the future and continue progress on the reconciliation pathway.

Looking ahead, EY is now focused on helping to grow the EKCS’ Circle of Supporters — Western organizations aligned with the purpose and spirit of the work of the EKCS and keen to find their own ways to support. By sharing and fostering relationships, EY teams have invited select clients into the journey. What’s more, EY has extended its own relationships with other Western organizations actively involved with the EKCS, taking on an active advocacy role and encouraging participants to work together on behalf of the Elders in Western communities. This initiative has led to further conversations and collaborations alongside EKCS — scaling reach and supporting reconciliation across Canada.