Indwell’s Commitment to Indigenous Peoples
Indwell is committed to being a part of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, and to act on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. We humbly enter into this space to listen, learn and seek justice with Indigenous peoples. We will do this by working in friendship and partnership with organizations who represent Indigenous people.
Together, we will seek to provide homes and cultural supports for Indigenous people who live in Indwell communities. While Indwell seeks to identify and remove barriers to housing for all people, we are acutely aware that urban Indigenous people in Canada are eight times more likely to experience homelessness than non-Indigenous people. As a Christian charity that develops and operates high-quality supportive affordable housing, Indwell has a special opportunity and responsibility to respond to the urgent need for housing for urban Indigenous people.
Indwell recognizes that Indigenous homelessness is complex and can be traced back to historical trauma, oppression, racism and discrimination. We acknowledge that Indigenous homelessness is not simply a lack of habitation but encompasses worldviews that include individuals, families and communities isolated from their relationships to land, water, place, family, kin, each other, animals, cultural, languages and identities (Aboriginal Standing Committee on Housing and Homelessness, 2012). We will continue to work with organizations that represent Indigenous peoples to provide housing and supports that recognize their history, culture, and sense of home.
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2018/11/UNDRIP_E_web.pdf Homeless Hub, Indigenous Homelessness: https://www.homelesshub.ca/IndigenousHomelessness
Resources
Articles, books, and other resources recommended by Indwell staff
