Developing CCP in Split Lake: A Worthwhile Learning Experience

By Babatunde Alabi, 2nd year MDP student

My ongoing field placement with Tataskweyak Cree Nation (TCN) has so far been an exciting learning opportunity. It allows me to further put some of what I've learned in class into practice, as well as gain a better knowledge of and contribute to an important development program aimed at ensuring that today's dreams become tomorrow's realities.

Tataskweyak Cree Nation, also known as Split Lake, is a northern Manitoba First Nations community that strives to improve its people's well-being and create the opportunity to become more self-reliant and self-sufficient. To do this, the community has begun a Comprehensive Community Planning (CCP) process, which will allow it to develop a vision for the future and implement projects to attain its goal.

Joining TCN at a time when the community is forging a path ahead into the future is a great privilege, as it allows me to learn new concepts and translate my academic skills of research and writing into actual practice beyond the walls of the university. My roles during this placement include documents review, data management, planning, organizing, and facilitating. I am also involved in workshop presentations, writing narratives, preparing progress reports and writing CCP draft.

During this placement, I also participated in a training and a Community of Practice (CoP) event on CCP organized by Indigenous Services Canada. This provided a great opportunity to network with other individuals and groups across Canada who are also involved in CCP development.  This placement, along with its accompanying capacity-building initiatives, is an added benefit because it is assisting me in preparing for life after graduation. Working remotely from the comfort of my home to complete tasks and maintaining smooth virtual contacts with my mentor via video conferencing platforms and phone calls is one of the most exciting elements of this placement. I've especially appreciated the remote working experience because it has enhanced my self-confidence and capacity to work independently while still completing tasks without sacrificing quality.