The Path: Your Journey Through Indigenous Canada

Online Training

Ontario Presents is thrilled to offer The Path: Your Journey Through Indigenous Canada, an online training that provides the historical and systemic truths every presenter must understand to challenge Indigenous-specific racism in the arts and culture sector and to create safer and more equitable presenting environments for Indigenous touring artists.

$85 for OP Members 6 Modules, Self-Paced Certificate of Completion

Ontario Presents subsidizes 50% of the $170 cost for presenting members, as part of our commitment to reconciliation, decolonization, and Indigenous resurgence.

 

About The Path

Developed by NVision Insight Group, an Indigenous consulting firm, The Path is a six-module learning journey that delivers a clear overview of history and current realities from First Nations, Inuit, and Métis perspectives. This is information everyone should have learned in school, but never did. The course is not intended to provide an in-depth historical overview of Indigenous peoples in Canada, nor a full overview of Canadian laws, legislation, and policies over time; nor is it about specific cultural teachings or Indigenous knowledge. This course is meant to provide general background knowledge to begin your Truth and Reconciliation journey. 

What’s Included:

  • Six interactive learning modules, additional resources, and workbook
  • 6+ hours, self-paced online journey with a certificate of completion
  • Supports professional development, intercultural competency training 
  • Accessible, bilingual, and inclusive for all volunteer, community-based and municipal presenting arts organizations.

 

Why is this important to OP?

One of the main priorities of OP is our commitment to supporting our members in responsibly and respectfully presenting Indigenous artists and companies throughout Ontario. The OP staff have already completed The Path, and clearly recognized that this learning is essential to advancing reconciliation across the sector.

Why does this matter to our members?

  • Helps build holistic, sustainable relationships between presenters and Indigenous artists.
  • Encourages member presenters to understand Indigenous values in the context of touring and performing in a new way.
  • Inspires presenters to adopt mindful internal and external practices that bring more Indigenous artists to their stages and help develop new audiences for Indigenous performances.

 

The Path Mountain

 

Pricing 

  • Ontario Presents acknowledges our role and continued commitment to reconciliation, decolonization and Indigenous resurgence and therefore have committed financial resources to support 50% of the cost for OP presenting members.
  • We encourage our members organizations to offer The Path to staff in all departments that engage with Indigenous artists throughout the year. The learning experience equally benefits those in front-of-house, technical services, box office, outreach, programming and marketing
    • Original Price: $170 per person
    • Member Price: $85 per person

 

Registration 

  • To register or for more information on The Path contact Jane Marsland jmarsland [at] sympatico.ca (jmarsland[at]sympatico[dot]ca)

 

Module 1: Name Calling

Understand the origins of terms to describe Indigenous Peoples and why precise, respectful language matters. Challenge stereotypes that perpetuate harm and learn the importance of affirming Indigenous diversity.

Lessons:

  • Indians, Inuit, Metis
  • Stereotypes and Misconceptions
Module 2: Land and Stories

Discover how land, history, and oral traditions shape Indigenous laws, cultures and worldviews. Learn the importance and origin of land acknowledgements, Indigenous storytelling, and Inuit cultural resilience across northern regions.

Lessons:

  • Land Acknowledgements
  • Origin Stories
  • Inuit Across the North
Module 3: Canada’s Colonial History

Trace the progression of colonization in what is now Canada — from first contact through early treaties, policies, and systemic actions that embedded inequities and intergenerational trauma. This module provides historical grounding to understand current realities.

Lessons:

  • From the Arrival of Strangers to a Royal Proclamation
  • Denial of Rights from 1763 to the Dominion of Canada
  • Colonization Since Confederation — Numbered Treaties
  • Colonization Since Confederation — Other Defining Moments
Module 4: Contemporary Realities

Connect colonial policies to today’s inequities in health, justice, and social systems. Explore how these systems continue to challenge Indigenous communities and what systemic change demands.

Lessons:

  • We Reap What We Sow
  • The City is Home
Module 5: Relationship Building

Learn how cultural values and traditions shape communication styles and relationships. Understand how cultural and traditional beliefs about land, kinship, language and ways of knowing shape Indigenous perspectives.

Lessons:

  • Worldviews and Cultural Values
  • Increasing Your Engagement IQ
Module 6: Towards Truth and Reconciliation

This module provides actionable strategies to promote mutual respect, understanding and reconciliation through understanding the intricacies of historic and modern treaties, self government, and legal justice.

Lessons:

  • Rights and Resurgence
  • The Path Forward

Connect with Ontario Presents’ ongoing reconciliation work

What happens after The Path? OP believes that work still needs to be accomplished to further contextualize the content within The Path to reflect the unique practices and challenges of the presenting sector. We cannot do this alone. Therefore, OP’s Indigenous consultant Cynthia Lickers-Sage will guide a small cohort of presenters who have completed The Path and together, they will turn their learning into practices that support culturally safe, respectful workplaces for Indigenous artists. The outcome will be a working document grounded in Indigenous Wise Practices, centred on lived experience, values, relationships and reciprocity—not a checklist or one-size-fits-all model. 

Offering The Path is one step in OP’s ongoing work to uphold the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action. To help you and your organization do the same, click on the following links for more information.