Lubicon Lake Newsletter

LUBICON LAKE BAND #453

November 2013

Meet the Chief and Council

Did you know?
LUBICON LAKE BAND
WILL RECEIVE

$250,000 OVER TWO

YEARS TO COMPLETE A

TRADITIONAL LAND USE STUDY . FIVE BAND MEMBERS

RECENTLY COMPLETED

From left: Elder Mike Laboucan, Councillor Brian Laboucan, Councillor Mike Ominayak, Councillor Cheryl McMann Laboucan, Councillor Irene Laboucan, Chief Billy Joe Laboucan, and Councillor Joe Auger.

BUILDING ENVIRONMENTAL ABORIGINAL HUMAN RESOURCES (BEAHR) TRAINING .

By Elliot Whitehead Chief Billy Joe Laboucan says he decided to run for Council because he felt people needed a change. He hopes to provide equal access to jobs and housing, and work towards settling a land claim. Chief Laboucan was on Council in the early 1980s, and his goals for his current term on Council are to see community members working together with renewed friendships, and to settle a land claim. Chief Laboucan is in charge of the Education and Gov-

ernance portfolios. Councillor Joe Auger ran for Council because he wanted to see a change in the community as things were not good. He has never been on Council before. His goals for his term on Council are to complete a land claim and see our members with housing and other services. Coun. Auger is in charge of the Housing and Infrastructure portfolio. Councillor Brian Laboucan ran for Council to help

achieve equal rights and better living conditions for people in the community. He has never been on Council before. His goals for his term on Council are to settle the land claim. It is key for better living, more access to employment, and improved housing for our members. Coun. Laboucan shares responsibility for the Economic Development portfolio with Coun. Ominayak. See COUNCIL on Page 2

Inside this issue:

Labour Market Plan Introduced Community BBQ 2

Strategic Planning Session Aboriginal Relations meeting Members complete BEAHR training Training for Chief & Council

Lubicon Lake Newsletter

Meet the Chief and Council

Continued from Page 1 Councillor Irene Laboucan ran for Council because she saw the need for change, and believes she can help. The band had been in thirdparty management since 2009, and we were going nowhere. This is her first term on Council, and she would like to see the land claim settled as a means of creating more access to jobs in the community and have fewer people depending on social assistance. Coun. Laboucan is in charge of the Social Services and Child Welfare portfolio. Councillor Cheryl McMann Laboucan ran for council because she wanted to see change in the community. It was too long with nothing happening. I would love to see the community thrive and not rely on hand-outs from the federal government. Its time for Lubicon to Idle No More. This is her first term on Council, and she would like to see the land claim settled to provide housing and indoor plumbing, and to provide more to future generations. Specifically, an Elders Lodge and a recreation centre. Coun. McMann Laboucan is in charge of the Education and Health portfolios. Councillor Mike Ominayak ran for Council with the goal of seeing a land claim settled so that people could have adequate housing and indoor plumbing. This is Coun. Ominayaks first term on Council. He is sharing responsibility for the Economic Development portfolio with Coun. Brian Laboucan. Coun. Ominayak will be mainly working with industry, and would like to see the land claim settled. It is the key for us to have better living conditions with jobs and proper housing.

Labour market plan introduced at community BBQ

The Lubicon Lake Band #453 received funding from the Alberta Government, Alberta Human Services to complete a Labour Market Study. The study will assist the Band in finding out the career aspirations of community members and what barriers are preventing them from meeting their goals. Community members were hired to collect surveys in the community from members between the ages of 18-65. As part of the process, the Page 2 community was required to host a community engagement strategy to prepare members for the survey process. After the community event, over 200 surveys were collected and the results are being rolled up and entered into a database that will assist members in being placed in jobs in the surrounding area.
Children participate in potato sack races during the community barbecue in September.

November 2013

Fun and games at community BBQ

More than 100 people attended a community barbecue in September, during which the labour force survey project was launched. The project is funded by the provincial department of Human Services. The barbecue was a venue to engage the Lubicon Lake community in the labour force survey, and featured several different activities for kids and adults of all ages, including a horse shoe tournament with 20 teams and a volleyball tournament with five kids teams and four adult teams. Organizers say 35 kids participated in childrens activities, and the entertainment had something for everyone. Gordon Shaw was the emcee for the event, which had hoop dancer Petie Chalifoux and comedian Howey Miller as performers. The Mtis Jiggers also performed: Isaiah Cardinal, Lucky Cardinal, Shaylene Cardinal, Shalyn Fountain, Celine Leprette, Jessica Leprette, Matthew Leprette, Ashley Maltais, Trenton Maltais, and Jayden Ominayak.

Hand games, and hoop dancing were among the fun activities during the community barbecue in September.

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Lubicon Lake Newsletter

Discussions with Alberta government Aboriginal Relations
Last month, Chief Billy Joe Laboucan spoke with the Honourable Robin Campbell, the Minister of Aboriginal Relations about several items, including the inclusion of Little Buffalo in the Lubicon Lake Band #453 land claim. Chief Laboucan and Minister Campbell also discussed economic development and how the province can provide support through the First Nations Development Fund (FNDF). The Band is eligible for the FNDF, and the programs Boris Contreras and Peter Crossen say the Band will receive its first funding allocation in January 2014. Lubicon will also receive $250,000 over two fiscal years (2013/14 and 2014/15) to complete a Traditional Land Use Study. Thank you to Aboriginal Relations Allison Parry for her work on this initiative.

Lubicon Lake Band #453 develops Strategic Plan

Lubicon Lake Band #453 hosted a three-day Strategic Planning Session in October 2013 in Edmonton, AB. Funding for the session was provided by the federal government of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC). It is proposal-driven funding from the Professional and Institutional Development Fund for the 2013/2014 fiscal year. The Strategic Planning Session was not solely for Chief and Council. Staff, some community members, Elders, and youth were invited to provide input to the session. The session consisted of the following:
Team-building exercise Input from participants on what they wanted from the session Development of Vision and Mission statements Presentations from the Alberta department of Aboriginal Relations on
Clockwise from top: Lubicon Lake Band #453 members participate in a Strategic Planning Session in Edmonton in October. Youth members also contributed to the session. One of the presentations was by Al Rollins, CEO of Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council.

consultation, Traditional Land Use, Economic Capacity Building, and the First Nations Development Fund (FNDF)
Presentation from Paul Wyminga and William Vu of Aboriginal Development Branch, Human Services Presentation from Mike Oostendorp, Senior Field Services Officer for Aboriginal Affairs and Northern

(AANDC)
Presentation from Al Rollins, CEO of Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council Development of a Work Plan and deliverables Review of Chief and Council portfolios

Two more Strategic Planning Sessions will take place before March 31, 2014 to assist with identifying goals for the next fiscal year.

Development Canada

Page 4

November 2013

Members complete BEAHR training

Last month, five Lubicon Lake Band #453 members completed a five-week environmental monitor training program for the community. They were among a total of nine students who did the training. The other four were from the communities of the Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council, who agreed to host the training at the Loon River First Nation. The Building Environmental Aboriginal Human Resources (BEAHR) Environmental Monitor Training Program was designed for Aboriginal communities, with the inclusion of both Traditional Knowledge and Western Science. It was delivered in the community for the first time, starting in September and finishing in October. It is an important time for Indigenous people to participate actively in development and help to reduce the imCongratulations to the Lubicon Lake Band #453 pact to Mother Earth, says students who completed the BEAHR training program: Carol Crowe, the program Daniel Auger instructor. This course is Janine Gladue one way to do that. Crowe says she enjoyed teaching the program to the Lubicon Lake Band #453
Wendy Gladue Cheryl Ominayak Sharon Whitehead

members. I love to encourage and motivate Indigenous people to work in the Environmental sector, she says. On the legal side, when consultation is required, it is important that a community knows what the loss could be in order to figure out

what accommodation might be required. Collecting baseline data of their traditional lands is critical and this course teaches students how to complete this collection. Crowe says the Lubicon Lake Band #453 members who took the program were very

enthusiastic about what they learned. Students excelled in both the classroom but were much happier when they were outside completing environmental assessment, she says. My experience has been this awakens Indigenous people to what is going on around them, to see how we need to take care of Mother Earth in our home, workplace and lands. The BEAHR Environmental Monitor program is designed to provide the knowledge and skills Aboriginal people need to participate, and when appropriate, incorporate local and traditional knowledge into environmental monitoring efforts conducted by industry, government, and civil society. This is beneficial to Lubicon Lake Band #453 as it faces a growing number of opportunities and challenges related to the management of natural resources and protection of the environment. The challenges start with an increase in resource development projects, and concerns about sustainability for future generations.
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LUBICON LAKE BAND #453

Lubicon Lake Band #453 Box 1351 St. Isidore, Alberta T0H 3B0
Office: (780) 629-3945 Fax: (780) 629-3939

Our Vision
The Lubicon Lake Band will be unified, self-sufficient and prosperous through economic opportunities. Respecting our people and the land while maintaining Treaty Rights, culture, language, and traditions. We honour our Elders and continue to guide our youth and future generations.

Chief and Council

Chief Billy Joe Laboucan Councillor Joe Auger Councillor Brian Laboucan Councillor Irene Laboucan Councillor Cheryl McMann Laboucan Councillor Mike Ominayak

Our Mission
The Lubicon Lake Band is committed to successfully completing our Land Claim and respecting our Traditions while promoting a Healthy environment in a unified community.

STAFF
Yvonne Buc, Band Manager Administration Kristin Calliou Marina Gladue Edna Laboucan Martha Laboucan Consultation Wayne Auger Laurence Calliou Alex Laboucan Troy Laboucan Vera Laboucan Betsy Ominayak Health Helen Calliou Loretta Laboucan Noreen Noskey Virginia Ominayak

Chief and Council attend Governance and Leadership Training at The Banff Centre
Chief and Council will be attending a week of training at The Banff Centre to develop their leadership and governance skills. The program they will be taking is called Leading Teams: Good Governance for Councils and Boards, and is scheduled for Nov. 17-22. Among other items on the agenda, Chief and Council will learn about indigenous governance models, contemporary indigenous governance, principles of good governance, roles of leaders, managers, and staff, strategic planning, conflict resolution, and decision-making and arbitration. The federal department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) has provided the band with proposal-driven funding under the Professional and Institutional Development Fund. Part of these funds will assist in providing training for the Chief and Council. Chief and Council look forward to putting into practice the strategies they learn during the week-long seminar.