Terminology Guide for Data Collection on Racialized and Indigenous Communities

In 2020, an Equity and Inclusion in Data Collection (EIDC) round table was set up by the Canada Media Fund, along with over 30 national and regional media funding agencies and under-represented community organizations in Canada. The goal was to discuss best practices, common standards and to develop a concerted mechanism to track, share and compare data across the industry. Data collection is central to the CMF’s own Equity and Inclusion strategy in order to guide and drive the actions that we are proposing in the coming years to address inequities in the industry.

The round table agreed to start by creating a working group to define the appropriate terminology to address and identify the under-represented communities to be surveyed. As a first step, this working group decided to agree on language to collect data on racialized and Indigenous Peoples: First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities in Canada.

This document captures the notes from this working group’s meetings and also those captured through separate consultation in both official languages with the members of the Indigenous communities on terminology/definitions for Indigenous and with Black and other racialized communities. It also contains recommendations and best practices as determined by representatives of institutions and communities consulted by this working group. The recommendations are fluid and subject to change as communities, peoples and groups continue to define how they wish to be identified.