Last Monday, our Interim Executive Director and Service Quality Lead had the opportunity to visit p̓aačiidʔaaʔtx to talk with Chief Jones and Council Member Trystan Dunn-Jones about SIIA’s work. We also had the opportunity to meet with some staff members and hear about the good work happening in the Nation.
A big part of our discussion was around community health indicators and Nation data, and we look forward to the opportunity that SIIA has to work towards Indigenous Data Sovereignty alongside the Nations/communities we represent.
We also had the opportunity to present a graphic our Service Quality Lead put together about the work p̓aačiidʔaaʔtx historically completed through the South Island Wellness Society. These graphics have been prepared for each Nation to remember that the South Island First Nations’ push to reassert their inherent jurisdiction over their children and families started long before SIIA was formed. Previously, this work was being done through the South Island Wellness Society (2009-2018), prior to that, by the Vancouver Island Aboriginal Transition Authority (2007-2009), and prior to that the Vancouver Island Aboriginal Transition Team (2002-2007).
SIIA is the current planning authority through which this work is happening. We are grateful to be able to pull from such a rich history of content that has been curated over the years to continue on this work.
We also were excited to see the fence that p̓aačiidʔaaʔtx was able build around their graveyard through one of SIIA’s Nation-based funding opportunities.
