The Tripartite Forum’s seven Working Committees met in the spirit of collaboration for the 2024 All-Mi’kmaw Members Session and Working Development Session.
The three-day event, hosted at the Inverary Resort in Baddeck, on Unama’ki (Cape Breton), is the sole event where all members of the Tripartite Forum gather under one roof and the first time since 2022.
The event was led by emcees Camryn and Maisyn Sock, who traveled from Eskasoni to guide the conversations and keep everything on track.
During the June 5th Mi’kmaw-Only Session, members sat down for a frank conversation on what is and isn’t working, sharing insights and concerns from the past few years’ worth of work in their committees. Working committee members spoke to one another about the programs and services they have been providing and developing over the years. A unanimous sentiment during the Mi’kmaw-Only Session was that it’s good to hear what other committees are up to. People who spoke during the session stressed the need to streamline onboarding and orientation processes to get new members up to speed more efficiently.
The Mi’kmaw-Only Session was the first part of a broader conversation between committee members that took up much of the second and third days. A series of eight round-table discussions between committees took place over the course of June 6 and 7, in which members from different committees sat and discussed potential collaboration going forward.
Committee Updates
Each committee took to the podium to update everyone in attendance on what they’ve accomplished in the past year. Their presentations entailed committees sharing their challenges and uncertainties since the last Working Development Session, as well as how their work specifically aligns with MMIWG2S Calls for Justice and TRC Calls to Action.
Tim Bernard speaks to the other Tripartite Forum members on what the Culture and Heritage Working Committee has been busy with over the past year.
The Culture and Heritage Working Committee discussed its progress on the Shubenacadie Indian Residential School Commemoration Phase 4, the monitoring of the Bedford Barrens. Speaking to guests Mi’kmaq Co-chair Tim Bernard described uncertainty about the forum’s future during restructuring and the capacity of committees and communities to take on leadership of multiple projects as challenges. For more information on the Culture and Heritage Working Committee’s presentation, click here.
Federal Economic Development Co-chair Mike Rothenburg speaks about the work of the Economic Development Committee at the Inverary Resort.
The Economic Development Working Committee discussed its priorities, which include an economic development organization (EDO) symposium, Indigenous tourism, renewable energy and guest speakers whose presentations have contributed to the committee’s knowledge base. The committee also reported on its work with Nova Scotia Loyal, Mi’kmawitasik, the Kinu Tourism Program and Mount St. Vincent University, and cited challenges that include membership and the need to engage EDOs more. For more information on the Economic Development Working Committee’s presentation, click here.
Melody Martin-Googoo (right) and Helen Long discuss what the Education Committee has been working on.
Education reported that its priorities have included research into programming that supports lifelong learning, identification of needs and challenges of Mi’kmaw students, engaging with education directors and the gathering of data on students with special needs and services provided. Committee members cited the retirement of their co-chair, understanding responsibilities, maintaining a collective voice and from all members as challenges in the past year. For more information on the Education Committee’s presentation, click here.
Members of the Health Working Committee presenting on their activity over the past year.
Health Working Committee members spoke of their three focus areas over the past year – Indigenous birth rights and midwifery, Jordans Principle (aging out) and Cancer care. Health Committee members cited strategic planning, the participation of Tajikeimɨk, the approval of Mi’kmaw Birthrights proposal and a consistent meeting schedule as successes – and the gap from ideation to deliverables and action as a challenge. For more information on the Health Committee’s presentation, click here.
Shelly Martin, Mi’kmaw Co-Chair of the Justice Committee, speaking to her fellow Tripartite Forum Members on what her committee has been working on.
The Justice Working Committee described by-law related Indigenous rights, legal supports (Indigenous court worker, customary law, Gladue reports and victim services), access to justice and developing collaborative frameworks between involved parties as their main priorities over the past year.
Mi’kmaq Co-chair Shelley Martin told guests that the committee is also working to reduce gender-based violence and implement initiatives that support women with an NSNWA representative, and efforts to ensure 2SLGBTQIA+ rights and develop opportunities to address and correct racism-related issues.
Martin told guests specific focus areas include its by-law project, collaboration and support for Mi’kmaw-led justice support agencies, a Mi’kmaw Child Welfare Initiative and a Gender and Safety Healing Committee. Martin noted difficulties include frustration around funding access and the need for more frequent meetings. For more information on the Justice Committee’s presentation, click here.
The Social Committee reported homelessness, aging out of services and disability support as its areas of key focus when they spoke to guests. Social Committee members said there is a lot of potential to work with other committees, noting that their work is connected to the work of other committees, and mentioned an Indigenous Homelessness Symposium they are requesting Project Fund support to host. For more information on the Social Committee’s presentation, click here.
Members of the Sports and Recreation Working Committee spoke to guests about their work over the past year.
The Sports and Recreation Committee reported that their top areas of focus include updating and finalizing a committee work plan for the sport and recreation sector; a plan to advance leadership and participation opportunities for Mi’kmaw women and girls in sports, physical activity and recreation; a plan to increase awareness education and promotion of ancient trail systems near and in Mi’kmaw committees and to build off the momentum created by the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) and the legacy plan related to them.
Committee members described committee capacity to advance work, and understanding how work is positioned in the broader sector as challenges in the past year. For more information on the Sports and Recreation Committee’s presentation, click here.
Final Report
At the event, Heidi Weigand presented the Final Report of the 2023 review of a series of changes to policies and working tables implemented in 2019.
Weigand, Assistant Professor with Dalhousie’s Faculty of Management, authored Working Table Review Strategic Plan, a response to the review.
Speaking to committee and community members, and elected officials, Weigand stressed the importance of building relationships and respect between committees and building policy support and revitalization going forward.
Weigand discussed findings from the report, which include:
- A lack of policy support
- The need for a more sophisticated orientation process
- A smoother transition of co-chairs
- A need for clear priorities
- More support for mental health and addictions
- More timely minutes
- A report card on progress
Heidi Weigand, presenting findings at the three-day Working Development Session at the Inverary Resort.
Recommendations from the same report to help working tables move forward include:
- Streamlining communication,
- Monitoring and measuring progress
- Increasing retention of members and co-chairs
- Addressing gender and equity issues
- Creating a niche space for the Tripartite Forum to fulfill its mandate
Weigand said orientation, and the transition of members needs greater support, with a more sophisticated onboarding and orientation processes.
Weigand recommended a two-step approach to find the path forward that best suits the forum and its communities – one that includes a review of organization mandates, identifying overlaps and gaps therein and a 1-day session with table co-chairs, officials and members to determine how those overlaps and gaps should be addressed.
A shared purpose, accountability and a shared sense of urgency were also findings in the report that Weigand spoke of to guests.
“The message you’re going to hear from this report is that we’re not there right now. There are a few relationships that are not at the point we want them to be yet. This is an opportunity,” Weigand said.
Tripartite Forum Members from Nova Scotia Native Women’s Association, enjoying a coffee break and mingling with fellow forum members between roundtables at the Inverary Resort.
The Tripartite Forum is unique to Nova Scotia in the way it allows members to achieve its goals, Wiegand said, adding, “Is it working perfectly? No, it never will, it’s always evergreen and growing.”
The revitalization of the code conduct and terms of reference, and a review of the working tables were all mentioned as important steps to revitalizing the Tripartite Forum.
While COVID-19 made things difficult, Weigand said it gave the Tripartite Forum an opportunity to look at how it was doing things – particularly through a gender-based analysis and the integration of the 275 Calls of Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which were recommended prior to the 2019 changes and after the 2022 review, respectively.
“There are new ways to do things and we found out we can do them very quickly when pressured,” Weigand said.
These include the priorities of the executives and working tables, a more sophisticated communications process and timeliness of minutes – all included in the report’s recommendations.
Data Sovereignty
Julie Whitmer with the UNSM explaining the importance of Indigenous data sovereignty.
At the event, Julia Whitmer, Policy Analyst with the UNSM’s Information Governance and Data Projects (IGDP) team presented on the need for a regional Data Governance Center for First Nation-related data. Whitmer explained the importance of First Nations sovereignty over their own data, adding that the goal is to put data back in the hands of First Nations communities through a Regional Data Centre.
Whitmer said the IGDP team is in the process of exploring IT supports and figuring out the security side of the technology involved with a data hub, stressing the importance of data sovereignty, and noting that most Indigenous data is held by governments with some of it difficult to access by First Nations, themselves.
Gallery
Below are some candid shots from the roundtable sessions and committee presentations on June 6th and 7th.
