Constitutional Development & Amendment Committee (CDAC)

The Senior Development Officer will continue to accept expressions of interest from members of the MoCreebec Eeyoud to get involved in the proposed Constitutional Development & Amendment Committee (CDAC). The CDAC will start its proposed mandate once there are a minimum of three confirmed committee members. Those interested in getting involved with the CDAC are encouraged to contact the Senior Development Officer, Jean Pierre Chabot by phone (705-658-4769 x 2008) or by email (jean-pierre.chabot@mocreebec.com). We are looking for interested individuals to show their interest and dedication to MoCreebec governance by coming forward to discuss this opportunity.

Constitutional Development & Amendment Committee (CDAC) Call for Nominations

Constitutional Development and Amendment Committee (CDAC)

Terms of Reference & Launch

Timelines and Nomination Process

The Constitutional Development and Amendment Committee (CDAC) was called into being through a motion by the MoCreebec Council on May 21, 2015. The Committee will function as a Standing Committee for which members will be nominated and appointed through the following process:

• May 25, 2015: Launch of Nomination Process
• June 10, 2015: Final day for receiving Nominations
• June 15-16, 2015: Interviews and Selection Process for Nominations
• June 17, 2015: Start of Committee Business – Commissioning of First Report to table Recommendations to the MoCreebec Council on Process for Selection/Appointment of Chief & Deputy Chief of the MoCreebec (Eeyoud) Council of the Cree Nation.
• July 17, 2015: Due Date for the 1^st CDAC Report to be tabled to the MoCreebec Council
• July 26, 2015: Deadline for Process of Selecting/Appointing of Chief & Deputy Chief of the MoCreebec (Eeyoud) Council of the Cree Nation, as per MoCreebec Eeyoud Bylaws.

Ongoing Role & Responsibilities

The CDAC will continue to engage in Membership and Clan Council functions following the initial report, as per the ToR stated below. The CDAC will be called upon to study issues and table reports as commissioned by the MoCreebec Council from time to time. The maximum number of reports commissioned will be one per quarter (i.e. four per year).

Membership and Clan Council responsibilities will be ongoing throughout the year and members of the Committee are expected to carry out their functions with professionalism, in good faith, and according to the guiding principles outlined in the MoCreebec Constitutional Framework. All members of the CDAC must become familiar with both the Constitution and Bylaw documents. These documents are paramount for carrying out their work as a Standing Committee and for serving the MoCreebec community.

Nominations

Registered members of MoCreebec are eligible to become members of the CDAC. In order to be nominated as a member of the Committee one needs signatures from three other registered members of the MoCreebec community. In order to put forward a nomination the signatures must appear on the nomination form. Please send this nomination form to the attention of the Senior Development Officer at MoCreebec:

Jean Pierre Chabot, Senior Development Officer
MoCreebec (Eeyoud) Council of the Cree Nation 
chabot.jeanpierre@gmail.com 
62 Hospital Drive 
Fax: 705-658-4487

If you have any questions or would like to confirm receipt of a nomination form, please feel free to contact the Senior Development Officer at 705-658-4769 ext. 2008.

Nomination Forms

Nomination forms can be obtained at the MoCreebec Office's front desk or by emailing the SDO at chabot.jeanpierre@gmail.com and requesting a copy be sent by email. You can also access the form and further information from MoCreebec's Official Website or by following the link:

http://www.mocreebec.com/downloads/CDAC/CDAC%20Nomination%20Form%20and%20Terms%20of%20Reference-1.pdf (The form can be found on page 4 of the document in the link)

Mandate

The CDAC is tasked with studying plans to implement and amend the MoCreebec Constitutional Framework. The Committee is also concerned with reviewing membership requests and requests to form a Clan Council, as these pertain to implementation of the Constitution and the newly formulated Bylaw. Registering members under the newly incorporated entity, the MoCreebec Eeyoud, will be important for consolidating the community profile. The CDAC will assume the role of the Membership Committee, contemplated in the 1993 Constitution.

The CDAC is a standing committee. Its activities are triggered by any event calling upon a review of the MoCreebec Constitutional Framework or the further development of policies and procedures that could affect the Constitution or the Bylaws. It is responsible for membership reviews and the Clan family registration process. The CDAC is concerned primarily with the constitutionality of amendments made to the overall Constitutional Framework. Furthermore, the CDAC is tasked with reviewing the voting system as per the Constitutional Framework.

The CDAC is mandated with consulting members of the MoCreebec community as it relates to the issues mentioned above. Members of the CDAC should remain unpolitical in their approach to fulfilling their mandate as committee members. The role of the Committee is to conduct research and consultations, compile the findings and table a report, including recommendations, to Council for consideration. Committee members are also mandated to approve membership registrations based on the criteria set out in the Constitutional Framework. Committee members are called to work in a professional manner.

Formation, Term, and Dissolution

The CDAC has been approved and called into existence by the MoCreebec Council. Nominations for the Committee are received and reviewed by the Senior Development Officer over a one-month period. Any group of three registered MoCreebec members is permitted to nominate a candidate to the Committee. Five candidates are selected by the Senior Development Officer, and confirmed by Council, to sit on the CDAC. These five individuals will serve a term of eighteen (18) months or till the date Council, upon the recommendation of the Senior Development Officer, removes any individual for the following reasons:

1. Not being fully engaged and cooperative in the proceedings and activities of the Committee;
2. Conviction of a criminal offense (during mandate) or significant evidence of serious misconduct;
3. Failing to effectively assume their particular role within the Committee structure; and
4. Engaging in political activities, concerning MoCreebec Eeyoud, deemed inappropriate by Council.

Composition

The CDAC is composed of five members plus the Senior Development Officer (ex-officio member), who functions as the liaison between the Committee and the Council. Each member of the CDAC will have a particular function:

• Chair: acts as the spokesperson for the Committee and directs the Committee’s deliberations 
• Primary Coordinator: coordinates the internal activities of the Committee 
• Secondary Coordinator: coordinates the external (consultation) activities of the Committee 
• Recorder: records notes from meetings of Committee and updates membership database 
• Report Writer: writes the formal reports to be tabled to Council upon request

Activities & Accountabilities

The Committee is permitted to meet, to phone and to email individual members of the community on behalf of the MoCreebec Council. However, the Committee remains directly accountable to the Council and only indirectly accountable to the members of the community. The Committee is permitted to organize meetings but must do so within the scope of the allowable budget for each report. The Committee can also reach out to external parties but must seek approval from at least two members of the Council prior to proceeding with such external communication. Liaising with the Council for approvals to consult external parties (i.e. non-MoCreebec members) can be done through the Senior Development Officer. The Senior Development Officer is also tasked with periodic evaluations of the Committee.

Reports

The Committee is accountable to the Council and therefore must produce final reports within the timeframe set by the Council. The report is to be tabled at a Council meeting and approved. Approval of the report will also mean approval for payment of honorarium to the members of the Committee. The report must include background on the issues, key findings, information about who was consulted and how, and a list of recommendations pertaining to the issue at hand. The report can be presented in the form of a Briefing Note. The Senior Development Officer can assist with reviewing draft reports. The Committee is also responsible for updating Council on new membership requests received and approved.

Communications

The Committee will communicate with the Council through the Senior Development Officer. From time to time, the Chair of the Committee may be called upon by Council to present findings at meetings of the Council. Communications between the members of the Committee and Council are to be considered confidential. Committee business should be conducted in a manner as to assure confidentiality and due process. The Committee is to communicate amongst themselves by email or phone but should not use open social media such as Facebook or Twitter for committee business. Consultations with members of the community may be conducted by phone, email or in-person. Facebook and other social media are not permitted. It may be necessary to record interviews or conversations. Permission must be granted in writing to the Committee to record consultation proceedings. Records must be kept and files stored in a secure location. Files can be stored with the Senior Development Officer.

Call for Artists - Youth that can "Draw to Impress"

The Senior Development Officer (SDO) at MoCreebec is looking for youth to contribute to the Toolkit with their artistic talents. The SDO is looking for 4-5 youth that can "draw to impress" and would not mind spending some time over the summer developing drawings that will go into the final version of the Community Decision-Making Toolkit.

 

The drawings will be etched in pencil to give that black and white look that expresses a traditional feel. The artists will be acknowledged, for their work and talent, in the Toolkit. Moreover, a prize for the best drawing will be given after the final version is finalized.

 

The SDO has a number of images in mind, e.g. a hunter aiming at some geese from a canoe on a creek. It would be great if youth were involved in giving the Toolkit a visual appeal that will also assist with animating some of the key concepts and ideas presented in the Toolkit.

 

Please pass the word on and ask interested youth to get in touch with the SDO by phone (705-658-4769 ext. 2008) or by email (jean-pierre.chabot@mocreebec.com). You can also show your interest by adding a comment to this post and indicating your name and email address.

Spring Break-up

It's that time of year again!

Spring break-up is fast approaching. The break-up of the ice on the Moose River is an annual event that affects both the communities of Moose Factory and Moosonee.

Residing in both of these communities, MoCreebec members are naturally concerned about the potential dangers and risks involved with the annual break-up season.

Break-up can be a very exciting time but also a challenging time for those who need to commute between the two communities and out onto the land.

Break-up is a "lands and resources" issue that MoCreebec and the broader communities of Moose Factory and Moosonee confront on an annual basis.

What are your main concerns during break-up?
What do you enjoy the most about this time of year?
When do you think break-up will happen this year?

Take a guess and share your thoughts. Provide a comment to this post.

"Ring of Fire" Report by Library of Parliament

Members of MoCreebec might like to review the report conducted by the Library of Parliament back in March 2014 (a year ago) on the "Ring of Fire" developments in Northern Ontario. The PDF version of the report can be accessed by going to the following link to download:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/LOP/ResearchPublications/2014-17-e.pdf.

The Library of Parliament report could be a tool for broader discussions about the opportunities and challenges facing the MoCreebec community in terms of land and resource development issues going forward. The report provides a Federal perspective on the proposed developments.

Disclaimer: the Library of Parliament report does not necessarily, in part or in whole, reflect MoCreebec policy and strategic thinking. Publishing the report on this Blog is meant to stimulate discussion and share information that is publicly available.  

"Ring of Fire" Report by Ontario Chamber of Commerce

Members of MoCreebec might like to review the recently published report commissioned by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) on the "Ring of Fire" developments in Northern Ontario. The PDF version of the report, which was launched on March 5, 2015 can be accessed by going to the following link to download: http://www.occ.ca/Publications/Beneath_the_Surface_web.pdf.

 

The OCC report could be a tool for broader discussions about the opportunities and challenges facing the MoCreebec community in terms of land and resource development issues going forward.

 

Disclaimer: the OCC report does not necessarily, in part or in whole, reflect MoCreebec policy and strategic thinking. Publishing the report on this Blog is meant to stimulate discussion and share information that is publicly available.  

 

 

My Voice: Priorities for Development (Economic and Social)

In one hundred (100) words or less what would your vision of priorities for development be...
Add a comment to this post...

My Voice: A Vision for Protection of the Environment

In one hundred (100) words or less what would your vision for protection of the environment be...
Add a comment to this post...

Drop-In Sessions with Senior Development Officer

Tuesday evenings from 7:30PM-9:00PM will be set aside as a drop-in time for members of MoCreebec. The purpose of the Tuesday evening drop-in "spaces" will be to support the work of the Senior Development Officer's efforts to build awareness of the Constitutional Framework and build capacity for decision-making and participation. These drop-in sessions will take place at the Offices of MoCreebec at 62 Hospital Drive, Moose Factory.

March is going to be a busy month with Clan Family meetings so we will have to be flexible with starting these Tuesday sessions. During March the following Tuesdays will be open for those who wish to drop-in:

• Tuesday March 10;
• Tuesday March 17; and,
• Monday March 30 (exception made due to calling of General Membership Meeting on the evening of Tuesday March 31) 

Going forward starting in April, the Tuesday evening drop-in sessions will be held on the 2nd (full week) and 4th (full week) Tuesdays of the month. For example, in the month of April the two evening sessions will be on Tuesday April 14 & Tuesday April 28. Please follow the Blog Site for information on cancelations or moving of dates.

Also, please come prepared with questions about the Constitutional Framework and/or the Decision-Making Toolkit that the Senior Development Officer is developing and drafting. These drop-in sessions are meant to be focused on building capacity and understanding and are not meant to be a "social gathering".

Feel free to also confirm with the Senior Development Officer ahead of time to make sure the session is going to take place. The Senior Development Officer can be reached at 705-658-4769 x 2008. If there is sufficient demand for a teleconference session, then we can explore that option as well. However, for a teleconference session to be held it will have to be properly planned a minimum of 2 days in advance. Contact the Senior Development Officer by phone or email to set up a teleconferenced session.

Finally, please pass this information on to members of your family and the community, in particular to youth. Let them know that the Senior Development Officer has an "open door policy" and is willing to discuss any matter with anyone who is ready to search pro-actively for solutions and to put effort into implementing those solutions.

MoCreebec Member Meetings - Cree Village Ecolodge

7:45PM-9:45PM Week Nights

During February and March 2015

Contact Jean Pierre Chabot, Senior Development Officer at MoCreebec, to find out the date on which your Clan Council meeting has been set. There will also be meetings arranged for members of MoCreebec who are not currently part of a registered Clan Council. All meetings will be located at the CREE VILLAGE ECO LODGE and refreshments will be provided free of charge.

All meetings will happen between 7:45PM and 9:45PM weekday evenings. Refreshments will be provided as well as babysitting services and entertainment for young children. We hope you will be able to make it out to these important information sessions.

Jean Pierre Chabot, Senior Development Officer (705-658-4769 ext. 2008) chabot.jeanpierre@gmail.com  

The Past and Future are options… the Present is our common ground…

Background

Clan families are the “natural core” of the MoCreebec Community.

The MoCreebec Constitution states:

“The MoCreebec Constitutional Framework is the result of extensive community discussion which began [in 1992] as part of a project to develop a Political and Socio-Economic Strategy for MoCreebec members’ future in Moose Factory and Moosonee. After weighing the various options outlined in an earlier edition of the MoCreebec Handbook, members chose to empower their own governing system, based on the principles of equality, independence and self-reliance, drawing strength from the community’s natural core, … THE FAMILY.”

Clan Council Meetings will include the following agenda items:

• Introduction and review of draft Community Engagement Toolkit
• Discussions about Community Decision-making Protocol, as it relates to lands and resources issues
• Introduction to the Senior Development Officer (SDO) and how the SDO can assist with Clan Councils and building dialogue
• Overview of current and projected lands and resources issues
• Introduction to Community Engagement Blog and YouTube page
• Opportunity to sign MoCreebec Oath

Decision-making is a complex matter that requires good intentions and due diligence on the part of those tasked with providing leadership to others.

 

“The MoCreebec people want to be assured that their Association will continue and will evolve as it assumes a greater role in the community affairs.” –Allan Jolly    

(Opening Remarks by Allan Jolly before Federal Review Committee on May 4, 1983 in Ottawa)

 

“Today MoCreebec members have houses where tents were before. They also have a community built on shared principles and a shared future.”

“Today, choosing again to pursue their own path, MoCreebec members ratified the MoCreebec Constitutional Framework on June 6, 1993.”

“The MoCreebec Constitutional Framework is about opening up opportunities for the community…”

MoCreebec Handbook

 

Followership: We all have the choice to follow gracefully…

Not everyone can be a leader. Leaders are selected, groomed, and supported by followers. Being a follower is a valuable role in any community. Being a follower is not something to be looked down upon. Being an ineffective follower, however, is something to be avoided. Therefore, the question one needs to ask oneself is HOW DO I BECOME AN EFFECTIVE FOLLOWER IN SUPPORT OF THE COMMON GOOD OF MY COMMUNITY?

The strength of a community can be found in how well it serves those most in need…