Welcome to FNAHEC
FNAHEC Projects
Indigenous World Net
Aboriginal Learning Knowledge Centre
WIPCE 2008
Alberta 2002-2003 Regional
Longitudinal Health Survey Report
Executive Director Report - FNAHEC 2008 Annual Meeting
First Nations Information Connection
Executive Director Report
FNAHEC 2008 Annual Meeting
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. LOBBYING AND REPRESENTATION ON COMMITTEES
- Key focus – Federal uncapping of education funding and support and recognition of First Nations Postsecondary Students/Institutions/Programs (Lifelong learning as per the “Spirit and Intent of Treaties vs narrow focus on K-12)
- AFN PSE Committee – input and review of AFN documents to ensure inclusion of Adult/Postsecondary (students and institutions) in INAC authority renewal exercise. Documents can be accessed at the www.afn.ca website.
- All of INAC education authorities were carried over for 3 years and PSE is not included; decision deferred for 18 months
2. REGIONAL HEALTH SURVEY
- Alberta Survey Report for last phase is now published (click on link above)
- Health departments and FNAHEC colleges have been contacted to facilitate selection of Research Assistants.
3. INDIGENOUS WORLD NET – PRIMATE’S WORLD RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT FUND (PWRDF)
- $20,000 International grant (Second year of 3 year grant) – a portion is to be used to cover partial costs for two exchange students from Peru who are now at Blue Quills College. Blue Quills volunteered to host two students (tuition free and billets);
- Another portion is to be used in collaboration with Peru to submit bid for WIPCE 2011 and for FNAHEC’s on-going involvement with WINHEC.
- Indigenous World Website by Stoneboy Media – $30,000 to update and maintain site and create useful links (translate into Spanish); and enhance e-learning capacity to share knowledge gained with other indigenous groups.
4. ABORIGINAL LEARNING KNOWLEDGE CENTRE (ABLKC)
- Newsletter by Stoneboy Media – contains updates from 6 Animation Theme Bundles (ATB’s); our two colleges that are leading ATB bundles (ATB 1 – Learning from Place, RCCC and ATB 3 – Language and Learning, Blue Quills) are busy with research and knowledge exchange activities. Other FNAHEC members are members of the advisory committees of other ATB’s
- Second Annual Conference, Feb 28 –March 1, 2008, Westin Bay Shore, Vancouver was highly successful.
- Community Dialogue Sessions were scheduled for 4 communities on Holistic Lifelong Learning/Redefining Success Model;
- Visit the CCL website for information on on-going events and products for each of the Knowledge Centres (www.ccl-cca.ca). CCl is tracking the visits to each of the Knowledge Centre sites (potential measure of the knowledge exchange activities of the each centre.
5. FNAHEC JOINT PROJECTS
- work already in progress but accelerated by Access Grants from Alberta Advanced Education: a) Indigenous Social Work Degree Program – coordinated out of Blue Quills, b) Language Certification – coordinated out of Blue Quills, and c)First Nations Accreditation Board (FNAB) – coordinated out of Yellowhead Tribal College
- Each of 6 institutions was to contribute $30,000 from their $200,000 grant from Advanced Education for a potential total of $180,000 for joint initiatives. The FNAHEC Board by motion determined the 3 priority
areas. - Advanced Education has confirmed that the colleges will again receive access grant funds ($1.2 M in total) and the 6 colleges agree to provide ongoing finding to the joint initiatives.
6. RENAISSANCE FUND – BURSARY FOR STUDENTS
- Bursary ($2M) is available to each of the 6 colleges; the allocation formula was calculated by the 6 colleges when the grant was introduced – 50% was allocated as a base and the other 50% was based on enrollment. The formula has not been revisited.
7. MARKETING GRANT
- FNAHEC brochure was produced
- FNAHEC website updated by Stoneboy media (continuing)
8. E-LEARNING GRANT
- Grant from Aboriginal relations for FNAHEC colleges to review E- Learning capacity and requirements
- The FNAHEC First Nations Studies Curriculum committee met in June and July to strategize and to begin drafting course(s) to be offered on line
- Plan is still to begin pilot of a course (Cosmology in January 2009).
9. FIRST NATIONS STUDIES COURSES
- Distributed learning Curriculum – a proposal was submitted to Alberta Advanced Education but was not approved. The development has proceeded in typical “let’s just do it” approach by visionaries of FNAHEC colleges.
10. INTEGRATED LIBRARY PROJECT – FIRST NATIONS INFORMATION CENTRE (FNIC)
- official launch the website http://fnic.sirsi.net resulting from the integrated library project (off shoot of Lois Hole Campus Alberta Digital Library initiative) November 13 at Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park
11. HEALTH CANADA INITIATIVES
- FNAHEC had been invited to submit a proposal to develop modules for inservice of Health practitioners, due to many commitments there has been no follow up as a collective.
12. WORLD INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ CONFERENCE ON EDUCATION (WIPCE) 2008
- Dr. Ayoungman serves as an advisor on the International Sub Committee and that attempted to hold virtual meetings (not too successful)
- She was invited to submit 3 names of featured speakers from Canada and an official representative for the opening ceremony
13. WORLD INDIGENOUS HIGHER EDUCATION CONSORTIUM (WINHEC)
- next meeting will be held immediately before WIPCE 2008 in Australia
- WINHEC 2009 will be hosted in Canada – FNTI (Ontario) is the host site.
Indigenous World.Net
FNAHEC, in partnership with the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) initiated the Indigenous World Net Project as a result of WIPCE 2002. This project is intended to create useful web links and partnerships for indigenous education initiatives. Aboriginal Learning Knowledge Centre (Ablkc)
The Canadian Council on Learning has chosen two organizations to lead the Aboriginal Learning Knowledge Centre (AbLKC) : the First Nations Adult and Higher Education Consortium (FNAHEC) in Calgary, AB, and the Aboriginal Education Research Centre (AERC) at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, SK. The AbLKC will provide a national focus for knowledge exchange of Aboriginal learning initiatives, exemplary practices, scholarly and community dialogue, discussion and collaboration to improve the lifelong learning of Aboriginal learners; this will be accomplished via roundtables, conferences, symposiums, virtual and other forms of communications. WIPCE 2002
"The answers are within us" was the theme for the 2002 World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education (WIPCE) held at Stoney Park near Morley, Alberta - Canada on August 4-10, 2002. The First Nations Adult & Higher Education Consortium (FNAHEC) members were the hosts of this successful event, in which over 2,500 participants from 24 countries like Africa, Australia, the Philippines, Japan, to New Zealand took part. WIPCE 2002 like previous conferences served as a vehicle to empower the transmission of indigenous culture, knowledge, and wisdom for the benefit of not only indigenous cultures but for all of humanity. WIPCE's intention was to leave a legacy of hopes, dreams and aspirations for all peoples.
WIPCE promoted the importance of culture and identity through interactive dialogue and education activities in various workshops, forums, tours, cultural entertainment, exhibits, etc. The participants were provided an opportunity to share unique approaches in education initiatives and thereby enhancing, in the process, the awareness, unity, and recognition of the positive attributes of indigenous peoples.
FNAHEC selected Stoney Park on the Nakoda Nation as the site for the conference. Located between the City of Calgary and Banff National Park, the main Nakoda Reserve contains a land full of natural splendor. Stoney Park has been the site of past Indian Ecumenical Conferences that brought thousands of people to this site. Dr. John Reverend Snow of Nakoda Nation has written about the area, "These mountains are our temples, our sanctuaries and our resting places. They are a place of hope, a place of vision, a place of refuge, a very special and holy place where the Great Spirit speaks with us". FNAHEC was eager to host the World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education at this place.
The mission of the Sixth Worth Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education was to celebrate the sharing and promoting of indigenous based initiatives by featuring holistic education efforts to maintain and perpetuate our ways of knowing to actualize the positive development of indigenous communities. The World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium (WINHEC) was founded at WIPCE 2002. FNAHEC has representation on the WINHEC Board, Board of Affirmation and Journal review team.
The World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education takes place every three years, and the Seventh WIPCE returned to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2005. Proceedings of past WIPCE events can be ordered using the form available here
Regional Longitudinal Health Survey
In the fall of 2000, FNAHEC was asked to assume the contract for the Alberta portion of Phase 2 of the First Nations and Inuit Regional Longitudinal Health Survey (RHS). RHS may be best known for its contribution to First Nations’ rights in research. RHS is led by the First Nation principles of Ownership, Control, Access and Possession (OCAP) of the research process and data.
RHS gathers information on the health of First Nations peoples throughout Canada. Topics include: Demographics, Language, Education, Employment/Income, Housing, Community Development, Diabetes & Medical Conditions, Physical Injuries, Dental Care, Food and Nutrition, Physical Activity, Disabilities and Activity Limitation, Health Services Use and Access, Community Wellness, Traditional Culture, Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs, HIV/AIDS, Sexuality, Gender-based Health Issues, Personal Wellness, Mental Health and Residential Schools.The information obtained will assist First Nations in community, regional and national planning, policy development and advocacy.
The 2002-03 RHS is nationally coordinated through the First Nations Centre of the National Aboriginal Health Organization's (NAHO). Ten First Nations Regional Organizations oversee all aspects of the process in their respective jurisdictions. As part of a harmonized process, the ten First Nations regions that participated were British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Labrador, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, Northwest Territories and the Yukon Territory.
FNAHEC had been mandated to coordinate the survey in their respective region of Alberta. The First Nations principles of Ownership, Control, Access and Possession (OCAP) guided the project. The survey's purpose is to facilitate community-based information gathering about the health status, concerns and issues affecting First Nations across Canada. This research will assist First Nations in learning more about the health and well being of their communities, taking control of management of health information, assisting in the promotion of healthy lifestyles and practices, and effective program planning.
FNAHEC surveyed the Alberta first nations communities of Treaty 6: Alexander First Nations. Treaty 7: Blood Tribe, Piikani Nation, Siksika Nation, and Stoney Tribe. Treaty 8: Driftpile First Nation, Kapawe'no First Nation, Sucker Creek First Nation, and Swan River First Nation.
The overall target sample across Canada is 28,405 surveys in 270 First Nations communities. The second cycle of RHS takes place in 2005.
An Independant review of the survey was conducted by Harvard University, and that review, along with the National Report of the 2002/03 Regional Health Survey can both be viewed or downloaded from the NAHO website.
