The Thompson Urban Aboriginal Strategy (TUAS) organization held their annual community forum Oct. 5 at St. John's Ukrainian Hall, seeking public input on aboriginal issues in Thompson.
"It's about telling us how to get strategic with our priorities - where should we be investing this $400,000?" asked Charlene Lafreniere, TUAS chairperson. Through the national Urban Aboriginal Strategy program, TUAS has $400,000 each year to distribute among initiatives which will help aboriginals in Thompson.
Presentations were made by a number of community groups who have received support from TUAS, including the Thompson Homeless Shelter, Men Are Part of the Solution, and the TUAS Family Day Care Project.
"The Thompson Urban Aboriginal Strategy mandate is to promote partnerships, collaborate with the community, and act in a decision-making capacity. We deliver and implement the UAS program in Thompson," explained Lafreniere. "We take the information from this forum, and that's how we develop our request for proposals, and that is how we allocate our funds."
TUAS focuses on five specific policy areas: housing, education and employment, aboriginal culture, aboriginal women and children, aboriginal health.
"To see a room fill up like this really feels great," said Lafreniere - the 70 or so people in attendance were treated to a dinner of stew, bannock, and beef tacos.
The ceremonies began with a joke and a prayer from aboriginal elder Jack Robinson, followed by songs from the Northern Isqwewak Drum Group and welcoming remarks by dignitaries.
"You've done some wonderful work in Thompson," Julyda Lagimodiere, vice-president of the Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF), told the group. "I know the MMF has certainly been a recipient of the funds that have been available. We'll only benefit, because there's really good people in the committee that are working and are very community-minded."
"The job of the committees with the Urban Aboriginal Strategy falls in two broad categories," explained Bern Bileski, Manitoban regional director for the Office of the Federal Interlocutor. "One of them is for governments, the three levels of government to work together with each community to make change, to make real change in the community. The other part is to also, as a result of that, to make change in government." Of the 13 cities across Canada enlisted in the UAS program, Thompson and Winnipeg are the only two in Manitoba, and representatives from the Winnipeg UAS were also on hand for this event.
"One of the lessons that Thompson has taught Canada is the importance of getting past working just with symptoms, but tying that in and working with the causes of the problems so that we're not just dealing with Band-Aids and short solutions, but really underpinning some of the work that's really important," Bileski continued.
Bileski also remarked that "sometimes a small investment can make a big impact," pointing to the Our Home Kikinaw house - which he had toured earlier in the day - as an example.
"I've said throughout my time that the success of Thompson comings from the blessing from the higher-up who blessed this land for the people of this Cree nation, and the blessings that are here with us continue with these announcements and programs that have been happening," said Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) Grand Chief David Harper.
"There's people stuck in our streets today - they need guidance," Harper continued. "That's the essence of this program. We'll see results. Eventually, it will lead us away from the streets at night. We will work together for the betterment of this community and for the betterment of our people."
"One of those things that has been a true success in the Thompson urban aboriginal experience has been the tremendous support and cooperation of all the partner organizations that have been at the table, and have truly made Thompson the leading example of the Urban Aboriginal Strategy right across the country," said Mayor Tim Johnston. "That's amazing, because we're the smallest community in the project."
