Every Child Matters: A Statement From PortaLaw
In May 2021, Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc announced the preliminary findings of 215 potential burials at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. This announcement brought renewed attention to the devastating harm caused by Canada’s residential school system and its lasting impact on Indigenous families and communities.
Our Responsibility to Learn and Act
Truth and reconciliation are not responsibilities held only by governments or Indigenous communities. They also require individuals, businesses, institutions, and professional organizations to acknowledge this history and consider what meaningful action looks like within their own work.
As non-Indigenous Canadians, we recognize that this requires more than a statement. It requires continued learning, listening, and reflection on how institutions and professional practices may affect Indigenous people.
At PortaLaw, our team has participated in Indigenous history education and supported Indigenous organizations through donations. We also recognize that these steps are limited and that reconciliation requires continued and more meaningful action.
Indigenous Workplace Rights in BC
As an employment and human rights law firm, we have a responsibility to provide legal services in a way that respects the experiences of every client.
Indigenous workplace rights in BC refers to protection from discrimination in hiring, workplace treatment, advancement, discipline, and termination. Employers also have a responsibility to respond when discrimination or harassment occurs in the workplace.
In our legal practice, we continue to learn about trauma-informed lawyering, communicate with care, avoid unnecessary re-traumatization, and consider the barriers that Indigenous and other historically marginalized clients may experience when navigating the legal system.
We do not claim to have completed this work. We remain committed to learning how our practice can become more informed, respectful, and accessible.
Supporting Reconciliation in the Workplace in BC
Reconciliation in the workplace in BC involves more than recognizing Orange Shirt Day or sharing a public statement. It can also mean examining workplace policies, addressing discrimination, improving cultural awareness, and creating space for Indigenous perspectives.
For employers, this may include:
Learning about the history and continuing effects of residential schools
Reviewing workplace policies for barriers or unequal treatment
Responding to racist comments, discrimination, and harassment
Supporting Indigenous-led education and training
Listening to Indigenous employees without expecting them to lead workplace education
What Can You Do Today?
Reconciliation requires ongoing action, not only recognition during moments of public attention.
You can begin by learning from Indigenous-led sources, reading the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, supporting Indigenous-led organizations and businesses, and speaking up when you witness racism, discrimination, or misinformation.
For those who are able, we encourage you to support the Indian Residential School Survivors Society, the Kamloops Aboriginal Friendship Society, or another Indigenous-led organization in your community.
