ABOUT KINSHIFT
kinSHIFT is an Indigenous-led initiative supporting settlers who are committed to building respectful relationships with Indigenous peoples and places. Based in Syilx-Okanagan territory, they have been delivering impactful programs since 2013, touching the lives of more than 9,000 people through 200+ workshops and 30+ camps. Their experiential, arts-based workshops and programs allow participants to learn, practice, ask questions, and make mistakes in a safer environment, all while building a foundation for engaging meaningfully with Indigenous peoples.
KINSHIFT & YOUNG AGRARIANS
Thanks to generous funding from the Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia, Young Agrarians has teamed up with kinSHIFT to offer subsidized reconciliation training for farmers in BC. For every farmer who signs up, funds will go towards empowering Indigenous youth via IndigenEYEZ.
Over the years we’ve heard that farmers want more tools and knowledge around connecting with their local First Nations. In a time of climate change, social injustice, and economic chaos, we need to work together. There are incredible examples of initiatives that are healing our ecosystems and communities, such as Tea Creek, an Indigenous-led, culturally-safe, land-based Indigenous food sovereignty and trades training initiative in Northwest BC. Our dream is to see more relationship building and collaboration among settlers and Indigenous folk to enhance the wellbeing of human and non-human beings in communities across the province.
We have learned over the past decade that regional networks go a long way in supporting farmers. The goal of offering this training to the YA community is to increase the capacity of farmers to work alongside Indigenous peoples in the places we live and farm. The hope is that in the next three years, land-based collaborations will emerge that are inclusive of Indigenous and settler farmers, that support our collective abilities to navigate the challenges of today.
Farmers don’t always see themselves as leaders, but they are in a unique position growing food and managing land. Many of the farmers we work with care deeply about their work and its impacts on the environment and community. Our hope for this partnership with kinSHIFT is that more farmers will work alongside local Indigenous folks toward more land and food-based collaboration: an important step towards relationship-building and Truth & Reconciliation.
If you have a collaboration in mind – please be in touch: community@youngagarians.org.
Want to sign up for Reconciliation training?
Learn more about upcoming reconciliation workshops with kinSHIFT here.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
We are grateful to the Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia for funding this initiative.