Step 1: Preparation

Form a small, relational team grounded in trust and humility.  Utilize IHEI’s Decolonizing Academy resources (e.g., Interactive Definitions Tool; Community of Care, Storytelling, etc.) or other Indigenous-led training to build foundational knowledge.  Integrate 2-3 sessions that ground in relationship and trust building and practicing humility.  Review and understand the definitions section of this tool before moving onto the assessments on the next page. DO NOT move onto the assessments until your group has worked through and have a good understanding of the definitions.

Step 2: Assessments

Do no begin assessments until you have completed Definitions learning module (See previous page.) Use the Healing Continuum when assessing your institution, program, and/or department. This assessment is meant to address organizational culture and infrastructure and the extent to which your organizational policies/practices is evidence of your commitment. Use the Policy /Project Assessment when assessing a singular project.  This is meant to accompany the Healing Continuum, offering specific moment-in-time considerations for a project.

Step 3: Reflection and Dialogue

Use the guiding questions to discuss positionality, power, and accountability.  Encourage honest conversations that lean into discomfort and the challenges of decolonization work. 

Step 4: Action and Advocacy

Use the guiding questions to begin to form immediate actions (policy reform, hiring, funding, and culture and learning) and longer-term goals for systems change. Share results with community partners, and use your assessment data as the foundation for action and accountability plans.

Step 5: Follow-Up

Schedule regular reassessments to track progress and re-ground in Indigenous community priorities. Transformation is cyclical, not linear—ongoing relationship, humility, and reciprocity are the measures of success.