How are we working together?
The Province has been collaborating with Reconciling Ways of Knowing Stewardship Society (Reconciling Ways) on an approach for co-developing a cohesive and responsive set of economic metrics that centre First Nation concepts of economic wellbeing. Acting as a convenor, Reconciling Ways facilitated a series of workshops with subject matter experts between 2023-2025 that focused on co-design of economic metrics.
The ministries of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation and Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation, with advice from the Ministry of Citizens’ Services, continue to explore other avenues by which the Province can advance this work.
Are there challenges?
The workshops led by Reconciling Ways of Knowing Stewardship Society highlighted the diversity of data governance initiatives currently being planned or advanced and the need to better align these efforts to ensure federal and provincial governments are supporting First Nations-mandated institutions and First Nation governments to develop the technical, digital, legal and service delivery infrastructure necessary for First Nation governments to collect, steward, and use their socio-economic data in ways that align with their laws, vision, and values. Workshop participants noted that predictable and sustainable funding for further development of data governance capabilities is required.
This work cannot be done without meaningful trust being built between First Nations governments and the Province. The ability to successfully co-develop economic metrics depends on relationship building, resourcing and allowing time for the formation of shared ideas and solutions. It is understood that the work to co-develop economic metrics on a province-wide scale as described in the action will take time and needs to be balanced with and responsive to the diverse needs, priorities and perspectives of First Nations. Additionally, further exploration of these concepts is required to ensure a distinctions-based approach can be applied.
Highlights
Between 2023-2025, Reconciling Ways of Knowing Stewardship Society conducted a series of First Nations-specific workshops which provided valuable insights into the complexity of co-developing First Nations economic metrics.
This series included four workshops which discussed: First Nations data governance and economic well-being and governance metrics, Indigenous nationhood and social wellness metrics, economic development and economic well-being, and Indigenous nationhood, Governance development and metrics co-design respectively. These workshops provided the following insights:
- Co-development of this work with First Nations is based on relationships built on trust and takes time;
- Data gathering and development of metrics must adhere to the data sovereignty, standards and governance specific to a First Nation;
- Good governance is foundational to economic success and economic data is crucial for decision-makers to advance good governance — these two elements cannot be separated; and
- The data that is deemed meaningful will be unique to the questions, interests and priorities of individual First Nations.
These workshops provide a foundation for further collaboration with First Nation partners on concrete steps to address the persistent limitations of First Nations-specific economic data as described in the action.