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KO team participates in Connecting Aboriginal Canadians gathering in Ottawa

March 13, 2006 - 4:53am | by Anonymous

Brian Walmark, Keewaytinook Okimakanak Research Institute Coordinator and Brian Beaton, K-Net Coordinator are in Ottawa to participate in this year's Connecting Aboriginal Canadians conference.

The background papers that have been posted on the conference agenda web site at http://www.aboriginalcanada.gc.ca/cac/2006forum/site.nsf/en/si00005.html are addressing some very important issues and questions. The four panel discussions are about determining appropriate policies and identifying effective strategies for the Aboriginal connectivity agenda that will be moving forward.

 Some of the questions and reference material that INAC officials are presenting as the options are included below. There are many other approaches to this work that has been demonstrated over the past few years. Hopefully the people who have been invited to this gathering will sound the alarm about this centralized approached to “taking care of the problem”.

 2006 National Aboriginal Connectivity and E-Services Forum - March 13, 14, 2006, Ottawa, ON

"Sustainable Aboriginal Connectivity as an engine for Social and Economic Growth”

from http://www.aboriginalcanada.gc.ca/cac/2006forum/site.nsf/vGraphics/Agenda/$file/CEDOL_Presentation_en.pdf 

Community Economic Development On-Line Year in Review - Framework for Progress

“The multiplying number of Aboriginal dedicated databases is creating confusion among users and a reduction in ease of use and efficient navigation. This may be resolved by developing a single location registry point for all Indigenous dedicated databases” - 2004 e-strategy blueprint

CEDOL Next Steps

  • Seek approval from Aboriginal stakeholders to proceed.
  • Establish an Aboriginal Canada Portal and Connectivity Working Group – Community Ec Dev Sub-Committee and develop work plan to:
    • Facilitate process to support collaboration and exchange of information that will engage multiple stakeholders. E.g. 2010 Olympic Games
    • Oversee development of on-line tools, models.
    • Identify connectivity solutions that work.
    • Initiate policy development processes and initiatives to identify and address gaps.
    • Share work plan and develop Internal/External stakeholder partnerships
    • Secure Resources for CEDOL

 From Aboriginal E-Government and Services “Draft” Overview at http://www.aboriginalcanada.gc.ca/cac/2006forum/site.nsf/vGraphics/Agenda/$file/Aboriginal_egov_presentation.pdf 

Key Aboriginal Connectivity and e-services Investment questions

  • Do you agree with key Aboriginal Connectivity and e-services priorities (ie infrastructure, operating costs, community capacity and coordination/partnerships)

Aboriginal e-government and services questions/next steps

  1.  Were you reasonably comfortable with overview presentation. Should a more detailed paper be developed. Would you help?
  2. Should we elevate/enhance Aboriginal single window to the first level of the Canada Site (with business, international, and Canadians)
  3. Should we formalize and strengthen a horizontal federal-aboriginal connectivity and e-services governance framework and how do we link regional efforts
  4. How do we enable communities to keep and make full use of data (interoperability).
  5. Do Aboriginal communities and organizations require information management capacity
  6. How do we include and forge linkages between communities and Urban Aboriginal residents
  7. How do we ensure FN, Inuit and Metis specific strategies and functionality.

From  Sustainable Broadband Connectivity in Aboriginal Communities at http://www.aboriginalcanada.gc.ca/cac/2006forum/site.nsf/vGraphics/Agenda/$file/Sustainability_Summary_Presentation.pdf 

 Federal-Aboriginal Coordination:

  •  National, regional and community connectivity and e-service coordination
  • Integrated Aboriginal single window e-services and partnership e-tools

 Questions/Guidance

  • Are the primary element of the sustainability solution:
    • Broadband operating expenses
    • Technical capacity
    • Others?
  • Is there a need for special Aboriginal measures for broadband operating expenses and technical capacity
  • Should Federal Departments and Aboriginal Stakeholders work together to better coordinate Aboriginal connectivity and e-services?
  • Is there a need for full or fractional time technical support knowledge in Aboriginal communities?
  • At what level should technical support be provided? (1 or 2 people per community, 2 people per 6 communities)
  • Are there other elements broadband sustainability that need to be addressed?
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