Left picture: Harley Eagle, Dakota/Ojibway First Nation and Cultural Safety Consultant (centre) with the group of Department Managers in Training (DMIT), Managers in Training (MIT), Operations Specialist and a Director of Sales Operations at the North West Company Training Centre.
Right picture: The bears who came to work on Gibraltar House for Bear Witness Day.
On May 10, North West Company employees at Gibraltar House joined together to “Bear Witness” in honour of Jordan’s Principle Day, by bringing teddy bears to work on Bear Witness Day. At the Training Centre, Harley Eagle, Dakota/Ojibway First Nation and Cultural Safety Consultant who teaches the Cultural Awareness course, was given a teddy bear as a gift of gratitude by the group of the Department Managers in Training (DMIT) and Managers in Training (MIT).
"As part of the Cultural Awareness and Understanding: Your Role in Nation Building workshop for new hires we explore a case study that focuses on the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society. To take a moment to participate in Bear witness day in recognition of Jordan's Principle was a very special," said Eagle.
Jordan’s Principle is a child-first principle named in memory of Jordan River Anderson, a First Nation child from Norway House, MB. Jordan was born with multiple disabilities and due to disputes between the federal and provincial government about his home-based care payment, he stayed in the hospital until he passed away at the age of 5.
Jordan’s Principle aims to make sure First Nations children can access all public services in a way that is reflective of their distinct cultural needs and takes full account of the historical disadvantage linked to colonization, and without experiencing any service denials, delays or disruptions to their First Nation Status.
It has been 12 years since Jordan’s Principle was unanimously passed in the House of Commons, and three years since the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ordered the federal government to fully implement Jordan’s Principle by May 10, 2016.