Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Feb. 26th, 2019

[Mike Bossio, Liberal, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you all so much for being here today.

You mentioned the 10-year HR strategy you're doing. You are doing some groundbreaking stuff. I know Kevin talked about this earlier, about sharing the model and sharing the best practices you're developing. It is first nation-led, first nation-driven and created, so I see this as so vitally important.

Are you expanding outside your scope somewhat to share that model with others? Even Norm himself.... We're seeing capacity problems everywhere, and you guys have developed a model around teaching that could spread to many other professions.

[Shirley Fontaine]

I'll speak briefly to that.

What we're looking at is.... Elements of our model include cohort education, and also making sure that there are the right supports for students, whether it's financial assistance for transportation, allowances, books or resources. Part of our strategy is also looking at establishing our own first nations' university in the future. Right now we are partnering with various universities, both in Canada and the United States. What we look at right now is who has the training that we need.

That's the type of training we implement, meaningful partnerships with universities, and we make sure that we provide the right student supports so that our students succeed. As mentioned, we have over 95% graduation rate from most of our post-secondary training programs. We're highly successful.

We are presenting at national and international conferences in terms of our models. I guess we do need to work on more academic types of presentations also. We have a partnership with various academics where we're looking at publishing more of our research so that we can share the information more broadly with others.

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

Thank you.

I'm sorry but that ends our allotted time. We have other guests coming up.

Please accept our thanks for coming out all the way from home and spending some time with us. Norm, again, thank you for your perspective. It was unique. You could see that MPs really enjoyed learning from you.

Meegwetch to everyone.

To MPs, we're going to suspend for a couple of minutes for the new groups to come up.

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

Okay. Let's get started because there's potentially another vote this morning. If that occurs, we will hear bells. I think it's a 30-minute bell. Let's get started because we do want to hear from you as you came all this way to make a presentation.

We have the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers; Raymond and Keith are here. Also, we have Daniel from the First Nations Land Management Resource Centre.

The way I have it is the council first, then Daniel.

Oh. Hi, Kelly. You are on teleconference. Welcome. We'll be sure to have MPs recognize whom they're going to be asking questions of.

I'm going to ask you to consider, if possible, shortening your presentations. We'd normally give you 10 minutes, but I'm very anxious that we might get called in. Try to do your best.

We're going to go to the council first.

Go ahead.

[Keith Matthew, President and Director, Southern British Columbia, Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers]

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'd like to recognize all the members of this particular committee.

It's good to see some familiar faces from back home. Cathy is my member of Parliament for the Kamloops area, and there's Mr. Hogg. It's good to see you.

I'm from British Columbia myself. My name is Keith Matthew. I want to say just a few words in my language.

[Witness spoke in Secwepemctsin.]

[English]

I'm from the Shuswap Nation. I'm currently the president of Cando. I have with me Ray Wanuch, who is our executive director. We want to talk to you today about community capacity-building and the retention of talent in the delivery of essential services on reserve.

In particular, we want to talk to you about Cando, our organization, which serves our communities from coast to coast to coast. The question that we want to have in front of us is this: Is indigenous community economic development an essential service on reserve? To that, we say a resounding “yes”.

We have over 400 aboriginal economic development officers throughout the country who belong to our council. As Chief Clarence Louie from Osoyoos says, “the economic horse pulls the social cart”.

The very essence of a Cando-certified economic development officer, or EDO, is to work with the leadership to create a vision for the community and then use our skills in strategic and business planning, lands management and more, to create an economy that will support that very vision. Communities can use, then, profits from their many businesses to offset limited funding for essential services. That's a key point, because that's what my community is doing right now.

Since the early 1990s, Cando has been training and certifying economic development officers working within indigenous community economic development. Our mission is to build capacity, which strengthens indigenous economies by providing programs and services to community economic development officers. Our vision is to be the leading authority on indigenous community economic development. We represent first nation, Métis and Inuit EDOs from every province and territory in Canada.

The four guiding principles for education and training identified through Cando's certification process are to be relevant, accessible, affordable and certified. Currently, Cando has certified 202 technical aboriginal economic developer and 209 professional aboriginal economic developer graduates, for a total of 411 Cando-certified AEDOs from coast to coast to coast.

Our EDO technical certifications are delivered through eight accredited colleges and universities based throughout the country. Our certification consists of 11 competencies, focusing on economic development and lands management. Completing TAED through our institution equates to the first two years of a business undergraduate degree. The credits are also buildable and transferable between our accredited institutions.

Our competencies include organization and financial management, governance and leadership, community-based indigenous economic development, indigenous business development and entrepreneurship, and much more.

Along with our journal committee made up of volunteer members, many whom are the finest indigenous professors across the land, Cando annually produces its academic journal on indigenous community economic development.

Cando also delivers its courses and professional development workshops within its national annual conference and its many Links to Learning events offered in locations across Canada. Cando has hosted these events and is expanding this year.

Cando inspires success by adhering to the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report and hosting its annual national youth summit, which brings together four youth per 13 regions throughout the country. We ensure that there's representation from first nation, Métis, Inuit and non-indigenous youth at our national conference.

In regard to support for sectors within our community, we support our indigenous women through our women in business panel at our national conference and AGM. Women make up at least 50% of the delegates and membership of Cando. We also note that many of our EDOs are non-indigenous as well.

Cando is partnered with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to deliver its community economic development initiative, or CEDI program, which supports collaboration between a first nation and its surrounding municipality to create a joint economic development strategy for their region.

Cando celebrated its very highly successful 25th anniversary just last October, which served as an excellent opportunity for EDOs to network and learn from their peers, with generous support from Indigenous Services Canada and Western Economic Diversification. Cando communicates to its membership, educational institutions, government and industry stakeholders through its quarterly news magazine, monthly electronic brief, and social media platforms.

Social determinants of health, such as a job, are a direct indicator of health. The simple knowledge that you'll receive a paycheque in two weeks makes you a healthier person. However, we have some challenges in front of us. From our perspective, there are opportunities to support the creation of good jobs and economic development in indigenous communities. We have four points here we'd like to stress.

The first is to establish regional EDOs to serve smaller communities. Annual funding for economic development purposes within first nation communities is discretionary and based on a per capita formula. For communities with smaller populations, this means that there is not enough funding for the retention of a Cando-certified EDO. This results in the position being filled by an unqualified person who brings few, if any, results. There are economies of scale where the population of the community is so small that it would be better served by an EDO who serves several communities within a regional setting.

The second point we'd like to make is to retain high-quality EDOs. Many of Cando's certified EDOs are scooped up by companies offering higher salaries and better benefits. Rectifying this situation means increasing the annual salary and benefits. However, this may prove to be unsustainable, given the amount of funding a particular community receives on an annual basis. One solution may be to provide a small base salary with added incentives for funding brought in on an annual basis. Another solution is to create a sense of individual ownership, so community members realize a dividend on an annual basis. The EDO then realizes individual incentives along with the salary, but also realizes dividends based on the programs and services he or she delivers within the community as a whole.

The third point we'd like to impress upon you is to improve access to capital. We contracted the Evidence Network to conduct an unbiased third party analysis of the training and certification provided for EDOs, and also analyze the impact EDOs have within our communities. Their findings rate us at an eight out of 10. They found limitations in the area of lack of capital. As a result of that, our EDOs are not effective enough when it comes to dealing with community entrepreneurs.

Why train effective EDOs when there's no access to capital for the strategic plans and business ventures they've developed? Cando has now entered into a three-year agreement for its annual funding with Indigenous Services Canada because of its very low risk rating. As the next step, we need to determine where we stand now. With support from Indigenous Services Canada, Cando is currently conducting a country-wide national survey and analysis to answer the critical questions to determine how we can retain capacity within our communities and how we can serve our communities.

The final point I'd like to make to you, Madam Chair, is that the main elements of the CEDI program—our partnership with the municipalities that I talked about—are to use indigenous protocols to set the stage for relationship-building to begin, and then to begin third party intervention for a first nation to work alongside its surrounding municipality to create joint economic development strategies.

Thank you very much for this time this morning. I really appreciate the opportunity to address this committee on a really important issue. We know that we serve an under-represented area with indigenous people across Canada, and we'd be happy to answer any of those questions after our other colleague has presented.

Thank you very much for this opportunity.

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

Thank you so much, to all of you. You are all from B.C. Kelly is up very early to be presenting to our committee.

If the bells ring, do I have consensus from this committee to allow the presenters to present?

[Some hon. members]

Yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

All right, let's keep going.

We have Daniel, from B.C. as well.

[Mike Bossio, Liberal, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Might I suggest that, because sometimes we don't know how secure the video link is, maybe it's always best to go with the video link first to make sure we at least get their presentation on record? Then we can go with the ones who are local.

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

We don't want that to happen. It's never happened before, but let's do that. I see there's nodding.

Kelly, are you ready to present?

Kelly Shopland, Director of Aboriginal Education, welcome.

[Kelly Shopland, Director of Aboriginal Education, North Island College]

Good morning. Gilakasla.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak with members of the standing committee on the study of community capacity-building and retention of talent in the delivery of essential services on reserve, including indigenous education.

[Witness spoke in Kwakwala.]

[English]

My name is Kelly Shopland and I'm a member of the K'ómoks First Nation. I am the Director of Aboriginal Education at North Island College on Vancouver Island in British Columbia.

I'd like to share with you today the ways in which NIC, as a rural, public post-secondary institute, partners as an active partner with first nations communities to offer and develop programs and training to address community capacity needs and priorities, as identified by nations.

North Island College is a comprehensive community college with a service area that spans approximately 80,000 square kilometres on central and northern Vancouver Island and parts of the B.C. mainland coast. With over 157,000 residents in its region, North Island College serves the largest population of all B.C. rural colleges. The college is honoured to acknowledge operations within the traditional territories of 35 first nations, inclusive of the Nuu-chah-nulth, Kwakwaka'wakw and Coast Salish traditions.

Students of self-declared aboriginal ancestry make up over 16% of NIC's domestic student population, exceeding the proportion of aboriginal peoples living within the college's service area, which is about 13%. First nations communities are located throughout the region, and many are not within a commutable proximity to one of our four campuses.

As a public post-secondary college, North Island College views itself as an active partner with first nations communities to provide educational opportunities and services as identified by the nation. As a rural college, NIC has embraced its role as a community capacity-builder, and through partnership and collaboration with first nations, community and industry works to grow local, economic and social development. However, all programs and initiatives are identified at the community level and guided and led by first nations communities throughout our region.

North Island College would like to acknowledge and raise our hands to the representatives of the 35 nations that collectively make up the Aboriginal Education Council to NIC. It is this council that is the true driving force in change-makers and the success of programs and education opportunities for first nations learners through NIC. Collectively, they are the voice for indigenous students and communities, and truly guide the work done through the college.

Programming and services are identified and prioritized by communities, regional advisory committees and the Aboriginal Education Council. Collaborative engagement with nations supports informed insight regarding economic development initiatives, which identify and inform programming priorities.

The council comprises members appointed by first nations and Métis communities, as well as urban organizations. Through regularly scheduled meetings, the council also provides advice to the college on all matters relating to local protocol, their respective communities, local education and training needs, and goals and priorities. They provide information and advice on the local labour market needs and priorities, as well as local community development and economic development plans that may require corresponding short- to mid-term or long-term education and training strategies. As well, language and culture priorities are set forth by the respective organizations and communities.

Since 2014, more than 90 training programs were delivered across the North Island College region in response to nations-identified industry and educational needs. Over 400 remote learners were served across the north island and central coast. North Island College is meeting the needs of rural and remote communities through a regional delivery model, centring on in-community program delivery. To increase access and relevance for aboriginal learners, the college is committed to a regional delivery model of education, whereby programming and instruction are delivered face to face in aboriginal communities in partnership with the first nation.

Over the last decade, NIC has innovated with its off-campus, in-community programming, which brings faculty to students where they live. Programs have ranged from health and human service programs—like early childhood education, health care and education assistance—to things like tourism, language and essential skills.

This in-community programming model has many benefits for students, including allowing learners to be close to their family, their culture and their supports. It provides the opportunity to learn from the land in a relevant and real environment. It creates an opportunity to complete practicums, placement and work experience within their communities, and to begin to build those relationships for future employment. As well, the inclusion of local elders and community members as faculty members provides the opportunity for mentorship and establishing the traditional roles of community in training and capacity-building.

Flexibility is required to tailor the content, curriculum and delivery to meet community needs. Internal policies, procedures and services need to be reimagined as a result. To do this effectively and to support student success, funding models need to allow for flexibility as well as a higher cost generally required for off-campus programming.

I'd like to share with you a quick example of some programming that has been developed as a result of the community capacity need as identified by the Aboriginal Education Council. We developed and are currently offering for the first time our aboriginal leadership certificate. It was designed to give students practical tools and knowledge to work in management and administrative levels of aboriginal organizations and within nation governance.

North Island College was approached by K’ómoks First Nation about the need for leadership training to build their capacity within community with a specific focus on working for and with first nations. The goal was to prepare workers for executive-level positions within aboriginal organizations.

NIC worked with our Aboriginal Education Council and held a series of community consultations to gather input on what should be included to meet the needs of first nations in the region. Development was community-driven and community-based. While each first nation community differs in social, cultural, and economic ways, they shared a common need for in-community learning that respected local knowledge and engaged the wisdom of elders. The certificate complements traditional and hereditary understanding of governing and indigenization.

Another program is our Awi’nakola land-based learning with language, which combines core math and English curriculum with a more holistic approach that is connected to the land, taking students out on the land each day. We continue to hear about the importance of language to capacity-building, as language helps remove barriers for students, including those silent speakers, and allows them to start an educational journey in a culturally safe way. NIC has developed a suite of language courses, tuition-free, in response to the community need to get students started on their educational journeys.

This personalized community-based programming comes with a set of challenges. There is a need to be responsive, and we continue to rely on one-time funding sources, often on an annual basis. NIC respects the expertise of the nations when it comes to identifying their needs and priorities. We like to work collaboratively in a responsive way under their direction. With the limited availability of multi-year funding to develop and deliver innovative programs that lead to success, that's a challenge we always face.

These types of programs cannot be rushed. It's important to ensure there is sufficient time for students to prepare for studies, to find well-suited instructors that know the community, and to meet funding deadlines for student supports. The one-year funding models create additional stresses and barriers. Funding deadlines and parameters do not meet up when there is a call for funding to deliver or develop programming. Decisions and allocations often come too late for the needs of the students. They've missed their deadline to apply through their nation for funding as laid out in the post-secondary students support program. That's a major barrier we face each year. It continues to create barriers rather than foster access and success.

I'd like to close by once again acknowledging the role of the nations, communities, and the Aboriginal Education Council as the leaders and guiding forces in the work North Island College does to provide educational opportunities to students to increase access, retention and success leading to community capacity-building. The nations are the experts, and when it comes to identifying priorities and needs for their respective communities, we respect the work they have done with their community comprehensive planning, as well as gaps in needs assessments.

NIC is always honoured when we are chosen as the educational partner to enhance opportunities for members to continue to strengthen communities.

We'd like to thank everyone for having us today and hearing about what we're doing at North Island College.

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

Everybody is aware that we have a vote in 25 minutes.

We do want to hear the next presentation, from Dr. Daniel Millette.

[Dr. Daniel Millette, Director, Planning and Readiness, First Nations Land Management Resource Centre]

Thanks so much for having me today. I'll get right into it and speed along.

I'm going to talk about the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management, which is a groundbreaking government-to-government agreement that was initially signed in 1996 by 13 first nations and Canada. It recognizes the inherent right of first nations to govern their lands, environment and resources according to their own laws. The same agreement provides an option for first nations to re-establish their jurisdiction and governance authority, as well as to begin to dismantle the colonial and outdated Indian Act.

First nations avail themselves of the framework agreement opportunity by signing it and by working with their members to design and ratify a land code. Once ratified by the first nation, the land code replaces 33 sections of the Indian Act that deal with land. That's about a quarter of the Indian Act.

There are two main first nations organizations that assist communities through the interested, developmental and operational phases of the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management.

The first is the first nations Lands Advisory Board, or LAB, which is an organization made up of elected members from first nations that have passed a land code. Its role is mainly to provide policy and planning at the political level, intergovernmental relations, and political advocacy with signatory and interested first nations. The responsibilities of the LAB on behalf of all signatory first nations are prescribed by the framework agreement, as ratified by the First Nations Land Management Act, FNLMA.

For technical and administrative purposes, the LAB created the First Nations Land Management Resource Centre in December 2001. The purpose of the resource centre is to discharge the technical responsibilities of the LAB. Hence, both the LAB and its resource centre are committed to supporting operational first nations in developing the land, environment and resource governance capacity required to achieve and sustain effective and appropriate self-determination through the lens of the framework agreement.

The role of the LAB and the resource centre is to provide sustained, high-level advice and technical support services at the request of first nations. The timing and sequence for meeting these obligations are primarily determined by first nations. Our role is advisory, not prescriptive. That is key.

Each community is presented with a challenging opportunity that spans many years of transitional activity, leading to the full exercise of their land, environment and resource governance powers and associated responsibilities.

Once they have ratified their land codes and individual agreements, first nations face the challenge of developing a customized land, environment and resource governance system to give effect to their community values and aspirations. In this regard, first nations differ from comparable local governments off reserve, which manage lands within the fully defined, prevailing provincial legislative and governance framework.

Furthermore, the contemporary resumption of indigenous land governance frameworks by first nations following a hundred years of imposed Indian Act rule can be a complicated and time-consuming effort. This process is considered an act of decolonization, first nation by first nation. That is our perspective. Operational first nations have reported that the transitional period can range from several years to beyond a decade.

Land code first nations exercise self-government over their lands. This includes the authority to decide what systems and personnel can best suit their needs. Individual first nations are best placed to decide how best to build capacity over time and retain skilled employees.

We recommend that federal government programming, as well as funding that assists with capacity development, remain flexible and responsive to the individual needs of first nations. The federal government should not impose a single approach or federal capacity targets. To do so not only would be ineffective, but it would also be a colonial approach to the important issue of building capacity.

We also take a very flexible approach in responding to the needs and priorities of individual first nations. Our goal is not to certify or impose a single model of education on communities with different land codes, needs, cultures, structures or locations, but to augment and build upon established skills.

We work with first nations staff, leadership and communities to provide regular and customized opportunities for increasing training, mentoring and professional development. The implementation of a land code cannot and should not fall on the back of one person. That implies that there are a lot of community members involved in capacity-building. The framework agreement was not designed for this.

Further, A to Z complete training while working on a job is not always the best answer for a first nation with an ambitious work plan and complicated land transactions.

We also highly recommend that first nations use their operational funding dollars to provide competitive salaries for land governance directors and other staff involved in the implementation of a land code.

Operational first nations are on the cutting edge of re-establishing their governance in a post-Indian Act context. There is no instruction manual for this, but we've managed to establish an extensive network of communities that are having similar experiences, challenges and successes. This shared model of innovation is what drives the training curriculum we offer to first nations.

This subject matter relevancy, coupled with instructors from first nations that have experienced the development and implementation of a land code, is critical to the effectiveness of our strategy. We also work with other first nation organizations, both regional and local, to help provide even greater training opportunities and combinations.

Can we do more? Absolutely. We are continually looking to expand our strategy, enhance curriculum and build partnerships with other organizations to increase support for first nations.

Thanks very much for your time.

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

We do want to apologize for not having an opportunity to delve into your presentations and ask questions, but all MPs must get into the House immediately.

The meeting is adjourned.