Pieridae Attends Community Futures Treaty 7 Employment Symposium
A team from Pieridae attended the Community Futures Treaty 7 Employment Symposium last week. Brought into the space with smudging and the scent of sweetgrass, our team along with the other employers were invited into a sharing of Treaty 7 culture. The experience turned out to be more than our team expected, with Elders hosting a Capture Ceremony that was planned in secret – during which Rob St. Denis was welcomed into Treaty 7.
“As Rob said, the experience cannot be fully explained – it was the sharing of the transfer of rights, or the conferring of honour onto Rob through ceremony, singing, dancing and more,” says Karen Spencer, Pieridae Director of ESG.
We greatly appreciate the hard work that goes into breaking down cultural barriers, which can’t be done with language alone. Participating in Treaty 7 practices and learning sessions provided employers with a better understanding of the culture as they take steps to hire Indigenous youth this summer.
“The emphasis was on relationships,” Karen says, “Employers and students came to the symposium in hopes of building those relationships from a mentor, work and buddy perspective – we interviewed at least half a dozen students and are following up closely with many to find a fit with some of our summer job postings.”
