In addition to the dozen or so First Nations here, representatives from twenty US and Canadian non governmental organizations have also gathered this week in Ft. Chipewyan.
That’s a lot of talking heads and coordinating with this motley can be a challenge in any situation. For a small community like Ft. Chip already overtaxed by endless legal and regulatory fights, it can be nearly impossible.
This morning, all 18 of us met to begin streamlining communication with Ft. Chip and other native communities represented at the conference and settled on some good positions that we hope to formalize in a proposal by the end of the conference:
- To develop a set of consensus principals to guide relationships and build accountability between NGOs and First Nation communities.
- To commit resources to enhance community capacity to engage effectively with NGOs.
Wish us well, we’ll need all we can get to keep this boat sailing!