Clinton and Jessica attend the Canadian Aboriginal Mining Conference

Clinton and I recently attended the Canadian Aboriginal Mining Conference and Tradeshow, held in Toronto on November 18-20, 2012. We had a great time attending the various workshops and meeting all the conference delegates.

The most interesting workshop for us was the Youth Panel that Teck Resources sponsored. We've worked with Teck previously on their Mobile Strategy and we are always impressed with their work in the communities. The Youth were truly motivational to listen to - they spoke of the opportunities yet some of the challenges their communities face with resource development. It was great to see such fantastic young leaders.

CES was there to promote our engagement services and workshops designed specifically for Aboriginal communities considering partnerships with the resource extraction industry. We at CES feel it is very important for the community to decide as a whole the direction they want to take their economy and what priorities are most important for them. We provide communities with tools and resources that help them stay in control and determine if partnerships are indeed the right path. Our services and workshops are designed specifically for the community to develop a sustainable holistic plan, collectively.

We met some interesting people as well who are doing some amazing work across the country.We saw many opportunities for collaboration in the future. If your community is considering partnerships with industry or are unsure if partnerships are the right path, contact us today. We will work with you to determine an action plan for economic development that fits your community's goals and priorities and is in harmony with your culture.

- Jessica

Census - Indigenous Languages Struggling

I recently watched a CTV news story on the 2011 Census, which brought up some interesting new statistics on the languages spoken in Canada. While I was pleased to see that Canada remains as multi-cultural as ever, one segment of the population seems to be struggling. Our country's first languages - the Indigenous Languages are struggling.

Watch story here -
  CTV News Story - Losing languages: 2011 census finds indigenous languages struggling

The reasons given for the struggle include past policies that removed Indigenous Language from the school and community as well as a higher value placed on the two 'official' languages. One can easily understand why these languages continue to struggle.

However, I was pleased to hear from the guest speaker - Lorna Williams, the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Knowledge and Learning at the University of Victoria, that there is good work being done in communities across Canada to preserve and strengthen our Indigenous Languages.

To continue and strengthen this good work, I was recently made aware of a new Call for Proposals for the Aboriginal Languages Initiative of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

The Aboriginal Languages Initiative supports community-based projects that contribute to the preservation and revitalization of Aboriginal languages in Canada. If you are interested in applying, please visit www.pch.gc.ca/aboriginal and click on 'Apply for Funding'. You can also contact them at autochtone-aboriginal@pch.gc.ca or 1-819-994-3835. But hurry - eligible applications must be postmarked no later than Wednesday, December 12, 2012.

If your community has an interesting project that has been implemented to help preserve your language - I would love to hear about it and share it on our blog. Let us know of the good work you're doing!!!

Jessica

ACCI holds its First Family Weekend

Workshop - My Community First!

Considering partnerships with the Mining, Forestry, Hydro or Oil and Gas Industry?

My Community First is a dynamic half-day workshop that provides Community Leaders with the tools and resources required for your community to have control with potential partnerships.

Participants will learn how to use a community driven process that can balance economic empowerment with cultural and environmental values.  

Walk away with innovative tools that will help you in determining if potential partnerships are right for your community, ultimately saving you valuable time and money.

The workshop will be facilitated by Clinton Belcher who will share relevant examples of best practices and will empower participants through interactive learning activities.

• Reflecting on Success and avoiding Pitfalls
• Recognizing the Opportunities and mitigating the Challenges
• Preparing your Champions and empowering your Leadership
• Engaging your Community by using the Right Tools
• Moving Forward with a Sustainable Plan

Register today for My Community First in a city near you!

November 30, 2012 – Vancouver, BC

December 6, 2012 – Edmonton, AB

December 7, 2012 – Calgary, AB

Limited space available – Register Now! 

Early Bird Registration before November 2^nd for only $249

After November 2nd - $295

Registration includes continental breakfast.

For more details or to register contact CES at

1-877-444-5550 or info@cesclients.com

CES Becomes a Long Run Supporter

CES is a Long Run Supporter.

This means that we share the Zeitz Foundation’s drive to support sustainable, ecologically and socially responsible projects around the world, and have demonstrated our commitment by signing The Long Run Charter, a declaration of intent and commitment to promote more sustainable lifestyle choices to build a better future.

To find out more, visit www.zeitzfoundation.org and www.thelongrun.com or connect with the Zeitz Foundation on Twitter (@ZeitzFoundation) and Facebook (Zeitz Foundation).