Friday, March 30, 2012

And the Winds Blow in the Kivalliq! Again...

Jimmy Jacquard, Road Warrior
From the desk of Jimmy Jacquard, Road Warrior:

It is well known that the Kivalliq region is famous for bad weather. That large body of water called Hudson Bay can make Mother Nature a little unpredictable at times to say the least. The first N-CAMP (Nunavut Community Aquatic Monitoring Program) consultations were slated to be held in Coral Harbour from March 13th to 16th. Luckily, I was able to get to Coral Harbour directly from Iqaluit on the 13th. Not so lucky was Sarah Arnold, Fisheries Sector Specialist for the Government of Nunavut's Department of Environment, who was stuck in a blizzard in Rankin Inlet. Zoya Martin from the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans was slated to fly to Coral as well, but ended up flying over Rankin (because of a blizzard- surprise!) and ended up in Yellowknife. To make a long story short, I ended up by myself in Coral without the fisheries and biology experts! Arghh!

So, off to work I went in trying to promote the N-CAMP idea. I must say that the consultation was a complete success. The visit generated support from all of the key stakeholders, including Sakku School, the local Hunters and Trappers Organization, the Hamlet Council and the MLA for the Hamlet, Johnny Ningeongan. All stakeholders are looking forward to sharing their insights and providing feedback as the N-CAMP program is developed. It was apparent that the people of Coral Harbour are very passionate about their island and its resources. The opportunity to have local people trained in aquatic monitoring was fully supported, as it will help Coral Harbour develop some of the char fishery potential on Southampton Island.

Now, getting home from Coral. Did I mention that the winds like to howl in the Kivalliq? The first try to fly out was unsuccessful, and the drive from the community to the airport was one of the only times I've worn my seatbelt in Nunavut! Gordon, our driver, was very cautious and an experienced driver, but there were times that we had practically no visibility. We made a second attempt later in the day while the weather was still quite bad, but the taxi managed to make it to the airport, and the plane landed while the winds had subsided for a few minutes. Although the people from the community were of the friendliest kind, I was happy to be able to make it back home to Iqaluit.

The next N-CAMP consultation is in Igloolik in early April- let’s hope the weather gods are nicer to our group this time around! More to follow after Igloolik...

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Story Keepers: Princess Pocahontas and the Blue Spots

(From a series of reflections by Jennifer David on contemporary Aboriginal fiction in Canada.)

Welcome to another instalment in our series of blog posts about Aboriginal literature. I confess I've been a bit distracted by another excellent Aboriginal writer who's addressing the same theme - the burgeoning Aboriginal literature scene in Canada. . If you haven't seen it yet, check out Wab Rice's blog on Aboriginal literature. It's part of the recent 8th Fire series that you may have seen on TV or heard on the radio. Wab is a perceptive and eloquent commentator, and he's forced us non CBC-types to forage in literary bushes for works that have escaped his attention.  :)

Well, I'm up to the challenge, and goodness knows there are enough outstanding works of contemporary Aboriginal literature to keep us both busy.

For example, consider a little known play called "Princess Pocahontas and the Blue Spots" by actress and playwright Monique Mojica. It's a superb example of the new Aboriginal theatre, a movement that has been producing some of most exciting contemporary plays in Canada.

This is a very physical play, with strong visual elements, so it's obviously better seen than read. But the hilarious plot and sparkling dialogue more than justify a read.

Like many Aboriginal authors, Mojica  uses humour and irony to tell a difficult and even traumatic story by incorporating the Trickster, who is on full display in this play. She tackles the stereotypes and patriarchal attitudes behind the myths and legends of such characters as Pocahontas (a Powtahan girl in Virginia who saves the life of Captain John Smith and saves many colonists from starvation) and Malinche (a woman who was an interpreter and strategist for the Spanish Conquistador Hernan Cortez). Pocohontas, Malinche and other women like them have become 'Indian princesses' in popular culture, moulded into cute storybook characters or scheming temptresses.

In "Princess Pocahontas and the Blue Spots", Mojica gleefully plays up all of these stereotypes, often to comical result. The play opens with a Pocahontas character participating in the 498th annual Miss North American Indian Beauty Pageant. For her talent competition, she sings a very shocking and unabashed song that mocks the stereotype. Here are just a few lines:

"Captain Whiteman, for you I will convert
Captain Whiteman, all my pagan gods are dirt
If I'm savage, don't despise me
'cause I'll let you civilize me
O Captain Whiteman, I'm your buckskin clad dessert"

This is typical of the play's raw, raunchy humour. But as you laugh your way through it, you'll find your own perceptions and understanding of history challenged and prodded. Without a hint of preachiness, Mojica conveys a powerful message about gender, myth, history, colonialism, creation and healing.

(Oh and BTW, the "Blue Spots" in the title have a double meaning. They are the name of the 'do wop' girls that accompany Pocahontas in the beauty pageant, but also refer to the blue or purplish spots that appear on the lower back of Aboriginal and Asian babies when they are born.)

Monday, March 26, 2012

The Consinema Film Review: Chronicle

Credit: 20th Century Fox
Rating: 5 out of 5 Popcorn Bags
Film Title: Chronicle

The Pitch: After making an incredible discovery, three high school friends find they’ve acquired superpowers. They soon find their lives spinning out of control and the bonds of friendship are tested as they embrace their darker sides.

Plot Summary: Following the exploits of average teens Andrew (Dane DeHaan), Steve (Michael B. Jordan), and Matt (Alex Russell), Chronicle begins when the friends encounter a mysterious entity that first afflicts them with days of bloody noses, then results in the trio developing advanced telekinetic abilities. They quickly discover that their newfound super powers can be manipulated, honed, and strengthened – resulting in the ability to control larger objects, as well as mimic other traditional enhanced “abilities,” such as flight and invulnerability. As their powers increase, so does their potential to unintentionally (or intentionally) cause harm to others. Ultimately, the friends agree to keep their abilities in check, but it’s a delicate balance that one member of the group – the proverbial loner who has suffered physical and emotional abuse at home and at school – isn’t as ready to accept (Andrew endures a number of realistic bullying and abuse scenarios – which are not at all understated).

What Shines: It arrives during a glut of found-footage films, but Chronicle transcends its gimmicks with a smart script, fast-paced direction, and engaging performances from its young, talented cast. The movie is FUN. Found-footage films have become a low risk prospect for movie studios. Audiences continue to fill theater seats in search of the next compelling found-footage franchise – even when a film doesn’t have high production values or recognizable actors. That said, the genre has typically enjoyed its biggest successes with horror fans – and is mostly untested in other film categories. Another area where the film excels above similar fare is the three super powered protagonists. Chronicle doesn’t try to strong-arm audiences from one action sequence to the next, and actually takes the time to build a cohesive character journey for its characters. Instead of flat and shallow protagonists, Andrew, Steve, and Matt each have interesting interpersonal dynamics and arcs that flourish as they explore both their abilities and their newly formed friendships. The end result is a surprisingly charming and humorous ride for the majority of the proceedings. The characters offer plenty of entertaining and believable moments – even after the movie starts to take a dark turn.

What Sucks: While it’s unfair to criticize a PG-13 film for being “dark,” events in the third act do come fast and furious, representing a pretty sharp shift in tone that some viewers might not feel is entirely “earned” – even if the proceedings are believable and grounded in the larger storyline.

Summary: Chronicle isn’t just a unique found-footage movie or superior superhero film; it’s a truly enjoyable blend of the best each genre has to offer.

Watch For: The intense, riveting finale is on par with bigger budget action films. The use of camera phones, security and police surveillance tapes seems like a hokey way to showcase the final climactic moments of the film, but surprisingly that doesn’t detract from the final set piece. There’s no doubt that Chronicle has raised the bar for visual spectacle in future found-footage movies. Due to some truly creative thinking and intriguing cinematography, the filmmaking team has shown that “found-footage” doesn’t have to have thin story lines and flat characters who do nothing more than move audiences from jump scare to jump scare.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Jennifer David, Columnist

In addition to the titles of consultant and Stonecircle manager, Jennifer David recently added a new title: Columnist.

She was asked to be a regular columnist in a new magazine in Ottawa called Capital Woman. Jennifer will be writing about Aboriginal events, issues and profiling Aboriginal women in the city. If you're interested in what she wrote for her first column, you can have a look at the article by clicking on the picture below. A website will soon be unveiled with links to all issues.

Sneak Preview of Jennifer's column!
"I enjoy writing and informing people about Aboriginal issues," she said. "Ottawa is really quite a unique city when it comes to Aboriginal people so I am looking forward to sharing some of the interesting stories through this new magazine."

If you have any stories of Aboriginal women or stories that have an impact on Aboriginal women in Ottawa, you can email her at jdavid@stone-circle.ca.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

A Global Celebration of Trades and Technology Careers

For all of our global differences, there are many commonalities found around the world when it comes to careers and education. It can be easy to think that one country or industry is unique with its successes and challenges; however, upon further investigation, common themes can be found. The reality is that traditional trades, new technologies and multi-skilled vocations make an essential contribution to the economic and social well being of people everywhere. WorldSkills International is an organization that celebrates the successes and spreads the word about these careers using a number of different methods. The largest by far is the WorldSkills Competition, held every other year in a different 'Host' city.
The Leipziger Messe in Leipzig,  Germany.
Credit: John Cox, WorldSkills International 
The last WorldSkills Competition was held in London, UK in October 2011. Approximately 200,000 visitors attended to see almost 1,000 young people from 51 countries/regions compete in 45 different trade and technology areas. From Bricklaying to Baking, Mechatronics to Milling, this is by far the largest global celebration of skilled trade and technology careers and it is the most amazing site to see. Planning is already well underway to deliver the next WorldSkills Competition that will be held in Leipzig, Germany in July of 2013. Consilium's Michelle Turpin is also the Project and Special Events Manager for WorldSkills International. She recently travelled to Germany for a board meeting and for planning meetings for the 'most exciting Competition ever'. It takes a team of committed individuals to pull off these incredible Competitions, and WorldSkills Leipzig 2013 will be no different. To see what WorldSkills International is all about, be sure to visit www.worldskills.org. Stay tuned for more details as the planning continues.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Workshop

Aarluk's Patti Black and Geoff Rigby are currently helping Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated develop a workshop to introduce the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement (NLCA) to those who are unfamilar with the NLCA and who wish to learn more about it. The workshop will cover the NLCA negotiations, provide an overview of the agreement, and provide a detailed look at some of its provisions by people involved in the NLCA’s negotiation and implementation today. Designed for parliamentary staff, civil servants, non-governmental organizations, industry representatives, students and others, this workshop will introduce those interested to the players and implications of Canada’s largest modern treaty.

For more information and to register, contact Geoff at rigby@aarluk.ca, or follow this registration link and click on the Register tab at the top of the page: http://www.cvent.com/d/kcq05z.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Sailing on Tall Ship Tenacious

Greg Smith, Sailor...
errr, Senior Consultant 
From the desk of Greg Smith, Sailor... errr, Senior Consultant: 

Greg and Marianne Smith have just returned from a month in the Caribbean, which included two and a half weeks sailing as voyage crew on the tall ship Tenacious, a three masted, square sailed barque registered in Southampton, England. They were joined aboard by close UK friends Laurie Green and Ruth Padday, who had sailed on Tenacious before. Ruth was the ship’s doctor for the trip and Laurie (originally from Australia) and Greg sailed together on a small yacht around Fiji, the New Hebrides and New Caledonia in the 1970’s.

Tenacious is one of two tall ships owned by the Jubilee Sailing Trust, a British charitable foundation which provides sailing experience to disabled, as well as able-bodied crew members. Designed and built for this purpose, the two vessels have wheelchair accessible washrooms and cabins, elevators, and other equipment designed to facilitate participation by everyone. A qualified and experienced permanent crew of around ten helps to train, supervise and assist the “voyage crew” of up to forty, which may include half with some form of disability. Disabled and able bodied passengers are “buddied” together during the various voyages, which may range from a few days of island hopping to a month long passage across the Atlantic. In 2013 the other ship, Lord Nelson, will sail around the world to Australia and New Zealand, including stops in many other countries along the way.



Greg and Marianne on the Tenacious
Greg and Marianne joined Tenacious in  Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe for an initial 11 day sail past Martinique to St. Lucia, then on to Dominica, Les Saintes (small islands that are part of Guadeloupe) and back to  Pointe-à-Pitre. This was followed by five days of maintenance in port and three more days of sailing around Guadeloupe and on to Antigua. Typically, Tenacious was at sea for two or three days, and then at anchor or in port for a couple of nights, allowing for a day on shore in between to explore.

They describe the experience as “very intense and interesting. What the Jubilee Sailing Trust is doing is incredibly ambitious and meaningful to the passengers, especially those with disabilities who have an opportunity to participate as crew members.” All of the voyage crew learn to help raise, adjust and lower sails and those who are comfortable doing so climb the masts and go out on the horizontal yards to help work with the sails and rigging, wearing harnesses clipped onto safety lines. Everyone participates to the best of their ability in round-the-clock watches, helping in the galley and with mess and other duties such as daily cleaning (“Happy Hour”), and hauling on sheets (ropes) to work the sails. Even those in wheelchairs may be hoisted aloft or participate in swims alongside the ship.

“We took our turns at all the regular chores, and during maintenance in port participated in chipping rust, cleaning the hull, stowing sails, shopping for supplies and helping to load them on board,” says Greg. “It was very hot, and sometimes hard, work but we made some great friends and learned a lot about how Tenacious works behind the scenes."

Greg Smith and crew mates
hard at work out on the yard
Among highlights of the trip were meeting other crew members, going aloft, learning how the ship works at sea and in port, and the various onshore visits to climb mountains, swim under waterfalls or in hot pools. Dolphins came alongside at one point, and whales were spotted twice, as were numerous varieties of birds, and other yachts. We also loved snorkeling in clear warm water teeming with thousands of colourful fish, swimming off the ship or from sandy beaches, and the inevitable rum punches.

 “We had one rare and very traumatic incident when one of the small rubber boats flipped while being lowered alongside while the ship was under sail, trapping a young female crew member beneath it, and dragging her under water for several minutes. When she was finally recovered, unconscious, the ship’s medical personnel worked to revive her. A Mayday call brought an emergency helicopter from Guadeloupe, and lowered a search and rescue specialist. However, they were not equipped to raise her while strapped to a spinal board, so Tenacious made for Les Saintes and she was transferred to shore, then picked up by a larger helicopter which flew her to hospital on Guadeloupe. To everyone’s immense relief, when Tenacious pulled into the dock in Pointe-à-Pitre two days later, she (Alana) was waiting to meet us, looking almost as good as new, and was able to resume some of her duties within a couple of days.

“Overall, the whole experience on Tenacious was a remarkable time. We were never seasick, which helped, had some great experiences on land and at sea, made a lot of friends, learned a lot about sailing, which Marianne had never done before. We would recommend this experience to anyone who wants to do something different – it is fantastic to pull into a small Caribbean island as part of a group of only 40 people, compared to the giant cruise ships which overwhelm a lot of these places, discharging thousands at a time.”  

The Tenacious
For anyone who wants more information on opportunities to sail on Tenacious or Lord Nelson, contact www.jst.org.uk.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Research on Indigenous Health Promotion

Credit: Mark van Manen, Vancouver Sun 
Stonecircle was recently awarded a contract to conduct a literature review/environmental scan on health promotion initiatives in a school setting, aimed at First Nations in Canada.

There are a number of innovative models across the country related to what is called comprehensive indigenous school health, which is a holistic and multi-disciplinary way of teaching healthy living, and making the links between health and the environment.

Wanda Brascoupe-Peters, Jennifer David and Kory Goulais will be the team to delve into the promising practices of programs that encourage healthy eating, healthy lifestyles, exercise and community development. The team will be interviewing various stakeholders, and reviewing published and grey literature on the topic.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Testing the Waters- Nunavut Style!

From the desk of Jimmy Jacquard:

Aarluk has just embarked on a very exciting project with the Fisheries and Sealing Division of the Government of Nunavut's Department of Environment. The goal of the project is to develop and pilot a training program for monitoring water quality, aquatic invertebrate species, and fish populations in Nunavut. The training will result in individuals from Nunavut communities becoming certified in both marine and freshwater monitoring procedures.

The program has been named N-CAMP. You may be thinking "OH NO! Not another acronym to add to the already exhaustive list that exists in Nunavut!" Well, at least this one makes sense, and it will be easy to remember because, unlike many of the acronyms we find in Nunavut, CAMP is a real word that will be easy to remember. N-CAMP stands for Nunavut - Community Aquatic Monitoring Program. The logo is in the final stages of development and will be unveiled soon. Also, there is a website that is currently under development www.nunavutwaters.ca and all the information pertaining to this exciting new program will soon be available.

The goal is to equip people from communities with the skills needed to gather the necessary data required to conduct an exploratory fishery on a species with commercial potential. We will be working very closely with a number of organizations and stakeholders, including the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and industry partners. The skills that will be acquired through this new certification program will also develop community capacity and make people more employable. Being able to use and read field meters for pH, conductivity, turbidity and dissolved oxygen is also useful and necessary in mining exploration, contaminant clean-up and climate change impact assessments.

Dissolve Oxygen meter- Hey, fish need to breathe too!

How cool does this sound? Camped out on the shores of pristine Hansine Lake on Southampton Island, iridium based satellite phone in one pocket, high tech underwater camera in another. Holding a d-ring collapsible kicknet with 500 micron carrying bag in one hand, a specialized knife in the other that is about to remove the otolith from a freshly caught char. As the sun beats down, and char is cooking on the coleman stove, you record your data, and think of how lucky you were for taking the N-CAMP certification program.

More to follow…

Friday, March 09, 2012

Favourite Consulting Assignments: Inuvialuit Communications Society Television Training Program

Greg Smith, Senior Consultant
Every consultant has assignments that they remember with special fondness. We asked our team to reminisce a bit about their own favourite memories. Here's another one from Greg Smith:

One of my favourite consulting assignments was... Overseeing a television training program for the Inuvialuit Communications Society (ICS) in the Western Arctic in the early 1980’s. The Northern Native Broadcast Access Program was created to provide funding to 13 Aboriginal broadcasters for radio or television broadcast production as a way of helping to preserve language and culture. ICS was created to oversee this for six communities in the Western Arctic. An audience survey conducted by Rosemary Kuptana, who was originally from Sachs Harbour, indicated that the Inuvialuit wanted television in their own language, Inuvialuktun. So ICS developed a one-year training program, and built a new production studio and offices in the Semmler building on Inuvik’s main street. We recruited an eminent broadcaster, Ab Douglas Driediger, to lead the training. Although we interviewed Ab in Toronto, he was based on a ranch near Medicine Hat at the time.

ICS was incredibly lucky, because he was perfect for the job – which was to help recruit and train nine Inuvialuit to become television producers. Ab was a former national Parliamentary Bureau correspondent and later national TV news anchor for CTV (with Peter Jennings), and a national and foreign correspondent (including Moscow) for CBC, as well as a former professor of journalism at the University of Regina. Besides being a true professional with an impressive background, he was a very likeable and adaptable person who earned the respect and admiration of all of his trainees and other colleagues. We became good friends during the time we worked together, and have stayed in touch since.

One of my most vivid memories of working with Ab was travelling around the six communities in the depths of January. We arrived in Paulatuk, population about 120 or so, in the dark with the temperature at minus 40 degrees and a cold wind blowing. Unfortunately our intended accommodation at the transient centre wasn’t available, there was no hotel, and we didn't know anyone who could put us up. While we stood out in the snow trying to figure out what to do, someone took pity on us, and escorted us to the RCMP lockup, where we shared a small cell for the night. Because he was older and much more distinguished, I gave Ab first choice of bunks (he took the lower one).
Ab Douglas Driediger at a Tamapta taping in the ICS studio in Inuvik, around 1985, with young Inuvialuit guests and television trainees Stan Lee Ruben, left and Willie Stefansson, right.
Equally memorable, and extremely moving, was our first broadcast in 1985. When they were hired, the only thing most of the Inuvialuit trainees knew about television was what they had watched on their sets at home. But within a year, the first ICS broadcast produced by them was going to be aired by CBC North. For most Inuvialuit, this would be the first time they heard their language on television, and the first time ever that a local – Renie Arey from Aklavik - was the producer. We booked Inuvik’s log Friendship Centre, Ingamo Hall, set up two or three large televisions tuned to CBC (pretty much the only choice in those days), and hosted a feast for anyone who wanted to come in and watch the launch. By air time, the hall was full and when that first ever show in the Tamapta series came onto the screen, it was a very powerful moment. The room alternated between silence and animated chatter in English and Inuvialuktun. Following the broadcast, which was about “ratting” (muskrat hunting) in the Mackenzie Delta, there was lots of country food, music and dancing to be shared by all.

Wednesday, March 07, 2012

Happy Anniversary, Again!

Leslie, as she is and in an assortment of methaphorical guises

Yeah, we know - yet another anniversary. First Jen Bradshaw, then Galin. What is it about the end of winter that drives people to Consilium?

We'll never know for sure, but we're glad they're here - and especially Consilium's first ever full-time employee, Leslie Sutherland, who joined our ranks eighteen years ago today.

We still remember the best moment of her job interview. One of the partners had inquired politely about her current circumstances. "Well", she responded," I've got two little kids at home."

The interviewer asked:"So...why do you want to come back into the workforce?"

"Well", she answered, a bit more slowly and very distinctly, "I've got TWO LITTLE KIDS AT HOME."

Happy, HAPPY Anniversary, Leslie, and many more. We couldn't have done it without you. 

Monday, March 05, 2012

Happy Anniversary Galin!


Consilium's Galin Kora
Our very own master of project management, program / project evaluation, socio-economic impact assessment, stakeholder engagement and consultation, community economic development... whew - AND last but not at all least 'pooch' lover celebrates an important anniversary on March 5th. Galin joined the Consilium family 3 years ago. Thank you Galin for the last three years, we look forward to many more.

Friday, March 02, 2012

Land Claims Agreements Coalition Leaders Meet to Renew Mandate

Patti Black, Senior Consultant
From the desk of Patti Black:

A Consilium client since 2003, the Land Claims Agreements Coalition held their annual Leadership Meeting and Reception in Ottawa a few weeks ago. Leaders from across Canada joined for a very productive few days of meetings to discuss implementation challenges and successes, and plan the Coalition’s priority action areas for 2012.

Land Claims Agreements Coalition - Modern Treaty Map
Comprehensive Land Claims Agreements – also known as modern treaties - are Constitutionally-protected agreements between Aboriginal signatories, the Federal government, and in some cases territorial and provincial governments. Modern treaties affect close to half of Canada’s lands waters and resources. Patti Black and Kory Goulais worked with the leaders to help set the mandate for 2012. Watch here for details as the Coalition rolls out its 2012 projects.