CHECK OUT OUR MOST RECENT NEWS!
It's been a busy summer! Just as the seasons are changing, we here at AICBR have also been experiencing transition - we sadly said farewell to our esteemed colleague and Co-Director Katelyn (see tribute below), we welcomed two new members of our team, our Youth Assistant, Roberta Wally and our Project and Communications Assistant, Anne Mease, and have been working hard on various projects that are on the go, including a big training session in late Novemver for developing Indigenous Community Climate Change Champions and a mapping project for Yukon/NWT Schools!!
We're excited to tell you all about it!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
We're Hiring!
Currently seeking a term, part-time Interim Executive Director to March 31, 2018
Want to join a dynamic team of passionate individuals working to build healthy communities and contribute in meaningful ways to bring northern knowledge to action?
This position will oversee the operations of AICBR. This includes:
- Working closely with the outgoing Executive Director responsible for completing existing projects;
- Research planning and management; operational planning and management; human resources planning; and financial planning and management;
- Engagement and communication with community stakeholders
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Minimum Master’s degree in health, social sciences, environmental sciences or related field and demonstrated experience working with Yukon First Nations communities and local, regional, and federal organizations.
- Equivalent research and work experience and/or education may be considered.
- Experience leading a non-profit organization in Canada’s North is a definite asset.
- Position requires excellent communication, planning and organizational skills; strong critical thinking and problem solving skills; research experience; and experience managing staff and projects.
POSITION DURATION:
- November 20, 2017 to March 31, 2018 (The position may be extended by mutual agreement and subject to funding).
- 30 to 37.5 hours per week.
COMPENSATION:
- $38-45/hour, commensurate with experience.
- Application deadline: October 27, 2017
- Please email resume and cover letter to info@aicbr.ca.
For additional information about AICBR please visit our website: www.aicbr.ca
APPLY NOW!
TRAINING OPPORTUNITY FOR YUKON FIRST NATIONS YOUTH!
We are hosting a free, four-day training session for youth (aged 18-30 yrs old) and Renewable Resources Council members, November 27-30th. There is funding available to offset costs to participants. There will be follow-up training in Phase II of the project sometime in Summer 2018 (Date TBD). The training focuses on building up emerging, young leaders as climate change champions and developing their knowledge of climate change causes, effects and adaptation from both Indigenous and scientific perspectives. After the training, participants will be equipped with the knowledge, tools and resources for conducting a community assessment of their climate change priorities as well as the community-based research and leadership skills to develop projects that build on these priorities for community climate change action.
LEARN MORE: https://www.aicbr.ca/yic4
Attention all Yukon First Nations Youth! We're hosting a training to develop community climate change champions and are currently recruiting interested participants. Check out our website to learn more and apply!
Northern Food Network
AICBR continues to co-host the Northern Food Network with Food Secure Canada. This network started informally in 2015 and has evolved over the past 2 years to become a space for knowledge mobilization and connection building between Northerners (and Southern allies) on issues relating to the themes of food, health, agriculture, and environment. The Network has hosted a number of engagement sessions on national food policy (more below), has brought together Northerners for key gatherings/conferences related to food security as well as facilitated a number of teleconferences/webinars featuring speakers from across the North. You can view the recordings, notes and presentation slides from AICBR and the Network's recent initiatives here.
UPCOMING WEBINAR: November 20th, 10-11am PST
Register here!
Northern Engagement on a Food Policy for Canada
What's Your Recipe For a Better Food System?
The federal government, led by Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada (AAFC), has been consulting on a national food policy over the summer and fall in order to build the country's first ever, cohesive policy governing our food. A Food Policy for Canada is meant to “promote healthy living and safe food by putting more healthy, high-quality food, produced by Canadian ranchers and farmers, on the tables of families across the country” [Prime Minister Mandate Letter to Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, 2015].
What food policy can do for everyday Canadians is that it sets out a plan of action, both in the short- and long-term, for how we govern our food system and how we ensure Canadians are healthy and safe, how we protect our environment for future generations and how we promote our goals for prosperity. We all need to eat, so we all have something important to say when it comes to shaping our national food policy.
This is why AICBR set out, along with our partner, the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition (YAPC), to gather northerners' perspectives on our food system. It is clear that there are unique needs and geographical, political and social circumstances that exist in the North that must be taken into account during the development of this policy. Especially given that the most food insecure households exist in the North, northerners voices must be heard.
What we were able to do was to host two engagement sessions based in Whitehorse in July. We had a booth at the Fireweed Market for folks to learn more about the policy process and to add their thoughts to the question "What Food Issues Matter to You?" as well as to fill out the government's survey. We then co-hosted a free, community meal to further the discussion on six key themes. YAPC was also able to talk with community members through the Food Bank, Blood Ties and their Downtown Outreach Clinic. AICBR and YAPC were also invited to attend the Yellowknife Engagement Session hosted by AAFC, where there was a small cohort of Yukoners.
Common themes expressed:
- Access to Fresh, Local, Organic Food;
- Fulfilling Dietary Needs (especially for limited income);
- High Cost of [Healthy] Food (especially in isolated communities);
- Interest in Local Growing - Greenhouses and Gardening (in community and at home);
- Need for Educational Opportunities (food skills and capacity building for teachers)
- Food Sovereignty & Decision-Making - giving communities the tools to identify and act on their food system priorities
- Indigenous Food Systems - harvesting and other activities essential to Indigenous food systems must be recognized
Stay tuned for more on report on What We Heard...
*It should be noted that these engagement sessions were very Whitehorse centric (urban setting), thus the results from the consultations should not be interpreted as being representative of the entire Yukon. Further engagement with rural Yukon communities, and in particular, Yukon First Nation citizens is required for a more accurate picture of Yukon’s perspectives with respect to the Food Policy for Canada.
The Northern Food Network also hosted two teleconferences focused around providing recommendations for the policy. What came out of these discussions were four main priority areas - Governance, Increasing Access to Affordable Food, Healthy and Safe Food, and Increasing Access to More High Quality Food. - Check out the pdf for full list of recommendations about what these areas mean for Northerners.
CHECK OUT THE NEW HEALTHY LIVING INVENTORY MAPS
Healthy Living Inventory
The new 2016-2017 data on healthy eating and active living programs is in! These two healthy living inventory maps help to promote ways of knowledge mobilization and collaboration in NWT and Yukon. The Yukon map also contains information on additional programs that cover themes of mental health, cultural activities, sexual health, career and skills development, and youth leadership.
These maps were developed as part of the Public Health Agency of Canada-funded 'Working Together' project and are also being used as part of a new Healthy Living in My Community Project, which contains a free, six-lesson unit package for teachers (see more on this project below)!
ALSO....
NEW FOOD SECURITY INVENTORY MAPS BEING DEVELOPED NOW!
We are also developing a separate map to highlight food security related initiatives in the Yukon. You can help us build this map by filling out program information of initiatives you know of by filling out the following survey!
Healthy Living in My Community Project
The Healthy Living in My Community project will bring community stories of healthy eating and active living to the classroom and connect students to healthy living initiatives in their communities through the use of story mapping technology and hands-on experiential learning. This project builds from AICBR’s Healthy Living Inventory Mapping Tool and incorporates mapping tutorials and other lessons originally developed by Esri Canada's Education Group and adapted by AICBR for relevance in Yukon schools. It contains a free, six-lesson unit package that will meet English Language Arts, Arts Education, Physical and Health Education, and Applied Design, Skills and Technologies curriculum requirements. The lessons are targeted to grades 7-9 but can be modified to suit any grade. If you are a Yukon or NWT educator who is interested in incorporating this project into your classroom, please contact Molly, molly@aicbr.ca.
- Download the information booklet here!
- Explore a story map example and learn more about how to use the Healthy Living Inventory, here!
NOTE: Esri's ArcGIS software is easy to use and freely accessible to all Canadian schools! Incorporating mapping into the school curriculum has many exciting applications - it builds students' analytical, technical, artistic, and language skills and encourages students to explore their world in creative, innovative ways!
WELCOME TO OUR NEW TEAM MEMBERS!
Introducing our Youth Assistant, Roberta Wally!
Roberta is from Carcoss Tagish First Nation in Yukon and has joined our team as a Youth Assistant in the summer. She's been an asset to the team and has been helping with some of the climate change and research related projects that AICBR has been working on. Over the summer, Roberta was mentored by Norma Kassi and also got the opportunity to travel with Norma for various community engagement meetings around three main projects: the Yukon Indigenous Community Climate Change Champion Training (YIC4), the Indigenous Leadership Initiative's development of a National Indigenous Guardians Network and the development of a Canadian Mountain Network.
Introducing our Project and Communications Assistant, Anne Mease!
Anne joined our team in October and has been helping to coordinate the Yukon Indigenous Community Climate Change Champion Training, among other responsibilities. She brings a wealth of knowledge from her Northern Tutchone roots from Selkirk First Nation, Pelly Crossing, Yukon and academic/professional background as a Certified Nursing Assistant and Social Services Worker and degrees (Bachelors of Arts (Double Honours) and Masters of Arts) in Anthropology/Archaeology and Native studies from the University of Saskatchewan.
AND A FAREWELL....
Tribute to Katelyn
Katelyn Friendship joined our team back in 2009 as Research Officer and later became Co-Director in 2014. She has helped grow and lead AICBR over the years, connecting us with many valuable opportunities and partnerships, has managed multiple large-scale and community-based projects, and contributed in invaluable ways to shape who we are today. While we are sad to say goodbye, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank her for her many years of incredible work and we wish her all the best in her future endeavours!
SOME NORTHERN, INDIGENOUS INNOVATIONS FEATURED IN VIDEO GAME!
As part of the Acting on Climate Change: Indigenous Initiatives Project, Norma has been working with McGill University on an initiative to showcase Indigenous innovations in climate change adaptation. As part of this project, a video game featuring a number of community adaptation initiatives (Selkirk First Nation's Keeping Our Traditions, Kluane First Nation's Nourishing Our Future, and Inuvik Community Greenhouse) were highlighted as part of a video game for kids at the Montreal Science Centre!
CHECK OUT THE VIDEO GAME here!
Recent Publications
- [link] Stories of Yukon Food Security. Food (In)security in the North. Northern Public Affairs Magazine. Issue 5, Volume 1.
- Authors: Jody Butler Walker, Norma Kassi, Marilyn Van Bibber, Katelyn Friendship, Molly Pratt, Math’ieya Alatini, Mary Jane Johnson, Eugene Alfred, Roger Alfred, Kluane First Nation Lands, Resources and Heritage Department, and Kluane First Nation Youth and Elders
- [link] The Partnerships, The Productions and the People Behind the Lens: Promoting Youth Wellness through Community-Based Research and Filmmaking. Innovations in Community Health and Wellness. Northern Public Affairs Magazine. Issue 5, Volume 2.
- Authors: Norma Kassi, Molly Pratt, Marilyn Van Bibber, Katelyn Friendship, Jody Butler Walker, Math’ieya Alatini Mary Jane Johnson, Roger Alfred, Eugene Alfred, Kluane First Nation Lands, Resources & Heritage Department, Kluane First Nation Youth and Elders, & the Vuntut Gwitchin Natural Resources Department