Reconciliation

Learn more about our commitment to advancing reconciliation and building partnerships with Indigenous peoples, communities, and organizations in Canada.

• Our vision
• Approach to reconciliation
  • Formalizing terms of reference
  • Incorporating Indigenous knowledge
  • Reducing financial and capacity barriers
  • Updating regulatory documents
  • Increasing cultural competency
• Related links

Our vision

Our vision is to build trust and advance reconciliation by being a culturally sensitive and respectful organization that actively listens to and learns from Indigenous Nations and communities.

Approach to reconciliation

Our approach to reconciliation focuses on establishing strong relationships through consistent and meaningful engagement and consultation, and it aims to improve opportunities for Indigenous participation in decision making throughout the lifecycle of nuclear facilities and projects.

We are committed to listening actively, establishing regular dialogue, and understanding the perspectives and values put forth from our Indigenous partners. This includes identifying and addressing concerns about the potential impacts of CNSC-regulated facilities and activities on the rights of Indigenous peoples. Feedback from Indigenous Nations and communities, along with priorities identified by them, guide how we identify key areas of focus for implementing action and change.
Our reconciliation approach is guided by:

• the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
• the Calls To Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
• the principles respecting the Government of Canada’s relationship with Indigenous peoples

We collaborate with other federal departments and agencies to inform the implementation of the Government of Canada’s United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDA) and related government Action Plan. We also work actively with Indigenous partners, and relevant federal departments and agencies, to support the implementation of measures in the UNDA Action Plan that intersect with our mandate.
The following initiatives are some of our key reconciliation areas.

Formalizing terms of reference

We are formalizing our approach to long-term engagement with Indigenous Nations and communities through terms of reference arrangements. These arrangements set out a clear path forward for relationship building, ongoing communication and collaboration between the CNSC and interested Indigenous Nations and communities.

Incorporating Indigenous knowledge

Our Indigenous Knowledge Policy Framework outlines our approach to working with, considering and reflecting Indigenous knowledge alongside regulatory information and western science in our assessments and regulatory processes. As a component of our approach to reconciliation, we are taking measures to better reflect Indigenous perspectives in our regulatory and scientific activities.

Reducing financial and capacity barriers

We have expanded funding opportunities for Indigenous peoples, in order to:

• address capacity issues faced by many Indigenous Nations and communities
•  create more opportunities to build relationships and develop partnerships with respect to CNSC regulatory processes, activities and initiatives.

This includes the launch of the Indigenous and Stakeholder Capacity Fund to help Indigenous Nations and communities gain the capacity to engage in our regulatory processes – prior to and throughout the lifecycle of nuclear facilities and activities in Canada in a variety of ways.

Updating regulatory documents

We’re encouraging and ensuring clear, consistent and meaningful Indigenous engagement programs, across the nuclear industry, based on active listening, partnership building and collaborative problem solving. REGDOC-3.2.2, Indigenous Engagement, originally approved by the Commission and published in 2016, sets out requirements and guidance for our licensees on working directly with Indigenous Nations, communities and knowledge holders. This regulatory document also provides procedural direction in support of the whole-of-government approach to Indigenous consultation implemented by the CNSC in cooperation with federal departments and agencies. Through early engagement and formal consultation with Indigenous partners, industry and the public, REGDOC-3.2.2 will evolve and be revised to reflect the whole-of-Government approach to reconciliation. 

Increasing cultural competency

As an organization, we endeavour to improve our collective Indigenous cultural competency and understanding of Indigenous culture, history and values. We are working to provide our employees with diverse training opportunities and conflict resolution tools inspired by traditional Indigenous healing circles.

Related links

• Reconciliation (Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada)