USIC

Understanding the Strengths of Indigenous Communities

Dudley Morgan Marian Sheldon Cynthia Chataway Teslin Research Supervisor Teslin Tlingit FN Researcher USIC Research Director

“The survival of one community can be celebrated by another. The spiritual, creative and political resources that Indigenous people can draw on from each other provide alternatives for each other […] To be able to share, to have something worth sharing gives dignity to the giver. To accept a gift and to reciprocate gives dignity to the receiver.To create something new through that process of sharing is to recreate the old, to reconnect relationships and to recreate our humanness.” - L. Tuhiwai Smith

Central Characteristics of the USIC Project

    Indigenous Knowledge and Thought Approach Understanding communities as systems; an interconnected web of factors Focus on strengths not weakness Following processes to strength

Focusing on Strengths

In 1999, a primarily-Indigenous Committee from across Canada raised two questions:

What are the characteristics of relatively strong Indigenous communities, from local perspectives?

How have these strengths been developed and maintained in interaction with each other over time?

Selecting Some Strong Communities  Indigenous people nominated “strong” communities  Shortlist and select 8 communities     52 communities identified by 31 nominees Regional diversity - north-south; urban-rural Cultural diversity Very different strengths/reputations

York and Trent (University Partners) Community Oversight Teams 7-8 communities Local University Support Committees

Project Oversight Committee

   Meets 1-2 times/year 17 people (14 Native) Different Sectors     Government Economic Development Academia Civil Society/Health

Primary Methods

   

Focus groups

: Maps (relationships between strengths), and Timelines

Case Studies

: 5 of the most significant positive initiatives in community history

Survey

: interaction between governance, economic, social, health, cultural and spiritual elements

Video, website

Sneak Preview…

Teslin Tlingit First Nation

    2 hours east of Whitehorse, Yukon 400 on-reserve, 400 off-reserve Self-governing using clan system Land claim agreement

Teslin Tlingit First Nation Project

Wall of Strength Teslin Tlingit First Nation Community

Value of USIC survey for the Teslin Tlingit First Nation

    Provides a broad community assessment (‘report card’ that can be replicated at later times) Concrete answers to questions we have had regarding strategic planning Allows us to incorporate traditional knowledge into program priorities Involves broad community participation in planning initiatives

Value of USIC focus groups for the Teslin Tlingit First Nation

    Citizens teach each other and build clarity through on-going discussions Creates a community product that integrates ideas from a cross-section of community members Builds hope and excitement Provides research training and experience to community members

Teslin Tlingit First Nation Project

Focus Group B

Visual Cluster of Strengths

Teslin Tlingit First Nation Project

Focus Group E

Visual Cluster of Strengths

Working Toward a Healthy Lifestyle Teslin Tlingit First Nation Project

Teslin Tlingit First Nation Project

Teslin Tlingit First Nation Project

Teslin Tlingit First Nation Project

Teslin Tlingit First Nation Project

Teslin Tlingit First Nation Project

Teslin Tlingit First Nation Project

Timeline of Historical Events

Teslin Tlingit First Nation Project

Case Studies in Process

     Development and operation of saw mill (or regrowth of berry harvest) Healing Centre development Hunting ceremony maintains spirituality Self-government including clan system Employment for Empowerment training program

Venues for Findings and Policy Recommendations

      a video series Reports/presentations to funders academic articles, one or more books articles in newspapers and mailings symposia for policy makers and academics workshops for Aboriginal leadership

Policy Relevance

      Shifting public perceptions of Aboriginal communities; from problems to success Economic development Health and wellness Human and social capital Governance Practical approaches to comprehensive and sustainable dev’t and its institutions

Research Challenges

        Building research capacity from nothing Maintaining momentum in the face of regular crises Time/travel needed for internal consultation, relationship-building Cynicism, resignation Internal power struggles, resentments Violence Top-down leadership practices and norms Distrust, fear

Current USIC Solutions

   Within communities  Research supervisors, Community Oversight Teams, USIC active in community events, university support groups, discussions of readings for broader context, research training Between communities in the project  Conference calls and face-to-face meetings (shared decision-making), leadership training, Regional Project Coordinators Outside of the project  Websites, workshops, symposia, video, action research

Generating Sustainable Networks of Leadership/Contribution

Social Capital  Within each community  Between 7 participating communities  Between Indigenous communities in North America

PRA Focus Group Process

     1. Brainstorm the strengths and benefits of scientific research 2. Decide how well we are currently making use of each strength for communities (low, medium, high).

3. Illustrate one idea per sticky note, size corresponding to how much we are making use of it 4. Share and explain your illustrations to the group.

5. Group organizes the sticky notes, based on relatedness, into a visual ‘map’.

Discussion

   What did you learn about the strengths of scientific research?

What did you learn/experience in the PRA process?

How could you use this process in your own work and communities?

York and Trent (University Partners) C O T 7-8 communities Local University Support Committees