The Jesuit Forum Takes Part in a Gathering on Decolonizing
Environmental NGO and First Nations Partnerships
by Victor Reyes
The Jesuit Forum for Social Faith and Justice participated in the Decolonizing ENGO-First
Nations Partnerships (DEFNP) Alumni Fall Gathering from October 15-17, 2025, in Thunder
Bay. Victor Reyes, Communications and Outreach Manager, represented the Jesuit Forum at this intensive gathering that brought together 25 Canadian environmental non-governmental
organization (ENGO) representatives who had completed the DEFNP virtual series facilitated by
Sustainability Network.
Led by Dr. Damien Lee (member of Fort William First Nation), Dr. Les Sabiston (Red River
MĂ©tis), and Mr. Jeordi Pierre (Ojibwe Man of the Land), the two-and-a-half-day event deepened
participants' understanding of decolonization within the ENGO sector. The gathering emphasized moving beyond theory to practical implementation, creating space for this emerging community of practice to learn from each other's real-world experiences.
The program skillfully balanced intellectual engagement with land-based learning. Pierre, One of the School of Indigenous Learning’s (SOIL) instructors, facilitated Anishinaabe teachings on
plant medicines, animal's environmental relationships, and land-based knowing.
Central themes included shifting from extractive relationships to genuine reciprocity, where
Indigenous peoples retain ownership and decision-making authority. Participants explored how
decolonization requires fundamentally restructuring organizational systems rather than simply
adding Indigenous staff to existing frameworks. The gathering also critically examined how
artificially created scarcity perpetuates colonial competition between organizations, advocating
instead for collaborative abundance.
Participants developed structural recommendations for the broader ENGO sector, drawing on
resources like the Upwelling Learning Agenda. Talking circles facilitated honest discussions
about both the vision for decolonial environmental movements and inherent limitations of this
work. The gathering emphasized that clarity emerges through relationship-building rather than
contracts alone, while prioritizing care and sustainability to prevent burnout undermining
transformative work.
The Jesuit Forum hopes to integrate Victor's learnings from this gathering into its work in truth, reconciliation and decolonization.