Background

For the past five years the FSIN Training Office, in partnership with the RCMP and Saskatchewan Justice, has coordinated and delivered the Victim-Offender Mediation training program to community justice workers within Saskatchewan.

The original intent of the partnership was to create and sustain mediation training services entirely administered by First Nations. This has not occurred to the extent anticipated; however, the FSIN Training Office continues to work towards the placement of a trainer in each Tribal Council and eventually each First Nation.

In the 2004/05 fiscal year, in consultation with the Saskatchewan Indian Justice Council, the Training Office re-directed funds to centralized Tribal Councils who coordinated and completed Victim-Offender Mediation Skills Development Trainings Parts One & Two at the local level. For fiscal year 2005/06, the FSIN and the Saskatchewan Indian Justice Council effectively negotiated fair, equitable training allocations that flowed directly to Tribal Councils via their federal contribution agreements.

This transition effectively established a direct relationship and partnership between the First Nations and Federal government for the area of capacity development. The change is also intended to acknowledge First Nation qualified trainers and to build capacity within First Nation communities. It also allows communities to tailor trainings to meet their specific needs.

In order to establish a foundation and governance base for First Nation capacity development, the Research and Development Office has begun work, under the direct guidance and supervision of the Saskatchewan Indian Justice Council and in partnership with the First Nations University of Canada, on the establishment of an Indigenous Association for Just Relations. Once established this Association will be responsible for accrediting and recruiting First Nation mediators in Saskatchewan First Nation communities and urban centers.

Objectives

The objective of this office is to provide support for the development of First Nation community capacity building in the area of justice.

Deliverables

The Research & Capacity Development Office is currently facilitating the development of a Constitution for the Indigenous Association for Just Relations. A Training Database has also been established to track and maintain centralized data until the Indigenous Association for Just Relations is established.

Other priority research items include: Memorandums of Understandings between First Nations and Provincial and Federal Governments, the Creation of an Identification Kit, and curriculum for a regional critical stress debriefing course. Requests from the various FSIN Justice Offices and First Nation communities are fulfilled on a regular basis.

Additionally, the Research & Capacity Development Office performs a liaison role for the Saskatchewan Indian Justice Council. This duty includes providing technical and administrative support to the Saskatchewan Indian Justice Council. Please refer to the “Saskatchewan Indian Justice Council” section of the website for further information on this particular body.