Foreword

The third triennial Aboriginal Policy Research Conference (APRC) was held from March 9–12, 2009, at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa, Ontario. This APRC, like those before it, brought researchers, policy-makers, and the Aboriginal community together to make connections, hear about leading research, and learn together. While focused on Canada, it also included indigenous peoples from around the world with more than 20 countries represented. Ultimately this conference hopes to facilitate better outcomes for Aboriginal people across the country and internationally. This conference is the largest of its kind in the world. The conference goals were to promote interaction between the various actors in the Aboriginal policy field. Government representatives, researchers, academic institutions, Aboriginal organizations, and Aboriginal peoples all came together to present research, hear from others, and debate ideas. The APRC is structured to facilitate better policy development and the expansion of knowledge. The 2009 APRC accomplished all of this while providing an immediate forum and establishing foundations for ongoing deliberations to occur. The Aboriginal Policy Research Conferences held in 2002 and 2006 planted the seeds for the success of the 2009 conference. In 2002, the Strategic Research Analysis Directorate of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) and the University of Western Ontario (UWO) held the initial APRC. The first conference established clearly that there was both a great demand and a need for a conference of this nature. Over 700 delegates attended, and the response of those participating was overwhelmingly positive. In 2006 the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) joined INAC and UWO as a co-chair to host the second APRC. While emulating many of the successful features of the 2002 conference, this conference expanded to include a greater emphasis on graduate students and more in-depth collaboration with the Aboriginal community. The revamped APRC was a tremendous success with over 1,300 participants attending. The 2006 conference also introduced international content with delegates from many countries attending. The United Nations used the conference to host one of its world consultations on indigenous well-being indicators. Each of these conferences provided for greater numbers of partners to participate and collaborative opportunities to take place. We, the conference organizers, have learned from our mistakes and our successes to make important advances with each event. Our aim for the APRC has been to evolve without losing our initial focus and mandate.