IINU-INNU
Essipit
Dare to dream Essipit: The community plan of the Innu First Nation of Essipit
The Essipiunnuat Nitassinan extends from west to east from the Saguenay River to the Portneuf River. It has always been a place of meetings, exchanges, trade and alliances between Nations. The village of Essipit, which was founded in 1892, covers an area of 0.8 km2. Approximately 20% (233) of the 1,126 Essipiunnuat live in Essipit. The Innu First Nation of Essipit is an open and dynamic society that has, over the years, forged ties not only with other First Nations, but also with organizations and businesses dedicated to socioeconomic development, the preservation of environmental heritage and the cultural development of its region. It has been guided, for more than 35 years, by a community structure that directs the actions undertaken and guides its approach to self-government. It is this collective, united and supportive approach that guides development “for our fathers and our children”.
Sources for this section :
What was the
starting point
of CCP for Essipit?
In 2019, the economic development department was entrusted with the mandate to carry out sectoral planning. The team wanted to align the plan with the wishes of the population and shared the idea with the management committee. All managers, directors and elected officials concluded that it was important to root the plans in the long-term aspirations and dreams of the members.
It is worth noting that, 30 years ago in Essipit, the builders had already developed a form of community plan. At the time, they went around the houses and asked the Essipiunnuat what their dreams were for the future. Most of the projects identified have been carried out and are a source of collective pride and inspiration.
It is this experience that inspired the entire management committee and elected officials, and that is how the CCP began, drawing inspiration from the builders. The FNQLSDI was then invited to come and present the process as well as what was being done in other communities in terms of CCP.
Together, the Council and administration decided that the CCP was the right approach for the Essipiunnuat. The director of economic development then worked with ISC and the FNQLSDI to ensure the financing of the process, which was particularly supported by independent funding from the First Nation. Subsequently, a coordinator was hired to set up the community planning.
How has the planning process progressed?
The first step was to become familiar with the concept of CCP, through existing tools and resources. Then, a timeline and a general work plan for the entire process were developed and then presented to the Council and administration. With their approval, engagement activities could begin. The process was launched during a large community lunch in November 2019, which brought together more than 65 participants. Essipit is a unique First Nation, where approximately 80% of the members live outside the community and where three member statuses coexist: resident, non-resident and related. Through the CCP, the planning team has set for itself the goal of being as inclusive as possible and involving all members for the future of the community.
At the same time as the community lunch, the team launched the call for candidates to form the CCP committee. Members were invited to propose the names of inspiring people to represent the community, and the final composition of the committee offered good representation: Elders, young people, women, etc.
The team created a communication plan in collaboration with the CCP committee. The mandate of the CCP committee was to be the kupaniesh, the guardians of the process. They made sure that the ideas and opinions expressed by the members were well reflected in the plan. Through surveys and workshops, members were invited to share their perception of all aspects of the community: well-being, health, culture, education, etc. This made it possible to paint a portrait, which was presented in the Rapport de perception des membres (member perception report). Based on this finding, the team worked with the CCP committee to determine the major themes for the future to be explored during the workshops. The themes were also validated with the administration to ensure convergence between the interests of the members and those of the administration.
The pandemic forced the team to completely revise its communication strategies. It continued to keep members informed, gently and positively, and created a deconfinement plan for the CCP with a touch of humour in order to relaunch the process and foster pride. The switch to a virtual mode had unexpected positive impacts: « it ended up being really positive for the team since non-residents were able to connect with it and discover it. There were some the communication team didn’t know and some who even stayed for all the workshops! »
Multiple workshops were organized :
- 1 workshop on the dreams of the Essipiunnuat
- 1 strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats (SWOT) exercise
- 8 thematic workshops (education, identity, territory, youth and seniors, economy, communication, health and wellness, and governance)
- 2 workshops for people aged 25 years and under
- 1 workshop with Elders, and workshops with the management committee to continue aligning the work of the administration with the vision of the members
There were also workshops for all elementary school grades. Between mailings, emails, publications, Facebook posts, workshops, draws, surveys, makushams, etc., it is estimated that 60% to 80% of the members participated in the process.
Following major synthesis work, four main fundamental priority areas were identified :
Back
to basics
Living-together
Innovation and sustainability
member well-being
The four priority areas are broken down into forty major directions, which constitute the heart of the comprehensive community plan. The priority areas and directions are the result of the constant linkages between the expertise of the administration and the dreams of the members.
Finally, insofar as a good plan, if it is not followed, has little value, it was fundamental, at this important stage of the process, to carry out a thorough reflection on the approach implemented, accountability, and the review and updating of the Plan.
What changes
did the CCP
bring to Essipit?
Once the engagement activities were completed, the most difficult part was reflecting on the implementation and exploring how to produce the plan and how the administration would integrate it into its activities. The aim was to avoid making practices more cumbersome and to ensure convergence. The CCP allowed for 80% of the plan’s goals—based on members’ dreams and needs—to be much the same as those of the administration, reflecting the high level of alignment between the visions.
The team identified three driving principles of the CCP: communication, involvement, and innovation. The objective is to encourage the sectors to ask themselves questions to validate whether what they are doing is still relevant and explore how they could innovate and involve members more in the implementation of actions. These principles will guide the sectors and allow them to reflect on their practices and align them with the vision expressed in the community plan.
Implementation tools were developed to ensure consistency between the plan and the work of the administration. Thus, the community plan and the future five-year administrative plan will serve as the basis for the development of sectoral plans. To facilitate implementation, the team also clarified the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, including those of Council and management. Two main elements were defined: the CCP process would be coordinated by the responsible person and the CCP plan would be under the responsibility of general management.
To formalize the report and the plan, the team is working to organize a festive evening to present the final plan and the film Mamu, which chronicles the community’s CCP journey.
The CCP has brought about many changes in the lives of the Essipiunnuat. Here are some examples :
The CCP has given a second wind and inspired members to get involved in community life. Those who participated feel that they have taken part in a collaborative process for the future of the community, which in turn nurtures feelings of pride and belonging.
The CCP made it possible to identify three key principles that will guide implementation, namely to better communicate, involve members, and innovate.
The CCP made it possible to get closer to the members, create meeting places, and organize open houses. For example, on Friday mornings, members are invited to visit the offices and find out about current projects. This helps foster trust, as people get to know each other and the organization better.
In terms of changes in practices, the administration is now responsible for aligning its practices with the directions defined in the community plan.
For the first time, the process allowed non-resident members to be involved in the community’s long-term planning. All members felt respected and integrated, including members who had recently regained their status, for whom it was an opportunity to get to know the community and the organization better.
What are the next
steps?
To implement the plan, through the application of the three principles! The administration will develop a five-year plan for the organization and put in place best practices for communicating the actions to the members. And also, to continue to have fun, while relying on the legendary sense of humour of the Essipiunnuat.
All photos are the property of the Conseil de la Première Nation des Innus Essipit.