Indigenous RSW Voluntary Self-Identification

Continue to check back at the BCCSW website, specifically the Indigenous Council tab, where the latest updates of the Council will be posted and shared. You can also read the Council’s reports published in the BCCSW annual reports. If you would like to read more about the importance of disaggregated data from an Indigenous perspective, you can learn more in the following report: Disaggregated demographic data collection in British Columbia: The grandmother perspective

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the voluntary Indigenous identification, please email Indigenousengagement@bccsw.ca

The Indigenous Council will oversee the use of this data. In alignment with OCAP (ownership, control, access, and possession) principles, the BCCSW is committed to ongoing respectful relationships with Indigenous registrants, peoples, and communities. The benefits of ensuring OCAP is upheld includes rebuilding of trust, decreased bias, meaningful capacity development, and community empowerment to make change (Schnarch, 2004). The Indigenous Council will monitor the numbers and trends of voluntarily identified Indigenous registrants, will decide when and how this information will be shared, and provide direction to the BCCSW on action items necessary in relation to this data.

In 2016-17, the BCCSW completed provincial engagement with Indigenous communities across BC; a priority area identified was to increase the number of self-identified Indigenous registrants. Having the option to voluntarily identify is part of the larger work the BCCSW is doing for reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

Indigenous registrants can change this information at any time.