Welcome to ICAST Indigenous Cultural Awareness & Sensitivity Training

We offer practical, Indigenous-led training for organizations looking to strengthen cultural awareness and understanding, meet reconciliation goals, and foster more inclusive and respectful workplaces. Our programs provide meaningful learning experiences that support long-term change and stronger relationships with Indigenous peoples and communities.

Our Learning Framework

We use a unique teaching model that integrates both Indigenous and Western cultural lenses. By drawing from these distinct worldviews, we create a learning experience that encourages reflection, dialogue, and deeper understanding.

This approach helps participants engage with complex topics such as colonization, Treaties, and cultural identity in a respectful and culturally informed way, fostering more inclusive and culturally aware workplaces and communities.

Land Acknowledgement

We work, live and breathe on the First Nations territories of Treaty 6, Treaty 7 and Treaty 8. These are the traditional lands of the Dene, Stoney Nakoda, Nakota Sioux, Cree, Blackfoot, Ojibwe, Saulteaux, Tsuut’ina, Métis and Inuit who not only lived and thrived on this land but kept and stewarded it … all forms of life come from this great gift given to us by the Creator.

What became known as the province of Alberta in 1905 is also home to the 8 Metis Settlements and the Otipemisiwak Métis Government of the Métis Nation within Alberta. Let’s also recognize that many Indigenous Peoples dwell in rural and urban centers across Turtle Island.

We thank all Indigenous peoples for sharing the richness of their heritage, the beauty of their languages, and the guidance of their elders yesterday, today and tomorrow.

With much gratitude, we recognize your protection and stewarding of this land from time immemorial.

ICAST dwells in Amiskwacîwâskahikan ᐊᒥᐢᑲᐧᒋᐋᐧᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ “Beaver hills house” known as Edmonton.

Our services

  • Indigenous Cultural Awareness

  • Land Acknowledgement

  • Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC)

  • Cross Cultural Communication with Indigenous Peoples

  • KAIROS Blanket Exercise

  • The Church and Indigenous Peoples

Learn More

Get started with ICAST today.

Testimonials

Meaghan Ellis - Director, People Culture - Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre “Jamie Harmon is a wonderfully skilled facilitator who easily connects with audiences. We’ve had consistent positive feedback from staff and leaders when Jamie has presented to our organization, and her approachable demeanor puts attendees at ease allowing for a non-judgmental space to learn and grow. Even with working with very large audiences, Jamie is a highly effective and knowledgeable presenter.  I wholeheartedly recommend Jamie for Indigenous Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity Training facilitation.”

Karen Chinaleong-Brooks, MPH (she/her/elle) - Lead, Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging and Equity - Canadian Cancer Society / Société canadienne du cancer “ I have had the honour to work with Jamie Harmon of ICAST as a colleague and to learn from her formally and informally. My first interaction with Jamie was when she presented on Land Acknowledgments at the organization we worked at together. Until learning from Jamie the importance of tying my land acknowledgement to my own personal relationship to this land and my commitment to reconciliation I always feared I would do it wrong or would be judged for not pronouncing words correctly or missing an Indigenous group. She really empowered me to be humble and be grateful to the peoples on whose land I now live. Jamie’s nonjudgmental, open, and caring way of teaching about Indigenous ways and the experiences of Indigenous peoples in Canada has truly been mind opening. As a settler to this land, there is always a tendency to be paralyzed by the guilt you feel, however, Jamie’s facilitation style allowed me to feel comfortable to ask curious questions that otherwise I would have been afraid to ask because of the fear they may have been inappropriate or may have caused further unintentional harm to Indigenous peoples. Jamie creates the safe space to ask questions and to be gently corrected, and in doing so she has helped me move beyond guilt to allyship. I know that I may still make mistakes but will remain forever humble and always willing to learn from and correct them. Jamie has influenced me so much that I have invited her to do several workshops with my present organization and my colleagues have been similarly impressed.”