In many Canadian workplaces, HR leaders are increasingly invested in Indigenous inclusion. We have introduced land acknowledgements, organized Orange Shirt Day events, initiated Employee Resource Groups, and updated recruitment pipelines. Yet, a subtle but significant gap remains: the tendency to treat “Indigenous” as a monolith. When we design well-being initiatives under a generalized Indigenous umbrella, we often overlook the unique cultural identities, histories, and social structures of the many First Nations and Métis and Inuit in what is now known as Canada.

To speak of Métis well-being, I must first situate myself within my own kinship networks. I am a Métis woman originally from Manitoba, with my Nault, Champagne, Vandal, and Desjarlais ancestors coming from the Red River Settlement. I spent the majority of my life in Alberta, where I continue to work with Métis communities and organizations. Now living in British Columbia, my professional and personal life spans the entire Métis Motherland, with ongoing work and relationships reaching from BC to Ontario.

This movement across the homeland is not just a career path; it is a map of my accountability. When I speak about “relational care,” I am drawing on the lived reality of maintaining deep, reciprocal bonds across borders—a reflection of wahkohtowin, which many Métis employees carry into their work.

The Problem with “Universal” Wellness

Most mainstream workplace well-being models are rooted in Western individualism. They emphasize personal coping strategies, such as mindfulness apps, or transactional benefits like Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). These programs often assume that stress is an individual burden and that “wellness” is achieved in isolation from the collective.

For HR professionals, the path toward true reconciliation and retention lies in a distinctions-based approach. This means moving beyond “one-size-fits-all” models and toward a strategy that honours the specific relational values of different communities. By shifting toward distinctions-based support, HR leaders move from performative reconciliation to authentic relationship-building.

Distinctions-Based Well-Being: A New Framework

For many Indigenous employees, wellness is not an individual pursuit—it is a collective experience. It is deeply tied to family, community, and land. When an HR policy ignores these connections, an employee might feel forced to choose between professional responsibilities and community obligations. This can lead to a specific type of burnout and work-life disconnect that traditional resilience training cannot fix.

This shift in approach acknowledges that, for example, a Métis employee’s connection to community through wahkohtowin may require different supports than an Inuit colleague’s focus on pijitsirniq—the value of serving and providing for family. Intentionality is vital for all Canadian organizations, which are situated on traditional territories, and even more critically for those with significant Indigenous representation within their teams, where the gap between “standard” policy and cultural need is most keenly felt.

A distinctions-based approach recognizes the distinct rights and cultural realities of First Nations, Métis Peoples, and Inuit. In an HR context, this requires us to ask, for example:

• Does our wellness strategy recognize the specific kinship structures of the Métis?
• Does it account for the different legal and historical contexts of First Nations employees, especially those on whose lands we are headquartered?
• Does it integrate Inuit societal values like inuuqatigiitsiarniq—respecting others, nurturing relationships, and caring for people?

Insights from the Métis Context: Leadership as Care

Early data from my recent survey of Métis business owners and people leaders highlights that this sense of responsibility is a defining feature of our professional identity. While analysis is ongoing, several emerging themes are clear:

• Trust Over Transaction: Building long-term, trust-based relationships is significantly more important than achieving the lowest short-term cost.
• The Importance of Reciprocity: Wellness means having the capacity to be a helper within our communities.

According to Rupertsland Institute (2022), Métis leadership is characterized by effective and accountable governance rooted in specific Ways of Knowing, Being, and Doing. This isn’t just a “nice” way to lead. Economic reconciliation is fundamentally about “rebuilding relationships, trust and equity” (CCIB, 2024, p. 3). This isn’t just a social goal; with the Indigenous population growing at nearly double the rate of the rest of Canada, a thriving economy depends on it. For the HR leader, this suggests that relational care is not just a wellness initiative—it is a tangible competitive advantage.

From Theory to Policy: Practical HR Strategies

How can HR leaders translate these insights into systems?

• Redefining Family in Benefits: Move beyond the nuclear definition of family. Many Indigenous kinship structures include chosen family, with a broader definition of roles like auntie or sister. Consider transitioning to “Kinship and Community Leave” to honour these bonds.
• Indigenous Values in Workplace Learning: When designing training, embed Indigenous values directly into learning objectives. For instance, work with Indigenous instructors to deliver workshops on the interconnectedness of emotional and spiritual health and the importance of supporting colleagues.
• Relational Performance Conversations: Move beyond the annual review. Use a coaching approach that prioritizes trust and safety. This includes acknowledging an employee’s leadership outside of work—such as being a youth mentor, hunter, or Knowledge Holder.
• Flexible Job Design: For many Indigenous professionals, the responsibility to serve community is a core value. Practices like job-sharing or cultural flex-time allow employees to rotate responsibilities, enabling them to fulfill land-based priorities like harvesting without sacrificing their careers.

The Path Forward: Weaving a Stronger Sash

Workplace well-being is never culturally neutral. Every policy we design reflects a set of values. The opportunity for HR leaders is to recognize that for many, success is not measured solely by individual growth, but by the health of the collective.

By integrating a distinctions-based approach, we stop trying to fit Indigenous professionals into Western wellness boxes. Instead, we begin to weave a new tapestry—much like the Métis sash—where different threads of cultural knowledge, kinship, and responsibility to one another come together to create a stronger, more resilient organization for everyone.

References

• Canadian Council for Indigenous Business (CCIB). (2024). A way forward: Ontario’s path towards economic reconciliation, equity and inclusive growth. CCIB. https://www.ccib.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/A-Way-Forward.pdf
• Rupertsland Institute. (2022). Métis culture & traditions: Foundational knowledge themes. Rupertsland Institute. https://www.rupertsland.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Metis-Culture-and-Traditions-Foundational-Knowledge-Themes-01.25.22.pdf

Alicia Hibbert is a Métis researcher and consultant whose work focuses on relational accountability, workplace well-being, and distinctions-based inclusion. She is coauthor of “Advancing Workplace Wellbeing within Higher Education Settings” (Health Promoting Universities, 2025) and develops culturally responsive HR toolkits that bridge Indigenous values with workplace systems.

Alicia will be presenting ‘Cultural Well-Being at Work: From Collective Care to Distinctions-Based Inclusion‘ at HR Conference & Expo 2026, which will take place from May 5-6 at the Vancouver Convention Centre. Register now to join the session.