The REDI office works closely with Derek K Thompson – Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun in his role as the Director of Indigenous Engagement. Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun is from the diitiidʔaaʔtx̣ – Ditidaht First Nation, one of fourteen Nuuchahnulth Nations on the west coast of Vancouver Island.
In this role Derek provides vision, strategic leadership and diplomacy in advancing the Faculty’s engagement with BC First Nations/Indigenous communities and organizations. Read the announcement by Dr. Mike Allard.
Derek is committed to establishing meaningful and mutually beneficial relations with BC First Nations/Indigenous communities and organizations to ensure reciprocity, cultural safety and collaborative partnerships to support our mutual commitment to engagement in the processes of Truth and Reconciliation as well as collaborative evaluation of the Faculty’s response the TRC Calls to Action.
The REDI team continues to work closely with Derek to provide consultation and advice to the Strategic Pillar leads and Faculty leadership in the further development and implementation of the Faculty’s Response to the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), supporting the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (“UNDRIP”) and the recommendations in the reports on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and In Plain Sight.
Derek spearheads the Indigenous Speaker Series, one of the most widely attended series in the REDI office, which aims to continue and advance the conversation about truth-telling and reconciliation.