Do You Trust Me? Cultural Heritage Planning with Indigenous Communities

106 Group’s Alison Manley, Tisha Allen, and Regine Kennedy recently presented a poster session on “Cultural Heritage Planning with Indigenous Communities” at the 2023 International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Conference in Eagan, Minnesota. This year’s conference focused on meeting people where they are when planning public participation.

Our poster highlighted ways of building trust throughout and beyond the project timeline. Cultural heritage planning with Indigenous communities is a complex process that requires a deep understanding of the cultural values and traditions of these communities. To ensure that the planning process is effective and respectful, it is crucial to follow three key principles: consistency, sincerity, and relationships.

Consistency is essential in any cultural heritage planning process. It is important to establish clear and consistent guidelines for engaging with Indigenous communities, including protocols for communication, consultation, and decision-making. This helps to create a sense of trust and respect between the planners and the community to ensure that everyone is on the same page throughout the planning process and beyond. Consistency also helps to build a shared understanding of the cultural heritage values that are important to the community and ensures that these values are respected and upheld in all planning decisions.

Sincerity is another crucial principle. It is important for planners to demonstrate a genuine respect for the cultural heritage values and traditions of the community and to be transparent and open about their intentions and goals. This means taking the time to listen to the community’s concerns, needs, and aspirations, and working collaboratively to develop solutions that are culturally appropriate and respectful. Sincerity means asking the community who should be at the table for discussions, rather than making assumptions about who should be involved. It also means acknowledging and learning from past mistakes and being willing to adjust plans and strategies based on feedback from the community.

Building strong relationships with Indigenous communities is perhaps the most important principle in cultural heritage planning. This involves developing trust, respect, and mutual understanding between the planners and the community and working collaboratively to develop solutions that meet everyone’s needs. It also means recognizing that every Indigenous community has a unique and valuable perspective, and their input and leadership are essential to the success of any planning process. Building relationships with Indigenous communities requires a long-term commitment to engagement and dialogue and a willingness to invest time, resources, and energy into building trust and understanding.

Overall, cultural heritage planning with Indigenous communities is a complex process that requires a deep understanding of the cultural values and traditions of these communities. To ensure that the planning process is effective and respectful, it is crucial to follow these three principles. By adhering to these principles, planners can help to build trust, respect, and understanding with Indigenous communities and develop culturally appropriate and respectful solutions that honor the heritage and values of these communities.

Alison is a cultural heritage planner with a masters in archaeology and background in education, which provides her with the ability to complete advanced technical research while communicating with broad audiences. She is passionate about elevating the voices of historically marginalized communities by way of storytelling.

Tisha is a cultural heritage planner with a masters in historic preservation and background in architecture. She is skilled at forging productive relationships with community stakeholders, as well as managing and implementing a broad range of planning strategies.