OHCOW partners with the Nokiiwin Tribal Council: G'minoomaadozimin "We are Living Well" Health and Safety Prevention Innovation Program

The Nokiiwin Tribal Council, in partnership with Workplace Safety and Prevention Services (WSPS), Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW), Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA), launch the G'minoomaadozimin Health and Safety Prevention and Innovation Program:

• June 11, 2015 The partners meet with Minister Flynn to discuss the Nokiiwin Tribal Council's Health and Safety Prevention and Innovation Program initiative.
• June 25, 2015 Memorandum of Understanding is signed!

Click here for more information on the Aboriginal Health and Safety Conference.

Nokiiwin Tribal Council launches the G’min-oo-maa-doz-imin (“We Are Living Well”) Health and Safety Prevention and Innovation Program. The program aims to reach vulnerable workers, students and families living in communities of the Robinson Superior Treaty area and beyond.  This initiative is funded through the generous support from the Ministry of Labour

“As our First Nation communities engage in economic development and foster entrepreneurship and business partnerships, there is an increased need to develop and sustain the structures for health and safety. We need to shift attitudes and behaviors and we are committed to helping our member communities create their own culturally appropriate First Nations health and safety culture,” says Joe Donio, President of Nokiiwin Tribal Council.

Three key partners will come together to officially sign a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with Nokiiwin Tribal Council. Those partners include: Workplace Safety and Prevention Services (WSPS), Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW), Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA).

"It’s always a pleasure to work with great partners, such as the Nokiiwin Tribal Council, that understand how important it is to improve health and safety on worksites,” said Kevin Flynn, Ontario Minister of Labour. “When I met with the council they told me The Nokiiwin Health and Safety Initiative will incorporate traditional teachings to help Aboriginal men and women in the community learn how to work safely to prevent injuries, illnesses, and fatalities, and it will help keep Ontario one of the safest places in the world to work.”

“Reducing workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities is a top priority for this government, and the more people and organizations we have working toward that goal, the more effective we’ll all be,” said Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development and Mines and MPP for Thunder Bay-Superior North. “It’s great to see the Nokiiwin Tribal Council take a leadership role in occupational health and safety, and I know this project will help a lot of people in the Robinson-Superior Treaty area work safely and return home at the end of every workday.”

Words from our partners:

IHSA: “Developing safe and culturally appropriate standards for Health and Safety will foster ongoing, respectful and meaningful relationships for all.”

WSPS: “This initiative is the right step forward in preventing and significantly reducing health and safety incidences. We are proud to be a partner and bring support to this initiative.”

OHCOW: “There is an ongoing need to ensure each community and region is guided by their own specific and relevant standards of health and safety. We look forward to working closely with Nokiiwin Tribal Council to support the necessary health and safety clinics.”

“The signing of the MOU is truly a momentous occasion. Safe workplaces lead to safer families and safer communities. When we work safe we are more conscientious, addressing a need and a compliance issue in a very positive way. Health and safety is very complex and includes policy, law and training. Our program includes health and safety training and certification,” Donio explains.

Nokiiwin Tribal Council’s Health and Safety initiative will be guided by a Steering Committee. A new Health and Safety toolkit will be built to reflect traditional values of the Seven Grandfather Teachings and the medicine wheel methodology, demonstrating how First Nation values link to health and safety. The toolkit will be shared and promoted in partnership with the key partners.