Friday 24 July 2015

Gdo Akiiminaan Ganawendandann Symposium: Part 2


By Jessica Numminen, 2nd year MDP Student



At the Symposium Gdo Akiiminaan Ganawendandann (Taking Care of our Land) hosted by the Anishinaabe Initiatives Division and the Department of Geography & Geology at Algoma University, a research poster entitled: Northern Governance Innovation and Development for Socially Resilient Boreal Communities was presented.  It highlighted an emerging community-university partnership to develop a community-based research project with the Missanabie Cree First Nation. The research project is being led by Ryan Bullock, a former resident of the Sault and now professor in Environmental Studies at The University of Winnipeg. Below is a photograph of the poster that was on display at the conference. 


This project is in its beginning phase. Partners are collaborating to generate preliminary research questions from the Missanabie Cree membership and to determine research priorities, one of which could be exploring non-timber forest products. My placement was a a five-week placement to work on this project and other initiatives at the Missanabie Cree First Nations office. For the duration of my placement Janet Esquimau, Community Economic Development Officer MCFN and project partner Gayle Broad, Director of the NORDIK INSTITUTE at Algoma University, were my mentors and supervisors.

I would like to thank Chief Jason Gauthier and all the MCFN staff, elders and community members for their warm welcome and for this opportunity to work together. I am grateful for the time she spent at MCFN and the different things I learned day to day during my placement! Kinanâskomitin ᑭᓇᓈᐢᑯᒥᑎᐣ Migwetch.

Jessica Numminen (L) and Janet Esquimau (R) along the Chippewa River


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