INDIGENOUS

ALLY
TOOLKIT
 “SO YOU WANT TO
BE AN ALLY.”
- L a m o n t, A. Gu i d e to All ys hi p.

When it comes to creating a A L LY

positive & sustainable impact on Being an ally is about disrupting
the lives of Indigenous Peoples oppressive spaces by educating
living in Montreal, it is important to others on the realities and
understand the role that an histories of marginalized people. 1
individual occupies and plays within
the collective experience.
ACCOMPLICE
The term ally has been around for An accomplice works within a
some time, and recently many system and “directly challenges
critics 3, 15 say that it has lost its institutionalized/systemic racism,
original meaning. Instead of being colonization, and white
used to identify one’s role within a supremacy by blocking or
collective struggle, it has come to impeding racist people, policies,
symbolize a token identity – a kind and structures”. 1
of “badge” that people wear to
show they are one of the “good CO-RESISTOR
guys”. Being a co-resistor is about
standing together, as an
There are multiple terms to define ensemble, in resistance against
the role that people can actively oppressive forces and requires
play within anti-oppressive work.
constant learning. It is
Neither role is better than the other
and, regardless of which you play, combining theory and practice
each plays an important part in by establishing relationships and
this kind of work. Many want to be being deeply involved within a
an ally, which is why this pamphlet community that informs how
focuses on that term. However, one listens critically, understands
being an ally is not a self-appointed an issue and influences the way
identity and requires you to show they go about disrupting
your understanding through oppressive institutions and
actions, relations, and recognition systemic systems. 2
by the community.
STEP #1:
BE CRITICAL OF ANY
M O T I V AT I O N S

When getting involved in this kind

of work, one should ask themselves:

Does my interest derive from

HOW
the fact that the issue is
currently “buzzing”?
Does my interest stem from

CAN
the fact that the issue will meet
quotas or increase chances of
any funding?

I BE
Does my involvement hijack
the message and insert my own
opinions or values instead of
respecting those of the

A GOOD
Indigenous communities?
Am I doing this to feed my ego?

ALLY?
These movements and struggles
do not exist to further one’s own
self-interest, nor are they there
as “extra-curricular” activities. 3

T O B E A N A L LY I S T O :

Actively support REMEMBER:

the struggle.

Being involved in any kind

of anti-oppression work is
Speak up, even when about recognizing that
you feel scared. every person has a basic
right to human dignity,
respect, and equal access
to resources.
Transfer the
At the end of the day,
benefits of your being an ally goes beyond
privilege to those checking actions off a list
who have less. and it is not a competition.
Being an ally is about a way
of being and doing.
This means self-reflection,
Acknowledge that “checking in” with one’s
the conversation is motivations and debriefing
not about you.4 with community members is
a continual process; it is a
way of life.
STEP #2:
S TA R T L E A R N I N G

Here are lists of terms that will help

you get started on educating yourself
on the history of Indigenous Peoples
on Turtle Island.
Educating yourself is an ongoing
process. Change will not be easy and
REMEMBER:
you will never truly be an expert on
Indigenous challenges and realities,
Indigenous people
but you can work in allyship.
are grandparents,
As you educate yourself, apply your parents, children, &
learnings in a meaningful way by siblings. They are
asking yourself: doctors, teachers,
social workers,
entrepreneurs, &
How can I use this new
artists – they are
information in my everyday life?
human beings.
What steps can I personally take Indigenous people
to amplify marginalized voices that are present and
are too often silenced? thriving in a country
What do I have and how can that that expected them
be leveraged? to die off and that
continues to enforce
How can I use my position & structures of
privileges to listen, shift power oppression today –
dynamics and take steps towards we are resilient.
reconcili-Action?

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
ARE THE EXPERTS OF
THEIR OWN REALITIES &
HISTORIES.
1
Opportunities for White People in the Fight
for Racial Justice. (2016).
2
As we have always done: Indigenous
freedom through radical resistance. (2017)
3
Accomplices Not Allies: Abolishing The Ally
Industrial Complex. (2014).
4
Guide to Allyship. (2016). TERMS THAT ARE NOT OKAY
5
Algonquin Territory: Indigenous title to land
in the Ottawa Valley is an issue that is yet to FOR YOU TO SAY:
be resolved. (2018).
6
Turtle Island: The Original Name for North
America. (2007). • Indian • Red skins
7
Indigenous Writes: A Guide to First Nations,
Métis, and Inuit Issues in Canada. (2016). • Savage • Eskimo
8
How We Find Ourselves: Identity • Half-breed • Squaw
Development and Two Spirit People. (1996).
9
Inuit get federal apology for forced
relocation. (2010).
 NDN
Please be aware that these This term started off as online
definitions are to give you a slang and is about First
general idea. This is especially true Nations reclaiming the word
when it comes to terminology “Indian”. Only Indigenous
relating to identity. Identities are Peoples can use this term.7
complicated, are always evolving,
and don’t exist in boxes. When in KANIEN’KEHÁ:KA
This is what the Mohawk call
doubt: never assume, ask!
themselves and roughly translates
to “people of the flint”. They are
also one of the original nations
that called the island of Montreal
F I R S T N AT I O N their territory (Tiohtià:ke).
First Nations are the
descendants of the original TIOHTIÀ:KE & MOONIYAANG
inhabitants of Canada. Various The Kanien’kehá:ka call
nations, beliefs, & languages Montreal Tiohtià:ke, which
TERMINOLOGY
exist within this group. There roughly translates to “where
are 10 First Nations in Quebec. the boats/rivers meet”.
The Anishinaabeg word is
M(m)ÉTIS Mooniyaang; roughly translating
The Métis are a post-contact to “the first stopping place”.
Indigenous People. Métis refers
to people with roots in the Red TWO-SPIRIT
River community or other Two-Spirit is an umbrella term
historic Métis communities. that includes gay, lesbian,
While métis refers to people bisexual, and trans/gender
with mixed Indigenous ancestry. non-conforming identities and
is what the “2S” stands for in
INUIT & INUK LGBTQ2S. The term was
Inuit is the term for Indigenous intertribally adopted in
peoples from Arctic North Winnipeg during a gathering in
regions of Canada, Greenland the early 1990’s. Traditionally,
and Alaska. Inuit is the plural people who were Two-Spirit
form, while Inuk is the were thought as being “born in
singular form. balance” and held specific roles
within their communities. The
ANISHINAABEG term is an act of resistance
This is what the Algonquin people against settler colonial forms of
refer to themselves as. Their sex/gender, meaning that only
ancestral territories include regions Indigenous people can identify
in Quebec, but subgroups have as being Two-Spirit.8
migrated further West into Ontario,
Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.5 The SETTLER
word roughly translates to “the This term is used to describe
authentic people” or “real people”. people whose ancestors
migrated to Canada and who
still benefit from ongoing
TURTLE ISLAND
colonialism. This could be also
This is the name given to North
applied to “settlers of colour”
America by some Indigenous
but doesn’t apply when
Peoples, such as the Iroquois,
referring to people who are
Anishinaabeg, and other
descendants of slaves,
Northeastern nations.6 The term
considering they did not come
originates from their various
to this continent willingly. Keep
creation stories.
in mind the various
intersections of a person’s
INDIGENOUS & ABORIGINAL identity and how this translates
These are umbrella terms to include into the types of privileges they
First Nations, Métis, and Inuit in are either afforded or withheld.
Canada. Both terms are used
internationally to define the original POW WOW
habitants of colonized countries, A traditional First Nations’
with Indigenous being the most gathering and celebration of
favoured term. However, it is always dance, song, socializing and
respectful to be specific about the honoring of a rich heritage.
Nation you are referring to; use the Not to be used to describe a
term that they use to self-identify. meeting or group of people.
THINGS NOT TO SAY
“CANADA’S INDIGENOUS PEOPLES” “THE INDIGENOUS CULTURE”
or “OUR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES” This is too broad considering
that hundreds of Indigenous
The Indigenous Peoples on
communities, nations,
Turtle Island are not owned by
languages and cultures exist
Canada or by any individual,
within Canada. Instead of
which is the way the language
singular, try using plural forms
makes it out to sound. Try to
instead. Even better, try being
say “the Indigenous Peoples of
specific about the nation to
what we now call Canada”
avoid pan-Indigenizing. I.e.
instead.
“My Kanien’kehá:ka friends
from Kahnawà:ke” or “the
many Indigenous cultures.”

“YOU’RE INDIGENOUS? YOU MUST

BE AN ALCOHOLIC” “WHY DON’T YOU JUST
This is incorrect, perpetuates GET OVER IT?”
false stereotypes, and is a
Inuit were still being forcefully
generalizing and discriminatory
relocated well-into the 1950’s
view to have. Even if you are
and First Nations were not
referencing a joke you heard,
allowed to vote in federal
just avoid saying this
elections until 1960.9,10 The
altogether.
last residential school was
closed in 1996.11 Today,
Indigenous children make up
over half of all children in
child care.12 These recent acts
“CAN YOU AND YOUR PEOPLE of colonization did not
happen hundreds of years
FORGIVE MY PEOPLE ago and Indigenous people
FOR WHAT WE DID?” are still healing and dealing
with oppressive structures.
Guilt should not be the main One does not recover from
reason for why you want to traumatic events overnight,
be a part of ally work. On top much less systemic
of that, no one Indigenous oppression that took place
person can forgive an entire over hundreds of years and
population, nor are they the that continues to this day.
spokesperson for the entire
Indigenous population. As
you educate yourself, you
may grapple with these
feelings of guilt and that is “YOU PEOPLE WERE CONQUERED”
completely normal but what
are more important are the Surviving genocide is a
steps and actions that you revolutionary act and by saying
take afterwards – not being this you are both condoning
forgiven. and celebrating genocide.
STEP #3:
A C T A C C O R D I N G LY

Educating one’s self is only

ACKNOWLEDGING
the fact that you are a
half of the work when guest on this land
being an ally. It is a lifelong
process that is rooted in
action and requires
humility and ongoing
critical self-reflection. RECOGNIZING
that multiple nations exist
Being an ally is not a
within Turtle Island
badge of honour, it is a
sign of privilege. 13

To do this, it is crucial to
establish a direct line of RESPECTING
communication 3 – this any cultural protocols
could be through a friend and traditions
directly involved or
impacted by the struggles
or through a volunteer
position at a community

THE DO’S
organization.

WORKPLACES &
ORGANIZATIONS CAN
PRACTICE GOOD Listen to the experts
ALLYSHIP BY: Ask what you can do
Build relationships based
Hiring Indigenous people to
on mutual consent & trust
NEXT STEPS

be involved in the creation

and ownership of initiatives Research to learn more
that are made about them about the history
and/or for them. Continue to support & act
Properly remunerating and in meaningful ways
crediting Indigenous people
for their knowledge & time.
This could entail calling
‘Passing the mic’ to others out and holding
Indigenous people at events, them accountable when
in the arts, in music, in film, in they are displaying
theatre, and in making oppressive behaviours
decisions that affect them. because when it comes
Recognizing that down to it, being a good
Indigenous Peoples have ally is about risking your
ownership, control, access, voice to elevate others. 15
and possession of their
information, knowledge,
If you’re interested in
experiences, and stories. 14
supporting local organizations
that aim to meet the needs of
10
Mapping the Legal Consciousness of First the urban Indigenous
Nations Voters: Understanding Voting Rights population in Montreal, email
Mobilization. (2009).
us about available volunteer
11
An Overview of the Indian Residential
School. (2013). placements:
12
Living arrangements of Aboriginal children
aged 14 and under. (2011).
[email protected]
13
“Leaning In” as imperfect Allies in
Community Work. (2013).
14
The First Nations Principles of OCAP®.
(1998).
15
I Need An Accomplice, Not An Ally. (2017).
 1
Content and research by Dakota Swiftwolfe
Layout and design by Leilani Shaw

With contributions from: B. Deer, V. Boldo, E. Fast,

G. Sioui, C. Richardson, K. Raye, S. Puskas,
M. Clark, L. Lainesse, & A. Reid.

[email protected]

March 2019