Indigenous-Led Training · IAP2 Training

Indigenous
Awareness Training

Nothing About Us, Without Us

Designed and led by Indigenous professionals, knowledge keepers, Elders, and community members, this course explores colonialism as a shared experience and gives participants the tools to engage respectfully and effectively with Indigenous Peoples and communities.

Course Details at a Glance
Duration
2 half-day sessions
Delivery
Virtual (Zoom)
Level
Foundational, No Prerequisites
Facilitation
Indigenous-Led
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Facilitation
Indigenous-led
Sessions per Year
2+ across Canada
Format
Live, online (Zoom)
Learning Pathway
IAP2 Canada training
Member Discount
Save as a member
About This Course

Understanding colonialism as a shared Canadian experience

Nothing About Us, Without Us is an Indigenous Awareness Training proudly presented by IAP2 Canada. Designed by Indigenous professionals, knowledge keepers, Elders, and community members, this course centres the concept of colonialism as a shared experience and explores how that history shapes the Indigenous world and Canadian society today.

Through both historic and contemporary perspectives, and led by Indigenous voices throughout, this training gives participants the opportunity to strategize and reflect on equity in modern society.

Engaging with Indigenous Peoples and communities without foundational awareness can cause harm, deepen mistrust, and undermine reconciliation. This course gives you the grounding to do better.

What You’ll Learn
  • Build foundational knowledge of the Indian Act, treaties, and the legacy of residential schools
  • Explore diverse Indigenous worldviews, traditions, and values
  • Recognize how colonialism continues to shape Indigenous Peoples and Canadian society today
  • Identify personal and systemic biases that affect engagement
  • Develop strategies for respectful engagement and partnership with Indigenous communities
  • Apply this foundation directly in your own workplace
Why This Course

Four reasons practitioners choose this course

Grounded in Indigenous knowledge and lived experience, designed for immediate application, delivered by Indigenous facilitators.

Indigenous-Led and Vetted

Learn directly from Indigenous professionals, knowledge keepers, and Elders who designed this course to reflect lived experience and Indigenous ways of knowing.

Historic and Contemporary Perspective

Understand colonialism not as a chapter in the past, but as a shared experience that continues to shape Indigenous Peoples and Canadian society today.

A Foundation for Respectful Engagement

Leave with concrete strategies for building trust and respectful partnership with Indigenous communities in your own work.

Invest in Your Professional Development

Build a foundation you can apply immediately at work, and identify opportunities for continued learning in Indigenous engagement.

Learning Outcomes

After this course, you will be able to

Measurable skills and understanding you’ll develop and take back to your work.

1
Recall key historical events, including the Indian Act, treaties, and the legacy of residential schools
2
Recognize the impacts of government assimilation policy on Indigenous Peoples
3
Understand the origins of colonialism and its continued influence on Canadian society today
4
Appreciate the diversity of Indigenous worldviews and identify personal and systemic biases that affect engagement
5
Develop and apply strategies for respectful engagement and partnership with Indigenous communities, bringing this knowledge directly into your workplace and identifying opportunities for continued learning
Who Should Attend

Built for anyone working alongside Indigenous communities

Whether you’re new to this work or deepening an existing practice, this course meets you where you are.

Government Staff & Decision-Makers

Those working at the intersection of Indigenous communities through planning, policy, or service delivery

Engagement & P2 Professionals

Practitioners who want a grounding in Indigenous history and context before designing engagement processes

Consultants & Project Managers

Professionals in natural resources, infrastructure, land use, or community development sectors

General Learners

Anyone who wants to understand Indigenous ways of knowing and colonialism as a shared Canadian experience

“

Nothing About Us, Without Us.

The guiding principle behind this training: Indigenous voices lead every part of this course, from design through delivery.

Upcoming Sessions

Find a date that works for you

Sessions run virtually across Canada, with new dates added throughout the year. Head to our events page to see the current schedule and register.

P2 Learning Pathway

Deepen your practice
with the P2 Learning Pathway

Indigenous Awareness Training complements IAP2 Canada’s structured Learning Pathway, helping practitioners build the cultural grounding needed for ethical, effective engagement at every level, from Fundamentals through CP3 certification.

Keep Learning

Courses that build on this foundation

DEI in P2 & Engagement

Build on this foundation with tools for embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into every stage of your engagement practice.

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Making Meaning in P2 & Engagement

Explore how people process and make sense of engagement processes, and how to design for genuine understanding.

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Working with Conflict & High Emotion

Learn to navigate conflict and strong emotion with confidence, an essential skill when engaging across cultural and historical divides.

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