First Nations Voice

Thank You Police Service forward. Consultants Engaging nity as the Chief of Police. But, as I promised my wife Grace when I took the position, it would only be for five years. So now, we will set out to enjoy our retirement together. The hours have been long, and the challenges steep, could have ever imagined. It has been my distinct honour to serve our commu- The past five years have come and gone faster than I By far, one of the most important deci- BY JIM SMALL but serving as the Chief of Police has been incredibly rewarding and I wish to thank you for the opportunity to serve our community in this fashion. Looking back, I think we have moved the Winnipeg as more Aboriginal people pursue an aca- emic path, it is no surprise that the amount sions a business will make is when to call in the "experts". Aboriginal people have experienced an array of researchers and development professionals entering our communities to study, develop or empower us since the Europeans came to Canada. Consulting among Aboriginal communities has become big business in Canada and making decisions with the community's needs at the core of everything we've set out to do. I am equally hon- oured by the support and participation we have received from the community. This support has made all of the difference in the world. When it comes to crime prevention and intervention, police agencies are almost always front and centre. But as I have said many times, we cannot operate in isola- tion or solve the issues our community faces without the participation of all the stakeholder groups and com- mitted citizens. We've had the help of some tremendous community partners. I don't think many Winnipeggers have a true sense of all the important work being in the community – par- There are several challenges with con- ducting a successful consultation. We have seen through our history that for consulta- tion to be effective, all participants must be empowered and share the decision-making power. Otherwise it becomes nothing more than a token consulting effort with little or no innovative solution as a res lt. Usually consultant's advice is based on a different Working together, we can and will create a safer comes mo e appropriate to non-Aboriginal understanding of learning and solutions. A plished. key difference is that knowledge in the Ab- Id have tried to lead by example and hat h s meant of Aboriginal owned consulting firms is in- creasing. This trend is timely, with a surge of land rights issues combined with greater demands for exploration of mother earth's resources; many Aboriginal communities and businesses are actively participating in consultation processes. set of principles, driven by a desire for out- community. I certainly look forward to watching the organization continue to build on what we have accom- NOVEMBER 2012 • PAGE 23 Federal Energy Wind and Solar Solutions Inc. Chief Keith McCaskill Winnipeg Police Service hands with a strong lead- ership team and the recent announcement that Super- intendent Devon Clunis will be taking over as the next Chief of Police, assuming the role of Acting Chief as of October 10. A formal Swearing in Ceremony is planned for later this fall. Superintendent Clunis is a kind, caring and com- itted member of our organization. He has served the lice service for more than 25 years and h shares my vis Iion for stronger re ati nships between our organiza- otpiion and the community. The Service is in good original community is based on values and spiritual When our knowledge becomes a "commod- ity" it loses its power. Equally important is the context in which our knowledge is man- aged and shared. Elders are the teachers and keepers of the knowledge and learning wimthin the context of Aboriginal knowledge c paon sometimes take a lifetime to master. n the end, it all comes down to devel- ng trusting relationships among com- ities and consultants. In simple terms foundations that give it meaning. ½ VT, (4x160), full colour PBS # 3329003 * RHP* APTN ticularly the Aboriginal community – that have made our work ethic. This trust is critical to the suc- jobs as police offic rs a little easier and our community a safer more enjoyable place to live and work. cess of any consulting relationship because once it is breached, it may be impossible to repair the relationship. ~ Jim Small is an entrepreneur, teacher and speaker munHis appointment comes at a time of both challenge there are three types of trust required for a consultation to be successful. First there is Red trust – the emotional comfort experi- enced through working with the consultants we like. Over 90% of consulting relation- ships operate through this kind of Then there is Blue trust, which represents the consultant's skill and capability to do as they promise and provide an innovative so- lution. Finally (and most importantly) there is the Gold trust. This refers to the trust that hpas to do with a consultant's integrity and trust. felt thank you, once again, for your support over these past five years. Your willingness to step forward to help us more clearly identify community concerns and op- portunities for building a better police service has made this job far more enjoyable than you will ever know. With that, I will sig off my final column with a heart- Minister John Duncan congratulates Sioux Valley Dakota Nation on successful self-government agreements community vote — Oct. 5, 2012) — The Honourable John Duncan, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, congratulated Sioux Valley Dakota Nation following its successful community vote to ratify its self-government agreements with the governments of Canada and Manitoba. "On behalf of the Government of Canada, OTTAWA, ONTARIO — (Marketwire I would like to extend congratulations to Sioux Valley Dakota Nation on its successful com- munity vote," said Minister Duncan. "These self-government negotiations demonstrate the positive results of partners working to- gether to achieve success. Through these Agreements, Sioux Valley Dakota Nation will be able to assume greater responsibility and control over the decision making that affects their lives, creating a foundation for a renewed relationship with Canada." 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These include governance matters such as elections, mem- bership and financial management, as well as education, health, social development, child and family matters, culture, economic mat- ters, lands, environment protection, transpor- tation and enforcement on Sioux Valley Da- kota Nation lands. The next step in the process is for the gov- Once finalized, these Agreements will give nipeg Police Service in 1987. Prior to assuming the role of Acting Chief, Clunis was the Superintendent respon- sible for the Service's Development Support Branch. I am certain those of you who have not had the op- ortunity to work with him in the past will come to ap- preciate all he brings to the table. and change for the Winnipeg Police Service. He will assume leadership as we prepare to open new police headquarters in a renewed and vibrant downtown. He will also be responsible for implementing recommenda- tions that flow from the Operational Review that is about to be undertaken to seek operational and financial ef- ficiencies. Superintendent Clunis began his career with the Win- 1-866-321-6606 akennedy@federalenergy.ca company servicing all of Canada. Our focus is to identify energy challenges with on and off-grid First Nations communities. Our goal is to facilitate greater and more effective community and economic energy options for the First Nations by providing advanced products and services. Is a 100% First Nations owned low-cost, short-term and long-term energy products and advice on financing, including developing long- term energy models for First Nations and community-based employment and training. Services include access to to have access to affordable energy to improve infrastructure, public works and local services to help build and maintain safe, healthy, proud and thriving communities. 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