panel on aboriginal engagement- final3

ABORIGINAL ENGAGEMENTAssociation of Consulting Engineering Companies - BC – February 9, 2016

@TrinaWamboldt

@TrinaWamboldt

COAST SALISH TERRITORY

@TrinaWamboldt

the role of an engineer in

Aboriginal engagement

AND

tips for engineers

Thanks to:

• Tracey Rockwell, P. Eng.

• Jody Rechenmacher, P. Eng.

• Cameron Gatey, P. Eng.

• Jacob Scissons, P. Eng.

• Chad Fletcher, P. Eng.

• Lisa Clark, P. Eng.

• Grant Lachmuth, P. Eng.

@TrinaWamboldt

ABOUT URBAN SYSTEMS

• Privately held Inter-disciplinary consulting firm

• 400+ staff in 12 offices in Western Canada

• Working with Indigenous communities since 1975

• 2015 Alberta Business Awards – Aboriginal Relations Best Practices

@TrinaWamboldt

MISSION = VIBRANT COMMUNITIES

Urban Systems Ltd.

Professional Services

Urban Matters CCC

Community Research and

Innovation

Urban Systems

Foundation

Capacity Building

• Engineering

• Environment

• Land use

• Ec. Dev.

• Strategy

• Scholarships

• Financial

Sponsorships

• Partner with others

to drive innovation related to food

security, water,

affordable housing,

and employment

@TrinaWamboldt

ENGINEERS’ ROLES

1. Working with communities on behalf of industry/project proponents

2. Working with communities on behalf of governments

3. Working directly with/for Indigenous communities

@TrinaWamboldt

ENGINEERS’ ROLES

• Technical and design expertise

• Advocating for and following clear consultation and engagement processes

• liaison between communities and proponents and governments

• Building relationships on the front lines

• Helping to build capacity in communities

@TrinaWamboldt

NAVIGATE A COMPLEX ENVIRONMENT

environmental

social

economic

legal

political

technical

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TIPS FOR BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITIES

Photo courtesy of Treaty 8 Tribal Association

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#1. DIVERSITY

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#2. RESPECT

Siksika C and C 2014

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#3. INFLUENCE

“Meaningful Consultation can not be defined for Aboriginal Peoples, it must be defined by them. Each nation will have its own traditional law and customs to define the cultural nature and measures of success for Meaningful Consultation. However, the starting place is the same for the definition of

Meaningful Consultation in Aboriginal law in all Aboriginal Nations, it starts with Elders.”

Dr. Richard Herbert – CAID: Meaningful Consultation in Canada: The Alternative to Forced Aboriginal Assimilation, 2009

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#4. PRESENCE

Photo courtesy of Symbols Design Corp.

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#5. INDIGENOUS WORLD VIEWS

“The bush is our church” Treaty 8 BC Elder

Photo courtesy of Symbols Design Corp.

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#6. COMMUNICATION

Photos courtesy of Cook’s Ferry Indian Band

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#7. PRACTICAL DESIGN & PLANS

“Our new admin building has this fancy geo-thermal system but we can’t even adjust the temperature without having to call a technician to come from an hour away.”

@TrinaWamboldt

#8. RECONCILIATION

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#9. INVESTING BUILDS TRUST

. Leadership development

. Business mentoring & internships

. Resiliency programs for youth

. Truth & Reconciliation workshops

. Cultural programing

. Entrepreneurial training

Photo Source of Flickr Creative Commons

@TrinaWamboldt

EXTRACTING WITH PURPOSE

https://www.sharedvalue.org/

“COMPANIES THAT EMBED SOCIAL

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES INTO THEIR

CORE BUSINESS STRATEGY WILL

FINANCIALLY OUTPERFORM COMPANIES

THAT DON’T “

MICHAEL PORTER AND MARK KRAMER

HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL

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#10. START NOW!

http://www.ictinc.ca/team

Photo courtesy of Treaty 8 Tribal Association

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BAD TIMING?

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COMPANIES CAN’T AFFORD TO NOTBUILD RELATIONSHIPS

Consult consent

@TrinaWamboldt

RESOURCES

• Bob Joseph’s blog and training Indigenous Corporate Training http://www.ictinc.ca/team

• ReVision Quest CBC podcasts http://www.cbc.ca/revisionquest/index.html

• An Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/the-inconvenient-indian-talks-back-1.1223026

• Truth and Reconciliation http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/index.php?p=905http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/File/2015/Findings/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf

• Video documentary - http://elderinthemaking.com/

• Forging Partnerships; Building Relationships – Doug Eyford Report 2015https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/sites/www.nrcan.gc.ca/files/www/pdf/publications/ForgPart-Online-e.pdf

• Reconciliation Canada http://reconciliationcanada.ca/category/video/reconciliation-on-film/

• Dragonfly cultural consulting http://dragonflycanada.ca/resources/aboriginal-worldviews/

• Shared Value Initiative: Extracting with Purpose http://sharedvalue.org/resources/report-extracting-purpose

@TrinaWamboldt

Trina Wamboldt, MA

URBAN SYSTEMS LTD.

twamboldt@urbansystems.ca

250-319-1701