IA Quarter 4 Meeting: March 7-8, 2024

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        On March 7-8, 2024, the Saskatchewan First Nations Family and Community Institute (SFNFCI) hosted its Quarter 4 IA Network Meeting at Prairieland Park. The meeting began with warm welcomes extended to all attendees both in-person and online. Elder Wally Awasis opened our meeting with a prayer, song, and shared knowledge relating to Income Assistance.

        Attendees included Income Assistance/Social Assistance Administrators, Case Management, Pre-Employment Skills Coordinators, SFNFCI Staff and representatives from FSIN, Social Development (ISC), Jordan’s Principle (ISC), Wills & Estates (ISC), Assisted Living (ISC), and SaskPower. On Day 1 there were 102 in-person and 7 online participants at the meeting. On Day 2 day, there were 68 in-person, and 7 online participants. The quarterly meeting had representatives from 47 First Nations/Communities, 5 Tribal Councils and 4 Organizations.

        The first guest speakers on the agenda were SFNFCI’s IA Reform Project Team. They delivered a comprehensive update, detailing the groundwork laid within the 55 meetings, encompassing planning, follow-ups, project updates, and subcommittee discussions. These efforts are aimed at the creation of the Competency Dictionary, a tool that can be utilized by communities if they choose. Heather and Andrew from Wills and Estates, Governance Unit at Indigenous Services Canada shared an informative presentation that shed light on crucial considerations for estate planning and administration under the Indian Act. Following Andrew from Wills and Estates was Kelly Quewezance from Assisted Living, Indigenous Services Canada, who highlighted rate increases and policy changes and highlighted the ongoing commitment to enhancing support for those in need. Jason Yew provided information on policy updates and the importance of reporting. Mary Lou and Joy deliver a presentation on Jordan's Principle. We learned about the background, eligibility criteria, service coordination mechanisms, and available resources, emphasizing equitable access to services for Indigenous children. This concluded day 1 of our quarterly meeting.

        On day 2 Kayla delivered a comprehensive overview of the 2022-2023 fiscal year, sharing insights from the survey that was done at the last quarterly meeting and proposing future training and meeting dates that work with the group. We then heard from Isadore Wichihin from the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN). He provided updates on Social Development, advocating for political engagement to address systemic issues and protect treaty rights.  Data collection is important for informed decision-making and Isadore asked that we share the number of community members on and off reserve as well as the number of members on income assistance during our roundtable update.

        After we heard from Isadore, we began our roundtable update which provides our attendees with a platform to share community updates, successes, challenges, and plans, fostering collaboration and solidarity among the group. The meeting concluded with a presentation from SaskPower, covering essential topics such as move forms, Jordan's Principle, meter reading, e-bill enrollment, online payments, and customer care initiatives tailored for Indigenous communities. The Quarter 4 Network Meeting was a great success, and we look forward to the next meeting in June 2024.