Band Administrator/Manager Role.

I felt I had gone as far as I could with providing capacity working outside a First Nation Administration environment, so I went to work within Band Administration. I had done work previously with Matawa communities in 2016-17 and felt a strong connection. AFN had not had a band administrator for a number of years and was coming out of third party management with leadership under the same Chief for 8 years. I started work with AFN about 2 ½ months before an election in which the incumbent Chief… Show more I felt I had gone as far as I could with providing capacity working outside a First Nation Administration environment, so I went to work within Band Administration. I had done work previously with Matawa communities in 2016-17 and felt a strong connection. AFN had not had a band administrator for a number of years and was coming out of third party management with leadership under the same Chief for 8 years. I started work with AFN about 2 ½ months before an election in which the incumbent Chief lost. As a Band Administrator I had a leadership role in the development, planning, organizing, oversight and evaluation of Aroland First Nation’s administration, programs and services. I also carried out directives from Chief & Council and oversaw the day-to-day operations of Aroland First Nation. These operations are found within core services of Governance, Administration, Health, Education, Lands and Resources, Housing, Ontario Works and Operations & Maintenance. In support of Aroland First Nation’s goal to provide quality programming and services, I worked with Chief and Council, directors, managers and staff to develop policies and opportunities, structure departments, improve operations, build programs, streamline work processes, and create cooperative work environments to provide quality services to Aroland First Nation membership.There was still a financial consultant from third party management when I started this position who was able to keep much of the financial load off me while I focused on community priorities including: Advancing multiple capital projects, structuring departments, building a band rep program, developing public works, community infrastructure and housing while supporting Council and drafting policies, committee terms of reference, and more. Show less

I founded CAID for my work in providing human resource capacity to Indigenous communities. CAID's overarching goal is to facilitate the reconciliation of pre-existing Indigenous rights to allow for economies and improved social capital in First Nations. This goal grew to include the reconciliation of inherent rights contained within the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007) and Calls to Action (2015) from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission… Show more I founded CAID for my work in providing human resource capacity to Indigenous communities. CAID's overarching goal is to facilitate the reconciliation of pre-existing Indigenous rights to allow for economies and improved social capital in First Nations. This goal grew to include the reconciliation of inherent rights contained within the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007) and Calls to Action (2015) from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).CAID’s focuses on providing capacity for small northern First Nations and supporting meaningful consultation that respects First Nation culture while facilitating creation of working relationships in an environment of reconciliation. Working relationships include functioning local and regional infrastructures that harmonize First Nation culture with outside jurisdictions. Infrastructures include: Resource and land management, economic, health care, education, food, veterinary, community and more.More recently, focus was placed on the creation of First Nation-based relational databases to manage a myriad of information management needs faced by remote First Nation communities, small First Nation councils and traditional leaders.I have also had opportunity to work within First Nation Administration and to engage with education, health and veterinary institutions to work toward resolving service delivery gaps that cause disadvantage. This type of work advances a practical expression of reconciliation and infrastructure that includes Indigenous rights, culture and administration support. Show less

I was a solo practitioner in the north covering approximately 60,000 square kilometers. It was during this time that I woke to see the ongoing colonization of First Nations in Canada. I left practice in this region to work in an area with access to the 27 First Nations of Treaty 3.

This was a period of transition for me when I owned and operated a solo veterinary practice while working with First Nation communities in Treaty 3. It was during this time that I began to work towards community consultations and building traditional law-based community infrastructure. At the end of this period, CAID was incorporated, I transferred my work with First Nations into CAID, and then my veterinary work was phased out.