The mandate of the Government of New Brunswick’s Aboriginal Affairs Secretariat (AAS) addresses various social, economic, and legal issues related to the First Nations communities of New Brunswick, Canada. The Secretariat deals with many parties, including federal and provincial departments, First Nations communities, and Aboriginal organizations.

HNMCP will help the Government of New Brunswick examine questions of how consensus-building processes might be used within the provincial departments engaging and consulting with First Nations. The project will assess the challenges with the execution of GNB’s current Consultation policy, how GNB defines roles and responsibilities within the departments, as well as how it might bridge the gap between GNB staff conducting consultations, policy analysts, senior management conducting engagement with First Nations, and elected representatives.

Activities and Deliverables:

• HNMCP students will conduct a stakeholder assessment of those in the government who work directly with First Nations and other key stakeholders
• Present to the Government of New Brunswick on key findings and next steps
• If recommended, the HNMCP team will conduct a consensus-building activity for GNB employees