Building Culturally Safe Work Environments: An Indigenous Perspective

Cultural safety isn't a policy, it's a feeling. It's what happens when an Indigenous employee walks into work and knows they don't have to leave part of themselves at the door.

This course is for managers and leaders who want to understand what cultural safety really means, why it matters, and what it takes to genuinely create it, not just on paper, but in the day-to-day relationships and decisions that shape how people experience work.

What Cultural Safety Actually Means

Beyond diversity checkboxes — what cultural safety looks and feels like
The difference between cultural awareness, cultural sensitivity, and cultural safety
Why Indigenous employees are telling us workplaces still aren't safe — and what that costs everyone

Understanding the Context We're Working In

A brief, honest look at the history that shapes today's workplace dynamics
The ongoing impacts of colonization on Indigenous peoples in the workforce
Why good intentions aren't always enough

Examining Our Own Lens

How our own culture shapes the way we lead, communicate, and make decisions
Recognizing bias both conscious and unconscious without shame
Moving from awareness to accountability

What Indigenous Employees Are Actually Telling Us

Listening first centering Indigenous voices and lived experience
Common barriers Indigenous employees face at work
The weight of being the only one in the room

Leading with Cultural Safety

What relational leadership looks like in practice
Creating space for cultural identity, ceremony, and community connection at work
Having brave conversations — and knowing when to listen instead of fix

Building It Into How We Work

Embedding cultural safety into hiring, onboarding, supervision, and retention
Policies that reflect people: cultural leave, smudging, flexible time, Elders-in-Residence
Moving from one-time training to ongoing practice and accountability

Lauren Remple, MA

Lauren is the founder and Principal Consultant of Sequoia Collaboration and Consulting, an organization committed to contributing to a more equitable and inclusive world. She has over 16 years of experience in human resources, Indigenous engagement and equity, diversity and inclusion predominantly within the post-secondary, telecommunications and energy sectors. Lauren is Cree and of mixed- European ancestry and is a proud citizen of Alexander First Nation in Treaty 6 territory.

Lauren uses a values-centric and intersectional approach to program development and project management and is guided by the ethical principles of reciprocity, responsibility, relevance and
respect. Lauren holds a Master of Arts in Global Leadership from Royal Roads University and has lived in treaty 7 in Calgary for her entire life. She and her partner enjoy spending time outdoors with their two children and two golden retrievers.

Read More about Lauren Remple, MA

COURSE INFORMATION