NFNECP Steering Committee Terms of Reference

NATIONAL FIRST NATIONS
Environmental Contaminants
Program

STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Steering Committee Elders

Our Elders role with the NFNECP Selection committee is to:

·         Observe the selection process

·         Share wisdom and provide guidance, knowledge, and leadership 

·         Help build consensus, set the “tone” for the meeting

·         Function as the NFNECP Selection Committee Conflict of Interest Coordinators

·         Encourage positive and productive dialogue among all participants 

 Elder Kenneth Goodwill

Elder Ken is from Standing Buffalo Dakota First Nation. He is the resident elder at the First Nations University and he is also a lecturer for some of the Indigenous Health Studies classes offered at the same university. 

Elder Betty McKenna

Elder Betty McKenna is from the Aninishnabae Nation, Shoal River Band. She is very knowledgeable on many traditional teachings, which she has learned from her grandmother and also from teachings from various other Elders.

Elder Betty was appointed by former Premier Roy Romanow to the College of Physicians and Surgeons Council of Saskatchewan.  She serves on the a number of committees, including the National Elders Advisory and Correctional Services Canada.

Steering Committee Members

The Steering Committee for the First Nations Environmental Contaminants Program is responsible for oversight of the program Office and research selection process.  The members are informed of program status and issues, and provide confirmation of direction in all policy issues.  Steering Committee members also provide review and input of research proposals in the annual review process.

Kim McKay-McNabb

Kim McKay-McNabb, MA

Assistant Professor

Doctoral Student – Clinical Psychology Programme

Kim McKay-McNabb is a First Nations woman originally from Sakimay First Nation. She is the mother of four sons and one daughter and she is a wife. Kim is the coordinator of the National First Nations Environmental Contaminants Program that assists First Nations communities in response to the levels of exposure and human health impacts of environmental contaminants in their territories south of the 60^th parallel. Kim is also completing the final requirements for her PhD in Clinical Psychology and plans to graduate in 2010. Her research interests are Environmental Health, Aboriginal Health, Aboriginal sexual health, Aboriginal communities and HIV/AIDs and End of Life Health Care with Aboriginal communities. She is a community-based researcher who believes in action-based research. Her involvement with community based research projects are of the most importance and she strives to assist and empower Aboriginal communities to heal and continue to have health and wellness.

Dr. Herman Michell, B.A., MEd., PhD.

 Dr. Herman Michell is originally from the small fishing/trapping community of Kinoosao, on the eastern shores of Reindeer Lake in northern Saskatchewan. He speaks fluent Cree (‘th’ dialect) and also has Inuit, Dene and Swedish ancestry.

Dr. Michell has been involved in the field of Aboriginal higher education in different capacities for over ten years. He is a tenured professor at First Nations University of Canada and has taught undergraduate courses in Indigenous Health Studies, Education, and Environment.

In addition to teaching and research, Dr. Michell sits on numerous internal and external committees including having served on the Board of Governors at First Nations University of Canada as a faculty representative for seven years. His administrative experience includes completion of a three-year term as Department Head of Science. He is currently the Vice President of Academics at First Nations University of Canada.

As part of his academic endeavors, Dr. Michell has traveled both nationally and internationally (South Africa, Netherlands, England, South America, West Indies, Barbadoes). Dr. Michell regularly visits pre-service teacher education programs as a guest lecturer on the topic of Indigenous-based education. He is also called upon as a guest speaker on numerous occasions to address youth in First Nation communities and schools in relation to pursuing careers in science and health-related fields.

Dr. Constantine (Costi) Tikhonov (H/Canada)

Chief, Research and Monitoring

Environmental Research Division

• Bio to come!

Tebogo Mabote (H/Canada)

• Bio to come

Genevieve Monnin (H/Canada)

• Bio to come!

Taskin Shirazi (AFN)

Taskin Shirazi works as a Policy Analyst in the Environmental Stewardship Unit of the Assembly of First Nations.   Taskin has had a variety of environmental-related jobs in the private sector, government and non-governmental organizations, including:

Ontario Ministry of the Environment as a Drinking Water Assessment Officer and as a Phytotoxicology Technician

Environment Canada as a Climate Research Assistant and Policy Analyst and

Pollution Probe (a non-profit environmental organization), working in the area of sustainable transportation and land use.

Taskin’s academic background in cludes a B.Sc. in Environmental Science and a M.Sc. in Physical Geography (Hydrology).  She completed her Master’s thesis on permafrost hydrology in the sub-alpine tundra of the Yukon Territory.

Stuart Wuttke (AFN)

• Bio to come!

Steering Committee Youth Members

Our Youth Members provide valuable insight, from the perspective of First Nations youth, on the program and its operation.  They also are learning to take on the leadership role within the community – thereby building capacity within the First Nations population.

Jacob Pratt

• Bio to come

Shane Keepness

• Bio to come!