About Us

A Few of Our Awards

ICT was the recipient of the 2021 Indigenous Business of the Year Award (3-10 employee category) from the British Columbia Achievement Foundation.

ICT was nominated for the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce 2017 Business of the Year Award (1-10 employee category).

We believe that by sharing knowledge and information through our training courses, blog, and other free resources we can make the world a better place for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike.

The Indigenous Corporate Training Team

A big hello from our team who want you to know they are committed to the mission of Working Effectively with Indigenous Peoples® training for everybody!

Trainers/Speakers

The Creation of the Indigenous Relations Academy

Indigenous Relations Academy was adopted in the years following an increased demand for our training. Operating under Indigenous Corporate Training Inc., we follow the leadership of our founder Bob Joseph, Chief name K’axwsumala’galis, to teach you how, and more importantly, what it means to be Working Effectively with Indigenous Peoples®.

Our training is solely developed by our management team, who bring together 25+ years of cultural awareness and Indigenous training.

In the thick of the success of Indigenous Corporate Training Inc., the idea for the Indigenous Relations Academy was born, thereby educating and training a broader group of people all while remaining widely accessible.

"Our Indigenous Relations Academy is a location where interested learners – governments, corporations and individuals – can find more information about the courses we offer on a variety of topics, for all types of learners."

We are a cultural foundation that lays the groundwork for change, designed to exceed your expectations. Our Academy even offers two courses for you to embark into further learning, for those who want a "taste" of what we offer.

"What we teach people about Canadian Indigenous Peoples can be applied to those all around the world - only the histories will be different."

Our mission is to provide accessible learning resources that meet the needs of learners from all backgrounds in order to nurture a respectful relationship with Indigenous Peoples.

"We want an army of allies, who will then go and talk to their friends, family, churches and representatives."

You may be asking yourself, "why choose Indigenous Relations Academy?" and to that we say, because we aren’t your run-of-the-mill business with standardized training. Think less about "one size fits all," and more of "the right size for YOU."

We are a small, hardworking team that is solely dedicated to constantly improving our material to meet the needs of each learner. Our goal is to strive for your personal success by helping you navigate through what some would consider an "intimidating process."

"But where do I start?" As genuine people (not bots), we help our learners determine what is best for them, NOT deliver information through complicated jargon. The IRAcademy can provide you with the information that helps you along your journey towards reconciliation, as well as provide the opportunity for questions and the chance to hear other perspectives at our sessions.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission: Call to Action #92

Our training exceeds the recommendations of intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights, and anti-racism outlined in the TRC CTA #92. As well we address reconciliation throughout all of our training courses.

Within the next 5 years, our team has a shared goal to grow our course catalogue, make changes to our training based on your feedback and work together to create more respectful communities. As Bob says it best, "changing the world and meeting the goal of reconciliation."

"We are changing the world because we are passionate about what we do."

Our Academy can be summarized into the following whimsical mantra: learn, apply and change.

Learn by acquiring the knowledge, skills, and attitude required to be effective.

Apply this newfound knowledge into your professional and personal life by leading conversations.

Change your own environment, as well as your community by driving the movement towards reconciliation for Indigenous Peoples.

Our passion is the fuel that drives us forward, which is evident in the work we do with Indigenous Relations Academy. If you want to know about our specific roles within the Academy, check out our bios above!