THUNDER BAY -- The United Way of Thunder Bay is set to enact a declaration of commitment to collaborate with Indigenous people and organizations around the city.
The goal, said Frances Wesley, chair of the charity’s newly formed Nishwaaswi Committee, is to have a greater impact on the community, while recognizing the hardships and injustices suffered by First Nations populations and understanding the role Canada’s First Peoples have to play in society.
Ultimately the hope is to build a stronger relationship with First Nations and improve their lives.
The committee has been tasked with the creation of ideas and activities to accomplish the aforementioned goals.
The first step is inclusiveness on the part of the United Way itself.
“A lot of our people are moving from communities up north and we’d like to have a diverse number of Aboriginal people to serve on our board of directors, as well as participate in some of the community work that we do here with the United Way,” Wesley said.
“As well, we want to strengthen our relationship with Indigenous people in our community to find ways and activities to help us moving forward.”
United Way of Thunder Bay president Mike Belliveau was adamant the document would simply be a piece of paper, adding the Aboriginal community will be a significant part of the organization’s five-year strategic plan, expected to be unveiled in a month or so.
Belliveau said the city has a number of agencies serving common clients, but as time marches on and government resources are cut, it’s become clear that more collaboration is needed in order to work smarter and not harder.
Otherwise positive outcomes will be difficult to attain.
“You start with getting to know the people involved in those organizations and we move from there to dialogue-based discussions,” Belliveau said.
He went on to say the United Way expects to see more Indigenous-based agencies applying for support over time.
“But this is a marathon, not a sprint,” he said. “We definitely know that it will take time to refine those partnerships and relationships, and in essence move them to a point where people are comfortable with the fact the nature of the work translates for a win-win.”
