Reconciliation
Learning and listening: TELUS team members demonstrate their commitment to reconciliation through continuous learning
Oct 8, 2024
(Above) Team members participated in an interactive tipi teaching shared by Larson Yellowbird as part of the Edmonton, AB National Indigenous Peoples Day event hosted by the Eagles team member resource group.
A guiding pillar of our reconciliation strategy is to ensure our actions are culturally appropriate and responsive. Truth comes before reconciliation, and in order to play our role in advancing reconciliation, we need to ensure that we are learning about our shared history and its lasting impact on the present day experiences of Indigenous Peoples from an Indigenous lens.
Across TELUS, team members are building relationships, deepening their understanding and increasing the impact of their reconciliation efforts through a range of valuable, year-round learning opportunities.
Across TELUS, team members are building relationships, deepening their understanding and increasing the impact of their reconciliation efforts through a range of valuable, year-round learning opportunities.
Learning about our shared history
To date, more than 18,000 team members have completed TELUS’ Truth and Reconciliation eLearning, created in partnership with
Chastity Davis-Alphonse
(Tla’amin and Tŝilhqot’in Nations). The course discusses the resiliency of Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous-led movements in the face of historical and current legislation, government practices and colonial systems, by drawing attention to the far-reaching and ongoing consequences of the residential school system, day schools, the Sixties Scoop and the Indian Act. The eLearning series is also motivating team members to advance their personal reconciliation journeys and explains how organizations like TELUS can support these initiatives by taking strategic actions like those we’ve committed to in our
Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan
.In addition to the eLearning, Chastity works with TELUS to offer a half-day training course, “Canadian History through an Indigenous Lens,” which gives team members the opportunity to dive deeper and have meaningful discussions about these topics.
“There are parts in the Learning Program that are not the easiest to swallow. and it really opens your eyes, but it’s so imperative that we take it all in as part of the journey,” shared Daniel Chan, Senior Brand Manager, TELUS Business.
Retail teams honour local Indigenous history, culture and storytelling
In 2022, the TELUS Retail team committed to learning more about the histories and cultures of the Indigenous Peoples on whose lands our stores are located.
Since then, team members at six retail stores have had opportunities to connect with Elders to plan cultural learning sessions. The Elders shared their truths and experiences and educated TELUS team members about their communities. They’ve also spoken to the importance of Treaties, the impact of the Indian Act today, and what we can learn from previous wrongdoings as we move along the path of reconciliation together.
Dr. Karine Duhamel speaks to the “Spirit and Intent of the Treaties” with Dealer, National Retail, and Mobile Klinik team members at the St. Vital Store in Winnipeg, MB.
Melissa Noftall, store manager of the Londonderry Mall in Edmonton, shared, “Frank’s and Florance’s commitment to educating others about the injustices faced by Indigenous Peoples, including the lesser-known details of policies like the Indian Act and the tragic legacy of residential schools, is essential for fostering understanding and reconciliation in Canadian society. Their invitation to learn more about their community reflects their openness and willingness to bridge divides and build meaningful connections.”
Participating in inspiring events across Canada
To commemorate National Day for Truth and Reconciliation this September, the Networking Technology & Services (NTS) team organized meaningful experiences in six cities across Canada, such as taking a self-guided tour of the McCord Stewart Museum - Indigenous Cultures Collection in Montreal.
Jessica Ho, the NTS team member leading the coordination of these events shared, “A key pillar for our team, set by our Vice-president Tim Fell, is to learn about Indigenous cultures and ways that our team can actively contribute to reconciliation. He sets the tone by dedicating personnel and budget to host these learning experiences while also always showing up to the events. It means a lot to me that he understands the greater impact of these initiatives on both the team member experience and the ripple effect it has on our ability to support reconciliation in new ways.”
NTS Team members at the TELUS World of Science after visiting the Arctic Indigenous Perspectives exhibit in Edmonton, AB.
The Quebec Reconciliation committee has been successfully inviting Indigenous guest speakers to share their inspiring stories with French-speaking teammates across Canada. As part of the National Indigenous History Month celebrations, Daniel Picard of Wendake First Nation and owner of Les Épices du Guerrier, shared how he faced many unexpected events that have shaped him into who he is today.
“Daniel Picard has a way of telling a story to make us understand the complete path of his life and the difficult stages he had to go through,” shared Gerard Lamoureux, Innu, Operations Manager. “Today he is a respected businessman, but above all, he is dedicated to being a light for those who need to see the colors again after darkness.”
Continuous learning and listening is paramount to our ability to uphold our reconciliation commitments and build lasting relationships with the Indigenous communities that we work with and serve. We look forward to seeing how teams across TELUS continue to grow throughout our reconciliation journey.
