As American architecture firms and institutions continue to grapple with inadequate levels of diversity and inclusion, Canadian groups are highlighting an increased willingness to highlight and support the work of Indigenous designers. 

A recent CBC article highlights the Brook McIlroy Indigenous Design Studio, a focus within the Winnipeg, Canada-based practice that engages with Indigenous communities and worldviews as a part of its overarching ethos. The firm, according to the architects, positions Indigenous designers to lead "co-creation teams with Canadian professionals whose families have come from all over the world," and has worked to nurture Indigenous design talent for over a decade. 

Brook McIlroy senior associate, Ryan Gorrie, who is Anishinaabeg from the Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek (Sand Point First Nation on Lake Nipigon) region tells CBC, "Seeing ourselves reflected in the built environment is critical for reclamation of identity, space, territory, all of those things," while adding that while Indigenous designers are "definitely underrepresented in the design profession," the firm's internship program is making inroads in terms of building momentum for cultural change within the profession. Gorrie explains, "It certainly is refreshing to work with young Indigenous designers who are mostly women, which is even more exciting to have."