Indigenous Relations: Insights, Tips & Suggestions to Make Reconciliation a Reality

Written by Bob Joseph and Cynthia F. Joseph

Narrated by Bob Joseph

A timely sequel to the bestselling 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act—and an invaluable guide for anyone seeking to work more effectively with Indigenous Peoples.

We are all treaty people. But what are the everyday impacts of treaties, and how can we effectively work toward reconciliation if we’re worried our words and actions will unintentionally cause harm?

Hereditary chief and leading Indigenous relations trainer Bob Joseph is your guide to respecting cultural differences and improving your personal relationships and business interactions with Indigenous Peoples. Practical and inclusive, Indigenous Relations interprets the difference between hereditary and elected leadership, and why it matters; explains the intricacies of Aboriginal Rights and Title, and the treaty process; and demonstrates the lasting impact of the Indian Act, including the barriers that Indigenous communities face and the truth behind common myths and stereotypes perpetuated since Confederation.

Indigenous Relations equips you with the necessary knowledge to respectfully avoid missteps in your work and daily life, and offers an eight-part process to help business and government work more effectively with Indigenous Peoples—benefitting workplace culture as well as the bottom line. Indigenous Relations is an invaluable tool for anyone who wants to improve their cultural competency and undo the legacy of the Indian Act.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Two
• Release date: May 9, 2023
• ISBN: 9781774583999

Bob Joseph

Bob Joseph, founder of Indigenous Corporate Training Inc., has provided training on Indigenous and Aboriginal relations since 1994. As a certified Master Trainer, Bob has assisted both individuals and organizations in building Indigenous or Aboriginal relations. His Canadian clients include all levels of government, Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, including the World Bank, small and medium sized corporate enterprises, and Indigenous Peoples. He has worked internationally for clients in the United States, Guatemala, Peru, and New Caledonia in the South Pacific. In 2006, Bob co-facilitated a worldwide Indigenous Peoples' round table in Switzerland which included participants from the United Nations, Australia, New Zealand, North, Central and South America, Africa, and the Philippines. In May 2001, Bob was profiled in an annual feature called, “Training: the New Guard 2001” by the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) in their prestigious Magazine, “T + D”. Bob was one of nine trainers selected for the feature from over 70,000 members who from more than 100 countries and 15,000 organizations. Bob additionally has worked as an associate professor at Royal Roads University. He has an educational background in Business Administration and International Trade. As an author and co-author, Bob has contributed to a number of resources relating to working with Aboriginal or Indigenous Peoples. He also manages a blog called "Working Effectively with Indigenous Peoples©, which is a resource that supports people in their Indigenous relations endeavors. Bob Joseph is an Indigenous person, or more specifically a Status Indian, and is a member of the Gwawaenuk Nation. The Gwawaenuk is one of the many Kwakwaka’wakw tribes located between Comox and Port Hardy on Vancouver Island and the adjacent mainland of British Columbia. He comes from a proud potlatch family and is an initiated member of the Hamatsa Society. As the son of a hereditary chief, he will one day, in accordance with strict cultural laws, become a hereditary chief.