This National Indigenous Peoples Day and throughout Indigenous History Month, we recognize and celebrate the rich histories, cultures, knowledge systems, and contributions of Inuit, Métis, and First Nations Peoples.
The engineering profession’s journey toward Truth and Reconciliation has been one of learning, reflection, and relationship-building. In recent years, we have seen important shifts across the engineering ecosystem. Research has helped us better understand the experiences of Indigenous engineers and engineering students. New resources, guidance, and training have encouraged engineers and organizations to think more deeply about how they engage with Indigenous Peoples and communities. Along the way, conversations have grown into communities of practice, partnerships have deepened, and new opportunities for Indigenous leadership and community capacity building have emerged.
Today, that journey continues to gain momentum. Across the profession, organizations are taking meaningful steps to turn learning into action. Just a few weeks ago, Engineers and Geoscientists BC approved its first Truth and Reconciliation Strategy, marking a key milestone in its ongoing commitment to reconciliation. At post-secondary institutions, leaders are exploring what it means to decolonize and Indigenize engineering education. Recently, Engineers Canada was invited to join discussions with the heads of civil engineering departments across Canada as part of the Indigenizing Civil Engineering initiative, where participants reflected on how engineering education can evolve to better serve Indigenous Peoples and communities.
These efforts are not isolated initiatives. They are part of a broader story unfolding across engineering—a growing recognition that reconciliation is built through relationships, sustained through listening, and strengthened through collective action.
At Engineers Canada, our own journey continues. Guided by our Indigenous Advisory Committee, we are developing a Truth and Reconciliation Framework and Action Plan that will help shape our work in the years ahead. We know there is more to learn, more relationships to build, and more work to do.
This Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day, we reflect on the path that has brought us here, acknowledge the people and communities who continue to lead, guide and contribute to this work, and look ahead with a shared commitment to advancing Truth and Reconciliation in engineering.
