Indigenous Women in Community Leadership

Aboriginal Canada Portal

Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples

National Organizations

• Assembly of First Nations Women's Council (AFNWC)
• Aboriginal Canada Portal
  • Assembly of First Nations
  • Congress of Aboriginal Peoples
  • Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
  • Métis National Council
  • Native Women's Association of Canada
  • Women's links to statistics, reports, programs, services and organizations by and for Aboriginal, First Nations, Metis and Innu women.

National Leadership Development Programs

• Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of Canada
• Aboriginal Leadership and Management Programs, Banff Centre
• Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada: Mentorship Webinar Series (270K pdf)
• Aboriginal Business Mentorship Program, Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business
• Canadian Executive Service Organization (CESO)
• Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers
• Indigenous Leadership Development Institute (ILDI)
• Women in Leadership Foundation
• Women's Worlds 2011: International conference of Aboriginal and Indigenous women

Provincial Leadership Development Programs

• Alberta
  • Aboriginal Women's Professional Association
• British Columbia
  • Centre for Sustainable Community Development, Simon Fraser University.
  • Minerva Foundation
    • Aboriginal Women's Partnership
    • Learning to Lead Program
  • YWCA Aboriginal Mentorship Program
• Manitoba
  • Aboriginal Community Development Program, Assiniboine Community College.
  • Aboriginal Women Leaders
  • Aboriginal Women Reclaiming Our Power (AWROP), Ka Ni Kanichihk Inc.
  • Native Women's Transition Centre
• Nunavut
  • Nunavut Status of Women Council
• Ontario
  • Ontario Native Women's Association: Building Aboriginal Women's Leadership Program (BAWL)
• Saskatchewan
  • Aboriginal Women Leaders
  • Saskatchewan Aboriginal Women's Circle Corporation (SAWCC)
  • Saskatchewan First Nations Women's Commission (SAWCO)

ABCD Tools

• Aboriginal funding tool, Aboriginal Canada Portal.
• Aboriginal Financial Officers of Canada. JAM: The Journal of Aboriginal Management.
• Aboriginal Mapping Network, how to do different types of maps.
• Algoma University College
  • Community engagement toolkit 2005 (3.13 Mb pdf)
  • Community strategic planning toolkit (3.17 Mb pdf)
• Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs Secretariat (APCFNC). (2011). APCFNC Elders Project: Honouring traditional knowledge 2009 - 2011. (3.09 MB pdf)
• Bank of Ideas, tools for community capacity development, working with youth, ABCD and more.
• Barefoot guide to working with organizations and social change
• Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources (CIER). Comprehensive community planning training program materials. Resources for the development and implementation of an integrated community sustainability plan.
• Chief Kerry's Moose, a guidebook to land use and occupancy mapping, research design and data collection.
• CIER. Mapping and GIS services. Explanations and examples of how mapping and GIS has been used to identify and document assets in Aboriginal communities.
• Cook, J. (2009). Gaining momentum: Sharing 96 best practices of First Nations comprehensive community planning. (661K pdf)
• Dalhousie University's Cities & Environment Unit, a range of tools and planning approaches developed for and with First Nations and Aboriginal communities.
• Digital Leaky Bucket, (Coady digital toolbox series).
  • Mac version
  • Windows version
• Four Worlds Centre for Development Learning, publications available for download.
• IISD. (2008). Sustainability indicators for Winnipeg's urban First Nations community.
• INAC. (2006). Comprehensive community planning for First Nations in British Columbia.
• INAC. (2007). First Nations Communications Toolkit.
• INAC & Public Works and Government Services Canada. (2004). Experiences in First Nations, Inuit and northern communities: Comprehensive community planning. (8.76 Mb pdf)
• Intersectionality: A tool for social and economic justice. Women's Rights and Economic Change, no. 9, (2004).
• Learning Circles, a series of articles about how to plan and facilitate learning circles for a variety of purposes.
• Medicine Wheel Evaluation Framework describes how to set balanced goals, identify and gather balancing monitoring and evaluation feedback.
• National Aboriginal Forestry Association. (n.d.). Capacity assessment for First Nations: A guidebook, survey instrument and model resource plan. (1.23 Mb pdf)
• National Centre for First Nations Governance (NCFNG). The governance toolkit: Resources.
• Nunavut Planning Commission (NPC), mapping processes for land co-management planning and policy making.
• Presencing Institute tools, action-based, action awareness research tools for community change.
• Stories Matter, free software for recording, editing and transcribing oral histories.

Asset-Based Community Development

• Blas, E., Sommerfeld, J. & Sivasandara Kurup, A. (Eds.). (2011). Social determinants approaches to public health: From concept to practice. (3.41 Mb pdf) See Chapter 3: Youth for youth - a model for youth suicide prevention: Case study of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Youth Council and Secretariat, Canada.
• Transforming Inner-City and Aboriginal Communities Project, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
• INAC. (2009). Community stories: Aboriginal successes in British Columbia.  Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada. (5.55 Mb pdf)
• Integrating Aboriginal values into land use and resource management. IISD partnered with Skownan First Nation and used Appreciative Inquiry to determine how they valued the forest and to develop a co-management plan with a range of partners.  Videos and reports are available for download.
• McBride, J., MacDonell, G., Smoke, C. & Sanderson, C. (2002). Rebuilding First Nations: Tools, traditions and relationships. Burnaby, BC: Community Economic Development Centre, Simon Fraser University. (797K pdf)
• Millar, A. & Rappaport, L.  (2009). Winnipeg's best-kept secret: A community development vision for Sherbrook Pool.
• Silver, J. (2009). We all work together to help one another: The story of Ma Mawi. Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. (474K pdf)
• Silver, J., Ghorayshi, P., Hay, J. & Klyne, D. (2006). In a voice of their own: Urban Aboriginal community development. Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. (1.03 Mb pdf)
• Wesley-Esquimaux, C. & Calliou, B. (2010). Best practices in Aboriginal community development: A literature review and wise practices approach. (1.03 Mb pdf)
• Mobilizing Assets in Community-Driven Development (ABCD), certificate course offered by the Coady Institute.

Community Economic Development in an Aboriginal Context

• Economic development and business, Aboriginal Canada Portal.
• Aboriginal Business and Community Development Centre. (2009). Aboriginal women in economic development: Final report. (1.83 Mb pdf)
• Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (CANDO)
  • Journal of Aboriginal Economic Development, issues available: Vol. 1 (1999) - current.
• Ferrazi, G. (n.d.). Forging Aboriginal / non-Aboriginal partnerships: The joint venture model. Faculty of Management, University of Lethbridge. (82K pdf)
• INAC. (2004). Journey to success: Aboriginal women's business planning guide. (564K pdf)
• McBride, J. (2010). Are there lessons from the "Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development" that could be applied to urban Aboriginal economic development in Canadian centres?. Urban Aboriginal Economic Development National Network. (118K pdf)
• McBride, J. & Gerow, R. (2010). Minding our own businesses: How to create support in First Nations communities for Aboriginal business. Community Economic Development Centre, Simon Fraser University. (423K pdf)
• National Centre for First Nations Governance (NCFNG). The governance toolkit: The land.
• Purdy Crawford Chair in Aboriginal Business Research
• The spirit lives!, an entrepreneurship program series for use by Aboriginal teachers, trainers, and economic development officers; includes six half-hour video programs and a User's Guide.
• St. Germain, G. & Sibbeston, N. (2007). Sharing Canada's prosperity: A hand up, not a handout. Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples.  (435K pdf)
• Summit on Aboriginal Economic Development brought together a diverse group of stakeholders to share best practices.
• Atlantic Aboriginal Entrepreneur Awards, Ulnooweg Development Group.
• Urban Aboriginal Economic Development Network

Leadership

• Aboriginal Peoples in Canada: The National Film Board of Canada's inspiring dramas and documentaries by and about Aboriginal, First Nations, Metis and Inuit culture, history, issues and resistance, past and present.
• Aboriginal Leadership Institute. (2009). Aboriginal women leaders Manitoba: 2009. Recommendations from Aboriginal, First Nations and Metis women identifying information and capacity building needs in the area of leadership. (208K pdf)
• Arnait Nipingit Women's Leadership Summit, women share views through a blog and video.
• Calliou, B. (2006). Indigenous leadership bibliography. Banff, AB: The Banff Centre. A bibliography of articles describing Aboriginal leaders and leadership in community and economic development, education, social and cultural healing and revitalization. (1.42 Mb pdf)
• National Aboriginal Achievement Award recipients profile Aboriginal women in a range of sectors, communities and contexts.
• Ottmann, J. (2005). First Nations leadership development, Banff, AB: The Banff Centre. This study summarizes characteristics of effective Aboriginal leaders and presents a model for Aboriginal leadership development. (492K pdf)
• Turtle Island Native Network News: Women, news stories, blogs and websites by and about Aboriginal women.
• U-Journaling, ideas for deepening personal reflection in your journal.
• Women: Aboriginal Canada Portal provides links to policy research, organizations, professional development, employment, language, heritage, and culture.
• Women: Aboriginal faces of Saskatchewan contains biographical information for selected First Nation and Metis women of Saskatchewan.

Linkages with Partners: Government and Private Sector Institutions

• Government of Alberta Aboriginal Relations
  • Protocol agreement on government to government relations (41K pdf)
  • Consultation guidelines
• Government of Ontario
  • Draft guidelines for ministries on consultation with Aboriginal Peoples related to Aboriginal rights and treaty rights (200K pdf)
  • Municipal-Aboriginal relationships: Case studies (145K pdf)
• Graham, S. (2008). Building bridges together: A resource guide for intercultural work between Aboriginal and non-aboriginal peoples. Social Planning and Research Council of British Columbia. (360K pdf)
• Innovative Partnership takes 2003 Ontario Aboriginal Partnerships Recognition Award. An example of a joint venture between an Aboriginal organization and a municipality that promoted economic development and growth for Aboriginal communities.
• Whyte, L. (2006). (2006). Making the grade: A guide to success for corporate-Aboriginal initiatives (2^nd ed.). Industry Council for Aboriginal Business. (3.26 Mb pdf)
• National Centre for First Nations Governance (NCFNG). The governance toolkit: Institutions.
• Public Policy Forum. (2009). Prosperity through partnerships: Framing the future of Aboriginal economic participation: outcomes report. (520K pdf)
• Roness, L.A. & Collier, M. (2010). Examining partnership arrangements between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal businesses. Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs Secretariat. (1.20 Mb pdf)
• Partnerships and Multi-Stakeholder Negotiations, course offered by the Coady Institute.

Mentorship

• Glow Project, a powerful program created to inspire, motivate and empower women to overcome the obstacles in their personal and professional lives.
• Guidelines on being a mentor or mentee provides suggestions on how to get the most from the mentorship process. (136K pdf)
• Liard Aboriginal Women's Society Mentoring Program contains an outline of cultural principles and practices for mentoring Aboriginal youth that can be applied to mentoring of adults.
• Shadowing, how to carry out a focused observation of a role model.
• Sinclair, R. & Pooyak, S. (2007). Aboriginal mentoring in Saskatoon: A cultural perspective. Outcomes of a consultation about Aboriginal mentoring and recommendations for developing a culturally appropriate framework. (523K pdf)
• Stakeholder Interviews, interview process that enables you to step into the shoes of the other.

Power and Good Governance

• Claims and Treaties, Aboriginal Canada Portal.
• Dion Stout, M. & Kipling, G.D. (1998). Aboriginal women in Canada: Strategic research directions for policy development. Ottawa: Status of Women Canada Research Directorate. (194K pdf)
• Jefferson, C. (1994). Conquest by law. Originally written in 1978, one of the most comprehensive reports describing the impact of western settlement on traditional forms of justice among Aboriginal Peoples across Canada.
• Morellato, M. (2008). The crown's constitutional duty to consult and accommodate Aboriginal and treaty rights. (472K pdf)
• National Centre for First Nations Governance (NCFNG)
  • The governance toolkit: The people
  • Meaningful information sharing: Miawpukek First Nation
• Native Women's Association of Canada. (1991). Aboriginal women, self-government and the Canadian charter of rights and freedoms. (465K pdf)
• New Relationship Trust. (2009). Best practices for consultation and accommodation report. (322K pdf)
• New Relationship Trust. (2009). Governance best practices report. (1.78 Mb pdf)
• Sayers, J.F., et al. (2001). First Nations women, governance and the Indian Act: A collection of policy research reports. Status of Women Canada. (985K pdf)

Social Capital

• Gerow, R., Prince, V. & Schwamborn, J. (2010). Background brief & success story: An Aboriginal feast as an urban community and economic development tool. UNBC Community Development Institute. (82K pdf)
• Mignone, J. (2003). Measuring social capital: A guide for First Nations communities. Canadian Population Health Initiative. (284K pdf)
• Mignone, J. & O'Neil, J. (2005). Conceptual understanding of social capital in First Nations communities: An illustrative description. Pimatisiwin: A Journal of Aboriginal and Indigenous Community Health, 3(2), 7-44. (987K pdf)