2018 Reunion Conference of the GGCLC Indigenous Alumni

3:00 pm

Registration opens (Calgary Marriott Downtown, 2nd Floor)

6:30 pm

Reception at ONE18 Restaurant located in the Hotel (Main Floor)

6:00 am

Sunset Ceremony with Elder Herman Yellow Old Woman (2nd Floor)

7:30 am

Welcome and Traditional Opening by Elder Herman Yellow Old Woman

7:45 am

Remarks from the Chair, Roberta Jamieson

8:00 am

What do you want from our weekend together?

• Open mic opportunity for participants to state what they hope to get out of the reunion weekend

8:30 am

The Public Policy Agenda in Canada

• Wayne Wouters
  Strategic and Policy Advisor, McCarthy Tétrault
  and former Clerk of the Privy Council, Government of Canada
• Review of the competing interests for public and government attention in Canada including the major Indigenous issues like reconciliation, health and education.
• The changing demographic make-up of country, regions, communities that will underpin social and economic policy-making and politics in Canada for next 25 years.
• Every region and group have priorities – how do we ensure the major Indigenous issues stay public policy priorities?

9:30 am

Advances in Indigenous Health and Education – and the Challenges We Still Face

• Michael DeGagné
  President and Vice Chancellor, Nipissing University

  Lydia Hwitsum
  Chair, First Nations Health Authority

• Assessment of the state of Indigenous health and education – and the gaps between communities.
• The successes and challenges of the breakthrough organizations like the BC First Nations Health Authority.
• The links between education and health – and where we are seeing signs of progress.

11:00 am

The Indigenous Business Builder and Job-Creator

• Nicole Bourque-Bouchier
  Chief Executive Officer and Co-Owner, The Bouchier Group
• Break-through entrepreneurs share their thoughts on the reasons for their success – and how they see the future for growth.
• What communities and governments can do to help develop and encourage risk takers – and how we can keep the job creation in our communities.

12:00 pm

Lunch and Free Time

1:15 pm

Essential Qualities of Today’s Successful Relationships

• Kim Baird
  Kim Baird Strategic Consulting and former Chief, Tsawwassen First Nation

  Calvin Helin
  Author and Chair, Eagle Spirit Energy

  Donald R. Lindsay
  President and Chief Executive Officer, Teck Resources Limited

  Mark Little
  Chief Operating Officer, Suncor Energy

• Lessons on leadership skills from current leaders in business, government, social action. Will include focus on resilience, communication, and building economic and political partnerships with corporate Canada and mainstream governments that benefit communities for the long term.

3:30 pm

Building on the Strengths We Have Today

Dawn Madahbee Leach
Vice Chair, National Indigenous Economic Development Board, and General Manager, Waubetek Business Development Corporation

Harold Calla
Executive Chair, First Nations Financial Management Board

• Mapping the assets our peoples have for the challenges ahead, including examples of how communities can leverage assets like transportation corridors.
• How to work better together as First Peoples so we can learn from each other.
• How can communities with resources and capacity support themselves and others? How does leadership make the difference?

5:15 pm

Buses depart for Blackfoot Crossing

6:30 pm – 10:30 pm

Blackfoot Crossing Cultural Centre (site of historic Treaty 7 signing)

• Barbecue with traditional foods
• Cultural presentation and exchanges

6:00 am

Sunrise exercise available on 2nd Floor (jogging, yoga)

7:30 am

Welcome from Chair and blessing from Elder Doreen Bergum

7:50 am

Welcome from Dr. Marie Delorme, C.M., Session Moderator: Description of format and report-backs

• Interactive Day
• Each member can select to participate in two of the available eight Round Table topics (see Round Table list below)
• Each Round Table session will last approximately two hours

8:00 am

First Round Table Session

10:00 am

Second Round Table Session

12:30 pm

Lunch and Free Time

2:00 pm

Plenary: Report-backs on Round tables with Dr. Marie Delorme, C.M.

• Facilitator reporting on key findings, key linkages, key conflicts
• Key threads (knowing self, knowing community, knowing country)
• How do Indigenous values influence outcomes
• How do we scale up our successes?
• Summary

7:00 pm

Evening with Alberta alumni at Bank & Baron Pub (Behind the hotel)

7:45 am

Welcome from Roberta Jamieson and description of the morning

8:00 am

60-Minute Peer Mentoring Round Table: Are you achieving everything you want to achieve? What are you struggling with? How can the alumni help each other? Can we build a stronger network among us to work better together?

9:00 am

Next Steps

• What has the GGCLC experience meant to you?
• How do the Indigenous Alumni continue their discussion after this weekend?
• What role should the GGCLC play in accelerating reconciliation across Canada?
• How do we help make this happen? How do we reach out to our fellow alumni to be part of the action plan?

11:00 am

Sum-up and discussion of future networking, mentoring, reunions, and organization of Indigenous alumni planning committee.

11:30 am

Reunion Conference concludes

Round Table sessions:
Question: What is shared decision-making? Are there significant differences between Canada’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous decision-making structures (government and business)? Where are they similar and where can the differences lead to different outcomes? Can they work together? Should they work together? What needs to be strengthened and what needs to be de-constructed for the next generation?

Question: Indigenous Leadership Today and Tomorrow. How do you define progressive leadership today? What are indicators of success for any leader today? Are there unique indicators of success for Indigenous leaders? Are leaders today responsible for mentoring the next generation of leaders? Within the next 25 years will we see an Indigenous provincial premier or prime minister?

Question: Where do the Worldviews Meet? How do we share our perspectives on priorities, responsibilities and decision-making in corporate and other predominantly non-Indigenous environments? Where is this happening today? Is it making a difference to Indigenous participation and shared decision-making? Is it making a difference to how Canadians see themselves today?

Question: Defining Our Wellbeing. Where are we succeeding and where are we falling behind? Yes, we need more resources for health, education and social programs – but can we do more with what we have today? Can we collaborate more with each other? Can we better share our experiences with what works and what doesn’t?

Question: The Mindset and Skillset of an Entrepreneur. How do we encourage more entrepreneurship within our communities? How do we keep the new job opportunities in our communities? Where do we see examples of progress in building successful new businesses? What accelerators exist across the country that we can tap into?

Question: Making Indigenous Inclusion the Obvious Way Forward. What are the challenges in defining and moving forward on reconciliation not simply in theory but in practice – in our communities, schools and organizations? Who is excelling at cross-cultural learning and unlearning across the country? What impact is it having? How do we share the successes? What should be our goal as a country?

Question: Whose Voices Tell the Canada Story? What role can leaders play in educating all Canadians about the broader story of our country? Is reconciliation possible if we continue telling different stories about the country? Are mainstream media, cultural institutions, and school systems in Canada helping or impeding? Are we optimistic the broader population wants to truly understand the real history of this land?

Question: Leading and Family Wellbeing. Nothing works unless our families are healthy in body and mind. What can we do as leaders to help close the gaps between child welfare and family wellbeing in every community? Where is leadership making a difference today? How do we measure progress? How do we share success stories? Can individual communities help each other regardless of region, cultural heritage or financial capacity?

Information to come