Recapturing economic leakage at Northern Manitoba

By Elijah Osei-Yeboah, 2nd year MDP student

In Manitoba, development is uneven, favouring the south. One strategy the province intends to adopt to correct this imbalance is recapturing economic leakage ― reducing the expenditure on goods and services accessed outside the north. Currently, many countries and communities believe free trade promotes economic growth, therefore, it is impossible to avoid leakage entirely. Hence, the goal is to reduce it. An economic development forum was organized in Thompson April 9 – 10, 2019 for northern development stakeholders like economic development officers, chiefs, councillors and other staff of municipalities. This was seen as an opportunity to gather preliminary data for reducing leakage.

There were 100 respondents. They were given sticky notes to indicate the goods they bought outside the north, why they bought them, if they were accessible online, which new businesses can be easily established and the ones which can quickly accelerate northern economic growth. The sample size and non-probability techniques adopted (convenience and purposive) are not statistically significant but the findings can be a part of preliminary studies to recapture leakage. 

When I started my placement, the data had been gathered. My assignment was to enter and analyze the data and write a report on it. I analyzed the data with Microsoft Excel and presented the findings with charts and tables.  Some of the findings were that the two most accessed goods and services were (a) clothing and accessories, and (b) recreation, entertainment and sports (examples include electronics, events, hunting/ fishing/ camping and recreation vehicles/ equipment). The main justification for shopping outside the north was that the goods they needed were unavailable locally. Less than a quarter (22%) of the respondents purchased their goods online. Online shopping is very convenient but it is fraught with problems including delivering wrong products, items sometimes do not fit well, consumers often pay for shipping, etc. 

Elijah in front of the Manitoba Growth, Enterprise and Trade office

Indigenous community engagement – My experience in the Kalinago Territory, Dominica

By Racheal Kalaba, 1st year MDP student

Racheal doing community outreach

My international placement was in the Kalinago Territory with the Kalinago people of Waitukubuli in the Commonwealth of Dominica. The Kalinago are the only surviving pre-Columbus Indigenous people that hold reserve land in the Caribbean. The uniqueness of the territory is that the Kalinago people fully own the land as part of the Dominica constitution. In my quest to understand and work with the Kalinago, I reflected on the principles of engaging communities based on my objectives of supporting communities in the area of disaster management and planning with an Indigenous perspective.

Red Cross team meeting with Kalinago

youth as part of the 1st meeting to set up

the 1st Red Cross Branch in Kalinago Territory

My placement aimed to work with Indigenous people and support existing systems and structures dealing with disasters, especially after The Commonwealth of Dominica was hit with Hurricane Maria in late 2017.  I reflected on ways of engaging with communities positively, taking into account that I was just there for a few months. In my engagement, I aligned myself with policies based on the situations I encountered with different stakeholders in the community. Firstly, I took the time to define what the word community meant to me and my placement. During that time, I engaged in Indigenous ways of doing and being. I also acknowledged that, for a community to function well, I needed to be aware of Indigenous knowledge, self-determination, governance, and community participation. I knew that I was there to support and build on what the community was already doing, and hence, my role was to facilitate the self-determination, participation, and engagement of community members.

Why then community engagement: Throughout my time in Kalinago territory, I learned that Indigenous communities are expecting you to be part of them, engage with them, and share ideas and work with them. My role as an MDP student during the placement was to be part of the community and position myself and my role. Furthermore, to share with the community my role, which was shared learning, I was there to learn and to support and vise versa. 

Racheal with a community member known for her

amazing chicken and her storytelling ability

My takeaway during the placement is that communities have vast knowledge, and due to disasters, they face a lot of stress after disasters, which makes it difficult for them to rebuild back their communities. Key learning during my experience in Kalinago is to be aware of Indigenous principles. Some Indigenous principles are respect for protocol, culture, language, reciprocity, relationships, and wellbeing are vital. I noticed my involvement with the Kalinago peoples is that culture is more about living and or staying in the territory, but it is also families, workplaces, social, religious, and political associations. I was privileged through the support of Mr. Irvince Auguste and his family for having allowed me to experience Indigenous community life and work and be able to share their stories and daily life. I also want to thank the Chief of Council, the Councilors and community members of the Kalinago Territory in Dominica.

Why are co-ops so popular among Inuit?

By Kara Passey, final year MDP student

Early leaders gathered in Puvirnituq for a joint meeting with the Fédération des Co opératives du Nouveau-Québec (FCNQ) in 1979.

The 1844 Rochdale co-op in England is usually credited as the first co-operative business, consisting of 28 men who were skilled weavers and labourers. Many more co-ops followed suit, formed in resistance to a job market which was increasingly taking advantage of its workers (ex. long working hours - sometimes 16 hour days with no breaks, low wages, unsanitary and unsafe working conditions, etc). The increased interest in co-op development is also thanks to the formation of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA). Formed in 1895 by E. V. Neale and Edward Owen Greening, ICA is an NGO which serves the interests of co-op development, and works as both an advocate for co-ops, and also as an educator for communities who are considering future co-op development. Neale and Greening were also responsible for penning the 7 co-op principles which are still well circulated today, and took their inspiration from the original Rochdale co-op. 

1. Voluntary and Open Membership - Cooperatives are voluntary organisations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.

2. Democratic Member Control - Cooperatives are democratic organisations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting their policies and making decisions. Elected representatives are accountable to the members. Members typically each have one vote worth the same value, as opposed to corporations whose voting power lay in stock ownership.

3. Member Economic Participation - Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their cooperative. Members allocate surpluses for any or all of the following purposes: developing their cooperative, possibly by setting up reserves, part of which at least would be indivisible; benefiting members in proportion to their transactions with the cooperative; and supporting other activities approved by the membership.

4. Autonomy and Independence - Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organisations controlled by their members. If they enter into agreements with other organisations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their cooperative autonomy.

5. Education, Training, and Information - Cooperatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers, and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their co-operatives. They inform the general public - particularly young people and opinion leaders - about the nature and benefits of co-operation.

6. Cooperation among Cooperatives - Cooperatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the cooperative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.

7. Concern for Community - Cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by their members.

Principles retrieved from: https://www.ica.coop/en/cooperatives/cooperative-identity

When the European fur market crashed, and Hudson Bay Trading posts closed down in the Arctic, Inuit were left unable to return to their traditional, sustainable way of life, and unable to access the commodities from the south that they had grown to depend on. Populations of Inuit were starving and fully dependent on government subsidies and allowances, and there was pressure to strategize how to generate income in these remote communities, and reestablish Inuit access to southern goods. The Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources began to encourage the development of co-operative businesses, which was an approach welcomed by Inuit because it encouraged their self-determination and sovereignty, and because the co-op principles (particularly that of working together for the common good) aligned so well with Inuit principles.

While specific elements of Inuit culture vary based on region and community (such as language or dialect, cosmology, specific types of art materials or aesthetic), the core principles of Inuit knowledge resonate across communities. The government of Nunavut established a set of Inuit Societal Values, also known as piqujat (communal laws), that they use to guide their work, particularly when determining policy and approaches to development. They are briefly summarized below:

●   Inuuqatigiitsiarniq: Respecting others, relationships and caring for people

●  Tunnganarniq: Fostering good spirits by being open, welcoming and inclusive

●   Pijitsirniq: Serving and providing for family and/or community

●   Aajiiqatigiinniq: Decision making through discussion and consensus

●   Pilimmaksarniq/Pijariuqsarniq: Development of skills through observation, mentoring, practice, and effort

●   Piliriqatigiinniq/Ikajuqtigiinniq: Working together for a common cause

●   Qanuqtuurniq: Being innovative and resourceful

●   Avatittinnik Kamatsiarniq: Respect and care for the land, animals and the environment (Government of Nunavut, n.d.)

The purpose of formally establishing these principles was not so Inuit could hold tight onto their own ways - in fact, adaptability and resourcefulness have guided Inuit through thousands of years of life. These principles instead work as a guiding reminder that what is important to Inuit does not always resonate with what is important to non-Inuit. They encompass an intersecting point between environmental knowledge, societal values, cosmology worldviews, and language. Since the co-op principles ensure and inspire member inclusivity, consensus building, innovation, opportunities for learning and growth, and planning for the future, it was easy for Inuit to see how this approach was not only beneficial but culturally appropriate for their communities.

Enriching placement experience in Aoteareo, Land of the Long White Cloud

By Henok Alemneh, 1st year MDP student

For my international placement, I reached out to and arranged to work with World Indigenous Tourism Alliance (WINTA), under the direct supervision of Johnny Edmonds, the Director of WINTA.  This 3-month placement based in Wellington, Aotearoa, New Zealand allowed me  an incredible opportunity to learn both about the Maori people, their culture, and WINTA. WINTA has a mandate to engage in Indigenous tourism advocacy, facilitation and networking activities as recognised by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in its endorsement of the 2012 Larrakia Declaration.  I was tasked to work on three major projects: Facilitating Kapiti Island Community Workshop, organizing a Seminar on WINTA’s rights-based Indigenous Tourism Engagement Framework (ITEF) & Reviewing WINTA’s Training Collateral.

Henok and Johnny Edmonds at work workshop planning

The Kapiti Island whanau (family) workshop was titled: The practices we want tour/travel operators to follow when engaging with us.  The workshop aimed at creating a platform that could enable the whanau to collectively share and discuss their expectations of the practices tour and travel operators need to follow when engaging with them. In preparing for the workshop one thing stood out to me was the process of framing and positioning the workshop in a way that affirms the communities’ engagement right from the outset. As my supervisor says “we are not selling something to them. It is the communities’ workshop. WINTA’s role is to facilitate.” We aimed to make sure all activities, presentations and forms align with what the whanau was looking for and we provided progress updates. I found the whole process an exemplary approach by an international organization who considers its obligation to allow the community to guide all elements of the project.

Kapiti Island is about 5km off the west coast of the southern part of the North Island of New Zealand. Part of this Island is a government natural reserve and “of the total 1965 hectares, the local tangata whenua (Maori people of the land) together kept 13 hectares around Waiorua Bay, and this is where the Lodge is today” (https://www.kapitiisland.com). Our team was privileged to visit the island and the lodge. In order to minimise the risk of insects like Argentine ants and pests spreading to Kapiti island, the whanau does biosecurity checks before boarding the boat to the island. Everyone, including whanau members, are required to clean footwear to remove soil, seeds and diseases.  This is an exemplary practice of communities safeguarding the land.  All are required to respect the protocols, including what to bring and not to bring to the Island.

Henok on Kapiti Island

Being part of this project I learned some Maori cultural protocols, including Mihi Whakatau. A mihi whakatau, according to my host supervisor, is a speech of welcome performed by the Kaumātua or kaiārahi to the visiting group and is sometimes followed by a waiata (song). It can be responded to from someone in the visiting group in the appropriate manner, but does not necessarily need to be responded to. Before we entered the lodge, the whanau performed the mihi whakatau followed by waiata . As we  faced each other (visitors on one side and the whanau on opposite), a beautiful Maori song was sung. Another person and I responded from the visitors’ side. I responded in my first language (Afaan Oromoo), starting with a greeting, then acknowledged the Mana Whenua (people of the land), the E Nga Mate (Ancestors) and the Papatuanuku (mother earth) and finally I expressed my gratitude for being there. I wore my own cultural dress and shared a little bit of my culture. I also sang a waiata, that I practiced beforehand, with the rest of our visitor group. 

On completion of our whaikōrero (speech) and waiata, we went around and did the Hongi / Harirū. It is the act of pressing noses, sniffing and shaking hands. My supervisor taught me that it brings both visitor and host together as one. It is so powerful in making one feel welcome. What I felt after that was really like being with family, and among people who love you and care for you. It gave me closeness and openness with many of them afterwards. I think the whole welcoming process created a relationship among all of us that made the workshop very engaging. For me personally, it also connected me to the Maori culture and tradition.

Henok facilitating Kapiti Island Whanau Workshop

The workshop project was very important not only because of its potential value for the whanau, but also because WINTA wishes to create opportunities to further improve future delivery to other Indigenous communities and tourism businesses. Analysis and interpretation of participants’ feedback was undertaken from evaluation forms and through the traditional poroporoaki protocol where anyone can speak at the end of the workshop. It is the communities’ way of stating how the gathering went. The evaluation process helped knowing what we could have done better, both for the whanau and WINTA’s benefit. 

Johnny Edmonds

I believe the workshop indeed provided WINTA an opportunity to test the engagement framework it has been developing and inform improvements for future facilitation of such projects with other Indigenous communities involved in tourism activities. Such projects are also essential steps towards enhancement of rights-based Indigenous tourism engagement. Every task in this project taught me a lot about community workshop planning, facilitation, project evaluation and report writing, and also skills and ways of doing these along with the community and under the guidance of their culture. I clearly understood how important it is to build respectful relationships when engaging in community projects. We couldn’t have achieved positive outcomes through this project, both for the Kapiti whanau and for WINTA, without the connections we built and strengthened through the Indigenous values of kinship, reciprocity, respect, partnership and sharing. Through these values, we acknowledged that we are all related, that we are part of everything around us, that we are interdependent, that we respectfully do our homework before we engage with other parties, that we engage in a mutually beneficial partnership, and that we share information and understanding rather than telling them what to do. 

These lessons have been carried on for the other major seminar project I took part in and I invite you to read my second blog titled ‘A placement that made me feel like I belonged’.   

Music to my ears

By Chelsie Parayko, 2nd year MDP student

My community has completely lost our language. Colonization has stripped that ability away from my people. In 2018 my people came together and celebrated finally receiving reserve designation on the lands we had been gathering on for time immemorial. We invited our sister nations and leaders from across Turtle Island, including Grand Chief Jonathan Solomon.  Jonathan took the time to congratulate us and said,

 “I am not usually an emotional man but being here on the land with you is making me cry. I had a dream last night that your language returned to these lands. That your people once again spoke those words.”

His words rang in my ear and in my heart.

In Aotearoa, Waipareira welcomed me into their whānau with a whakatau, a traditional ceremony to welcome new people into their family in a good way. The first thing I noticed was how vibrant their language and songs were. The staff spoke mostly in te reo Māori and everyone sang their beautiful songs with ease. It was the most beautiful thing.

Nearing the end of my time in Aotearoa this trip I was talking to a friend about my community and our loss of language. She told me that her peoples retained a lot of their language through song and perhaps that is how we will learn again. So there lies my newest great adventure, to learn our songs so that my territory can hear those words be spoken again.

Chelsie at Monkey Creek

Project proposal for introducing 4-H Programs to the First Nations Communities in Manitoba

By Elijah Osei Yeboah, 2nd year MDP student

4-H is an international organization which educates and engages children and youth (6-25 years) in activities of their interest while equipping them with essential skills such as public speaking and leadership. 4-H programs have many direct and indirect benefits. The direct ones include helping participants to acquire and hold jobs and equip participants with relevant employment skills such as teamwork and time management. Also, they engage the youth in meaningful activities that can help build their lives. Volunteerism is encouraged which is an indicator of social capital. Many development practitioners believe high social capital strongly correlates with development. The indirect benefits are the returns on having well-trained children and youth who can contribute immensely to the growth of their communities, provinces, Canada and the world at large.

4-H clubs have been present in the province since 1913. In fact, the first Canadian club was formed in Manitoba. However, there is no club in First Nations communities now because the few ones which were started were not sustained. This project seeks to develop and run 4-H programs in First Nations communities in Manitoba. The project will be piloted in 2 southern First Nations communities and 2 northern communities for a year and scaled up based on the evaluation findings. The project expansion will be guided by a 12 year development plan which will be developed with the project stakeholders.

The goal of the project is to promote youth development through socio-economic, political and cultural activities. Project coordinators will be employed to ensure the day-to-day running of the project. The community coordinators should have a very good understanding of Indigenous issues in Canada. They should not live more than a 100 km radius of the community to make it easy for them to visit the communities easily. This can help them perform their duties well and also build a good relationship with the community residents. The following organizations/leaders will partner with 4-H Manitoba to implement this project:

•             Department of Agriculture, Manitoba
•             Agricultural Services Canada
•             Indigenous and Northern Relations
•             Indigenous Services Canada
•             Chief and council of First Nations communities in Manitoba
•             Community-based organizations

The 4-H pledge below guides all 4-H activities.

4-H Pledge. Source: 4-H Manitoba, 2019

Stories that speak to the Nation's Policy

By Nontokozo Ndlovu, 1st year MDP student

Coming to the end of my placement, I have mixed feelings of both happiness and sadness. I have enjoyed being here, learned a lot and been part of a huge family. I managed to make friends and had good interactions with BONELA's clients. Sometimes it was hard to hear heart breaking stories, but they made me stronger and work harder to see that clients got the help they needed.

BONELA has been and still is a safe space for many and a voice for the voiceless. I was involved in many different activities. I attended training on disability and related human rights and sign language. This was a refresher course for human rights advocates and training for new human rights workers. I was responsible to present on the right to health as a community engagement exercise. This was to help improve my presentation skills at an event for the People with Disabilities. This training explored the rights of disabled peoples, the issues they face in communities and the existing community protocols to help disabled people.

I attended the Gaborone District evidence-based planning meeting and the Kweneng Sub- District Council training workshop for the newly elected Child Protection Committee where I presented on the latter. I was tasked to present on The Rights of Children. With the help of the knowledge from my supervisor, I managed to present and tackle questions that were asked. This experience helped my confidence and understand more about the issues that the community faces. 

A landmark legal event for the LGBTI community happened during my placement – the Botswana's High Court's decriminalised same-sex relations. This ruling was cause for jubilation from the LGBTI community. This achievement impacts the work of BONELA as they can now freely address safe sex issues among the LGBTI community and prisoners. Stigma and discrimination against this community continues and BONELA will continue to stand with them and advocate for their rights.

Outside the High Court of Botswana after the Court Ruling

I enjoyed what I did as it is not only life impacting to me, but it changed lives. The knowledge I  gained is phenomenal.

Practising what you preach for sustainable development

By Gloria Makafui Dovoh, 1st year MDP student

In my first blog, I made mention of the usefulness of considering both the context and culture of a community in understanding cultural practices as well as building relationships and having an open mind.  During my field placement with the Regional Advisory and Information Network Systems (RAINS), I realized these tools early enough to assist with my twelve-week journey.  At the end of the three months experience in the field, I have no doubt this placement was a good fit. I have personally enjoyed the journey of growth during this placement.

Gloria (R) with a student during a project evaluation session

Even though I come from Ghana (Southern Ghana), I have been blinded to the diversity of cultures in the Northern part of the country all this while. The Northern part of Ghana, where RAINS is located has a mind-blowing diversity in languages, dances, cuisine and dressing.  I was fortunately gifted with a beautiful Northern outfit called the “smock” at the end of my placement.

Aside from the organization’s work with rural communities in Northern Ghana, RAINS manages a day crèche to support working mothers, both staff and from the general public, which they seek to expand in future. The saying “Practice what you preach” is very evident with the organization. Staff also engage in Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA), (a livelihood intervention for a group of people who collectively support a structured process of saving money and collecting loans at a local level) to have practical experience of the saving and loans framework that has been adopted in many rural communities to build reliable sources of capital for women’s small businesses.

I am thankful to the Regional Advisory and Information Network Systems (RAINS) and Master’s in Development Practice: Indigenous Development (MDP), the University of Winnipeg for this adventurous and meaningful experience. I have learnt a lot and I am grateful for this opportunity of a lifetime. I had the opportunity of improving both my professional and personal skills. In the nutshell, I experienced hands-on learning and training in a field setting, an experience I have been looking forward to since the inception of my journey to the MDP.

Group photo on Gloria's last day in placement

 

My placement with LIFEWISE, Aotearoa

By Erika Vas, 2nd year MDP student

From June to September 2019, I am fortunate to be completing my international field placement with the Lifewise Trust in Tamaki, Aotearoa. The Lifewise Trust (LIFEWISE), Airedale Property Trust (APT), and Methodist Mission Northern (MMN) operate interpedently in order to work towards the vision of connected, just, and inclusive communities. Each Trust is dedicated to family and community resilience, from working with people and families directly, to providing financing and infrastructure which makes this work possible.

In choosing my international placement, I wanted to continue to learn and grow in the fields of housing and homelessness, community and land development, and infrastructure. Based out of the University of Otago building, Airedale Property Trust, Methodist Mission Trust (Splice), and Lifewise share one main office. This office is a busy, but united hub of activity, from property management, community building, youth homelessness initiatives, fundraising, research, development and practice and much more. I am working among many individuals who are committed to making homelessness rare, brief, and non-reoccurring and are keen on sharing their work and experience with me.

I have been welcomed into the Lifewise Practice & Development Team and have focused on Housing First (HF) projects. I have analyzed and interpreted documents to create briefing documents for government officials, I am currently working on collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data gathered by the HF program in Auckland, with the goal of reporting how the program might be improved or developed, informing community service providers on the wants and needs of whānau, and reporting on the realities of the health and wellness of whānau to external stakeholders, I have completed research on IPS Supported Employment (Individual Placement Support), and documenting the Kaupapa Māori / iwi-led model that is being used for the delivery of HF in Rotorua. While simultaneously working on these projects, I’ve been a part of the Tamaki community, going on home visits with the HF Team, attending community events such as the Piki Toi Artist Exhibition, standing in solidarity with whānau to protect Ihumatao , celebrating the opening of the Pitt Street residence (a HF home, but also an artists’ collective), attending symposiums related to Marae housing and HF, and participating in The Big Sleep Out in Rotorua, for one night, coming together with community and business leaders and to experience what it’s like sleeping rough, getting a taste of life on the streets, and raising critical funds to prevent homelessness.

I would like to say a BIG Tēnā Koutou to all my whānau Aotearoa. Learning about Maori culture, sharing stories, and experiencing the beauty of the people, language, and land has been a life-changing journey that I’m grateful to have shared with all of you.

Ka kite anō au i a koutou.