Looks at four benchmarks with respect to municipal funding of major cultural organizations and Toronto Arts Council clients: average Canadian expenditures, funding in terms of population and inflation, funding and total revenues generated, and projections for funding growth, which are then used to develop six funding scenarios.
File contains opening remarks from the sitting of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples at the Park Plaza Hotel, Toronto, Ontario, on Monday, November 2, 1992. Elder Fred Plain relates an anecdote about cross-cultural understanding, discusses the Aboriginal community in metro Toronto, and welcomes the Commission. Following this are various brief introductory remarks by regional Commission coordinator Pat Chilton, and Commissioners Bertha Wilson, Mary Sillet, and Allan Blakeney.
RCAP 59 contains files from the sitting of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples at the Park Plaza Hotel, in Toronto, Ontario. This sitting of the Commission contains presentations including a round table discussion on Urban concerns, various Aboriginal organizations in Toronto, the United Church Native Solidarity Circle, and a series of individual presentations. Each presentation can be viewed individually on this site.
File contains a presentation by Allan Shiff. He discusses his perspective on the Commission as a non-Aboriginal man who is concerned for the issues facing Aboriginal Canadians. Shiff discusses the need for the Commission to take action with regards to unacceptable living standards in Aboriginal communities, and states that he thinks most non-Aboriginal people are supportive of such efforts. Shiff also discusses the need for accountability in projects to ensure they maintain public support. Following Shiff's presentation are comments by Blakeney and Wilson with regard to these issues.
File contains a presentation by Anne Rochon Ford, Vicki Ann Wagner, Interim Regulatory Council on Midwifery. The two presenters discuss their organization (funded by the province of Ontario), their work with Aboriginal peoples, jurisdictional issues, the loss of the traditional Aboriginal midwife in Aboriginal society, the desire to incorporate new practices with old, and related issues. They also discuss community birthing centres so that midwifes could be both trained and utilized in a culturally appropriate setting.
File contains a presentation by Bernd Christmas, Chairman, Native Canadian Centre of Toronto Self-Government Committee. Christmas discusses the historical phenomenon of Aboriginal migration to urban areas, the establishment of clubs and their historical evolution into Friendship Centres, and the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto. Christmas discusses his organizations views on urban self-governance, and the work they have done in this area. Following the presentation is a discussion between Christmas and Commissioners Blakeney and Erasmus, followed by the closing of the days proceedings.
File contains a presentation by Colleen Wassegijig and Simon Paul. Wassegijig discusses the history of Aboriginal peoples in Canada with respect to formal education systems, and some of the problems that has created which now must be overcome. Simon Paul, a Dene man originally from Northern Saskatchewan, discusses Aboriginal education programs in Scarborough, Ontario for First Nations and Métis residents.
File contains a presentation by Dan Haggerty, President and CEO, Robert Hartog, Chairman, and Claude McCabe, Vice-President Canadian Native Programs, Canadian Executive Services Organization. Haggerty discusses the Canadian Executive Services Organization, a non-profit, non-governmental organization with the mandate to provide volunteers as consultants to support the development and management of the Aboriginal businesses and communities in Canada, and of the business and social sectors of developing countries around the world.
File contains a presentation by David Chartrand, President of the National Association of Friendship Centres, with comments by Terry and Tom Doxidurn, executive director and Vice-President, respectively, of said organization.
File contains a presentation by David Newhouse. Newhouse, a professor of Native Studies at Trent University, delivers a presentation highlighting six ways that he thinks Aboriginal society is changing: 1) urbanization, 2) "retraditionalization", 3) institutionalization, 4) the process of self-government, 5) cultural identity reinforcement, and 6) textual transformation. Newhouse elaborates on these sociological concepts, and then discusses their implications with Commissioners Blakeney, Wilson, Sillet, and Harper.
File contains a presentation by J. Spencer Rowe. Rowe makes an individual presentation on cultural issues. Rowe discusses the importance of Aboriginal language education, and how he views spirituality as the path forward for Aboriginal peoples but that this root is difficult as they have become seperated from their lands.
File contains a presentation by Jimmy Dick. Dick discusses the inherent right to self-government and his views on it. Following the presentation is a discussion between Commissioners Chartrand and Blakeney with Dick on the form self-governance should theoretically take, specifically with regard to an urban context like Toronto.
File contains a presentation by Joe Miskokomon, Grand Chief, Union of Ontario Indians. Miskokomon delivers a presentation on behalf of his organization that deals with the challenges facing its members: namely, self-governance, overcoming divisions between Aboriginal peoples, the struggle for women's equality, urban issues, and others. Miskomon states that he views self-governance primarily as a question of jurisdiction, and that jurisdictional issues must be addressed. Following the presentation are comments and a discussion between Commissioners Dussault, Erasmus, Robinson and Miskomon.
File contains a presentation by Katherine Fournier, United Church Native Solidarity Circle. Fournier discusses her organizations views on issues facing Aboriginal people including the need to educate non-Aboriginal people about the history of injustice towards their counterparts, the neccessity for the Federal government to deal with land claims and self-governance issues despite the defeat of the Charlottetown Accord via referendum, and that groups like the Solidarity circle can be supportive but not set the agenda: in their view that is something Aboriginal people must do themselves.
File contains a presentation by LaShelle Brant of the First Peoples Fund of Toronto. Brant discusses her organization's origins and its accomplishments to date. The fund is intended to provide credit for Aboriginal entrepreneurs. Following the presentation is a discussion between Brant and Commissioners Blakeney and Wilson on business development issues.
File contains a presentation by Ovide Mercredi, National Chief, Assembly of First Nations. Mercredi discusses his view of the Royal Commission and its goals, his organizations participation in Constitutional talks, and the importance of self-governance and self-determination to Aboriginal peoples. Following the presentation is a discussion between Mercredi and Commissioners Erasmus, Sillet, Wilson, Dussault and Blakeney.
File contains a presentation by RMP (Ron Momogeeshick Peters), an Ojibwa man, relates his personal life story including relationship difficulties and the struggles he has faced in his life.
File contains a presentation by Rosemarie Moffit. Moffit discusses identity issues of a personal and collective nature, and then describes some Ojibway spiritual beliefs and how she feels they are relevant to dealing with the problem of drug and alcohol abuse. Following the presentation are comments by the assembled Commissioners and a discussion between Moffit and Commissioner Chartrand on issues of mixed-background, Metis, and Non-Status identity designations as they apply in Ontario.
File contains a presentation by Ted Harlson. Harlson discusses individual rights and why he thinks they must be absolute for a successful application of self-governance to Aboriginal peoples. Harlson presents a philosophical paper outlining why individual rights are important, and what he views as the dangers of collectivism. Following the presentation are comments by Commissioners Chartrand and Dussault.
File contains a presentation by Vern Douglas and Ken Richard of Native Child and Family Services. Douglas discusses the history of the organization in Toronto, and how it came about as a grassroots organization amongst Aboriginal people who had been victims of the Child Welfare system. He discusses the mandate of the organization and the composition of its board which is balanced between several Aboriginal groups. Ken Richards discusses the services the organization provides for Aboriginal children and families, and some of the data involved.
File contains a presentation by Vern Harper. Harper discusses some of his views on Aboriginal people's place within Canadian society, and on artistic and cultural concerns. Harper also relates some of his own personal life story.
File contains a round table discussion on urban Aboriginal concerns with Bruce Yacatto, Isabel Bassett, Michael Bliss, Janet Maher, Susan Eng, Colleen Wassegijig, and Commissioners Blakeney, Harper, Sillet, and Wilson. The discussion incorporates a wide variety of issue relating to urban Aboriginal peoples including education, social services, community policing, and governance issues.