Highlights of our National Gathering of Urban Indigenous Coalitions in Ottawa, March 2023.

NUICC held a National Hybrid Gathering of Urban Indigenous Coalitions beginnings of March this year in a 3-day conference event in Ottawa. A wonderful event that would not have been possible without the attendance of 37 in person coalition representatives and second alternates from coast to coast to coast, and our 16 online attendees, also coalition representatives and/or second alternates.

Highlights of the conference:

• Delegates from coalitions met, some for the first time, and others for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The sessions during the first day reflected NUICC’s growth from 2019-2022 and our progress in our Strategic Planning. Session 3 presented highlights from the Urban Indigenous Knowledge Mobilisation Hub, and announced the upcoming publication, the Urban Indigenous Coalition Toolkit.

• Special guests came to the (sometimes virtual) podium: Senator Kim Pate, Bruce MacDonald (CEO, Imagine Canada), Thunderbird Sisters (our Ottawa culture hosts and Metis video and musical guests), Parliamentary Secretary Vance Badawey, Dr. Jacqueline Quinless (Indigenous scholar and Adjunct Professor at UVIC), Yale Belanger (Professor of Political Science at the University of Lethbridge), Marcel Swain (CEO of Lu’ma Native Housing Society), Nancy Martin (representing Miziwe Biik Aboriginal Employment and Training and the ALFDC, Aboriginal Labour Force Development Circle), Marileen Bartlett (ED for the Centre for Aboriginal Human Resource Development (CAHRD), Matthew Norris (President of the Urban Native Youth Association, and contractor with Voor Urban Labs).

• The sessions during the second day included Strategic Planning discussions, the Knowledge Hub presentations around data collection, sovereignty, methodology, and outcomes and a Misquadis Cabaret as the Hub’s speaker series #10 panel discussion challenging Canada’s distinctions-based framework with Misquadis Decision.

• The third and last day was focused around organisational development workshops. NUICC is in the middle of very important work that will shape the organization’s development. Some of the work is:

1. Developing and improving its Terms of Reference for how coalitions and the leadership council conduct their work.
2. Conducting strategic planning for years 2023-2025, as well as work plans and financial needs.
3. Welcoming our newly elected co-chair Damon Johnston, alongside Becky Sasakamoose-Kuffner.

Thank you’s!

We would like to thank everyone for joining in-person and tuning in virtually.

✨We want to thank our three host venues, the Ottawa Art Gallery (who provided generous sponsoring of the venue rental) and the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health. The evenings events, including the Misquadis Cabaret, were held at the Art Engine in the Arts Court. We would like to thank the Art Engine team for fully sponsoring the space and welcoming NUICC over the three days. 

✨To the caterers: Crystal (independent indigenous caterer) who provided us with amazing indigenous food, as well as the team at the Wabano Centre for their delicious buffalo stew and bannock, and Chef Ric’s for their support at the OAG.

Gathering Recordings: Re-watch it now!