National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 11
SUPPLEMENT TO THE FREE PRESS • SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2023
Recognizing the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Special thank you to our Indigenous Advisory Circle Kevin Lamoureux, Tara Letwiniuk, Albert McLeod and Danielle Morrison.
CPA MANITOBA LEADING THE CHARGE ON DIVERSITY
We would also like to thank Elders Barbara Bruce and Charlotte Nolin for their wisdom, guidance, support and inspiration.
AND ACCESSIBILITY IN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION
PHOTO BY BRADY CORPS FEATURING SHANLEY SPENCE AT THE RWB STUDENT LIVING CENTRE
CANADA’S ROYAL WINNIPEG BALLET 380 GRAHAM AVE. | WINNIPEG, MB | R3C 4K2 T 204.956.0183 E CUSTOMERSERVICE@RWB.ORG W RWB.ORG @RWBALLET
as part of the Indigenous Learners Initiative. Business students learn by dealing with real-life scenarios, often through case studies. The textbook teaches business concepts with Indigenous-based learning samples and situations that learners might encounter or be familiar with. Contextualizing business cases with relatable examples makes the material more relevant and effective. “The other thing that we learned is the difference at the core of the values we teach,” says Tucker. “Traditionally, we teach an accounting program that’s very profit-driven. But in Indigenous culture, profit is not necessarily the No. 1 thing. So that’s something that was a mind shift for us, recognizing that accounting is but a tool. It does not have to be profit- focused. Accounting can contribute to the good of a community and improve the well-being of a community through improved information.” Tucker explains that a CPA Manitoba labour market study from the fall of 2022 showed that there will be a shortage of 200 CPAs in the next five years. Finding more Indigenous people to study accounting will not only address the need for the profession generally but will also be beneficial for the hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Indigenous-led economic projects taking shape in the province, including the Southern Chiefs’ Organization Inc. transformation of downtown Winnipeg’s former Hudson’s Bay building, the Naawi-Oodena urban reserve at the former Kapyong Barracks and the many resource-intensive projects in the North. “As we embark on this journey, it was really important that our staff, board and members also have access to training about Indigenous culture and history,” says Tucker. “We spent a whole year just doing that at the beginning because we needed to increase our knowledge first. So it was first truth, then reconciliation. As you progress on the journey, it gets more and more difficult; you just have to do more, commit to learning more, and keep trying to move forward, not shy away when it gets hard.”
By Kristin Marand G
eeta Tucker, FCPA, FCMA, is the president and chief executive officer of Chartered Professional Accountants
(CPA) of Manitoba and executive sponsor of equity, diversity and inclusion for the CPA profession in Canada. Tucker has always been interested in promoting the profession, from volunteering and being involved in the activities of local chapters to speaking to students and sitting on the board of directors. In her current role, she is championing how the profession evolves in the spirit of truth and reconciliation. In May 2022, a research project commissioned by CPA Canada and produced by the Athabasca University Faculty of Business identified 23 barriers Indigenous learners face. These barriers range from financial and technological questions of access to more complicated issues, such as the development of numeracy skills or family dynamics that may impact an individual’s ability to focus on education. The report “Hearing Indigenous Voices — Mitigating the Challenges and Barriers to the Accounting Profession faced by Indigenous People” led to 44 recommendations and the launch of a pilot project called the Indigenous Learners Initiative. Some recommendations, such as providing financial or technological support, are more straightforward to address than others. Certain recommendations are more nuanced and complex, like addressing attitudes and confidence. “One of the key things we’ve done is create an Indigenous-only cohort of learners in the pilot program. The development of the confidence in these students has just been amazing,” explains Tucker. “The instructors and mentors were all Indigenous as well. That was important because the way we communicate and the expressions, language and cultural references we use go a long way towards making students feel comfortable in their learning environment.” The first Indigenous accounting textbook in Canada was developed
Artwork by: Jordan Stranger
We are walking together with community toward the shared goals of Truth and Reconciliation and will continue to be guided by the 94 Calls to Action . Learning about impacts of the past, teaches us how to honour survivors as we build a better world for future generations.
For more information on CPA Manitoba’s commitment to Truth and Reconciliation, visit their website at CPAmb.ca/indigenousunderstanding or scan the QR code.
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