Conference Programme

February 6th & 7th, 2017

Leadership to Action: Strengthening Our Collective Impact

A policy engagement gathering

for the urban Indigenous

population in Metro Vancouver

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Leadership to Action: Strengthening Our Collective Impact

February 6 & 7, 2017 --- Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Center

Goal: Host an annual forum that looks at innovative ways for urban Indigenous people to be

engaged in the policies that affect them, as MVAEC moves toward utilizing a collective

impact approach. All these discussions and presentations will help MVAEC establish its

common agenda and build a baseline understanding of our issues and approaches.

Objectives:

To explore educational, training and employment development

To address health, wellness and housing issues

To open dialogue on a collective impact structure and secure allies in this process

Who this is for:

Urban Indigenous agencies and Indigenous professionals;

Federal, Provincial, Municipal Governments;

Industry partners and the Private Sector;

Non-Indigenous allies;

Educational Institutions and Health Authorities;

Charitable Foundations; and any person who works for and with Indigenous people.

What we hope to achieve:

To celebrate successes and share wise practices.

To strengthen a collective voice for the urban Metro Vancouver Indigenous community.

Expected Outcome:

An initial framing of a collective impact structure for Metro Vancouver that sets targets

to: 1) establish a collective agenda; 2) identify shared measurements; 3) establish

mutually reinforcing activities; 4) continuous communication; and 5) who will lead

(backbone support).

MVAEC projects will present their work to date.

MVAEC Roundtables will receive, discuss and help finalize policy papers that feed into a

baseline understanding of key issues for collective impact.

Next Steps:

Apply a Collective Impact approach and utilize input to shape our future responses.

Inform MVAEC on key areas of focus moving forward.

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FINAL AGENDA

2017 MVAEC POLICY ENGAGEMENT CONFERENCE

Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Center, 1607 E. Hastings St

Day 1: Mon. Feb 6, 2017

Time 8-10am

MVAEC Council Meeting --- Chief Simon Baker Room

9am

REGISTRATION OPENS at 9am Gymnasium Room (Mainfloor)

10-

10:30am BREAK

10:30am to noon

Conference starts at 10:30am after Council meeting Official Welcome: Chief Wayne Sparrow, Musqueam Opening Prayer: Florence James, Coast Salish Penelakut Tribe Opening Comments: Kevin Barlow, CEO, MVAEC KEYNOTE: Marc Maracle, Executive Director, Gignul Non Profit Housing Society

“It’s All About Relationships, Coalition Building”

12-

1:15pm LUNCH

1:15pm

to 2:30pm

Indigenous Collective Impact for Metro Vancouver Moderator: Kevin Barlow, CEO

Andrea L.K. Johnston, Johnston Research Inc.

2:30-3pm

BREAK

3pm to 4:30pm

Setting the Stage: Alternative Considerations Moderator: Rocky James, MVAEC

Alex Hemingway, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

Michael Chandler, University of British Columbia, Emeritus Professor

Leah George-Wilson, First Nations Health Council on Indigenous Social Determinants of Health

6:30-8:30pm

Social / Cultural Evening

Star Child Drum Group and Dancers & Other Performances VAFCS Gymnasium – Open to all

Indian Taco Fundraiser for Outrigger Canoe Club

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Day 2: Tues. Feb 7, 2017

Time

Gymnasium Room

Chief Simon Baker

(mainfloor)

Theatre Room (downstairs)

8:30am to 10am

Urban Indigenous Health Strategy Engagement

Moderator: Sheryl Engdahl, MVAEC

Leslie Bonshor, Vancouver Coastal Health

Naomi Williams-Shackelly, First Nations Health Authority

Roundtable 1: Arts, Culture & Language

Policy Session

Facilitator: Candice Day, MVAEC

Roundtable 2: Justice Policy Session

Facilitator: Norm Leech, VACPC

10-10:30am

BREAK

10:30am to noon

Social Enterprise Panel: Moderator: Candice Day, MVAEC

Michael Colclough, Wachiay Friendship Center

Damon Johnston, Winnipeg Indigenous Executive Council

Danielle Levin, Aboriginal Social Enterprise

Chief Fred Sampson, Siska Traditions Society

Roundtable 3: Health & Wellness Policy

Session

Facilitator: Nicola Prokop, MVAEC

Roundtable 4: Housing & Homelessness

Policy Session

Facilitator: Rocky James, MVAEC

12-1:15pm

LUNCH

1:15pm

to 2:30pm

Indigenous Panel: Working Within Systems to Achieve Change

Moderator: Kevin Barlow, MVAEC

Ginger Gosnell-Myers, City of Vancouver

Leslie Bonshor, Vancouver Coastal Health

David Stevenson, Ministry of Aboriginal Relations & Reconciliation

Roundtable 5: Education, Training &

Employment Policy Session

Facilitator: Rocky James, MVAEC

Roundtable 6: Children, Youth &

Families Policy Session

Facilitator: Nicola Prokop, MVAEC

2:30-3pm

BREAK

3pm to

4pm

KEYNOTE: Randy Jackson, McMaster (PhD candidate)

“The Power of Language: Reclaiming N’ginaajiwimi”

4pm -

4:30pm Community Recognition Awards

CLOSING COMMENTS: Ken Clement, Chair, MVAEC

CLOSING PRAYER: Elder Florence James

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WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS:

Day 1: Monday, February 6, 2017

Opening Keynote: “It’s All About Relationships, Coalition Building”

Marc Maracle, Executive Director, Gignul Nonprofit Housing, Ottawa The keynote will address the importance of relationships and the Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition’s

journey from its initial formation around homelessness, its composition, the Elders’ words that

“it is all about relationships”, the relationship continuum and relationship streams, the essential

elements of collective impact, the role of urban Indigenous coalitions and, a vision for a

reinvigorated Urban Aboriginal Strategy.

Indigenous Collective Impact for Metro Vancouver:

Andrea L.K. Johnston, Johnston Research Inc. MVAEC is undertaking a Collective Impact approach and has developed a draft framework.

Andrea Johnston will present an overview of this framework, discuss different options, and look

at opportunities. This discussion will invite feedback on how MVAEC sets our common agenda

with other stakeholders.

Setting the Stage: Alternative Considerations:

Alex Hemingway, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives At least half of the BC's school districts faced budget crises last spring, forced to make impossible

trade-offs between shutting schools and axing vital programs and supports. These crises are the

direct result of chronic underfunding by the provincial government, rather than a failure on the

part of individual school boards. There's no question that BC can and should reinvest in public

education.

Michael Chandler, UBC (Emeritus Professor) Cultural Wounds Require Cultural Medicines Professor Chandler will present three key points. First, I would like to invite people to think ——

simultaneously, if you will —— about both the suicides of individual Indigenous youth, and the

full epidemic of suicides that sometimes plague whole indigenous communities. Here my job

will be to convince you that an adequate understanding of either of these tragedies requires a

common understanding of both — an appreciation of the shared role that (what I will call) self-

and cultural continuity play in shaping the wellbeing of individual youth and of whole cultural

communities. Finally, I want to reflect along with you, on the implications of these findings for

the possible prevention of youth suicides in the future.

Leah George-Wilson, First Nations Health Council

Indigenous Social Determinants of Health Indigenous people have unique experiences that factor in to how we determine health.

Residential Schools and their multi-generational effects represent one such key distinction. This

presentation will give an overview of Indigenous Social Determinants of Health.

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Social/Cultural Evening at the Native Education College:

Drumming, singing, other performances, light snacks and refreshments. A time to

network.

Day 2: Tuesday, February 7, 2017

6 MVAEC Roundtable Sessions:

Six breakout sessions will take place to discuss draft policy papers. These papers will help

stimulate discussions on: 1) Arts, Culture & Language; 2) Children, Youth & Families; 3)

Education, Training & Employment; 4) Health & Wellness; 5) Housing & Homelessness; and 6)

Justice. The discussions of experts in each of these areas will help frame priorities; identify issues

and document areas of needed attention. This information will feed into MVAEC’s Collective

Impact strategy. The papers will be available online and are short synopses to generate ideas

and opportunities. MVAEC Roundtables are open to anyone, not just MVAEC members, who have

a role or interest in Indigenous issues for Metro Vancouver.

Urban Indigenous Health Strategy Engagement:

Leslie Bonshor, Executive Advisor, Aboriginal Health, Vancouver Coastal Health

Naomi Williams-Shackelly, Acting Regional Director, First Nations Health Authority

Vancouver Coastal Health and the First Nations Health Authority have been involved in

developing an Urban Indigenous Health Strategy. A short video will provide an overview of the

key areas of the strategy. The process for developing this document will also be presented.

Participants can then share how well the draft strategy reflects the priorities in the community.

Social Enterprise Panel:

Through exploring the social enterprise model with our members, the greatest number of

requests were for indigenous examples and expert knowledge from those currently operating

social enterprises. In response to this feedback, an Indigenous Social Enterprise Panel will share

years of experience operating within the indigenous social enterprise space. Panelists will share

their knowledge, including wise practices and lessons learned. Resources and supports will also

be discussed, and ample time will be given to allow for participants to ask their burning

questions.

Michael Colclough, Wachiay Friendship Center Three social enterprises are operated by Wachiay Firendship Center: Aqsaak; Wachiay Studio

and Wachiay MultiMedia. All three are much more significant contributors to our aboriginal

community in terms of employment, training and education opportunities and stimulating

entrepreneurial activities and income for indigenous artists.

Damon Johnston, Aboriginal Council of Winnipeg Two Social Enterprise Operations are the Neeginan Centre and Mother Earth Recycling. The

Neeginan Centre is the former CP Railway Station in Winnipeg that was purchased by a group of

Indigenous organizations in 1992. It generates revenue by leasing space, hosting venues,

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providing IT services including its own phone system and a restaurant on site. It is one of the

most successful social enterprises in Winnipeg and Canada established before social enterprise

became an official lexicon. Mother Earth Recycling, Inc is a newer social enterprise venture

owned by the Neeginan Centre, the Centre for Aboriginal Human Resource Development and the

Aboriginal Council of Winnipeg. It recycles electronics and mattresses; has a storefront operation

generating revenue by repairing older computers and reselling them to the public. They repair

computers; sell computer accessories and other used electronic items; and recycle mattresses.

This initiative will grow to recycle over 40,000 mattresses per year.

Danielle Levin, Aboriginal Social Enterprise Aboriginal Social Enterprise does not operate social enterprises, however, they support the

development of Aboriginal social enterprises. As such, they will share examples from

Saskatchewan, as well as from around the world on social enterprises that have the potential for

large impact, but with low start-up costs.

Chief Fred Sampson, Siska Traditions Society Chief Sampson will share their experience operating a successful social enterprise. He will

describe the operation, successes challenges, lessons learned and the value it brings. This

presentation is an example of Aboriginal Tourism.

Indigenous Panel – Working Within Systems to Achieve Change

Ginger Gosnell-Myers, City of Vancouver

Leslie Bonshor, Vancouver Coastal Health

David Stevenson, Ministry of Aboriginal Relations & Reconciliation

This panel involves three Indigenous leaders working within various non-Indigenous

environments. They will offer their insights on how they have worked within systems to create

meaningful change for Indigenous people. They will also share the challenges of balancing

agency-related processes with Indigenous community expectations.

Closing Keynote: “The Power of Language: Reclaiming N’ginaajiwimi”

Randy Jackson, McMaster University (PhD Candidate) Jackson will offer a critique of Western Scientific language as racist, pathologizing, and

marginalizing! It is language that makes us vulnerable. Instead, he will advocate for the use of

Indigenous languages to describe who we are as a people. The word N’ginaajiwimi is

anishinaabemowin (Ojibway) meaning the essence of who we are as a people is beautiful.

Community Recognition Awards

MVAEC, in partnership with the Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Recognition, will be hosting

a community recognition awards ceremony for an Indigenous Youth, an Indigenous Elder, and an

Indigenous Agency. These awards will recognize outstanding contributors within Metro

Vancouver who have shown leadership and a spirit of community commitment.

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PRESENTER BIOS:

Marc Maracle

A Mohawk from the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, Marc has been

involved with First Nations and Aboriginal issues for over 20 years. His

background is in architectural design and the preparation of

construction documents as well capital project management. Marc

has a varied background in community development; economic

development; program/project design, coordination and

management; program/project evaluation; and a wide variety of others. He has worked with

the National Aboriginal Management Board at Human Resources Development Canada and as

the Executive Director of the National Association of Friendship Centres. He joined Gignul

Housing in 2004.

Andrea L.K. Johnston

Andrea L.K. Johnston started Johnston Research Inc. in 2001.

Neyaashiinigmiing ndojeba, Toronto ndiindaa. Mikinaak dodem. She

has been working full-time in the field of Indigenous research for over

20 years. She believes strongly in reconciliation between Indigenous

and Western thought in the field of evaluation.

Alex Hemingway, PhD

Alex Hemingway’s work focuses on the state of BC’s public services,

including education, healthcare, social services and regulation,

particularly in the face of growing societal challenges that require

collective response. He also investigates the taxation system and its

relationship to inequality and the capacity of government to provide high-quality and accessible

public services. He finished his PhD in Political Science from the University of BC.

Michael Chandler, PhD

Professor Chandler is a developmental psychologist and Professor

Emeritus working at the University of British Columbia. His ongoing

program of research explores the role that culture plays in setting the

course of identity development. In particular, his work has made it

clear that both individual youth and whole indigenous communities

that loose a sense of their own personal and cultural continuity are at

special risk to suicide, and a host of other negative outcomes. These

efforts have earned Dr. Chandler the Killam Memorial Senior Research Prize, the Killam

Teaching Prize, to his being named Canada's only Distinguished Investigator of both the

Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research,

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and resulted in his being chosen as a member of the Advisory Board of CIHR’s Institute Of

Aboriginal Health. Professor Chandler's program of research dealing with identity development

and suicide in Indigenous communities lead to his twice being named a Distinguished Fellow of

the Peter Wall Institute For Advanced Studies — work singled out for publication as a book and

an invited SRCD Monograph, and is the only program of Canadian research featured in WHO’s

recently released report on the social determinants of health.

First Nations Health Council

The First Nations Health Council (FNHC) is a province-wide agency that

works in health. The FNHC is a provincial-level political and advocacy

organization that is representative of and accountable to BC First

Nations.

Leslie Bonshor

Leslie is currently Executive Advisor for Aboriginal Health at Vancouver

Coastal Health. She has previously worked for Fraser Health as well as

with Visions First Nations Financial Planning. Her skills include a wide

range of strengths, including program development; policy; leadership

development, research, etc.

Naomi Williams-Shackelly

Naomi Williams-Shackelly is from the Cowichan Tribes with deep roots

throughout Vancouver Island, Vancouver Coastal and the Tla’amin

Nation. She brings over 25 years’ experience in facilitating spaces for

dialogue, education and information sharing. Naomi’s professional

career reflects a lifelong journey in First Nations Leadership and senior

management positions with First Nations Communities and Aboriginal

Organizations. With a background in Criminology, Aboriginal Trauma, Conflict Resolution, and

Leadership Councils, Naomi has successfully supported the Vancouver Coastal Region as a

Community Engagement Coordinator since 2014.

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Michael Colclough

Michael Colclough is CEO of Aq’saak Aboriginal Food Products Ltd.,

one of three social enterprises developed by the Wachiay Friendship

Centre to create employment and related opportunities for

aboriginal youth and community members. “We have to think of

ourselves as a business and of our services and programs as product

...”

Damon Johnston

Damon is currently President of the Aboriginal Council of Winnipeg.

He is from the Fort William First Nation and served as Assistant

Executive Director of the Indian and Metis Friendship Centre of

Winnipeg for 5 years (1984 to 1989). He was elected as Secretary

Treasurer of the Ontario Metis and Non Status Association (1980 to

1982) and served as a Correctional Officer and Probation Officer with

the Ministry of Corrections, Ontario (1973 to 1978). Damon served in the Royal Canadian Navy

in Halifax, Nova Scotia from 1966 to 1968. He has been instrumental in the development of

successful social enterprises and his recent efforts include the formation of the Winnipeg

Indigenous Executive Council.

Danielle Levin

Currently the Executive Director of Aboriginal Social Enterprise,

Danielle has previously worked for the Ch’nook Program at UBC’s

Sauder School of Business. Danielle’s role at ASC is to develop, refine

and launch national Aboriginal non-profit organizations focusing on

Aboriginal social enterprise, economic empowerment and economic

reconciliation. Operationalize a concept into a functioning non-profit

start up - develop branding, marketing materials, fundraise, create programming, promote the

concept of Aboriginal social enterprise and advocate.

Chief Fred Sampson

I have been in a leadership role with Siska Indian Band for the past 19 years.

Took lead role and working with Siska Council to create Siska Traditions

Society a Non- Timber Forest Products. Which processes traditional teas,

soaps, jams, oils, and salves. We created the very first in-land salmon

processing facility. We worked with the Nicola Tribal Association in the

creation of Stuwix Resources. Which is now a fully “First Nations” owned and

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operated forest company. Was a lead negotiator along with Chief David Walkem in securing an

agreement with Highland Valley Copper, and the Province of BC which lead to the

establishment of the Citxw Nlaka’pamux Assembly and a nation trust to benefit all member

bands long into the future. In my free time I truly enjoy fishing, hunting, and harvesting for my

family, and community.

Ginger Gosnell-Myers

Ginger Gosnell-Myers(Nisga’a and Kwakwaka’wakw) worked as both

project manager and public-engagement director on the Environics

Institute’s Urban Aboriginal Peoples Study, the largest research

project on Aboriginal people living in Canadian cites. She later

worked as the western assistant to former minister of Indigenous

and Northern Affairs Canada Andy Scott, and contributed to the CBC

documentary series 8th Fire. Ginger is a 2004 Action Canada fellow, former co-chair to the

Assembly of First Nations’ National Youth Council, and former president of the Urban Native

Youth Association; she sits on the board of the Inspirit Foundation; and is Aboriginal Relations

Manager for Vancouver, which she is working to make an official City of Reconciliation.

David Stevenson - Dave is on secondment from the Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and

Reconciliation where he served as Executive Director, Community & Social Innovations. He is

now working with the Moosehide Campaign to address violence against women and children.

Randy Jackson

Randy, an Ojibway (Anishinaabe) person from Kettle Point First

Nation in Ontario is an expert in understanding the long-term

wellness among HIV-positive Aboriginal men. Dissatisfied with

existing research, which tended to focus excessively on

pathologizing Indigenous people, Jackson worked with the

communities he was studying to find a different perspective. Health-

care providers acknowledged the challenges of HIV in their communities, but also identified

resilience among those who accessed their services. They wanted to understand this resilience

better. Jackson continues to study how indigenous ways of knowing the world and being in the

world can influence resilience. By better understanding the role of culture in the lives of people

living with HIV, Jackson reveals parts of the bigger picture of the sociological facets of human

health. Jackson teaches courses in Aboriginal Health and Wellness, and also in the Community-

Based Research methods that are at the heart of his own research. This community-based

approach has broad implications and potential, providing new insights into the ways resilience

– not just physical, but also spiritual, emotional and mental – can be grounded in Indigenous

knowledge, community and worldviews.

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SPONSORS:

MVAEC is extremely proud of the financial and other support we have

received from the following sponsors. The opinions shared at the

conference are not a reflection of the official position of any of our

funders.