2024 NCRW Agenda
Day 1 – November 5, 2024
| Time | Panel Description & Moderator | Presenters |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 am | Registration | |
| 9:00 am | Welcome/Opening Prayer – TBC Welcoming Remarks- TBC | Review of Agenda for the day – Jody Woods Slido Engagement Overview – Morgan Chapman |
| 9:15 am | Researching Pre-Confederation Claims Moderator: Shannon Williams Pre-confederation Claims present unique challenges. This panel is intended to explore Claims that are in research, and those that have successfully settled (both through the Tribunal and Negotiations). | Madawaska Maliseet First Nation – Chief Patricia Bernard No’kmaq Village Land Use and Occupancy claim – Calvin White and Kim Long Pre-confederation Claims in Regions without Treaties – Steve Talbot, ANS |
| 10:30 am | Health Break | |
| 10:45 am | Understanding Ongoing Harms Moderator: Jody Woods This panel will explore how Canada’s historical dispossession of Indigenous lands created ongoing harms which are not currently compensable. These harms are profound and have resulted in loss of intergenerational transfer of traditional knowledge, culture, and language, and loss of identity. Ongoing harms also include the continuing harms to community members’ health, safety and environment arising from Canada’s wrongdoing (e.g. toxic dust from trains, safety concerns from highways etc.) | Sherry McIntyre – Skuppah Band Councillor /Nlaka’pamux Nation Tribal Council Luke Hunter – Director of Governance and Treaty Implementation, Nishnawbe Aski Nation |
| 12:00 pm | Lunch | |
| 1:00 pm | Technical Presentation/Workshop – Transcription 101 Moderator: Morgan Chapman Join us for a live, collaborative panel to walk through a transcription of a hard-to-read handwritten document – sent in by you! | |
| 1:30 pm | Fireside Chat with Caroline Maynard, Canada’s Information Commissioner Moderator: Morgan Chapman Canada’s Information Commissioner, Caroline Maynard is joining us for a “fireside chat” about Access to Information issues in Canada. Reporting to Parliament, the Commissioner investigates complaints about how federal institutions process and respond to requests under the Access to Information Act, Canada’s freedom of information legislation. | |
| 2:00 pm | Researching Women and Claims Moderator: Jody Woods This panel will explore the unique and underrepresented experiences of women and specific claims. In this panel, Dr. Sarah Hunt will provide a brief overview and update on the work of the BC Specific Claims Working Group to better understand and include the experiences of Indigenous women in the specific claims process. We will hear a couple of community example and, finally, Katie Turriff from Sanala Planning, Inc will share for feedback some draft materials and tools, created for the BCSCWG, that can be used by First Nations and others, to build a shared understanding of these historic and ongoing impacts. | Overview and update on the BCSCWG’s work on women and claims – Dr. Sarah Hunt Family Experiences Protecting Land through Women’s Authority and Jurisdiction – Shelly Martin Overview of Kitchen Table Guides – Jessie Hemphill, CEO, Sanala Planning Inc. Gender Based Analysis Plus and Specific Claims – Heather Shale-Burton, SCB |
| 3:30 pm | The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – Responsive Records from the Government Moderator: TBA Our panelists are going to share their experience receiving and finding records related to Specific Claims research. Sometimes, there are good stories to be had (like finding a treasure trove of records that have been “missing” for years) while other times you are left wondering if Canada’s experts even understand the Minimum Standard we must adhere to in the Claims development phase. Additionally, we want to hear from you about when you’ve found the needle in the haystack, or when you’ve gotten a set of records back that are just so terrible, its laughable! | Minimum Standard Fails in Canada’s Expert Reports at the Tribunal – Pete Di Gangi The Morrisy General Store Record Haul – James Lasaga |
| 4:00 pm | Adjournment | |
| 6:00 pm | Meet and greet at the Bytown Museum – Limited Space – Dinner provided. The Museum is located near the Ottawa Locks on the Rideau Canal, between Parliament Hill and the Chateau Laurier Hotel, a picturesque UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nestled at the Ottawa Locks Canal, the Bytown Museum offers a breathtaking view of the canal and its surroundings, bridging history and nature in an unforgettable scenic setting. |  |
Day 2 – November 6, 2024
| Time | Panel Description & Moderator | Presenters |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 am | Registration | |
| 8:45 am | Welcome/Opening Prayer – TBC Welcoming Remarks- TBC | |
| 9:00 am | Fireside Chat with Senator Paul Prosper Moderator: Jody Woods Senator Prosper will engage in a conversation with a member of the NCRW planning committee to reflect on his past work in specific claims and discuss the current efforts to reform the specific claims process. His insights and experiences, particularly in light of the recent efforts to fully include Indigenous laws into specific claims resolution, will provide invaluable perspectives to our attendees. | |
| 9:30 am | Review of Agenda for the day – Jody Woods Slido Engagement Overview – Morgan Chapman | |
| 9:45 am | Claims Reform and an Independent Specific Claims Resolution Process Moderator: James Lasaga This panel will provide space for Canada and the Assembly of First Nations to report out on the progress towards the establishment of an Independent Centre and to hear from you. The National Claims Research Directors (NCRD) will also report back on the outcome of the May 2024 engagement at the Research Directors Meeting & it will equally allow First Nations to report back on Canada’s political engagement on this important work. | Updates on Claims Reform and the Creation of an Independent Process Canada – Speaker TBC Assembly of First Nations – Speaker TBC “Compounding Original Harms” National Claims Research Directors Feedback on the Specific Claims Process, the Urgent Need for Reform, and the Creation of an Independent Centre . Overview of submission – Johanna Reid (TBC) Report Card on Political Engagement Engagement with BC Chiefs – Chief Dalton Silver, Chair, BC Specific Claims Working Group (TBC), Chief Mark Point (TBC), Jody Woods Mohawk Council of Kanawake – Francis Walsh Nishnawbe Aski Nation – Luke Hunter |
| 10:45 am | Health Break | |
| 11:00 am | Indigenous Laws and Researching and Resolving Claims Moderator: Shannon Williams First Nations have been advocating for an independent specific claims resolution process for decades. The recognition of Indigenous laws, legal orders, and dispute resolution mechanisms is a key component of an independent and effective specific claims process. The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples confirms Indigenous peoples right to fair, independent process, and in the UN Declaration Act Action Plan, Canada specifically committed to co-developing fundamental reforms of the specific claims program. This panel will consider how the AFN is approaching the incorporation of Indigenous laws in a reformed specific claims process. Additional panelists will also consider how images, art, language and storytelling can be used in the resolution of specific claims | Council of Experts on Indigenous Laws, Stephen Augustine, Hereditary Chief and Keptin, Mi’kmaq Grand Council, and member of the AFN Council of Experts on Indigenous Laws (CEIL)TBC (and maybe other members) Gitxsan – BC Example of Indigenous Laws as precedents to draw from, principles to guide us and as sources of and as expressed by art and dance and stories and how and a focus on written information in solving historical disputes can be very limiting. – Nigel Baker-Grenier, Gitxsan. Video Presentation from Our Laws Arise from the Land (4.5 minutes) Alternate sources of Evidence to support Claims research: Utilizing images and art as evidence in Claims & Language as evidence – Alexa Heenan, Research Coordinator, HCG Storytelling as Evidence – Mercedes Peters (TBC) Indigenous Laws and Research – A workshop Project- Jody Woods |
| 12:15 pm | Lunch | |
| 1:00 pm | Technical Presentations – Research Tools and Resources Moderator: Morgan Chapman Session description to follow | Hudson’s Bay Company and the Administration of Land after 1870 – Michelle Rydz, Archivist, Hudson’s Bay Company Archives RG10 Departmental Letterbooks – digitization and text recognition – Jason Friedman (CRKN) |
| 1:45 pm | Settled Claims – Redress, Implementation, and UNDRIP Moderator: TBA THIS PANEL IS UNDER DEVELOPMENT In addition to looking at new potential ways to provide settlement for Specific Claims, we wish to explore how settlements are being implemented and intangible remedies, including apologies. | TBC |
| 2:30 pm | Adjournment Tours – MORE INFORMATION TO FOLLOW | Canada Museum of History Library and Archives Canada Preservation Centre |
Day 3 – November 7, 2024
| Time | Panel Description & Moderator | Presenters |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 am | Registration | |
| 9:00 am | Welcome/Opening Prayer – TBC Welcoming Remarks- TBC | |
| 9:15 am | Discussion – Navigating Change Facilitator: Morgan Chapman This will be a facilitated discussion touching on important issues to the longevity of Claims research. We will explore how we carry out our work in the context of change (staffing, disaster (climate, pandemic), emergencies, policy changes, funding, changes, chief and council changes and mandate changes). At the conclusion of our discussion, we will invite SCB/CSI to address the subjects of this discussion. What are the implications for an Independent Centre? Changes at CRUs – how can the research administration community support new directors and managers? Researcher turnover – How can Researchers prepare transitioning out of their role / how can CRUs and First Nations prepare for and address problems arising from this transition? | SCB/CSI – how can Canada work the CRUs/ First Nations to better communicate internal staff and procedural transitions or manage change (SCB Invited) |
| 10:45 am | Health Break | |
| 11:00 am | Continued Challenges with Access to Information Moderator: TBC This panel will include an update on advocacy efforts to date and provide an opportunity for the ATIP team from Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) to share what it is doing to address these challenges; and for the Strategic Research and Data Innovation Branch at ISC to inform of their engagement work and ongoing efforts to advance Indigenous Data Sovereignty. | General ATI issue Update overview – Robyn Laba, Union of BC Indian Chiefs Engagement efforts and Indigenous Data Sovereignty – Strategic Research and Data Innovation Branch, ISC (Speaker TBC) Access to Information and Privacy at CIRNAC – Tammy Martin, Director, Access to Information and Privacy, CIRNAC, Ottawa (TBC) |
| 12:00 pm | Lunch | |
| 1:00 pm | Technical Presentations – How to prepare an informal ATI request vs a formal ATI request Moderator: Steve Talbot, ANS Session description to follow | |
| 1:30 pm | Alternative Dispute Resolution Moderators: Alison McBride & Cheyenne Smith Research Reports don’t necessarily end at a Specific Claim. Our panelists are going to speak about how the research that Nation’s and CRU’s have completed has supported other negotiations and objectives. | Old Fort-Obadjiwan Site (Parks Canada) – Carol McBride and Charlie Angus (TBC) |
| 2:15 pm | Health Break | |
| 2:30 pm | Updates from the Specific Claims Funding Division (CSI) Moderator: James Lasaga This session will provide CSI an opportunity to share any updates on research funding and to hear from delegates. We hope you will encourage all funding officers to attend the workshop in its entirety to help build relationships with our delegates and to learn about our challenges and successes. | CSI (funders) speakers – François Lévesque-Perreault , Director Cross Sector Initiative, Resolution & Partnerships, Sector, Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada |
| 3:15 pm | Updates from the specific Claims Branch and Overview of SCB Draft Research Guide Moderator: Jody Woods During this session we hope SCB will provide any additional updates, share news about staffing, new tools and resources and provide an overview, for feedback, of the draft research guide that SCB prepared. | Updates: Stefan Matiation (TBC) Overview of Research Guide: Marie-Laurence Daigle |
| 4:15 pm | Door Prizes and Adjournment | |
| 4:30 pm | Research Directors Meeting Research Directors please stay for an additional 15 minutes to address any urgent items and to select a host for the 2025 National Claims Research Workshop. If you are considering hosting, please let the planning committee know. |