Remoteness Quotient Features Prominently at 2nd National Gathering of the National Assembly of Remote Communities
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Posted by Shelby Percival
- Posted in BlogsNews
As mentioned in our last post, the National Assembly of Remote Communities (“NARC”) held its second annual National Gathering in Treaty 6 Territory last week (Edmonton, Alberta). This National Gathering provided an opportunity to contribute to NARC’s development and ongoing efforts to address the needs, interests, and circumstances of remote First Nation communities.
On Friday, February 23 (day three of the Gathering), NARC Co-Chairs, Deputy Grand Chief Bobby Narcisse of Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) and Vice Chief David Pratt of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN), joined University of Waterloo Associate Professor, Dr. Martin Cooke, and legal counsel, Julian Falconer, to present on NAN’s continuing Remoteness Quotient (“RQ”) work to quantify and account for the increased costs associated with remoteness.
In May 2016, NAN intervened in the child welfare case before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal that was originally brought by the Assembly of First Nations and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada. In September 2016, the Tribunal ordered Canada to account for remoteness in the funding provided through the First Nations Child and Family Services (“FNCFS”) program. In its intervenor role, NAN has trailblazed with groundbreaking research and structural reforms to put the needs of children, youth, and families in remote communities first.
Those reforms include founding NARC in November 2021 in partnership with other regional leadership and securing commitments from Canada to index FNCFS funding for remoteness, establish and fund the NARC-Canada Remoteness Table, as well as an independent Remoteness Secretariat.
Links and resources:
The NARC National Gathering can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clYrRqaA8Vc
NARC’s website: https://remotecommunities.ca/
First Nations Child & Family Caring Society of Canada et al. v. Attorney General of Canada (representing the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs), 2016 CHRT 16: https://canlii.ca/t/gvdf6
Leaders from remote communities converge on Edmonton (aptnnews.ca)
