Ally Is a Verb - by Rose Lemay (Paperback)

About the Book

This potent, practical book is a manual for allies for Indigenous Peoples. It presents a roadmap to creating better relationships, equity, and true reconciliation. It offers concrete steps individuals can take, in the organizations they work for and in their personal lives, to become powerful allies.

Book Synopsis

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Your next step on the journey of reconciliation starts here.

What can you do to be a better ally for your Indigenous colleagues, community members, and friends? By actively listening to the history and current lived experiences of Indigenous peoples, you can take steps to address the inequities they continue to face. Author Rose LeMay notes that if you continually educate yourself, you will see many opportunities to be an ally.

This insightful book suggests how to enter the field of reconciliation in a good way, in your community and your workplace. You will learn:

-more about the true history shared by Indigenous peoples and colonial governments
-why reconciliation is mostly the responsibility of non-Indigenous people
-approaches to intervene when you see racism happening
-better ways to respond to emotions that come up when doing the work of an ally
-how to be an active team player for equity and inclusion

LeMay describes key principles to promote reconciliation, deepen your practice of allyship, and contribute to meaningful change.

Review Quotes

"Reading Rose LeMay is like having tea with a really good friend. We know that really good friends not only support us, but also challenge us, and challenge leads to growth. LeMay asks all the right questions to take us beyond talk, advancing reconciliation as an action, a daily practice. As a citizen and as an ally, I am grateful to LeMay and for this book." --Shelagh Rogers, OC, Chancellor, Queen's University; Honorary Witness, Truth and Reconciliation Commission

"Rose LeMay offers all non-Indigenous Canadians an answer to their seemingly ever-present question 'What can I do?' when it comes to reconciling with Indigenous Peoples. This book is an all-in-one. It exposes the Great Canadian Lie; it teaches, educates, and offers concrete, pointed examples every settler can take to improve the future of everyone living in this country we call Canada. LeMay's book offers everyone a path forward on reconciliation. Everyone, go buy this book." --Tanya Talaga, author, All Our Relations and The Knowing

"Every non-Indigenous person needs to read this transformative book. A history lesson, a coaching session, and a hopeful love letter to Canada, Rose LeMay's writing breaks down hard and difficult concepts in a way that is both accessible and achievable. After reading this book, each reader will be empowered to act." --Julie Cafley, PhD, Executive Director, Catalyst Canada

"Truth before Reconciliation. Rose LeMay shares critical moments in Canadian history that laid the foundation for Canadian denialism of Indigenous peoples in this country and its hidden truths. I took pause. I took some deep breaths. I laughed, I hurt, I reflected, I empathized. I felt. This book is for all Canadians. Together, we can do more and you can say more. You too can be an ally on Team Reconciliation--start with step one and read this book." --Kluane Adamek, Regional Chief, Assembly of First Nations, Yukon Region

"In this moment of intensified violence worldwide, joining Team Reconciliation can, as Rose LeMay teaches us, lead us along--and help us model for the world--a peaceful path toward better understanding, truth, justice, well-being, and reconciliation. We owe it to our Indigenous hosts, friends, and neighbours; we owe it to ourselves, our integrity, and our humanity; and we owe it to the world, to show we have the courage and strength to take this challenging hike in Canada, to face the discomfort and to step up for Indigenous communities. It's on us, and Ally Is a Verb makes plain the tools we need.

LeMay gently guides us toward a common purpose and the mutual benefit that kinetic allyship can bring with a powerful theory of change, gentle pointers and resources, and unforgettable stories, inviting us along paths of continuous learning and practicing hope, so that together we can make real the promises of Canada. Thank you, Rose." --Anoush F. Terjanian, PhD, Fellow, Human Rights Research and Education Centre, University of Ottawa

"Rose LeMay emphasizes the importance of vulnerability, humility, and discomfort in being a true ally for Indigenous reconciliation, urging readers to ask questions and engage with Indigenous people to better understand their experiences. The steps and resources throughout the guide reflect LeMay's commitment to care, honesty, and the essential role of meaningful action in driving real change. She demonstrates how reconciliation requires allies who are knowledgeable, committed, and ready to take daily action, challenging the status quo and aligning with Canadian values of accountability and equality. Through a deep exploration of Indigenous Peoples' experiences that shaped the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 Calls to Action, LeMay shows how modern Canada can become the inclusive and just country we aspire to be only when non-Indigenous people answer the call to confront historical injustices and take concrete steps toward real change." --Brooke DeLong, founder, Connected Strategic Advisory Inc.

About the Author

Rose LeMay is a speaker, trainer, and coach on reconciliation--and an unrelenting champion for the inclusion and well-being of Indigenous peoples. As a facilitator and trainer in cultural competence and anti-racism, she has supported thousands of Canadians from coast to coast to deepen their understanding and capacity for reconciliation. As a keynote speaker, she can take people through difficult topics of racism and reconciliation to find common ground and hope for the future. LeMay has over twenty years of experience in policy and program development in health and mental health systems in government and the non-profit sector. She is an alumnus of the Governor General's Canadian Leadership Conference, a Certified First Nations Health Manager, certified in Prosci Change Management, and a 2021 Global Pluralism finalist. LeMay is from Taku River Tlingit First Nation in northern British Columbia.