LET'S ALL HELP EACH OTHER: A CONFERENCE ON ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY BASED RESEARCH, MARCH, 2011, MONCTON, NB.
Individuals and organizations dedicated to Aboriginal economic development in Atlantic Canada gathered at "Let's All Help Each Other" as part of the continued implementation of the Atlantic Aboriginal Economy Building Strategy. Participants explored best practices and lessons learned for working collaboratively with Elders, and current research was shared. Elder-led workshops and sharing circles were held, and recommendations from these sessions will be used to guide a future vision for conducting Aboriginal community based research.
The three-day conference welcomed over 30 Elders from four Aboriginal cultures of the Atlantic Region - Mi'kmaq, Wolastoqiyik, (Maliseet), Innu and Inuit. Atlantic Aboriginal communities recognize the urgency and importance of working alongside Elders and learning from their Traditional Knowledge immediately and doing Aboriginal community based research. The conference was an important vehicle for the Elders to share knowledge of their languages and their cultures. The debut of "Honouring Traditional Knowledge", a video made with Elders which highlights the role of Elders and Traditional Knowledge was also shown at the conference.
Key note speakers spoke about Best Practices and Lessons Learned for Working Alongside Elders.
Imelda Perley and Christine Gabriel from St. Mary's First Nation Grandmothers Drummers presented on "Nuhkomossok", Grandmother Guide Initiative. Staff from Mi'kmawey Debert Cultural Centre, Tim Bernard, Gerald Gloade, Murdena Marshall, from Eskasoni First Nation and Lillian Marshall from the Mi'kmawey Debert Elders' Advisory Council spoke about the educational experience received when visiting the Mi'kmawey Debert Cultural Centre. Evelyn Winters and Sharon Taylor from the Nunatsiavut Government, Department of Health, Community Healing Project spoke about "Sinnatomanivut: Our Dream".
During the conference, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs (APCFNC) and twelve universities through the Atlantic Aboriginal Economic Development Integrated Research Program (AAEDIRP). The signing of the MOU, the first of its kind in Canada, is a significant achievement in the Atlantic region and it will help support long-term collaboration and capacity-building in economic development research.
Conference information and presentations can be found at:
http://aaedirpletsallhelpeachotherconference.wikispaces.com/
Let's Work Together: A Conference on Creating Meaningful & Sustainable Employment for Atlantic Aboriginal People, February 16, 17, &18, 2010, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Individuals and organizations dedicated to Aboriginal economic development in Atlantic Canada gathered at "Let's Work Together" as part of the continued implementation of the Aboriginal Economy Building Strategy. Participants shared best practices, specific success stories and current research around the theme of "working together". This included cooperation at the Aboriginal community level, partnering with the private sector, working in collaboration with provincial and federal governments, with educators and in a broader Canadian context. As well, the role of good governance in creating employment was addressed by Aboriginal leaders. Facilitated circles discussions with participants took place and the recommendations from these used to guide a proactive vision for moving forward through the APCFNC.
Highlights of the conference included a special introductory presentation by two respected Elders. Elder Gwen Bear explained the meaning and concept of the conference theme, "Mawoluhkhotine" (Let's Work Together) from a Maliseet perspective. Elder Albert Marshall expounded on "L'nu'tukulimk", a Mi'kmaq concept which can be used to guide the AAEDIRP from a Mi'kmaq perspective.
Key note speakers included Chief Mi'sel Joe of Miawpukek First Nation on "Using What We Have Learned from our Ancestors Ensure a Better Future for our People" and Theresa Hollett, Impact and Benefit Agreement Coordinator for the Nunatsiavut, who spoke about "Building a Strong Aboriginal Workforce" in relation to the Nunatsiavut Government Impact and Benefit Agreement with Voisey's Bay Nickel Company. Dan Christmas, Membertou's Senior Advisor, presented on Membertou's strategy to provide "A Fair Job for Everyone".
Conference presentations and proceedings can be found at: http://aaedirpletsworktogetherconference.wikispaces.com
"LIFE LONG LEARNING - FROM YOUTH TO ELDER" - AAEDIRP ABORIGINAL EDUCATION CONFERENCEMarch 23-25, 2009, Fredericton, New Brunswick
A major highlight to date was the first AAEDIRP conference where First Nation Education Directors and university educators from across the Atlantic region gathered in Fredericton in March 2009, to attend a three-day conference aimed at sharing best practices which support Aboriginal youth high school retention. The idea of focusing on lifelong learning was brought forward by Chief Mi'sel Joe of Miawpukek First Nation (Conne River). His vision formed the theme for the conference.
Youth and Elder participation were the main criteria for the conference, as well as having balanced regional representation. The main themes that emerged from presenter submissions were "Language and Systems of Knowledge: and "Retention Rates and Success Strategies. Part of the goal of "Life Long Learning" was to get input from the participants on what future research should be done in terms of supporting Aboriginal education. Input was gathered through facilitated sessions. In fact, the AAEDIRP will be moving forward this summer with a research project on "Best Practices for Culturally Relevant Aboriginal Education in the Atlantic", with a main focus on Native language immersion programs.
Conference presentations can be found at: http://aaedirpeducationconference.wikispaces.com/
