This year’s FNIGC Student Bursary recipients are Elizabeth Hunter, Jessica Chiblow, Kelsa Carmen, and Zach Bishop, each of whom will receive $2,500 and complimentary registration to FNIGC’s The Fundamentals of OCAP® online course.

Since it was first established in 2011, FNIGC’s Student Bursary program has awarded more than $73,000 to 35 First Nations post-secondary students. This year, FNIGC received 64 applications from First Nations post-secondary students from across Canada. The four finalists were selected by a committee established by the FNIGC’s Board of Directors.

“FNIGC believes that education is not only a tool for personal growth but also a catalyst for positive change within First Nations communities, a belief that is underscored by our continued commitment to our Student Bursary program” said FNIGC CEO Jonathan Dewar. “On behalf of FNIGC, I want to commend and congratulate this year’s bursary recipients. We are proud to support your academic progress and look forward to tracking your journey in the years ahead.”

THE 2023 FNIGC STUDENT BURSARY WINNERS

Elizabeth Hunter

Elizabeth (Liz) Hunter is a member of the Stoney Nakoda from Goodstoney First Nation located in Mînî Thînî, Alberta, and works as a research analyst with the Centre for Collaborative Action on Indigenous Health Governance at Simon Fraser University. Simultaneously, she is pursuing an undergraduate degree in Health Sciences with a minor in Indigenous studies.

With more than five years of experience working within Indigenous health organizations (which includes a recent role at the First Nations Health Authority) Liz brings a wealth of expertise to her work. Additionally, she is a certified doula drawing on Indigenous teachings and world views. Liz’s interest spans various areas including exploring sleep, women’s health, sustainability, biodiversity, disability, traditional food systems and Indigenous food sovereignty. She is preparing to begin a Master of Science (MSc) program to further explore Indigenous disability research.

Jessica Chiblow

Jessica Chiblow, from Mississauga First Nation, recently completed her second year in George Brown College’s Construction Engineering Technology program, which she did while juggling her responsibilities as single parent. As a 36-year-old single mother of one, she feels that the FNIGC Student Bursary has significantly lightened her load.  Jessica’s goal of becoming a Project Manager is fueled by a passion for construction and a dedication to sustainable construction industry practices.

Jessica is determined to excel academically and contribute to innovative, community enhancing projects. She wishes to express her sincere appreciation for FNIGC’s investment in her future, which not only alleviates the burden of expenses but also enables her to focus on her education and career aspirations.

Kelsa Carmen

Kelsa Carmen, a proud member of the We Wai Kai Nation (Cape Mudge Band), originates from Vancouver Island. Rooted in her Indigenous heritage and upbringing, her path into healthcare was motivated by a profound sense of duty to address the pressing needs of Indigenous communities. Armed with a Licensed Practical Nursing Diploma from Vancouver Island University, Kelsa is continuing her educational journey as she pursues a Bachelor of Health Science degree through Thompson Rivers University’s open learning program.

Kelsa envisions a future where healthcare delivery embodies a culture of accommodation, inclusivity, and respect. Kelsa aims to forge a healthier, more robust future for Indigenous communities across Vancouver Island and beyond.

Zach Bishop

Zach Bishop, a proud Indigenous student, is currently in his second year of the Commercial Flight and Aviation Leadership program at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario. He is a member of Rainy River First Nation and holds a deep passion for aviation, setting his sights on a career in commercial aviation. Despite numerous obstacles and challenges, Zach remains enthusiastic about continuing his studies and flight training. As an Indigenous student, he is committed to advancing Indigenous representation in the aviation industry, aspiring to serve as a role model for future generations. Zach expresses profound gratitude towards his mentors and community for their unwavering support in pursuing his aspirations.

For more information on the bursary application process, email bursary@fnigc.ca.

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The result of months of work and multiple design iterations, the new OCAP® logo emphasizes the First Nations roots of FNIGC’s work by utilizing a drum motif to represent equality and communication, as well as signifying the heartbeat of Mother Earth.    

The logo was launched at a special gathering hosted by FNIGC during the Assembly of First Nations 44th Annual General Assembly in Halifax, Nova Scotia, steps away from the location where OCAP® was first established in 1998.

The event, which was attended by members of the National Steering Committee who are credited with coining the term “OCAP®,” featured local Mik’maw drumming group the Sunrise Scouts, a performance by Mi’kmaw fiddler Morgan Toney, a local jingle dress dancer, and keynote speakers including FNIGC CEO Jonathan Plante. 

FNIGC’s celebration of OCAP®’s 25th anniversary, which kicked off in January 2023, also featured the launch of the revised and reimagined The Fundamentals of OCAP® online course.   

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Relaunched to mark the 25th anniversary of The First Nations Principles of OCAP^®, the course is the result of more than a year of design and teamwork and features important content updates, moving original work from First Nation artists, and inspiring voice-over narration from First Nations actors.

Supported by Algonquin College Corporate Training, The Fundamentals of OCAP® is a unique online learning opportunity designed by First Nations for First Nations, using a welcoming and culturally informed approach to take learners on a journey through the importance of First Nations ownership, control, access, and possession of First Nations data.

This introductory course explores and investigates the OCAP® principles and offers learners the opportunity to see them as part of a larger story. The course is divided into six modules each lasting between 30-50 minutes, plus a course introduction, each featuring interactive elements and knowledge checks.

Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

• describe the principles of OCAP®,
• understand key foundational concepts for OCAP® such as Data Sovereignty and Information Governance,
• understand First Nations collective rights, and the difference between asserting and respecting OCAP®, and
• connect the context and importance of OCAP® to your current work or role.

FNIGC is proud to offer this ground-breaking online course that explores First Nations self-determination, self-governance, and collective rights to data sovereignty through the framework of The First Nations Principles of OCAP®.

To learn more about the new OCAP® course and to find out how to register, go to https://fnigc.ca/ocap-training/take-the-course/

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Established in 2011, and administered by FNIGC’s Education and Training unit, the FNIGC National Student Bursary is awarded each annually to exceptional First Nations students enrolled in college or university and studying in fields related to the advancement of First Nations data sovereignty. Recipients are chosen following a review of applications by a committee established by the FNIGC Board of Directors.

“For more than a decade, FNIGC has placed a priority on our ability to impact the lives of First Nations people in both direct and indirect ways. The FNIGC Student Bursary has been one of the core ways that we have effected direct change, by assisting the next generation in achieving a college or university education,” said Jonathan Plante, FNIGC’s CEO. “On behalf of everyone at FNIGC, congratulations to this year’s four bursary recipients and best of luck in your ongoing studies.”

THE 2022 BURSARY WINNERS

Coralie Niquay

Coralie Niquay is a Quebecker and Atikamekw from the community of Manawan. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Neuroscience in 2021, and completed her master’s degree in Public Health at the University of Montreal in January 2023. Recently, she began her professional career with the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Health and Social Services Commission (FNQLHSSC) as a Public Health Projects Advisor. She wishes to contribute to the well-being and self-determination in health of First Nations peoples.

Kianna Bear Hetherington

Kianna is a proud Wolastoqey woman from the beautiful community of Sitansisk located in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Being of the Wolastoqiyik (“People of the beautiful and bountiful river”), she grew up with a special relationship with the land and all living things in it. A deep spiritual connection to nature and a burning desire to help Indigenous communities thrive encouraged her to complete her final year of a Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Natural Resources with a major in Water Resource Management at the University of New Brunswick (UNB). She currently volunteers her time as the Indigenous Representative for her faculty at UNB, focusing on advancing efforts that improve the experiences and opportunities offered to Indigenous students through a culturally safe lens. Kianna’s activism reinforces the beliefs and values that she intends to bring forward in her chosen career path, to be a voice for communities facing injustices caused by environmental racism and to encourage Indigenous youth to use their voices.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiannabh 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiannabh/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069246045331

Tiffany McDougall

Tiffany McDougall is Algonquin from Kitigan-Zibi, Quebec. Tiffany studied at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. Throughout her career, Tiffany has held various positions in both science and public policy. Tiffany has joined People, Places, Policies and Prospects as a Research Assistant to examine the co-development of First Nations Housing Policy, utilizing the Mi’kmaq two-eyed seeing approach. Tiffany is also completing her master’s in business administration at Cape Breton University. Tiffany was able to advance First Nation priorities as a Policy Advisor to the National Chief with the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), support Canada’s top public servants and political professionals through her cabinet experience. She was also able to support communities through her policy development work with the Federal government. Tiffany also served in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Tiffany now lives in Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia, with her three sons and husband.

Since it was first established, FNIGC’s National Student Bursary program has awarded more than $63,000 to 31 First Nations post-secondary students across Canada.

For more information on the bursary application process, email bursary@fnigc.ca.

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The new FNIGC Knowledge Lodge offers the same reliable no-cost access to hundreds of FNIGC’s published charts and tables, but in a new platform that features enhanced functionality, an improved look-and-feel, and an optimized user experience.

Users of the FNIGC Knowledge Lodge will now have the ability to directly print charts or tables, access links to the data in its original context (allowing users to reference the original report) and download data in a range of file formats (including png, jpeg, PDF, and vector-based files, as well as CSV and XLS).

Originally launched in December 2013, FNIGC Data Online put First Nations data in the hands of community, students, researchers, policy makers and decision-makers, where it was used to inform in presentations, proposals, reports, and papers.

In the decade since its debut, the online tool has provided tens of thousands of users free access to more than 400 hundred of FNIGC’s charts and tables originally published in our foundational First Nations survey reports, including the First Nations Regional Health Survey (FNRHS, or RHS) and the First Nations Regional Early Childhood, Education and Employment Survey (FNREEE, or REEES).

The new FNIGC Knowledge Lodge furthers this commitment, with a new platform and a new name that is representative of FNIGC’s ongoing dedication to supporting knowledge translation initiatives for First Nations communities.

FNIGC is an independent, apolitical, and technical non-profit organization operating with a special mandate from the Assembly of First Nations’ Chiefs-in-Assembly (Resolution #48, December 2009). FNIGC is committed to ensuring that it’s data and information is easily accessible to community and First Nations data stakeholders.

To try out the new FNIGC Knowledge Lodge tool, visit https://fnigc.ca/first-nations-data-centre/data-online/

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Now, after nearly five years the RHS is back in communities with its latest iteration: RHS Phase 4. Our Quebec Regional Partners were first in the field over the winter in the communities of Wendake and Essipit, which followed months of preparation and training with their Knowledge Gatherers. 

The Quebec team had to train new staff on the proper data collection techniques, as well as newer data collection initiatives which includes a new online option now available to survey respondents. 

FNIGC and its Regional Partners are committed to being community focused, and as such the Quebec region has engaged in onboarding local community members to assist with data collection within the community.  

This includes hiring new Community Liaison Officers to help participants navigate the survey process whether it is in-person or online. These positions are filled by members of the communities so that survey participants will feel more comfortable engaging with the data collection process. This also allows communities to use their own capacities to support the work of rolling out RHS Phase 4, which will be key to the successful roll out of the RHS across the country over the next two years.   

The RHS is the first, and only, national First Nations led health survey. The RHS involves First Nations working together in collecting information from First Nations people living on reserve and in Northern communities based on both western and Traditional understandings of health and well-being.  

Over the years, the RHS has become a key source of reliable information about life in First Nations communities that is used in the creation of many programs and services by Health Canada, and by communities themselves.  

Stay tuned to FNIGC’s News & Events page for future updates about the RHS Phase 4 as it continues to roll out in First Nations communities across the country.    

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A member of the Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation, Mr. Plante has been a member of FNIGC’s Executive Team since 2018, where has overseen key developments across a number of core units, including Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Information Management, and Communications.

For the past two years, he has served as Director of Corporate Services, where he acquired a keen understanding of organizational processes, policies, programs, and initiatives, and the important role that they play at rapidly growing organizations like FNIGC.

“On behalf FNIGC’s Board of Directors, I would like to congratulate Jonathan and welcome him to his new leadership role at the organization,” said Leona Star, Chair of the FNIGC’s Board of Directors. “During his five years at FNIGC Jonathan has displayed a track record of proven professionalism, while demonstrating a keen aptitude for organizational operations, corporate governance, strategic planning, and relationship management—all of which will I believe will serve him extremely well as CEO.”

Mr. Plante has a master’s degree in public administration from Dalhousie University and a bachelor’s degree in Consumer Studies from the University of Guelph, during which time he studied at the London School of Economics. In addition, from 1989 to 1991 Mr. Plante served in the Lincoln and Welland Regiment, a primary reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army located in St. Catharines and Welland, Ontario.

Mr. Plante started his professional career in Toronto with the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, where he was selected to participate in the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference. He later went on to work for Indigenous Services Canada, where he worked for 17 years before coming to FNIGC.

Well-versed in dealing with, and thinking about, the issues that face First Nations people, he is also deeply committed to the cultivation of meaningful relationships with FNIGC’s Regional Partners in an effort to ensure the realization of the organization’s Vision and Mission.

“I am honoured to have been chosen to serve in this position within a very important First Nations organization, which I accept with equal parts enthusiasm and purpose. Suffice to say, I am very excited about leading the organization at this critical point of its existence.” said Mr. Plante.

“When I think about FNIGC, I see a team of smart dedicated humans who have come together to support a very unique and important mandate of data sovereignty. I count myself very lucky to be part of an incredible team of such passionate and talented individuals, and I am looking forward to working with each of them as we collectively move FNIGC forward.”

The First Nations Information Governance Centre is an independent, apolitical, and technical non-profit organization operating with a special mandate from the Assembly of First Nations’ Chiefs-in-Assembly (Resolution #48, December 2009).

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