With growing interest in land acknowledgment and understanding of Indigenous history, how can cities meaningfully engage Indigenous communities on park projects, programs, and other initiatives? When cities take steps to acknowledge the history of local native peoples and incorporate their current needs into park design and amenities, they can create spaces that are welcoming to native peoples, create bridges across cultures, and work toward community healing. Join us to learn from two cities’ efforts in this area to help you think about what you can do in your community to engage urban Indigenous people in park initiatives.
Guest speakers from the City of Seattle will be talking about a range of initiatives, including a park redevelopment project that centers on Indigenous people, incorporating Indigenous language on City signage, a canoe carving facility being developed in partnership with an Indigenous group, and an Innovation Challenge that spurred City departments to explore how they might engage these communities.
Guest speakers from the City of Edmonton and the Indigenous Knowledge & Wisdom Centre will be discussing a partnership between these groups to develop kihciy askiy–Sacred Land, Canada’s first urban Indigenous ceremonial ground. They will discuss the development of the project, how they engaged the 50 First Nations communities in the area, and innovative elements like a social procurement program that monitors Indigenous employment on the project.