COURTESY MASTERCARD FOUNDATION
Indigenous IMPACT
Large entities like The Mastercard Foundation are investing in Indigenous causes. But how can everyday Canadians make a genuine, lasting difference?
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BY JEFF TODD
hen most people think about The Mastercard Foundation, the continent of Africa springs to mind. Headquartered in Toronto, but with a global focus, the foundation has both donated and committed billions to help create large-scale social and economic change for Africa’s youth. But closer to home, The Mastercard Foundation is steadily ramping up its support for another group — Indigenous communities here in Canada. For the last few years, a relatively new initiative, EleV, has already committed tens of millions towards Indigenous youth, institutions and programming. It is a small, yet focused group of partners, all with the goal of creating systemic, lasting change aligned to the vision and aspirations of Indigenous young people. “To achieve systems change, it really requires a deep commitment to learning as well,” Justin Wiebe explains, a Partner at The Mastercard Foundation and a proud Métis citizen. “In all our partnerships, we invest significantly in learning and understanding how things are working. The longer-term vision is how we are communicating those 8
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learnings and insights out more publicly so other institutions and organizations can see this positive impact and pick those things up.” And it appears now more than ever, people are listening. In May of this year, the Canadian public was shocked and saddened when the bodies of 215 children were confirmed on the site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia. The confirmations set off an avalanche of sadness, anger and introspection across Canada, as hundreds of other unmarked graves continue to be found throughout the country. Canada is fresh off its first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in September, with Canadians across the country wearing orange to reflect and remember those that died and continue to be impacted by the legacy of residential schools. Meanwhile, it was recently announced by the Vatican that Pope Francis will visit Canada in December, meet Indigenous leaders and take another step forward towards reconciliation. But immense challenges remain: for the average Canadian, how to genuinely assist Indigenous-led causes, and create
meaningful change, is no easy task. Many Canadians are left wondering: beyond acknowledging the past, what can I do to help? How can I make a meaningful impact? Put simply, where do I start? For The Mastercard Foundation, the focus has been investing in the next generation of Indigenous youth through post-secondary education, training, employment and entrepreneurship. That involves, deep, long-term relationships with Indigenous communities, educational institutions and other allies, Wiebe says. In Ontario, for example, the foundation supports the Seven Generations Education Institute, an Anishinaabecontrolled college that delivers fully credentialed degrees, diplomas and certificates grounded in Anishinaabe culture and language. “Our partnership with Seven Generations is focused on increasing language fluency and support for the next generation of leaders, Wiebe adds, who was hired three years ago with the aim of boosting their Canadian operations for Indigenous communities. “We believe that Indigenous institutes, and our communities broadly, have the foundationmag.ca
