Volume 36 Number 1 January 2019
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Cover art: Three Generations (Series 3) by Lana Whiskeyjack. See article p 2.
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Alberta Native News
January, 2019
Lana Whiskeyjack explores art & community at Festival of Time The beautiful image, Three Generations (series 3), by multidisciplinary artist Lana Whiskeyjack is on the cover of this month's Alberta Native News. Edmonton kicked off 2019 with the first annual Film Festival of Time held from January 4 – 6 at Metro Cinema at the Garneau Theatre. The vision of the Festival was to explore the relationship between art and community, bringing light to Indigenous, Canadian and International films with historic context. The festival, hosted by Zsofi, began with a gala on the evening of January 4. The gala featured the top submitted films and included Indigenous inspired appetizers as well as keynote speaker, Lana Whiskeyjack and a silent auction that showcased art by local Indigenous artists, provided by Wakina Gallery. Lana Whiskeyjack is a gifted multi-disciplinary artist, educator and motivational speaker and a proud Cree woman from Saddle Lake First Nation. She gave a heartfelt and inspiring keynote address about the meaningful relationship between art and community. She said, “Louis Riel is quoted as saying that our people will sleep for one hundred years and when they wake up it will be the artists who give them their spirit back. I think that speaks a lot about what we’ve been through, what we’ve survived and how resilient we are.” It also speaks to the important role that artists have in Indigenous communities. “We are now experiencing an Indigenous renaissance,” continued Lana, “where our youth are hungry for knowledge about culture and where they come from. We are also at a time when a lot of our elders are passing on and taking that knowledge with them. But right now, there is also a beautiful thing happening where we are returning to our culture and we’re returning to our ceremonies and our languages and medicine.” “The medicine we’re born with is always there,” said Lana, and telling stories through art and film is an important way to revive the medicine and connect the generations. Whiskeyjack discussed the impact of the Indian
Residential Schools on Indigenous communities. She said that discussing the generational trauma from residential schools is a very difficult conversation to have “and as a Cree woman it is a very difficult conversation for me and my family. A lot of my art for the past 10 or so years has been about exploring that history and the generational effects of the Residential Schools and learning to find the words to be able to speak about the trauma and learning also about the beautiful parts that came from overcoming some of that trauma. But after having gone to that place for exploring the trauma, you don’t want to stay there but that is a difficult concept for non-Indigenous people to understand.” She said that it is important to have the difficult conversations about racism and residential schools, but the end result should not be pity. Whiskeyjack used an anecdote about her aunty and the Blue Quills Residential School Tours to illustrate the point. She said that knowing the history of the school is important but “my aunty would say don’t feel sorry for me but do feel and use that feeling to help change your behaviour.” Whiskeyjack said, “It’s the same thing with art and film and sharing our stories. We want to make sure these stories are told – and that we are travelling not just from the head but from the heart. That was what my Elder would always say – the longest journey is from the head to the heart.” “One of my mentors – Alex Janvier from Cold Lake Alberta - told me that if you want to paint something ugly make it beautiful. Those words resonate for us as artists because when we are creating art, we are sharing a deep part of our soul. It is a beautiful courageous place to be. For the viewer of the art, it is a courageous act to listen and to reflect and if possible, to even have a conversation afterwards. When we are looking at the work being done by so many indigenous artists, it is bringing that value of our relationship back.” “It makes me think about the prophecies and the big changes that are taking place in our world,” explained Lana. “We are at a time now where our scientific knowledge is catching up to our Indigenous knowledge and that is part of the prophecies. We are returning to our Indigenous peoples to learn that way of coming back to balance with our land, our languages, our communities and our different nations.” Whiskeyjack discussed the vitality of Indigenous languages. “It is important for me as a Cree woman to learn the language,” she said. “Even though I grew up around Cree speakers, I am not fluent in the language, and my pronunciation is not great. I get teased about it but still it is very important
Artist, educator Lana Whiskeyjack and Film Festival of Time organizer Jonathon Zsofi.
to use what I can, because it connects me to the land, and helps me honour the people who came before me and the people who will come after me.” In Indigenous circles people speak about the importance of making decisions based on the impact they will have on the next seven generations. This concept is important to Lana and it is the theme of the cover art on this month's Alberta Native News. She explained, “When I was doing my research about intergenerational traumas resulting from residential school it made me think of my aunties who told me that you know you have led a long life when you are able to meet your great grandchildren and pass that knowledge on them. It made me think of my great grandfather who lived at a time when his ceremonies were outlawed and he had to take his culture and dances underground or face going to jail. “I remember his birthday; he lived to be 107. He didn’t speak much English, but he serenaded us with his music. This was a man who could make horses dance with his song. He was my grandmother’s father and to think of what he endured to meet me. There were three generations that connected me to him and those memories. And now I have a daughter and she has a daughter and in one more generation I’ll get to meet my great grandchild. So if you think of the three generations that passed and the three generations that I’ve come to know, that will be seven generations. “The work that we do now as artists and the stories that we tell will connect the generations and slowly break the cycles of trauma. The more you know about where you come from and the more information you have, the better able you are to make positive decisions for that generation and for the generations to come.” “This is a time of reconciliation,” concluded Lana. “That is a bit of a trigger word in my community. Some pronounce it “wreck” n ciliation and think of it as just another way of assimilation. But it takes a different meaning if you look at it in your own life as having reconciled with the past and looking at what you’re going to do for the future. It opens the dialogue from reflecting on this world as it is, to realizing the world as it could be.” The artist then thanked the Film Festival organizers for inviting her to participate and wished them and those in the audience all the best for a wonderful festival. Festival of Time organizer Jonathon Zsofi thanked Lana for her inspirational keynote address and introduced the screening of several Indigenous shorts including the globally award winning “In the Beginning was Water and Sky” and “Gas Can.”
January, 2019
Alberta Native News
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Café Daughter brings inspirational story to Calgary audiences by John Copley Theatre-goers in and around the Calgary area are in for a special treat this month and it all takes place from January 15 - 27 at the Martha Cohen Theatre where Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre (Producer), in association with Alberta Aboriginal Performing Arts will present playwright Kenneth T. Williams’ family-friendly production, Café Daughter. The play, directed by Lisa C. Ravensbergen, takes place in three separate time spans, beginning and ending in the 1970s with the bulk of the action taking place in the 1950s and 60s. The Alberta Theatre Projects production is a part of the 2019 One Yellow Rabbit High Performance Rodeo. Café Daughter tells the story of Yvette Wong, a nineyear-old girl of Chinese and Indigenous heritage that grew up in a small and somewhat race-intolerant town in Saskatchewan in the 1950s. “The inspiration for the particular script comes from the life and history of Cree Senator Lillian Eva Quan Dyck,” noted the playwright. “I first met Lillian Dyck in 1999 while working with the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation. The award gala took place in Saskatchewan that year and I was tasked with finding Saskatchewan recipients for the annual awards. One of my cousins suggested Lillian Dyck.” She was subsequently nominated and did win a National Aboriginal Achievement award that year. During their meetings over the next few months Williams learned a great deal about the Cree Senator including her life growing up as a half-Chinese, half-Cree girl. In the end he came up with a fast moving and uplifting story that proves that despite all odds, if you know yourself, believe in yourself and seek your place in the world, you can realize your dreams. Kenneth T. Williams is a Cree playwright and a member of the Gordon First Nation, a Treaty 4 community located northeast of Regina. From age 12 through his early adulthood he lived off-reserve in Edmonton. He graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Arts in 1990 and in 1992 he became the first Indigenous person to earn a Master of Fine Arts Degree in playwriting from the University of Alberta.
During his conversations with Lillian Dyck, also a member of the Gordon First Nation, Williams learned that just 70 years ago, white women were not allowed to work in Chinese restaurants - a result of the province’s Female Employment Act (1912), a law that made it illegal for Chinese restaurants to hire white women. In the play, a Chinese immigrant, Charlie Wong, comes to Canada, opens a Chinese restaurant and hires a First Nations (Kathryn) woman to work in his restaurant. Over time they fall in love, get married and have a daughter they name Yvette. She is the main character in Café Daughter. A bright and enthusiastic child, Yvette is placed in a slowlearners class because of her heritage. Her mother, who’d earlier been forced into residential school, warns her daughter not to reveal her Indigenous heritage - to keep it a secret. “I was really astounded when I first learned that at one time Chinese restaurants weren’t allowed to hire white women,” noted Williams. “I spoke with a friend named Steve Lock; he is Chinese and possesses an extensive resume when it comes to working with Chinese history and immigration. He hadn’t ever heard about it either; we both agreed that we had more than a story to tell, we had a movie - and that’s how the project started. We started working on the project as we pursued it as a film.” The information they gathered, however, proved to be so immense, he explained, “that it became very difficult to find the focus of the story.” The magnitude of the past has many tales to tell and the information they gathered proved to be overwhelming. When a Whitehorse theatre company put a call out for proposals, Williams knew what he must do. “When the search for proposals was advertised, I think it was in 2008, I spoke with Keith and told him that I needed to go back to what I know best - writing plays. He gave me his blessing and I got down to work and wrote the spine of the story, realizing that maybe one day we could look at creating a movie.” Café Daughter is a onewoman show that runs about 90 minutes without
Playwright Kenneth T. Williams
an intermission; the star character, Inuit actor Tiffany Ayalik portrays a total of 13 characters, each uniquely different from one another and each with sometimes very opposite opinions. Other than Yvette, her characters include her Cree grandfather, her Chinese father, a racist bully and a supportive teacher who ends up turning against her. Café Daughter first appeared in 2011 and made its debut in Edmonton in 2015 when it was produced by Workshop West. It was nominated for a Sterling Award for Outstanding Production in 2016 and was warmly received in every major city the play visited on its nationwide tour across Canada. Other Williams’ productions include In Care; Street Corner Playwright; The Story of Saskatchewan; Weesageechak Loses his Bum; The Righteous Woman; Gordon Winter; Bannock Republic; Suicide Notes; Three Little Birds and Thunderstick. Eight of his plays have been produced and six have been published. Currently an Indigenous Theatre teacher in the University of Alberta’s Drama Department, Williams said this story is another that will give Canadians a better education and insight into some of the things that transpired in the country’s past. “I know when I talk about these things in a classroom the students are surprised to hear about some of what took Continued on page 10
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Alberta Native News
January, 2019
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Volume 36, Number 1, January 2019 ISSN #08294135 www.albertanativenews.com EDITOR: Deborah Shatz ADVERTISING: Dan Moser 780-421-7966 Alberta Native News is published monthly for distribution to Native Bands and Metis Settlements across Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Northwest Territories. All rights reserved. No part of this newspaper may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Editor. Alberta Native News is published by 320754 Alberta Ltd. For change of address, please send both old and new addresses. We welcome your stories, pictures, artwork and opinions. Please send anything you would like to have published to our office.
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Wet'suwet'en stand against fracked gas development Rallies in 30 cities expressing solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en took place on Tuesday January 8, 2019 across Canada and internationally. The Wet’suwet’en are defending their unceded lands in Northern B.C. from unwanted fracked gas development According to rally organizers, “We oppose the use of legal injunctions, police forces, and criminalizing state tactics against the Wet’suwet’en asserting their own laws on their own lands. This is an historic moment when the federal and provincial governments can choose to follow their stated principles of reconciliation, or respond by perpetuating colonial theft and violence in Canada.” Coastal GasLink, a project of TransCanada Corporation, has been constructing a 670-kilometer fracked gas pipeline that will carry fracked gas from Dawson Creek, B.C. to the coastal town of Kitimat, where LNG Canada’s processing plant would be located. LNG Canada is the single largest private sector investment in Canadian history, with support from the Federal Liberal government and tax breaks from the NDP B.C. provincial government. Under ‘Anuc niwh’it’en (Wet’suwet’en law) all five clans of the Wet’suwet’en have unanimously opposed all pipeline proposals and have not provided free, prior, and informed consent to Coastal Gaslink/TransCanada to do work on Wet’suwet’en lands. The 22,000 square km of Wet’suwet’en Territory is divided into 5 clans and 13 house groups. Each clan within the Wet’suwet’en Nation has full jurisdiction under their law to control access to their territory. According to the Wet’suwet’en Access Point on Gitdumden territory, who issued the call for international solidarity, “All Wet’suwet’en Clans have rejected the Coastal GasLink fracked gas pipeline because this is our home. Our medicines, our berries, our food, the animals, our water, our culture are all here since time immemorial. We are obligated to protect our ways of life for our babies unborn.” The Unist’ot’en Camp is a permanent Indigenous reoccupation of Wet’suwet’en land that sits on Gilsteyu Dark House Territory. The Wet’suwet’en Access Point on Gitdumden territory was announced in the Wet’suwet’en feast hall in December 2018 with the support of all chiefs present to affirm that the Unist’ot’en Clan are not alone. On December 2018, the B.C. Supreme Court issued a court injunction that authorizes the RCMP to forcibly clear a path through the Wet’suwet’en Access Point on Gitdumden territory and the Unist’ot’en homestead on Unist’ot’en territory. This is despite the fact that the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in the landmark 1997 Delgamuukw-Gisday’wa case that the Wet’suwet’en, as represented by their hereditary leaders, 2 Truck drivers needed at Grill Truck Services Corp. Perm, FT, 30-40 hrs/week, $26.15/hour, based in Edmonton AB. Must speak English, have secondary (high) school graduation certificate, 1 year to less than 2 years’ experience, cellular phone Driver's validity licence check Willing to travel cross-border, Travel expenses paid by employer, valid driver's licence, willing to travel overnight, handle heavy loads up to 23 kg (50 lbs). Flexibility, Organized, Team player, Excellent oral communication Local, Provincial/territorial, Regional, Long-haul Class 3/3F/DF Licence (trailer truck, vehicles with more than 3 axles) All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply, however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. Apply by email: infogilltrucks@gmail.com or to 6609 34 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T6B 2V8
had not given up rights and title to their 22,000 square kilometers of land. Members of the RCMP met with Hereditary Chiefs in January 2019 and indicated that specially trained tactical forces will soon be deployed. “Canada knows that its own actions are illegal,” states the Wet’suwet’en Access Point on Gitdumden territory. “The Wet’suwet’en chiefs have maintained their use and occupancy of their lands and hereditary governance system to this date despite generations of legislative policies that aim to remove us from this land, assimilate our people, and ban our governing system. The hereditary chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en and the land defenders holding the front lines have no intention of allowing Wet’suwet’en sovereignty to be violated.” Support has been growing for the Wet’suwet’en with statements issued by national and international organizations such as 350 dot org, Heiltsuk Nation, Idle No More, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Canadian Union of Postal Workers, Civil Liberties Defense Center, Dogwood BC, Greenpeace Canada, Namgis First Nation, Secwepemc Women’s Warrior Society, and Union of B.C Indian Chiefs. The rally organizers further state, “We demand that the provincial and federal government uphold their responsibilities to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by revoking the permits for this fracked gas pipeline that does not have consent from any Wet’suwet’en Clan. The federal government, provincial government, Coastal GasLink/TransCanada, and the RCMP do not have jurisdiction on Wet’suwet’en land.” Reports indicate that at least 14 people were arrested during the RCMP action. “This use of force against peaceful people is a violation of human rights and First Nations’ rights,” stated Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde. “Building consensus under duress will make the resolution of the situation in Northern British Columbia very difficult. Real consensus will be built when the parties, with very different views, come together in meaningful and productive dialogue. And I am confident that they can do this. “Canada and the B.C. government have both pledged to implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, but are trying to impose their laws over Wet’suwet’en laws. If this was really about the ‘rule of law’ then governments would be honouring the rights and title of First Nations in their traditional territories, which are recognized by Canada’s own courts. The AFN supports the governance and decision-making process of the Wet’suwet’en leaders. Canada and B.C. should do the same. There is no reconciliation in these actions.” 5 Janitors are needed at ICSHINE CLEANING INC. Permanent, Full-time, $20.00/hour, in Edmonton. Must speak English, and have a secondary (high) school graduation certificate, and 7 months to less than 1-year experience. Should be flexible, organized, team player with excellent oral communication. Empty trash cans and other waste containers; make adjustments and minor repairs to heating, cooling, ventilation, plumbing and electrical systems, and contact tradespersons for major repairs. Perform other routine maintenance jobs such as painting and drywall repair, and work with minimal supervision. Will use Industrial vacuum cleaners/power sweepers, Carpet cleaning machine, Waxing machine, Steam cleaners, Power tools – up to 13.5 kg (30 lbs) Apartment/condominium complex, Dormitory or student residence, Office building All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply, however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. Apply by email: infogilltrucks@gmail.com Or by mail to 10772 133 ST NW, Edmonton, AB T5M 1G6
January, 2019
Alberta Native News
UVic launches historic Indigenous law degree The historic launch of the world’s first law degree to combine the study of Indigenous and non-Indigenous law took place in September 2018 with the first cohort of 26 students from across Canada. The new law program at the University of Victoria will help Indigenous peoples and Canada build enduring political and legal relationships. It will be applicable to rebuilding economies, environmental management, child welfare, education, human rights, healthy communities and housing. Students will learn how to understand Indigenous legal orders, reason with them, build institutions based on those orders, and design institutions and procedures that work in concert with other levels of Canadian law. “Our university has a longstanding commitment to reconciliation through our programs of education and research,” says UVic President Jamie Cassels. “While there is still much work to be done, today marks an important step forward. This is a significant day for Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities across the country and around the world and the graduates of this program will help lead the way towards our country’s future.” Students of the four-year degree program will participate in mandatory field studies in diverse Indigenous communities across Canada and will graduate with professional degrees in both Canadian Common Law (Juris Doctor or JD) and Indigenous Legal Orders (Juris Indigenarum Doctor or JID.) The Province of BC included $2.25 million over two years in BC Budget 2018 for the program and is committed to ongoing support. The funding is part of the provincial government’s commitment to work with Indigenous peoples to build true and lasting reconciliation, anchored by the commitment to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. “We have a lot of work to do to transform the colonial legacy present in the policies and practices in our shared legal system,” says Melanie Mark, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training. “The Indigenous Law Program at UVic is a remarkable first for Indigenous peoples, Canada and the world. It’s an amazing honour and privilege to be a part of history with the launch of the program. It really is reconciliation in action and answers the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action number 50 to fund Indigenous law institutes.” First year JID student Brendan Noyes says he came to UVic from Winnipeg because he believes the program will transcend the differences between Canadian laws and Indigenous legal orders. “We have an enormous opportunity to move forward in the spirit of reconciliation and what better way to heal than to truly understand each other.” Senator Murray Sinclair, former judge and chief commissioner of the TRC, says the program establishes the conditions for effective action long into the future: “The leaders of these initiatives, Professors John Borrows and Val Napoleon, have been largely responsible for setting the agenda in understanding and engaging, with rigour and insight, Indigenous law. Their advice had a real impact on our deliberations within the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.” Borrows and Napoleon, two of Canada’s foremost legal scholars who have been developing the program for many years, lent a personal note to the proceedings, bestowing gifts hand-crafted by relatives to the program’s students and dignitaries. Among those recognized at the event were representatives of the McConnell Foundation which made a gift of $500,000 to the program, and Vancity, which was the first and largest donor to date, gifting $1 million. “It’s an honour for all of us at Vancity to be involved in this exciting new degree program,” says Tamara Vrooman, Vancity president and CEO. “It offers a clear sign that we are moving forward together, breaking down barriers that have faced Indigenous populations in a colonial system, while building community capacity and community strength.” Napoleon, as director of the groundbreaking Indigenous Law Research Unit at UVic, undertook a major study of Indigenous Law for the TRC, helping to shape its Calls to Action in 2015. The JD/JID program and the proposal for an Indigenous Legal Lodge directly respond to Call to Action #50. The proposed new Lodge would house the educational programs, the Indigenous Law Research Unit and be a national gathering place for critical engagement, debate, learning, public education and partnership on Indigenous legal traditions as well as a global centre of excellence for understanding, developing and deploying Indigenous legal institutions. “Indigenous law is restoring the world’s lawscape - the way that people relate to each other, the land, and non-human life forms,” says Napoleon, JD/JID director. “UVic’s Indigenous Law Degree program will equip our students to build communities of Indigenous legal practice locally, nationally, and internationally, private to public, and beyond. This is the first law degree of its kind, and it’s already rebuilding Indigenous law to meet today’s challenges.”
JID student Colby Lizotte addresses the group of Elders, scholars, national and provincial leaders gathered at UVic for the launch of the new Indigenous law program. (Photo: UVic)
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Alberta Native News
January, 2019
Indspire Awards Gala will be held in Calgary on February 22 by John Copley Twelve outstanding First Nations, Inuit, and Métis individuals will be honoured with the 2019 Indspire Awards at a special gala celebration on February 22 in Calgary. The Indspire Awards represent the highest honour that the Indigenous community bestows on its own people. The recipients include a Rhodes Scholar and acclaimed poet from Driftpile First Nation, a documentary filmmaker, writer and producer from St. Paul des Metis Settlement and the first First Nation athlete to play on the Canadian women’s Olympic hockey team. Indspire is a prestigious national Indigenous charity that supports and celebrates Indigenous education and achievement in Canada. As they have for the past 25 years, the 2019 Indspire Awards honour an extraordinary group of individuals from diverse Indigenous communities. The awards recipients will be presented at a nationallybroadcast ceremony in Calgary on February 22; the gala will also showcase performances by some of the many stars of Indigenous entertainment in Canada. “This year’s recipients have walked in two worlds,” says Roberta L. Jamieson, President and CEO of Indspire and Executive Producer of the Indspire Awards. “They are an inspiration to their local communities and for Indigenous people across Canada, showing our young people that they can do it too.” The recipients of the 2019 Indspire Awards are: Atuat Akittirq is being honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award. She was born and raised in Aggu in a nomadic Inuit life, lived through a forced relocation of her community, and has adapted to the sedentary community lifestyle while continuing to strongly advocate for the incorporation of Inuit worldviews. As a member of the Nunavut Department of Education’s Elder Advisory Committee since 2004, Atuat has helped develop curricula rooted in Inuit culture. Expertly skilled in Inuit skin preparation and clothing, her work on many films and
documentaries with Isuma Productions led to a 2010 Genie Award for Best Costume Design. As Atuat Akittirq one of the foremost Elder professors at the Pirurvik Centre, she readily shares with younger Inuit her deep knowledge of Inuit culture and life. Barbara Todd Hager is a writer, producer and director. Her family traces its Métis ancestry to Red River, Fort Pitt and St. Paul des Métis Settlements. She is the author of two books: Honour Song and On Her Way: The Jijuu Mary Snowshoe Life and Music of Shania Twain. Her articles have been published in The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine and Indian Artist. In 1999 she launched Aarrow Productions and it has grown into one of Canada’s leading Indigenousowned media companies. She has produced, written and directed over 150 TV episodes and documentaries that have been broadcast on APTN, CBC, CTV and ZDF. Her eight-part docu-drama series, 1491: The Untold Story of the Americas Before Columbus, covers 20,000 years of history told from the perspective of Indigenous people. Grand Chief Ronald Derrickson is the Owner and President of RMD Group and one of the most successful Indigenous entrepreneurs in Canada. After being elected Chief of Westbank First Nation in 1976, he began to use his business experience to lift his community out of poverty, eventually making it one of the wealthiest bands in the country. He served as Chief of the Westbank First Nation from 1976 to 1986 and from 1996 to 1998. He was made Grand Chief by the Union of BC Indian Chiefs in 2012. He is an award-winning author with two books that he co-authored with Arthur Manuel - Unsettling Canada A National Wake-up Call and Reconciliation Manifesto. Jijuu (Grandmother) Mary Snowshoe was born in 1938 and though her siblings went to residential school, her parents kept her at home and taught her the traditional Gwichin ways. Her father taught her to hunt, fish, and trap, and her mother taught her to prepare traditional food and tan moose skin for clothing. At 80 years old, she continues to pass on her sacred knowledge helping to ensure the Gwich’in language and way of life lives on for generations to come.
Barbara Todd Hager
Grand Chief Derrickson
Dr. Vianne Timmons
Dr. Marilyn Cook
Dr. Vianne Timmons is the first woman president and vice chancellor at the University of Regina where she has been working to make education more relevant, accessible, and supportive for First Nations, Inuit and Métis students. In her role, she maintains a national and international leadership role in Indigenous education, has been advocating for the Indigenization of the university, including making large-scale changes like the implementation of an Aboriginal Student Centre and Indigenous Advisory Circle. She was named One of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by WXN 4 years in a row and was inducted into their hall of fame. In 1987, Dr. Marylin Cook became the first First Nations woman to graduate from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Manitoba. She knew something was missing from her training, so she began her journey to learn traditional healing. Her practice now weaves together western and traditional practices to ensure that the body, mind, and spirit of each patient is cared for. Dr. Cook is a physician at the Ongomiizwin Health Services of the University of Manitoba and provides services to her home community of Misipawistik Cree Nation. She paved the way for many Indigenous doctors who came after her. In 1990, she was one of a few Indigenous physicians in Canada. There are now hundreds. From humble beginnings growing up on M’Chigeeng First Nation, Dianne Corbiere has now received national recognition for her leadership and achievements in Indigenous law and was the first Indigenous person named one of Canada’s Top 25 Most Influential by Canadian Lawyer Magazine. In 2016, she was elected to serve as a bencher for the Law Society of Ontario (LSO). She has dedicated her time at the LSO to many working groups and review panels, such as the Working Group formed by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada to decide how best to respond to the Calls to Action in the Truth and Reconciliation report. In 2016, she worked with a legal team on the first case in Ontario to apply Anishinaabe laws and legal orders in treaty interpretation of the Robinson Huron Treaty of 1850. She is also the former president of the Indigenous Bar Association and former chair of the National Secretariat Against Hate and Racism in Canada. Peter Dinsdale is President and CEO of YMCA Canada. He spent years as the Urban Aboriginal Homelessness Manager at the Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres. He has served as Executive Director of the National Association of Friendship Centres, Interim Chief Continued on page 7
January, 2019
Alberta Native News
Indspire gala
cont. from p 6
of Staff of the Assembly of First Nations, and Chief Executive Officer of the Assembly of First Nations. He has been instrumental in the Friendship Centre movement in Canada, advancing the National Association of Friendship Centres relationships with other national organizations and securing an agreement with the Assembly of First Nations. In January 2017 he was elected to the Carleton University Board of Governors, and in March 2018, he was appointed to the Order of Ontario. On Dec. 22, 2017, Brigette Lacquette was selected to represent Canada’s National Women’s Team at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, making her the first First Nations athlete to play on Canada’s women’s Olympic hockey team. Lacquette made her debut in Canada’s National Women’s Team Program in 2008 with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team. She is a two-time participant at the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship winning gold in 2010 and silver in 2009. As a member of Canada’s National Women’s Development Team she appeared in 21 games, winning gold at the Nations Cup in 2013 and 2016. Brigette’s success in hockey shows young Indigenous girls that they belong in sports, they can be successful in sports, and they can achieve greatness. Brigette is a role model for our youth and has used her platform to visit schools and communities to speak about the determination and resilience that led her through her hockey career. Billy-Ray Belcourt is an intellectual, an award-winning poet, and just twenty-three-years-old. His debut poetry collection, This Wound is a World, has been described as “a refusal of colonial erasure.” That book won the 2018 Robert Kroetsch City of Edmonton Book Prize, was named the Most Significant Book of Poetry in English by an Emerging Indigenous Writer at the 2018 Indigenous Voices Awards and was named by CBC Books as one of 10 of the best Canadian poetry collections of 2017. For This Wound is a World, Billy-Ray also became the youngest ever winner of the Griffin Poetry Prize. As one of the first ever First Nations Rhodes Scholars, he read for a master’s degree in Women’s Students at the University of Oxford and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in English and Film studies at the University of Alberta. Named as one of CBC’s 10 Young Canadians to Watch, Billy-Ray will release NDN Coping Mechanism: Notes from the Field, a poetry-prose hybrid in Fall 2019. Kelly Fraser is an Inuk artist that uses modern pop music to strengthen Inuit culture and language and to promote the Inuit way of life to young people across Canada. She was nominated for Indigenous Album of the Year at the 2018 Juno Awards and Best Pop Album at the Indigenous Music Awards for her second-ever album, ᓄᓕᐊᔪᒃ (Sedna) written with a mix of English and Inuktitut. She believes that contemporary music in
Inuktitut will increase pride in Inuit identity. In 2017, canoe and kayak athlete James Lavallée proudly wore his Métis sash on the podium after winning three medals for Team Manitoba at the Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg. Growing up, James struggled with dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disDianne Corbiere order and found school to be nearly impossible. At age 11, he discovered kayaking and for the first time, could see himself improving in something. In 2013, he earned gold at the National Championships in the k1 200-metre race, he was named flag bearer at the 2014 World Junior Canoe/Kayak Championships for Canada, and in 2015, he Billy-Ray Belcourt placed 15th at the Junior World Championships k1 200 metre. In 2016, James was named to Canada’s national canoe kayak team. In October 2017, he received the highly prestigious Tom Longboat Award presented to the top Indigenous male and female athletes of the year. Today, he competes internationally with Canada’s Kayak Team and is working towards a science degree at the University of Manitoba. “We hope these stories inspire our youth to dream big,” says Jamieson. “Not only do we recognize and congratulate the recipients for their individual success, but we celebrate the impact their stories will have for generations to come. The stories will also educate Canadians about the great contributions our people have made to this country.” “Congratulations to the twelve recipients of the Indspire Awards, whose contributions are helping to open doors for a more inclusive tomorrow,” says Doris Bear, Vice President, Indigenous Banking, TD Bank Group. “As part of TD’s global corporate citizenship platform, The Ready Commitment, we are supporting initiatives that will help create the opportunities people need to feel like they can succeed and fully participate in whatever tomorrow brings. The Indspire Awards recognize Indigenous leaders who are driving change in their community and inspiring 2 Automotive Mechanics needed: Grill Truck Services Corp. $32/hr, Perm, Full-time, 30-40 hrs/week Must speak English and have college, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma from a program of 1 year to 2 years or equivalent experience and 1 year to less than 2 years work experience. Requires steel-toed safety boots and valid driver's licence. Excellent written communication, client focus, judgement, excellent oral communication, flexibility, team player. Work Location: in Edmonton shop Provide customer service, and Truck and Transport and Truck-Trailer Mechanic specific skills: Adjust, repair or replace parts and components of commercial transport truck systems. Adjust, repair or replace parts and components of truck-trailer systems. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply, however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. Apply by email: ronnieresumes@gmail.com Or by mail: 6609 34 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T6B 2V8
7
Peter Dinsdale
Brigette Lacquette
Kelly Fraser
James Lavallee
the next generation of leaders for a brighter tomorrow.” The 2019 Indspire Awards ceremony will be held in Calgary, Alberta on February 22, 2019. For tickets, call l 416.987.0250 or 1.855.INDSPIRE (463.7747) x228. They can also be purchased online at indspire.ca/tickets/ or by emailing ticketsales@indspire.ca. The award ceremony will be broadcast on APTN and CBC at a later date. Indspire is an Indigenous national charity that invests in the education of Indigenous people for the long-term benefit of these individuals, their families and communities, and Canada. With the support of its funding partners, Indspire disburses financial awards, delivers programs, and shares resources with the goal of improving graduation rates for Indigenous students. In 2017-2018, Indspire provided $14.2 million through over 4,900 bursaries and scholarships to First Nations, Inuit and Métis students across Canada. For more information about Indspire, visit indspire.ca.
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Alberta Native News
January, 2019
New exhibits open at AGA on January 26 The Art Gallery of Alberta will be featuring 2 new exhibits opening on January 26 until May 19, 2019 – Boarder X and Vernon Ah Kee’s cantchant. Boarder X brings together interdisciplinary contemporary art from artists of Indigenous nations across Canada who surf, skate, and snowboard. In this exhibition these practices are vehicles to challenge conformity and status quo, as well as demonstrate knowledge and performed relationships with the land. Reading the urban terrain, making a cement jungle a playground, riding the natural contours of the white immovable mountains, or shredding the ever-changing waves: these are responses to the land. It is not about controlling land and water, but being humbled by their power. Beyond claiming space, the artwork recognizes human existence in relation to vast geographies and how we’ve thrived in those spaces. Surfing has a long history of Indigenous ways of being, originating from pre-contact Polynesian cultures. Skateboarding and snowboarding emerged in the 1960s and 80s respectively, which for a time were popular in subcultures resisting the mainstream. Boarder X celebrates the intersection of culture, art, and boarding practices. Its representation is interdisciplinary, consisting of painting, mixed media, carving, weaving, photography, performance, and video to reflect cultural, political, environmental, and social perspectives and critiques in relation to the territories we occupy. This exhibition presents cultural thrivance and active presence - creating a space for engagement through art, culture, and boarding. It is an affirmation and transmission of cultural resilience and acknowledgement of ongoing respect and reverence for the land.
The feature artists in Boarder X are Jordan Bennett, Micheal Langan Colonialism Skateboards Collaboration with Kent Monkman, Bracken Hanuse Corlett, Roger Crait, Steven Davies, Mark Igloliorte, Mason Mashon, Meagan Musseau, Meghann Boarder X features Indigenous artists intersecting culture, art and boards - at the O'Brien, Les Ramsay and Art Gallery of Alberta from Jan. 26 to May 19, 2019. Amanda Strong. Boarder X has been surfboard becomes a metaphor for the Aboriginal body organized and circulated by the Winnipeg Art Gallery, and the violence enacted upon Aboriginal peoples. At the curated by Jaimie Isaac. exit, portraits of the artist and members of his extended The second exhibition, Vernon Ah Kee’s cantchant, family are revealed on the bottoms of the “shields/boards,” presents an installation composed of a three-channel signifying continuing Aboriginal presence. video, text, portraiture, and suspended surfboards by Presented alongside Boarder X, Vernon Ah Australian contemporary artist Vernon Ah Kee (Kuku Kee’s cantchant explores similar notions of cultural Yalandji, Waanji, Yidinji, and Gugu Yimithirr). identity, ownership, and land claims in response to Referencing the 2005 Cronulla race riots that took place political conflict and disputed territories in Australia. near Sydney, Australia, cantchant provides a compelling Cantchant is organized by the Art Gallery of Alberta and statement on the racially motivated conflicts between the National Gallery of Canada as a part of the white Australians and more recent, non-Western NGC@AGA exhibition series. immigrants to the country. The Art Gallery of Alberta has a prominent location in Vernon Ah Kee transforms the irony of the riot chant the heart of the Arts District in downtown Edmonton, “we grew here, you flew here” into the proclamation “we connecting the Gallery and the community, welcoming grew here”, which is reinforced by the suspended shields visitors to experience art first hand. It is a world-class displaying Yidinji patterns and the colours of the centre for the presentation of regional, national and Australian Aboriginal flag. international art, education and scholarship. The 85,000 One must pass through the suspended “shield/boards” sq. foot building, which opened in 2010, is itself a work of to view a video of professional Aboriginal surfer Dale art that solidifies Alberta’s Capital as a world-class city. Richards riding one of the boards. In the video, the For information visit youraga.ca.
Métis and Non-Status Indian Sixties Scoop Class Action proposed CNW/ - On December 20, 2018, Koskie Minsky LLP in Toronto commenced a proposed class action against the Attorney General of Canada on behalf of Métis and NonStatus Indian persons affected by the "Sixties Scoop" in Canada. In May 2018, the Federal Court approved an $800 million settlement between Canada and Status-Indian survivors of the Sixties Scoop. Métis and Non-Status Indian persons were not included. On June 26, 2018, The Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern
Affairs, Carolyn Bennett, issued a statement that "This settlement agreement does not address all of the harm done by the Sixties Scoop – there is more work to be done, including with Métis and non-status peoples." "Now that the Sixties Scoop settlement between StatusIndian survivors of the Sixties Scoop and Canada has been implemented, it's time for Canada to recognize that its actions taken in the Sixties Scoop affected a much larger group of Indigenous people," says Kirk Baert, lead counsel at Koskie Minsky LLP. "Our job isn't done yet."
Koskie Minsky LLP, based in Toronto, is one of Canada's foremost class action, pension, labour, employment and litigation firms. Its class actions group has been a leader in class actions since 1992 and has prosecuted many of the leading cases in the area. Koskie Minsky LLP was counsel in Cloud v. Canada, the first Indian Residential Schools class action certified in Canada which was settled for $5 billion. Koskie Minsky LLP was also counsel in Dolmage v. Ontarioand three other related cases against the province of Ontario on behalf of thousands of people with disabilities which were settled for more than $107 million. Koskie Minsky LLP is also counsel in the recently settled class actions on behalf of survivors of the Sixties Scoop and the LGBT Purge in the Canadian military and public service.
Committed to serving Indigenous Communities in Canada since 1975 CALGARY Suite 101, 2716 Sunridge Way NE 403-291-1193 calgary@urbansystems.ca EDMONTON Suite 200, 10345-105 St. NW 780-430-4041 edmonton@urbansystems.ca
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SASKATOON 204-220 3rd Avenue S 306-955-6666 saskatoon@urbansystems.ca
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January, 2019
Alberta Native News
9
Federal cabinet shuffle impacts Indigenous portfolios On January 14, 2019, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a federal cabinet shuffle. Jane Philpott, who served as the Minister of Indigenous Services, was replaced by Seamus O’Regan, who served as the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence. Philpott became President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government. Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould was appointed the new Minister of Veteran Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence. Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Perry Bellegarde responded to the federal cabinet shuffle stating continued commitment and progress on First Nations priorities is critical to moving forward and closing the gap between First Nations and the rest of Canada. "Cabinet positions will change, but First Nations peoples and issues must remain a top priority," said AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde. "We will work to ensure the entire cabinet understands that the First Nations agenda is Canada's agenda. Progress moves us all forward.” National Chief Bellegarde and AFN Regional Chiefs delivered that message to the Prime Minister and senior cabinet ministers later that same day at a meeting on First Nations priorities. The meeting had been scheduled prior to the announcement of the cabinet shuffle. National Chief Bellegarde noted some changes to key portfolios dealing with the First Nations agenda. "I look forward to meeting with the new Minister of Indigenous Services Seamus O'Regan and the new Attorney General David Lametti as soon as possible," said National Chief Bellegarde. "We lift up the work of former Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould as the first Indigenous Justice Minister and her efforts to bring a First Nations perspective to Canada's legal system. I look forward to our continued work together in her new role as Minister of Veterans Affairs. Justice for First Nations veterans has been a longstanding priority for me and for the AFN. I'm honoured to have worked with the new Treasury Board President Jane Philpott and acknowledge all her efforts as Minister of
Indigenous Services. Her openness and commitment to working together is a positive example for all governments." Minister Wilson-Raybould reflected on her time as Minister of Justice and commented on her new appointment. She said, “Moving forward, I am very proud to be the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence. Any opportunity to serve and support Canada’s Veterans is a great honour, and I look forward to meeting with Veterans across the country, engaging with the crucial matters that must be addressed, and continuing our Government’s progress to support and honour Canada’s Veterans. “I do, however, on leaving the office of Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada (MOJAG) wish to share with Canadians some reflections about my time in that office. “Serving Canadians as MOJAG for the past three plus years has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. I was directed in my mandate letter to pursue and achieve a broad, progressive, and ambitious agenda and I am tremendously proud of our accomplishments. There is very little, if anything, in my mandate letter we have not done or is not well under way to completing, and we have also achieved much beyond it. “I firmly believe that as a result of our achievements, the state of the justice system in Canada is stronger and better positioned today than when our Government took office. Most importantly, the ongoing work of protecting the fundamental rights and freedoms of Canadians has advanced. As I have said before, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada is in many ways an ambassador for the Charter. “With respect to Indigenous issues, as MOJAG, I have publicly expressed my opinions in various venues about the ongoing challenges in transforming what the Prime Minister has stated is the “most important” relationship, that between Canada and Indigenous peoples. One of my main motivations for seeking public office was to see the work of reconciliation accelerate and advance in real and tangible ways.
“The work that must be done is well known. We have the solutions. Indigenous peoples have advocated and brought forward what must be done for decades. Countless Commissions, studies, reports, and analyses have reiterated the work we must do together to reconcile. “The foundation for moving forward is understanding that the dire social and economic realities that Indigenous peoples continue to face – including lack of clean drinking water, over representation in the criminal justice system, inadequate housing, high rates of poverty, and violence against Indigenous women and girls – are directly linked to legislative and policy regimes that have disempowered and divided Indigenous peoples, eroded their systems of governance, laws, and responsibilities, harmed their economies, and denied their basic rights and systems. Long overdue legislative and policy changes based on the recognition of title and rights, including historic treaties, are urgently needed, so that Indigenous peoples can accelerate and lead the work of re-building their Nations and governments, and a new climate of co-operative relations can emerge. “While our government has taken some very important steps, and hard work is being done, the necessary shifts have not yet been fully achieved. Rather, a number of the proposals that our government has been pursuing so far require substantial work in co-operation and collaboration with Indigenous peoples to reset the new foundations for this most important relationship. “As a Member of Cabinet, I will continue to be directly engaged in advocating for and advancing the fundamental shifts in relations with Indigenous peoples that are required and will continue to work with my colleagues and to ensure my voice is heard.”
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Alberta Native News
January, 2019
Flying Canoë Volant celebrates its 7th edition! The Centre Communautaire d’Edmonton/La Cité Francophone is proud to announce that Flying Canoe Volant will be held over the course of three nights on January 31, February 1 and 2, 2019! Three evenings in Edmonton - at La Cité Francophone, Rutherford School and Mill Creek Ravine to find your inner voyager under the full moon! The enchanting journey from urban landscapes to winter trails, illuminated by Dylan Toymaker, artists from Jasper Place Highschool, Argyll School and invited artists, will set the tone for this unique and free family adventure. The festival invites all Edmontonians to embrace the cold, venture out and discover the beauty of the lights and stories that await them on a magical winter night in the heart of Francophonie in Edmonton! This year we are celebrating classic and new
Café Daughter
cont. from p 3
place in our past. They can’t believe some of this stuff happened and I tell them that I continue to learn more about Canada’s history every day.” Williams has been teaching at the University for two years and said he’s happy to be back in Edmonton and “really enjoys the city, the university and the students the teaches.” The author/playwright said the inspiration to write plays comes primarily from his overactive imagination and his desire to do something with it. “I had thoughts of becoming a lawyer at one time,” he chuckled, “but nothing developed; I think I became a writer because I had little other choice at the time. Initially I wanted to write novels and I tried it for a while, but I wasn’t really good at it. Drama came purely by accident; I began attending university in 1983 and was trying to get into the creative writing program but I didn’t have enough of a portfolio to be considered. A friend of mine told me that there was a play writing class offered by the drama
experiences! Help the lost travelers in Mill Creek Ravine and make sure to hear Roger Dallaire’s tales, join Métis dances with the Dave Cunningham Family Band and participate in Aboriginal dances and musical tales with Winston Wuttunee! On the Rutherford School grounds, experience the Winterus Maximus Fat Bike-chariot adventure and the Igloo Unis TV, amongst numerous snow sculptures! New to the festival is Firebrand Studio’s interactive instillation ‘Winter’s Breath’ by Julia Reimer and Tyler Rock. The music of emerging Edmonton artists (Rhea March Music) will be featured inside Rutherford School at the Café Croissant! The enchanting journey from urban landscapes to winter trails, illuminated by Dylan Toymaker, artists from Jasper Place Highschool, Argyll School and invited artists, department. I got in and the rest is history.” What do you want audiences to get from this play? “I try to write as pure a story as I can so that you don't think about the unspoken, including the facts that caused the play to happen in the first place. Nowhere will you see mention of the Chinese Immigration Act or for that matter even the Indian Act - you are however, going to see what life is like because of that legislation. “What I like about theatre as an entertainment and art form is that it is so intimate – you cannot really escape the feelings you're going to have because you’re seeing the people live and right in front of you. It has an impact that I believe is far greater than you’ll find in a movie or film because you can switch them off, but a play brings a sense of reality and it’s right in front of you. I hope people are just generally moved by the story; they might not be radically changed because of it, but they will go away with more knowledge about Canada’s history.” The inspirer of the play, Lillian Dyck, was born in North Battleford, Saskatchewan to a Chinese father, Yok Lee Quan, and Cree mother, Eva Muriel Mcnab. Her father came to Canada after paying the Head Tax, leaving his first family behind in China. Her mother was born on the Gordon Reserve, but lost her status when she married a nonIndian. She, like most First Nations women at the time, was sent to a residential school.
Winston Wuttunee will be performing.
will set the tone for this unique and free family adventure. The festival invites all Edmontonians to embrace the cold, venture out and discover the beauty of the lights and stories that await them on a magical winter night in the heart of Francophonie in Edmonton! Please find detailed programming and festival site information at www.flyingcanoevolant.ca/festival Dyck moved around a lot, living in many small towns in Saskatchewan and Alberta, her family hiding their Indigenous heritage in order to protect themselves from racism. Taking her father's last name of Quan, her family was essentially the only Chinese family in town. As most First Nations people were living on reserves, she had no connection to them. Her family was the only non-white family in town. She attended the Swift Current Collegiate Institute and later (1968) earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree (Honours) and in 1970 her Master of Science Degrees in Biochemistry, as well as her Ph.D. in Biological Psychiatry in 1981, all from the University of Saskatchewan. She was conferred a Doctor of Letters, Honoris Causa by Cape Breton University in 2007. Before being appointed to the Senate, Dyck was a neuroscientist with the University of Saskatchewan, where she was also associate dean. On March 12, 1999, Dyck, one of the first Aboriginal women in Canada to pursue an academic career in the sciences, was presented with a lifetime achievement award by Indspire. Her research focuses on mechanisms of action of monoamine oxidase inhibitors to identify drugs useful for treatment of neurological disorders and stroke. She continues to teach at the university as well as conduct research on a part-time basis. She was appointed to the Senate on the recommendation of Prime Minister Paul Martin on March 24, 2005. To learn more about Café Daughter and to book your tickets visit the website at atplive.com.
January, 2019
Alberta Native News
11
Forward Summit will advance and strengthen partnerships First Nations and Métis leaders and business people along with industry members from across Canada will gather at a three-day Forward Summit to meet key partners and participate in engaging conversations on Indigenous economies and workforce. Hosted at Calgary TELUS Convention Centre from February 26 – 28, Forward Summit is a professional environment dedicated to advancing economic partnerships, discovering opportunities for change and supporting national relationships between Canada’s industry leaders and Indigenous communities. Forward Summit seeks to assist in the fulfillment of Recommendation #92 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action, which specifically calls on the corporate sector. The Summit Leadership Council includes respected Indigenous leaders and influencers such as Co-Chairs JP Gladu from the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Businesses and Chief Charles Weaselhead former Treaty No.7 Grand Chief. “We’re looking forward to presenting the Forward Summit in Treaty No.7. As a former Grand Chief and Chief, I understand the importance of creating platforms where Indigenous People have the opportunities to connect with the business community, industry leaders, entrepreneurs and governmental executives to ensure that our future developments and narratives are shared and
respected,” said Chief Charles Weaselhead, CoChair of Forward Summit. Supporting the Co-Chairs at Forward Summit is a Leadership Council that includes representatives of Indigenous communities and Canada’s major industries. Having a leadership team with a deep Forward Summit Co-Producer Nicole Robertson with understanding of industry and national communities CTV's Ian White discussing the important economic allows Forward Summit to be an impactful conversations that will take place next month in Calgary. environment for collaboration and the exchange of knowledge. The estimated 400+ attendees that include Indigenous Business; The Common Objective – Moving Projects Forward and industry leaders, as well as the finance and HR communities from across Canada will gather at the Together – Presented by The First Nations Major Projects Summit in Calgary. Attendees participate in three days of Coalition. Other topics are: From Seed to Success and an expert panels, collaborative roundtables and educational Inspirational Women’s Series. Roundtable Highlights will include: The Growth of the workshops with a focus on advancing partnerships in key industries that drive our economy. In addition, the Cannabis & Hemp Industry; Clean Tech – Funding the networking opportunities on and off the show floor give Future Energy Mix – Presented by Gridworks Solar & attendees the opportunity to meet and continue Electrical Experts; Attracting Global Capital & conversations in a relaxed and professional environment. Sustainable Indigenous Economic Participation and The Forward Summit conference program highlights Capacity Building, Strengthening Agreements. Conference passes are now on sale and allow attendees the business and community perspectives on national topics such as Energy, Market Access, Capacity Building, complete access to over 25 panels, roundtables and workshops, various networking opportunities and access Major Projects, Procurement and more. Panel Highlights will include: The Power of to the exhibition floor. Conference program details can be found at Procurement – A look at “Supply Change” One Year On – Presented by the Canadian Council for Aboriginal www.forwardsummit.ca
Class Action commenced for coerced sterilization of Indigenous women TORONTO /CNW/ – On December 18, 2018, Koskie Minsky LLP in Toronto, along with Cooper Regel in Edmonton, commenced a class action against the Government of Alberta on behalf of Indigenous women subjected to forced sterilizations in the province. Until 1972, Alberta’s Sexual Sterilization Act explicitly authorized forced sterilizations in the province. After the Sexual Sterilization Act was repealed, doctors and nurses in Alberta continued to perform coerced sterilizations on Indigenous women. These actions were the product of systemic and institutional racism against Indigenous Peoples. The claim alleges that the Government of Alberta, including its senior officers, directors, ministers and executives, had specific and complete knowledge of
widespread coerced sterilizations perpetrated upon Indigenous women. The claim further alleges that the to Gov't of Alberta turned a blind eye to this conduct, was negligent, breached its fiduciary duties and violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The lawsuit is brought on behalf of all Indigenous women who were sterilized in Alberta prior to December 14, 2018 without their proper and informed consent.
The lawsuit seeks $500 million in damages, plus an additional $50 million in punitive damages. “The coerced sterilization of Indigenous women is yet another dark chapter in the already chilling chronicle of Canadian governments’ relationship with Indigenous Peoples. The systemic sterilization of Indigenous women is state-sponsored sexual assault,” said Celeste Poltak, the lawyer leading the case at Koskie Minsky LLP. “This court action is a powerful and practical means for finally achieving access to justice for the victims. The litigation of this claim will afford the Government an opportunity to both examine the failings that permitted this situation and provide meaningful compensation to the victims,” Ms. Poltak said.
12
Alberta Native News
January, 2019
My Records, My Choice If you made an IAP or ADR claim for compensation for residential school abuse, there are records of your claim. You now have the opportunity to choose what happens to those records after your claim is finished. The choice is yours • Your records from the Independent Assessment Process (IAP) or the Alternative Dispute Resolution process (ADR) are confidential. • To keep them confidential, you don’t need to do anything. • If you do nothing, your records will be automatically destroyed on September 19, 2027. • Until September 19, 2027 you can get a copy of your records for yourself or to share with anyone you choose. • If you choose, you can preserve your records for history, education, and research at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR).
Which records are being kept? • • • •
Your application form The voice recording of your testimony The printed record (transcript) of your testimony The decision on your claim
Can I get a copy of my own records? Yes. To get a copy of your application form, the transcript of your testimony, and your decision, call IAP Information toll free at 1-877-635-2648. Or email IAPRecords_DocumentsSAPI@irsad-sapi.gc.ca. Information that identifies other people will be blocked out, to protect their privacy. It can take several months to receive a copy of your records.
Preserving the history of residential schools The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) has been created to preserve the history of Canada’s residential school system. It is hosted at the University of Manitoba. It is the permanent home for the records of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). The NCTR invites those who made a claim in the IAP or ADR to add their records to its collection. These records will be available forever, to researchers and others who want to learn about the history and impact of Canada’s Indian residential schools. Information that identifies other people will be blocked out, to respect everyone’s privacy. If you choose to preserve your records with the
NCTR, send your completed consent form to the IAP Secretariat and your records will be securely sent to the NCTR. To get a consent form, call IAP Information toll free at 1-877-635-2648 or download the form from www.MyRecordsMyChoice.ca.
How would my records be used at the NCTR? If you choose to preserve your records at the NCTR you may choose either restricted access or open access. “Restricted” means that your name and other information that identifies you is kept confidential. “Open” means that you could be publicly identified.
Can I get help? Yes. Resolution Health Support Workers (RHSWs) can answer your questions and help you with forms. To find an RHSW in your area, call one of the toll-free information lines below, or ask at your band office.
To learn more • IAP Information toll free: 1-877-635-2648 email: MyRecordsMyChoice@irsad-sapi.gc.ca online: http://www.MyRecordsMyChoice.ca • Assembly of First Nations toll free: 1-833-212-2688 email: iapdesk@afn.ca online: www.afn.ca • Inuit Representatives: Contact for the Inuvialuit: phone: 1-867-777-7018 email: ggruben@inuvialuit.com online: http://www.irc.inuvialuit.com/ Contact for Makivik: toll free: 1-800-369-7052 electronic communications can be submitted at: http://www.makivik.org/contact/ online: http://www.makivik.org • National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) toll free: 1-855-415-4534 email: NCTRrecords@umanitoba.ca online: www.NCTR.ca
If you are feeling pain or distress because of your residential school experiences please call the free 24-hour Residential Schools Crisis line: 1-866-925-4419