Youth Centre in the Community
Investing in a youth centre would create a safe and quiet space to access to tutoring, study groups, support persons, counselling, resident elders, wellness workshops, healthy food, small courses and opportunities for training and work experience. This could evolve as youth contributed their ideas to what types of supports, programs and activities they would like to see implemented. I would also like to include rotational classes that would provide a safe and healthy social setting while encouraging our youth to try new things, discover new hobbies and passions. This would aid in developing a stronger sense of self while supporting confidence and ambition. Classes could include art, trade skills, cooking, fitness, nutrition, sports, computer skills, photography, gardening, food preservation and more. We have many talented members that have valuable knowledge and skills. We could encourage members to sign up to be facilitators for these programs. I think that by encouraging a variety of courses to allow access to various skills and activities, we allow our youth to discover what they enjoy and what their passion is. This allows us to support them in finding a way to achieve success doing something that they love. This initiative would also be adapted to provide access to supports, resources, and online classes or recordings for youth that live outside of the community.
Sovereign Business Training Program
This program would operate by founding businesses that could provide training and job opportunities that align with our nations path to sovereignty. Each business could generate income for our nation, provide jobs and training opportunities for our members, and allow us to support and reinvest in our community with the products and services that would otherwise be outsourced. This program could offer shadowing and training opportunities for our youth to gain experience, inspire interest, and promote their skills. Businesses and training would include those relevant to our self sufficiency such as:
electrical
plumbing
wood and metal work
mechanics
hunting and fishing
foraging and plant identification
food preservation
farming and agriculture
food processing and storage
rain harvesting and use of grey water
culinary arts
herbal and traditional medicines
occupational first aid
health and home care
support work
cleaning
security
and beyond
This program would also include providing business education, resources and supports to assist our members with launching and participating in those businesses. This would allow us to equip our people with valuable knowledge and skills to set them up for success. This path would honour not only the ways and sufficiencies of our ancestors but the success of our future generations as well. This entire program would align with our journey to self sufficiency and self governance and promote our healing and restoration to the strong people that are meant to be.
Community Wellness Navigator
One of the main parts of this initiative would be better access and support surrounding healthcare services. I would like to propose a new role to our community. It could be considered a Community Wellness Navigator (CWN): This role would oversee and advocate for the health and wellness of our community members both on and off reserve. This idea would involve confidential case profiles for each member to organize medical history and monitor their needs to support their overall health and wellness. This role would include a private intake to discuss current health and wellness, concerns and goals. Services could include
acting an appointment companion to accompany members to health related appointments to ensure that they understand their diagnosis and treatment options
scheduling and following up on appointments
co-ordinating transportation and accommodation when necessary
sourcing necessary funding for medical and dental expenses that may not covered
organizing home care support for elders and members who have mobility issues, disabilities or have recently undergone a medical procedure
ensuring that members have access to information regarding their health to ensure they can make informed decisions
facilitating the inclusion of traditional and natural medicines
thoroughly advocating for each member to receive quality care
providing confidential access and information to supports for mental health
supports for survivors of domestic and sexual assault
supports for our elders who have experienced traumas from the residential school system
supports for addiction and recovery (with an exclusive women’s support group and meetings)
supports for youth who are in care or are returning home to their families
support for those families who are bringing their children home
and beyond
Each service could be organized into various levels of importance. The most important roles could be dedicated to a professional bound by policies for confidentiality, while smaller roles could be given in shifts to rotate between council members, and some roles could also be incorporated as volunteer positions for the youth centre and training opportunities for the Sovereign Business Training Program so individuals can gain work experience while honouring their elders and community members.
Access to Information and Transparency
I believe that our community would benefit from shifting away from an Annual General Meeting to offering quarterly updates and Semi Annual Meetings. All events could be live streamed by a dedicated individual who could also manage reading any questions or constructive comments so they can be responded to in real time. All information could be sent out several weeks in advance so that members can come prepared with their questions and ideas. Each member should be able to elect how they would like to receive that information through mail or online. These meetings should include updates from each position of chief, council and any department leaders. Updates should include what each position has done, any accomplishments, future plans, any problems they may be facing in their position, or problems that have been brought forward to them by community members. This would provide opportunity for members to engage in discussions and contribute to finding solutions. This would also offer the transparency that we as members desire while reinforcing that these positions are in place to work for the community. Meetings would have a very strict policy for respect as we facilitate a welcoming environment where members can feel validated and their voices can be heard. I do understand that this may not be feasible for all members living outside of the community to attend so my suggestion would be to create other methods of accessibility and participation for them. I would also like to propose that members are able to submit respectful and constructive evaluations for chief, council members, and our nation employees. This would allow members to play an active role in ensuring that these positions are working in the best interest of the nation and all of our members. Any information that the community requests from the nation should be readily available and accessible.
Creating a Safe and Healthy Environment
We can help create a safe and healthy environment where our members feel comfortable and protected. To do this we can begin by collectively evaluating our policies on what we feel is acceptable within our community, by listening to our members and hearing what their needs are, adjusting our programs and supports for better access while fostering safe and welcoming environments.
I would like to see our community come together to support the wellness of our women. We can do this by including women’s only meetings for addiction and recovery as well as specific support groups for our survivors of domestic and sexual abuse. We should honour our women by fostering safe and comfortable spaces for them to begin their healing journeys. For this reason I would also like to implement physical activities and health programs that are specifically directed to women’s health. Let’s protect our survivors and support them in rebuilding their lives and continuing their journey of healing and wellness. Supports could also include wellness workshops such as Domestic Violence Recovery, Addiction and Trauma Courses, Grief and Loss Trauma, Relationships and Boundaries, Coping with PTSD, and more. As I continue to have conversations with members, I hope to gain better insight on the needs of the men in our community and how to support their health and wellbeing. I believe that by investing in similar programs and wellness workshops that are geared specifically towards their health, masculinity, sense of self, addiction recovery, and survivors who have experience abuse we can also promote their well being.
I think our community can benefit from more transparency and access to information about our laws, policies, regulations, and consequences. I would like to see our nation come together to reevaluate and collectively develop concrete rules and regulations of what we wish to allow within our community and to determine how we will enforce accountability and consequences when necessary. All members should have a clear understanding of what is acceptable within our community and what will result of not abiding the rules. For general safety I think we should focus on addressing any threats or disturbances to our community. This could include violence, malicious acts, assaults, speeding, public disturbances, pollution, unsanitary and unhygienic conditions and so on. I believe that we should collectively evaluate and enforce our rules, offer genuine access to assistance and supports, create plans of action to follow up with those in need of supports, and if necessary, follow through on whatever consequences are collectively deemed appropriate.
Another aspect of community safety is ensuring that all public environments are respectful and welcoming. This would include but may not be limited to classes, groups, meetings, and services in the community. I believe there are only benefits to these environments adhering to strict policies around respect and confidentiality. Together we can create open dialogue about what makes us feel comfortable in an environment and how we can foster that. We should all feel comfortable and welcomed when accessing social events or assistance from our nation.
I would also like to propose a community maintenance program or business that is dedicated to landscaping, waste management, and cleaning services within our community. This would ensure that our members, including our youth and elders, are able to live in a clean and healthy environment. Tasks could include assisting elders or people with disabilities with cleaning and waste disposal, picking up litter in the community, ensuring that the community park and other public spaces are safe and sanitary, and offering landscaping services to elders and persons with disabilities. As a community program this could involve either having all able bodied members and titled positions take turns assisting members in these areas, as an option for members working towards good standing with our nation, or as part of the ‘sovereign business training program’. This initiative is focused on promoting a healthy community that members can feel safe and proud to call home. It is an opportunity for all of us to give back to community and to help lift each other up.
One final thought that I have for safety in our community would be for us to come together to discuss having our own designated security team or something of that nature. The idea would be in collaboration with our health department and implementation of Indigenous Cultural Safety to enforce our collectively decided rules, to protect our people, and to cultivate a safe and healthy environment for our current members and for generations to come.
Access to Information for Health and Wellness
I would like to encourage accessible information and educational seminars for all of our members. This would allow each of us to have access to important information about how to promote our personal health and wellbeing which means we can feel confident in making informed decisions about our health. These info sessions could include information about our physical health, where to access physical activity, types of physical activity available, how to choose healthy foods, understanding our nutrition, what foods and additives to avoid, how to advocate for ourselves in health care, how to make educated and informed decisions, supports for mental health, supports for domestic or sexual abuse, healing from trauma, grief counselling, where to access financial assistance and food banks, tips on how to manage debt and how to save money, healthy meals on a budget, and more. Information and classes could be listed online and accessible for our members living outside of the community. We could also have the option for members outside of the community to request information about what supports are available near them.