Our Featured Celebration

The Celtic Saint that usually hogs all the attention in March is Patrick, of course - Patron of university students and tinted beer. However, we've always been a bigger fan of St. David, Patron Saint of Wales, whose interests included beekeeping, standing up to his neck in a lake of cold water and reciting Scripture, and the consumption of watercress. You can commemorate his day (March 1st) by wearing a leek or joining a large male choir. If you don't have ready access to a celebratory leek, just cut this illustration along the dotted line and pin in it on. Your Welsh friends will understand.
                       

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 PROJECTS          

Terry Rudden, Blair Stevenson and Clive Tesar are working with Isaksimagit Inuusirmi Katujjiqatigiit, or "Embrace Life", a Nunavut-based group established in January 2004 as a result of partnership efforts between the Government of Nunavut, NTI, RCMP, and many others. The goal of the Council is to reduce the number of suicides in Nunavut significantly over the next few years by providing training and coordination support to volunteers, teachers, members of the RCMP, and others. The Aarluk team is working with Executive Director Lori Idlout to develop resource and communications materials for community use.

 

Greg Smith has begun a review of the Inuit Employment Plan (IEP) for the Nunavut Regional Office of DIAND. Working with Terrys Forth and Rudden, he will consult with members of the Department in Iqaluit and review and analyse how successfully the five year plan has met the objectives and targets it set out for the period 2000-2005. Under the NLCA (Article 23) all levels of government are required to develop an IEP with specific targets for Inuit employment.

ONGOING PROJECTS

Alex Ker has just returned from her first trip to Yellowknife and Deline, located on the north shore of Keith Arm on Great Bear Lake. A former writer and policy researcher with the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (where she worked with nouveau-Consiliumite Ian Kenney), Alex and Terry Rudden are supporting the development of a strategy to identify human resources needs arising from the Deline transition to self-government, and working on solutions to address those needs. Alex will be returning later this month to complete data collection.

Achieving Objectives Land Claims Conference, June 27-30, 2006, Hilton Lac Leamy, Gatineau, is approaching fast.High-profile sponsors are lining up for this spectacular event including INAC, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, RBC Financial, Deloitte & Touche, the Consilium Consulting Group and the Government of Nunavut. Discounted group registration rates are available until March 31. Hurry! Book your delegate passes now to reserve your participation before we sell out. Registration Forms are available on the conference website at www.consilium.ca/alcc2006.

The Northwest Passage Legacy Project for Nunavut Tourism has been launched (note the nautical pun?). On January 30th Terry Forth and Chris Grosset met with the project Steering Committee in Iqaluit to review the direction and theme for the project. Under the logo "Canada's Northwest Passage: Generations of Exploration" the projects aim will be to work directly with communities in Nunavut to develop and promote tourism events and attractions based upon Inuit and non-Inuit stories associated to the Northwest Passage. While Terry and Chris were working with the Steering Committee, other project team members Marla Limousin, Attima Hadlari and Johnny Ningeongan were in Cambridge Bay presenting the project to Community Economic Development Officers from across the territory at the Nunavut Economic Development Association annual meeting. The project was well received and support was garnered from all the communities in attendance.  Picture above:  Chris Grosset and Terry Forth.

Ian Kenney, Terry Rudden and Ryan Lotan are continuing work on a Policy Paper for the National Association of Friendship Centres. This paper will lay out some strategic options for the NAFC in the areas of Health, Education, Housing and New Relationships in the context of the new political environment federally.  

Ron Ryan and Ian Kenney, through ARDOS, are work with BEAHR (Building Environmental Aboriginal Human Resources) to set-up the Aboriginal Inland Habitat Program (AIHP) for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. This program will assist Aboriginal communities in the management of local fish habitat. Technical committees have been established in Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario, and technical consultants have been engaged to work with each of these committees to develop program implementation plans. In Saskatchewan, the role of committee and consultant is being played by the FSIN.  Ian will be travelling to Montréal this month to get the process started there as well.  

 

Over the last few months, Consilium, under the direction of Ron Ryan, has been supporting the Aboriginal Human Resources Development Council (AHRDCC) is setting up Private Sector Engagement Forums across the country. These forums will bring together employers and Aboriginal Human Resources Development Agreement (AHRDAs) holders to find new approaches to achieving their mutual objectives. Ron recently travelled to Halifax to begin planning for such a forum in the Atlantic Region, and Ian Kenney spent a few days in Montréal in February, beginning the dialogue there with representatives from AHRDCC, HRSDC, individual AHRDA holders, and other stakeholders.

Nunavut Tourism announces its first premier tourism extravaganza. Intended to bring interest and resources to the tourism industry in Nunavut, the event will attract participants from across Nunavut and beyond. Patti Black and Helen Klengenberg will be working with the Tourism Task Force steering committee to develop the theme, agenda and framework for the event. Watch for it!

As you read this, Ron Ryan is winging his way to Cambridge Bay to facilitate a three-day conference for the Kitikmeot Economic Development Corporation, bringing together more than fifty representatives of grassroots community organizations to discuss common barriers, goals and strategies for increased cooperation throughout the region.

An initial evaluation of the implementation of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement has been submitted to the Nunavut Implementation Panel, consisting of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, the Government of Nunavut, and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. The final version, scheduled for completion in March. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) is playing the lead role in the evaluation, with Aarlumiut Greg Smith, Terry Rudden, Terry Forth and Helen Klengenberg providing research, analysis and writing support. The final version is scheduledfor completion in March.

 

 

Aarluk team members Greg Smith, David Boult, Brian Burke, Terry Forth, James Arreak and Ryan Lotan have completed data collection for the review of the Nunavut fur industry, including support programs, issues and challenges, and opportunities for growth. The draft report will be provided to the Government of Nunavut Department of Environment by mid-March.

 

 

Chris Grosset and Marla Limousin were in Rankin Inlet in late January for a week of initial interviews related to the Hamlet of Rankin Inlet Comprehensive Community Economic Development Plan. With the help of Charlotte Hickes, the Community Economic Development Officer for Rankin, the days were filled with interviews and the evenings included a public open house, Elders meeting and two radio shows. The input from the members of the community is being summarized, and Ron Ryan will present a strategic options paper to the Community Economic Development Committee in late March.

HAPPY ENDINGS

 

Patti Black and Terry Rudden completed the long-anticipated Nunavut Implementation Panel Annual Report for 2001-2004. In the words of client Maureen Dawson of INAC, "It's really beautiful." Gorgeous cover artwork aside, the report details the activities of the tri-party Implementation Panel in English, Inuktitut and French.

 

 

NOTICE

On February 11th we lost an old and very dear friend and partner. The following notice was published in the Ottawa Citizen on 2/16/2006.

Many of us at Consilium, Aarluk and ARDOS have been close to Kowyeesa, Fred, Rosina and Leah for many years through work and in our private lives. These two often blend together;  we’ve always been a large family of friends who happen to work together.

We will always be grateful that Kowyeesa was part of our lives, and we will always hold her memory in our hearts with love.

There is an online memorial page and guestbook

at http://www.legacy.com/Link.asp?Id=LS16745352X.

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