About Us
“How are stakeholders going to be held accountable?” That was the foundational question Douglas Sinclair had about the TRC Calls to Action that sparked the creation of Indigenous Watchdog (IW). Douglas created a website designed specifically to track and report on what each stakeholder is doing and/or not doing to advance reconciliation. He states that IW doesn’t hold punches, but the site also acknowledges the good work accomplished on the calls to action from coast to coast to coast.
Douglas updates Indigenous Watchdog daily. He mines a wide variety of sources including news media, reports, white papers, journals, press releases, wire services and government papers. IW also prides itself on presenting credible, relevant and current information through a distinctions-based lens, highlighting issues that are unique to Inuit, First Nations, and Metis. In addition, the site monitors all the stakeholders: Federal, provincial and territorial governments and non-governmental institutions.
There are 30 comprehensive themes that a user can navigate on the website – and Douglas keeps them all current, easy to navigate, and informative. A user can track each of the Calls to Action over time and quickly and easily see what is happening: is the Call to Action In progress, Complete, Stalled or Not Started? Douglas says that the site “empowers users to initiate their own actions to advance reconciliation.”
One of Indigenous Watchdog’s proudest achievements is the wide variety of organizations who use Indigenous Watchdog: universities, colleges, Boards of Education, Government ministries, business, associations, unions, churches etc. Douglas says IW broadens awareness and opens people’s eyes to what is truly happening in Canada around reconciliation. He hopes that Indigenous Watchdog becomes the number one source for Indigenous-centered information on the TRC Calls to Action.
Mission + Vision + Values
The mission of Indigenous Watchdog is to deliver relevant quality information on Indigenous issues to educate, inform and ultimately transform the dialogue between Indigenous and non – Indigenous Canadians into ACTION. The main focus is primarily on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action.
Ultimately, the main question asked is: “Is Reconciliation advancing or not, and if not – why?“
