Little Black Bear & Associates

Facilitation Skills needs some respect

Darrell — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 04:03:41 +0000

Move ahead in spite of obstacles!

Having been a professional facilitator now for over 17 years, I have travelled all across the country working with mostly First Nation and Metis organizations. If there is one skill set that is truly needed in our Aboriginal communities in this country, it’s knowing how to facilitate the creation of action plans and then knowing how to facilitate their implementation. Facilitation skills is slowing but surely starting to gain the recognition it deserves as a necessary skill. Like negotiation skills, knowing how to facilitate can be the key skill to make the big difference in your community. Historically, we had this knowledge of facilitating movement down pretty solid. If we didn’t, it could mean life or death – our very survival. Tragically, it’s still the same today and many communities that do not have any idea how to facilitate developmental activities are plain and simply stuck in a horrible rut. Many communities, organizations, and even businesses need to get unstuck and learn how to facilitate. We’re here to help you do just that!

Aboriginal Literacy Symposium 2011 sparks keen interest!

Darrell — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 03:31:47 +0000

The issue of literacy in Aboriginal communities is gaining greater prominence across the land as the inaugural gathering held at the Victoria Inn in Winnipeg on November 1st and 2nd garnered attention. Little Black Bear coordinated this gathering which attracted over 150 people from mostly Manitoba but there were a few from out of province as far away as New Brunswick and the Northwest Territories. Inspiring Guest Speakers attended this big step for Manitoba including the Hon. James Bartleman, former Lt. Governor of Ontario; Ovide Mercredi, former National Chief of AFN; and Ningwakwe George, a member of the Saugeen First Nation in Ontario and an author to reckon with in the Aboriginal community. Work will now begin across Manitoba to implement a basic strategy to address Aboriginal literacy issues in the province of Manitoba. Bartleman poignantly said it best when he delivered his keynote address: “…literacy was my ticket out of poverty!”

Event brochure/poster.

Aboriginal Resource Guide Reaches Aboriginal Communities in Canada

Darrell — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:34:52 +0000

Little Black Bear & Associates has been engaged in a process with the Aboriginal Corrections Policy Unit, Public Safety Canada – to train facilitators across Canada in the use of a new tool titled, “An Aboriginal Resource Guide for Community Development”. The Guide was created by our firm last year and we’ve been actively training and seeking Aboriginal individuals that wish to learn how to utilize this new tool. Thus, far there has been a very positive response from First Nations and Metis communities that are learning about how to implement the Resource Guide in their communities and more Aboriginal facilitators are finding the Guide to be a very helpful tool indeed.