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Three Circles in Action
Made up of over 50 community representatives, including youth and elder representatives, the primary role
of the Community Action Circle was to drive the process by identifying priority areas of research and offering guidance and leadership. Representing diverse services and interests in the North Bay area, the members, both Aboriginal and non-aboriginal, were from government and municipal services (e.g. City of North Bay, North Bay Police, North Bay Hydro), education (all school boards), business (the Labour Market Group, TD Bank), Aboriginal services (North Bay Regional Aboriginal Mental Health Service, the Friendship Centre) and the Aboriginal community, including Elders and youth.
While the focus was on supporting North Bay’s Aboriginal community to identify issues and goals, because of their
roles and commitment, over half of the people participating on the CAC were not Aboriginal. However, with the support
of the non-aboriginal members, the Aboriginal members of the CAC, including Elders, project staff and youth, determined how the meetings would be conducted.
Each meeting began with a meal and opening prayer, representing our community’s protocol of feeding the
mind, body and spirit of everyone present and those who came before us. The goal was to ensure that we were starting each meeting from a unified perspective, allowing everyone to contribute to the best of their ability. This also acknowledged, thanked and drew on the knowledge
of those who have come before us. All members participated in all aspects of the meetings and many, Aboriginal and non- aboriginal alike, commented positively
on the richness of the Aboriginal cultural experience.
Walking the Red Road
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