In Mi'kmaq, the word 'mawkim' means to count and record. The Information Governance & Data Projects (IGDP) office, which is housed at the Union of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaq (UNSM), administers data related projects on behalf of all thirteen Nova Scotia First Nation Communities, the two Prince Edward Island First Nation Communities, one First Nation in New Brunswick, and the only land based First Nation Community in Newfoundland. Learn more about which specific communities we serve here.
We support the utilization of this information about our communities with the intention of recording our stories and shaping our future with the things we learn.
This website is an open and free resource to all First Nations people who wish to know more about their communities. We are proud to inform all users that the Information Governance & Data Projects only administers research projects that employ the First Nations principles of OCAP®, which are a set of standards that support First Nations to assert their inherent right to govern their information - this means how our data should be collected, protected, used, or shared.
The First Nations Regional Health Survey (FNRHS, or RHS for short) is the only First Nations-governed, and on-reserve First Nation specific national health survey in Canada. It collects information about on reserve and northern First Nations communities based on both Western and traditional understandings of health and well-being.
The First Nations Regional Early Childhood, Education and Employment Survey (FNREEES) builds on the success of the Regional Health Survey (RHS). Much like the RHS, the FNREEES was developed to address the ‘data gap’ by developing a survey that is driven by Western and Aboriginal understandings of well being in the areas of Early Childhood Development, Education and Employment.
We've learned so much about our First Nations communities since our initial pilot projects and first surveys back in 1997. After every new phase of a project, there are always major takeaways that propel us into action, either to protect our citizens, empower our self-governance, or preserve our culture. These outcomes highlight the importance of our ongoing data projects. We are dedicated to seeing this learning continues and remains firmly in the hands of our First Nation communities.
As we mentioned, after every new phase of a project, there are always major takeaways that propel us into action. For example, in our most recent study we found an alarming amount of our youth were suffering from suicidal thoughts in Nova Scotia. This discovery lead to the immediate creation of many youth-oriented suicide prevention resources, such as hotlines and community engagement projects that have already resulted in a lower suicide rate in our communities - saving lives and empowering our youth!
Access, explore, and utilize data collected by the Information Governance & Data Projects team. This data allows our communities to make informed and evidence based decisions for responsible community planning.
Our data our helps our communities learn, grow, and improve our quality of life.
If you need any assistance accessing what you're looking for our staff are always here to help!
