Become a member

We invite Indigenous people who work with stories to join our community and become a member of the Indigenous Editors Association! Benefits include access to our Jobs Newsletter and the right to vote in Association business, as well as the ability to take part in our webinars and Members’ Directory.

Becoming a member is a three-step process. Please read all of the information on this page before applying. Our review process takes two to four weeks to complete. If you require assistance or clarification with any of these steps, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

Step 1: Application

To apply, scroll down to the Application Form and choose whether you’d like to fill out the application form online or contact us for a manual application. At this stage, we ask you for minimal information.

STEP 2: APPLICATION REVIEW

Once we receive your application, we will review the information you've provided. Please allow our Council between two to four weeks to evaluate and respond to your application. This process may take longer if additional information is required.

Step 3: Fee Payment

If your application is successful, you will receive an email letting you know that your application has been approved pending payment. If you've provided a method of payment in your online application, we will charge your card the annual membership fee and complete your IEA membership. If you've opted to mail-in the fee, we will hold your application in pending status until we receive payment.

The IEA annual membership fee is $10.00 (Canadian) plus applicable taxes. If this fee is a barrier, please contact us.

Membership Information Required

We try and keep our membership process as simple as possible. The following information will be required to evaluate your membership application:

Contact information
Indigenous identity or community affiliation
Editing services you provide
Biography
Confirmation that you've read and agree to uphold the IEA's Guiding Principles and Membership Protocol (detailed below.)
Declaration that the information you've provided is true and correct

* Please note that you may be asked for additional information during our evaluation process.

IEA Guiding Principles

We require all new members to read and agree to uphold the IEA's Guiding Principles. At the 2015 Indigenous Editors Circle, participants developed draft guiding principles for working with Indigenous authors and editors in Canada.

Respectful representation of Indigenous Peoples in published books is a right protected by Section 35 of Canada’s Constitution Act, 1982, and by Article 31 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Literatures by Indigenous authors and about Indigenous Peoples ought to be edited by Indigenous editors.
Ethical principles about Indigenous cultural heritage ownership ought to supersede copyright laws.
Indigenous communities have collective ownership over their Traditional Knowledge.
The publication of a book is all about clearly defined, transparent, respectful relationships.
Indigenous authors are not necessarily bound by the conventions of established literary genres.
It is the responsibility of the editor and therefore the publisher to mentor emerging Indigenous writers where possible.

Ceremony is a potential resource for building collaborative relationships built on sacred trust.
Vetting, reviewing, and consultation regarding Indigenous content needs to be by an Indigenous person.
Publishing houses need to take an interest in, and safeguard and support, the cultural integrity of Indigenous editors.
[As of Spring 2020, we plan to revise the following principle to reflect our capacity:] Any textbook containing Indigenous content currently used in a Canadian school must be approved by the Indigenous Editors Association.
Teams of reviewers and vetters must include culturally competent members.

The Indigenous Editors Circle recommends setting aside a specific portion of public funding for writers to support Indigenous writers.

The Indigenous Editors Circle envisions Canadian publishers that will:

respond responsibly to feedback about publications that are offensive to Indigenous readers;
undergo Indigenous cultural sensitivity training;
recruit and retain Indigenous editors to publish and develop Indigenous authors;
provide career guidance to new Indigenous authors, mindful of the potential responsibilities of authors to provide public readings in home communities that might be far away; and
respect the localities and diversities of place, language, sexual orientation, and multiple genders.

IEA Membership Protocol

We require all new members to confirm that you have read and agree to uphold the IEA's Membership Protocol.

Our intention with this protocol is to approach issues of identity with practices that reflect our values and culture at the IEA and uphold our principles of trust and accountability. In the spirit of community protocols observed in many Indigenous communities, we ask applicants to introduce themselves by telling us who you are and where you come from when applying for membership. It is important that upon declaring your identity you also detail your connection to your community or communities—whether that be communities of origin or other communities you have developed connections with. We recognize the difficulties presented to those who have recently realized their ancestry; however, we ask that you apply to be an IEA Supporter while you are on your journey of reconnection.

The IEA reserves the right to request additional information, such as asking you to:

Identify your Nation, community, and/or communities;
Elaborate on your lived experiences as an Indigenous person (personally and professionally), and/or;
Provide a letter of support from an Indigenous community organization, such as a Band office or cultural centre.

Indigenous Identity

The IEA supports First Nations, Inuit, and Métis rights to self-determination and recognizes that histories of colonial practices and ideologies have resulted in the displacement of communities and individuals and the fracturing of connections and identities. For the IEA and the context of our work, Indigenous identity describes individuals who are First Nations, Inuit, or Métis Peoples located in lands claimed by Canada.

First Nations: status and non-status individuals who are citizens, members, or direct relatives of a self-governing band, reserve-based community, or a larger tribal group.

Inuit: recognized as the First Peoples of the Arctic regions of Canada including Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut, and parts of the Northwest Territories.

Métis: recognized in the Canadian Constitution as a distinct Indigenous People. The Métis have historic ancestry from an accepted Métis Nation settlement or community, as defined by the Métis National Council, and as accepted by the Métis Nation.

We also recognize the Indigenous identity of individuals from groups located outside of the Canadian nation-state. International Indigenous Peoples include citizens, members, or direct relatives of cultural groups who are:

Located outside of lands claimed by Canada;
Self-identified and recognized as Indigenous by other groups, and are;
Citizens, members, or direct relatives of cultural groups who have an historical continuity within a given region, or parts of a region; who formerly or currently inhabit the region; and who have maintained, at least in part, distinct linguistic, cultural, social, economic, and political systems and remain distinct from the dominant or surrounding populations.

*The application of these definitions will be at the discretion of the IEA’s Council for determining membership and for other purposes.

Application FORM

All members of the organization must support and have an interest in furthering the IEA’s vision and mission. We currently have two membership categories: IEA Members and IEA Supporters. While all will have access to the services and meetings of the IEA, only IEA Members have voting rights with respect to organizational matters at membership meetings. The IEA Supporter category is for people who want to learn and work with us to make space for Indigenous Editors and Publishing Professionals, ensuring projects involving Indigenous stories and storytellers are led by, and benefit, the Indigenous communities from which they originate.

*The definition of Indigenous Editors and Publishing Professionals includes both established and emerging specialists in all categories of IEA membership.

Please fill out our online application located below.

Contact us to request a manual application form.

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Select membership level

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* Membership level

IEA Member: Indigenous Editors and Publishing Professionals - $10.00 (CAD) Subscription period: 1 year No automatically recurring payments This membership category with voting privileges that is available only to Indigenous individuals who reside within what is currently known as Canada who have applied and have been accepted by the IEA’s Council and remain in good standing.

IEA Member: Indigenous Students - Free Subscription period: 1 year No automatically recurring payments This membership category with voting privileges that is only available to Indigenous students within what is currently known as Canada who are enrolled in post-secondary programs related to literature, publishing, or Indigenous culture and representation in publishing.

IEA Supporter: Indigenous Editors and Publishing Professionals (Outside of Canada) - $10.00 (CAD) Subscription period: 1 year No automatically recurring payments This is a non-voting membership category that is available to Indigenous individuals located outside of Canada who have applied and have been accepted by the IEA’s Council and remain in good standing.

IEA Supporter: Indigenous Students (Outside of Canada) - Free Subscription period: 1 year No automatically recurring payments This is a non-voting membership category that is available to Indigenous students located outside of Canada who are enrolled in post-secondary programs related to literature, publishing, or Indigenous culture and representation in publishing.

IEA Supporter: Non-Indigenous Editors and Publishing Professionals - $25.00 (CAD) Subscription period: 1 year No automatically recurring payments This is a non-voting membership category that is available to non-Indigenous individuals who have applied and have been accepted by the Council and remain in good standing.

IEA Supporter: Non-Indigenous Students - Free Subscription period: 1 year No automatically recurring payments This is a non-voting membership category that is available to non-Indigenous students in post-secondary students who are related to literature, publishing, or Indigenous culture and representation in publishing.

About the Association

The Indigenous Editors Association is a membership organization that was formed by Indigenous editors and publishing professionals in lands claimed by Canada as a mutual support network. We are here to carry out the vision of our early organizers and to create professional development and networking opportunities.

Contact Information

Indigenous Editors Association

3573 - 515 Hastings St W

Vancouver, BC, V6B 5K3

Our mailing address is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the səl̓ilwətaɁɬ təməxʷ (Tsleil-Waututh), Skwxwú7mesh-ulh Temíx̱w (Squamish), S’ólh Téméxw (Stó:lō), Stz’uminus, and šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmaɁɬ təməxʷ (Musqueam) Peoples.