Chief Guy Lonechild
c/o First Nations University
Regina, Saskatchewan
February 11, 2010-02-11
Dear Chief Guy Lonechild:
I have been reading with interest the latest news releases regarding the First Nations University. Unfortunately, many of these reports have expressed concerns about the University and its staff. I thought I would take this opportunity to indicate to you that not everyone shares this opinion and to express my person support for the teachers and staff at the University.
Though the opinions expressed in this letter are strictly my own, I can not help but think that sometimes a lone voice can, on occasion, have a significant impact, and I am hopeful that this will be the case with this letter of support.
My office, the Environment Health Research Division, within Health Canada has had many opportunities to work with FNuniv professors and staff over the last 5 years. I personally have worked closely with Dr. Carrie Bourassa on a special project, Health Impact Assessment (HIA). HIA is used in over 100 countries internationally to assess the health impacts of development projects, programs and policies. Indigenous communities within Canada and internationally, though often supportive of development, express significant concerns about the impacts of development projects, programs and policies on their local environment, their cultural and their spiritual beliefs. Development of an indigenous focused HIA tool, in my opinion, is extremely helpful to indigenous communities in assessing the impacts of development projects, programs and policies and in community decision-making with regards to the necessary trade-offs necessary for projects, programs and policies to proceed. Dr. Carrie Bourassa, along with a number of others (Elder Ken Goodwill, Carmen Buschow, Barb Frazer, Brenda Hackl, Dr. Arzu Sardarli and Jackie Bates) has contributed time, effort and insight into the development of an Indigenous HIA course within the FNuniv. The team’s hard work has led to the development of two separate but interrelated courses – one an international Indigenous HIA intensive course, the other a web-based semester HIA course. Both were scheduled for roll out in 2010.
I hope that this letter of support provides you with information which balances the many negative letters and inquires which I am certain you have received recently. I also hope that the University, its professors and its staff realize that their hard work has been noticed (positively) and appreciated.
Sincerely
Roy E. Kwiatkowski
cc: Dr. Carrie Bourassa
FNuniv Faculty
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