Pathways to Kinship: Bridging Indigenous and Settler Communities

DIVERSEcity is proud to present the “Together Against Hate” series of workshops, bringing together diverse community members and partners, including Indigenous partners, to foster authentic and courageous conversations about racism and hate. We want to encourage cultural exchange, build collective resilience and strengthen capacity for creating a more inclusive and united future.

Pathway to Kinship: Bridging Indigenous and Settler Communities

Event Description:
Join us for Pathway to Kinship, a transformative workshop aimed at fostering understanding, allyship, and reconciliation between Indigenous and settler communities.

Facilitated by Indigenous and immigrant leaders, this interactive session offers a deep dive into Canada’s colonial history and its enduring impacts, alongside a celebration of Indigenous culture, resilience, and resurgence. Participants will explore essential topics such as the Indian Act, residential schools, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

This workshop also emphasizes engaging with key terminology, providing the language needed to unpack critical concepts such as:

• Colonization
• Othering
• White Supremacy
• Oppression and Power
• Myth of the Model Minority
• Systemic Racism
• Intersectionality

Through guided discussions, group activities, and personal reflection, participants will gain:

• Interactive group activities that bring concepts to life.
• Thoughtful discussions to build shared understanding and empathy.
• Tools and strategies for fostering dialogue and building bridges between communities

This workshop is more than an educational experience; it’s an invitation to walk the path toward kinship with open hearts and minds.

Preparation:
Participants are encouraged to review the Newcomers Guide (provided upon registration) before attending. This guide offers foundational context that will enrich your experience during the workshop.

For more information on the Together Against Hate project, please visit: https://www.dcrs.ca/together-against-hate-a-diversecity-project/

With facilitators

Kim Haxton

Kim Haxton (Potowatomi) is from the Wasauksing First Nation in Ontario and has over 30 years of experience in land-based education, leadership, and cross-cultural interpretation. A co-founder of Indigeneyez, Kim has developed and facilitated programs across Turtle Island and in more than eight countries, always centering local leadership and community transformation.

Her work emphasizes applied decolonization and lateral liberation, drawing on Indigenous knowledge, ceremony, and plant medicine to guide authentic restoration. Kim is a thought leader in decolonization as it applies to language, art, economics, and gender. She encourages “lateral liberation” by helping participants question constructed truths, rupturing what we “know.”

Through her workshops, Kim fosters genuine respect, harmony, inclusion, and equity, offering a path to restoration and deeper connection with the natural world.

Elfred Matining

Elfred Matining is a queer, Filipino arts and community organizer. With over 10 years of leadership experience, he leads the community in finding new ways of thinking, learning, and experiencing our world through film and art by connecting people in dialogue and mentorship through the framework of storytelling and pedagogy. Elfred currently works for Warner Bros. Discovery leading film initiatives designed to provide creatives from underrepresented communities access to funding, mentorship, and TV projects.

Elfred graduated with a BFA from the Emily Carr University of Art & Design and a certificate in Business Management from the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Elfred also sits on various advisory boards for community organizations focused in art and community capacity building. He currently resides in Vancouver, BC on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.

Are you experiencing racism and need support?
Reach out to United Way’s Racist Incident Helpline at racistincidenthelpline.ca or call 1-833-457-5463. Speak with a trained professional who can help guide you through the resources and support available in your community.

Register here: Pathways to Kinship: Bridging Indigenous and Settler Communities Tickets, Sat, Feb 15, 2025 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite