How Eagle Vision Legacy Group uses a blended model based on Indigenous learnings

At the core of their work, Juma and Wallace describe that EVLG seeks to help companies to “build bridges and leave legacies. It’s about not only moving seven generations forward, but it’s also healing seven generations back. It’s not about instant solutions. It’s about leaving a legacy. And in order to leave a legacy you need to look at the past and reflect on it so you can help break the intergenerational trauma. And that doesn’t just happen at an individual level. It happens with organizations too.”

EVLG is seeking to help small-to-medium-sized businesses either start or further their existing DEI work. Wallace explains, “we’d love to come in and provide strategies and tips and sort of help those folks out at an organizational level. Outside of that, we also recognize that DEI is a very self-reflective space and there’s a lot of information out there, and sometimes it’s just really helpful to have a third party come in if there’s further knowledge needed in a certain area so folks can connect the dots. It’s the idea that when you know better, you do better. We will also provide opportunities to either engage in specific team consulting, workshops, or in one-on-one mentorship/coaching sessions. Some areas of focus include heart centered leadership, change management, neurodivergence, team building, intersectionality, and the impacts on the workplace.”

More than ever, we are seeing the importance of creating an inclusive environment where employees feel empowered and encouraged to bring their authentic selves to work. Juma and Wallace share four key principles that business owners can easily work on implementing as a starting place for their company’s DEI journey:

1. “The first principle is creating common ground and connection. Oftentimes in the workplace, it’s good to see the differences, but it’s also good to see where you’re similar and where things are aligning and recognize these things in a holistic manner.”
2. “Building off of the first principle, the second piece, which is critical, is about creating psychological safety in the workplace where people can openly share how they feel, contribute ideas, and there’s a give-and-take of feedback, which allows an employee to feel equally valued. In this type of environment, there’s no fear and there’s no form of punishment or shame.”
3. “The third principle is creating trusting relationships amongst your peers and with your leaders. This means people feel seen, cared about, and that their best interests are being kept at heart.”
4. “Accountability is key. There needs to be alignment with what your organization preaches and actions taken at all levels of the business. For example, if your company has a corporate value of diversity, but their actions show that when employees speak up and their opinions are different than that of the group, they’re punished. That’s problematic because when there’s misalignment, there’s distrust. And when there’s distrust, people don’t feel safe.”

What sets EVLG apart from other DEI companies is that they are bringing together the concept of change management and Indigenous Ways of Knowing as the foundation of their approach to DEI. To accomplish this, Wallace shares that the company uses a blended cultural model that combines “Indigenous Ways of Knowing, psychology, organizational change, and concepts of inclusion.”

That said, Juma and Wallace highlight that “If we dissect DEI, we believe it’s about connection, trust, and change. You need to create common ground to be able to see each other as equals, then there can be psychological safety, which can happen by creating boundaries, grounding or rules for engagement, followed by developing trusting relationships, and accountability before a business takes action on DEI work. Therefore, leadership, development, and change management must be embedded in the foundation before DEI strategies or knowledge can be implemented. We also approach leadership with a heart centered approach.”

Wallace describes “heart centred leadership as conscious leadership, where everyone is a leader and where people are leading not just for personal purposes but for the group. The other important piece in heart centered leadership is modelling the way. This means you need to model the behaviour so people can see it and understand what to do.”

In addition, EVLG incorporates Indigenous Ways of Knowing, which Wallace indicates “is a world view and a spiritual knowing where everyone and everything is included and connected.” In this respect, “we can’t actually remove a piece of ourselves and not bring it to work. Some of us try really hard to have our work persona, especially if you have intergenerational trauma, and a home persona. But that doesn’t necessarily always work out. Instead, Indigenous Ways of Knowing encourages people to bring their whole self to work and share their wisdom so that we can all learn from each other.”

Another key concept that EVLG uses, Wallace adds, “is a sacred circle that we’ve embedded into our teachings, and we’ve also used it as a foundation for our own organization. The sacred circle is a democratic process where all individuals are of equal value and have a turn to contribute in a way that is comfortable to them. In fact, removing part of the circle creates an imbalance. All parts are needed within the circle. Our own company is structured around a flat sacred circle model where the common good of the organization is in the centre and we sit around this common good as equals.”

Companies that engage in deep DEI work may get to a point where they are in a “state of grace” or integration. Wallace defines this as “being in complete alignment. It’s when everyone feels valued, connected, and on an equal playing field.”

However, Juma stresses that “diversity, equity, and inclusion is a journey. There’s never an endpoint because as you evolve, the organization evolves and then as the organization evolves, there are new challenges. But your toolbox has more tools in it. So, the organization or your team is better equipped. And that is what the Indigenous Way of Knowing captures, in that there is no end point. Instead, we are in a circle perpetually, a sacred circle.”

That said, “currently the state of DEI is based on acknowledging differences with some taking actionable steps towards change. The next stage of DEI, at a collective level, will be the integration between and within groups. It is a place where our company has a lot to offer and teach, and where DEI is fully integrated within the workplace culture in every aspect. This place is not reactionary to market pressure, but an authentic representation of diversity. It is when Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are the responsibility of all individuals we feel a sense of belonging. Belonging is the goal,” explains Juma. 

To help you implement authentic DEI strategies for your business that will allow both your company and employees to thrive, Juma and Wallace have provided some additional tips to follow.

• We need to implement a DE&I strategy fast! Infographic (PDF, 1.2 MB) Opens in a new window.
• Plain text version (PDF, 65 KB) Opens in a new window.