Towards reconciliation: 10 Calls to Action to natural scientists working in Canada Presentation co-produced by: Mary Jane (Gùdia) Johnson, an Elder from Kluane First Nation, Lawrence Ignace, a policy analyst who is Anishinaabe, Heidi Swanson, a professor at University of Waterloo, Kate Ballegooyen, Resource Manager for Kluane First Nation, and Carmen Wong, ecologist for Kluane National Park and Reserve, Yukon.

Abstract: In 2015, after documenting testimonies from Indigenous survivors of the residential school system in Canada, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released 94 Calls to Action to enable reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians. Without personal connections to Indigenous communities, many Canadians fail to grasp the depth of intergenerational impacts of residential schools and associated systemic racism. Consequently, reconciliation remains an elusive concept. Here we outline 10 Calls to Action to natural scientists to enable reconciliation in their work. We focus on natural scientists because a common connection to the land should tie the social license of natural scientists more closely to Indigenous communities than currently exists. We also focus on natural sciences because of the underrepresentation of Indigenous peoples in this field. We draw on existing guidelines and our experiences in northern Canada. Our 10 Calls to Action are triggered by frustration.