*This video originally featured Gillian Hynes as part of her work with Rise Consulting, where she contributed insights into Indigenous Inclusion and Reconciliation. Now, with Amplify Work, Gillian continues her commitment to advancing Reconciliation in HR practices, sharing insights and actionable steps for fostering inclusive workplaces.

Gillian Hynes sat down with Andrea Adams for a three-part conversation exploring the intersection of Reconciliation and Human Resources. The first conversation lays the foundation for Truth and Reconciliation, emphasizing that Reconciliation is not a box to check but an essential, ongoing commitment. Gillian reflects on her journey as a settler and Human Resources professional, stepping personally and professional into the role of a Reconciliation Practitioner.

The Importance of Positionality

Positionality is important, knowing where we’re from helps us to know where we’re going. Acknowledging our family histories, lived experiences, intersectionality and connections to the land, allows us to know where we are going and approach Reconciliation with awareness and accountability.

Why Land Acknowledgements Matter

Land acknowledgements honour and respect the Indigenous Peoples who have been on this land since time immemorial. They can also be a way to honour the reciprocal relationship one has with land, and it can also be used to acknowledge the traditional territories and treaty land a person may be on. Websites like Whose Land and Native Land can help us learn more and can support sharing land acknowledgements in a respectful way.

Advancing Reconciliation: The Role of Individuals, Organizations and HR Professionals

As an individual, Gillian always tells people to take action and to do something, knowing that it doesn’t have to be big. Individuals should read the TRC Calls to Action, listen to Indigenous voices, purchase from Indigenous owned business and creators, and reflect on our own knowledge gaps and biases. Organizations need to respond to Call #92 from the TRC which includes UNDRIP, FPIC along with promoting equitable access to jobs and educating employees on colonial history, human rights, and anti-racism. For HR professionals, there is such an opportunity to advance Reconciliation in the roles that we’re in. We have an ability to influence all areas of the people system in a workplace, and Reconciliation involves integrating Indigenous Inclusion into recruitment, learning and development, capacity building, policy creation and beyond. Importantly, it is about listening to Indigenous Peoples and spend time reflecting to increase your empathy, compassion and understanding of trauma in the workplace.

Reconciliation isn’t a Destination

Ultimately, there isn’t an end point in Reconciliation. It is a pathway that we have to commit to as individuals and as organizations, always listening, learning, reflecting, and importantly-taking action.