Report highlights Indigenous consultation, service complaints with RMWB and province
A common theme mentioned by all communities is local problems are best solved locally, and the municipality should give them the authority to do so.
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A municipal report shows most First Nation and Métis communities across the Wood Buffalo region feel underserved and overlooked by the municipality.
The report was commissioned by the previous mayor and council in Nov. 2016, tasking administration with reviewing what role the municipality can play in reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
Researcher Peter Fortna of Infinity Research Services submitted the report last October.
The report is titled “A report to the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo on the Implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.”
It has not been publicly released, but a copy was obtained by the Today.
Fortna writes the municipality has been “proactive” in incorporating the TRC’s calls to action into its organizational structure, but lags on delivering, or lobbying for, basic services.
During interviews with First Nation and Métis leaders, the researchers heard frequent complaints about the quality of education, economic growth, housing, policing, health care and basic municipal services in rural areas.
Fortna acknowledges the municipality has limited jurisdiction in many of these areas, but “it is also true that they, as an organization, have a great deal of influence on the day-to-day lives of the region’s Indigenous peoples, and can affect positive change.”
Researchers interviewed the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN), Chipewyan Prairie First Nation (CPFN) and the Athabasca Tribal Council (ATC).
They also interviewed the leaders of Métis communities in Anzac, Conklin, Fort Chipewyan, Fort McKay, Fort McMurray and Janvier.
The Fort McMurray #468, Fort McKay and Mikisew Cree First Nations did not participate in the study.
The Today summarized the findings of the report.
RMWB services, consultation policies need improvement
A common theme mentioned by all communities is local problems are best solved locally, and the municipality should give them the authority to do so.
The Métis leaders in Anzac and Fort Chipewyan, for instance, both proposed creating local steering committee that would have a budget to make local decisions about daily operations.
In Fort McKay, Janvier and Conklin, leaders complained about a lack of Indigenous representation on citizen-led committees. If the municipality made it easier for rural residents to make it to meetings, more would join, they argued.
McMurray Métis acknowledged the work of the Rural Coalition has been important for communities outside Fort McMurray’s city limits. However, they pointed out their members are mostly urban residents. A separate consultation policy should be developed, they argued.
An example was the 2013 creation of the Urban Development Sub Region, a 55,000-acre expansion zone for Fort McMurray. While the land will likely not be developed in the near future, McMurray Métis leadership says the project took land away from three local trappers.
“The process was not effective, and needs to be improved, perhaps with an updated RMWB Indigenous Consultation Policy,” the report said.
A frequent request was the reinstatement of the municipality’s Indigenous and Rural Relations Department.
In the fall of 2018, the municipality combined this department with Communications and Stakeholder Relations. RMWB spokesperson Adam Hardiman said in an email this allowed staff to “provide more direct support” to Indigenous communities.
During interviews, it was frequently mentioned as something that First Nation and Métis communities would like to see back.
A popular suggestion the municipality has acted upon is the creation of an “Elder in Residence” program. This suggestion was made by several community leaders and makes community elders available for cultural consultation.
The RMWB is also working with Indigenous communities to improve cultural and skills-based training to staff.
Education quality at Northland School Division unacceptable, Keyano College absent
Community leaders in Fort Chipewyan, Conklin and Janvier agreed the quality of education offered by the Northland School Division was unacceptable.
At the end of the 2018-19 academic year, the schools in Conklin and Fort Chipewyan failed to produce any high school graduates.
About a dozen teachers left the Athabasca Delta Community School in Fort Chipewyan, while the Conklin Community School had a 100 per cent turnover rate. Conklin has also had 15 principals since 2010.
Education is a provincial responsibility, but community leaders felt council should lobby the province for improving the curriculum and staff retention.
Rural leaders also said Keyano College had a weak presence outside Fort McMurray. In Conklin, respondents felt Keyano should find ways to host programs locally after the college closed its regional learning centre.
In Fort Chipewyan, Métis leaders called the college’s satellite site “underutilized,” and a new use for the facility should be found.
When the Today visited the campus in January, there were no students enrolled in any programs locally. The only person in the building was a college employee.
Suggestions for alternative uses included partnering with a school division to offer high school courses or offering university block courses.
Others included a space for staff training or organizational retreats, or running a Headstart program out of the facility.
Communities need stronger RCMP presence
The lack of a strong RCMP presence was raised by leaders in Conklin and Janvier. This has been a frequent complaint from residents of the two communities.
At a Jan. 30 town hall meeting at the Conklin Multiplex, residents told Wood Buffalo RCMP’s leadership they wanted more police officers and a permanent RCMP presence in their community.
A common complaint was officers tasked with patrolling Conklin are based in Janvier, even though the multiplex was designed to support a permanent police presence.
Superintendent Lorna Dicks said police are working on opening a Conklin office, but people were not impressed when they were told the office would not be staffed 24/7. After-hours incidents would be seen by officers patrolling Highway 881.
Community leaders in other hamlets felt the RCMP needed to improve Indigenous cultural and sensitivity training.
No transit options leave communities disconnected
The lack of dedicated public transit services connecting the hamlets to Fort McMurray was raised by the leaders of every community.
Improved transit would allow rural residents to participate in community events and improve access to services in Fort McMurray. It would also help residents reach grocery stores, shop or reach medical appointments.
Transit was a major concern for the leadership of Fort Chipewyan, which is connected to Fort McMurray through flights, barges or a winter road only.
The municipality has previously acknowledged that connecting rural communities to Fort McMurray needs to improve. Everything from more bus routes to a hovercraft service to Fort Chipewyan have been proposed, but those ideas have never been pursued.
More health care centres, medical staff needed
Improving access to health care was raised by every rural community.
McKay Métis proposed the municipality create satellite health centres near Fort McKay, Janvier and Conklin. The community also suggested health centres must be less than 50 kilometres apart, similar to a model adopted in British Columbia.
The Chipewyan Prairie First Nation suggested the municipality begin discussions about cost-sharing for health services, while Conklin said the community needs help fighting addictions and treating mental health issues.
Recreation programs do not reflect community needs
The leaders of all rural communities surveyed mentioned improving recreational activities, with many including support for municipal hockey or softball leagues. They argued this could create stronger bonds between their communities and Fort McMurray, and help them feel included.
The leaders of Fort Chipewyan and Anzac also felt the community centres were operating without local input.
In Anzac, for instance, Willow Lake Métis said the problems began before the recreation centre was built. The community was consulted only after the building was designed, they argued, and the design is a poor one.
The building has no community kitchen and costs for booking space is expensive. Community leaders argue the lack of a stage and bad acoustics makes many community events – such as an annual talent show – difficult to host.
When these complaints were raised, Willow Lake Métis leaders felt the attitude from the municipality was “the people of Anzac should just be happy with what they got.”
In Fort Chipewyan, ACFN and the Métis Local both said the community pool was open at inconvenient hours for families.
The Métis complained that the pool closes at 3 p.m. on Saturdays, a local playground has no public washroom, community art projects did not reflect local culture, and a community bridge had become a safety hazard because of loose boards.
Fortna found “a broad belief that the issues identified above could be dealt with if the community was included in municipal planning.”
Rural areas facing housing shortages
Community leaders in Conklin and Janvier frequently cited the quality of local housing as a problem. However, this report was completed before Cenovus announced a commitment to build new homes in those two communities.
In Fort Chipewyan, both ACFN and the Métis Local felt Wood Buffalo Housing needs more resources to assist the community. There are many crowded homes in the community, with up to three generations of families living with each other. There are also few places for singles or couples to stay.
The quality of housing offered to teachers in the community is poor, they argued, and hurt morale and retention.
The Métis suggested Wood Buffalo Housing create a rent-to-own program so community members can become homeowners.
The McKay Métis leadership was concerned about rural homelessness, and urged the RMWB to create services to fight this problem.
“Communities were intertwined in the past across the RMWB through seasonal rounds,” writes Fortna. “Many people still live this lifestyle to some degree, but no longer have secure housing in rural or urban areas.”
Historical wrongdoings are not well known in the municipality
The need to acknowledge and apologize for wrongs that occurred within the Wood Buffalo region was repeated at engagement sessions.
Among ACFN leaders was “a general concern that the TRC process to date has been more about protecting the RMWB than truly coming to terms with its past.”
There were also feelings that those in positions of authority did not understand or appreciate the history of Indigenous and municipal relations in the region.
The legacy of the Holy Angels Residential School in Fort Chipewyan was raised, as was the eviction of Métis, Cree and Dene families from Moccasin Flats.
Since a report on the eviction was filed in October 2018, McMurray Métis and the municipality have been holding talks regarding a 4.3-acre land transfer by the Snye for a cultural centre.
The communities were happy with the Moccasin Flats report, but also want acknowledgements and apologies for other local historical grievances.
The community of Lavalle Hill, for instance, was raised by Willow Lake Métis. In the 1980s, community members said their cabins were burned when they were deemed “squatters,” despite living on the land for generations.
“It is difficult to move to reconciliation without the truth, and the rmwb needs to continue investing in understanding the truth so both they and the communities can move on,” one participant said.
Opportunities exist for ‘ecomomic reconcilliation’
The employment and economic boost that oilsands operators have given Indigenous communities has been well documented in media.
But what has been lacking in rural areas is support for businesses within those communities, according to the report.
The Northeastern Alberta Aboriginal Business Association (NAABA) made suggestions for improving business relationships between communities and the municipality.
They included supporting and showcasing Indigenous businesses, as well as business incubator programs in rural areas. NAABA also suggested creating an Indigenous business expert position in the RMWB’s procurement department.
“While they may be limited by larger trade agreements, there are many ways the RMWB can work with NAABA to provide improved education, communication, and procurement strategies to help empower Indigenous businesses,” the report states.
vmcdermott@postmedia.com
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