Looking for just the right day to celebrate this month? Something festive, non-denominational, and unique? Have you considered December 18th...National Wear A Plunger On Your Head Day?

Consilium, ARDOS and Aarluk wish all of our clients, friends, families and associates a very safe and happy holiday season.

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT CONSILIUM, AARLUK and ARDOS... In this corner of our site we'll be posting notes on new people, new projects, and new online materials you may find interesting. Enjoy, and come back often.

NEW NEIGHBOURS

Joining us in the sumptuous Chateau Consilium this month is CareerAim.  CareerAIM provides a powerful job search engine technology that helps people in the Ottawa and Toronto areas develop their careers.  CareerAIM's technology identifies over 6,000 unique job opportunities each month and automatically alerts job seekers daily by email of new positions that match their skills and interests.  Pictured left to right:  Rang Zhang, Caroline Thompson, David Forster (President), Dan Franzblau (Vice-President, Engineering).  CareerAIM - Ottawa Job Search.

  

NEW PROJECTS

The Inuit Heritage Trust has selected Aarluk Consulting to conduct a needs assessment of heritage stakeholders from across Nunavut. The project will develop a positively focused 'network' of all Nunavut's heritage stakeholders to share information, and to encourage forward thinking and planning of the heritage sector. Activities will include a needs assessment and a facilitated workshop to develop a strategy and implementation schedule. Chris Grosset leads the project team for Aarluk, with Greg Smith, Ryan Lotan, James Arreak, and James Forth. The questionnaire will be delivered to stakeholders in early December, with the workshop in Iqaluit scheduled for late January 2005.

 

ONGOING PROJECTS

Sometimes your job hands you a special treat…such as the opportunity to discuss Inuit language and culture with some of the leading advocates, artists and practitioners in Nunavut. Helen Klengenberg and James Arreak of Aarluk Consulting facilitated a stimulating focus group of Inuit from deeply involved in helping to preserve and promote their language. They included Order of Canada recipient Elisapee Ootoova from Pond Inlet, award-winning filmmaker Zacharias Kunnuk, youth representatives Miali Coley and Tommy Akulukjuk , Kitikmeot regional educator Millie Kuliktana, youth writer Celina Kalluk, Gwen Ohokak (creator of the Inuinnaqtun dictionary), NTI cultural specialist Navarana Beveridge, and Inuktitut language advocate, Bernadette Dean. The focus group was a key element of the evaluation Aarluk is currently completing on the Canada Nunavut Cooperation Agreement on Official Languages – Inuktitut Component, under the capable leadership of Aarluk partner Greg Smith. The Agreement provides $1.1 million per year from the federal Department of Canadian Heritage for Inuktitut and $1.45 million for French.

 

Aarluk continues delivering workshops for Arctic College and the Municipal Training Organization of Nunavut as part of an extensive training program for municipal employees in 12 communities. David Boult, one of the team of intrepid instructors, had an experience this month in Pond Inlet to remind him that indeed, he was a long way from Kansas. One morning, about fifteen minutes after he left his accommodation to go to the Adult Learning Centre, excited students rushed in to tell him that a polar bear had been shot in town. Never one to avoid a good class field trip, David joined the rest of the class and went to view the kill. While it was certainly exciting, David was a bit unnerved to find out that the bear was shot within a couple of hundred yards of his billet. Just another day in the life of an Aarluk management trainer in Nunavut...Pictured from l James Forth's Resolute Bay workshop are:  in the back row from left to right: Ralph Alexander (Hamlet), Philip Manik (Hamlet), Diane Hunter (Hamlet).   In the front row from left to right: Lisa Komangapik (Hamlet), Janice Kalluk (Housing Association), Nancy Amarualik (HTO)

Risk Communication is a highly specialized series of techniques for presenting information on complex issues to a range of stakeholders. The Aurora Group, a partnership formed by Aarluk, Earthlore and Akhaliak, is preparing a special invitational workshop on this topic for delivery in Iqaluit in February.

The draft final report on the evaluation of Nunavut Benefits and Measures under the Canada-Nunavut Labour Market Development Agreement has been delivered by Aarluk Consulting to Human Resoruces and Skills Development.  This has been a major consultatoin and reseach project over the past 15 months, involving a case study approach, interviews, focus groups, surveys and analysis of Government of Nunavut, HRSDC and other data.  The programs under the Agreement include Training on the Job and Skills Training for EI eligible clients.  Greg Smith is project manager.

Terry Rudden presented a series of options on restructuring the relationship between Inuit organizations involved in Wildlife Management in Nunavut to a meeting of key stakeholders in Edmonton last month. The recommendations were developed by Terry and Fred Weihs through six months of consultation and research with Inuit organizations, Institutions of Public Government and government representatives across Nunavut.

 

The Ukkusiksalik National Park Community Initiative Fund Study is in the home stretch, with community research now being completed in the five affected communities – Repulse Bay, Coral Harbour, Chesterfield Inlet, Baker Lake and Rankin Inlet. Terry Forth, Chris Grossett, Ryan Lotan and Fred Weihs are developing a draft report for discussion in December with members of the Kivalliq Inuit Association Executive Committee; the final report should be completed in early January.

The Nunavut Implementation Training Committee is required under the Land Claim Agreement to conduct an independent external review of its operations every five years. Terry Rudden presented preliminary findings and recommendations from the most recent review to a meeting of NITC staff in Winnipeg. Evaluation findings and recommendations will be posted on NITC's website later this month.

Consilium and Carol Rowan are carrying out consultations in Nunavik and in the south as part of background research for strategic planning for Avataq Cultural Institute. Greg Smith is project manager, and Carol is coordinating research. Sarah Bennett travelled in Nunavik to conduct interviews and focus groups, and helped with recording a TNI radio phone-in show about Avataq. The findings will be presented to the Avataq project steering committee at a planning meeting in Montreal later in December, and will help to guide strategies for future directions for the organization.

 

HAPPY ENDINGS

Greg Smith was a speaker at the annual conference of the Canadian Evaluation Society - National Capital Chapter in November. His presentation was on the topic of Engaging and Managing Multi-Stakeholder Environments. It drew on more than twenty years experience in conducting research and consultations, including evaluation research, in northern and Aboriginal communities. The presentation focused on the rewards, and some of the issues and challenges of working in this environment, with suggestions for methods and processes for completing projects successfully.

 

Fred Weihs assisted the Labrador Inuit Health Commission and Labrador Inuit Association with facilitation of their 2004 Regional Health Conference. Over 40 delegates from communities in Labrador assembled in North West River to develop recommendations on health issues and services and on the role of language and culture in promoting healthy, individuals, families and communities. Labrador Inuit recently ratified their land claim agreement, which will see the creation of a regional Nunatsiavut government with law-making powers in areas such as health and education, economic development, and lands and resources. Fred is pictured here with Shirley Montague, a member of the Regional Health Conference Steering Committee. The Conference was chaired by William Andersen III, President of LIA, and Tony Andersen, Vice-President of LIA.

GOSSIP

Lanark County, just west of Ottawa, is known for its large deer population, which has grown tremendously in the past few years and caused a lot of grief to motorists and farmers trying to protect their crops. Greg Smith lives on a rural property near Almonte, in Lanark County. He and his son Colin (17) have each been successful at bagging a deer this past November hunting season, (not quite as pictured left) both within a hundred yards of the house. Other son Jonah (19) is the family skinner and talented butcher, helping to fill the freezer with a variety of well carved cuts. A favourite meal at the Smith household is venison Fondue Bourguignon.

 

 

Terry Rudden and Valerie Assinewe returned tanned, relaxed and salty from their annual scuba pilgrimage to Bonaire. Highlights included a close encounter with five spotted eagle rays swimming in formation, and a snorkel-dive in one of the Island's larger, deeper sweetwater caves. Dive buddy George Hargrave took the opportunity to shoot some final scenes for his soon-to-be-released "Dive Bonaire DVD", featuring a commentary track by George and Terry.

 

 

Happy Birthdays due to our newest partner, bear-dodgin' workshop teachin' David Boult (December 7th, anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbour) and check writin' budget balancin' Consilium bookkeeper Deborah Chabot.

TEN YEARS AGO

Greg Smith completed the outline of a long term plan to provide broadcast training to the James Bay Cree in northern Quebec, while Fred Weihs completed training for the Pasico Development Corporation in entrepreneurship, market development, and management. Pasico served seven First Nations in the Mushkegowuk region of Ontario.

 

CHECK BACK EVERY MONTH FOR MORE CONSILIUM NEWS, TOOLS, AND GOSSIP.