Mistawasis First Nation Comprehensive Community Planning

Mistawasis First Nation
Comprehensive Community Planning
Workshop 1 | April 29-30, 2014
Summary Report
CEU Community Planners:
Alexis Miller & Mark Nener
Community Lead: Anthony Johnston
anthony.b.johnston@gmail.com
tel.: 466-4800 (ext. 272)
Cities & Environment Unit (CEU) and Mistawasis First
Nation hosted the first community engagement workshop
for the Comprehensive Community Plan (CCP) in April
2014. CEU staff travelled to Mistawasis for two days of
meetings, focus group sessions and open community
sessions. It was the team’s second visit to the community,
but the first opportunity to introduce the CCP project to the
broader community and initiate discussions about strengths
and issues in Mistawasis.
Over the two-day workshop the CCP team spoke with
leadership, Band staff and community members.
Project Team:
The CCP will capture the voice, ideas and values of as many
Mistawasis members as possible. A core project team has
been set up to guide the development of the plan. The project
team consists of Cites & Environment Unit planners and the
Mistawasis Community Lead (Anthony Johnston, Special
Projects, Iron Buffalo Centre).
Table of Contents
Workshop 1 Goals
Participation
Workshop Sessions
Strengths & Issues
Next Steps 1
1
2-3
3-7
7
A volunteer Planning Work Group (PWG) will also play an
important role in the CCP process. The PWG will be made
up of a cross-section of community voices helping to guide
the process and build community ownership of the plan.
Workshop 1 Goals
The goals for the two-day workshop were to:
• Establish the Planning Work Group (PWG)
• Continue to raise awareness of the CCP project
• Explore strengths and issues in Mistawasis
Participation
A successful CCP is the result of broad participation in a
community-based process, with many voices shaping the
directions for future community development. The first
CCP workshop included several productive meetings and
conversations. The following is a list of meetings and sessions
that were planned for the workshop:
Community Session Memory Mapping
Activity
• Meeting with Chief and Council (April 29)
• Planning Work Group (PWG) Meeting (April 29)
−− Cancelled
CCP Workshop 1 Summary Report - May 2014
1
• Chief Mistawasis School Visit (April 29)
• Community Session 1 (evening of April 29)
• Meeting with Band Staff (April 30)
−− Cancelled due to scheduling conflict (Band staff
at training session in Saskatoon)
−− CCP team met with Lawrence Johnston instead
• Community Session 2 (afternoon of April 30)
• Elder’s Tea Focus Session (April 30)
−− Cancelled due to a wake in the community
• Bring community (including urban members) and
partners together for discussions and decisions
• Build buy in from community through their
involvement in planning
• Empower people to take the bull by the horns and
implement our plans
• Tool to help secure annual funding
• Provide consistency in community development
into the future. Compile data and use to support
the plan & argue for funding. Have a physical
product to show other communities and funders.
• Strengthen governance - see the big picture and
have a long-term view. What do we need to do to
benefit Mistawasis 20 yrs in the future?
• Build consensus around land tenure - this is the #1
stumbling block.
• Work toward independence from larger
organizations (e.g., FSIN, Tribal Council) - spend a
larger share of funding in the First Nation
• Build a very solid core so everything else falls into
place.
Workshop 2 Community Session
Meeting with Chief & Council
Following a round of introductions the CCP
team presented an overview of the CCP project
and responded to questions about the process.
Chief, Council and staff in attendance were very
generous with their time and contributed to a
productive meeting. Below is a summary of input
from meeting participants in response to the
question:
What can the CCP do for Mistawasis?
• Confirm commitment to making our own decisions
about how to use our land (First Nations Land
Management Act)
• Identify new opportunities arising from signing on
to the Fiscal Management Act
• Focus on community development
• Find ways to maximize education $ to get the most
benefit for Mistawasis members.
• Build capacity among the people to take
on important roles & responsibilities in the
community. Reduce reliance on external agencies,
organizations)
CCP Workshop 1 Summary Report - May 2014
• Emphasize importance of having basic
infrastructure (e.g., fire truck, paved roads)
• Find potential inside Mistawasis to move us
forward. Find the common ground.
• Provide direction on education, housing, economic
development, etc. Direction comes from the
community
• Capture a Vision created by all the people
• Describe how we will teach our kids to be our
future leaders
• Define roles and responsibilities of leadership
• Entice the community to come together to build a
sense of community, work on projects together
• Bring on-reserve and off-reserve members together.
We’re all members of Mistawasis.
• Rebuild a Nation
• Promote universal values
• CCP can be the umbrella plan for other policies,
strategic plans, etc.
• Take the CCP to the people and have it ratified
• Be ready to pass on the staff (baton, sacred bundle)
to future leadership
• Look at past practice, learn from the past
2
Chief Mistawasis School Visit
The CCP team met with grade 7 and 8 students
at the Chief Mistawasis School. After a brief
introduction to the concept of community
planning the students were asked to draw a map
of their community from memory and describe
what they like about their community and what
they would like to see change. CEU staff retained
their drawings and will include a selection in the
final Community Plan document. The strengths
and issues described by the students have been
added to the organized list in this report.
Project Ideas (from School visit)
• Ice rink
• Lacrosse field
• New soccer field (keep the grass cut short)
• Skate park
• Paved roads
a review of the background research completed so
far.
The first group activity (2nd session only) involved
memory mapping. Participants were asked to
draw a map of their community from memory.
This activity helped identify areas of significance
to individuals and the community. As participants
shared their maps with the larger group, they
revealed a variety of unique perceptions of
Mistawasis.
In the second group activity, community members
identified strengths and issues in Mistawasis. Our
team recorded the conversations on flip chart
paper as participants identified things that they
see as unique or remarkable in their community
as well as things that don’t work well or need to
be changed.
Memory Map from School visit
Meeting with Lawrence Johnston
The CCP team met with Lawrence Johnston, Land
Assistant, who helped us better understand the
current situation around land tenure and some
of the challenges presented by Certificates of
Possession (CP) in Mistawasis. Lawrence provided
us with a “Land Summary” document that will be
helpful in filling some of the gaps in the Land and
Settlement background information.
The community sessions closed with an
explanation of what our team will do with the
information that had been collected and what the
next steps of the CCP process will entail.
A synthesized list of the strengths and issues
identified at the two community sessions is
organized below under several theme areas that
emerged from the discussions.
Strengths & Issues
An important goal of the first workshop was
to gain a good understanding of the strengths
and issues in Mistawasis as part of the “context”
chapter of the Plan. The experience, ideas and
Community Sessions
The CCP team began both sessions with a brief perceptions of all those who participated will
introduction to planning and the CCP process and help create an inclusive picture of what strengths
CCP Workshop 1 Summary Report - May 2014
3
• Respect for different traditions, values, spiritual
beliefs
Family & Community
• Family support --> community support
• Youth
• Generous people; even with no money, offer time
and support
• Peaceful and progressive
• Working towards “gossip free”
Community Session Memory Map Presentations
and resources the community can build on,
as well as the main issues or challenges the
community faces.
The exploration of community strengths began
with these guiding questions:
What makes you proud of Mistawasis?
What are some of the key strengths or
achievements to build on?
The exploration of community issues began with
these guiding questions:
What is holding Mistawasis back?
What are some of the key issues, or things that
need to change?
What is at the root of these issues?
Strengths
History & Tradition
• Rich history – 1st signatory of Treaty 6
• Working to work together
• Respect for people’s opinions/values/ideas
• More assertive than aggressive
• We band together over hardships
• Good sense of humour
• Invisible labour, work done behind the scenes
• Humility
Services
• Radio station
• Youth centre
• Only FN school in SK w/smart boards in every
classroom
• Paul & tech team (“Geek Squad”)
• Air cadets in Saskatoon every Wednesday since
2000
• Connection w/CANSASK + Iron Buffalo Centre
• Offering urban service on-reserve
• Health centre that focuses on mental wellbeing
−− Retreats/team building to build on positive
relationships
• Elders activities/gatherings
−− Rations hub for other reserves
• Meals/music/entertainment
−− Once part of the Red river carts (Métis) trail
• Graveyard clean-up (should be annual)
−− Medicine box
−− Qualified doctor/nurse on reserve
• Elders
−− Stories/history
−− Know locations in Mistawasis
−− Living books of knowledge
−− “Knowledge keepers”
• Eddie’s family trees
• Calvin’s history piece
• *We’re still here*
CCP Workshop 1 Summary Report - May 2014
Culture, Recreation & Events
• Fishing derbies
• Fundraisers (e.g., grads,weddings)
• Annual camps: “big child camp”, band camp,
family camp, culture camp
• Remembrance Day Round Dance
• Winter festivals
• Camp games
• Fire making
• Circuit
4
• Bingo twice per week
−− Helps fund community activities
• New drum group
• Volunteer committees that organize events, play to
people’s strengths
• Christmas tree
• Christmas dinner
• Christmas hamper for every household on-reserve
• Gifts for kids, off-reserve members and elders (gift
cards)
Environment
• 5 fresh water lakes
• Boreal forest
• Agricultural lands
• Diverse wildlife
• Long-standing landmarks – “The Bay” “The
Crossroads”
−− Lake village/south village/north village/the hill
• Fishing
• Hunting (deer/duck/rabbits)
• Cabin
Memory Map from Community Session
• Hand games (not lately, bring it back)
• Powwows: June 9th (2-day event) at rodeo grounds
• Inter-school powwow
• Rodeo days, July
• Chuck wagons
• Things I like: walk around and see all the animals
around me; wake up to the sounds of birds singing;
see my yard clean
• I love to walk around a lot
• Things I like: dogs, big yard, all the trees, birds
singing, path to the field, lilac bush
• Horse racing
Health
• Chariots
• Drug/alcohol-free unity ride for youth
• “sleeping cowboy”
• Unofficial safe houses for youth
• Mistawasis Warriors (hockey)
• 47 members participated in the winter games (most
in STC)
Governance
• Strong leadership
• Lacrosse – some teams scouted
• Slo-pitch teams
• Memorial sports days (volleyball/horseshoes)
• Dry dances
• Drop and shop
• Christmas meal
• Mothers’ Day/Fathers’ Day BBQ
−− Honour M/F of the year (on a Sunday)
• Treaty Day
• Beading! Classes every wed. 4-6
CCP Workshop 1 Summary Report - May 2014
5
Issues
Traditions & History
• Potential language loss
• Learning traditions --> there are many and we
might not know them all
−− Mix of approaches
Family & Community
• Kids don’t listen! Don’t respect adults
• Lack/loss of community parenting
−− Was once taught/part of community and how
children were raised
• Not working together
−− Culture has changed
• Kids in foster care (some off-reserve) b/c of lack of
parenting
Recreation
• Bring back communal/rec. opportunities
• Need rink
−− $1000000, band member (hockey superstar)
• Lack of parental involvement in activities
• Lack of volunteerism
• Community event boycotts get carried forward
through generations
• Soccer field is really wet right now and the grass is
always really long
Environment
• Things I don’t like: all the garbage, broken cars and
chickens
• I don’t like people killing starving animals, seeing
dead animals
• Grandma’s raising grandchildren (parents no
longer raise kids)
−− Used to teach traditions, now being taken
advantage of
• Intergenerational disconnect b/c of residential
schools
• Bullying between parents and kids and between
parents (it’s everywhere)
• Lack of communication & how it’s communicated
(tone/approach)
• Jealousy (goes back to poverty/social issues)
• Very divided – only put differences aside for
hardships
• Indian Crab Syndrome
• People afraid of change, don’t want to move
forward (stuck in old school)
• Lack of knowledge/understanding
• Supportive of day-to-day but not of people’s
success
• Lack of communication
• Not making use of non-band members abilities onreserve (who is a community member?)
−− Root: prioritizing band members
−− Could be a funding issue
−− Two-tiers: 1)band members 2)community
members (includes non-band members)
• If we had as many people helping as we do
complain we’d be set
• Working towards change, but change starts within
CCP Workshop 1 Summary Report - May 2014
Health
• Drugs/Alcohol/Poverty/Social Issues
−− No one wants to bring up/share
−− No implementing bylaws/rules
−− Speeding/drunk driving
−− People drinking, begin loud and leaving their
children
• Lateral violence
• Need more programs/resource for alcohol/drugs
• High transient population; city problems become
reserve problems
−− Not sure how to deal with it, don’t want to
criticize family members’ behavior
−− Kills motivation/introverted
• Don’t want to interact w/ppl who bully (aggressive
people)
6
Governance
• Need front line workers’ involvement in CCP –
make it mandatory !!!!
• 2-year election cycles; cannot make long term
changes needed due to short-term thinking
• Chief + Council not working together; how can
they work for community if they can’t work
together?
• Don’t always hire based on merit
−− Nepotism becoming less of an issue but still
exists
• Liability/legal (potential) issues scare us from
pursuing projects
• Too many policies get in the way of progress
Next Steps
Workshop 2
The CEU planning team will make a second
visit to Mistawasis this summer to continue
conversations with the community and develop
content for the Community Plan. Strengths and
issues from the first workshop will be reviewed
and community members will be invited to think
boldly about the future of Mistawasis - this will
form the basis of the Vision Statement that will be
captured in the CCP.
Dates for workshop 2 are to be determined and
will be advertised. The CCP team is planning to
host an off-reserve session for urban members as
part of workshop 2 activities.
Communications
A good communications strategy is key to
building awareness of the CCP project and sharing
information with Mistawasis members throughout
the process. Mistawasis should consider:
• Regular CCP updates on the Mistawasis website,
including a link to download this summary report.
Memory Map from School visit
SETTLEMENT
1
Settlement is defined by how people use the land and what is constructed on the
ground. This information allows the community to see how it has developed physically
over time, how the community is organized and what assets exist.
Roads
13 - Health Clinic
6 - Iron Buffalo Centre
(Former Health Clinic)
2
4
5
CONTEXT
VISION
ACTION
DRAFT:
3
* This is a work in progress ! Feel free to add to it.
Housing
6
7
CHANGE
• Regular updates on the local radio station
11 - Water Treatment Plant
Current Settlement
Community Facilities
The most important public facility in Mistawasis is Chief Mistawasis School. Students from kindergarten to
grade 8 attend, and the school also provides daycare and a Head Start program. The Iron Buffalo Centre
provides skills training for band members with the intent of helping them find quality employment. There
is no grocery store in Mistawasis; the nearest services are in the town of Leask, 22 km southeast and
Shellbrook, 35 km to the east. Prince Albert is a major service centre, 79 km west of Mistawasis.
1 - Band Office
2 - Daycare
3 - School
4 - Portables
5 - Family Centre
6 - Iron Buffalo Centre
(Former Health Clinic)
7 - Baseball Diamond
8 - Fire Hall
9 - Soccer Field
10 - Lagoons
11 - Water Treatment Plant
12 - Chuck Wagon Track
13 - Health Clinic
14 - Pow Wow Grounds
Housing
14
12
10
9
13
1
5
8
2
3
7
The population of Mistawasis had increased greatly at the 2006 census, and some of that increase is
reflected in the data for mobility. In 2006, more than 20% of residents had moved to Mistawasis from
elsewhere within the past five years. In 2001 and 2011, the mobility data was consistent – over 80% of the
population had been living in Mistawasis five years previously. This data indicates a fairly stable population.
However, it does not account for people who left Mistawasis permanently; it also ignores temporary or
seasonal migrations (e.g., for employment).
Mistawasis has 170 private dwellings, 160 of which are single detached houses. For these 170 dwellings,
there are 200 census families; 50 households in Mistawasis consist of two or more families. These statistics
indicate overcrowding. The average number of people in a private household in Mistawasis is 4.7, almost
double the provincial average of 2.5.
6
4
11
Infrastructure & Serviced Areas
Water Supply
Wastewater & Garbage
The majority of the homes in Mistawasis receive
water through municipal services, 61.3%. Within
the community core area, municipal water
is provided and water service is provided to
outlying homes through a low-pressure water
distribution system.
The remaining homes, in
more rural areas, receive water through a variety
of methods including community wells, individual
wells or cisterns supplied by trucks.
Sewage disposal is largely managed through
individual septic fields/ mounds (53.0%). The
remaining homes are serviced through lagoons or
pump-out trucks.
Serviceable Areas
The Serviceable Areas Map shows the areas
where basic community services, such as sewer
and water exist, or could easily be extended.
Topography and the location of current
infrastructure forms the basis of the Serviceable
Areas Map.
Communities
are
continually
faced
with
expenses related to maintaining, improving
and extending roads, water lines and sewer
pipes. In order to develop in a cost-effective
and sustainable way, decisions about new
investments in infrastructure should consider
environmental and cost implications.
LEGEND
1 - Band Office
2 - Daycare
3 - School
4 - Portables
5 - Family Centre
6 - Iron Buffalo Centre
(Former Health Clinic)
7 - Baseball Diamond
8 - Fire Hall
9 - Soccer Field
10 - Lagoons
11 - Water Treatment Plant
12 - Chuck Wagon Track
13 - Health Clinic
14 - Pow Wow Grounds
0
2 km
Watermain
Low Pressure
Sewage Line
• A CCP Facebook Group that would provide an
online forum for learning about and contributing
to the planning process. A Facebook Group can
be managed by the Group’s administrator(s) to
protect privacy and filter out any inappropriate
posts.
Currently, garbage collection is a handled by a
local band member and delivered to a dumpsite.
The current landfill is experiencing some difficulty
containing waste within the designated area.
Developable Areas
Developable Areas are those parts of the
community where services exist or could easily
be extended. Developable Areas Map can be
used to determine appropriate locations for new
infrastructure, housing, and community projects.
As the community moves through the planning
process and there is greater understanding of
the phyiscal constraints to development it will be
possible to establish the areas best suited for
• Extensive postering around the community to
advertise future planning activities
Planning Work Group
Ideally the Planning Work Group will form and
meet at least once before workshop 2. CEU staff
can support this first meeting via video conference
or conference call.
future development.
LEGEND
Possible Future
Housing
Developement
Possible Future
Commercial
/ Community
Developement
* Mistawasis Community Plan - Final
Report prepared by Crosby Hanna &
Associates
0
2 km
APRIL 2014
MISTAWASIS FIRST NATION COMMUNITY PLAN
Settlement poster displayed at Workshop 1
CCP Workshop 1 Summary Report - May 2014
7