Moving Toward Reconciliation: Learnings from Working Alongside Indigenous Communities

This session is eligible for credit towards the AIBC’s Indigenous Peoples Learning requirement.

This session will start with the history of Canada and its treatment of Indigenous communities. It will introduce the following key documents and explore the important role and guidance each can offer in the practice of architecture: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC); United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP); and British Columbia Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (DRIPA).

BC is unique in Canada in that there were few historic treaties signed between Canada and the Indigenous communities of these lands. This gap can create uncertainty in land title, the authority of the communities, and application of regulatory rules. This session will also consider what this context means for how we use language, and the need to move away from colonial terms and thinking.

And finally, architectural projects within or for Indigenous communities create amazing opportunities for collaboration, co-design, and capacity building. Through a selection of projects, Scott and Aiden will speak to these opportunities, including: the impact of active engagement with the communities during the design process; the utilization of local resources and materials in the making of the building; and employment and training opportunities for the community members during construction.

Date: Thursday, June 13, 2024
Time: 12 – 2:15 p.m.
Location: Online via Zoom
Cost: $100 (Architect AIBC & Architectural Technologist AIBC); $80 (Intern Architect AIBC & Retired Architect AIBC)
Learning Units (LUs): 2 Core
Registration: Register by Monday, June 10, 2024

Presenters: Scott Kemp Architect AIBC and Aiden Callison Architect AIBC

Scott Kemp has had the honour and privilege of working with Indigenous communities throughout BC for the past 20 years. During that time, the communities have shared their stories and traditions. A way of working has been developed that is a collaboration between all parties that maximizes the benefits to the communities. The communities participate in the design and creation of the buildings.  It is less about the final building but the building of the building that is important.

Aiden Callison is an Indigenous architect and a member of the Hwlitsum First Nation (the people of Canoe Pass). Aiden brings his lived experience to his architectural practice. The impact of colonialism has meant his family experienced generations of removal from their cultural heritage, which drives him to continue to ask what role architecture can play in decolonization and fostering better relationships with First Peoples. As an Associate Principal at hcma Aiden leads a team focused on working alongside Indigenous Communities and on work that advances reconciliation.