Professional development and training for public servants
Learn how the Government of Canada is responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Call to Action 57.
Based on data provided October 2025.
57. We call upon federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments to provide education to public servants on the history of Aboriginal peoples, including the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal–Crown relations. This will require skills-based training in intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights, and anti-racism.
What's happening?
Canada School of Public Service
The Canada School of Public Service (the school) launched the Indigenous Learning Series in 2016 and the Indigenous Learning (IL) Business Line in 2019.
The Indigenous Learning curriculum focuses on the history, cultures, and realities of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples as well as on their varied and long-standing relationships with the Crown. It's goal is to equip public servants with the knowledge, skills and competencies required to advance reconciliation.
Since the inception of the curriculum 2016, the school has:
- conducted internal and external engagement sessions to seek input and work collaboratively with Indigenous communities, experts and academics in addition to public service partners
- established a governance structure to ensure content is truth-based and reflective of Indigenous perspectives: the Indigenous Learning Sharing Network (external partners) and the Interdepartmental Committee on Indigenous Learning
- organized up to 10 learning events a year in partnership with Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and Indigenous and non-Indigenous experts on a wide range of topics, including:
- Reconciliation
- Canadian policies towards Indigenous Peoples and their impacts
- Lived experience of First Nations, Inuit and Métis
- Days of importance such as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Red Dress Day
- UN Declaration Act
- Inuit Nunangat Policy
- Revitalizing Indigenous languages
- False Indigenous identity claims
- launched multiple online and in-person learning products, including:
- 16 courses
- 18 job aids
- 48 videos
- released Reconciliation: A Starting Point, a mobile app (updated in 2025) that is available for both Apple and Android devices from the App Store, Google Play and on the school's learning platform
Call to Action 57 represents an ongoing and long-term commitment. As new legislation impacting Indigenous Peoples is introduced, updated learning products will be essential to ensure public servants remain informed about contemporary Indigenous realities. As such, the Indigenous Learning curriculum is evergreen and will continue to evolve over time.
Consult the Indigenous learning products page to learn about the courses, job aids, videos and podcast offered by the school.
Public Health Agency of Canada
In June 2022, to advance work toward a culturally humble environment promoting culturally safe interactions in the public health system, Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) developed a formal Indigenous Cultural Competency (ICC) Policy to advance work in both of these areas. The ICC Policy requires all staff to engage in annual Indigenous learning to deepen their knowledge and skills, and implement the spirit of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Call to Action 57.
To support employees, PHAC developed the Indigenous Cultural Competency Learning Road Map (Road Map). The Road Map details specific competencies needed by PHAC employees to meaningfully contribute to Indigenous-related policies, programs, and engagement.
The Road Map has been specifically designed for the needs of PHAC and does not include all aspects of Indigenous cultural competency. It includes information relevant to the Indigenous public health domain, which may not be as useful in other contexts. The Road Map was developed in partnership with Indigenous cultural safety experts, including the:
- Knowledge Centre for Indigenous Inclusion's National Elder's Advisory Council
- National Collaboration Centre for Indigenous Health
- Canadian Indigenous Nurse's Association
- University of Ottawa
In June 2020, PHAC made it mandatory for all employees to complete a 5-course Indigenous learning series with the Canada School of Public Service.
These courses covered:
- introductions to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities
- an introduction to residential schools
- the impacts of colonialism
- the importance of reconciliation
In 2018, PHAC made it mandatory for all executives to complete a 5-course Indigenous learning series with the Canada School of Public Service. In June 2020, these courses became mandatory for all PHAC staff.
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) has an Indigenous Cultural Competency Learning Policy. This unique departmental policy goes beyond government-wide directives, demonstrating a commitment to continuous awareness. It is designed to address the specific needs of public servants working with Indigenous communities. The policy requires all employees within CIRNAC to complete 6 courses from the Canada School of Public Service (CSPS) designed to increase cultural awareness of issues related to First Nations, Inuit and Métis in Canada, as well as the role and responsibilities of the Government of Canada towards these peoples. It also requires all employees to participate in a minimum of 15 hours of Indigenous cultural awareness activities annually. Employees are encouraged to explore various learning opportunities, including experiential learning.
At CIRNAC, since the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year, a mandatory shared objective focused on upholding respect, equity, accessibility, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism has been added for all employees, supervisors and managers performance agreement. This includes the requirement to participate in at least 15 hours of Indigenous cultural awareness activities. This objective helps advance progress in a unified direction across the department by promoting alignment, consistency, and collaboration in achieving our collective priorities around reconciliation.
Over the past year, CIRNAC also collaborated with the CSPS to develop a course on the duty to consult.
Indigenous Services Canada
Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) has an Indigenous Cultural Humility Learning Policy that requires all employees to complete a minimum of 15 hours of culturally humility learning annually. This unique departmental policy goes beyond government-wide directives, demonstrating a commitment to continuous learning as it is designed to address the specific needs of public servants working with Indigenous communities.
Mandatory training within the Indigenous Cultural Humility Policy is delivered through the Canada School of Public Service (CSPS). All mandatory training courses are free, but there may be costs associated with some specific learning outside of the policy, where approval of costs would be at the discretion of the manager.
Health Canada
In 2023, Health Canada began developing a formal Indigenous Cultural Competency Learning (ICCL) Policy to build a more culturally humble and safe health system. Once finalized, the policy will require all employees to complete annual Indigenous learning. This will strengthen their knowledge and skills and help to advance the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Call to Action 57.
Recent progress
Canada School of Public Service
From 2025 to 2026 (to date) the school continues to:
- advance its work with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami to expand the curriculum related to Inuit and the Inuit Nunangat Policy, as part of the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee
- offer an updated version of Reconciliation: A Starting Point, a mobile app for Apple and Android devices
- launch new course:
- Revitalizing Voices: Navigating the Indigenous Languages Act (IRA110)
- launch new videos:
- Addressing Microaggressions Towards Indigenous Peoples
- A Conversation with Natan Obed About the Inuit Nunangat Policy
- A Conversation with Valerie Gideon About the Inuit Nunangat Policy
- The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act: Achieving the Objectives of the Action Plan (UN Declaration Portal)
- deliver events:
- Red Dress Day 2025: Working Together to End Violence Against Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ People
- Indigenous Awareness Week 2025: Opening Ceremony with Elder Verna McGregor
- National Indigenous Peoples Day: Indigenous Languages, Cultural Knowledge and Tradition
- The Reality of First Nations in Quebec (Rebroadcast)
- Driving Change Through Indigenous Youth Leaders
- Enhancing Environmental Stewardship and Policy Development Through Indigenous Science
- National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
In 2024 2025, the school launched:
- new courses:
- An Introduction to Modern Treaties and Self-Government (IRA146)
- courses for executives:
- Reflecting on Canada's Colonial History (IRA170)
- Supporting Indigenous Talent (IRA171)
- Building Meaningful Relationships with Indigenous Peoples (IRA172) (in-person and includes an immersive cultural experience)
- in-person course:
- KAIROS Blanket Exercise (IRA140), a half-day session that was paused during the pandemic
- job aids:
- Indigenous Languages in Canada and the International Decade of Indigenous Languages
- Frequently Asked Questions About the UN Declaration and the UN Declaration Act, in collaboration with Justice Canada
- Learning Portal on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, in collaboration with Justice Canada
- Learning Roadmap for Managers of Indigenous Employees
- Revitalizing Indigenous Voices Through the Indigenous Languages Act
- videos:
- The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act: Achieving the Objectives of the Action Plan (UN Declaration Portal)
- The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act: Indigenous Youth Consultation (UN Declaration Portal)
- The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act: A Métis Perspective (UN Declaration Portal)
To access the full list of learning products and events, visit the school's Indigenous learning products page.
Public Health Agency of Canada
Since 2018, PHAC has:
- hosted 153 Indigenous learning events, tailored to the PHAC context
- encouraged staff to attend over 1,000 Indigenous learning events made accessible through the PHAC Indigenous Learning Calendar
- provided over 1000 on demand learning opportunities aligned with the Road Map through the PHAC Indigenous Learning Inventory for staff to develop their ICC and cultural humility in line with the Road Map
Indigenous Services Canada
The Canada School of Public Service (CSPS) offers a variety of courses and resources for training and learning events that are designed to address the specific needs of departmental employees working with Indigenous communities. Some of the topics these courses cover include:
- the history of residential schools, treaties, and Indigenous rights
- intercultural humility, conflict resolution, and anti-racism
- the distinct histories, governance, and cultures of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples
- unconscious bias and microaggressions
In collaboration with the Treasury Board Secretariat, ISC launched a critical update within our Public Service Performance Management application. A new Indigenous Cultural Humility training option is now available for all staff across Government Departments and Organizations to log their annual cultural humility training. This change is a direct, measurable step toward implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Call to Action 57, which calls for public service education on Indigenous history and rights. It provides the mechanism needed to accurately track and report on our entire department's progress toward mandatory cultural learning. By quantifying this effort, we can demonstrate our active commitment to fostering a culturally humble and respectful organization.
In recognition of their specific roles, supervisors, managers, and those working directly with Indigenous communities are encouraged to complete up to 30 hours of Indigenous cultural humility training annually.
The ISC developed a Public Service Education Toolkit which helped educate public servants on key commemorative dates such as National Indigenous History Month and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Health Canada
To support employees, the department is developing an Indigenous Cultural Competency Learning Matrix to accompany the policy. The matrix will identify the key competencies employees need to meaningfully contribute to Indigenous-related policies, programs, and engagement.
It is tailored to the Department's mandate and focuses on competencies relevant to its work, helping employees apply cultural humility and Indigenous knowledge in their day-to-day roles.
Next steps
Public Health Agency of Canada
PHAC plans to continue developing and implementing strategies which:
- support staff in understanding and applying the ICC policy in their work
- raise awareness among staff of ICC events from external partners
- evaluate levels of cultural humility and safety within the agency in partnership with Indigenous Peoples
Canada School of Public Service
The school will continue to develop tools and resources for public servants as it believes that the implementation of Call to Action 57 is an ongoing process rooted in reconciliation. To achieve this goal, the school will continue to work with Indigenous partners and organizations and other departments and organizations that support the development of adult educational products related to Indigenous realities.
To view upcoming events, visit the school's Learning catalogue.
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
In collaboration with the Corporate Indigenous Workforce Directorate of the Human Resources Branch of Indigenous Services Canada, CIRNAC is currently conducting a policy renewal exercise to ensure its Indigenous Cultural Competency Learning Policy remains up to date.
Indigenous Services Canada
As part of our commitment to Reconciliation and continuous improvement, the following steps will be taken to strengthen and implement the Indigenous Cultural Humility Learning Policy:
- ISC is currently in the renewal stage of the Indigenous Cultural Humility Learning Policy to ensure it reflects the highest standards and incorporates the new mechanism for tracking progress toward our annual learning
- the department will utilize the new Indigenous Cultural Humility training option in the performance management system to accurately report on completion of the mandatory minimum 15 hours of annual cultural learning
- in collaboration with the Canada School of Public Service (CSPS), ISC will continuously review the curriculum to ensure the training remains meaningful to the important work we do with Indigenous communities
Health Canada
Health Canada will continue working with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis partners, Elders and Knowledge Keepers to finalize and implement the ICCL Policy. Once launched, training and tools will be introduced across the department to support ongoing learning and accountability. These efforts will strengthen partnerships with Indigenous Peoples and make sure Health Canada's work is guided by respect, understanding and cultural safety.