Canadian Minister of Northern Affairs Dan Vandal: Building a strong, sustainable North
Fri, Feb 4, 12 pm
Virtual, registration required
Moderated by Jothsna Harris
The Government of Canada, Indigenous peoples—Inuit, First Nations and Métis—and 6 territorial and provincial governments came together to develop Canada’s Arctic and Northern Policy Framework, a transformative vision of the future where northern and Arctic people are thriving, strong and safe. The Framework includes goals relating to eight overarching themes—people and communities, strong economies, comprehensive infrastructure, environment and biodiversity, science and Indigenous knowledge, global leadership, safety, security and defence, and reconciliation. It incorporates regional and distinctions-based lenses while integrating domestic and international dimensions. Canada’s Minister of Northern Affairs, Daniel Vandal, will discuss federal, Indigenous, and community-driven partnerships and programs to address short-term and long-term climate change adaptation and mitigation, supporting healthy ecosystems in the Arctic and North.
Minister Vandal was first elected to Parliament in 2015 and became Minister of Northern Affairs in 2019. In 2021, he was given the additional responsibility of being the Minister for the Canadian Economic Development Agency and Prairies Economic Development Canada. Prior to his election to Parliament, he served five terms as a Winnipeg City Councillor and Deputy Mayor, helping to develop Winnipeg’s Aboriginal Youth Strategy, the first of its kind in Canada. Minister Vandal worked as a social worker at Winnipeg’s Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre, an Indigenous family resource centre that delivers community-based programs and services. From 2010 to 2013, he was Chair of the Board of Directors for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network.
Moderator Jothsna Harris (she/her) is a climate and cultural strategist and the principal consultant of Change Narrative LLC. With nearly a decade of experience building capacity for the climate justice movement, most recently as the Director of Special Projects and Partnerships at Climate Generation: A Will Steger Legacy. Jothsna has designed and implemented award-winning climate change programs that are rooted in community, center personal stories, and other values-based ways that resonate, coaching thousands of people to find compelling narratives as an advocacy tool for solutions. Jothsna led the creative process and co-edited the book, Eyewitness: Minnesota Voices on Climate Change; an anthology of community-sourced stories, poems, and art, and developed a campaign that utilized the book to build public will and share testimony with legislators to help move climate justice policy. Jothsna currently serves on The Great Northern Board of Directors. In her spare time, she is a small-scale organic farmer and proud member of the Midwest Farmers of Color Collective.
