In July 2022, Pope Francis visited Canada to apologize for the treatment of Indigenous peoples and residential schools. This week’s guest, Tim Fox, a proud member of the Blackfoot confederacy from the Blood (Kainai) reserve, was invited to participate in the event. And while he had mixed feelings about attending, it was his 11-year-old daughter who truly surprised him and gave him hope that tomorrow truly can be better than today.
Tim is vice president of Indigenous Relations & Equity Strategy at Calgary Foundation and he’s the child of two residential school survivors. He knows first hand the impact that the extraction of Indigenous people from their land, resources, and community. And he’s dedicated his work to educate people and organizations about how we can all take action and do better.
This big message? We need to remember and learn from our history, and Indigenous history goes well beyond residential schools and modern limiting beliefs. It’s much deeper than that and it’s important for others to understand that.
Tim’s entire message is so filled with hope and he has such a generous heart despite his community having the potential for so much anger and resentment. Instead, you’ll hear Tim’s compassion and call for education and action ring loudly.
About Tim Fox:
Tim Fox is a proud member of the Blackfoot confederacy from the Blood (Kainai) reserve located two hours south of Calgary. He has lived and worked in Calgary for the past 15 years although still considers the Blood reserve his home. Tim is the vice president of Indigenous Relations & Equity Strategy with Calgary Foundation where he hopes to strengthen and enhance the culture and practice while incorporating work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Racial Equity, both internally and in the broader community.
Tim comes from the not-for-profit children and youth sector and serves as a board chair for The Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal People’s in Canada.
Tim consults in strategic planning through an Indigenous approach, legacy education, and transformational learning/unlearning design and delivery.
Indigenous culture is rooted in oral tradition. He can’t help but notice the parallels in this paradigm to the work of Calgary Foundation through stories of impact, giving nature and work of the heart. Tim holds strong to his Siksikaitsitapi (Blackfoot Confederacy) value of Kimmapiiypitsinni: kindness and compassion to all things. He believes this work is generational. And there are ways this journey (work) can continue to thrive for generations to come.
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