Indigenous Women in Community Leadership (IWCL)

Coady’s program empowers indigenous women

Some from almost 5,000 kilometres away and closer, Coady Institutes’ Indigenous Women in Community Leadership program welcomes indigenous women from all over the country for the start of the seventh year of their IWCL program (pronounced E-wickl, as I was told).

Aimed at bringing indigenous women together from all over Canada to share knowledge, experiences, and expertise from their respective communities and lives, The Xaverian Weekly was fortunate enough to speak with two members of the IWCL. Some from remote and rural communities, and others from urban communities. In either case, what binds them together is a shared purpose of serving their community of indigenous people and a desire to see the people in their communities succeed, find their inner strength, find their identities, and to rise to the challenges of the modern world. T

he Xaverian Weekly spoke with two women involved in the IWCL program this year. Both of them are not only new to the program (last week was their first week in the Program), but new to Antigonish as well. Both women already take on the roles of leadership in their communities, and are seeking to build on their knowledge with personal and professional knowledge.

Bobbi Rose is the founder of a program for young people in her community, of Fort MacPherson in the Northwest Territories, that trains and educates for leadership opportunities, she is also an outdoor educator. Shannon Kraichy is Métis and Anishinaabekwe leader focusing on providing support and safe spaces for LGBTQ and Two-Spirited youth in her community of Winnipeg, Manitoba, as part of an organization, called the Butterfly Club.

Being so distant from Antigonish, I asked both of them how they found out about a small program in Eastern Canada. Both replied, easily, “Facebook.” For Bobbi she discovered it through a friend, and Shannon through a group, Opportunities First Nations Manitoba, where it was posted. For an opportunity like this, a program designed for First Nations women, it would have been “ridiculous” to pass up the opportunity, Shannon said.

For Bobbi, much of the same. Being able to travel from Northwest Territories to Antigonish to attend a program designed for women like her was a “great opportunity,” and considering the whole program as well as living costs are funded by a wide array of donors, it makes the program available to women from anywhere in Canada regardless of their economic ability, and allows them to focus on the most important parts of the IWCL program; creating new relationships, being present, and sharing knowledge. Both agreed that they believed the program was unique, in it’s focus on indigenous issues, for indigenous women, with an indigenous perspective.

Their comments about the program and the networking and relationships they’ve made in such a short span of time, were almost effusive, and that through IWCL and Coady they began to discover even more resources and opportunities for them and their community.

While the program has only just begun, and is a relatively short program, starting at a distance, coming to Antigonish for October, and ending in their respective communities in January; the impacts of connecting with fellow indigenous women are felt immediately.

Photo: Facebook @CoadyInternationalInstitute

Both Shannon and Bobbi were quick to praise the format of the IWCL. One their first few days together the women take part in intensive team-building exercises, like building a teepee over and over again, until they could do it easily and quickly.

Once built, the inside of the teepee housed the artwork of previous students. Although Bobbi is from a remote and rural community and Shannon from an urban community, both agreed that every woman in the program bring something important to contribute and share with the others.

Facilitated by the leaders of the program, the women are able to connect with each other, person-to-person and discuss a wide array of successes, ideas, challenges, and hope.

Shannon felt that it “was empowering to come [to Antigonish] and have space to work on change and bring it back” to their home communities where their shared knowledge and skills can be put to use in incredibly powerful and effective ways.

Thinking about what they expect to return home with; both were passionate about their hope that with their new shared knowledges they would be able to help, support, and inspire the youth of their communities to succeed. For Bobbi, it was about helping youth in the far north of Fort MacPherson find and seize opportunities in their remote town. For Shannon, it was about helping urban youth reconnect with their indigenous and cultural identities and heritages.

Coady Confidence High Amid Controversy

A walk through the Institute with Dr. Webber

You would be forgiven for not knowing, or much at all, about the Coady Institute, a part of St. Francis Xavier for more than 60 years. Although a quiet and reflective part of the university, recent events have thrust the Institute into the spotlight regarding alleged financial fraud and an article in the Chronicle Herald detailing the “droves” of staff reported to have left the Institute over the change of direction since the hiring of Dr. June Webber as director three years ago.

Dr. Webber was kind enough to talk to the Xaverian about some of the controversy surrounding the Institute not long after her arrival. Dr. Webber was unable to provide any details regarding the dismissal of Mr. Marlow, as that case is currently before the courts. However, Dr. Webber did provide some time to show me around the Coady Institute, a world-renowned organization interested in providing important educational opportunities to community leaders from around the world committed to fighting for economic and social justice.

I had intended to directly ask Dr. Webber about the staff who had supposedly left Coady due to the reportedly “toxic environment” that a number of other staff members had written about in an internal letter to the Executive of the Institute, but first Dr. Webber introduced me to some of the people who work and attend the Coady Institute’s impressive programs. I was introduced to some inspiring people who come from incredible backgrounds and their attendance at Coady is certainly a testament to their strength of character and will.

I wanted to know how Dr. Webber felt about the level of turnover reported in the Chronicle Herald last month. According to their source, 19 people had left the Coady in the time that Dr. Webber had taken helm of the Institute; however, Dr. Webber disagrees and counters that only 16 people had left, and a 44% turnover is a natural rate of turnover for the Institute. Dr. Webber defends the number of leaves as a mixture of retirements, staff leaving for other opportunities, as well as natural changes in staff. The Chronicle Herald had reported that Dr. Webber planned that the reduction of the staff also came from the plan to end the use of associate staff, but when I asked Dr. Webber about this she replied that the Coady Institute will continue to use associate staff and that the reporting by Chronicle Herald was “inaccurate,” in fact Dr. Webber is hoping to add greater staff representation from the global north and south.

Part of the controversy regarding Coady and the staff resignations, is that under Dr. Webber, there has been a change of direction for the Institute, some claiming this change is deleterious for the Institute and disrespectful of staff. I asked Dr. Webber about this and while she did acknowledge there was a new direction for Coady, she disagreed that it was substantially different from the founding principles of Moses Coady. 

The direction was made, she told me, after feeling that there was good foundation for the work of the Coady, but that at the time of her arrival it lacked strategy. When Coady was founded, there were very few developmental organizations in the world and the Institute’s mission was wide-ranging. Since that time, however, developmental organizations are much more commonplace, and Dr. Webber believes now, more than ever, Coady must have a stronger strategy and direction in order to compete among the myriad of organizations struggling to be a part of the solution in the world. She told me that Coady is changing perspectives, from a deficit model of support, to an asset model.

This is one part of the three major differences Dr. Webber sees as having usher in since her helming of the Coady Institute. Summarized briefly; first, the Coady Institute seeks now to work with an overarching strategy to understand the contexts of where they are and consolidation the collective thinking of people with Coady. 

Secondly, it is important to look at and assess the programs that Coady is using, how can they most effectively direct their energies. 

Finally, Dr. Webber sees Coady has having a place not just in the developing world, where, historically, the focus of Coady programs have centered, but now, seeking a truly global approach that includes the inequities experienced by communities in Canada and America and other developed nations, indeed during my tour of the building Dr. Webber highlighted the recent initiative to bring Indigenous Canadian women to Coady to become leaders in their communities. It is no secret that communities and people across Canada and America face severe resource, infrastructure, and support shortages and inequities (infamously, a considerable number of indigenous communities have gone decades without clean water in Canada), while populated by ambitious and talented people, just waiting for opportunity, an opportunity that Dr. Webber hopes that Coady can provide to people from Canada to Zambia to India and all and any nation in between.

Before I leave, I ask Dr. Webber how she feels about the reputation of the Coady Institute considering the controversy that’s made its way into national news. She answers firmly, that the Institute does remarkable work internationally and that their capable and talented staff are needed more than ever to counter the rise of inequality globally and in Canada.

Former Coady Director Going to Court

James (Jim) Marlow is alleged to have stolen $264 000

Following an investigation by the RCMP and an external audit by Deloitte, former Coady International Institute Finance Director, James (Jim) Marlow is being accused of defrauding the Coady Institute of more than $200 000 dollars over a period of several years. 

Marlow had been with the Coady Institute since 2007, until his dismissal following a review and audit of the institute’s finances and invoices from vendors. It is alleged in court documents obtained by the Xaverian, that Mr. Marlow had been creating fake invoices from three well-known third party vendors used by the Coady Institute in the past. Each invoice faked by Mr. Marlow would then have a cheque made and ‘held for pickup,” at which time Mr. Marlow would pick up the cheque or have it delivered to him under the trust that it would delivered by hand to the vendor, but instead was deposited into Mr. Marlow’s personal account. The amounts of each cheque are unknown at this time, but sources speaking with the Xaverian acknowledged that these were small amounts relative to the alleged total of the fraud committed by Mr. Marlow.

The alleged fraud was only uncovered when one of the cheques marked “hold for pickup,” by Mr. Marlow was inadvertently mailed to the vendor who then notified the institute that an error had been made and they were not due any payment. An audit of the institute’s finances was made where a number of fraudulent invoices, totalling $264 098 made out by Mr. Marlow, were discovered. Mr. Marlow was relieved of his duties and dismissed by the Institute and the University on July 19, when it was announced to staff and faculty that a breach of trust had occurred and the RCMP would be involved. 

Court documents show that the auditing firm, Deloitte, discovered 32 fictitious invoices, of which only two were not cashed, valued at $20 125, and a separate amount of $14 950 is, as of yet, unaccounted for and will be the subject of further investigation.

Given the nature of the fraud and the common practice of holding cheques for later pickup instead of mailing them directly, it is possible that had the Institute not been informed by their vendor, that the alleged fraud of Mr. Marlow could have continued unnoticed. 

After speaking with Andrew Beckett, the Vice-President of Finance & Administration, the administration is now working closely with Deloitte fraud investigators to create a list of recommended changes to prevent this kind of fraud from happening in the future. Mr. Beckett says that the administration is now in the process of finding a replacement for Mr. Marlow. The administration having received the resumes of potential candidates and in the coming months a position will be offered to a capable candidate, until such time however, the duties of the former Finance Director are being assumed across several capable positions. 

StFX has begun legal proceedings against Mr. Marlow, seeking damages, repayment, in excess of $243 000 and has asked the courts to prevent Mr. Marlow from liquidating any assets, including a property purchased, that may be under his name, should the courts determine the guilt of Mr. Marlow. 

All charges and accusations made against Mr. Marlow are alleged and have not been proven in court, neither has Mr. Marlow commenced with a defence against the allegations, although he has 15 days from the August 28 filing of the charges to do so.

Coady International Institute: An Often Forgotten Gem

Let's remember the global impact inspired by Coady

Welcome to your new home, or welcome back for those returning students! It’s hard to believe that the humid hazy days and the sweet summer nights and have come and gone, it’s now back to student life.  

But student life is not a bad thing, new classes, new profs, my inner academia nerd is coming out. Student life isn’t just about endless assignments, the late-night cramming for exams or the last-minute submission for the term paper which should have been started weeks ago. 

It’s also about growing as a person through the education you receive and hopefully wanting to make a positive difference in others' lives. 

Speaking of making a positive difference in others’ lives, there’s an institute right here on this campus that works day in and day out to make this possible. The Coady International Institute tucked away behind Cameron Hall, sits a place that is blooming with life and endless possibilities. 

Photo: Kenneth Doiron

For first year students you might not have any idea what I'm talking about, and the same goes for upper year students. Don’t worry, I’m not here to shame anyone from being uninformed, quite the opposite. 

Over the past four months I’ve been privileged enough to have an internship there working in the women’s center. In those four months I’ve been able to get a glimpse of all the dedicated hard work that its staff members pour their energy into.   

The Coady’s mission is to instill leadership, “In collaboration with partners in Canada and the global south, the Institute is committed to reducing poverty and transforming societies by strengthening local economies, by building resilient communities, and by promoting social accountability and good governance.”

I don’t have the words to properly express just how astonishing the staff members of the Coady are. I was amazed every day at the work they put into making sure that the students they work with have the best experience possible, both on campus and off campus. 

I encourage more students to seek out the people that work there to find out all the work that they do. Who knows, it might be along the lines of what you’d like to do someday. 

In last the four months I have watched 5 cohorts of both women and men come from vastly different countries and walks of life. But, everyone had the same like-minded goals of building their own leadership skills for each of the different sectors that they work in and making positive impacts within their own communities. 

Photo: Kenneth Doiron

From July- December there are 41 students at Coady from 19 different countries, who will be here studying and working towards receiving a diploma in Development Leadership. 

All of this happening, and it’s happening right here on campus. It’s a shame that not enough work goes into telling the new students about the Coady during frosh week, and the weeks after, once you’ve settled in. 

The students who are currently studying at the institute are some of the smartest, kindest, and loving individuals that I have met in my life thus far. They have so much to offer, with every word they have to say to you, you will find yourself in awe of their brilliance. 

 I want to put this to every student at X, which is asking a lot, to make more of an effort of making the Coady apart of their undergrad experience. 
Whether that be, walking through the halls of the building, researching more in depth to find out about the work that goes on, or by saying hello to some of the students who will be studying with us until December. 
By doing this, you will find yourself realizing how special this little community is. We may be little, but we’re making a huge impact in the world, in many more ways than you think.