Social Work Practice with Canada’s Indigenous People: Teaching a Difficult History

Social work in Canada has been historically influenced by cultural and language tensions; for instance, as a nation that has understood itself to have been ‘founded’ as a colony by the English and French. However, the legacy that contemporary social work education struggles with most is how to articulate a constructive narrative that acknowledges the role that the profession has played in contributing to practices that have damaged Indigenous families and communities. Today, Indigenous social workers are bringing missing perspectives that help to inform critical reflection upon this legacy of colonisation. This article adapts an Indigenous model of Foundational Principles for Practice to consider ways that social workers from different cultural backgrounds may engage in anti-oppressive practice; working as allies to advance healing, and combat racism, which still oppresses Indigenous people in Canada. Further, this is history that has lessons for all of us trying to learn from and value cultural diversity...