By entering this forum and engaging with its discussions, you're making an implicit commitment: to approach these topics with respect, openness, and a genuine willingness to learn. This isn't a space for debate in the adversarial sense—where the goal is to win arguments—but a space for dialogue, where the goal is mutual understanding.
What Mutual Respect Means Here
Mutual respect begins with recognition. It means recognizing that Indigenous peoples are the original inhabitants of these lands, that their presence predates Canada as a political entity by thousands of years, and that their rights and perspectives deserve serious consideration. It means recognizing that colonialism caused—and continues to cause—real harm, and that acknowledging this harm is not an attack on any individual but an honest assessment of history.
Mutual respect also means recognizing the dignity and good faith of others in the conversation. When someone shares a perspective shaped by experiences you haven't had, respect means listening carefully rather than immediately disagreeing. When you find yourself uncertain or uncomfortable, respect means sitting with that discomfort rather than deflecting it.
At the same time, mutual respect doesn't mean uncritical agreement. Honest dialogue includes the possibility of disagreement, questions, and challenges. What makes dialogue respectful isn't the absence of disagreement but the presence of genuine engagement—taking others' views seriously, offering your own views honestly, and remaining open to changing your mind.
Learning, Not Debating
The primary purpose of this forum is learning. That doesn't mean there's a single correct view that everyone should adopt—it means approaching topics with curiosity rather than certainty, with questions rather than pronouncements, with humility about the limits of your own knowledge.
For non-Indigenous participants especially, this orientation matters. You may encounter information that contradicts what you learned in school or challenges assumptions you didn't know you held. You may feel defensive, guilty, or confused. These reactions are natural, but they shouldn't drive your participation. Instead of defending yourself, ask what you might be missing. Instead of feeling guilty about the past, focus on understanding the present and future.
For Indigenous participants, this forum offers space to share knowledge, perspectives, and experiences with those genuinely seeking to learn. It's not your responsibility to educate anyone—that emotional labor is real and shouldn't be demanded. But if you choose to share, know that you're contributing to meaningful understanding.
Invitation, Not Compulsion
You are invited, not compelled, to explore these topics. You can read without commenting. You can start with introductory material and never go deeper. You can engage intensively or occasionally. There's no test at the end, no requirement to achieve any particular level of understanding.
But the invitation is genuine. These topics matter—they concern how we understand the land we live on, how we relate to our fellow citizens, how we reckon with difficult history, and how we build a more just future. Engaging with them enriches your understanding of Canada and your place in it.
Community Guidelines
The forum has explicit guidelines that participants are expected to follow. These include treating all participants with respect regardless of background; engaging in good faith, assuming others are doing the same; avoiding personal attacks, even when disagreeing strongly; refraining from dismissing Indigenous perspectives or experiences; staying on topic and contributing constructively; and accepting moderation decisions gracefully.
These guidelines create the conditions for productive dialogue. When everyone commits to them, the conversation can go places that adversarial debate cannot.
A Commitment to Growth
By participating here, you're committing to grow—in knowledge, in understanding, in capacity for respectful engagement. This doesn't mean you have to become an expert or change all your views. It means being open to learning, willing to reconsider, and committed to engaging thoughtfully.
Welcome to a space of mutual respect. We look forward to learning together.