Rodney Nelson
Coordinator, Aboriginal Enriched Support Program, Centre for Initiatives in Education
Rodney is a faculty member within the Centre for Initiatives in Education and the coordinator for the Aboriginal Enriched Support Program. He is also the Chair for Carleton’s Aboriginal Education Council.
His interests includes; Traditional knowledge, Aboriginal governance, board governance, economic development, education, ethics, Aboriginal relations and negotiations. Rodney is an anthropologist with over 20 years experience working with both the public and private sectors.
Rodney’s PhD (Carleton/Trent, Canadian Studies) work is in Aboriginal Governance and Economic Development. He holds a Master’s degree in anthropology and two Bachelor degrees in psychology and anthropology. Rodney is a certified Chartered Director from the Directors College at McMaster’s Degroote School of Business. He is also a Certified Aboriginal Professional Administrator and a Professional Aboriginal Economic Developer.
He sits on the board of directors for the Aboriginal Financial Officers Association (AFOA Canada) and is the Chair of FirstPlan Pension and Benefits. An Aboriginal company providing pension and benefits to first nations communities and businesses.
Rodney is Anishinabe and lives in Ottawa with his wife Dacia and two children Cory and Robyn.
Recent Speaking Engagements
Session Moderator, After Tsilhqot’In: Developing Community Consensus to Leverage the Economic Opportunity of Our Lands. A Case Study, AFOA National Conference, 2015.
Session Moderator, Impact Benefit Agreements (IBA) Myth Busting, AFOA Canada National Conference, 2015.
Session Chair, Financial Management – Analysis of Debt – Good or Bad – The Ulnooweg Community Report Process, Aboriginal Financial Officers Association, Halifax, 2014
Education and Economic Development Successes for First Nations in Canada: Indigenous Perspective, Botho University International Research Conference 2013 Gaborone, Botswana
Access to Education in Canada, an Indigenous Perspective, World Congress on Access to Post Secondary Education, Montreal, 2013
Facilitating Chair – Indigenous Leadership and Self Governance Conference, presentation: “Revising Your Election Code and Using Performance Measurements to Help Conquer Obstacles to Effective Leadership”, Ottawa, June, 2013
Lessons in Business Strategy Planning: Aboriginal Entrepreneurs Conference, Ottawa, Oct. 2011
“A Traditional Board: Practical Applications for First Nations Board of Directors”, Aboriginal Financial Officers Association, Conference Workshop, Feb. 16, 2011 Vancouver
“Economic Development and Poverty Among First Nations in Canada” Queens University, Kingston Poverty Conference, October 14-16, 2010
University of Notre Dame, Promoting Student Success Conference , “Recruitment and Retention of Native Students in Colleges and Universities: A Canadian Experience”, Oct, 2010
Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers, Niagara Falls, “Incorporating Indigenous Knowledge into Good Board Governance Practices” , Sept, 2010
“Incorporating Indigenous Knowledge into Good Board Governance Practices”, Aboriginal Financial Officers Association, Ottawa, 2010
“The Role of Leadership in Community Health – Business Continuity Planning”, Aboriginal Financial Officers Association, Ottawa, 2010
Keynote Speaker on “Aboriginal Indigenous Knowledge and Corporate Governance”, First Plan Benefits AGM, Winnipeg, 2009
“Leveraging Our Joint Resources”, Land Claims Agreements Coalition Conference, Ottawa, 2009
“Seven Generation Crisis: Building Capacity for Aboriginal Board of Directors”, United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, 2009
Moderator of Aditawazi Nisoditadiwin Aboriginal Conference at Carleton University, Sessions Nation-to-Nation and Aboriginal Ways of Knowing, 2009
“Economic Development for the Métis Nation”, Métis Nation of Ontario, 2008
Represented Canada at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation symposium on Pandemic Influenza Preparedness, 2008
“Understanding the Duty to Consult in Aboriginal Business Partnerships”, Council for Corporate Aboriginal Relations, St, John’s, Newfoundland, 2008
“Board Governance and Pandemic Planning: All Hazards Approach”, Pandemic Preparedness Working Group, Conference Board of Canada, Montreal, 2008
“Creating Wealth and Opportunity in Aboriginal Communities”, Aboriginal Financial Officers Association Conference (AFOA), Winnipeg, 2007
“Continuity and Pandemics – Are We Prepared?”, Canadian Pension & Benefits Institute’s National Conference, Winnipeg, 2007
“Building Better Aboriginal Relations Through Cultural Understandings”, Council for Corporate Aboriginal Relations, Prince Rupert, 2007
“Business Continuity and Pandemic Influenza, Is Canada Prepared?”, Information Technology Insights Network, Montreal, 2007
“Creating Wealth and Prosperity in Aboriginal Communities”, Council for Corporate Aboriginal Relations, Calgary, 2006
Publications
“Corporate Social Responsibility and Partnership Development”, JAM: The Journal of Aboriginal Management, 2015.
“A Long Shadow Looms: Opportunity Through Economic Development and Education For Indigenous People in Canada”, in BURIC, Botho University Press, 2014.
“Dispute Resolution The Anthropologist in the Middle” in Cultural Anthropology, 4th Edition with Liam Kilmurray, William Haviland, Shirley Fedorak, Richard Lee and Gary Crawford, Nelson Publishing, 2013
“A Tale of Two First Nation: Traditional Knowledge in Today’s Business World” in Cultural Anthropology, 4th Edition with Liam Kilmurray, William Haviland, Shirley Fedorak, Richard Lee and Gary Crawford, Nelson Publishing, 2013
“Traditional Knowledge in the Boardroom A Quest for a New Model of Aboriginal Corporate Governance” (refereed), JAM: The Journal of Aboriginal Management, Sept 2010 – Volume 8
“Pandemic influenza planning: The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Emerging Infections Network, Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, October 2009, 15 (7): 368-372.
“From Vision to Venture: The Story of Five Successful Aboriginal Businesses”, (refereed) The Conference Board of Canada, 2008
“The Value of Aboriginal Cultural Industries”, (refereed) Heritage Canada, 2008
“Through the Eyes of the Board; Governance, Enterprise Risk Management and Performance”, (refereed) The Conference Board of Canada, 2007
“Creating Economic Development Through Governance Structures in Aboriginal Businesses”, Conference Board of Canada and INAC, 2006
“Me Change, No Way, Managing Resistance to Change in Workplace Accommodation Projects”, (refereed) 2003 Journal of Facilities Management, Vol: 1 #4
“Masking Rituals of South East Asia” 1996, Museum of Civilization
Research and Collections of Marius Barbeau, North West Coast Art, Museum of Civilization, 1995
“It’s Not About Bricks and Mortar, It’s About the People: An Anthropologist Perspective in the Corporate World. ” MA Thesis, Carleton University, Dept. Sociology and Anthropology
Memberships
Aboriginal Barr Association – member
Society of Canadian Studies – member
American Anthropological Society – member
Canadian Anthropological Society – member
Society for Cultural Anthropology- member
Association of Indigenous Anthropologists – member
Aboriginal Financial Officers Association – member and director
Canadian Board of Directors – founder and member
Aboriginal Relations Network – founder and member
Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers – member
Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada – member