This video features Peterson Zah and Angela Russell. they talk about what qualities are needed in a good leadership. Not just as the Chief, but the whole system.Peterson notes that leaders from decades past led with commitment, dedication, and honesty. Never in it to make money, but a real desire to better the community and leave a lasting legacy for the people.
This is the kind of leader my father was. Always giving one hundred and ten percent and never expecting anything in return.At that time most families grew up with both parents around the supper table. We would rush to eat and hope to catch a glimpse of Dad on the T.V.Sometimes that would be the only glimpse of him we would have for weeks at a time. It always filled us with a sense of pride to know he was out there creating our Government. Little did we know at the time, but he was empowering us with knowledge as well.
Today's leaders don't always lead with these same qualities. They are too busy creating a name for themselves and they forget where they came from.They need to be held accountable for their actions.
the business at hand needs to be to create a stable economic base and grow from there. There is too much poverty in our community which leads to despair which leads to alcohol and drug abuse.
Youth need to have a voice and feel like they're important. If we empower the youth with their cultural identity, their pride in themselves and their abilities can shine through brighter than anything they can ever get from alcohol or drugs. This will prepare them to become leaders of tomorrow with a strong connection to their past.
Thursday, 26 April 2012
Sunday, 22 April 2012
Video 4: Sovereignty: Your Best Tool For Development
In this video the speaker Joseph P. Kalt talks about the benefits of sovereignty. He tells ua about a reserve that becomes a city and takes scontrol of its finances to become independent. They implement codes and infrastructure with the mindset "do it yourself and do it better." There is no talk about grants or social programs, but instead there are departments and jurisdiction and an abundance of jobs. As they grow and become experts in their fields, they instill a sense of pride in their people. As their people see what is being created the mindset is changing and they are letting go of their limitations. They set up a tax and the people are accepting of this tax. The tax revenue is used to make up for the shortcomings in the infrastructure. In Nova Scotia we are still of the mindset that we are owed big time by the government, and not paying taxes is our right. But really if we are ever to achieve self government we will need a taxation system in place. The difference will be that we will benefit from it by using it for our own infrastructure.
This kind of thinking I believe is years and years away from Potlotek especially since we are still in the grant mindset. I can see it coming in Membertou and Truro sooner rather than later. This is just one of the areas we need to change our thinking if we are going to advance.
This kind of thinking I believe is years and years away from Potlotek especially since we are still in the grant mindset. I can see it coming in Membertou and Truro sooner rather than later. This is just one of the areas we need to change our thinking if we are going to advance.
Video 3: Giants and Little People: Indigenous Law In Context
Giants and Little People is a presentation by Professor John Borrows from the University of Minnesota. He's roots are from a reservation in Ontario. John Borrows looks at the formation of laws from the inside out, and from the outside in.
From the inside out means building on the teachings and stories we have been raised with. The realization that a legal system has already exsisted and has been followed for hundreds of years.It is in our teachings that have been passed down. It is in our surroundings it "is sourced in the very rock that surrounds us." It is recorded in our petroglyphs, etched in stone. We have survived for years before the whiteman came, following the teachings of our ancestors.It is not called A Justice System, but it is one just the same.
From the outside in refers to embracing the whiteman's law and learning to take the positves from it and incorporate it into our culture. Although in this discussion John Borrows focuses on the inside out approach.
He shares a story about a woman, her husband, two sons and grandson. The couple's sons die and they are sharing a story with their grandson.They are relating teachings to him about finding his purpose, gifts, healing and justice.
They are teaching him that the stories and traditions are just as relevant today as they were hundreds of years ago. They may not be in the same context as a law book but they serve the same purpose. Its important to keep these traditions alive by practicing them. "You preserve jam, you live traditions." This means that traditions are not supposed to stay stagnant. They should change adapt and evolve with the people, as these changes take place our ancestors are smiling down on us with the knowledge that their laws live on.
Another main point is to resolve disputes from the inside out. Sometimes we don't recognize when we are hurting ourselves or others Sometimes things are bigger than us and we can't wastre our time trying to resolve it. We need to learn to move on and hand over the fight to someone more qualified. In the story of the Indigo the people observe what is happening with the man in question before deciding on their actions. Collectively they come to a solution and remedy.
From the inside out means building on the teachings and stories we have been raised with. The realization that a legal system has already exsisted and has been followed for hundreds of years.It is in our teachings that have been passed down. It is in our surroundings it "is sourced in the very rock that surrounds us." It is recorded in our petroglyphs, etched in stone. We have survived for years before the whiteman came, following the teachings of our ancestors.It is not called A Justice System, but it is one just the same.
From the outside in refers to embracing the whiteman's law and learning to take the positves from it and incorporate it into our culture. Although in this discussion John Borrows focuses on the inside out approach.
He shares a story about a woman, her husband, two sons and grandson. The couple's sons die and they are sharing a story with their grandson.They are relating teachings to him about finding his purpose, gifts, healing and justice.
They are teaching him that the stories and traditions are just as relevant today as they were hundreds of years ago. They may not be in the same context as a law book but they serve the same purpose. Its important to keep these traditions alive by practicing them. "You preserve jam, you live traditions." This means that traditions are not supposed to stay stagnant. They should change adapt and evolve with the people, as these changes take place our ancestors are smiling down on us with the knowledge that their laws live on.
Another main point is to resolve disputes from the inside out. Sometimes we don't recognize when we are hurting ourselves or others Sometimes things are bigger than us and we can't wastre our time trying to resolve it. We need to learn to move on and hand over the fight to someone more qualified. In the story of the Indigo the people observe what is happening with the man in question before deciding on their actions. Collectively they come to a solution and remedy.
Video 2:Governance,Enterprise and rebuilding Native Economies
The speaker in this video is Stephen Cornell, co founder of the Harvard Project. He has done a series of seminars focusing on Nation Building. The seminars cover topics such as Constitutional Refom, Policy, Strategic Planning and Economic Development. This video is on Native Owned Enterprise which falls under Economic Development.
The Harvard Project has been studying Nation Building and trying to answer the questions related to Nation Building such as: What do we want for our people for the next 50 years? How are we going to get there? What strategies do we need to put in place to get there? How can reduce or eliminate dependence on outside organization? The Harvard Project has studied successful Bands and analyzed what has made them so successful. In a comparison of Enterprise A and Enterprise B, we see how the mistakes are made in running an enterprise on reserve.
Enterprise A is a forestry enterprise selling fence posts.At first it is successful but the band starts to depend on it to carry the nation. The band council interfers and starts getting involved in the hiring. Soon the labor costs are too high and it is no longer profitable. the company folds.
Enterprise B is a Casino and the Council is insulated from it. It is running successfully but then nearby competitors are almost runs it bankrupt. A new strategy by this band is put in place. They realize they need to look at generating monies from different sources.They start to think about the future of the band and what they want to achieve. They are able to set up a structure that enables them to set up various economic opportunites so they are not entirely dependent on the casino revenues.
The video also talks about the approach the most bands take in economic development. They hire a planner or economic development officer. They get a grant, they expect that grant to carry the community in the form of job creation. They max out the effectiveness of the grant. By now it is time for a new council to be elected, they say we can do a better job than they did, and they get a grant and repeat the process.
This is the cycle that I see in my community. In the past we have had so many programs taking place in our community. We had canoe making, basket making and beadwork just to name a few. The problem is this: we copy what is going on in each reserve. What is successful in one reserve is not necessarily going to be successful in another reserve.We need to look at the uniqueness of our own community and develop our businesses from this uniqueness. Potlotek is the cultural mecca for the Mikmaq people and should be marketed as such. The island is the heartbeat of the people, it is what gives life to our culture. So much history is here, the grand council, the mission, the people. We have yet to use this to our advantage.
Another problem is: we are gullible. Its an awful thing to say but its true. We let these "fly by nighters" into our reserves too quickly. When we were in the canoe making business, other reserves had already had their turn in the canoe making business.These fly by nighters sold us their "serum" and we swallowed it, no we gulped it down too quickly without reading the warning label. If we looked at the warning label it would have said: "We are too good to be true. We saw an easy way to make money from your band and don't care one bit about you. We already did this to a neighboring band."
This is like the "Messiah Complex" we hear about in the video. We have the expectation that someone is gonna show up and save us. What we don't realize is that we already have the ability to save ourselves we just have to work together, set up the groundwork, make sure theres no cracks and don't give up so easily and keep trying.
The Harvard Project has been studying Nation Building and trying to answer the questions related to Nation Building such as: What do we want for our people for the next 50 years? How are we going to get there? What strategies do we need to put in place to get there? How can reduce or eliminate dependence on outside organization? The Harvard Project has studied successful Bands and analyzed what has made them so successful. In a comparison of Enterprise A and Enterprise B, we see how the mistakes are made in running an enterprise on reserve.
Enterprise A is a forestry enterprise selling fence posts.At first it is successful but the band starts to depend on it to carry the nation. The band council interfers and starts getting involved in the hiring. Soon the labor costs are too high and it is no longer profitable. the company folds.
Enterprise B is a Casino and the Council is insulated from it. It is running successfully but then nearby competitors are almost runs it bankrupt. A new strategy by this band is put in place. They realize they need to look at generating monies from different sources.They start to think about the future of the band and what they want to achieve. They are able to set up a structure that enables them to set up various economic opportunites so they are not entirely dependent on the casino revenues.
The video also talks about the approach the most bands take in economic development. They hire a planner or economic development officer. They get a grant, they expect that grant to carry the community in the form of job creation. They max out the effectiveness of the grant. By now it is time for a new council to be elected, they say we can do a better job than they did, and they get a grant and repeat the process.
This is the cycle that I see in my community. In the past we have had so many programs taking place in our community. We had canoe making, basket making and beadwork just to name a few. The problem is this: we copy what is going on in each reserve. What is successful in one reserve is not necessarily going to be successful in another reserve.We need to look at the uniqueness of our own community and develop our businesses from this uniqueness. Potlotek is the cultural mecca for the Mikmaq people and should be marketed as such. The island is the heartbeat of the people, it is what gives life to our culture. So much history is here, the grand council, the mission, the people. We have yet to use this to our advantage.
Another problem is: we are gullible. Its an awful thing to say but its true. We let these "fly by nighters" into our reserves too quickly. When we were in the canoe making business, other reserves had already had their turn in the canoe making business.These fly by nighters sold us their "serum" and we swallowed it, no we gulped it down too quickly without reading the warning label. If we looked at the warning label it would have said: "We are too good to be true. We saw an easy way to make money from your band and don't care one bit about you. We already did this to a neighboring band."
This is like the "Messiah Complex" we hear about in the video. We have the expectation that someone is gonna show up and save us. What we don't realize is that we already have the ability to save ourselves we just have to work together, set up the groundwork, make sure theres no cracks and don't give up so easily and keep trying.
Sunday, 25 March 2012
Introduction To Nation Building
This video is about Nation Building featuring Dr.Manley Begay and Dr.Cornell both from University of Arizonia. It discusses the challenges, obstacles, assets involved in Nation Building. They have spent the past two decades studying successful Nation Building. Nation Building is about how Indigenious Nations can bring tools together to build a successful Government that will work for them. THese tools are specific to each Nation as every Nation has different needs. Presently some Nations Governments aren't working for them as they were set up the Federal government and imposed on them. In 1975 the Self Determination Act was passed and First Nations began fighting for Sovereignty.
In the United States there are several First Nations that have achieved sovereignity. The main key to a successful nation is a strong political system that is kept seperate from business. Also planning for the future and setting up policies, codes and a constitution. In the States there are several examples of successful Nation Building such as the Osage Nation, San Carlos Apache, Crow Tribe. In Canada Akwesasne, Membertou, Black Foots are a few that are mentioned.
The main obstacle in the fight for successful Nation Building is Sovereignty. In Canada the attitude by First Nations is dependency on the Federal Government and not enough fight going on to gain sovereignty. The mindsest needs to change. Chief Strater Crowfoot from the Blackfoot First Nation in ALberta says" you have to try to replace the victim attitude with the victor attitude, the victim attitude keeps you still, the victor attitude gets you moving." This is a common attitude in Canadian First Nations and it is copied at all the different levels. Most First Nations are dependent on the Federal Government, the people are dependent on the band office for welfare, education and jobs. There is no real initiative taking place to try and make it without the band. But it seems to be mirrored off of the Band's Dependence on the Federal Government.
IF there was strong leadership in place that we could mirror off of maybe things could be different. Strong Leadership is an asset but only if everything else is in place: functioning institutions, laws, policies, codes and constitution. You should be able to depend on these policies to maintain the community. Indigenous culture is an asset that should be looked at as a success story that has stood the test of time. If our culture has survived there must be a structure in place that has worked for hundreds of years.
In Potlotek there is a high level of dependency on the band for jobs, education and welfare. But that was learned from the Band's dependence on the Federal Government. Over the years there has been lots of talk about our uniqueness and all we have to offer, but that gets lost with each new council that gets voted it. The goal of each new council seems to be to tear down what the last council did just as child steps on another child's sandcastle. Without a continuous set of rules and regulations in place we will never get to the ultimate goal of sovereignty. A council that can't work together, or refuses to work together creates a community that is at war with itself. Thats exactly what was created here. Membertou has the infrastructure in place and a vision that exceeds the wants needs and expectations of one person or a small group of people. Their success story can be Potlotek's success story too. They(chief anf council) just have to let it happen.
In the United States there are several First Nations that have achieved sovereignity. The main key to a successful nation is a strong political system that is kept seperate from business. Also planning for the future and setting up policies, codes and a constitution. In the States there are several examples of successful Nation Building such as the Osage Nation, San Carlos Apache, Crow Tribe. In Canada Akwesasne, Membertou, Black Foots are a few that are mentioned.
The main obstacle in the fight for successful Nation Building is Sovereignty. In Canada the attitude by First Nations is dependency on the Federal Government and not enough fight going on to gain sovereignty. The mindsest needs to change. Chief Strater Crowfoot from the Blackfoot First Nation in ALberta says" you have to try to replace the victim attitude with the victor attitude, the victim attitude keeps you still, the victor attitude gets you moving." This is a common attitude in Canadian First Nations and it is copied at all the different levels. Most First Nations are dependent on the Federal Government, the people are dependent on the band office for welfare, education and jobs. There is no real initiative taking place to try and make it without the band. But it seems to be mirrored off of the Band's Dependence on the Federal Government.
IF there was strong leadership in place that we could mirror off of maybe things could be different. Strong Leadership is an asset but only if everything else is in place: functioning institutions, laws, policies, codes and constitution. You should be able to depend on these policies to maintain the community. Indigenous culture is an asset that should be looked at as a success story that has stood the test of time. If our culture has survived there must be a structure in place that has worked for hundreds of years.
In Potlotek there is a high level of dependency on the band for jobs, education and welfare. But that was learned from the Band's dependence on the Federal Government. Over the years there has been lots of talk about our uniqueness and all we have to offer, but that gets lost with each new council that gets voted it. The goal of each new council seems to be to tear down what the last council did just as child steps on another child's sandcastle. Without a continuous set of rules and regulations in place we will never get to the ultimate goal of sovereignty. A council that can't work together, or refuses to work together creates a community that is at war with itself. Thats exactly what was created here. Membertou has the infrastructure in place and a vision that exceeds the wants needs and expectations of one person or a small group of people. Their success story can be Potlotek's success story too. They(chief anf council) just have to let it happen.
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