Winnipeg's Siloam Mission says it has created a new role in the organization in an effort to continue improving Indigenous relations in the community.

In a press release on Monday, the mission says that it has created the role of Indigenous Relations Director, and announced that Christine Vanagas will be its first director. Vanagas is Anishinaabekwe from Long Plain First Nation.

"There are difficult conversations taking place across this nation around reconciliation. I don't think it was ever intended to be easy," says Vanagas. "Siloam Mission's commitment to doing the hard work and implementing change for Indigenous service and engagement is an example of how one turns talk into action."

Siloam has been consulting community members and staff, seeking input on how the city's largest mission might better serve Indigenous people. The board of directors commissioned Crystal Laborero of Laborero Consulting to speak with staff and clients of Siloam Mission, Indigenous community leaders and others in the sector. The report found that among Indigenous staff and clients, none felt discriminated against, but many did see a need for more culturally-informed Indigenous programming. The report also made a number of recommendations including developing stronger partnerships with the Indigenous community.

Vanagas says she is looking forward to joining Siloam Mission as the organization works to better serve and honour the Indigenous community. "I am honoured to be offered a chance to be part of this - not only for the current staff and clients but for those who will see what we did seven generations from now."

She comes to Siloam from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation where she worked closely with residential school survivors and special projects in her role as Governance Secretary. Prior to that, Vanagas worked on projects to address homelessness among Indigenous peoples in southern Ontario.

“We are very excited to welcome Christine into this new role,” says Siloam's CEO Tessa Blaikie-Whitecloud. “Her experience and knowledge will be a great contribution to realizing our commitment to strengthen cultural competency in our services and build meaningful partnerships with the Indigenous community. We are so pleased to welcome her to our leadership team.”

Siloam says that it has committed to implementing all of the recommendations put forward in the report from Laborero Consulting, and has already begun this work in some areas. The hiring of a Director of Indigenous Relations is another step in that process, and key to fulfilling one of the major recommendations.