Safe Spaces: Addressing Racism on Regulatory Boards and Committees

BCCNM worked with a First Nation consulting company, Qoqoq Consulting, and 8 other health regulatory colleges in BC to conduct research to answer the question: “What is required to address Indigenous-specific racism and ensure cultural safety within regulatory boards and committees?” We recognized that our board's and committees’ work was not always safe for Indigenous members but were not sure how or why. This presentation will share the findings of this project where brave Indigenous board and committee members from health regulatory colleges in BC shared their experiences of unsafety; college staff engaged in learning around how racism and white privilege and supremacy are currently hardwired into regulatory governance structures, policies, practices, norms, and values; and an audit was conducted of the nine colleges' governance polices. The presentation will share the experiences of participants, the learnings, Indigenous teachings that were gifted during the research, examples of racist behaviors or triggering incidents that occurred during the sessions, a summary of the policy audit, as well as the six expectations for action that are articulated in the final deliverable: Playbook to Eliminate Indigenous-Specific Racism & White Supremacy in BC Health College Governance. Sharing these learnings is an important step in addressing unsafe spaces in our board and committee work as regulators and to ensure that Indigenous board and committee members do not continue to experience harm while doing this work.

Speakers:
Joe Gallagher, Owner, Q0qoq Consulting Ltd.

Louise Aerts, Chief Officer, Strategy, Governance & Reconciliation, British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives

Rhianna Millman, Indigenous Consultant, British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives