Luebke wants Indigenous relations officer role returned

A Brandon councillor is hoping the city can recreate a position to improve relations with Indigenous organizations and First Nations.

Coun. Bruce Luebke (Ward 6) introduced a motion at Monday’s council meeting that could create an Indigenous relations officer for the city’s Brandon Urban Aboriginal Peoples’ Council (BUAPC) as early as next year.

“The creation of an Indigenous relations officer position within the City of Brandon will support the continued work of BUAPC and will also act as a vital bridge between the municipal government and local First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities,” Luebke said at Monday’s council meeting.

A similar position was cut earlier this year after federal funding for the job ran dry.

Luebke said BUAPC has done incredibly important work in and around the city, and that the co-ordinator position was “key” for some of that, including the co-ordination of the city’s truth and reconciliation week activities.

While the truth and reconciliation preparation has been taken over by another organization, “The absence of enhanced administrative support to BUAPC has already been felt,” he said.

“It just feels that we’re stuck, I think, in what we’re trying to accomplish at the BUAPC table,” said Luebke, who is a BUAPC board member.

The new role, Luebke said, could help both BUAPC and the city in a joint role, though administration’s research into the job could change the key responsibilities.

“I’d just like the City of Brandon administration to explore what that job might look like and bring back a report and recommendation,” he said.

He wants the topic to be brought to budget discussions next year, he said.

Luebke said he believes that the city does currently have sound relationships with nearby First Nations.

“There’s nothing that says that we can’t develop or enhance those,” he said on Friday.

Coun. Kris Desjarlais (Ward 2) on Monday praised Luebke’s motion and said the city should work with BUAPC so that the newly elected council can make an informed decision.

He also called on local partners to potentially help fund the position.

Luebke’s motion itself called on other levels of government to help fund the proposed full-time position.

“Even if there’s not a specific grant available for the position, there’s certainly the opportunity for some funding from senior levels of government to help with this,” he told the Sun.

“But I also think that if there’s value in this position as a standalone, without grant funding being obtained, and I think council if they see that value, then I don’t think it’s necessarily part of the prerequisite that we get grant funding in order to move forward with it.”

Mayor Jeff Fawcett said the city doesn’t have a great presence with the Southern Chiefs’ Organization and Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, and the added position would help connect the city to the two organizations.

City spokesperson Merrilea Metcalf in a statement on Friday said administration will look at the roles and responsibilities the position could provide support for and come up with a cost consideration for the 2027 budget.

“Once our review is complete, we will have a better understanding of the value such a position could provide, along with the associated costs for council’s consideration during the 2027 budget deliberations,” the statement said.

The Sun was unable to reach a BUAPC representative on Friday.

» alambert@brandonsun.com