Reimagining & Decolonizing Charity
At ICA, we see decolonization as a verb. It is an action and a choice that intersects directly with the structures of colonialism—culturally, socially, and physically—that actively harm the health and well-being of Indigenous rights and ways of knowing. In this sense, decolonization is not a predetermined outcome or a rigid way of being, but rather a set of relational, spiritual and intentional actions which allow for humanity, healing and justice to come together and directly support benefits for Indigenous community members as well as Black and other community members who have been structurally marginalized by systems of white supremacy.
Harm in Settler-Colonial Charity Models
Colonization and white supremacy are pervasive in everything, not the least of which is the charitable industrial complex.
In so-called Canada, the relationships between the charitable sector and the enabling of colonial infrastructure to promote settler colonialism is well established. Settler-led charitable structures provide a band aid solution and emotional outlet for settler guilt without fully addressing the root causes of inequities in our territories. In most cases, these charities further uphold colonial frameworks and systems which allow settlers to continue to profit off stolen land and the suffering of Indigenous and BPOC communities.
Examinations of the links between colonialism and charities are increasing and ongoing. Last year The Philanthropist Journal released its article A short History of Voluntary Sector - Government Relations —to address the erasure of Indigenous peoples’ experiences within the growth of the charitable sector across their territories in so-called Canada.
In the age of reconciliation, the funding opportunities for Indigenous peoples have risen, but the question remains if these dollars will land in the hands of Indigenous-led solutions or be co-opted by settler-led “Indigenous-serving” charities? Will Indigenous peoples be allowed the self-determination to steward their own resources or continue to be financially controlled by external colonial structures?
Decolonizing Philanthropy
When it comes to decolonizing philanthropy, ICA has shown up amidst a growing ecosystem of Indigenous organizations that have for far too long been under-represented within the networks of charitable giving. We have been strong in our funding principles as part of our approach, encouraging values that uplift an intersectional understanding of the role funders can play in perpetuating harm or actively working alongside us to choose differently by divesting from fossil fuel revenues and supporting Indigenous and human rights both Nationally and Globally.
Indigenous leaders like Edgar Villanueva in his books Decolonizing Wealth and Money as Medicine provides an apt description of the work involved in decolonize the philanthropic sector:
“I know as an Indigenous person that my healing is contingent on the oppressor also being a part of that healing process. I can heal on my own. But, so far, we can’t heal as a community at large until we are all engaged in [decolonization].”
"I know as an Indigenous person that my healing is contingent on the oppressor also being a part of that healing process. I can heal on my own. But, so far, we can't heal as a community at large until we are all engaged in [decolonization]."
To decolonize your donations means you are taking an intersectional, historical look at how wealth's been generated and how it's now being redistributed to the same communities that built and died for it. In order to address the power of the wealthy few and our own internalized biases, every donor must be conscious of how their money impacts marginalized communities.
Part of that process is being more intentional in how you donate your own wealth. "Money is a proxy for years of colonization and oppression and intentional policy that has disenfranchised people of color and Black folks and Native folks in this country," says Villanueva. "But [money] can absolutely help to alleviate the suffering and the trauma that has been caused, as a result of how it was used before."
Cultural Survival released a series of blogs and webinars (that includes a Toolkit!) addressing the need to Indigenize Philanthropy. They defined Indigenous Philanthropy as the practice of transforming giving and values-based partnerships based on the 4 R’s: Respect, Reciprocity, Responsibility, and Relationships.
Further networks like The Circle are providing offerings that support philanthropic organizations in deepening their understanding of how to show up in allyship by decolonizing their understanding of charity and the relationships involved between people who have accumulated wealth and people who have not. To describe their work: “Indigenous communities have a long history of practices and principles on how to ethically steward resources. In many ways, our work with the philanthropic sector in Canada is relearning a way of knowing that is in alignment with Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and stewarding resources.”
Reflections on The International Day of Charity
As Indigenous peoples, we have always approached the idea of giving as a form of reciprocity and not just taking or receiving as a one-way action. This idea has been shamed through stereotypes and terms like “Indian-Giver” driven by ignorance and a lack of understanding of our deep interconnected relationship with our human and non human kin. Relationships that are reliant on the balance of giving and receiving in equal balance.
“Charity is not a word that we use, in our culture we understand that abundance is meant to be shared. We understand that giving and receiving is not mutually exclusive but a part of a larger interconnected web of reciprocity and collective care that our communities have upheld since time immemorial.”
Because of these deep differences in our worldviews and ways of being, settler-led charitable frameworks have never and will never work for us. As Indigenous peoples, we want to build new philanthropic frameworks that support reciprocity and self-determination within our organizations and communities.
While we know there is still a lot of work to be done, we have been astounded by the swell of contributions that have supported our organization to grow and thrive over the years. We are privileged to work with funders and donors that understand the reciprocity in contributing to Indigenous-led solutions, who understand that investment in our communities is an investment in all or our collective futures.
On this International Day of Charity, we hope you can reflect on the ways in which your experiences with the charitable industrial complex may be continuing to uphold colonial structures and further cause harm to the communities they claim to serve. If you have the means and are interested in joining our circle, please reach out to our development team or consider donating.