Care Through Culture — Indigenous Cultural Leave

Under the Public Service Agreement executed in 2022, British Columbia government employees that self-identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit became entitled to Indigenous Cultural Leave. This provides Indigenous* employees with leave of up to two days per calendar year to observe or participate in traditional Indigenous activities that connect them to their culture and language.

Eligible activities include visiting territories or lands, meeting with Elders and community members, connecting with family and language, attending Indigenous cultural ceremonies, and attending community-based events.

Indigenous Cultural Leave helps to build a strong foundation for lasting and meaningful Reconciliation. It supports Article 12 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which provides that “Indigenous peoples have the right to manifest, practice, develop and teach their spiritual and religious traditions, customs and ceremonies.” It also reflects the aims of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) and serves to uphold Theme 4 — Social, Cultural and Economic Well-Being in the 2022–2017 DRIPA Action Plan.

In addition to furthering the objectives noted above, Indigenous Cultural Leave supports Indigenous lawyers (and all B.C. public servants) in caring for themselves, their families, and their communities. For example, some Indigenous lawyers and legal professionals may leave their communities — where their culture is more readily accessible — to pursue educational and career opportunities. Indigenous Cultural Leave provides Indigenous lawyers and legal professionals with opportunities to connect to their culture, also recognizing that their traditional holidays may not coincide with provincial statutory holidays.

Lawyers and support staff within the Legal Services Branch of the BC Ministry of Attorney General have formed an Indigenous Employees Collective (IEC). The IEC meets bi-weekly and serves as an informal means for Indigenous lawyers and support staff to connect and support each other in the work they do. The IEC also organizes social and networking events for its members. In June 2024, some IEC members used an Indigenous Cultural Day to attend a cultural day at the Tsow-Tun Le Lum Society, a trauma and addiction treatment centre in Duncan, British Columbia. The group was given a tour of the new facility and participated in a knowledge and cultural sharing ceremony with counsellors who are also Indigenous Elders.

Indigenous lawyers and support staff within the Legal Services Branch have also used Indigenous Cultural Days to connect to the land, hunt within their traditional territory, attend Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations, and connect with family.

Indigenous Cultural Leave supports Indigenous lawyers and legal professionals in the British Columbia public service in prioritizing their well-being, nurturing their connections with their communities, and meaningfully engaging with their culture. Providing time for Indigenous lawyers and legal professionals to care for themselves culturally strengthens the ties that can help ground them in their identity and traditions while also promoting Reconciliation in the legal profession.

* In this article, “Indigenous” collectively refers to First Nation, Métis and Inuit peoples.