On-line service proposed

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Computers

Abenaki Associates is a Native-owned business providing computer-based services and professional training to over 10,000 clients from more than 500 Native communities, organizations and businesses. The company is based in Ottawa with offices in Winnipeg and Akwesasne.

While their fields of expertise include everything from business management to systems integration, Abenaki has a special project they are working on that is very close to the company's heart: the First Nations and Aboriginal Communication Access Initiative or an on-line service for Aboriginals.

In the past, the level of technology and the cost of communications equipment has prevented Aboriginal communities from accessing the same information and communications services as enjoyed by larger centres, putting a serious crimp in the development of these smaller communities.

But in the last few years, technology has become more efficient and less costly. Aboriginal peoples have become more knowledgeable and are beginning to acquire communication systems and services.

The progress, however, has been accomplished in a sporadic fashion, without a plan that would take advantage of the economies of scale found by bringing the equipment providers, the communities, and the service groups together to travel in one direction.

The goal Abenaki is proposing Aboriginal communities should work toward would interlink Aboriginal communities with each other and with the larger business centres.

From a Canadian point of view, The Information Highway Advisory Council has identified the need for a structured approach to going on-line, in its final report The Challenge of the Information Highway, reads as Abenaki Associates document on its communications initiative.

"This report identifies the building blocks that must be put in place for Canada to meet its growth needs in the future. Many of the recommendations in this report are applicable to First Nations and Aboriginal peoples and could be used as the basis of a detailed implementation plan for their communities."

A detailed plan would help Aboriginal communities to eliminate the need for each community to develop stand-alone solutions and would provide all encompassing information to equipment providers to enable them to focus efforts on a national requirement and it would enable service providers and administrative authorities such as Industry Canada, INAC and Health Canada to reduce costs by budgeting to use on-line services for consultations and the transfer of information, Abenaki's report said.

A planned approach would also enable the community to keep their cultural values at the forefront of the development process. Abenaki's access initiative could be considered a specific application of the advisory council report. It will identify the specific needs of the communities and service providers, and establish a blue-print to upgrade skills and equipment in the communities.

Abenaki believes the initiative will be accomplished in four phases and the company will fund the first phase, 'the needs identifications phase'. Abenaki will meet with members of the communities, administrative authorities, service providers and equipment manufacturers to establish communications and training needs, then prepare a report which will summarize these needs.

Phase 2 will be an analysis of the needs and the development of a process for establishing communication solutions, determining educational needs, establishing an information infrastructure within the communities and coordinating the proposed communications structure with the objectives of the administrative and service groups.

The research phase ? phase 3 ? will conduct the research set out in the action plan developed under phase 2 and produce a blue print to enhance the education and communications capabilities in northern communities and those not accessible by mainstream communications. The implementation phase, will see the equipment and services roviders within the communities utilize information set out in the research phase to plan and establish an upgraded communications infrastructure.

The project would reduce costs and increase efficiencies with respect to government ministries. First Nations communities will enter the mainstream of Canadian business and become more self-reliant through the acquisition of a cost effective communications system. A link is provided between the communities, jobs are created and a communications infrastructure is in place.