Indigenous communities are building a more prosperous future

The stories featured in RBC's 2024 edition of 'A Chosen Journey' celebrate the determination of First Nations, Inuit and Métis community partners across Canada

TORONTO, June 20, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, RBC Origins released the 14^th edition of A Chosen Journey: RBC Indigenous Partnership Report. This year's report features stories that embody the spirit of the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) – the hard work, competition, determination and commitment to trying hard and showing up every day. Each featured story demonstrates how our community partners are standing up for what they believe in and moving past challenges to build a more prosperous future.

A Chosen Journey (CNW Group/RBC Royal Bank)

Launched in 2008, A Chosen Journey highlights RBC's commitment to the reconciliation journey – first put into action in 2007 through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Assembly of First Nations, pledging to collaborate with Indigenous community members, organizations and businesses across three priorities: economies, people, and communities. Each year, A Chosen Journey marks our progress and holds RBC accountable to its pledge.

"As each year passes, we deepen our understanding of reconciliation activities and environmental stewardship practices. We are proud of our collaborations with the Indigenous communities, organizations, individuals and businesses profiled in A Chosen Journey. We continue this journey guided by a deep respect for the unique social, cultural, historic and innovative contributions of Indigenous communities," said Chinyere Eni, head of RBC Origins.

This year's report is a celebration of Indigenous promise, excellence and talent as well as the impact organizations, communities and community members are making and the power of teamwork. From the forests to the velodrome to the Arctic Circle and everywhere in between, our community partners are finding new ways of winning and protecting traditional ways of being. Some examples of the initiatives include:

• Ilitaqsiniq is a Nunavut-based non-profit that has a vision to support capable, confident, self-sufficient Nunavummiut (residents of Nunavut) connected to the heartbeat of Inuit culture. The holistic programming embodies a spirit of "Inu-vation" — the creativity and wisdom of the Nunavut Inuit – and combines building essential skills with Inuit traditional knowledge. Programming centers on Inuit empowerment, engaged child caregiving, land-based learning, food and harvesting, sewing and cultural industry, and work readiness.
• Community Forests International and Ulnooweg Education Centre (an Indigenous-led charitable organization) took a "two-eyed seeing" approach – combining "Western" science and the long-term multigenerational observational science of the Mi'kmaq people – to find a solution to managing an invasive species that was threatening old growth hemlock trees on the shores of Nova Scotia.
• kihcihkaw askî, which means "This place here is Sacred" in Cree, is one of the first permanent designated urban Indigenous ceremonial grounds in Canada, serving 80,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit people in the Edmonton area. The grounds are owned by the City of Edmonton and operated by the Indigenous Knowledge & Wisdom Centre under a five-year agreement.

"For decades, RBC has partnered with First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples and communities to create positive social change and drive economic growth. Our recently launched Truth and Reconciliation Office marks a shift to collaborating with Indigenous communities in ways that are more holistic, while being accountable and transparent about the outcomes of our actions and commitments. That includes building a Reconciliation Action Plan that will apply the principles, norms and standards of a reconciliation framework to RBC's corporate policy and core operational activities involving Indigenous peoples and their lands and resources," Eni said.

For a full version of the report, please visit rbc.com/achosenjourney. Initially available in English and French, the report will also be published in Inuktitut and Mi'kmaq in the coming weeks.

In addition to this report, our 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Progress Report and our 2023 Public Accountability Statement also describe how RBC is supporting Indigenous communities.

About RBC
Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 98,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada's biggest bank and one of the largest in the world, based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our more than 18 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 27 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com.

We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at rbc.com/community-social-impact.

SOURCE RBC Royal Bank

Media Contact: Sharon Wilks, [email protected], Director, Communications, RBC, 647-388-1202