Bridges and Foundations Project On Urban Aboriginal Housing

CURA Conference 2004

November 1 – 3rd, 2004

Quality Hotel, Saskatoon Saskatchewan

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Conference Agenda | Symposium Info | Conference 2004

Conference Goal is to create directions for housing policies that will help build communities with accessible, affordable and appropriate housing for Aboriginals in urban centres.

The CURA Conference 2004 will highlight 23 Bridges and Foundations Research Projects.

The presentations will be grouped under one of three conference themes:

Protocol: Presentations will discuss the protocol, ethics, and the implications of knowledge sharing between housing stakeholders.

Knowledge Sharing: Presentations will discuss knowledge gained through research and how this knowledge will benefit housing stakeholders.

Policy Change: Presentations will discuss possible stakeholder roles in creating a tangible direction for housing policy change.

Conference presentations will discuss urban Aboriginal housing issues such as Affordable Housing, Rental Housing, Home Ownership, Student Housing, Elder Housing, Apprenticeship, Business Plans, and Financing.

Exhibitor Booth Space is available!!!

Conference Venue - Quality Hotel

Bridges and Foundations Conference Agenda

 

Agenda	November 1st, 2004
8:00 am – 4:00 pm	Registration
9:00 am – 4:00 pm	Symposium on Aboriginal Housing Research sponsored by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm	Conference Reception co-sponsored by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Performance by Guitarist Ben Schenstead

Agenda	November 2nd, 2004
8:30 am – 9:00 am	Morning Ceremony Maria and Walter Linklater University of Saskatchewan Aboriginal Students’ Centre (ASC)
9:00 am – 10:30 am	Opening Remarks Dr. Alan Anderson Bridges and Foundations Research Director Donna Birkmaier Councillor City of Saskatoon George Lafond Special Advisor on Aboriginal Initiatives to the President University of Saskatchewan Delbert Wapass Third Vice Chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Tribal Chief Glen Johnstone Saskatoon Tribal Council
10:30 am – 11:00 am	Health Break
11:00 am – 12:00 pm	Bridges and Foundations Overview of Research Indigenous Director Priscilla Settee Indigenous Peoples Program University of Saskatchewan Research Director Dr. Alan Anderson University of Saskatchewan Community Director Keith Hanson Sun Ridge
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm	Lunch
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm	Breakout Session One: Bridges and Foundations Research Presentations Presentation Schedule Below
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm	Health Break
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm	Breakout Session Two: Bridges and Foundation Research Presentations Presentation Schedule Below
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm	CURA Conference Banquet – Keynote Speaker Leslie Spillett Mother of Red Nations Women’s Council of Manitoba
8:30 pm – 9:30 pm	Performance by the Vern Cheechoo

Agenda	November 3rd, 2004
8:30 am – 9:00 am	Morning Ceremony Maria and Walter Linklater University of Saskatchewan Aboriginal Students’ Centre (ASC)
9:00 am – 10:30 am	Day One Recap – World Cafe
10:30 am – 12:00 pm	Plenary Speaker Kate Waygood Former City of Saskatoon Councillor
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm	Lunch
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm	Plenary Speaker TBA
2:00 pm – 2:30 pm	Health Break
2:30 pm – 4:30 pm	Panel Discussion – Where Do We Go From Here?

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) Pre-conference Symposium on Aboriginal Housing Research

Pre-Conference Symposium on Aboriginal Housing Research sponsored by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)

The housing and living conditions of Aboriginal people have many unique attributes, some of which are cause for concern. This symposium brings together researchers into several of these attributes, covering many different academic disciplines. The aim of the symposium is to draw attention to past, present and planned research and to identify gaps and linkages between the research streams.

The symposium is directed to faculty, students and professionals but may also be of value to others interested in problems and prospects of Aboriginal housing research.

Symposium’s Goals

·         To promote research into Aboriginal housing

·         To increase interest in housing as a research topic for Aboriginal faculty and for Aboriginal students

·         To increase the exposure of housing through its inclusion in course work, thesis work

·         To increase inter-disciplinary collaboration on housing issues

The Symposium will highlight presentations, focused on Aboriginal housing issues, and based on research funded by CMHC and others. Symposium discussions will focus on making connections between the various approaches to housing issues (e.g., discrimination, mobility, etc.), and on identifying gaps, opportunities and setting priorities.

Pre-Conference Symposium Overview

Agenda	November 1st, 2004
8:00 AM – 4:00 PM	Registration
9:00 AM	Welcome and Prayer Maria and Walter Linklater University of Saskatchewan Aboriginal Students’ Centre (ASC)
9:15 AM	Introduction to CMHC Research Phil Deacon, Marcelle Gareau (CMHC)
9:30 AM	Urban Housing Concerns Phil Deacon (CMHC)
9:45 AM	Residential Mobility Jino Distasio
10:15 AM	Housing Discrimination Ray Corrado
10:45 AM	Residential Segregation Evelyn Peters
11:15 AM	Housing for Students Jan Hare
11:45 AM	Discussion
12:00 PM	Lunch
1:15 PM	Community Housing Concerns
1:30 PM	Housing Design Peter Dawson
2:00 PM	Housing Capacity Alan Dobie
2:30 PM	Community Planning Phil Deacon
3:00 PM	Discussion
3:45 PM	Concluding Remarks, Prayer and Evaluation

Agenda

CMHC Symposium Topics and Speakers

Housing Discrimination Dr. Ray Corrado

A look at the nature and extent of housing discrimination of Aboriginal people living in Winnipeg and Thompson, Manitoba; as perceived by Aboriginal people themselves. 300 Aboriginal people in Winnipeg and 100 Aboriginal people in Thompson were sampled using two non-probability sampling techniques including “snowball” and purposive sampling methods. Respondents participated in face-to-face, semi-structured interviewsSurvey instrument was developed based on reviews of discrimination literature, other housing surveys especially those used with urban Aboriginal people.

Dr. Ray Corrado is a professor in Criminology at Simon Fraser University. The author of many articles and co-author of four books on a range of topics, Dr. Corrado has worked on many Aborginal research projects, including Aboriginal victimization.

 

Residential Mobility Jino Distasio

A look at the mobility patterns of persons moving to Winnipeg involved a longitudinal study (18 month, nearly 1400 interviews). Aboriginal persons moving to the city were interviewed on three separate occasions to better understand their service needs and expectations. The study concluded that a shortage of affordable housing options, especially on first arrival is a pressing concern.

Jino Distasio is Acting Director of the Institute of Urban Studies; University of Winnipeg. Research interests include housing market dynamics, factors in neighbourhood change, urban planning and inner city revitalization.

 

Residential Segregation Dr. Evelyn Peters

A look at urban Aboriginal settlement patterns and their change over time in prairie CMAs which contain large Aboriginal populations The media in Canada have described Aboriginal settlement patterns in Canadian cities as ghettolike. This study looks at how ghettoes are defined and compares these definitions to the reality.

Dr. Evelyn Peters specializes in Aboriginal self-government and urbanization. Her current research interests include Aboriginal communities and the changing structure of Canadian cities in Canada. Dr. Peters holds a Canada Research Chair in the Department of Geography, University of Saskatchewan. Her most recent publication is a book titled: /Not Strangers in These Parts: Urban Aboriginal Peoples/, co-edited with David Newhouse, Native Studies, Trent University, and published by the Policy Research Institute, Ottawa, 2003.

 

Student Housing Dr. Jan Hare

A look at the role of housing in the recruitment and retention of Aboriginal students attending college and university in Vancouver. Six post-secondary institutions participated in the study that included an Indigenous methodology, based on the values/principles of respect, responsibility, relevance, and reciprocity, that incorporated both quantitative and qualitative methods. The major findings included understanding the students’ housing circumstances that were influenced by the factors of access, family matters, cultural relationships, and community relationships.

Dr. Jan Hare is an Anishinaabe and member of the M’Chigeeng First Nation, located on Manitoulin Island in northern Ontario. She has lectured in a wide range of courses in the Faculties of Education and Arts at UBC in First Nations Studies. Her research is concerned with studying and recovering Aboriginal responses to various points of contact between Aboriginal peoples and Europeans, with a particular focus on families and literacy.

 

Housing Design Dr. Peter Dawson

A look at the patterning of domestic activities by Inuit families, which occur in integrated spaces such as living rooms and kitchens, and provide an important context for social interaction among family members. For 50 years, northern housing floor plans have tended towards more compartmentalization, which is not compatible with the collective forms of social interaction of Inuit families.

Dr. Peter Dawson is Assistant Professor in Archaeology at University of Calgary. His research interests are hunter-gatherers, spatial analysis, culture contact; Arctic, Sub-Arctic

 

Community Planning Phil Deacon

A look at the community planning experiences of a selection of First Nations, Inuit and Northern communities in Canada. The communities described are diverse in population size, in location, in legislative environment, and in reasons for initiating a community plan. These reasons reflect a number of current and highly relevant challenges and opportunities that face First Nations, Inuit and Northern communities today. They include community relocations and land base expansions, northern, rural or urban circumstances, community aspirations of land management and self-government: The community planning process is the central tool used to change community vision into reality.

Phil Deacon is Senior Researcher in the Policy and Research Division at CMHC. His current specializations are research into Aboriginal housing issues and the linkages between housing and health at the population level.

 

Housing Capacity Allan Dobie

A look at a demonstration housing project that incorporates findings of recent research that addresses key issues for Aboriginal communities. The houses were built to be durable, energy efficient, adaptable, environmentally sustainable while staying healthy and reflecting community preferences.

Allan Dobie is Consultant, Information Transfer and Research in the BC and Yukon region for CMHC Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is the Government of Canada’s housing agency. Its mandate includes the investigation of housing and living conditions and the dissemination of the results.

Conference Reception

Bridges and Foundations and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation are pleased to co-host a Conference Reception November 1^st, 2004 in the Commonwealth Ballroom of the Quality Hotel.

The reception will be held from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The reception will be a great opportunity to meet and network with conference participants from across the country.

The reception will feature a performance by Prairie Music Award nominee Ben Schenstead. Mr. Schenstead is well known in Saskatchewan as a multi-talented guitarist, musician, and music educator. 

Ben Schenstead’s guitar playing has been recorded on many CDs, documentaries, and instructional videos produced in Saskatoon. Ben has also played guitar for major music theatre productions, including Man of La Mancha, and Fiddler on the Roof. Ben’s solo guitar CD entitled “Sunburst” has been received to critical acclaim and has been broadcast on CBC Radio.

Ben Schenstead is a Treaty Indian (Cree) whose ancestry shares in the colorful history of the One Arrow Band near Batoche, Saskatchewan. Ben and his wife Joanne make their home in Saskatoon and have three children: Angela (24), Jordan (22) and Melanie (20). His hobbies include jogging and working out, reading, and playing guitar with various musical groups.

Agenda

Opening Remarks

The Bridges and Foundations Conference will begin with Opening Remarks from representatives from housing stakeholder from the community, municipal, provincial and federal organizations.

Confirmed speakers include:

Priscilla Settee – Bridges and Foundations: CURA Indigenous Director

Donna L. Birkmaier - Councillor City of Saskatoon

George Lafond – Special Advisor on Aboriginal Affairs to the President - The University of Saskatchewan

Third Vice-Chief Delbert Wapass - The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations

Tribal Chief Glenn Johnstone – Saskatoon Tribal Council

Agenda

Bridges and Foundations Overview of Research

The Bridges and Foundations Overview of Research will begin with an introduction to the Bridges and Foundations Project on Urban Aboriginal Housing. This will provide a history of Bridges and Foundations and an examination of partnerships created over the duration of the project.  

A summary of the Research Projects will examine the areas of interest of each research project and introduce the researchers that will present their findings at the conference.

Agenda

Breakout Session One: Bridges and Foundations Research Presentations

The Bridges and Foundations Research Presentations Breakout Session One will feature twelve research projects.

The conference presentations will be added to the website once schedule has been confirmed.

Agenda

 

Breakout Session Two: Bridges and Foundations Research Presentations

The Bridges and Foundations Research Presentations Breakout Session Two will feature eleven research projects.

The conference presentations will be added to the website once schedule has been confirmed.

Agenda

Conference Banquet – Keynote Speaker Leslie Spillett

The Bridges and Foundations Conference Banquet will feature a Keynote Lecture from Leslie Spillett, Executive Director of the Mother of Red Nations Women’s Council of Manitoba.  

Leslie Spillett is a Cree woman originally from Northern Manitoba and a single mother of two daughters, ages 15 and 19.

In 2000, Leslie became the Provincial Speaker of Mother of Red Nations Women’s Council of Manitoba, a political organization with a membership of nearly 800 women from throughout Manitoba and was one of its founding council members.  MORN’s role is to provide, voice, representation and advocacy for Aboriginal women and children and is active in the multitude and complex issues facing Aboriginal women and children. MORN is the PTMA (Provincial Territorial Member Association) affiliate to the Native Women’s Association of Canada and Leslie sits on its board of directors.

Leslie is also the Executive Director of Ka Ni Kanichihk, an emerging culturally specific human development organization working to establish a range of culturally appropriate programs and services to meet the needs of Winnipeg’s expanding urban Aboriginal population.

A committed community activist, Leslie has been involved in many community organizations including Taking Charge! Inc., Centre of Excellence for Children’s Health, CEDA, Leadership in Education Accountability Dialogue and sits on the Centre for Aboriginal Human Resource Development as an “AHRDA commissioner. Active in international indigenous issues, Leslie represents NWAC on the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action. She was an active member of Canada’s National Advisory Committee World Conference Against Racism to inform and helped inform and shape Canada’s role in the UNWCAR. She represented Canada in the UN WCAR Prep Com in Geneva and represented NWAC at the UNWCAR in Durban, South Africa. Recently, Leslie attended the third session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York in May 2004. 

She is the founder of both the Manitoba Aboriginal Youth Achievement Awards and Keeping the Fires Burning, events that recognize the contributions of Aboriginal youth and grandmothers.

Agenda

Performance – Special Guest Vern Cheechoo

Vern Cheechoo received much attention for his debut CD, Lonesome and Hurting. Cheechoo's second CD recording, Touch the Earth and Sky, was nominated for the Aboriginal Recording of the Year, Juno Award in 2000 and received five nominations for the Aboriginal Music Awards, winning the best-produced album.

According to Cheechoo, his musical influences are many, including: Hank Williams, Roy Acuff, and Wilf Carter to name a few. "Music was in such a big transition from the 60's through the 70's and 80's. Man, rock n' roll was born with Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley, things just took off from there. And we were smack in the middle of it," says Cheechoo.

“I write songs based on a lot of emotion, feelings. Sometimes I just like to sing them ole hurting country songs.” He adds, “Through the years I played songs from all these artists, whether it was at dances, talent shows or just parties. This inspired myself and the friends that hung out together to write our own songs, we are not big stars or rich by any stretch, although that would be nice.”

Cheechoo says both he and fellow artists Lawrence Martin, Lloyd and Elmer Cheechoo like to hang out and write songs together. They would also travel around James Bay Coast entertaining people who appreciated their music. His collaborative CD with Lawrence Martin is The Right Combination. The duo signed a distribution deal with EMI Music Canada, having recently released their first single, the “Bingo Song.”

Cheechoo expresses his gratitude for the duo's support by stating, "I would just like to thank those people out there that acknowledge our achievements and inspire us to continue. Many are family, friends and fans." Adds Cheechoo, "A lot of people do pay attention to what's happening musically in Indian country."

For more information on the 2003 Juno Award Nominees please visit:

www.nativecareermagazine.com

Agenda

Day One Recap - Bridges and Foundations Café

Café Conversations are an intentional way to create a living network of conversation around questions that matter. A Café Conversation is a creative process for leading collaborative dialogue, sharing knowledge and creating possibilities for action in groups of all sizes.

The Bridges and Foundations Café will provide a relaxed atmosphere with the ultimate goal being to foster collaborative dialogue, active engagement and constructive possibilities for action.

Exploring questions that matter – Café Conversations are as much about discovering and exploring powerful questions as they are about finding effective solutions.

By providing opportunities for participants to move in several rounds of conversation, ideas, questions, and themes begin to link and connect.

Café Format

Visit the Bridges and Foundations Café for a relaxed afternoon of refreshments and discussion.

Small groups of 4 to 5 people, to a table, will have an opportunity to discuss important questions and explore possible partnerships, programs or projects.

The ultimate goal of these discussions is to create action from the research findings, discussions and partnerships.

Being creative is encouraged!!! Write, draw or doodle thoughts, questions, and ideas directly onto the Café’s table clothes. The table cloths will provide a series of posters for other visitors to read between Cafés.

Each table will explore a question(s) or issue(s) that will be used to foster discussion on ways to improve accessibility and affordability to safe, adequate housing for urban Aboriginals.

There will be three rounds of 20 minutes for discussion at the tables.

Following the first round one member of the table remains at the table to be the “table host”. The rest of participants now are free to join another table carrying key ideas, themes and questions into their new conversations.

At the start of the second round the table host will welcome the new members of the table and briefly share main ideas, themes, and questions raised in round one. New participants at the table should be encouraged to link ideas from previous round.

In the third round participants may return to their original tables to synthesize their discoveries, or they can continue traveling to a new table. A new host may be chosen or remain.

A new question can be introduced for the third round.

Following the third round of discussion there will be a group discussion of discoveries and insights gained during the previous rounds of conversation. This is where patterns can be identified and possibilities for action will emerge.

Agenda

Plenary Speaker – Kate Waygood

Community Co-Director: Ms. Kate Waygood, Community Development Team, Saskatoon Health Region, City Councillor 1979-2003, and Co-Director of the Community-University Institute for Social Research. Kate Waygood has a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and a Teacher's Certificate. As a member of Saskatoon City Council, Kate advocated for a strong city centre, a programs that supported neighbourhood rejuvenation including maintenance of existing physical, social and cultural infrastructures and new support programs for existing neighbourhood stability. Kate has national, provincial and local experience with heritage and culture issues, as past Chair of Heritage Canada, board member of Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation and current Chair of Western Development Museums. In addition to the above links with the community, Kate is employed by Saskatoon Health Region as a Community Developer. In this position, Kate works with a variety of non-profit organisations including the YWCA, Child Hunger and Education Program and Quint Economic Development Corporation. Kate Waygood has written on neighbourhood planning, presented to national organizations on successful housing initiatives and social planning programs in Saskatoon. Kate continued to work on healthy policy change via her work as a Community Developer and Co-Director of CUISR.

Agenda

Plenary Speaker – TBA

Agenda

Panel Discussion – Where Do We Go From Here?

The Bridges and Foundations Conference will conclude with a Panel Discussion. The Panel will examine what has been accomplished at the conference and what needs to be accomplished in the future.

Agenda

Conference Registration Fees

Register early!! Space is limited!!!!

Registration Deadline is October 20^th, 2004

Professional Registration	$150.00
Additional Banquet Tickets – Limited Number Available	$15.00
Additional Entertainment Tickets – Limited Number Available	$10.00
Additional Reception Tickets – Limited Number Available	-

Make cheques payable to “University of Saskatchewan”

Note: Registration Fee provides access to all conference activities: Keynote Speaker, Plenary Speakers, Reception, Lunches, Banquet, Entertainment, Health Breaks and Mini Symposium on Aboriginal Housing Research.

Sponsorship for Post-Secondary, Elders and non-wage earners is available.

Registration forms can be e-mailed, mailed, or faxed to conference coordinator:

Philip McCloskey

Conference Coordinator

Bridges and Foundations Conference

206-229 4^th Avenue South
Saskatoon, SK

S7N 1N1

Tel: (306) 653-3231

Fax: (306) 966-6950

E-mail: conference.coordinator@shaw.ca

Agenda

Exhibitor Booth Registration Fees

Register early!! Space is limited!!!!

Exhibitor Booth Registration

$300

Make cheques payable to “University of Saskatchewan”

Note: Exhibitor Booth Registration Fee provides access to the following conference activities: Keynote Speaker, Plenary Speakers, Reception, Lunches, Banquet, Entertainment Health Breaks and Mini Symposium on Aboriginal Housing Research. Excludes access to breakout sessions.

Registration forms can be e-mailed, mailed, or faxed to conference coordinator:

Philip McCloskey

Conference Coordinator

Bridges and Foundations Conference

206-229 4^th Avenue South
Saskatoon, SK

S7N 1N1

Tel: (306) 653-3231

Fax: (306) 966-6950

E-mail: conference.coordinator@shaw.ca

Agenda

Conference Venue

Quality Hotel

90 - 22nd Street East
Saskatoon, SK  S7N 3X6

Tel: (306) 244-2311

Fax: (306) 664-2234

Toll Free: 1-800-668-4442

E-mail: qualityreservations@shaw.ca

Website: http://www.choicehotels.ca/cn013

Individual reservations can be made by contacting the hotel reservations department at (306) 244-2311or by calling the Central Reservations Office at 1-800-668-4442 in Canada.

Callers must mention the CURA Conference 2004 to ensure that they receive the special discount rate of $89.00 plus taxes/per night.

 Agenda