In the late 1990’s, I learned that I had Cree ancestry from the James Bay area. My great great great grandfather, Richard Stevens of the Hudson's Bay Company in Moose Factory, married Mary, a Cree woman from the James Bay area in 1827. This knowledge has driven me to be a strong ally for reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.
A few years ago, I attended an Institute of Corporate Directors meeting at which JP Gladu, former President and CEO of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, emphatically stated, “Economic Reconciliation occurs when Aboriginal communities are no longer managing poverty but are managing wealth.” This quote resonated with me and has contributed to my deep and personal interest in economic reconciliation. And, my CPA background positioned me to take action.
In 2022, I learned about the role of the CPA Manitoba Foundation in supporting Indigenous students pursuing the CPA designation. I applied for, and was voted in, as a Board member. As a member of the Fund Development Committee, I can contribute to economic reconciliation.
There is a great need for CPAs in Manitoba, and better representation of Indigenous CPAs in the field would contribute to economic reconciliation.
The CPA Manitoba Foundation plays a pivotal role in reducing barriers for students and supporting reconciliation through financial assistance, helping to provide access to education in Manitoba, wrap-around supports, and supporting the Indigenous Learners in Accounting Program, among others. That’s why I took another step – and have established an Endowment Fund in 2023 with the CPA Manitoba Foundation to provide financial support to Indigenous students in the CPA program who are experiencing financial challenges. This is a concrete action towards reconciliation.
Last year, I received the book, True Reconciliation, by Jody Wilson-Raybould, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. She talks about “true reconciliation” – that it’s about taking certain types of actions, an action which “challenges, elevates, and advances”.
Wilson-Raybould writes, “True reconciliation action is not comfortable or easy. For oneself, it requires some measure of discomfort, sacrifice, or change.”
She goes on to say, “At the same time, it challenges others to consider their own knowledge, understandings, or actions, and to consider taking their own steps in the work of true reconciliation.”
Please consider a donation to the CPA Manitoba Foundation to help support Indigenous youth aspiring to achieve the CPA designation.
Here’s your call to action: What steps will you take?
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