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A SPECIAL INTEREST SECTION BY MEDIAPLANET
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How Social Media Is Fuelling Advocacy and Driving True Change
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Mediaplanet chatted with Michelle “Indigenous Baddie” Chubb about the power of social media, advocacy, and representation.
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Tell us about yourself and your advocacy work through your social platforms.
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My name is Michelle Chubb. I’m 24 years old and from Winnipeg, Man. I’m originally from Bunibonibee Cree Nation, north of Manitoba. It’s always been a passion of mine to change the narrative for Indigenous people because of my upbringing and experiences in Winnipeg. Using platforms like TikTok and Instagram have helped me get points across to prevent misrepresentation and misinformation from spreading.
How has social media helped support a movement of representation? Follow Michelle on Instagram at @indigenous_baddie.
It has helped so much for me, especially within the last year as I joined TikTok. A lot has changed and it seems like more people are engaging and interested in learning and helping, which I’m very happy about.
How do you feel that representation helps others to embrace their cultures? I think it helps heal the person wanting to reconnect with or embrace their culture because so many cultures have been suppressed for so many years by colonialism. It feels like an honour and a mission of going on the right path to unity.
Having recently taken part in numerous campaigns, what have these brand collaborations meant to you? The collaborations I’ve been a part of have made the Indigenous community feel seen and uplifted — I know I felt that. It’s such a relief knowing that your people are finally being heard. It gives me hope knowing that I’m on the right path to helping the community out.
Why do you feel that it’s important for organizations to actively foster diversity and representation? I think it’s important to break away from the chains of colonization and to be represented in a way that’s authentic — not in the same way as Pocahontas or the names or mascots of some sports teams. It’s a step forward in creating harmony between the different views that people have of Indigenous people.
Representation in the communications profession means that more people are being seen and heard by organizational leaders everywhere. More diversity among communications professionals means more people listening to and raising the voices of those who are often excluded from the broader conversations held by predominantly cisgendered white folks. Representation in the profession means we can have difficult conversations around systemic racism and more positive conversations around how to be more anti-racist in our day-today work. These are tough conversations to have, but they’re critical to making our workplaces and broader culture more diverse and inclusive.
Why is diversity in the workplace important? I’m a firm believer that more diversity in the workplace means more innovation and creativity. An office full of people who all look the same and come from similar cultural backgrounds runs the risk of people conforming and ultimately groupthink. As an Indigenous communicator, I’m keenly aware that introducing diverse voices into organizational networks can shake things up inside the workplace.
Being well-versed in the corporate sector, where do you see gaps or barriers to entry for Indigenous professionals or Indigenous-owned businesses, and how do you think we can mitigate this? I’m very pleased to see the increased focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) inside organizations. However, there
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are still significant gaps in recruiting and retaining Indigenous talent. This is partly due to a growing talent pool that’s still being nurtured, but also due to organizations not adapting long-term strategies to nurture diverse talent and promote them throughout the organization. Personally, I left an organization because I only encountered barriers to my desire to enter leadership roles. I could only move horizontally, not vertically. This ultimately caused me to resign and grow my skill set on my own. In cases where people leave on these terms, it’s only to the detriment of the organization — and I think organizational leaders need to start recognizing that this happens a lot, and they need to stop letting talent walk out the door.
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As a co-founder of a thriving business and the first Indigenous certified Communication Management Professional, what does representation mean to you?
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Mediaplanet spoke with Ben Borne, Canada's first self-identified Indigenous certified Communication Management Professional, about the importance of representation and diversity in the workplace.
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Why Representation and Diversity in the Workplace Matter
Do you have any additional recommendations for a more inclusive Canadian business landscape? I have a couple of recommendations for a few more inclusive Canadian business landscape. First, develop or re-evaluate your DE&I practices. Make sure that DE&I isn’t housed in one department but embedded across the entire organization. DE&I should become part of your daily practice — not just a philosophy or strategy. Second, give deep and meaningful consideration to how your organization is responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action. These calls to action are more than a document with ideas, but a map for a pathway forward for organizations to build more respectful nation-to-nation relationships with Indigenous people.
Read Ben's full interview at innovatingcanada.ca.
Publisher: Olivia Chiu Business Development Manager: Chelsea Siemon Country Manager Nina Theodorlis Content & Production Manager Raymond Fan Designer: Kylie Armishaw Content & Web Editor: Karthik Talwar All images are from Getty Images unless otherwise credited. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve The National Post or its editorial departments. Send all inquiries to ca.editorial@mediaplanet.com.
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