April 26, 2012

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W a voice like Louie Armstrong, With Ranger releases jazz album R PAGE 22 P Vol. 39 No. 9

Cat Lake’s youth may be the key to a healthier, prescription drugfree future.

“I’ve got to think about tomorrow for my kids,” said Samuel Wesley, a 37-year-old Cat Lake resident who began abusing prescription drugs about a year ago. “I just remember when I was crying (as a child) for my parents to take me home.”

Wesley was placed into care when he was a child and now his two-year-old daughter and sixmonth-old son have also been placed into care.

“I know the affect it had on my life,” Wesley said. “I’m making my children suffer. I’m damaging them on the inside. I’m ruining their trust issues. I’m doing abandonment issues on them.”

Cat Lake declared a state of emergency on Jan. 23 due to rising prescription drug addiction rates in the community of about 500 residents.

With about 70-80 per cent of the community reported to be addicted to some form of prescription drug, primarily Oxycodone or Percocet, a group of Grade 6 students recently sent a message to their community asking for a happier and healthier future.

9,300 copies distributed $1.50

Northern Ontario’s First Nation Voice since 1974

Cat Lake youth inspiration for brighter future Wawatay News

First Nations gymnastss tumbling to success PAGE 18

April 26, 2012

www.wawataynews.ca

Rick Garrick

Bingwi Neeyashi Anishinaabek: a community on the move PAGES 12-13

“We feel unhappy and helpless,” was the fourth point in the 12-point message. The fifth stated: “We feel that we don’t know what to do to help you stop doing drugs.”

The students asked community members to go for treatment and get healthy.

“It hurts us and Shomis and Kokum when you’re doing drugs and you’re not at home,” they wrote. “If you really love us, you will try to stop.”

Grand Chief Stan Beardy said the leaders of Nishnawbe Aski Nation declared a state of emergency over family issues due to prescription drug abuse in 2009, as the problems in communities were growing every year.

“A lot of children are taken into care because the parents that are addicted to prescription drugs cannot manage their lives, cannot manage families,” Beardy said. “That’s what I’m trying to push to the forefront for Canadian society to realize that we have an epidemic of prescription drugs in our communities.”

Beardy said community members have been devastated by the prescription drug abuse crisis because they lost their coping mechanism through the institutionalization of residential schools.

Spring comes early to Nibinamik

Photo by Shawn Bell/Wawatay News

Blaine Jacob, Linux Wabasse and Dawna Wabasse enjoy a beautiful spring day in Nibinamik, as their school gets set to close for the spring hunting break. See more community photos on page 21.

See Cat Lake on page 3

ᐱᔓᓴᐃᑲᓂ ᐅᐡᑲᑎᓴᐠ ᐅᒧᑲᐊᐧᑕᓇᐊᐧ ᐊᐣᑎ ᑫᑭᔭᓄᒋᒥᓄᓭᐊᐧᐨ ᐊᓂᓂᑲᐣ ᕑᐃᐠ ᑲᕑᐃᐠ ᐊᐧᐊᐧᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᐱᔓᓴᑲᐃᑲᓂ ᐅᐡᑲᑎᓴᐠ ᒪᐡᑯᐨ ᐃᐧᓇᐊᐧ ᐅᑲᑭᔭᓂ ᑲᐡᑭᑐᓇᐊᐧ ᒋᑭᐃᐧᒋᑐᐊᐧᐨ ᒋᒥᓄᔭᒪᑲᐠ ᒥᓇ ᐁᑲ ᒋᑭᑭᒪᑲᑭᐣ ᑲᐊᐧᓂᔭᐸᒋᒋᑲᑌᑭᐣ ᒪᐡᑭᑭᐣ ᐁᐧᑎ ᐊᓂᓂᑲᐣ ᑫᔭᓂᐱᒪᑎᓯᐊᐧᐨ. “ᐃᓯᓭ ᒋᓇᓇᑲᑕᐁᐧᓂᒪᑲᐧ ᐣᑕᐊᐧᔑᔑᒪᐠ ᐁᐧᑎ ᓂᑲᐣ,” ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᓴᒥᓱ ᐁᐧᐢᓫᐃ, 37 ᑕᓱᔭᑭᐃᐧᓀ ᐱᔓᓴᑲᐃᑲᓂ ᐁᐅᒋᐨ ᐁᑲᐧ ᐅᑕᓇᐠ ᑲᔭᑭᐊᐧᓂᐠ ᑲᑭᔭᓂ ᒪᐡᑭᑭᑫᐨ. “ᐁᑲᓄᑫᔭᐣ ᐁᒪᐃᐧᔭᐣ ᑲᐊᐊᐧᔑᔑᐃᐧᔭᐣ ᓂᓂᑭᐦᐃᑯᐠ ᒋᑭᐁᐧᐃᐧᓂᔑᐊᐧᐨ.” ᐁᐧᐢᓫᐃ ᐅᑎᐯᓂᒥᑯᐣ ᒪᐡᑭᑭᐣ ᐁᑲᐧ ᐊᐱᐣ ᐱᓂᐡ ᐁᑭᔭᓂ ᒪᑲᒪᑲᓄᐨ ᓂᔑᐣ ᐁᔭᑲᔐᔑᓂᐨ ᐅᑕᐊᐧᔑᔑᒪᐣ. ᑫᐃᐧᐣ ᐁᐧᐢᓫᐃ ᑭᐅᑕᐱᓇᑲᓄᐸᐣ ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᑲᐱᐊᐊᐧᔑᔑᐃᐧᐨ ᐁᑲᐧ ᓄᑯᑦ ᐁᓂᔓᔭᑭᐃᐧᓀᓂᐨ ᐅᑕᓂᓭᓴᐣ ᒥᓇ ᐁᓂᑯᑕᐧᓱᐱᓯᒣᓂᐨ ᐅᑯᓯᓭᓴᐣ ᓄᑯᒥᑫ ᑭᐅᑕᐱᓂᒪᐊᐧᐣ. “ᓂᓂᓯᑕᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᐊᓂᐣ ᐁᓯᓭᐦᐃᑯᔭᐣ ᑌᐱᒪᑎᓯᐃᐧᓂᐠ,” ᐁᐧᐢᓫᐃ ᑭᐃᑭᑐ. “ᐣᑲᑲᐧᑕᑫᐣᑕᒥᐦᐊᐠ ᐣᑕᐊᐧᔑᔑᒪᐠ. ᒥᓇ

Photo by Rick Garrick/Wawatay News

Samuel Wesley talks to reporters about his efforts to overcome oxy addiction.

ᓂᓂᔓᓇᒋᑕᐊᐧᐣ ᐅᐱᒪᑎᓯᐃᐧᓂᐊᐧ. ᐣᑕᓂᐱᑯᓇᒧᐊᐧᐣ ᑲᔦ ᑫᑭᐅᐣᒋ ᑌᐸᑫᓂᒥᔑᐊᐧᐸᐣ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᒥᓇ ᓂᐊᐧᐸᐣᑕᐦᐊᐠ ᐁᐁᐧᐱᓇᑲᐧ.” ᐱᔓᓴᑲᐃᑲᓂᐠ ᐃᐡᑯᓂᑲᓂᐠ ᐅᑭᐸᑭᑎᓇᓇᐊᐧᐸᐣ ᐅᐃᐧᐣᑕᒪᑫᐃᐧᓂᐊᐧ ᑭᒋᔭᓂᒥᓭᐃᐧᐣ ᐁᐃᐧᒋᐃᐧᑯᐊᐧᐨ ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᒉᐣᐁᐧᕑᐃ ᐱᓯᑦ 23 ᑲᐃᓇᑭᓱᓂᐨ ᐃᐁᐧᓂ

ᐅᐣᒋ ᒥᔑᐣ ᐊᐊᐧᔑᒣ ᑲᔭᓂ ᐊᐸᒋᑐᐊᐧᐨ ᒪᐡᑭᑭᐣ ᐃᒪ ᐃᐡᑯᓂᑲᓂᐠ 500 ᑲᑕᓯᐊᐧᐨ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐊᐧᐠ. ᐃᒪ ᐱᑯ ᓇᐣᑕ 70-80% ᒥᓂᑯᐠ ᑲᑕᓯᐊᐧᐨ ᐃᐡᑯᓂᑲᓂᐠ ᐃᑭᑐᐊᐧᐠ ᐁᑎᐯᓂᒥᑯᐊᐧᐨ ᑲᐊᐧᓂᔭᐸᒋᑐᐊᐧᐨ ᒪᐡᑭᑭᐣ, ᐃᐁᐧ ᐅᑎ ᒪᐊᐧᐨ ᐅᐠᓯᑯᑎᐣ ᓇᐣᑕ ᐳᕑᑯᓯᐟ, ᐁᑲᐧ ᓄᑯᒥᑫ ᐣᑯᑕᓱ ᑲᐃᑯᐡᑲᐊᐧᐨ

ᑭᑭᓄᐊᒪᐊᐧᑲᓇᐠ ᐅᑭᐸᑭᑎᓇᓇᐊᐧ ᐅᐃᐧᐣᑕᒪᑫᐃᐧᓂᐊᐧ ᐁᓇᑕᐁᐧᐣᑕᒧᐊᐧᐨ ᒥᓀᐧᐣᑕᒧᐃᐧᐣ ᒥᓇ ᒥᓄᔭᐃᐧᐣ ᒋᑕᑲᐧᐠ ᐁᐧᑎ ᐊᓂᓂᑲᐣ. “ᒪᒉᐣᑕᒧᐃᐧᐣ ᒥᓇ ᐊᐧᐊᐧᓀᐣᑕᒧᐃᐧᐣ ᐣᑭᑭᐡᑲᑯᒥᐣ,” ᒥᐦᐅᐁᐧᓂ ᐯᔑᐠ ᐅᐡᑲᑎᐢ ᐅᐃᐧᐣᑕᒪᑫᐃᐧᐣ ᑲᑭᐸᑭᑎᓇᐠ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᑯᑕᐠ ᑭᐃᑭᑐ: “ᑲᐃᐧᐣ ᐣᑭᑫᑕᓯᒥᐣ ᑫᑐᑕᒪᐠ ᐊᓂᐣ ᑫᑭᐃᔑᐃᐧᒋᐦᐃᔦᐠ ᒋᐳᓂᑐᔦᐠ ᑲᔭᐸᒋᑐᔦᐠ ᒪᐡᑭᑭᐣ.” ᑭᑭᓄᐊᒪᐊᐧᑲᓇᐠ ᐅᑭᑲᑫᐧᒋᒪᐊᐧᐣ ᑲᐱᒥ ᒪᐡᑭᑭᑫᓂᐨ ᒋᑲᑫᐧᐃᐧᒋᐦᐃᑎᓱᐊᐧᐨ ᑫᑭᔭᓄᒋᒥᓄᔭᐊᐧᐨ. “ᓂᐃᐧᓴᑲᐦᐅᑯᒥᐣ, ᒥᓇ ᔓᒥᐢ ᒥᓇ ᑯᑯᑦ ᑫᐃᐧᓇᐊᐧ ᐃᐧᓴᑫᐣᑕᒧᐠ ᑲᒪᐡᑭᑭᑫᔭᐣ ᑲᐃᔑᑕᔭᐠ,” ᒥᓇ ᐁᑲ ᑲᐊᔭᔭᐣ ᒥᐦᐅᐁᐧ ᑲᐃᓇᓯᓇᐦᐃᑫᐊᐧᐨ. “ᑭᐡᐱᐣ ᑌᐯᐧ ᓴᑭᐦᐃᔑᔭᐣ, ᑲᑲᐡᑭᑐᐣ ᒋᔭᓂ ᑲᑫᐧᐳᓂᑐᔭᐣ.” ᑭᒋᐅᑭᒪᑲᐣ ᐢᑕᐣ ᐯᕑᑎ ᑭᐃᑭᑐᐸᐣ ᑲᓂᑲᓂᑕᒪᑫᐊᐧᐨ ᐅᒪ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᐊᐢᑭ ᑎᐯᐣᒋᑫᐃᐧᓂᐠ ᒋᐸᑭᑎᓇᒧᐊᐧᐨ ᐅᑎᐸᒋᒧᐃᐧᓂᐊᐧ ᑭᒋᔭᓂᒥᓭᐃᐧᐣ ᐁᓇᑭᐡᑲᒧᐊᐧᐨ ᐃᒪ ᐃᓀᑫ ᐅᐣᒋ ᑎᐯᐣᒋᑫᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᑲᐊᐧᓂᐊᐸᒋᑐᐊᐧᐨ ᒪᐡᑭᑭᐣ

ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᐁᐧᑎ 2009 ᑲᔭᑭᐊᐧᐠ, ᐱᓂᐡ ᑕᐡ ᐃᑯ ᐊᓂᐱᒥ ᓇᐣᑭᐦᐅᒪᑲᐣ ᐅᐁᐧ ᐊᓂᒥᓭᐃᐧᐣ ᑕᓱᔭᑭ. “ᒥᔑᐣ ᐊᐊᐧᔑᔕᐠ ᐅᑕᐱᓇᐊᐧᐠ ᐁᐧᓴ ᐊᐱᐣ ᐅᓂᑭᐦᐃᑯᒪᐠ ᒥᑐᓂ ᐁᓂᑎᐯᓂᒥᑯᐊᐧᐨ ᑲᒪᐡᑭᑭᑫᐊᐧᐨ ᐁᑲ ᐊᐱᐣ ᑲᔦ ᐁᑭᑲᓇᐁᐧᓂᒥᑎᓱᐊᐧᐨ, ᒥᓇ ᒋᑭᑲᓇᐁᐧᐣᑕᒧᐊᐧᐨ ᐅᑎᐯᐣᒋᑫᐃᐧᓂᐊᐧ,” ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᐯᕑᑎ. “ᒥᐦᐅᐁᐧ ᑲᐱᒥ ᑲᑫᐧ ᓂᓯᑐᑕᒧᓇᐧᑲ ᒥᓯᐁᐧ ᐊᐃᐧᔭᐠ ᐅᒪ ᑲᓇᑕ ᐊᐦᑭᐠ ᒥᓯᐁᐧ ᑭᑕᔑᑫᐃᐧᓂᓇᓂᐠ ᐁᐊᔭᒪᑲᐠ ᒪᐡᑭᑭᑫᐃᐧᐣ.” ᐯᕑᑎ ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᐃᐡᑯᓂᑲᓂᐠ ᑲᑲᐯᔑᐊᐧᐨ ᒥᑐᓂ ᐱᑯ ᐅᐱᑯᓂᑯᓇᐊᐧ ᒪᐡᑭᑭᑫᐃᐧᓂ ᐊᓂᐡ ᐊᔕ ᐁᑭᐱᐊᐧᓂᑐᐊᐧᐸᐣ ᐊᓂᐣ ᑫᑭᐃᔑ ᐃᐧᒋᐦᐃᑎᓱᐊᐧᐨ ᐁᐧᐡᑲᐨ ᑲᑭᐱ ᑲᓇᐁᐧᐣᑕᑯᓯᐊᐧᐨ ᐃᐡᑯᓄᑲᒥᑯᐠ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐃᐧ ᐊᐊᐧᔑᔕᐠ. “ᒥᐦᐅᐁᐧ ᑲᐃᔑᓂᑲᑕᒪᐣᐠ ᑲᐱᒥᐊᔭᓂᑫ ᐸᑭᑌᐡᑭᑫᒪᑲᐠ ᐃᐁᐧ ᐃᐡᑯᓄᑲᒥᐠ ᑲᑭᐱᑐᒋᑫᒪᑲᐠ, ᐁᑲ ᐁᑭᑫᐣᑕᒪᐠ ᐊᓂᐣ ᑫᑭᐃᔑ ᓇᑕᒪᓱᔭᐠ ᐊᐱ ᐅᐡᑭ ᐊᓂᒥᓭᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᑲᓇᑭᐡᑲᒪᑭᐣ,” ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᐯᕑᑎ.

yes, we now accept debit and credit at virtually all our terminals!

1.877.492.7292 • www.wasaya.com

ᐃᓇᐱᐣ ᐸᑭᑭᓂᑲᓂᐠ 3

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Wawatay News

APRIL 26, 2012

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ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

THIS ISSUE...

ᐱᐸᑲᔐᐊᐱᑯᐸᐃᐧᑎᑯᐠ ᐅᓇᑕᐁᐧᐣᑕᓇᐊᐧ ᐃᐧᑲᐧᐦᐅᐸᐣ

ᐊᑕᐊᐧᐱᐢᑲᐟ ᐅᑲᐊᔭᓇᐊᐧ ᑲᐸᐸᒥᐃᐧᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᒪᒋᑭᑐᐃᐧᐣ

ᐊᓇᐃᐧᐣ ᐁᐃᔑᑲᐯᔑᐊᐧᐨ ᑭᐁᐧᑎᓄᐠ ᐃᓀᑫ ᓴᑲᐦᐃᑲᓂᐠ, ᐃᒪ ᑕᔑᑫᐃᐧᓂᐠ ᑲᐃᐧᐣ ᐃᒪ ᑭᐃᔑᐊᐧᑲᐦᐃᑫᓯᐊᐧᐠ ᑫᔭᓂᔑ ᑲᐯᔑᐊᐧᐨ ᑲᐱᒥᓇᐣᑭᓄᐊᐧᐨ ᐁᐧᓴ ᐁᑲ ᑲᒥᓇᐧᑲᒥᓂᐠ ᓂᐱᓂ. ᐅᑕᓇᐠ ᑲᐱᒥᑯᓇᑲᓂᐠ ᐅᑭᒪᑲᐣ ᓫᐊᕑᐁᐣ ᑯᕑᐁᐣ ᐅᑭᐸᐸᒥᐊᐧᐸᐣᑕᐦᐊᐣ ᐅᑎᐸᒋᒧᐣ ᐃᒪ ᐅᑕᔑᑫᐃᐧᓂᐠ. ᑯᕑᐁᐣ ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᐃᒪ ᑕᔑᑫᐃᐧᓂᐠ ᒪᒪᐤ ᐯᔑᑯᔕᑊ ᐊᔭᐊᐧᐣ ᐃᐧᑲᐧᐦᐅᐸᓇᐣ ᑌᑎᐸᐦᐃ ᑕᔑᑫᐃᐧᓂᐠ. ᑲᑭᓇ ᑕᐡ ᐊᔕ ᒐᑭᐃᐢᑭᐱᓭᐊᐧᐣ, ᑭᐃᑭᑐ. ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᐁᓇᑕᐁᐧᐣᑕᒧᐊᐧᐨ ᐃᐧᑲᐧᐦᐅᐸᓂ ᒥᓯᐁᐧ ᐃᒪ ᑕᔑᑫᐃᐧᓂᐠ ᒋᐅᒋ ᑌᐱᐊᓄᑭᒪᑲᓂᐠ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᒥᓇ ᐊᔕ ᐊᐊᐧᔑᒣ ᒥᑕᓱᔭᑭ ᑲᑭᐃᓂᑕᐧᐸᐣ ᒋᐅᐣᓴᒧᐊᐧᐨ ᐅᓂᐱᒥᐊᐧ ᐁᒪᔦ ᒥᓂᑲᐧᑕᒧᐊᐧᐨ.

ᐅᐡᑭ ᒪᒋᑭᑐᐃᐧ ᐊᐸᒋᒋᑲᐣ ᑲᐸᐸᒥᐃᐧᒋᑲᑌᑭᐣ ᑭᑐᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᑲᐅᐣᒋᐊᓄᑭᓭᑭᐣ ᐊᔕ ᐅᑕᔭᓇᐊᐧ ᐃᒪ ᐊᑕᐊᐧᐱᐢᑲᐟ ᐁᑲᐧ ᒪᐊᐧᐨ ᐅᑭᒋᓀᐣᑕᓇᐊᐧ ᐅᐁᐧᓂ. ᐊᔕ ᐊᐊᐧᔑᒣ ᒥᑕᓱᒥᑕᓇ ᒪᒋᑭᑐᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᑭᐊᑕᐊᐧᑌᐊᐧᐣ ᐃᒪ ᑕᔑᑫᐃᐧᓂᐠ, ᐁᑲᐧ ᒥᓇ ᑭᔭᐱᐨ 85 ᑭᓇᑐᒋᑲᑌᐊᐧᐣ ᐊᔕ ᑕᐡ ᑫᑲᐟ ᑕᑕᑯᓭᓂᐊᐧᐣ. ᐅᐁᐧ ᒪᒋᑭᑐᐃᐧᐣ ᑲᐸᐸᒧᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᐃᐦᑯᐊᓄᑭᓭ ᐊᐊᐧᔑᒣ 30 ᑭᓫᐊᒥᑐᕑᐢ ᑭᐁᐧᑎᓄᐠ ᐃᔑ, ᐁᑲᐧ ᒥᓇ 15 ᑭᓫᐊᒥᑐᕑᐢ ᔕᐊᐧᓄᐠ ᑌᑎᐸᐦᐃ ᑕᔑᑫᐃᐧᓂᐠ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᒥᓇ ᑭᐃᑭᑐᐊᐧᐠ ᐅᓇᓇᑕᐁᐧᐣᒋᑫᐠ ᐃᒪ ᐊᑭᒥᐢᑭ ᒥᓂᑎᑯᐠ ᒉᒥᐢ ᐯ ᐁᐅᐣᒉ ᐊᓄᑭᓭᓂᐠ ᐃᐁᐧᓂ ᑭᑐᐃᐧᓂ ᐊᑯᓇᐠ ᐊᐱᐣ ᑲᑭᐊᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᒋᔭᓄᑲᒪᑭᐣ ᑲᐸᐸᒧᒋᑲᑌᑭᐣ ᑭᑐᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᐁᑲᐧ ᑕᐡ ᐅᑲᑭᐊᐸᒋᑐᓇᐊᐧ ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᑲᓯᑲᐧᓂ ᓇᓇᑕᐁᐧᐣᒋᑫᐊᐧᐨ. ᐊᑕᐊᐧᐱᐢᑲᐟ ᐊᓄᑭᐃᐧᐣ, ᐃᒪ ᑕᔑᑫᐃᐧᓂᐠ ᑲᐅᒋᐱᒧᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᐊᓄᑭᐃᐧᐣ, ᐅᑭᐅᓇᑐᓇᐊᐧ ᑲᐅᒋᐊᓄᑭᓭᐠ ᒪᒋᑭᑐᐃᐧᐣ 120 ᑕᓱᒥᓯᐟ ᑲᐊᐱᑕᑭᑌᑭᐣ ᒥᑎᑯᑲᓇᐣ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᑲᑎᐯᐣᑕᒧᐊᐧᐨ ᐅᐁᐧᓂ ᐊᓄᑭᐃᐧᓂ ᑭᐃᓇᒋᑫᐊᐧᐠ ᒋᐸᐸᒥ ᑲᑫᐧᒋᒪᐊᐧᐨ ᑲᓂᑕ ᓇᓇᑕᐁᐧᐣᒋᑫᐊᐧᐨ ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᒪᑯᐱᓯᑦ ᐁᐃᐧᑭᑫᐣᑕᒧᐊᐧᐨ ᐊᓂᐣ ᒥᓂᑯᐠ ᐁᑯᓭᓂᑫᐧᐣ ᐃᐁᐧᓂ ᒪᒋᑭᑐᐃᐧᓂ ᑲᔭᐸᒋᑐᐊᐧᐨ. ᐊᑕᐊᐧᐱᐢᑲᐟ ᐅᑭᒪᑲᐣ ᑐᕑᐃᓴ ᐢᐯᐣᐢ ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᐅᐁᐧᓂ ᑲᑭᐅᓇᒋᑲᑌᓂᐠ ᒋᔭᓄᑭᒪᑲᓂᐠ ᑲᐸᐸᒧᒋᑲᑌᑭᐣ ᒪᒋᑭᑐᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᑌᐯᐧ ᐱᑯ ᐁᑭᑕᐸᑕᐠ ᑲᑭᐃᔑᑲᐡᑭᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᐅᐁᐧ.

Slate Falls needs central water station Despite living along a northern lake, Slate Falls First Nation cannot build the houses it needs for its growing population because of a lack of fresh water.

Slate Falls Chief Lorraine Crane toured reporters through her community last week.

Crane explained that Slate Falls has 11 small pumping stations spread around the community. All of them are maxed out, she said.

Crane said Slate Falls needs a central pumping station to serve the entire community.

Slate Falls has been on a boiled water advisory for the past ten years.

Attawapiskat gets cell phones

Page 3

ᐊᐧᐃᐧᔦᑲᒪ ᐃᐡᑯᓄᐃᐧᑲᒥᐠ ᐊᑲᐧᑯᔑᐊᐧᐣ, ᐊᓂᑲᐃᐧᓭ ᑲᐊᐧᓇᑐᑲᐠ ᒥᓇ ᑲᐊᑲᐧᑯᔑᐊᐧᐠ ᐃᒪ ᐊᐧᐃᐧᔦᑲᒪᐠ ᐃᐡᑯᓄᑲᒥᑯᐠ ᒥᐦᐃᒪ ᑲᐅᐣᒋ ᐊᑯᓯᐊᐧᐨ ᐊᐊᐧᔑᔕᐠ ᐃᓀᐣᒋᑲᑌ. ᐃᐡᑯᓄᑲᒥᑯᐠ ᑲᐊᓄᑭᐊᐧᐨ ᑕᓱᐊᔭᐊᐧᓱᐱᓯᑦ ᐅᑕᓇ ᑲᓯᓇᓇᐊᐧ ᒥᓯᐁᐧ ᐃᐡᑯᓄᑲᒥᑯᐠ, ᒥᑕᐡ ᐃᑯ ᐁᔑᑭᐁᐧᐅᔑᐦᐅᒪᑲᓂᐠ. ᐅᐁᐧᓂ ᑕᐡ ᑲᐃᔑᓇᑲᐧᓂᐠ ᐊᓇᑭᐃᔑ ᑎᐸᒋᒧᐸᓂᐠ ᑲᓇᑕ ᐅᑭᒪᐃᐧᓂᐠ ᐁᐧᐡᑲᐨ ᐊᔕ, ᐁᑲᐧ ᑲᐃᐧᐣ ᒪᔑ ᐃᐧᑲ ᒋᐱᒥᓂᑕᐧ ᔓᓂᔭᐣ. ᐅᑎᐡᑯᓄᐦᐃᐁᐧᐠ ᐃᒪ ᐊᐧᐃᐧᔦᑲᒪᐠ ᑭᐃᑭᑐᐊᐧᐠ ᑲᐧᔭᐠ ᐊᓇᑲᑫᐧ ᐊᓄᑭᐊᐧᐠ ᒥᓂᑯᐠ ᑲᐃᑯᓭᓂᐨ ᔓᓂᔭᐣ ᑲᐃᔑᐱᒥ ᑎᐱᒥᓂᑕᐧ ᑲᐱᒥ ᐃᐡᑯᓄᐦᐊᐊᐧᐨ ᐊᐊᐧᔑᔕᐣ. ᐯᔑᐠ ᐃᐁᐧᓂ ᒪᐊᐧᐨ ᑲᐅᐣᒋ ᒥᓄᓭᓂᐠ ᐅᑎᐡᑯᓄ ᐱᒧᒋᑫᐃᐧᓂᐊᐧ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐃᐧ ᑫᑯᓇᐣ ᑲᐊᔑᒋᐊᐸᑕᑭᐣ ᐃᐡᑯᓄᐃᐧᓂᐠ.

Weagamow school mouldy, falling down Mushrooms and mould growing in Weagamow’s school are being blamed for children in the community getting sick.

Staff at the school have to clean the mould every few months, but it continues to grow back.

The problem was raised with the federal government years ago, but no extra money has been forthcoming.

Educators in Weagamow say they are making due with the limited funds they have to try to provide the best education for the children possible.

One big part of the school’s success is its cultural components.

Fort William First Natin’s Robin Ranger (top left) releases his first studio album. The water system in Slate Falls, shown by one of the communities operators (top right), cannot keep up with the community’s needs. Chief Morriseau of Weagamow explained to reporters and Liberal critic Carolyn Bennett that his community faces problems with its school as well as the need for a commercial fishing resurgence. ᐁᑲᐧ ᐅᑭᐃᔑᐊᔓᑕᒪᐊᐧᐣ ᑭᐁᐧᑎᓄᐠ ᑲᐱᐅᐣᒋ ᓇᑐᒋᑫᓂᐨ ᐯᔑᑲᐧᐣ ᒋᐃᓇᑭᐣᑕᒪᐊᐧᐨ ᑕᐣᑐᕑ ᐯ ᑲᐃᓇᑭᐣᑌᓂᑭᐣ ᒥᒋᒪᐣ, ᐁᑲᐧ ᐊᔑᐨ 7 ᓇᐣᑕ 9% ᑲᐅᒋᐱᒧᑌᐠ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᐅᐁᐧ ᒪᒋᑕᐃᐧᐣ ᐅᒋᐃᐧᑕᓄᑭᒥᐁᐧ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᐊᐢᑭ ᐱᒧᒋᑫᐃᐧᓂᐠ.

Quality Market starts internet grocery ordering

Page 3

ᒥᒋᒥᐊᑕᐁᐧᐃᐧᑲᒥᐠ ᐅᑭᒪᒋᑐᓇᐊᐧ ᐱᐊᐧᐱᑯᐠ ᑲᐅᐣᒋ ᓇᑐᒋᑲᓄᐊᐧᐠ ᒥᒋᒪᐣ ᑕᐣᑐᕑ ᐯ ᐅᑌᓇᐠ ᑲᐱᒧᑐᐨ ᒥᒋᒥᐊᑕᐁᐧᐃᐧᑲᒥᑯᓂ ᐅᑭᒪᒋᑐᐣ ᑫᐅᐣᒋ ᐊᒋᐃᐧᓭᓂᐠ ᑲᐊᑭᐣᑌᓂᐠ ᒥᒋᒪᐣ ᑭᐁᐧᑎᓄ ᑕᔑᑫᐃᐧᓇᐣ. ᒥᐦᐅᐁᐧ ᐁᔑᓂᑲᑌᐠ ᐊᑕᐁᐧᐃᐧᑲᒥᐠ Quality Market, ᑲᑎᐱᓇᐁᐧ ᐱᒧᑐᐨ ᒥᒋᒥᐊᑕᐁᐧᐃᑲᒥᑯᓂ, ᑭᒪᓯᓇᐦᐅᑎᓱ ᑲᐃᔑᓂᑲᑌᐠ ᑭᐁᐧᑎᓄᐠ ᑲᐧᔭᐠ ᐃᓇᐣᒋᑫᐃᐧᐣ ᑲᓂᓴᑭᐣᑕᒪᑲᓄᐊᐧᐠ ᑲᐃᔑᓂᔕᐦᐃᑲᑌᑭᐣ ᒥᒋᒪᐣ ᑭᐁᐧᑎᓄᐠ. ᒥᑕᐡ ᑲᑐᑕᐠ ᐁᑭᐅᓇᑐᐨ ᐃᒪ ᐱᐊᐧᐱᑯᐠ ᑫᐅᐣᒋ ᓇᑐᒋᑫᐊᐧᐨ ᐊᐃᐧᔭᐠ ᒥᒋᒪᐣ.

A Thunder Bay grocer is doing what it can to cut the high cost of fresh produce in northern communities.

Quality Market, an independent grocery store, has signed on as part of the Nutrition North program that subsidizes fresh, healthy food for communities.

Now Quality Market has set up an internet ordering system so that people in communities can order food online.

The grocery store promises to charge northern customers the same prices as residents in Thunder Bay, plus a seven to nine per cent servicing fee.

The program is being done in partnership with Nishnawbe Aski Nation.

A new program bringing cell phone service to Attawapiskat is getting rave reviews.

The community has sold over 100 cell phones already, with another order of 85 phones expected to arrive soon.

Cell phone range extends over 30 kms to the north, and at least 15 kms on all other sides of the community.

There are also reports that hunters on Akimiski Island in James Bay were getting cell reception during the spring hunt.

Attawapiskat Resources Inc, a community-owned company, set up the cell service with 120-foot high towers.

The company plans to do a full survey of hunters in May to see exactly how far people are able to get cell phone reception.

Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence called the cell phone service a real achievement.

Page 9

ᕑᐊᐱᐣ ᕑᐁᐣᒍᕑ ᐅᑭᐅᔑᑐᐣ ᐅᑐᐡᑭ ᓂᑲᒧᐃᐧᐣ ᐸᐧᕑᐟ ᐃᐧᓫᐃᔭᑦ ᐁᐅᐣᒋᑎᐯᐣᑕᑯᓯᐨ ᕑᐊᐱᐣ ᕑᐁᐣᒍᕑ ᐅᑭᐅᔑᑐᐣ ᐅᑐᐡᑭ ᓂᑲᒧᓂᑫᐃᐧᐣ, ᐁᑭᐃᔑᓂᑲᑕᐣᐠ ᓂᐦᓴᓱᐧ ᑭᔑᑯᐣᐠ ᐁᐅᐣᒋᐃᓇᐱᓇᓂᐊᐧᐠ. ᕑᐁᐣᒍᕑ, 39 ᑕᓱᔭᑭᐃᐧᓀ, ᒍᐁᐧᐱᒋᑲᓇᐣ ᐅᑕᐸᒋᐦᐊᐣ ᒥᓇ ᐅᑭᐱᒪᓯᓇᐦᐊᐣ ᓂᑲᒧᓇᐣ ᐁᐧᑎ ᑲᐱᐅᐣᒋ ᐅᐡᑲᑎᓯᐨ, ᑫᑲᐱ ᑕᐡ ᓄᑯᒥᑫ ᑭᑌᐸᑫᓂᒧ ᒋᓄᑕᑲᐧᒧᑐᐨ ᐅᓂᑲᒧᓇᐣ ᒋᓄᒋᑲᑌᓂᑭᐣ ᒥᓯᐁᐧᑲᒥᐠ. ᒥᔑᐣ ᐅᓂᑲᒧᓇᐣ ᐅᑭᐅᓇᓯᓇᐦᐊᓇᐣ ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᑲᑭᐸᐸᒥᓂᑲᒧᐨ ᐊᑲᒪᑭᐠ ᕑᐊᔑᔭ. ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᐊᓇᐃᐧᐣ ᒥᔑᐣ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐊᐧᐠ ᑲᐃᐧᐣ ᓇᐱᐨ ᐃᐁᐧ ᐅᑎᔑᓄᑕᓯᓇᐊᐧ ᐃᐁᐧ ᑐᑲᐣ ᐃᓀᐧᐁᐧᒧᒋᑫᐃᐧᓂ ᑲᐃᓇᐦᐊᒪᓱᐨ, ᔕᑯᐨ ᐁᐃᔑ ᐸᑯᓭᓂᒧᐨ ᑫᐃᐧᓇᐊᐧ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐊᐧᐠ ᒋᔭᓂ ᒥᓄᑕᒧᐊᐧᐨ ᐅᐁᐧᓂ ᑲᐃᔑᒥᓀᐧᑕᐠ ᑲᐃᓇᐦᐊᒪᓱᐨ.

Robin Ranger releases new album Fort William First Nation member Robin Ranger has released his first studio album, The View From the Seventh Sky. Ranger, 39, has been playing guitar and writing songs since he was a teenager, but it is only now he has the confidence to bring those songs to the world.

Many of the songs on the jazz album were written while Ranger toured through Russia.

He said that although many Aboriginal people do not have much exposure to jazz music, he hopes the genre grows in popularity with First Nations people.

Page 22

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• 85% of passengers polled read Sagatay on their flight atay • 82% of passengers polled noticed and read the advertising in Sagatay • Over 330 departures every week to 25 destinations across Northwestern Ontario • Magazines are also placed in all destination’s airports, band offices and local businesses • Published 4 times per year, Sagatay reaches up to 20,000 Wasaya passengers with every issue

The distribution date for the next issue is scheduled for June 4. To meet this deadline, our ad booking and material deadline is April 27.

If you have any questions, or would like to book an ad, please feel free to contact James at any time.

To advertise in Sagatay contact: Wawatay Sales Department Toll Free: 1-800-243-9059 Fax: 1-807-737-2263 Email: sales@wawatay.on.ca

Wawatay News

APRIL 26, 2012

3

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

Slate Falls water system maxed out Rick Garrick Wawatay News

Slate Falls is looking for a central water system to replace 11 small water pump stations located around the road-access community.

“We have a lot of concerns about the water system in our community,” said Slate Falls Chief Lorraine Crane. “We are at a standstill with housing — we can no longer add on to any of the (water) pump houses.

They’re all maxed out.”

Crane said there is a shortage of homes in the community, as the First Nation has been unable to build new homes because of the water pump shortage.

The chief also noted that the equipment in the water pump stations is out of date and difficult to obtain.

“All the parts have to come

Photo by Rick Garrick/Wawatay News

Slate Falls Chief Lorraine Crane talks to reporters during a tour. from Quebec whenever some- old location on the far side of the thing happens,” Crane said. lake, it was built in a horseshoe “And that’s a chore and a half to shape around the lake to protry to get those parts.” vide each home with waterfront When the community of about access. Each neighbourhood in 200 on-reserve band members Slate Falls is now served by its was relocated in 1990 from its own water pump station.

Crane said a central water system would cost about $3.5 million, noting they have sent a proposal to the federal government.

The community is currently on a boil-water advisory, but it does have a supply of clean drinking water from a reverseosmosis system installed by the band a couple of years ago.

“We actually used other funds to build that,” Crane said.

“We went ahead and used other funds that are needed elsewhere.”

Crane said the federal government has since decided to reimburse the community for the cost of the reverse-osmosis system.

“I believe we have a lot of potential here in the community if we had good infrastructure,” Crane said. “There is lots that could be done in a drive-in community.”

Slate Falls owns two outpost tourist camps located to the north and east of the community, and a float-plane airline.

“We’re hoping to use our airline to go to other communities as well as the mine sites that are opening up in the area to generate revenue for the community,” Crane said. “We do business off the reserve to generate income for the community. But inside the community, we don’t even have a community store.

We have ma and pop operations, people selling out of their bedrooms.”

Grand Chief Stan Beardy said Slate Falls’ situation is not unique as at any given time 50 per cent of the 49 Nishnawbe Aski Nation communities are on boil-water advisories.

“If we were to calculate what is required to bring drinking water standards to acceptable safe standards, we need a lot

more than was identified in the recent (federal) budget,” Beardy said, noting the national water assessment released in 2011 identified a need of $4.7 billion over 10 years for First Nation water systems across Canada.

“The thing that puzzles me all the time is within Nishnawbe Aski, we cover six per cent of the land mass of Canada and two-thirds of Ontario. We have real people living here with real needs and when the governments of Canada and Ontario talk what the needs are within their jurisdiction, it almost seems that First Nations people are being excluded every time,” Beardy added.

The March 29 federal budget included $330 million over two years to build and renovate water infrastructure in the 600 First Nation communities across Canada.

Weagamow school mouldy, falling apart, yet community waits on funding Rick Garrick Wawatay News

Mushrooms keep popping up in Weagamow’s School.

“If you look under here there are mushrooms growing,” said education director Saul Williams in a boy’s washroom. “We clean it at least once a week and they still grow again. Mushrooms.”

Although the community does a major cleanup every five years in the elementary school, including of mould growing under the floors, Williams said it is an ongoing problem in the school.

“Once a month or every two months they will clean it up,” Williams said of the mould.

After a major cleanup last summer, Williams said the community’s doctor was surprised at the low number of health issues

among the 140 students attending the school.

“The doctor said, ‘What are you guys doing; there’s no earaches, there’s no throat infections,’” Williams said. “I said we cleaned the school. And he said, ‘I think that’s why.’”

Williams said a lot of students come down with illnesses during the school year.

Currently the school is closed due to a cold virus outbreak in the community.

“It just knocks you down,” said Sarah Hawley, teacher assistant in the Grade 2-3 class.

Williams said the school was not built properly when renovated in 1992-1994, as he showed off gaps in the walls and demonstrated how flimsy the walls are surrounding windows.

“One of these days it’s going to

ᐱᔓᓴᐃᑲᓂ ᐅᐡᑲᑎᓴᐠ ᐅᒧᑲᐊᐧᑕᓇᐊᐧ ᐊᐣᑎ ᑫᑭᔭᓄᒋᒥᓄᓭᐊᐧᐨ ᐊᓂᓂᑲᐣ ᐃᒪ ᐅᒋ ᐸᑭᑭᓂᑲᓂᐠ 1 ᐁᐧᐢᓫᐃ ᐅᑭᑌᐯᐧᑕᐊᐧᐣ ᑲᑭᐃᑭᑐᓂᐨ ᑭᒋᐅᑭᒪᑲᓇᐣ. ᑫᐃᐧᐣ ᑲᑭᐱᐃᓯᓭᐨ ᐅᐱᒪᑎᓯᐃᐧᓂᐠ ᒥᐦᐃᒪ ᐁᐅᐣᒋᓭᓂᐠ ᐁᐧᐡᑲᐨ ᐃᐡᑯᓄᑲᒥᑯᐠ ᑲᑭᐱᐅᐣᒋ ᐊᔭᓂᑫᓭᓂᐠ ᐅᑕᓂᒥᓭᐃᐧᓂᐊᐧ. “ᐁᐧᐡᑲᐨ ᐊᐱᐣ ᐣᑭᐊᐧᓂᑐᓇᐸᐣ ᓂᒪᐡᑲᐃᐧᓯᐃᐧᐣ ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᐁᑲᓇᐁᐧᐣᑕᑯᓯᔭᐣ ᐃᐡᑯᓄᑲᒥᑯᐠ -ᑲᐯᐦᐃ ᐁᑭᐱᐃᑯᔭᐣ ᐅᐁᐧ ᒋᑐᑕᒪᐣ ᒥᓇ ᐁᑭᒧᒋ ᐊᐧᐃᐧᐣᑕᒪᑯᔭᐣ ᐊᓂᐣ ᑫᑐᑕᒪᐣ,” ᐃᑭᑐ ᐁᐧᐢᓫᐃ. “ᑲᐃᐧᐣ ᐃᑲᐧ ᓂᓂᑯ ᐣᑎᓀᑕᒧᐃᐧᐣ ᐣᑐᒋᐸᑭᑎᓂᑯᓯᐣ ᒋᐊᐸᒋᑐᔭᐣ; ᑲᐃᐧᐣ ᐃᐧᑲ ᑲᔦ ᐣᑐᒋᐸᑭᑎᓂᑯᓯᐣ ᓂᓂᑯ ᑲᐃᔑᐯᔑᑯᔭᐣ ᒋᐃᔑᐱᒪᑎᓯᔭᐣ. ᒧᔕᐠ ᐸᑲᐣ ᐊᐃᐧᔭᐃᐧᐠ ᐣᑭᑲᑫᐧ ᐃᓇᒋᐦᐃᑯ.” ᐁᐧᐢᓫᐃ ᐅᑕᑲᐊᐧᑕᐣ ᐁᐃᐧᐳᓂᑐᐨ ᑲᒪᐡᑭᑭᑫᐨ ᒥᓇ ᒋᔭᓂ ᑭᐁᐧᒥᓇᑲᓄᐨ ᐅᑕᐊᐧᔑᔑᒪᐣ. “ᓂᓇᓇᑐᓇᐣ ᐊᐣᑎ ᑫᑭᐅᐣᒋ ᒪᒋᐱᒧᓴᑕᒪᐣ ᐁᑲᐧ ᒋᐃᑭᑐᔭᐣ ᒥᑫᐧᐨ ᐃᓂᐁᐧᓂᐊᐧᐣ ᐊᔕ ᑲᑭᒥᓂᑯᔭᐣ ᓂᐱᒪᑎᓯᐃᐧᓂᐠ,” ᐃᑭᑐ ᐁᐧᐢᓫᐃ. “ᐣᑕᔭᐊᐧᐠ ᐊᐊᐧᔑᔕᐠ, ᓂᐢᑌᓴᐠ, ᐣᑕᐁᐧᒪᐠ, ᐣᑕᑕᑦ. ᒥᐦᐅᒪ ᒪᔭᑦ ᑲᐅᐣᒋᒪᑲᐠ ᐣᑕᓂᒥᓭᐃᐧᐣ -- ᐁᑭᐊᐧᓂᑫᔭᐣ ᒋᓇᓇᑯᒧᔭᐣ ᐊᔕ ᑲᑭᒥᓂᑯᔭᐣ ᓂᐱᒪᑎᓯᐃᐧᓂᐠ. ᓂᓂᑯ ᐣᑭᑭᑎᒪᑭᐦᐃᑎᐢ ᐁᑲᐧ ᐊᐱᐣ ᓂᑭᔭᓂ ᐊᐧᓂᑫ ᒋᓇᓇᑯᒧᐊᐧᑫᐣᑕᒪᐣ ᑫᑯᓇᐣ ᐊᔕ ᑲᐊᔭᔭᐣ ᓂᐱᒪᑎᓯᐃᐧᓂᐠ. ᒥᑫᐧᐨ ᑕᐡ ᐣᑎᑭᐟ. ᒥᑫᐧᐨ ᐣᑎᑭᐟ ᑲᐱᒪᑎᓯᔭᐣ.” ᐁᐧᐢᓫᐃ ᐃᑭᑐ ᐊᐃᑲᑦ ᐃᑯ ᐅᑲᑫᐧ ᒪᒪᐡᑲᐁᐧᐣᑕᐣ, ᐅᑕᓇᐠ ᐅᑭᐱᑐᑕᓇᐸᐣ ᓂᐦᓴᐧᓱᑯᐣ ᐁᑲ

ᐁᑭᐅᐣᒋ ᐱᒣᐣᑕᐣ ᒪᐡᑭᑭᐣ. “ᐅᑕᓇᐠ ᐱᐳᓄᐡ ᐯᔑᑯᐱᒥᑯᓇᑲ ᑲᐃᐧᐣ ᒋᑭᐅᒋᐅᑕᐱᓇᐣ ᒪᐡᑭᑭᐣ,” ᐁᐧᐢᓫᐃ ᐃᑭᑐ. “ᐱᓂᐡ ᓂᐦᓱᑯᐣ ᓇᐣᑕ ᓂᐅᑯᐣ ᑲᔭᓂᓯᓭᐠ ᐣᑭᔭᓂᒥᓄᒪᐣᒋᐦᐅ. ᐣᑭᔭᓂᑲᐡᑭᑐᐣ ᒋᐊᐧᓂᐡᑲᔭᐣ ᐁᑲ ᓇᐣᑕ ᐁᓇᒪᐣᒋᐦᐅᔭᐣ.” ᐯᕑᑎ ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᐅᐁᐧ ᑲᐱᒥᐊᓂᒥᓭᐦᐃᐁᐧᒪᑲᐠ ᒪᐡᑭᑭᑫᐃᐧᐣ ᐃᔑᓇᑲᐧᐣ ᐃᑯ ᐊᑲᐧᒋᐠ ᒋᐅᒋᒪᑲᐠ ᐃᐧᒋᐦᐃᐁᐧᐃᐧᐣ ᑫᑭᐅᐣᒋ ᑭᐁᐧᓇᓯᑭᑲᑌᐠ ᑲᔭᐡ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐃᐧ ᐃᔑᐱᒪᑎᓯᐃᐧᐣ. “ᐊᔕ ᒥᔑᐣ ᐃᐡᑯᓂᑲᓇᐣ ᐅᑐᔑᑐᓇᐊᐧ ᐃᐧᒋᐦᐃᐁᐧᐃᐧᑲᒥᑯᐣ ᐁᑲᐧ ᑲᐃᐧᐣ ᑲᓇᑫ ᐅᑭᒪᐃᐧᓂᐠ ᐅᐣᒋᓭᓯᓄᐣ ᐃᐧᒋᐦᐃᐁᐧᐃᐧᐣ ᑐᑲᐣ ᐃᓂᐁᐧᓂᐊᐧᐣ ᑲᐃᓯᓭᑭᐣ ᒋᐃᔑᐃᐧᒋᐦᐃᑕᐧ ᑲᐱᒥ ᑲᓇᐁᐧᐣᑕᑯᓯᐊᐧᐨ ᑲᑎᐯᓂᒥᑯᐊᐧᐨ ᒪᐡᑭᑭᑫᐃᐧᐣ ᐁᑲᐧ ᒥᓇ ᑫᔭᓂᔑ ᐱᒥᐊᓱᐡᑲᐃᐧᐣᑕᐧ,” ᐯᕑᑎ ᑭᐃᑭᑐ. “ᐊᓂᐡ ᑲᐃᐧᐣ ᐅᑭᑌᐱᑐᑕᓯᓇᐊᐧ ᐃᒪ ᐃᐡᑯᓂᑲᓂᐠ ᑲᐃᔑ ᑲᑫᐧᐃᐧᒋᐦᐊᐊᐧᐨ ᐅᑕᓂᔑᓂᓂᒥᐊᐧ.” ᔕᑯᐨ ᒥᓇ ᑭᔭᓂᑭᑐ ᐯᕑᑎ ᐃᒪ ᑲᔦ ᒋᐅᐣᒋᒪᑲᐠ ᒪᐡᑲᐃᐧᓯᐃᐧᐣ ᑕᔑᑫᐃᐧᓂᐠ ᑫᑭᐅᐣᒋ ᑲᐡᑭᒋᑲᑌᑭᐸᐣ ᒋᔭᓂ ᒥᓄᔭᐊᐧᐨ ᐊᓂ ᐃᐧᒋᐦᐃᐣᑕᐧ ᑲᑎᐯᓂᒥᑯᐊᐧᐨ ᒪᐡᑭᑭᑫᐃᐧᓂ. “ᐁᑲᐧ ᐃᐁᐧᓂ ᐅᑲᐃᐧᒋᐦᐃᑯᓇᐊᐧ ᒋᑭᐁᐧᐃᐧᓂᑕᐧ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐊᐧᐠ, ᐃᑭᐁᐧᓂᐊᐧᐠ ᐅᑎ ᒪᐊᐧᐨ ᐅᐡᑲᑎᓴᐠ, ᑲᑭᐃᔑᒥᓂᑯᔭᐠ ᒋᐃᔑᓇᑲᐧᐠ ᑭᐱᒪᑎᓯᐃᐧᓂᓇᐣ, ᒪᐊᐧᐨ ᑲᑭᒋᓀᐣᑕᒪᐠ ᑭᑕᑭᒥᓇᐣ ᒥᓇ ᐃᒪ ᐁᐅᒋᐯᔐᐧᓂᒪᔭᐠ ᒪᐣᑐ,” ᑭᐃᑭᑐ.

cave in,” he said. “The whole wall moves when you push it.”

Williams submitted a plan to Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada to deal with the mould and other problems in the school, but he has not receive a positive response.

“We try and do the best we can with the staffing we have,” Williams said.

AANDC did not respond to questions about the school.

Meanwhile, teachers and staff at the school continue to provide the best education they can under the circumstances.

“These are the things we are doing with the cultural program,” Williams said. “Over there you will see kids (learning) how to cook outside. And the kids go set out (fish) nets.”

Williams described how fish

was used for making pemmican.

“They turned it into a powder, they dry it, they cook it and they pound it into pemmican,” Williams said. “They use that when they go hunting. They don’t have to stop and make a fire. They just eat from the bag.”

Williams said the walleye was fried and the whitefish roasted.

The skin of the jackfish (northern pike) and maria (ling) were used for socks.

“They used to carry oil in it too,” Williams said.

Williams said hunting is also part of the cultural program.

“We want our kids to learn about our land and how to use the land,” Williams said. “At the same time we want them to go out (to bigger communities) to be able to live in both worlds.”

Photo by Rick Garrick/Wawatay News

Saul Williams shows off how flimsy the walls are in the school’s library.

Cat Lake children inspire change Continued from page 1 “This is what we call intergenerational affects of residential school, where we don’t have coping mechanisms to deal with new challenges,” Beardy said.

Wesley agreed with the Grand Chief’s comments. In his own life he points to Residential

Wesley said he just has to push himself, noting he has previously gone without prescription drugs for seven days.

“Last year I went without it for a week,” Wesley said. “By the third or fourth day I was starting to feel good. I was starting to get up without hav-

“The solution is to help reconnect the people, especially the young people, back to our basics, which is our special relationship to the land and to the Creator.”

-NAN Grand Chief Stan Beardy

photo by Rick Garrick/Wawatay News

In a letter written to Cat Lake chief and council, Grade six students in the community ask their parents and adults of Cat Lake to get help for prescription drug addiction. The moving letter says that the children feel unhappy and helpless; that they get scared when the adults do drugs; and that they don’t know what to do to help their family members stop doing drugs. “If you really love us you will try to stop,” reads one point on the letter.

School as the place where many of his problems stemmed from.

“I lost my will power a long time ago in residential school — I was always told to do this and to do that,” Wesley said. “I was never allowed to use my brain; I was never allowed to be who I am. I was always forced to be someone who I am not.”

Wesley wants to beat his prescription drug addiction so he can get his children back.

“I’m looking for a place where I can start my journey by saying thank you for the things I have already,” Wesley said. “I’ve got kids, brothers, sisters, a dad.

That’s mainly my problem — I forgot to be thankful for what I already have. I became very needy and I forgot to be thankful for what I already have. I say thanks for that, I say thanks for being alive.”

ing to fight with myself.”

Beardy said the solution to the prescription drug problem has to involve outside help as well as communities turning back to traditions.

“A lot of First Nations are setting up detox programs but there is no real support from the government in terms of detox, treatment, aftercare and transition,” Beardy said. “The communities can only do so much.”

But Beardy added that the power to heal from the prescription drug crisis lies within the communities themselves.

“The solution is to help reconnect the people, especially the young people, back to our basics, which is our special relationship to the land and to the Creator,” he said.

4

Wawatay News

APRIL 26, 2012

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

From the Wawatay archives 16-5th Avenue North P.O. Box 1180 Sioux Lookout, ON P8T 1B7 Serving the First Nations in Northern Ontario since 1974. Wawatay News is a politically independent bi-weekly newspaper published by Wawatay Native Communications Society.

ᓂᐢᑕᑦ ᑲᑭᒪᑕᓄᑲᑌᐠ 1974 ᐁᐅᒋᐊᓄᑲᑌᑭᐣ ᑭᐧᐁᑎᓄᐠ ᐅᐣᑌᕑᐃᔪ ᑕᐃᑦᔑᑫᐧᐃᓇᐣ. ᑕᓱᓂᔓᐱᒥᑯᓇᑲ ᐅᔑᒋᑲᑌ ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐧᐃ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ ᒥᓇ ᑲᐧᐃᐣ ᐅᓇᔓᐧᐁᐧᐃ ᑲᓇᐧᐊᐸᒋᑫᐧᐃᓂᐠ ᒋᐃᔑ ᐸᐸᒥᓯᒪᑲᐠ ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓂᑫᐧᐃᓇᐣ.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER David Neegan

Commentary Direct action threat shows fragile peace on Nishnawbi Aski land Shawn Bell EDITOR

Remember back in January when all sides were talking about the new relationship between the federal government and First Nations?

Phrases like resetting the relationship, unlocking the potential and realizing the promise were being bandied about by everyone involved.

Those days seem like a long time ago.

Since then a number of major resource projects have taxed the federal government-First Nations relationship.

Paramount is the Northern Gateway pipeline that would bring oilsands bitumen to BC’s west coast, for transport by supertanker to Chinese refineries. Over 50 First Nations oppose that project, including nations with traditional lands all along the pipeline’s route.

Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver lumped together opponents to the pipeline, including First Nations, environmentalists and labour organizations, as “radicals” out to stop all development. He stated publically that these radical groups are being funded by foreign money in order to “undermine Canada’s national economic interest.”

A backbench Conservative MP from Alberta’s oilsands region, Brian Jean, later commented that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if foreign money was being funneled to First Nations in order to buy their opposition to development projects.

Those are not comments conducive to resetting the relationship.

Now the hostility is escalating, again over resource development on First Nations traditional territory.

Last week the federal government announced changes to the country’s environmental review process. The number of federal departments and agencies involved in environmental reviews will be reduced from 40 to three. Strict timelines for environmental reviews will be set. The government wants to speedup the review process. Small projects will no longer need an environmental review. Many large projects will fall solely under provincial jurisdiction.

The changes have been, predictably, complemented by industry and criticized by environmentalists.

But it is First Nations who hold many of the cards when it comes to major resource projects right across the country.

Late last week Nishnawbe

Aski Nation (NAN) leaders released their own response to the changes.

They are not happy.

In a severely worded press release, NAN warned that northern Ontario may see direct confrontations between First Nations and mining companies on traditional lands this summer.

Deputy Grand Chief Terry Waboose said the first step for any regulatory change should have been developing a process that recognizes the rights and interests of First Nations.

Instead the government is downsizing one of First Nations most effective means of making indigenous voices heard on resource projects.

The result will be less First Nations input into regulatory reviews of resource projects, even when those projects are on traditional territories.

That means First Nations will have to work even harder to make their voices heard early in the development stage, during the consultation process. In the long run it will affect consultation and the ability of companies to acquire First Nation approval of resource projects.

In a press release sent out by NAN, Grand Chief Stan Beardy tied the issue of fast tracking environmental reviews to the 30th anniversary of Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

“It is ironic that after 30 years, we are still here talking about a government trying to run roughshod over First Nations Treaty rights in the name of resource development,” Beardy said.

NAN’s response to the changes was full of harsh words. If their predictions come true and a flurry of direct action strikes at development across northern Ontario, the harsh words of this past week will seem tame in comparison.

It really makes one wonder.

What happened to the new relationship everyone was talking about only three months ago?

Wawatay News archives

Cat Lake, date unknown.

My battle with the bulge

Spring is here and it is time to get in shape. Let’s face it, most Canadians are not in the best physical shape. As a First Nation person, I can say that the Native peoples of Canada are generally in really bad shape.

For the past 10 years, I have been struggling to keep my weight down. I eat too much and I don’t exercise enough.

This past winter, I scared the heck out of myself when I hit 200 pounds for the first time and I am five feet eleven inches.

People say I wear my weight well but I don’t feel great and as I am becoming middle aged, it is becoming a problem.

It is a fact that First Nation people right across this country

are dealing with all kinds of disease related to obesity and poor nutrition. In a lot of remote First Nation communities it is difficult to access inexpensive high nutritional foods. We end up eating lots of canned junk, wieners, sausages, processed meats, pastas and breads. We don’t have a lot of fruit and vegetables in our diet because they have to be shipped long distances by air and that makes them expensive. They are also not appetizing to people because most of the fruits and vegetables that arrive are the cheapest that can be bought and they are not fresh.

Diabetes and heart disease are two major negative results of our poor lifestyle these days.

Many First Nation people are dying too young because of these diseases or they end up incapacitated at an early age.

As a matter of fact First Nation people are predisposed to diabetes. Several years ago, there was a scientific study

in northwestern Ontario that looked into why Aboriginal communities had higher than average numbers of cases of diabetes. The study concluded that Aboriginal people may be more genetically predisposed to this disease because of our natural lifestyle. Before we were exposed to the European culture, First Nation people followed a more natural life cycle that included periods of abundant natural food and times of famine when food was scarce.

Our bodies adapted to this situation by essentially gorging ourselves during times of feasting because we knew that periods of famine could occur at any time.

It is believed that this genetic predisposition has contributed to the present situation of Aboriginal people in modern times. We are living in times of feasting with no sign of famine in the future. Our bodies are accumulating food stores for a famine that will never come.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER David Neegan davidn@wawatay.on.ca

ART DIRECTOR Roxann Shapwaykeesic, RGD roxys@wawatay.on.ca

TRANSLATORS Vicky Angees vickya@wawatay.on.ca

Xavier Kataquapit UNDER THE NORTHERN SKY

CONTACT US Sioux Lookout Office Hours: 8:30-5:00 CST Phone: ....................737-2951 Toll Free: .....1-800-243-9059 Fax: ...............(807) 737-3224 .............. (807) 737-2263

Thunder Bay Office Hours: 8:30-4:30 EST Phone: ...................344-3022 Toll Free: ..... 1-888-575-2349 Fax: ...............(807) 344-3182

EDITOR Shawn Bell shawnb@wawatay.on.ca WRITER/PHOTOGRAPHER Rick Garrick rickg@wawatay.on.ca WRITER/PHOTOGRAPHER Lenny Carpenter lennyc@wawatay.on.ca

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Matthew Bradley matthewb@wawatay.on.ca SALES MANAGER James Brohm jamesb@wawatay.on.ca CIRCULATION Adelaide Anderson reception@wawatay.on.ca

Agnes Shakakeesic agness@wawatay.on.ca CONTRIBUTORS Xavier Kataquapit Chris Kornacki Richard Wagamese Adrienne Fox Stephanie Wesley Linda Henry Guest editorials, columnists and letters to the editor do not necessarily reflect the views of Wawatay News.

Add to this fact that for the past few decades my people have been watching television while snacking on chips, pop, hot dogs and pizza. This has resulted in a lot of overweight couch potatoes. I know because I am guilty of this lifestyle too.

On top of all this for the past 10 years, just about everybody has also moved to surfing the internet for hours and hours and hours. The result has been disastrous. This is killing us slowly.

So, here I am with a new start and the spring season to make an effort to get in shape.

Actually I found the hardest part was to get up and start exercising. However, once I was past that hurdle, I actually started to enjoy exercising. I started by just walking. At first, I walked about a kilometer and then very quickly in about a week, I was up to two then later three and then four and five. It didn’t take all that long but the big deal was to keep doing it every day. Once I made it part of my routine, it became easier.

Then I decided to buy an inexpensive treadmill so that I wouldn’t have the excuse of bad weather. I even placed a television set in front of it so that instead of sitting on the couch watching my favourite programs I was burning off calories. Once I started exercising I found I was more reluctant to eat junk food and I became interested in eating healthy.

It is up to us if we want to be around to see our children grow up and enjoy life with family and friends. One of the secrets is to exercise at least once a day and try to eat well. It is not easy and it is a constant struggle for me but wow am I feeling good these days.

Wawatay News

APRIL 26, 2012

5

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

Broken Trail: a wannabe Oneida

By Joyce Atcheson

at these locations

“This story is a wannabe’s dream.”

Special to Wawatay News

Broken Trail is a seven year-old boy when he is found by the Oneida and adopted by a couple whose son had died recently.

As Broken Trail grows he learns his skills of hunting, fishing, trapping from community teachers and is ready to become a warrior after he completes his vision quest.

At age 12, he’s on day three of the quest when he glimpses the animal but doesn’t get the message; he is captured by Red Coats.

The army takes Broken Trail, AKA Moses Cobman, to deliver a message behind enemy lines figuring with his skills he may make it to the other camp.

During his journey he discovers his brother, Elijah, rescues him from a warring party of mountain men, and uses healing herbs to cure him before they return to the land of their birth near the

Pick up

Great Lakes.

He must prove himself to the community and he does this, achieving acclaim and victory over a coward’s father.

This is a book for youth with its thrills, chills, and excitement.

In places the non-Native author has mistakenly used the Lakota language as Oneida and the condescen-

sion makes this lad and his adventure larger than life.

The true link to the land that First Peoples’ express through using all the landbased skills to feed the community is missing. The lad’s ego dominates as settler views are portrayed vigorously.

Scalping, a tactic gained from white bounty hunters, is common but solely and inaccurately presented as initiated by First Peoples.

This story is a wannabe’s dream. I would not recommend it until youth have the skills to critique the messages it portrays.

Broken Trail -- Jean Rae Baxter (Ronsdale Press, Vancouver, BC; 2011; ISBN 978-1-55380-109-2; 240 pages; $11.95)

Sioux Lookout Anti-Racism Committee

Box 1194, Sioux Lookout, ON, P8T 1B7 1-807-737-1501 www.slarc.ca

Good day Community Members, As a community we are talking, we are talking about social issues that affect us. For eight days in March we gathered together around Cultivating Community for Racism Awareness Week 2012. We celebrated people who make changes, we celebrated our diversity as a community and we raised awareness on racism. We thank you for participating, for coming out and for engaging in this work. We see the theme, Cultivating Community, as a focal point for our discussions over the coming year. We are looking for your feedback on how we can best educate, engage and dialogue.

The cultivation of a community is delicate work; it requires much from its members.

Respect, commitment, energy, strength, love, understanding, compassion, tolerance and openness are needed. A healthy community requires us to work together to create a shared vision for how we want to be together. We have had and will have challenges in this work.

If we open ourselves up, open our minds and our hearts to others in our community we can learn to see these challenges as opportunities. We have an opportunity in Sioux Lookout.

We have an opportunity to expand the circle, to cultivate a community that cares for all of its members, that leaves no one behind.

The Sioux Lookout Anti-Racism Committee strives to be an organization that creates safe spaces for difÀcult conversations. We fundamentally believe in the richness of the collective – that by working through our differences we create a healthier place. We recognize that our work is seen as too aggressive by some and too passive by others. We are committed to cultivating a community that is accepting, inclusive and just. These conversations are not easy; they take time, trust, leadership and endurance. The education on historic injustices, revealing and examining invisible systemic racism can be simply too much for some. People shut down for many reasons from the mistrust, pain, anger, guilt, denial and other barriers to moving on. Through turning to one another, in asking questions, and in listening to each other in a respectful way we believe we can learn from each other.

The roots of racism run deep in our country. We have an opportunity as community members to haul out these roots, examine what they look like and understand how they grew.

Racism is a leaf on a tree that also grows ageism, classism, and other isms. This tree feeds poverty, homelessness and other social injustices. No community is without these issues. It’s how we deal with these moments that shape our identity. Kitchen conversations can be a good starting place. How do we talk about others, what assumptions and judgements do we freely say in the privacy of our homes? By honestly looking at this, by embracing our past – the bad, the good, the painful and the beautiful – we can work together in unlearning racism, in creating a safe community that supports people out of poverty.

We have important questions to identify and ask ourselves. The Sioux Lookout AntiRacism Committee’s programs and services, such as REsolve, are tools that can help us in this process. We invite you to work with us and engage in cultivating our community. We want to hear from you, we want to hear what you think is needed to cultivate a healthy community.

How can we create respectful ways of working and living together? What is needed to help people who are in crisis? How can your energy contribute to creating solutions?

Please send your thoughts via email to connect@slarc.ca by May 7th. We will use your suggestions to identify an engagement strategy. We have an opportunity to work together to decide what our legacy will be, what community we want to pass on to our children. The work of understanding takes courage. Please help us in this work. We need you.

Sincerely, Brent, Kathy, Terry Lynne, Susan and Iris Executive of the Sioux Lookout Anti-Racism Committee

Aroland First Nation Band Office Atikokan Native Friendship Centre Attawapiskat Northern Store Balmertown Diane’s Gas Bar Balmertown Keewaytinook Okimakanak Batchewana First Nation Band Office Bearskin Lake Co-op Store Bearskin Lake Northern Store Beaverhouse First Nation Band Office Big Grassy First Nation Band Office Big Island First Nation Band Office Big Trout Lake Education Authority Big Trout Lake Sam’s Store Big Trout Lake Tasona Store Brunswick House First Nation Band Office Calstock A & J General Store Calstock Band Office Cat Lake First Nation Band Office Cat Lake Northern Store Chapleau Cree First Nation Band Office Chapleau Value Mart Cochrane Ininew Friendship Centre Collins Post Office Couchiching First Nation Band Office Couchiching First Nation Gas Bar Curve Lake Rosie’s Variety Deer Lake Northern Store Dinorwic Naumans General Store Dryden A & W Restaurant Dryden Beaver Lake Camp Dryden Greyhound Bus Depot Dryden McDonalds Restaurant Dryden Northwest Metis Nation of Ontario Dryden Robins Donut’s Ear Falls Kahooters Kabins & RV Park Emo J & D Junction Flying Post First Nation Band Office Fort Albany Band Office Fort Albany Northern Store Fort Frances Gizhewaadiziwin Health Access Centre Fort Frances Sunset Country Metis Fort Frances United Native Friendship Centre Fort Hope Corny’s Variety Store Fort Hope First Nation Band Office Fort Hope John C. Yesno Education Centre Fort Severn Northern Store Geraldton Thunder Bird Friendship Centre Ginoogaming First Nation Band Office Gogama Mattagammi Confectionary & Game Grassy Narrows J.B. Store Gull Bay Band Office Hornepayne First Nation Band Office Hornepayne G & L Variety Store Hudson East Side Convenience & Cafe Iskatewizaagegan Independent First Nation Band Office Kapuskasing Indian Friendship Centre

Kasabonika Chief Simeon McKay Education Centre Kasabonika First Nation Band Office Kashechewan First Nation Band Office Kashechewan Francine J. Wesley Secondary School Kashechewan Northern Store Keewaywin First Nation Band Office Keewaywin Northern Store Kenora Bimose Tribal Council Office Kenora Chiefs Advisory Office Kenora Migisi Treatment Centre Kenora Ne-Chee Friendship Centre Kenora Sunset Strip Enterprise Kingfisher Lake Omahamo Hotel Complex Kingfisher Lake Omahamo Store Kocheching First Nation Band Office Lac La Croix First Nation Band Office Lake Nipigon Ojibway First Nation Band Office Lansdowne House Co-op Store Lansdowne House Northern Store Long Lake First Nation Band Office Michipicoten First Nation Band Office Migisi Sahgaigan First Nation Band Office Mishkeegogamang First Nation Band Office Mishkeegogamang Laureen’s Grocery & Gas Missanabie Cree First Nation Band Office Moose Factory Echo Lodge Restaurant Moose Factory GG’s Corner & Gift Store Moose Factory Northern Store Moose Factory Weeneebayko General Hospital Moosonee Air Creebec Counter Moosonee Native Friendship Centre Moosonee Northern Store Moosonee Ontario Northland Railway Moosonee Polar Bear Lodge Moosonee Tempo Variety Moosonee Two Bay Enterprises Muskrat Dam Community Store Muskrat Dam First Nation Musselwhite Mine Naicatchewenin First Nation Band Office Namaygoosisagon Band Office Nestor Falls C & C Motel Nicikousemenecaning First Nation Band Office North Spirit Lake Cameron Store North Spirit Lake First Nation Band Office Northwest Angle First Nation Band Office Ochiichagwe’babigo’ining First Nation Band Office Ogoki Trappers Store Ojibways of Pic River Nation Band Office Onegaming Gas & Convenience Onegaming Public Library Pawitik Store

Pawitik Whitefish Bay Band Office Pays Plat First Nation Band Office Peawanuck First Nation Band Office Pic Mobert First Nation Band Office Pickle Lake Frontier Foods Pickle Lake Winston Motor Hotel Pikangikum Education Authority Pikangikum First Nation Band Office Pikangikum Northern Store Poplar Hill First Nation Band Office Poplar Hill Northern Store Rainy River First Nation Band Office Red Lake Indian Friendship Centre Red Lake Video Plus Red Lake Wasaya Airways Counter Red Rock First Nation Band Office Rocky Bay First Nation Band Office Sachigo Lake Co-op Store Sachigo Lake First Nation Sandy Lake A-Dow-Gamick Sandy Lake Education Authority Sandy Lake First Nation Band Office Sandy Lake Northern Store Saugeen First Nation Band Office Sault Ste. Marie Indian Friendship Centre Savant Lake Ennis Grocery Store Seine River First Nation Band Office Shoal Lake First Nation Band Office Sioux Narrows Anishinaabeg of Kabapikotawang Slate Falls Nation Band Office Stanjikoming First Nation Band Office Stratton Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah- Nung Historical Centre Summer Beaver Nibinamik Community Store Taykwa Tagamou Nation Band Office Timmins Air Creebec Counter Timmins Indian Friendship Centre Timmins Wawatay Native Communication Society Wabaskang First Nation Band Office Wabigoon First Nation Band Office Wabigoon Green Achers of Wabigoon Wabigoon Lake Community Store Wahgoshing First Nation Band Office Wapekeka Community Store Washaganish First Nation Band Office Wauzhusk Onigum First Nation Band Office Weagamow Lake Northern Store Weagamow Lake Onatamakay Community Store Webequie Northern Store Whitedog Kent Store Whitesand First Nation Band Office Wunnimun Lake General Store Wunnimun Lake Ken-Na-Wach Radio Wunnimun Lake Northern Store

Landmark Inn Metis Nation of Ontario Native People of Thunder Bay Development Corporation Negahneewin College of Indigenous Studies Quality Market, Centennial Square Redwood Park Opportunities Centre Seven Generations Education Institute Thunder Bay Indian Friendship Centre Wawatay Native Communications Society

Wequedong Lodge 1 Wequedong Lodge 3 Westfort Foods Fort William First Nation Band Office Fort William First Nation Bannon’s Gas Bar Fort William First Nation K & A Variety Fort William First Nation THP Variety and Gas Bar

Thunder Bay Outlets Central News Chapman’s Gas Bar Confederation College Satellite Office, 510 Victoria Ave. East Dennis F. Cromarty High School Hulls Family Bookstore John Howard Society of Thunder Bay & District Ka-Na-Chi-Hih Treatment Centre Lakehead University Aboriginal Awareness Centre

Sioux Lookout Outlets 5 Mile Corner Al’s Sports Excellence Best Western Chicken Chef DJ’s Gas Bar Drayton Cash & Carry Fifth Avenue Club First Step Women’s Shelter Forest Inn Independent First Nations Alliance Jeremiah McKay Kabayshewekamik Hostel Johnny’s Fresh Market

Lamplighter Motel Mascotto’s Marine Nishnawbe-Gamik Friendship Centre Northern Store Pelican Falls First Nation High School Pharmasave Queen Elizabeth District High School Robin’s Donuts Sacred Heart School Shibogama Tribal Council Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre Sioux Lookout Public Library

Sioux Lottery Sioux Mountain Public School Sioux Pharmacy Slate Falls Airways Sunset Inn & Suites Travel Information Centre Wasaya Airways Counter Wawatay Native Communications Society Wellington Inn William A. Bill George Extended Care Wilson’s Business Solutions Windigo Tribal Council

If you run a business and would like to distribute Wawatay News, Please call 1-800-243-9059.

6

Wawatay News

APRIL 26, 2012

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

Commentary

Staying through the teenage journey Stephanie Wesley GUEST COLUMNIST

I

recently had a worrying conversation with a troubled teen through an online social-networking site.

This young lady resides in a very isolated community where the Internet is the fastest way to reach the outside

world. There were public posts made by this girl in which she threatened suicide. This disturbed me immensely, as it should anyone else who would read such posts.

It reminded me of an article I read about a Taiwanese woman who committed suicide over the same social-networking site while her friends watched via pictures she was taking. They didn’t even call the authorities to save her.

They didn’t take it as seriously as they should have.

The teen later messaged me

privately and described how she felt that her life wasn’t worth living. She explained that she was trying to seek help but nobody ever really listened. She said that she felt hopeless, and believed death was the only way to escape the hurt. It upset me to read these messages because I know how young this person is, and I know that there is still a whole life for her to live and a whole world to experience.

It’s hard to see that when you are a teenager, especially when your community is so far

away. I sent her a reply from the heart. Since then, the “clouds” seem to have passed for her and she is alright.

Unfortunately, “clouds” can always come rolling right back.

I lived in a reservation for a few years, much like the one where the young girl resides.

I know how the isolation of living in these communities can affect you in a profoundly negative way when you are depressed. You feel like you need to run away but you really can’t.

2012 General Election For the Offices of : (1) CHIEF (1) DEPUTY CHIEF (12) COUNCILLORS (1) ELDER COUNCILLOR (1) YOUTH COUNCILLOR ALL ELIGIBLE VOTERS ARE URGED TO CAST THEIR BALLOTS BY:

Requesting Mail-in Ballots - see dates below Calling for Mobile Voting - see dates below Advanced Polls – Moosonee and/or Moose Factory Election Day – June 6, 2012 P OLLINGS

D ATE

T IME

MAIL-IN VOTING

A pril 10 th to June 6 th

9 :00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

MOBILE VOTING

M ay 17 th to June 5 th

9 :00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

M OOSONEE POLL JBEC, MOOSONEE, ON

T uesday, May 29 th

10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

A DVANCE POLL @ MCC MOOSE FACTORY, ON

W ednesday, May 30 th

10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

E LECTION DAY @ MCC MOOSE FACTORY, ON

VOTING ELIGIBILITY:

1.

2.

Wednesday, June 6 th

10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

a member of Moose Cree First Nation 18 years of age or older

Should you require further information, please feel free to contact:

You need money to pay for your plane ticket out and sometimes you just can’t afford to pay that price, especially when there aren’t too many jobs available to work for it.

Our youth are our future, and they are trying to deal with so many problems right now in different ways. Our youth are not always succeeding in coping with their issues.

We are losing a great number of our adolescents.

Suicide is never an answer for pain; it is simply a quick end to it. Suicide is also a beginning (for the family and friends) of a life full of grief and unanswered questions over the loss of a loved-one.

Over-indulging in alcohol and drugs is not a way to numb the pain. I once read a post online about how “drinking helps the pain go away, but sometimes causes new problems”. Drinking does not make any pain go away, it just turns it into drunk-pain.

Teenage-drinking recently resulted in the end of another young life, the life of a person I used to see every day on the reservation I once lived in.

Teenagers aren’t supposed to be dying young; they are supposed to grow into adults who have their own children. They are supposed to become Elders who have grandchildren who run around and ask them: “shoonya, miinshin?”

I noticed another issue surfacing again online called “cutting.” What is “cutting”?

Cutting is when someone cuts their skin (enough to feel pain and bleed a little).

It is done as a way to deal with pain. It is often done in secret, unless the “cutter”

really wants you to notice so in that case, you should ask what is wrong. The “cutter” is asking for help because something is distressing them.

T

here are so many unhealthy, preventable ways of dealing with pain. And what is pain for a person if there is nothing physically wrong with them?

The second entry for the word “pain” in the online MerriamWebster dictionary is “acute mental or emotional distress or suffering.”

So that being said, eating disorders are a way of dealing with pain. Bullying is a way of dealing with pain. Inhaling solvents is a way of dealing with pain. Drinking alcohol is a way of dealing with pain.

Sleeping around is a way of dealing with pain. Getting in trouble with the law is a way of dealing with pain. Taking another person’s life is a way of dealing with pain. Pain.

Pain. Pain.

Our youth are in pain right now.

There are too many young Anishinabe lives affected by different kinds of pain to not take-notice. The youth have to learn other ways to deal with their issues.

When a young person so blatantly cries out for help (like threatening suicide) then don’t be afraid to ask what is wrong. Don’t be afraid to listen.

And you kids with your “hungry games” and pants that look way too tight, don’t be afraid to talk to someone you trust about what is bothering you – that’s why they have your trust in the first place.

It isn’t easy to make it through the teenage years but it happens every day. Your journey has only just begun.

So stay in school. Stay healthy emotionally, spiritually and physically.

Stay strong.

Just stay.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING AND CALL FOR MEMBERSHIP Friday, June 15, 2012 - 7:00 p.m.

Cameron Bay Children’s Centre, 820 Lakeview Drive, Kenora, ON Kenora-Rainy River Districts Child and Family Services is a Children’s Aid Society mandated under legislation to protect children and to provide care, support and counselling services. The Society operates under a Board of Directors, which is made up of volunteers from the communities served.

It is essential for the Society to have a large and caring membership and a strong and active Board of Directors to carry out our mandate.

To vote at the Annual Meeting on any issues that may require a vote, the $2.00 Society Membership fee must be purchased by 4:30 p.m., May 16, 2012.

For more information, please contact 1-800-465-1100, or the office nearest you:

Sherry A. Mattinas, Chief Electoral Officer Moosonee Office: 705-336-2001 Moose Factory Office: 705-658-4222 Cell: 705-465-4968 Email: sherry.mattinas@moosecree.com Kristin A. Weistche, Deputy Electoral Officer Phone: 705-658-2251 Email: weistche83@gmail.com

“She said that she felt hopeless, and believed death was the only way to escape the hurt.”

Fort Frances: 240 First Street E., Suite 200 (Phone: 807-274-7787) Atikokan: 211 Main Street West (Phone: 807-597-2700) Roshena A. Visitor, Deputy Electoral Officer Phone: 705-658-4732 Email: roshena_visitor@hotmail.com

Kenora: 820 Lakeview Drive (Phone: 807-467-5437) Red Lake: 201 Howey Street (Phone: 807-727-2165) Sioux Lookout: 41 King Street (Phone: 807-737-3250) Dryden: 175 West River Road (Phone: 807- 223-5325)

Wawatay News

APRIL 26, 2012

7

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

Commentary

Remembering the silence of a wise Elder Richard Wagamese ONE NATIVE LIFE

I

’ve been around the ceremonial life and the teaching lodges of my people for over thirty years now. It doesn’t seem that long. The very fact of being part of a spiritual community lends time a different quality, one where time passing becomes more like time inhabited, each day, month, year joined in a stream of vital energy. As I get older I look back and recognize significant moments in that journey that I will always hold as special.

There are a lot of them actually and I feel blessed.

But for me, the special moments, the unforgettable ones, aren’t the big, huge, splashy production numbers you’d expect. My life hasn’t been a Technicolor glitz and the things that carry me forward are the simpler, genuine and

LETTER

touching, moments that are memorable for their humanity. In the end, spirituality introduces us to our humanity.

That’s its biggest gift.

Sure, I remember my first Vision Quest, pipe ceremony, sweat lodge, Sun Dance and healing ceremony or being danced into the powwow circle by Elders for the first time but the big moments are always easy to recall. What really moves me though, what keeps me brown, are the quiet enriching moments that happen naturally when people come together in a good way.

When I was thirty I came home to Kenora to live with my mother and try to recover from the failure of my first marriage.

I’d been living and working in Regina, Saskatchewan where I’d transitioned from newspapers to radio. But alcohol had me in its grips even then and my marriage was a merry-goround of craziness and regret.

My wife asked me to leave eventually and I arrived at my mother’s full of pain and hurt and feeling very guilty and

TO THE

ashamed. I didn’t think much of myself and it showed in everything I did.

I worked where and when I could but the only place where I felt better was at ceremonial gatherings. Friends from Manitoba took me to a remote traditional camp on an island on a lake far away from any towns or roads. While we were there we learned traditional skills, cultural skills, ceremony and got to sit with Elders and hear their stories and ask the questions we needed answers to. It was a special place.

There was a man there named Clayton Archie. He must have been about eighty then and had a quiet way about him that was regal almost and we all walked softer around him.

He seemed to understand the pain I was in and even though I couldn’t talk about it he stayed close to my side all the time I was there.

He asked me to be his helper and showed me how to prepare the articles and things he needed for his ceremonies. It was an honour to be asked and I worked deliberately and conscientiously. Every night we’d go and sit on a log beside the water.

He’d sit and smoke an old cob pipe and I would be content to look at up the stars. I recall those nights as being as pacific a time as I have ever encountered and the loneliness and the hurt seemed to lessen in the presence of all that marvelous space.

When I looked at him, the glow from his pipe turned his face into angles and shadow like what you’d expect the face of a shaman to look like. I kept waiting for him to say something, to offer a deep meaningful teaching or a story but he never did.

What he did was honour my silence. We sat there night after night and he told me just by his presence that he was there for me and that he always would be. He told me in that wordless way that it’s feeling that gives birth to right words and he was content to abide and allow me to find my way to them. In that overwhelming quiet I allowed myself to feel my feelings and he was calm and patient until I could find the words for it all.

Eventually I did.

I spoke and he listened and in the end there were no grand secrets transferred to me, no elaborate First Nations rituals of redemption. Instead, my own words, allowed to come at their own time and in their own fashion, framed my healing. It was a ceremony of acknowledgement. Once I owned my feelings and held them, I was free to let them go. I hurt for a while after I got back but it wasn’t a crippling ache.

He was a wise man. Ceremony sometimes is just our hearts in motion. And sometimes when life is tough I still gaze up at the stars and I remember Clayton Archie, waiting for my words to fall.

THIS NOTICE HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE ONTARIO SUPERIOR COURT OF JUSTICE

EDITOR

Opposed to federal review cuts As a First Nations leader I am opposed to the cuts announced this week by the Government of Canada to the environmental review process that will allow resource development in Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) First Nation traditional territory to be fast-tracked without proper consultation.

The responsible development of the resources on our lands has the potential to strengthen our communities and the Canadian economy, but First Nations must have the opportunity to provide free, prior and informed consent before any projects can proceed.

Comprehensive reviews with resourcing for First Nations participation must be completed before development can take place in our homelands, such as the joint review panel process requested by Matawa Chiefs and other First Nations for mining projects in the Ring of Fire.

Aboriginal and Treaty rights are enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. What is lacking is action by the Government of Canada to recognize and respect those rights.

Many First Nations are not against resource development, but development must come with infrastructure that will bring longterm benefits such as hydro, roads, houses and schools that will strengthen our communities. Governments and industry should work with First Nations to develop a framework for resource revenue sharing and opportunities for our communities through education and training, employment and business development.

Instead of fast-tracking projects and circumventing environmental concerns, the federal government should work with the provincial government to develop an approach to resource development that recognizes and respects the rights and interests of First Nations. The first step is to initiate substantive discussions with us on the recognition of First Nation jurisdiction over our lands, because we must never forget that this is our land.

Deputy Grand Chief Terry Waboose Nishnawbe Aski Nation

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STIRLAND LAKE HIGH SCHOOL (ALSO KNOW AS WAHBON BAY ACADEMY) AND CRISTAL LAKE HIGH SCHOOL HAVE BEEN ADDED TO SCHEDULE F OF THE INDIAN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT (“IRSS AGREEMENT”) To all who attended Stirland Lake High School (also known as “Wahbon Bay Academy”) and/or Cristal Lake High School in Northwestern Ontario BE ADVISED that pursuant to a motion brought by Windigo First Nations Council and Nishnawbe Aski Nation before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Chief Justice Winkler of the Superior Court of Justice has ordered Stirland Lake and Cristal Lake High Schools to be added to the list of “Indian Residential Schools” under the IRSS Agreement. As a result, former residents/ students of either or both of these schools are eligible to apply for compensation in the form of a Common Experience Payment (CEP). As well, those former residents/students who suffered sexual and/ or serious physical abuses, or other abuses that caused serious psychological effects, while at either of these high schools, may apply for additional compensation under the Independent Assessment Process (IAP).

All CEP applications relating to either of these schools must be filed on or before September 19, 2012. The IAP applications must be filed on or before September 19th, 2012.

If you already applied for the CEP with respect to either of Stirland Lake or Cristal Lake High Schools prior to November 16th, 2011, you must re-apply now.

This Notice extends only to applications relating to attendances at Stirland Lake High School and Cristal Lake High School. It does not alter the existing deadlines under the IRSS Agreement in place for other eligible Indian Residential Schools.

For more information on both processes, please call toll free, 1.866.879.4913, or go to www.residentialschoolsettlement.ca to read the Settlement Agreement and other Court approved notices, or write to Residential Schools Settlement, Suite 3-505, 133 Weber Street North, Waterloo, Ontario N2J 3G9.

The IRS Crisis Line (1.866.925.4419) provides immediate and culturally appropriate counselling support to former students who are experiencing distress.

For more information call 1.866.879.4913 or visit: www.residentialschoolsettlement.ca

8

Wawatay News

APRIL 26, 2012

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

Federal budget cuts Aboriginal health programs

OSHKI Lifeskills

Chris Kornacki Special to Wawatay News

Rick Garrick/Wawatay News

Eabametoong’s Caroline Yesno (left) wants to help community members with life skills training after completing a Life Skills Coach Certificate Training Program April 16-20 at Oshki-Pimache-O-Win in Thunder Bay.

The newly announced federal budget has made drastic funding cuts to organizations that promote the well-being of Aboriginal peoples health in Canada.

Two organizations affected are the National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO) and the Native Women’s Association of Canada’s (NWAC) women’s health programing. NAHO will lose all of its funding and will cease all operations by June 30, 2012, while NWAC

NOTICE OF EXTENSION OF COMMENT PERIOD FOR REVIEW OF DRAFT TERMS OF REFERENCE This notification is to announce the extension of the comment period on the Cliffs Chromite Project Draft Terms of Reference to May 11, 2012. Please read below for further information about the Project.

Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (Cliffs) recently initiated a provincial and federal Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Cliffs Chromite Project.

The provincial EA will assess the following three components of the Project: 1) The Mine Site, located near McFaulds Lake; 2) An Ore Processing Facility, co-located at the Mine Site; and 3) An Integrated Transportation System (ITS) to transport product/supplies and workers to and from the Mine Site.

The fourth component of the Project, a Ferrochrome Production Facility (FPF), will be assessed as part of the federal EA, and is not subject to the provincial EA process. As part of the planning process for the provincial EA and as required by the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act, a draft Terms of Reference has been prepared by Cliffs. If approved, the Terms of Reference will serve as a framework for the preparation and review of the provincial EA. Community members, government agencies and other interested persons are encouraged to actively participate in the provincial EA planning process by reviewing the draft Terms of Reference and submitting comments and questions to the following Cliffs personnel: Arthur Moore, District Manager - Aboriginal Affairs 1159 Alloy Drive, Ste. 200, Thunder Bay, ON, P7B 6M8 Phone: 807-768-3012, Fax: 807-346-0778 Arthur.Moore@CliffsNR.com

Providing your comments on the draft Terms of Reference helps Cliffs to identify issues early in the planning process, and allows gaps to be corrected before the final Terms of Reference is submitted to the regulators for formal review. To take time to fully consider your comments, Cliffs is extending the comment period on the Draft Terms of Reference from April 15, 2012 to May 11, 2012. Cliffs is currently holding and/or scheduling Open Houses in or near your community. When dates are finalized, Open Houses will be advertised in local newspapers and/or on local radio stations, and through our Project website. Notice of the Open Houses will also be posted in Band Offices where newspaper advertisements may not be possible.

Documents Available for Review Copies of the draft Terms of Reference are available for review and comment electronically on the Project website at www.cliffsnaturalresources.com. Paper copies are available for review at the following locations during regular business hours: Ministry of the Environment Approvals Branch Floor 12A, 2 St. Clair Ave West, Toronto, M4V 1L5

Valley East Public Library 4100 Elmview Drive, Hanmer, P3P 1J7

Capreol Citizen Service Ministry of the Environment Centre & Library Thunder Bay District Office 1-9 Morin Street, Suite 331, 435 James Street South, Capreol, P0M 1H0 Thunder Bay, P7E 6S7 Brodie Resource Library Ministry of the Environment 216 South Brodie Street, Sudbury District Office Thunder Bay, P7E 1C2 Suite 1201, 199 Larch Street, Waverley Resource Library Sudbury, P3E 5P9 285 Red River Road, Ministry of the Environment Thunder Bay, P7B 1A9 Timmins District Office Elsie Dugard Centennial Ontario Govt. Complex Library Hwy 101 East, 405 Second Street West, South Porcupine, P0N 1H0 Geraldton, P0T 1M0 Greenstone Municipal Office Greenstone Public Library 1800 Main Street, Longlac Branch Geraldton, P0T 1M0 110 Kenogami, Thunder Bay Municipal Office 3rd Floor, 500 Donald Street East, Thunder Bay, P7C 5K4 City of Greater Sudbury Municipal Office 200 Brady Street, Sudbury, P3A 5P3 Timmins City Hall 220 Algonquin Blvd. East, Timmins, P4N 1B3

Longlac, P0T 2A0 Beardmore Ward Office 78 Pearl Street, Beardmore, P0T 1G0 Nakina Ward Office 200 Centre Avenue, Nakina, P0T 2H0 Main Public Library Mackenzie Branch 74 MacKenzie Street, Sudbury, P3C 4X8

Timmins Public Library 320 Second Avenue, Timmins, P4N 8A4

A copy of the draft Terms of Reference has been mailed to the communities listed below. If you would like a copy of the draft Terms of Reference please contact Arthur Moore (please see adjacent contact information).

Aroland First Nation - Atikameksheng Anishnawbek First Nation - Attawapiskat First Nation - Constance Lake First Nation - Eabametoong First Nation - Fort Albany First Nation Ginoogaming First Nation Kashechewan First Nation - Long Lake First Nation #58 - Marten Falls First Nation - Matawa Tribal Council - Métis Nation of Ontario - Mushkegowuk Council Neskantanga First Nation - Nibinamik First Nation - Red Sky Métis Independent Nation Temagami First Nation - Wahnapitae First Nation Webequie First Nation - Whitefish River First Nation

Under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Environmental Assessment Act, unless otherwise stated in the submission, any personal information such as name, address, telephone number and property location included in a submission will become part of the public record files for this matter and will be released, if requested, to any person.

will lose it’s funding for health programing aimed at bettering the health of Aboriginal women across Canada. For the past 12 years, NAHO has been in operation where it has completed over 200 health reports, guides and fact sheets; video footage and audio tapes of Aboriginal Elders’ Indigenous knowledge; completed the only publicly available databases on Métis health; issued 12 volumes of the Journal of Aboriginal Health; and holds thousands of copies of research files and holdings.

NAHO employs over 30 specialists in health care research and knowledge translation and has holdings of over $60 million in knowledge-based research to improve health outcomes for First Nations, Inuit and Métis in Canada. Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Grand Chief Stan Beardy stated that although the federal government announced increased funding for specific First Nation priorities like housing and infrastructure, “this budget signals that the federal government is hearing us but not really listening. The investments in First Nations are a good start, but it does not adequately address the shortfalls that plague our communities,” Beardy said.

Beardy also noted that, “With cuts to the Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) budget, the government needs to examine its own bureaucracy, while at the same time ensure that vital services and programs are maintained.”

The Native Women’s Association of Canada said it is distressed about its funding cuts because few people in the world are in greater need of human rights protection than Indigenous peoples, especially Native women. “Although governments have a duty and responsibility to ensure the welfare and safety of all their citizens, Indigenous peoples are often the target of policies designed to erode or suppress their rights and distinct cultural identities,” said NWAC President Jeannette Corbiere Lavell.

“NWAC has worked tirelessly for more than 30 years to address shameful inequities that continue to plague Aboriginal women’s health in Canada.

Aboriginal women are the least healthy and suffer the greatest chronic health conditions than any other segment of Canadian society,” Lavell said. Health Canada has stated it is necessary to make the cuts in order to preserve direct services to First Nations living on reserve.

But according to NWAC currently 70 per cent of Aboriginal women live off reserve, in urban or rural areas.

In a recent statement, Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq cited “governance challenges” as other reasons for funding cuts in Aboriginal health programing.

“Health Canada worked with NAHO in an attempt to resolve these issues but, unfortunately, they were not addressed,” Aglukkaq said.

Despite the cuts, Aglukkaq’s office said it will protect frontline health care services and continue to make what it calls “major investments” in aboriginal health, nursing and research.

Wawatay News

APRIL 26, 2012

9

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Healthy foods for North available online Rick Garrick Wawatay News

Thunder Bayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Quality Market now offers an online grocery service to First Nation communities throughout northwestern Ontario. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been working with Quality Market for about two years now and what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to do is provide a way for our remote communities to access fresh produce, fresh vegetables and fruit,â&#x20AC;? said Grand Chief Stan Beardy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The reason

we are doing that is we have a high rate of diabetes and they need fresh vegetables on a daily basis.â&#x20AC;?

Beardy said most communities only receive fresh groceries once a week. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of times it is almost next to impossible to get fresh vegetables and fruit, so we approached Quality Market two years ago or so to work with them around the concept of Nutrition North.â&#x20AC;?

Beardy said community members just have to order the

The following communities are eligible for full subsidies per kilogram: Attawapiskat Bearskin Lake Big Trout Lake Fort Albany Fort Severn Muskrat Dam Peawanuck Kashechewan

Level 1 $1.40 $1.30 $1.60 $1.30 $2.60 $1.50 $2.40 $1.30

Level 2 $0.05 $0.05 $0.05 $0.05 $0.80 $0.05 $0.60 $0.05

Angling Lake, Kasabonika, Kingfisher Lake, Pikangikum, Sachigo Lake, Weagamow Lake and Wunnummin Lake are all eligible for partial subsidies of $0.05 per kilogram for both Level 1 and Level 2 subsidies.

The Nutrition North subsidy applies to eligible food and non-food items shipped by air to eligible communities, with Level 1 subsidies applying to the most nutritious perishable foods and Level 2 subsidies applying to other nutritious perishable foods, to nonperishable foods and to non-food items.

Complete eligible food lists are available on the Nutrition North Canada webpage at http://www.nutritionnorthcanada.ca/fel/ efn-eng.asp.

Attawapiskat gets cell phones Rick Garrick Wawatay News

Attawapiskatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new cell phone service is a hit in the community, with some families purchasing two or three cell phones. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re selling them to people of all ages,â&#x20AC;? said Sally Braun, project support for Attawapiskat Resources Inc., which is owned by the community. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There may be one or two or three cell phones per household. When we did our community launch at the end of March, people were coming in and buying phones for several household members or family members.â&#x20AC;?

About 112 cell phones have been sold in the community of about 1,700 residents to date and Braun has ordered another 85. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re projecting 258 cell phone users in the first year,â&#x20AC;?

Braun said.

Braun said tests indicate the cell phone range extends to about 32 kilometers to the north, 15 to the west, 22 to the south and 15 to the east. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also getting reports it may be a little further to the east,â&#x20AC;? Braun said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of our hunters go out to Akimiski Island, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting reports the cell phones are working on the westernmost tip of the island.â&#x20AC;?

Akimiski Island is the large island in James Bay, located more than 20 kilometres to the east of Attawapiskat. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We put the antennas at the 120 foot level,â&#x20AC;? Braun said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re basically flat land here without a lot of interference.

There are trees, but theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not that high.â&#x20AC;?

Braun said many community members are currently out on the land, so they will be asked for feedback on the cell phone service out on the land once

they return to the community around May 1. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most Canadians donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even think twice about being able to use their cell phones,â&#x20AC;? said Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For us, this is a real achievement. I commend the hard work of Attawapiskat Resources Inc. and its partners for getting this service up and running.â&#x20AC;?

Attawapiskat Resources Inc. partnered with Keewaytinook Okimakanakâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kuhkenah Network, which is partnered with Dryden Municipal Telephone System/Dryden Mobility, to provide the high-speed cell phone service through connections to the Western James Bay Telecom Network fibre optic cable. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Community members will certainly benefit from improved safety and quality-of-life,â&#x20AC;? said Steve Hookimaw, ARIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chairperson. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But it is important to realize that this development will also improve Attawapiskatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commercial infrastructure, allowing for more residents and visitors to conduct business here.â&#x20AC;?

The cell phone service received financial support from the Emerging Technologies Program of the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation and the Rural Economic Development Program of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This initiative will contribute to rural and northern prosperity by supporting job creation, expanding educational opportunities and helping to build strong and safe communities,â&#x20AC;? said Rick Bartolucci, minister of Northern Development and Mines and chair of the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation.

food and it will be shipped up to their community on a regular scheduled Wasaya flight. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re hoping is that once we have the Nutrition North program in place, those customers from the north would be able to take advantage of the freight subsidy,â&#x20AC;?

Beardy said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not all in place yet, but you need a starting point. The starting point is to get a grocery outlet in an urban centre to work with the First Nations to begin to push for a government subsidy program to try to address the healthy foods but at the same time look

for subsidies to offset the freight costs.â&#x20AC;?

Quality Market is a familyowned business that offers hundreds of varieties of healthy prepared foods for todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s busy lifestyle as well as the basics in grocery, dairy and frozen foods.

The online grocery store

offers food at the same prices available in Thunder Bay with a small additional fee for preparing the order and freight costs minus the Nutrition North subsidy. Payment must be made before the food is shipped though Visa, MC or AMEX.

REVIEW Review of Proposed Operations: Information Centre Pic River 2013â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2023 Forest Management Plan The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), GreenForest Management Inc. (GFMI) and the Pic River Public Consultation Committee (PRPCC) invite you to an information centre. This information centre is being held as part of the detailed planning of operations for the first five-year term of the 2013â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2023 Forest Management Plan (FMP) for the Pic River Forest. The Pic River Forest is formed from the former Pic River Ojibway Forest and Black River Forest through an amalgamation process.

The Planning Process The FMP takes approximately two years to complete. During this time, five formal opportunities for public and Aboriginal involvement are provided. The second opportunity (Stage 2) for this FMP occurred between December 24, 2010â&#x20AC;&#x201C; January 31, 2011 when the public was invited to review and comment on the long-term management direction. This â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Stage 3â&#x20AC;&#x2122; notice is: t 5P JOWJUF ZPV UP SFWJFX BOE DPNNFOU PO o the details of access, harvest, renewal and tending operations for the first five-year term; and o the proposed primary and branch road corridors and the proposed harvest areas for the second five-year term of the plan. t 5P SFRVFTU DPOUSJCVUJPOT UP UIF CBDLHSPVOE JOGPSNBUJPO UP CF VTFE JO QMBOOJOH How to Get Involved To facilitate your review, information centres will be held at the following locations from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the following days: May 15, 2012 at 1 Mississauga Drive â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Council of Chambers at the Municipal Office, Manitouwadge, ON May 16, 2012 at 1 Selkirk Avenue â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Multi-purpose Room at the Recreation Centre, Terrace Bay, ON May 17, 2012 at 21 Peninsula Road â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Conference Room at the Zero 100 Motor Inn, Marathon, ON Note: The Manitouwadge and Marathon Information Centres will run in conjunction with the Phase II, Big Pic Forestâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Draft Proposed Operations: Information Centre.

The following information may be obtained at the information centre: t " TVNNBSZ PG UIF ./3 3FHJPOBM %JSFDUPS FOEPSTFE MPOH UFSN management direction. t 4VNNBSZ NBQT PG o the planned areas for harvest, renewal and tending operations for the first five-year term of the plan; and o the proposed harvest areas for the second five-year term of the plan; and o the proposed corridors for new primary and branch roads for the 10-year period of the plan.

In addition to the most current versions of the information and maps, which were available at Stages 1 and 2 of the public consultation process, the following information will be available at the information centres: t " TVNNBSZ PG QVCMJD BOE "CPSJHJOBM DPOTVMUBUJPO UP EBUF including responses; and t 5IF MJTU PG SFRVJSFE NPEJGJDBUJPOT SFTVMUJOH GSPN UIF QVCMJD review of the long-term management direction.

The detailed proposed operations will be available for review and comment at the GFMI office and at the MNR Wawa District and Manitouwadge Area Office at the locations shown below during normal office hours for a period of 60 days from May 15, 2012â&#x20AC;&#x201C; July 14, 2012. Comments on the proposed operations for the Pic River Forest must be received by Raymond Weldon of the planning team at the MNR Wawa District Office, by July 14, 2012.

MNR Wawa District Area Office, 48 Mission Road, Wawa, ON P0S 1K0 MNR Manitouwadge Area Office, 40 Manitou Road, Postal Bag Service, Manitouwadge, ON P0T 2C0 .FFUJOHT XJUI SFQSFTFOUBUJWFT PG UIF QMBOOJOH UFBN BOE UIF 131$$ DBO CF SFRVFTUFE BU BOZ UJNF EVSJOH UIF QMBOOJOH process. Reasonable opportunities to meet planning team members during non-business hours will be provided upon SFRVFTU *G ZPV SFRVJSF NPSF JOGPSNBUJPO PS XJTI UP EJTDVTT ZPVS JOUFSFTUT BOE DPODFSOT XJUI B QMBOOJOH UFBN NFNCFS please contact one of the individuals listed below: Raymond Weldon, RPF Management Forester Ministry of Natural Resources Nipigon District 5 Wadsworth Drive, P.O. Box 970 Nipigon, ON P0T 2J0 tel: 807-887-5058 fax: 807-887-2993 e-mail: raymond.weldon@ontario.ca

Jeffrey Cameron, RPF Plan Author GreenForest Management Inc. P.O. Box 22004 470 Hodder Avenue Thunder Bay, ON P7A 8A8 tel: 807-343-6418 fax: 807-343-6424

Grant Goodwin PRPCC Chair Manitouwadge, ON tel: 807-826-3875

%VSJOH UIF QMBOOJOH QSPDFTT UIFSF JT BO PQQPSUVOJUZ UP NBLF B XSJUUFO SFRVFTU UP TFFL SFTPMVUJPO PG JTTVFT XJUI UIF QMBO author, the MNR District Manager or the Regional Director using a process described in the Forest Management Planning Manual (2009).

Stay Involved The tentative scheduled date for submission of the Draft FMP is October 2012. There will be two more formal opportunities for you to be involved. These stages are listed and tentatively scheduled as follows: Stage 4â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Information Centre: Review of Draft FMP Stage 5â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Inspection of MNR-Approved FMP

November 2012 April 2013

If you would like to be added to a mailing list to be notified of public involvement opportunities, please contact Raymond Weldon at 807-887-5058.

The Ministry of Natural Resources is collecting your personal information and comments under the authority of the Crown Forest Sustainability Act. Any personal information you provide (address, name, telephone, etc.) will be protected in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act; however, your comments will become part of the public consultation process and may be shared with the general public. Your personal information may be used by the Ministry of Natural Resources to send you further information related to this forest management planning exercise. If you IBWF RVFTUJPOT BCPVU UIF VTF PG ZPVS QFSTPOBM JOGPSNBUJPO QMFBTF DPOUBDU 1BVM (BNCMF BU Renseignements en français : Raymond Weldon au 807-887-5058.

10

Wawatay News

APRIL 26, 2012

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Nibinamik agrees to work with Noront on training Community members express concern theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be left behind in resource boom Shawn Bell Wawatay News

photo by Shawn Bell/Wawatay News

Nibinamik Chief Johnny Yellowhead (left) talks with Noront COO Paul Semple during the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visit to the community during Nibinamikâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mining week. Yellowhead and Semple signed an agreement to work on skills training during the session.

Nibinamik First Nation is the fourth First Nation to sign a training agreement with Noront Resources that intends to help band members get mining jobs if the Ring of Fire goes ahead as planned.

Nibinamik Chief Johnny Yellowhead signed the agreement with Noront during the

REVIEW Big Pic Forest 2007â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2017 Forest Management Plan Review of Proposed Operations for Phase II (2013â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2017) Information Centre The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), GreenForest Management Inc. (GFMI) and the Pic River Public Consultation Committee (PRPCC) invite you to an Information Centre to help us develop the second five-year term (2013â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2017) of the 2007â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2017 Forest Management Plan (FMP) for the Big Pic Forest.

You will have the opportunity to review and comment on: t UIF QSPQPTFE BSFBT JEFOUJGJFE GPS IBSWFTU SFOFXBM and tending operations; t UIF QSPQPTFE SPBE MPDBUJPOT BOE DPOEJUJPOT GPS the second five-year term.

You will also have an opportunity to contribute to the background information to be used in planning.

How to Get Involved To assist you in the review and to provide the PQQPSUVOJUZ UP BTL RVFTUJPOT *OGPSNBUJPO $FOUSFT will be held at the following locations from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the following days: Tuesday, May 15, 2012 Council Chambers .JTTJTTBVHB %SJWF .VOJDJQBM 0GGJDF .BOJUPVXBEHF 0/ Wednesday, May 16, 2012 Community Centre 5BNBSBD %SJWF $BSBNBU 0/ Thursday, May 17, 2012 ;FSP .PUPS *OO #MVF 3PPN 1FOJOTVMB 3PBE .BSBUIPO 0/ A summary map showing proposed areas for IBSWFTU SFOFXBM BOE UFOEJOH PQFSBUJPOT BT XFMM BT the proposed road corridors will be available at the Information Centre or upon request.

5IF JOGPSNBUJPO BOE NBQT BWBJMBCMF BU UIF *OGPSNBUJPO $FOUSF XJMM BMTP CF BWBJMBCMF GPS SFWJFX BOE DPNNFOU BU UIF ./3 .BOJUPVXBEHF "SFB 0GGJDF 8BXB %JTUSJDU CZ BQQPJOUNFOU EVSJOH OPSNBM PGGJDF IPVST GPS B QFSJPE PG EBZT GSPN May 15 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; June 13, 2012 $PNNFOUT NVTU CF SFDFJWFE CZ %FSSJDL 5JSTDINBOO 31' "SFB 'PSFTUFS BU UIF ./3 Manitouwadge Area Office/Wawa District Office by June 13, 2012. .FFUJOHT XJUI SFQSFTFOUBUJWFT PG UIF QMBOOJOH UFBN BOE UIF 131$$ DBO CF SFRVFTUFE BU BOZ UJNF EVSJOH UIF QMBOOJOH QSPDFTT 3FBTPOBCMF PQQPSUVOJUJFT UP NFFU QMBOOJOH UFBN NFNCFST EVSJOH OPO CVTJOFTT IPVST XJMM CF QSPWJEFE VQPO SFRVFTU *G ZPV SFRVJSF NPSF JOGPSNBUJPO PS XJTI UP EJTDVTT ZPVS JOUFSFTUT BOE DPODFSOT XJUI B QMBOOJOH UFBN NFNCFS please contact one of the individuals listed below: Derrick Tirschmann, RPF Area Forester Ministry of Natural Resources 40 Manitou Road Postal Bag Service Manitouwadge, ON P0T 2C0 tel: 807-826-3225 ext. 236 fax: 807-826-4631

Richard Shwedack, RPF Plan Author GreenForest Management Inc. 470 Hodder Avenue P.O. Box 22004 Thunder Bay, ON P7A 8A8 tel: 807-343-6581 fax: 807-343-6424

Grant Goodwin PRPCC Chair Manitouwadge, ON tel: 807-826-3875

During the planning process there is an opportunity to make a written request to seek resolution of issues with the plan BVUIPS UIF ./3 %JTUSJDU .BOBHFS PS UIF 3FHJPOBM %JSFDUPS VTJOH B QSPDFTT EFTDSJCFE JO UIF Forest Management Planning Manual (2009).

The operations for the first five-year term (Phase I) of the 10-year FMP (2007â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2012) are nearing completion and detailed planning for the second five-year term (Phase II) operations are commencing. This first stage (Stage 1) notice is to invite you to review and comment on proposed operations and to contribute to the background information to be used in planning.

Stay Involved There will be two more formal opportunities for you to be involved. These stages are tentatively scheduled as follows: Stage 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3FWJFX PG %SBGU 1MBOOFE 0QFSBUJPOT

Stage 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; *OTQFDUJPO PG ./3 "QQSPWFE 1MBOOFE 0QFSBUJPOT

September 2012 January 2013

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communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mining week, held from April 10-13. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If mining is done with inclusion and respect for people on the land, everyone will win,â&#x20AC;? Yellowhead said during the signing ceremony. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our main purpose with the four-nations partnership is to try to work together and try to understand each other.â&#x20AC;?

Nibinamik, Webequie, Neskantaga and Eabametoong First Nations signed the fournations partnership during the Prospectors and Developers Association conference in Toronto in March. The bandsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; initial move was to throw their support behind the EastWest transportation corridor that would connect each of the communities to the southern road and power line network.

Now each of the four Matawa First Nations have agreed to work with Noront on pushing the federal government for skills and education training to prepare band members for jobs at the mine.

Noront chief operating officer Paul Semple told the assembly in Nibinamik that working together on the training agreement is a first step in making sure local communities benefit from opportunities with the Ring of Fire. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of the main challenges (the communities) have is a lack of education and training,â&#x20AC;? Semple said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We look at the communities in the North as partners, and it is in our best interest to work with you to create a workforce.â&#x20AC;?

The training agreement Noront has submitted to the federal government will require somewhere between $10 and $30 million over five years, Semple said during his presentation. It involves adult education for core high school courses in communities, to get community members caught up on their high school credits. The program also involves partnerships with northern Ontario colleges to build a skilled workforce capable of working in the Ring of Fire.

In addition to those steps, Semple said Noront plans to establish a â&#x20AC;&#x153;campusâ&#x20AC;? on site at its mine to train people in the skilled trades needed on site.

Local band members will be trained on site, and then transferred directly onto the job site once their training finishes.

He also noted that the jobs available at the mine are much more than just employment for miners. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of the things, when people talk about mining, they think about miners,â&#x20AC;?

Semple said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They forget the accountants, secretaries, cooks, environmental officers, mechanics and all the other jobs that are needed to run a mine site.â&#x20AC;?

Nibinamikâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mining awareness week brought Cliffs Resources, Ontarioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, Wasaya Airways and Matawa Tribal Council into the community, as well as Noront.

Chief Yellowhead said the week was a chance for community members to learn more about all the mining activity happening on and around Nibinamikâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s traditional lands. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is important that all community members, Elders and youth understand what the government and industry are proposing to do in our First Nations territory,â&#x20AC;?

Yellowhead said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our First Nation will play a very important role in this development, so it was time to create more awareness with what is happening around mining in our traditional territories.â&#x20AC;?

Yellowhead emphasized that the meetings with industry and government were simply to inform the community of what is happening. They did not encompass official consultation.

During the week Nibinamik also presented Noront and Cliffs with the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s traditional land access protocol. The chief said he expects all companies planning to work in the region to sign the protocol before any traditional lands are disturbed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Entering into this first agreement should be done out of respect for the traditional people who have always used the land,â&#x20AC;? Yellowhead said.

While most community members who attended the meetings wanted more information on how the community can benefit from the mining activity, not all attendees were in support of industrial development in the region.

During the question period, a number of community members raised concerns that the mining companies operating in the area will take the resources and leave the communities with nothing.

Tommy Yellowhead, Nibinamikâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Land and Resources Coordinator, noted that the problems facing his community, from housing needs to social problems, need to be addressed before the First Nation can really stand to benefit from the mining activity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our communities are struggling, with infrastructure, health, education, you name it. Our unemployment rate is high, our suicide rate is high,â&#x20AC;?

Yellowhead said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With industry, because they want to take something from our land, they should work to fix the problems before making any deals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Elders told us a long time ago that the companies are going to come, walk away and leave us with nothing,â&#x20AC;? he added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I can see this happening now.â&#x20AC;?

Connect with Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service Stay up-to-date with News and Events

Like NAPS on Facebook facebook.com/NAPSpolice Follow NAPS on Twitter @NAPS_Police #NAPSpolice

Wawatay News

APRIL 26, 2012

11

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

Hydropower for Ring of Fire demanded Shawn Bell Wawatay News

First Nations and municipal leaders from northwestern Ontario are banding together with a list of demands to ensure long-term benefits of the Ring of Fire stay in the region.

The demands include powering the mines with hydropower, connecting remote communities to a hydro grid and road network and building Cliffs Resources’ chromite smelter in Greenstone.

“The companies want to come in and exploit the resources and leave nothing behind for local long standing benefits such as electric grid connection and road access,

both a boost to the local economy,” said Marten Falls First Nation Chief Elijah Moonias.

Marten Falls was joined

by Aroland, Constance Lake and three Lake Nipigon First Nations at the summit, held in Greenstone on April 17.

Mayors of four municipalities, including Greenstone and Thunder Bay, were also signatories to the Ring of Fire resolution signed at the summit.

Of major concern to all the signatories is the plan by Cliffs and Noront Resources to power Ring of Fire mines with diesel generators.

Moonias said the diesel generator plan not only shows disrespect to the natural environment, but to the local commu-

“The companies want to come in and exploit the resources and leave nothing behind...”

– Chief Elijah Moonias

nities looking for the long-term benefits that connection to the southern electricity grid would bring.

“We want infrastructure out of the development, and a new powerline will do this,” Moonias said. “The province should support this for environmental reasons over diesel, and the federal government should support this long-range outlook as a grid connection will eliminate

costly community diesel generation systems.”

The First Nations and municipalities also reiterated their support for the north-south transportation route to run from the Ring of Fire to Exeter, between Aroland and Constance Lake.

Cliffs has long maintained that its preferred transportation route is the north-south route, although Cliffs’ proposal does not connect Marten Falls to the road network.

The north-south route conflicts with the East-West transportation corridor promoted

by Noront Resources and supported by four Matawa First Nations communities, although the companies say there is room

for both corridors to go forward.

The summit also addressed the location of Cliffs’ proposed chromite smelter. In its environmental assessment application, Cliffs has the smelter being built in Sudbury, although the company has been examining other options including Greenstone and Thunder Bay. As part of the resolution, signatories at the summit once again called on Cliffs to locate the smelter at Greenstone.

“I believe the mining companies still do not understand that the minerals are located under our land,” Moonias said. “I have said before, if they wish to mine the ore we want it processed in our territory. That means

Exton, not Sudbury.”

Chief Sonny Gagnon of Aroland First Nation said the summit was a historic event, in that it brought together both First Nations and municipal leaders in a spirit of cooperation.

“We will not be treated like a third world country, where a company can walk in, take what it wants and get rich off our resources without giving back,” Gagnon said. “We don’t want to end up with our lands destroyed and that is what is going to happen if we keep going down this road.

“This summit today shows that the people in the North are getting together and will force these companies to work with all of us,” he added.

Noront wants to be ‘world-class’ in First Nations-industry relations Shawn Bell Wawatay News

Noront Resources, one of the big players in Ontario’s Ring of Fire, says it wants to set a new world-class standard for how mining companies work with First Nations communities around developments.

Noront’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) Paul Semple made the claim during the company’s visit to Nibinamik First Nation on April 12.

“We believe there is an opportunity right now for industry and First Nations (in Ontario) to develop a worldclass model of how we can work together,” Semple said. “Our goal is to set the standard, to

supersede the current industry standard in how we work with Aboriginal people.”

Noront’s Eagles’ Nest mine is currently undergoing environmental assessment. The company hopes to start construction on the underground mine in 2013, with production expected to begin in 2015.

Semple said the company’s first step in setting a new standard for industry-First Nation relations was establishing a First Nations Advisory Board of former chiefs and First Nations leaders from the region, to help Noront understand the issues and work to address them.

Now the company is working on establishing partnerships with area First Nations

on a range of initiatives related to employment training, infrastructure needs and mine supply.

Semple later told Wawatay News that in his opinion, companies in British Columbia and Saskatchewan are leading the way when it comes to Aboriginal partnerships with industry.

He noted Impact Benefit Agreements signed between the government of British Columbia, First Nations in the province and industry that outline revenue sharing between the three parties, including the government sharing portions of its tax revenue from mining operations with local First Nations.

He also cited Cameco, the Saskatchewan uranium mining

company, as having done good work developing partnerships with local First Nations.

Semple said Noront has the advantage of being able to watch and learn from what other companies across the country have done, and use best practices established elsewhere.

“We’ve got to understand what they’ve done, what’s worked and what has not,” Semple said. “We’re starting with a clean sheet of paper, so we have the opportunity to take advantage of the lessons learned and improve in areas that could be done better.”

He repeatedly emphasized the training aspect that a mine offers for local First Nations people. Noront has proposed a

training program to the federal government that would help prepare First Nations people for employment in the Ring of Fire.

Semple said it is crucial to get potential employees caught up on their high school education as soon as possible, so that they can be eligible for further training in the skill or trade of their choice.

Noront has proposed that it use its mine site as a “campus,” where employees could get trained before starting work in the mine.

Semple also talked of using the Noront mine camp, expected to house up to 1,000 workers, as a pilot project for ways to build sustainable communities in the north.

He said the camp will explore efficient and effective ways of powering and heating buildings, dealing with waste and creating transportation infrastructure that can later be translated into community development.

The East-West transportation corridor proposed by Noront and endorsed by four Matawa First Nations also ties into the company’s community-building strategy, Semple said.

The road as proposed would be built and operated by the communities and the provincial government, with Noront and other companies paying either a toll for use or signing a user agreement with the communities.

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Displays and comment forms will be available, and staff will be on hand to answer questions at: Lakehead Labour Centre 929 Fort William Road (Across from the Intercity Mall)

Thursday, May 3, 2012 Drop in anytime between 3 - 8 p.m.

For more information about the Thunder Bay GS Conversion Project, visit opg.com; email: conversion@opg.com, or call Chris Fralick, Northwest Plant Group manager at 807-625-6400.

12

Wawatay News

APRIL 26, 2012

á?§á?&#x160;á?§á?&#x160;á&#x2018;&#x152; á?&#x160;á&#x2019;&#x2039;á&#x2019;§á?§á?&#x192;á&#x201C;&#x2021;á?Ł

Bingwi Neeyashi Anishinaabek: Profile of a community on the move Shawn Bell Wawatay News

When it comes to long-term community development, it may be best to start from scratch.

That was the approach forced on Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek (BNA) First Nation, after its traditional lands were displaced in the early 1900s to make room for a provincial park.

One century later BNA is well underway with the process to reclaim those lands. Its work started with the 2011 reserve allocation on the eastern shores of Lake Nipigon, an area known as Sand Point, and has continued with a series of plans and proposals that, if successful, may well make BNA an iconic name when it comes to First Nation development. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are a lot of big things happening,â&#x20AC;? said BNA chief Paul Gladu. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an exciting time for this First Nation.â&#x20AC;?

Gladuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s enthusiasm on the future of his community is palpable, and for good reason.

Earlier this yeah BNA was one of two First Nations in Ontario selected for a coveted Land Management Act that eliminates many of the restrictions placed on First Nations under the Indian Act. And late last year the community was one of eight First Nations in Canada, the only in Ontario, selected as part of a pilot project developing land use plans on reserve.

Those two pieces of develop-

ment have given BNAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leadership unprecedented say over what happens on the First Nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reserve lands. No longer is a signature from a federal minister necessary for BNA to approve a development. No longer does the First Nation have to wait two to three years to get all the necessary paperwork filled out by the government before starting a project.

The result has been a number of big plans for economic development for the burgeoning reserve, from a sawmill and wood pellet plant to wind and solar power developments and a 5-star eco-resort.

Add in the fact that the community is building its reserve from scratch and BNA has the makings of what may come to be one of the most economically successful First Nations in northern Ontario.

The past BNA is one of six First Nations that have always called the shores of Lake Nipigon home. But in the early 1950s, as Lake Nipigon Provincial Park was established, the community was displaced from its traditional territory at Sand Point, its members spread out across northwestern Ontario.

Nearly a century later BNA started negotiations with the federal government on reestablishing itself at Sand Point.

Those negotiations resulted in the southern half of Lake Nipigon Provincial Park, including

photo submitted by Bingwi Neeyashi Anishinaabek

BNA leadership joined First Nation leaders from 17 other communities across Canada for the official signing of the Land Management Act that gives First Nations more control over decisions on reserve land.

BNA Chief Paul Gladu (third from right, front row) said the agreement marks an exciting time for the First Nation as it moves forward with a number of economic development initiatives. the campground area and trails that are the only access into the park, being designated as BNA land in 1999.

Today the approximately 230 members of BNA are still scattered throughout northwestern Ontario, with small populations living in Thunder Bay, Rocky Bay, Pays Plat and Beardmore.

The bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head office is in Thunder Bay, as is Chief Gladu and his staff.

But much of that will change over the next few years. The First Nation plans to build at least 50 homes on its reserve at Sand Point, along with the development projects currently in the planning stages.

Gladu said he has heard from many of the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s elders that want to move back to the reserve, and expects to have anywhere from 60 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 100 jobs on the reserve in a decade. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a real desire for people to move back and reclaim the territory,â&#x20AC;? Gladu said.

Four pillars of the economy BNAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic development reflects the economic development model prevalent across northern Ontario. It includes forestry, energy development, tourism and mining.

The ideas being developed are not unique, yet combining them all on a small scale to fit the needs of one First Nation is.

Plans for a sawmill and wood pellet plant are leading the way for the First Nation, while getting a lot of attention from governments and other First Nations. But the forestry initiatives are only one part of a package that includes a massive wind power farm, a lakeside resort and a partnership on a proposed lithium mine just outside the reserve.

In terms of forestry projects, the crux of BNAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development revolves on the community being one of four First Nations

granted control over the Lake Nipigon forest allotment. That has guaranteed wood for the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s uses, and allowed BNA leadership to move forward on building a sawmill and wood pellet mill on the reserve.

The sawmill will be the first piece of infrastructure built.

Last autumn the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contractors leveled the site of the mill, and construction is expected to begin within a month. Gladu said he expects the sawmill to open in August or September of 2012. An estimated 21 direct jobs and four indirect jobs are expected in the facility.

An interrelated part of BNAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s forestry plan is a wood pellet facility, that will use the sawdust and waste wood from the sawmill plus additional wood allocations to create pellets for wood burning heat. Gladu said construction on the estimated $15 million project should start later this year, with production of wood pellets beginning in late autumn 2012. The facility is eventually expected to employ 16 people directly and another 15 indirectly.

On the energy front, BNA has plans for solar, wind and biomass energy projects to power homes and industry on the reserve, as well as export power south.

Much of the power will be generated by wind, through a partnership with Innergex on a $600 million wind power project.

See ELECTRICITY page 13

Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority Health Care in Partnership with First Nations

Our Mission Help our people to better health through health-promotion and disease prevention Support communities to deliver quality, community-based primary health care with TXDOLÂżHG )LUVW 1DWLRQV VWDII Provide specialized services and regional services not provided by communities and tribal councils

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www.SLFNHA.com

Wawatay News

APRIL 26, 2012

Electricity and Tourism from page 12 The First Nation claims that 20 to 25 megawatts of wind power will be generated for electricity on reserve, with an additional 260 megawatts of wind power to be exported south.

As for tourism, a proposed $15 million 5-star Eco-lodge set for the shores of Lake Nipigon has been put on hold due to the economic downturn, but Gladue said it is only a matter of the economy improving for that project to take off. BNA also wants to build a lake front cottage development in partnership with the other eastern Lake Nipigon First Nations.

BNA is also working with Rock Tech on a proposed lithium mine near the community, with expected mine operation beginning in 2014.

Secrets to economic development success The kinds of economic development that BNA is undertaking are not new. Many communities around northern Ontario and across Canada have started forestry projects, gotten involved in new mines, built wind and solar projects and started tourism initiatives.

But what BNA is embarking on â&#x20AC;&#x201C; building a community from the ground up and providing employment for band members with small-scale industrial projects â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is a unique type of development with the potential to hold many lessons for other First Nations across the country.

When asked what the secret is to BNAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic development planning success, Chief Gladu pointed to the highly

educated staff that the First Nation has recruited. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You need these kind of people to work with you in your office,â&#x20AC;? Gladue said, noting the band has hired lawyers, economic development officers and planners. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It makes it a lot easier when you have the right people in the right places.â&#x20AC;?

He noted that when First Nations hire consultants to assist with projects or long-term planning, the First Nation may save money but in return gets an employee with no vested interest in the community or its long-term success. â&#x20AC;&#x153;BNA could have hired consultants, but the result would not have been the same,â&#x20AC;?

Galdu said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Here our staff have high credentials and they are compensated fairly, and they are dedicated to the cause. They are here to help the community emancipate itself from poverty.â&#x20AC;?

Wilfred King is one of the staff that Gladu relies on for both long-term planning and day-to-day operations.

For King, the former chief at Gull Bay First Nation, the lessons that BNA holds is that First Nations have to learn from each other, and other non-native communities.

When BNA started looking at what economic development opportunities existed, King explained, it based its plans on the successes and failures of other First Nations and other communities. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Communities can learn from each other,â&#x20AC;? King said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why reinvent the wheel?

We can learn from the good practices of others, and from othersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; mistakes. Here, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not shy. We like to borrow from others.â&#x20AC;?

13

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Northern Nishnawbe Education Council Presents: th The 7 Annual Yellow Ribbon Walk For Life Guest Speaker:

EvaLegacy Olsson of Learning

She lived through one of humanityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s darkest hours, and now Holocaust survivor Eva Olsson is bringing her message of peace and tolerance to Sioux Lookout and Area

Yellow Ribbon Walk May 2, 2012 Sioux Lookout Where to Meet:

Front Street, by Royal Canadian Legion

Time:

Meet and Greet/Opening 10:30 am and Walk Starts 11:00 am

End of Walk:

Queen Elizabeth District High School; Live Presentation from Eva Olsson.

To be broadcasted in real time on WRN radio 89.9 FM or Bell ExpressVu Channel 962

Speaking Sites:

Dennis Franklin High School, Thunder Bay, April 30, 2012 Pelican Falls High School, Sioux Lookout, May 1, 2012 Sacred Heart Church, Sioux Lookout, May 3, 2012 at 7 pm

â&#x20AC;&#x153; It is ok to ask 4 Help 1 800 668 6868â&#x20AC;?

Suicide Prevention Information contact: Norma Kejick, Executive Director, NNEC, 807 737 2002 or NKejick@nnec.on.ca Thanks to our partners: Queen Elizabeth District High School, KPDSB Sacred Heart School, Northwest Catholic District School, Roy Lane

Tikinagan Child & Family Services

Mamow Obiki-ahwahsoowin Everyone working together to raise our children

www.tikinagan.org Family Services Worker describes Mamow Obikiahwahsoowin Model

T

ikinagan Child and Family Services staff are learning more about the agencyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mamow Obiki-ahwahsoowin (Everyone Working Together to Raise Our Children) service model through a special training workshop. The intent of the workshop, being offered on an ongoing basis, is for all Tikinagan employees to gain a better understanding of the model and to express it in the way they do their jobs.

For a training assignment in February 2012, Garnet Crow, a family services worker in Sandy Lake, wrote about his understanding of the model. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A service model based at a community level, Mamow Obiki-ahwahsoowin is true to the original visions that the chiefs had when Tikinagan was created,â&#x20AC;?

Garnet wrote. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is designed to respect the inherent authority of First Nations to care for our own children. It also acknowledges our First Nations mandate and jurisdiction.

The First Nation Chief and Council have authority to declare children to be under customary care agreements.â&#x20AC;?

The full text is published on the Tikinagan website at www.tikinagan.org/ node/871

Elder Video Presentation

E

lder Emily Gregg is currently featured on the front page of the Tikinagan website, www.tikinagan.org, in a two-part video.

In Part 1, Emily talks about her upbringing, parenting at that time, selfreliance, and the traditional role of Elders in helping troubled familes.

Part 2 features Emily describing her role as a member of the Tikinagan Elders Council, and Tikinaganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role in helping children and families.

She speaks in Oji-Cree. English subtitles are provided.

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At a special luncheon March 30, Tikinagan honoured employees with 15 years or more of service. They included, from front, left: Caroline Derouin, Judy Angeconeb, Bev McFee, and Diane Hoey; and from back, left, Mary McKay, Phyllis Matthews, Linda Wilson, Marlene Boos, Clara Young, and David Kanakakeesic. Missing from the photo are Marie Hudson and Rob Cantin.

Final Workday for Finance Supervisor

A

sked to guess how many employees she worked with in the finance department at Tikinagan Child and Family Services, Bev McFee traces time periods and old office floor plans with her left hand and in her mind. It helps her picture, name and count them.

She reaches 10 names, then 20, then counts some more. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would have to say at least 30,â&#x20AC;? she realizes, seemingly surprised by the high number.

Until now, it hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been the kind of thing she would stop to think about during her busy workdays as a Tikinagan finance supervisor.

But just one day from retirement after almost

25 years at Tikinagan, she has been asked to reflect on that time.

To read about Bevâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reflection, visit the Tikinagan website at www.tikinagan.org/ node/876

Tikinagan executive director Ernest Beck presents Bev McFee with a gift for more than 24 years of service to the agency.

14

Wawatay News

APRIL 26, 2012

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

photo by Rick Garrick/Wawatay News

A group of Biwasse’aa (Neighbourhood Capacity Building Project) staff were on hand to accept a donation to their program during Diversity Thunder Bay’s 6th Annual Celebration Breakfast, held March 23 at the Valhalla Inn.

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“Money when you need it, Anytime, Anywhere”

Former Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario James Bartleman called for equal funding of First Nations education during his keynote speech at Diversity Thunder Bay’s 6th Annual Celebration Breakfast, held March 23 at the Valhalla Inn. “We need to have justice for the Native children who live on reserve and who go to schools that are falling apart,” said Bartleman, a Chippewas of Mnjikaning band member, diplomat and author of five books, including As Long as the Rivers Flow. “We need simple human justice so they receive the same level of funding as non-native kids.”

Bartleman said there are thousands of First Nation teachers, doctors, lawyers and pipefitters who attended the provincial school system and had access to better-qualified teachers, libraries and other benefits.

“We have to address racism in Canadian society as a whole, not just against Native people, and the place to do that is in the school,” Bartleman said.

“Those of you who are my age probably remember when they campaigned against litter, against tossing cigarette butts and cigarette packages out of cars. That started by teaching the kids in school, and the kids taught their parents. We need to do more about that, more about racism in the school curriculum.”

Former Ontario regional chief Charles Fox believes First Nation schools are receiving less than 80 per cent of the funding provincial schools receive.

“I think it is much lower than that,” Fox said after listening to Bartleman call for equal funding for First Nations education.

“I think that more research needs to be done on that — I would guess about 50-60 per cent funding that our schools get.”

Fox also noted Bartleman’s comments on suicides in Nishnawbe Aski Nation territory averaging about 25 per year since 1997.

“I think overall the messages he delivered are good,” Fox said. “As the chair of the advisory committee commented, it is very sobering. Certainly the challenge is there for us to look at the whole issue of residential schools.”

More than 130,000 First Nations children were sent to residential schools, which were in existence for more than 130 years until the last one was shut down in 1996.

“I am a survivor of the residential school system,” said Fox, who attended Shingwauk Indian Residential School in Sault Ste. Marie. “I suffered the sexual exploitation, the spiritual abuse, the emotional and physical abuse in that institution. It is difficult; it is challenging.”

Fox chose the path of healing, but it wasn’t until he was well into his adult years that he acknowledged what happened in residential school.

“A lot of our people live in denial,” Fox said. “We need the political will by governments to move the agenda forward on these issues.”

Bartleman said while Canadians feel proud about having a strong multicultural society, a recent public opinion poll

Each victim of crime moves along a different path towards healing. There are programs and services to help victims of crime rebuild their lives and have their voices heard.

Call Ah-shawah-bin Sioux Lookout/Lac Seul Victim Support Services for more information at (807) 737-1700 or visit www.victimsweek.gc.ca.

suggests millions of Canadians would not marry, live beside or work beside someone from a different ethnic background.

“It is a good time to take stock and we have a lot to do,” Bartleman said. “This week the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination produced its report on Canada’s record. It was highly critical of Canada’s treatment of Native people. It calls out in particular for allowing violence against Native women — 600 disappeared with no one seeming to care when it was happening, huge numbers of children in care, excessive incarceration of Native people, high levels of poverty, inadequate employment, housing, drinking water and health and education.”

Bartleman recalled an incident that illustrates why these issues need to be addressed, noting a 2002 trip to NAN’s flyin communities shortly after he was named Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario.

“I flew into Kashechewan and as my plane was circling the airport there was a plane taxiing to park near a great crowd of people,” Bartleman said. “When I landed I asked the people what was going on and they said a 13-year-old girl had killed herself. I said why.

He looked at me like I didn’t really understand what was going on, and said that she had no hope.”

The Regional Multicultural Youth Council and the Biwasse’aa (Neighbourhood Capacity Building Project) received donations to their programs during the diversity breakfast due to unprecedented support by sponsors.

Rick Garrick

Wawatay News

Police Foundations students at Seven Generations Education Institute are looking forward to bringing a better understanding of First Nation communities to area police forces.

“My wife and my daughter are band members of Couchiching,” said James Marengere, a second-year police foundations student. “If I do get into First Nations policing, I feel I do have a lot better understanding of some of the communities and some of the culture.”

Marengere said about 90 per cent of his fellow classmates

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1-800-243-9059 are Aboriginal, with most of the students hailing from the Fort Frances area, two from the Kenora area and one from Ottawa.

“Some of the courses and extra-curricular program are more Aboriginal oriented,” Marengere said. “You get some cultural learning for those who are not so aware and a refresher for those who do.”

The cultural component was the reason the Ottawa student enrolled in the program, said Bill Perrault, police foundations program coordinator.

“He wanted to make sure that he was culturally sensitive,” Perrault said. “He com-

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“You get some cultural learning for those who are not so aware and a refresher for those who do.”

– James Marengere

muted and he was living here for the two years while he goes home during the summer time.

He came here specifically for that reason.”

Perrault said Seven Generations offers a multitude of cultural activities throughout the school year, including a three-

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“We are on the shoreline of Rainy Lake and we have different stations,” Perrault said. “It’s a pretty good opportunity for the students especially if they are coming to a place where they want to learn different cultures.”

Marengere said the class instructors were excellent, noting both instructors during the second year had about 30 years of experience.

“Between both of them, they bring 60 years of policing experience to the table,” Marengere said. “They could really expand

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on the material in the text, with their real-life experience.”

Perrault said the Treaty Three Police Services office is located right across the street from Seven Generations, so the Treaty Three Police officers often provided workshops and talked with the police foundations students.

“It’s a benefit for them too, because they are kind of looking at them as potential recruits in the future,” Perrault said.

“We also have recruiters coming in from the Ontario Provincial Police that are also looking at our students.”

Marengere is planning to apply to both the Ontario Pro-

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Wawatay News

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

15

Police foundations program culturally sensitive vincial Police and the Treaty Three Police once he graduates from the program.

“It’s an excellent program,” Marengere said. “It can open up a lot of doors, not just for policing.”

Seven Generations is offering the Police Foundations program again this fall through Canadore College for about 12-15 students, up to a maximum of 25 students.

“One of the benefits to going to school here is you really don’t get lost in the shuffle,” Perrault said. “We have a lot of things set up to support our students and the student-to-instructor ratio is really low.”

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Wawatay News

APRIL 26, 2012

á?§á?&#x160;á?§á?&#x160;á&#x2018;&#x152; á?&#x160;á&#x2019;&#x2039;á&#x2019;§á?§á?&#x192;á&#x201C;&#x2021;á?Ł

OfďŹ cial Court Notice

September 19, 2012 is the deadline for Independent Assessment Process applications.

The Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.

The healing continues.

(1) sexual abuse, (2) serious physical abuse, or (3) certain other wrongful acts which caused serious psychological consequences, while you were either (a) living at a residential school, (b) a student at a residential school, or (c) under the Under the terms of the Settlement, September 19, 2012 age of 21 and allowed to be at a residential school to take part is the Independent Assessment Process (IAP) Application in authorized school activities. It is not a requirement to have Deadline. Applications submitted after this date will not lived at one of the recognized residential schools in order to be accepted. The IAP is a complex process. Do not wait make an IAP claim for abuse that may have occurred there. until just before the deadline to begin, as the application How do I apply for IAP? To apply for an IAP payment you must form can take time to complete. complete and submit an application form by September 19, What is the IAP? The IAP is an out-of-court process created 2012, to Indian Residential Schools Independent Assessment to resolve claims of abuse at Indian Residential Schools.

Process, Suite 3-505, 133 Weber Street North, Waterloo, People who suffered sexual abuse, serious physical abuse, or Ontario, N2J 3G9. Applications after this date will not be certain other wrongful acts which caused serious psychological accepted. The IAP is a complex process and it is strongly consequences while at a recognized residential school may recommended that you hire a lawyer if you wish to submit an IAP receive money through the IAP. Awards application. Do not wait until just before are based on a point system for different the deadline to begin, as the application Information abuses and resulting harms. Â&#x2021; $ERXW WKH ,$3 DQG KRZ WR DSSO\ form can take time to complete. To Â&#x2021; + HOS FRPSOHWLQJ WKH DSSOLFDWLRQ get an application, please call 1-866Is the IAP different than the Common Â&#x2021; )LQG RXW DERXW D SHQGLQJ ,$3 FODLP 879-4913 or go to www.iap-pei.ca or Experience Payment? Yes. The IAP Â&#x2021; ZZZ LDS SHL FD www.residentialschoolsettlement.ca. process is separate and different from the Common Experience Payment Crisis Line Do I need a lawyer? All of the parties (CEP) application process. The CEP ,PPHGLDWH DQG FXOWXUDOO\ DSSURSULDWH who developed the IAP believe that is a payment to those who lived at a FRXQVHOOLQJ VXSSRUW claimants should have a lawyer to recognized residential school. The IAP

represent them as the IAP is complex provides payments for speciďŹ c abuse and involves difďŹ cult legal concepts and suffered while at a recognized residential school. Under the processes. It is not required, but it is strongly recommended settlement, former students could apply for the CEP, or for that you hire a lawyer to help you. For a list of lawyers, visit the IAP, or for both the CEP and IAP. The CEP application www.residentialschoolsettlement.ca. If you do not wish to hire deadline was September 19, 2011; however, where former a lawyer you can call 1-866-879-4913 to obtain information students can establish that they were unable to submit their CEP about the support available to you. application due to disability, undue hardship or exceptional What if I have already applied for the Independent circumstances they can still apply for CEP up until September Assessment Process? If you have already applied, and have 19, 2012. not received any information or have questions about your On September 19, 2007 the Indian Residential Schools Settlement became effective. An important deadline is now approaching.

Which schools are included? The list of recognized Indian Residential Schools has been updated. Decisions regarding a number of other schools are in progress. A complete and updated list of recognized residential schools is available at www.residentialschoolsettlement.ca.

Who can apply? You can apply for the IAP if you experienced

IAP application, please contact the phone number below.

How can I ďŹ nd out the status of my application? There are 3 ways to ďŹ nd out the status of your application: 1) Contact your lawyer or legal representative; 2) Call 1-866-879-4913; or 3) Send an email at info@iap-pei.ca

1-866-879-4913 â&#x20AC;˘ www.residentialschoolsettlement.ca

Wawatay News

APRIL 26, 2012

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17

18

Wawatay News

APRIL 26, 2012

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

Above left: Jeiyd Sedgwick gets way up high during her balance beam training. Above right: Keisha Cutfeet practices a safe version of the balance beam.

photos by Adrienne Fox/Special to Wawatay News

Tumbling for success Adrienne Fox Special to Wawatay News

The space is cavernous – filled with every imaginable piece of equipment to make aspiring gymnasts stronger, more agile and graceful. The Claydon Building in Thunder Bay is a second home for the four girls practicing today. It’s a Sunday afternoon. And River Fox has just completed a few hours of cheerleading training.

Now she’s facing four hours of rigorous gymnastics training.

But the hours she spends pushing her 14-year-old body to its physical limits leaves her feeling accomplished and healthy.

“Gymnastics is my life. I’ve been in it since I was six.”

And she knows her mother Leona Morris is proud of her.

“There aren’t many Aboriginal people who do this,” she says.

Her mother agrees.

“She works out 12 hours a week on top of school.”

Funding River’s sporting aspirations can be a challenge, says Morris.

The Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug member says she’s grateful her community was able to help with River’s fees, which can be about $3,000 per year. That leaves Morris to pay for transportation costs that include hotel bills and food.

But more important, Morris is proud of her daughter.

“She’s very dedicated and devoted to her sports.

“This is not only positive for her physical well-being but also her emotional and mental wellbeing. She is more confident because when she sees a future goal for herself, she pushes herself to work towards it.”

Encouraging healthy lifestyles That’s a sentiment also expressed by Pauline Mickelson, the mother of 13-year-old Sarah Mickelson – a Grade 8 student at Woodcrest Public School in Thunder Bay. “My daughter Sarah is very special,” her mother says affectionately.

“She is talented. She is athletic. She has amazing spirit.

She’s very compassionate. And she’s passionate about stuff she believes in.”

Above: River Fox shows off the incredible flexibility needed for gymnastics sucess.

Right: Sarah Mickelson with her moves on the balance beam. Her coach says Sarah’s personality and excitement keeps him and the rest of the team going.

Mickelson says it’s important to encourage children to be strong individuals. She believes encouragement helps enrich cultural identity.

“I don’t want to lose my daughter to a lifestyle where she could get hurt.

“I want her to be a healthy strong woman. And I want her to live well, to have a good life.”

Mickelson says her daughter sets an example for Aboriginal people by modeling healthy lifestyle through participation in sports.

And when she watches her daughter compete, Mickelson is almost at a loss for words to describe her feelings of joy.

“I’m just so happy for her.

I’m happy that she gets to enjoy what she’s doing.”

When Sarah placed first overall in a recent competition for her age group, Mickelson said she couldn’t have been more proud.

Her daughter, Sarah, has pride too. “I’m growing muscle now,” she giggles.

But what she enjoys above all else is being able to share a sport with a group of girls who are fun to be with. “No one fights here. There’s no drama.”

Confidence and fun Her father Ed Mickelson is in awe of his daughter’s physical capabilities.

“It’s hard work when you watch the girls train. It’s physically demanding. I’ve been playing sports my whole life but that type of training, forget

about it,” he quips. “It would kill me – have the ambulance outside.”

It’s those physical demands that push 15-year-old Jeiyd Sedgwick to face her fears.

“I used to be terrified of going backwards on the balance beam,” she shares.

“But I started getting more confident and less scared of it as I learned more skills.

“Once you learn, it’s more fun. I can do back walkovers and cartwheels and pretty much anything I can do on my floor routine I can do on beam now.”

More support needed Jeiyd’s mother is hoping her daughter’s love of gymnastics will entice communities to show more support for the artistic sport.

“There’s a lot of opportunity there to support people around hockey – the more mainstream sport. But there’s a high prevalence of people in corrections with mental health issues who have no interest in those kinds of sports and do better if they have opportunities to express their creativity … who they are. There’s no support for that.”

Sedgwick works for Ministry of Children and Youth Services Ontario.

Jeiyd’s father agrees.

Allan Brown is a member of Wapekeka.

He says First Nations need to support their young athletes.

“I think it’s very important

that we support these kids in the sport they want to pursue.

“We have ways to support them whether it’s financially or we show our First Nations kids that we care about them. It’s important we show them.”

While Jeiyd loves the balance beam, another member of the Sunday afternoon gymnasts group loves hurtling her tiny body through the air on the uneven bars.

Keisha Cutfeet is 11 and also a member of Kitchenuhmaykoosib.

“I like everything about it,” she smiles. “The jumping, the twirling.” And she appreciates the support she gets from her family. “They really like what I do and they encourage me to do better.”

Cutfeet also placed first all round in her age group during a March 24 invitational competition held in Thunder Bay. Debbie Barrett is Keisha’s grandmother. “She has a joyful disposition. She’s happy all the time so she approaches everything with enthusiasm.”

And Barrett says her job is to make sure Keisha has the things she needs to keep doing what she loves doing.

“And stay excited with her in what she’s doing.

Four talented, special girls Mike Lang coaches the girls.

All girls compete in levels 2-5, which are just a few levels down from provincial levels – a bit higher quality gymnastics.

“Some are definitely aspiring to that,” Lang says of

the girl’s abilities. “They just have to work on cleaning up like keeping their legs straight.”

He says River excels when it comes to flexibility. “She has very long legs and she looks very beautiful when she keeps them straight.”

But that can also be her biggest challenge, Lang explains because those long legs are also the first thing judges see during competition. “So if they’re bent, it’s very noticeable.”

Lang says Keisha is dynamic and powerful. “She tumbles

very quick and she’s a very good vaulter.”

And Jeiyd uses her determination and drive to push herself hard. “She’s very competitive,” he says.

“And with Sarah, her personality is just off the wall.”

Lang says Sarah keeps him going because she’s so excitable.

“She really makes me want to coach more.”

The girls and their families will be in Sioux Lookout April 28 to compete then in Ottawa June 1 for the season’s final big meet.

Wawatay News

APRIL 26, 2012

19

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

3rd World Canada Essay wins KI youth provincial prose/poetry writing award Lenny Carpenter Wawatay News

Lilyanna McKay of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation received the Student Achievement Award by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/ FEESO) for an essay she wrote about how the voices of First Nations youth need to be heard.

McKay won the intermediate grades 9-10 applied/essential category in the prose or poetry division of the award for her entry: “3rd World Canada: Voices of First Nations Need to be Heard.”

While the entry was submitted as an essay, McKay said it was written as a speech she delivered before the 2010 Toronto premiere of Third World Canada, a documentary featuring McKay and her siblings and the day-to-day life on the reserve.

“I wasn’t going to do anything with it other than that speech in Toronto,” she said. Then last year, her teacher at Lakehead Alternative School submitted the speech for the awards.

“Lilyanna’s personal essay is a well-crafted plea for First Nations children,” said OSSTF/

Spring Chiefs Assembly Submitted photo

Lilyanna McKay of KI is garnering a lot of attention for her writing.

FEESO President Ken Coran in a press release. “Its topic is timely and its message appeals to both the hearts and the minds of its readers.”

McKay said she feels “pretty good” about receiving the award.

This is the 27th consecutive year in which OSSTF/FEESO has presented the Student Achievement Awards (formerly known as the Marion Drysdale Awards).

The awards were presented for poem or essay submissions in five age, language and academic categories and the competition is open to all Ontario

public high school students.

This year’s theme was “The Right to Speak. The Responsibility to Listen.”

OSSTF/FEESO, founded in 1919, has 60,000 members across Ontario. They include public high school teachers, occasional teachers, educational assistants, continuing education teachers and instructors, early childhood educators, psychologists, secretaries, speechlanguage pathologists, social workers, plant support personnel, university support staff, and many others in education.

Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt of Lilyanna McKay’s essay that won a provincial award.

Voices of First Nations children need to be heard Lilyanna McKay For many years the government ignored us, forgot about the treaties and left us hidden on the reserves.

Today our education is being ignored and our homes are in wretched condition. The government has ignored our voices. I want my voice, and our First Nation’s voices, to be heard for the sake of my child, and for the sake of future generations still to come. I want my voice to be heard, so we can keep this nation strong.

Many Canadians say that the native people are very strong, but I don’t see it. Our bloodline may be strong but our reality has taken over our soul, heart, and body.

The reason I say this, is that throughout my whole life I have known nothing but abuse: physical, emotional, alcohol and drug abuse.

Growing up, I always thought that it was normal for people to kill themselves, and to kill others. When I was younger, I told my friend that the way I wanted to die was by hanging myself. I told her I wanted to die young and never grow old. I thought I would end up like all the grown ups I knew, addicted to drugs and alcohol. I heard the excuses the adults gave saying that they were sick. They told me you only get as sick as they do when you are older. How can the sick have a voice when no options are available on the reserve for rehab and health?

People say that the native people are strong, but how are they strong? Most natives I know only speak English.

Few even know how to speak a sentence in their aboriginal language. We are no longer native. We wear clothes the government gave us; we eat their food and we praise their gods. We continue to allow the government to keep us hidden on reserves, away from the public eye, out of the media. Even with the specter of residential schools haunting us, the government still seems to want a form of status quo. They ignore our problems, and for what exactly? Will we ever see our land the way it used to be?

Will we ever speak our languages f luently again? Will our voices never be heard?

These questions seem impossible to answer.

Humans were given land along with other land animals.

Birds were given the sky, and fish were given the waters. But humanity continues to takes things that don’t belong to them, to pollute and destroy what they have – including themselves. For example, land is leased or “owned”, animals are put in cages, garbage builds up as we buy and throw away even more. Our land is contaminated by business and by people through a lack of respect and care. Both aboriginal and non-aboriginal people are making choices, and they are negligent choices. Furthermore large corporations are still mining in our region, but

they are not helping our economy, or the land in the ways it needs to be helped. More people need to listen to our needs, and be more responsible. ...

My family was featured in the film, “3rd World Canada,” a film about a few everyday life struggles in KI. I want “3rd World Canada” to be an eye-opener to Native people of all nations, to all Canadians. Life in KI is easy – and hard. It is my home; it is where my roots and history run deep. But going back brings back memories, particularly when I visit the home that I grew up in. The house I grew up in had no drawers or doors; the damage was incredible, even though it was a brand new house when we moved in.

Ten people lived in a four bedroom house. My two sisters and I were fortunate to have our own rooms, but everyone else shared another room. This is just an example of some of the difficulties we experience. ...

What needs to change?

Teach my people, my family that there’s a better life out there other than drugs, alcohol, and smoking. With an education life opens up so many doors! The time is now for my voice and my people’s voices to be heard. If we are not listened to I’m afraid of what’s to come with our lives today, and for future generations to come.

May 15 - 17, 2012 Tim Horton’s Event Centre Cochrane, Ontario

Support Resolution Deadline: Friday May 4, 2012 at 5:00 p.m.

Resolution Deadline: Wednesday May 16, 2012 at 3:00 p.m.

Email Resolutions: Luke Hunter at lhunter@nan.on.ca For more information: Jason Smallboy (800) 465-9952

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Nomination deadline is July 3, 2012 Categories: NAN Women Award NAN Elder Award Emile Nakogee for Outstanding Leadership Award NAN Youth Award Awards to be presented at XXXI Keewaywin Conference Kashechewan First Nation August 2012 Nomination forms are available at nan.on.ca Or by calling 1-800-465-9952

visit us online at

www.wawataynews.ca keeping you informed as the news happens

20

Wawatay News

APRIL 26, 2012

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

SIOUX LOOKOUT FIRST NATIONS HEALTH AUTHORITY Client Services Department

SIOUX LOOKOUT FIRST NATIONS HEALTH AUTHORITY Electronic Medical Records Project

TRANSPORTATION DRIVERS Internal/External Posting Casual positions Location: Sioux Lookout, ON

EMR PROGRAM SPECIALIST Internal/External Posting Full Time Location: Sioux Lookout, Ontario

The Transportation Drivers are primarily responsible for providing ground transportation to First Nations medical clients and escorts from the First Nations communities.

The incumbents will provide general outreach to the clients and perform routine maintenance for the Client Services Department Vans.

QUALIFICATIONS: • Minimum Grade 12 or equivalent; • Must have a Valid Ontario Driver’s Licence, with a minimum of three (3) years previous driving experience; • Must have had no insurance claims over the last three (3) years; • Must have had continuous insurance coverage for the last three (3) years; • Must have a good driving record-accident free for minimum of (3) three years; • Must have no Highway Traffic Act convictions; • A defensive driving course would be a definite asset.

KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITY • Ability to communicate in one or more of the First Nations dialects of the Sioux Lookout Zone a definite asset; • Experience and understanding of Native cultural issues, the geographical realities and social conditions within remote Northern First Nation communities; • Innovative problem solving and decision making skills; • Excellent time management, and organizational skills, as well as the ability to work independently.

Please send cover letter, resume, three most recent employment references and an up-to-date Criminal Reference Check, Vulnerable Person’s Sector check and a Driver’s Abstract to: Human Resources Department Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority 61 Queen Street, P.O. Box 1300 Sioux Lookout, ON P8T 1B8 Phone: (807) 737-1802 Fax: (807) 737-2969 Email: Human.Resources@slfnha.com Closing Date: May 4, 2012 The Health Authority wishes to thank all applicants in advance.

However, only those granted an interview will be contacted.

Reporting to the Director of Health Services, the Program Specialist will provide program and technical expertise in all aspects of the setup and maintenance of an electronic medical records management system. This will include training, coordination and implementation of all upgrades. Coordinate and carry out the communication plan to support the EMR system.

QUALIFICATIONS • Previous experience (minimum 2-4 years) in a Medical setting; • Experience and education in medical terminology; • Previous experience working with electronic medical records an asset; • Possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills (both verbal and written); • Possess strong computer skills.

wawataynews.ca/jobs

KNOWLEDGE & ABILITY • Working knowledge of medical record management; • Ability to maintain effective working relationships; • Superior time management and organizational skills; • Ability to work independently in a fast paced work environment; • Ability to work under pressure and with tight deadlines; • Ability to provide training and facilitate individual or group sessions; • Experience in developing policies and procedures.

Training will be provided to the specific Electronic Medical Records system.

Please send cover letter, resume, three most recent employment references and an up-to-date Criminal Reference Check to: Human Resources Department Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority 61 Queen Street, P.O. Box 1300 Sioux Lookout, ON P8T 1B8 Phone: (807) 737-1802 Fax: (807) 737-2969 Email: Human.Resources@slfnha.com Closing Date: May 4, 2012 The Health Authority wishes to thank all applicants in advance.

However, only those granted an interview will be contacted.

For additional information regarding the Health Authority, please visit our Web-site at www.slfnha.com

For additional information regarding the Health Authority, please visit our Web-site at www.slfnha.com

Tikinagan Child & Family Services

SIOUX LOOKOUT FIRST NATIONS HEALTH AUTHORITY Client Services Department

SIOUX LOOKOUT FIRST NATIONS HEALTH AUTHORITY Finance Department

TRANSPORTATION DISPATCHER Internal/External Posting Casual Positions Location: Sioux Lookout, Ontario

FINANCE CLERK Internal/External Posting TERM Employment (6 months) With possibility of being extended to full time Location: Must Sioux Lookout, Ontario be willing to relocate

Founded by our Chiefs and Elders, Tikinagan continues to focus services and staff positions in the First Nations we serve. We believe our role is to be there in the communities, mentoring young parents, supporting families and protecting children. Our work is guided by the Tikinagan service model – Mamow Obiki-ahwahsoowin (Everyone working together to raise our children).

We invite applications for the following jobs, which are open until filled unless a closing date is indicated: Aroland – Live-in Foster Parents Bearskin Lake – Prevention Services Co-ordinator Big Trout Lake – Residential Care Worker, Child Care Worker, Family Services Worker, Kitchen Cook (part-time), Traditional Life Skills Educator (male), Residential Counsellor (female, term to July 5, 2012), Maintenance Worker, Residential Counsellor (male), Casual Relief Workers Cat Lake – Family Services Worker, Prevention Services Co-ordinator Deer Lake – Family Services Worker Fort Hope – Direct Services Supervisor (Child Care), Family Services Worker Fort Severn – Child Care Worker Kasabonika – Family Services Worker, Secretary/Receptionist, Child Care Worker Keewaywin – Child Care Worker, Prevention Services Co-ordinator (May 1 closing date) Lac Seul – Casual Relief Workers Marten Falls – Prevention Services Co-ordinator, Family Services Worker Mishkeegogamang – Child Care Worker Muskrat Dam – Maintenance/Janitor (part-time) Neskantaga – Prevention Services Co-ordinator, Family Services Worker Pikangikum – Intake/Investigation Worker, Child Care Worker, Direct Services Supervisor (days) Poplar Hill – Prevention Services Co-ordinator Red Lake – Child Care Worker (serving Poplar Hill, term to Jan. 2013), Family Services Workers (serving Pikangikum) Sioux Lookout – Network Support Technician (one year term, with possibility of becoming permanent), Casual Relief Workers, Service Data Analyst, Payroll Clerk, Finance Clerk, Intake/Investigation Worker (May 1 closing date) Thunder Bay – Intake/Investigation Worker Slate Falls – Prevention Services Co-ordinator, Casual Relief Workers

This position reports directly to the Director of Client Services and has the responsibility for the coordination of daily client services activities. The shuttle service is responsible for providing ground transportation services for medical clients and escorts, hospital staff and delivery services.

QUALIFICATIONS • Grade 12 diploma or equivalent; • Valid Ontario driver’s license, a definite asset; • Ability to communicate in one of the First Nations dialects within the Sioux Lookout zone, a definite asset; • Excellent written and oral communication skills; • Must possess good computer skills.

Please send cover letter, resume, three most recent employment references and an up-to-date Criminal Reference Check with a Vulnerable Person’s Sector check to: Human Resources Department Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority 61 Queen Street, P.O. Box 1300 SIOUX LOOKOUT, Ontario P8T 1B8 Phone: (807) 737-1802 Fax: (807) 737-2969 Email: Human.Resources@slfnha.com Closing Date: May 4, 2012

Summer Beaver – Prevention Services Co-ordinator, Family Services Worker Wapekeka – Direct Services Supervisor, Child Care Worker

For more information about these jobs, you can: • Visit our website, www.tikinagan .org, and click on “New Jobs” • E-mail hr@tikinagan.org to request details • Call Christina Davis, human resources secretary, at: (807) 737-3466 ext. 2249 or toll-free 1-800-465-3624

www.tikinagan.org

The Health Authority wishes to thank all applicants in advance. However, only those granted an interview will be contacted.

For additional information regarding the Health Authority, please visit our Web-site at www.slfnha.com

QUALIFICATIONS • Certificate or Diploma in Secretarial Arts and/or Office Administration preferred; • Previous bookkeeping experience preferred; • Experience in data entry a definite asset; • Possess excellent verbal and written communication skills; • Possess excellent interpersonal skills, organizational and planning skills; • Must be willing and able to work as part of a team; • Must be able to work independently in a high paced work environment.

KNOWLEDGE & ABILITY • Knowledge of Microsoft Office; • Working knowledge of AccPac accounting software; • Must have experience and understanding of Native culture, and the geographic realities and social conditions within remote First Nation Communities; • Ability to communicate in one or more of the First Nations Dialects of the Sioux Lookout District will be an asset.

Please send cover letter, resume, three most recent employment references and an up-to-date Criminal Reference Check to: Human Resources Department Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority 61 Queen Street, P.O. Box 1300 Sioux Lookout, ON P8T 1B8 Phone: (807) 737-1802 Fax: (807) 737-2969 Email: Human.Resources@slfnha.com Closing Date: May 4, 2012 The Health Authority wishes to thank all applicants in advance. However, only those granted an interview will be contacted.

For additional information regarding the Health Authority, please visit our Web-site at www.slfnha.com

Wawatay News

APRIL 26, 2012

21

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

A spring day in Nibinamik It was one of the first days of spring, and goose hunting was on everyone’s mind in Nibinamik.

Geese had been spotted flying from the south for the first time that morning. Hunters were ready, taking skidoos out on the still-frozen lake to their blinds across the water.

Meanwhile boats and canoes stood at the ready along the shoreline, waiting for the last of the ice to melt away.

At the Nibinamik school, even the students were thinking hunting. With only two days of classes left until their spring hunting break, students in all grades were getting excited to go out with their parents and grandparents to the blinds in the bush.

And when school let out, the children were right outside to play in the spring sunshine.

Photos by Shawn Bell/Wawatay News

The school bus lets off some students, just two days before their spring hunting break.

Troyden Sakanee shows off his moves on his BMX bike.

Teacher Hazel Ash shows a group of grade 7 and 8 students some of the traditional bead work and stitching during culture class. The students are Hannah Sophea, Darien Beardy, Jamaal Waboos and Dawna Wabasse.

Hunters and fishermen have their boats at the ready, waiting for the last of the spring ice to melt. On this day, however, the ice came in handy as hunters on skidoos headed out to the blinds across the lake after geese.

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE VACANCIES Ontario Court of Justice Court Locations*: Oshawa, Toronto (2), Barrie (Bilingual), Brampton (Bilingual), L’Orignal (Bilingual), Timmins (Bilingual) *Please check www.ontariocourts.ca/ocj/jpaac/advertisements for an updated listing of advertised vacancies.

At the request of the Attorney General, the Justices of the Peace Appointments Advisory Committee invites applications for vacant Justice of the Peace positions in the Province of Ontario.

A Justice of the Peace is an independent judicial officer who presides in court over various proceedings under federal and provincial statutes. Applicants must meet minimum qualifications as set out in the Justices of the Peace Act. In addition to reflecting the diversity of Ontario’s population, applicants should also display the fundamental skills and abilities, personal characteristics and community awareness attributes set out in the Committee’s General Selection Criteria. Bilingual positions require a high degree of proficiency in English as well as a superior level of oral and written proficiency in French.

Nibinamik’s new subdivision, Six Nations, named for the six houses that were first built. Downtown Summer Beaver is in the distance.

The Justices of the Peace Appointments Advisory Committee reviews and evaluates applications and classifies candidates as “Not Qualified,” “Qualified” or “Highly Qualified.”

Classifications are reported to the Attorney General, who recommends candidates for Order-in-Council appointments to the Ontario Court of Justice.

Information about: the vacancies noted above; minimum qualifications and the selection criteria; the required application forms; and the Committee’s process; is located on the Justices of the Peace Appointments Advisory Committee’s website at www.ontariocourts.ca/ocj/jpaac.

Applications for current vacancies must be submitted and received by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, June 1, 2012. Applications received after this date WILL NOT be considered.

As of August 2, 2011, applications must be submitted for each vacancy. Candidates who applied to the Committee prior to August 2, 2011 must now apply under the current process described on the website, unless he/she has received a “S.2.1 (12.1) Transition Letter” from the Committee.

PLEASE NOTE: Future vacancies and deadlines for applications will be posted on the Committee’s website as they occur. Interested individuals can receive e-mail notification by registering at www.ontariocourts.ca/ocj/jpaac/advertisements and clicking the “Subscribe to Vacancy Notifications (via e-mail)” link.

Nibinamik’s Anglican Church is a fine example of the wooden construction most homes in the community are built out of.

Pour voir cette annonce en français, consulter le site Web du Comité à www.ontariocourts.ca/ocj/fr/jpaac/annonces.

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Wawatay News

APRIL 26, 2012

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

Ranger discovers voice with jazz Lenny Carpenter Wawatay News

While walking the streets of Toronto in his early-20s, Robin Ranger heard a guitar-playing busker hit a chord that captivated his ears.

Using some of the $40 he had that was to last him three days in the city, the Fort William First Nation member paid the guitarist to play the song again.

“I paid attention while he was playing the song and waited until that chord rolled around,” the 39-year-old recalled. “Then I went back to the hotel, picked my guitar up and made the same chord, and it completely affected the way I played music.”

Up to that point, Ranger was into rock and heavy music like Tool and Ministry.

But the chord – a B-flat minor6 – converted him to a new style. He began to mess around with seventh, ninth and major-seventh chords and wrote songs based on them.

“After a while, another musician friend of mine said, ‘Wow man, this sounds a lot like jazz,’ and I’m like ‘Jazz? I don’t listen to jazz.’

Based on the comparisons, Ranger decided to give the genre a listen. He asked a friend that since jazz is a 100-yearold medium, where should he start. He was recommended Miles Davis’ 1959 album, Kind of Blue. Ranger was immediately obsessed with the album, considered the best-selling jazz record of all time.

“I listened to that, to the exclusion of everything else,

Wawatay file photo

Fort William First Nation’s Robin Ranger recently recorded his first studio album - The View from the Seventh Sky. The jazz musician who started his love of jazz with Miles Davis’ Some Kind of Blue album says he hopes more Aboriginal people get into jazz music. for two years,” he said. “And I couldn’t get over it. And I still can’t, and I’ve listened to it millions of times since.”

Ranger’s newfound love for jazz led him to listen to and perform jazz music almost exclusively.

Ranger recently released his first studio album, The View From the Seventh Sky. The name refers to the Seventh Sky,

Phone: 807-737-2444

a “cool and happening” café located in the Tower Arktika, the tallest building in Murmansk, Russia, where he wrote the songs.

Ranger had always written songs since he began playing guitar when he was 18, but he lacked the confidence in singing them. Upon returning to Canada, Ranger performed the eight or nine songs he had

written overseas and began to develop his voice.

“It was the first time I really started to sing in front of an audience,” he said. “It was a turning point.”

Taking vocal cues from Ralph the Dog of the Muppet Show and famous jazz vocalist Louis Armstrong, it took about two years for Ranger to accept his voice for what it was.

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“Really gruff voices,” Ranger said. “Just comes out the way it sounds. It is what it is, and I had to accept that.”

The true moment where Robin found his voice – where it wasn’t shaky – came when he performed at a fundraiser for the B’iindigaate Film Festival in the summer of 2010.

“I don’t know what it was, but it just came together then,” he said.

While Ranger initially listened to horn players, he discovered it’s the bass players he loved.

“The fella that played bass on Kind of Blue was Paul Chambers,” Ranger said. “So anytime that Paul Chambers played bass on a record, I bought it. And he taught me everything I know about jazz.”

And while Ranger headlines his own performances and is the main composer in View From the Seventh Sky, he has more modest goals.

“I don’t want to be a star,” Ranger said. “What I’d really like to be is a bass player. Just stand in the corner in some dark club with a band, and be able to walk through some standards (jazz repertoire). That’s my dream.”

Being a First Nations person, Ranger gets a lot of comments about the oddity of being an Aboriginal jazz musician. Ranger estimates there are about six or seven that perform regularly in Canada.

“Jazz chords aren’t something we hear a lot in our communities,” he said. “As a culture, we’re not big jazz appreciators. I hope that’s changing, because jazz is cool. More people should listen to it.”

Funded by an Ontario Arts Council grant, The View from the Seventh Sky was recorded over two years in a private studio in Thunder Bay. It can be purchased at the Ahnisnabae Art Gallery in Thunder Bay and sampled online at www.robinranger.ca.

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Wawatay News

APRIL 26, 2012

23

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

Linda’s Culture Corner

Checking fish nets in the old days I recall as a child riding in the “putt putt’, a boat that was made for carrying passengers, goods, dead animals for food and commercial fishing.

Sometimes the weather was inclement and other times it was clear and sunny.

We youngsters would feed the great flock of seagulls flying high above us days-old bannock. These were the days when our late father was a commercial fisherman. It was a simple life.

We would follow the fish, to the cooler spots in the summer.

In winter, we would use an underwater jigger. An implement used to put a fish net in the water below the ice surface.

This is a very ingenious device, handmade of wood.

Both our parents worked hard to make a living for nine of us

children.

Often in summer time, I would watch our parents make nets of twine or fine synthetic nylon.

There they used another ingenious implement, a wooden net making instrument It was a long process. Quite often I was shooed away far from the net, as to not tangle it up.

Our father would take his catch to the Garrick’s fishhouse or either into the hamlet of Hudson at Bowman’s Fisheries for sell.

I was very proud of our father and mother. It became as a great loss to us when we could no longer commercial fish.

In the early seventies, mercury was found in Lac Seul waters. Therefore our parents’ means of making a living was terminated.

ᐁᑲᓄᑫᔭᐣ ᑲᐱᐊᐊᐧᔑᔑᐃᐧᔭᐣ ᐁᐳᓯᔭᐸᐣ ᐸᐟ ᐸᐟ, ᒥᑎᑯ ᒋᒪᐣ ᐁᑭᐃᔑᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᒋᐃᔑᐳᓯᐊᐧᐨ ᐊᐃᐧᔭᐠ, ᐳᓯᑕᓱᓇᐣ, ᐊᐃᐧᔭᔑᔕᐠ ᒥᓇ ᑲᐸᑭᑕᐊᐧᓄᐊᐧᐠ. ᐁᐡᑲᑦ ᐊᑯ ᑭᒪᒋᑭᔑᑲᐸᐣ ᐁᑲᐧ ᒥᓇ ᐁᐡᑲᑦ ᑭᒥᓄᑭᔑᑲ ᐁᑭᐊᐧᔐᑲᐧᐠ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᓂᓇᐃᐧᐟ, ᑲᐊᐊᐧᔑᔑᐃᐧᔭᐣᐠ ᐣᑕᔕᒪᒥᓇᐸᐣ ᐊᓇᑯᓇᐣ ᑭᔭᐡᑲᐧᐠ ᐃᐡᐱᒥᐠ ᐁᐸᐸᒪᑯᒋᓄᐊᐧᐨ. ᐊᒥᐦᐃᐁᐧ ᐊᐱ ᐣᑕᑕᐸᐣ ᑲᐸᑭᑕᐁᐧᐸᐣ ᐁᐊᑕᐊᐧᓇᐨ ᑭᓄᔐᐣ. ᑭᐁᐧᐣᑕᐣ ᐱᒪᑎᓯᐃᐧᐣ ᐃᐁᐧ ᐊᐱ. ᐣᑭᐊᓂᔕᒥᐣ ᑲᑭᑕᓀᓂᒪᑭᑕᐧ ᑭᓄᔐᐠ, ᑲᐃᔑᑕᑭᐱᔭᓂᐠ ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᑲᓂᐱᓂᐠ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᐃᐧᐣ ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᑲᐱᐳᐠ, ᐣᑭᔭᐸᒋᑐᒥᐣ ᔑᐸᐦᐃᑲᐣ ᑲᐸᑭᑕᐁᐧᔭᐠ ᐊᓇᒥᓯᑯᑦ. ᑭᒪᒪᑲᓯᓇᑲᐧᐣ ᐅᐁᐧ ᐊᐸᒋᒋᑲᐣ, ᒥᑎᑯᑲᐠ ᑭᐅᐣᒋ ᐅᔑᒋᑲᑌ ᐅᐁᐧ ᔑᐸᐦᐃᑲᐣ. ᓂ ᓂ ᑭ ᐦ ᐃ ᑯ ᐠ ᒪᐊᐧᐨ ᑭᑭᒋᐊᓄᑭᐊᐧᐠ ᐁᑲᑫᐧᐱᒪᒋᐦᐊᐊᐧᓱᐊᐧᐨ ᐊᓂᐡ ᓴᐣᑲᓱ ᐣᑭᑕᓯᒥᐣ

ᑲᐃᐧᒋᓂᑕᐃᐧᑭᒥᑎᔭᐣᐠ. ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᑲᓂᐱᓂᐠ, ᐣᑭᑲᓇᐊᐧᐸᒪᐠ ᓂᓂᑭᐦᐃᑯᐠ ᐁᔭᓴᐱᑫᐊᐧᐨ ᐁᑲᐧ ᐅᑭᐊᐸᒋᐦᐊᐊᐧᐣ ᓭᐢᑕᑯᔭᑊ ᓇᐣᑕ ᐊᓴᐱᔭᑊ. ᒥᐦᐅᒪ ᒥᓇ ᑲᑭᒪᒪᑲᒋᒪᒋᐊᐧᐨ ᐁᐊᓴᐱᑫᐊᐧᐨ, ᒥᑎᑯᐠ ᐁᑭᐅᐣᒋ ᐅᔑᑯᑕᒧᐊᐧᐨ ᑫᐊᓴᐱᑲᑫᐊᐧᐨ. ᑭᓀᐧᐡ ᐅᑭᑕᔑᑲᐊᐧᐊᐧᐣ ᐁᐅᔑᐦᐊᐊᐧᐨ. ᒥᔑᓇᐧ ᑲᔦ ᐣᐅᔕᐦᐅᑯ ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᐁᐊᓴᐱᑫᐊᐧᐨ ᐁᑲ ᐯᔓᐨ ᐃᒪ ᒋᑕᔑᐃᐧᑐᔭᐣ, ᐁᑲ ᒋᐊᐧᔭᓇᐱᑫᐁᐧᐱᐡᑲᐊᐧᐠ. ᐣᑕᑕᒥᓇᐣ ᐊᑯ ᐅᑭᐃᔑᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᐅᑭᓄᔐᒪᐣ ᐁᐧᑎ ᑲᕑᐃᐠ ᐅᓇᓯᐱᓇᑲᒥᐊᐧᐠ ᓇᐣᑕ ᐁᐧᑎ ᐦᐊᓴᐣ ᐳᒪᐣ ᑭᓄᔐᑫᐃᐧᐣ ᐁᑭᐃᔑ ᐊᑕᐊᐧᑫᐨ. ᒪᐊᐧᐨ ᐣᑭᑭᒋᓀᓂᒪ ᐣᑕᑕ ᒥᓇ ᐣᒪᒪ. ᐱᓂᐡ ᑭᔭᓂᓯᓭ ᐁᑲ ᐊᐱᐣ ᐁᑭᐊᑕᐊᐧᑫᔭᐠ ᑭᓄᔐ. ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᐊᐱ ᑲᔭᓂᐅᐡᑭᓭᐠ 1970, ᑭᒥᑭᑲᑌᐸᐣ ᐱᒋᐳᐃᐧᐣ ᐃᒪ ᐅᐱᔑᑯᑲᐠ ᓴᑲᐦᐃᑲᓂᐠ. ᒥᑕᐡ ᐊᐱᐣ ᑲᑭᐳᓂᓭᓂᐠ ᓂᓂᑭᐦᐃᑯᐠ ᑲᑭᐅᐣᒋ ᐱᒪᒋᐦᐅᐊᐧᐸᐣ.

Photo by Linda Henry

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Photo by Rick Garrick/Wawatay News

Cat Lake’s Paddy Oombash and family head out on the land by boat on April 13 as the early spring season had melted the ice enough around the lake to allow community members to travel.

IS

MAY 1, 2012

24

Wawatay News

APRIL 26, 2012

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

sgdn The Multiple-Barrier System

Le système à barrières multiples

The long-term management of Canada’s used nuclear fuel involves the development of a deep geological repository (DGR). The DGR is a multiplebarrier system designed to safely contain and isolate used nuclear fuel over the long term. The design is based on the use of multiple durable barriers, including hundreds of metres of rock. This long-term management plan emerged from more than 30 years of scientific and technical studies conducted in Canada and internationally. Most countries with nuclear power programs have selected the DGR as their preferred approach for managing used fuel; two countries (Sweden and Finland) have identified sites and are in the early stages of construction.

Q. A.

What is the multiple-barrier system?

La gestion à long terme du combustible nucléaire irradié canadien nécessitera le développement d’un dépôt géologique en profondeur (DGP). Le DGP est un système à barrières multiples conçu pour confiner et isoler de manière sûre à long terme le combustible nucléaire irradié. La conception est basée sur l’utilisation de multiples barrières durables, y compris des centaines de mètres de roche qui recouvriront le dépôt. Ce plan de gestion à long terme est le fruit de plus de 30 années d’études scientifiques et techniques menées au Canada et ailleurs dans le monde. La plupart des pays pourvus d’un programme nucléaire ont adopté l’approche du DGP pour gérer leur combustible irradié; deux pays (la Suède et la Finlande) ont choisi un site pour établir leur DGP et en sont au stade initial de la construction.

A series of engineered and natural barriers will work together to contain and isolate used nuclear fuel from people and the environment. Each of these barriers provides a unique level of protection.

Q. R.

t Barrier 1: The Used Nuclear Fuel Pellet – Used nuclear fuel is in the form of a ceramic pellet. The pellets are extremely durable. t Barrier 2: The Fuel Element and the Fuel Bundle – Sealed tubes contain the fuel pellets; these are called fuel elements. The tubes are made of a corrosion-resistant metal called Zircaloy. t Barrier 3: The Used Nuclear Fuel Container – Used fuel bundles will be placed into large specially designed containers to contain and isolate the fuel for 100,000 years or more. The container is made from thick steel, which provides the mechanical strength to withstand the pressures of the overlying rock and future glaciations. The outermost layer of the container is copper, which is resistant to corrosion in the deep underground environment. t Barrier 4: Bentonite Clay, Backfill and Sealants – In the repository, each container will be surrounded by bentonite clay, a natural material proven to be an effective sealing material. As placement rooms are filled with containers, they will be backfilled and sealed. The access tunnels and shafts will be backfilled and sealed only when the community, the NWMO and regulators agree that it is appropriate, and postclosure monitoring will then be implemented. t Barrier 5: The Geosphere – The repository will be approximately 500 metres underground. It will be excavated within a suitable sedimentary or crystalline rock formation. The geosphere forms a natural barrier of rock, which will protect the repository from disruptive natural events and human intrusion. It will also maintain favourable conditions for the container and seals, as well as limit movement of radionuclides in the unlikely event that barriers fail.

Q. A.

Is there evidence from nature to indicate that this approach can work over very long times?

The most important evidence will be from the site itself. Detailed field investigations involving geophysical surveys, characterization of the existing environment, drilling and sampling of boreholes, field and laboratory testing, and monitoring activities will be conducted during site characterization to affirm the suitability of the site. In particular, evidence will be sought that conditions at the site have been stable with little to no groundwater movement for millions of years.

There are also several locations where high levels of natural radioactivity have been contained for millions of years by the surrounding geology. These natural systems provide strong evidence supporting the concept of a DGR. One location is the Cigar Lake uranium deposit in Saskatchewan. This deposit is one billion years old and is buried 450 metres below the surface, surrounded by a layer of naturally occurring clay. There is no trace of radioactive components from the deposit at the surface.

En quoi consiste le système à barrières multiples?

Une série de barrières ouvragées et naturelles formeront un tout capable de confiner et d’isoler le combustible nucléaire irradié de la population et de l’environnement. Chacune de ces barrières offre un type distinct de protection. t Barrière 1 : La pastille de combustible nucléaire irradié – Le combustible nucléaire irradié se trouve sous la forme d’une pastille de céramique. Les pastilles sont extrêmement durables. t Barrière 2 : L’élément combustible et la grappe de combustible – Les pastilles de combustible sont contenues dans des tubes étanches appelés éléments combustibles. Ces tubes sont composés d’un métal résistant à la corrosion appelé Zircaloy. t Barrière 3 : Le conteneur de combustible nucléaire irradié – Les grappes de combustible irradié seront placées dans de grands conteneurs spécialement conçus pour confiner et isoler le combustible pendant 100 000 ans ou plus. Les conteneurs sont faits d’acier épais qui fournit la résistance mécanique nécessaire pour résister aux pressions exercées par la roche qui recouvre les conteneurs et les glaciations futures. La couche externe des conteneurs est en cuivre, qui est résistant à la corrosion dans l’environnement souterrain profond. t Barrière 4 : L’argile de bentonite, et les matériaux de remblai et de scellement – Dans le dépôt, chaque conteneur sera entouré d’argile de bentonite, un matériau naturel dont l’étanchéité a été démontrée.

Lorsque le nombre voulu de conteneurs aura été placé dans les salles de mise en place, les espaces libres seront remplis de matériaux de remblai et seront scellés. Les galeries et les puits d’accès ne seront remblayés et scellés que lorsque la collectivité, la SGDN et les autorités réglementaires jugeront que cela est approprié. La surveillance post-fermeture sera alors mise en œuvre. t Barrière 5 : La géosphère – Le dépôt se trouvera à une profondeur approximative de 500 mètres. Il sera excavé au sein d’une formation de roche sédimentaire ou cristalline appropriée. La géosphère forme une barrière rocheuse naturelle qui protégera le dépôt contre les perturbations des événements naturels et de l’intrusion humaine. Elle maintiendra en outre des conditions favorables pour les conteneurs et les matériaux de scellement et limitera le mouvement des radionucléides dans le cas improbable d’une défaillance des autres barrières.

Q. R.

Y a-t-il des preuves de la nature pour indiquer que cette approche peut fonctionner à très long terme?

La preuve la plus importante sera fournie par le site lui-même. Des études détaillées sur le terrain, notamment des levés géophysiques, des études de caractérisation de l’environnement existant, le forage et l’analyse de carottes rocheuses, des tests sur le terrain et en laboratoire et des activités de surveillance, seront menées dans le cadre des travaux de caractérisation pour confirmer l’aptitude des sites. Tout particulièrement, des preuves seront recherchées pour démontrer que les conditions présentes sur le site ont été stables pour des millions d’années avec très peu à aucun mouvement des eaux souterraines.

Nous connaissons aussi l’existence de plusieurs lieux où de hauts niveaux de radioactivité naturelle ont été confinés pendant des millions d’années par la géologie environnante. Ces systèmes naturels constituent des preuves convaincantes appuyant le concept du DGP. Un de ces lieux est le gisement d’uranium de Cigar Lake, en Saskatchewan.

Ce gisement existe depuis un milliard d’années. ll se trouve à 450 mètres sous terre et est entouré d’une couche d’argile naturelle. On ne relève aucune trace de composés radioactifs à la surface du gisement.

Dr. Paul Gierszewski is the Director of Repository Safety at the Nuclear Waste Management Organization. Prior to joining the NWMO, he was with Ontario Power Generation, where he was responsible for maintaining and improving safety assessment system models for deep geological repositories. Dr. Gierszewski has a bachelor’s degree in Engineering Science from the University of Toronto and doctorate in Nuclear Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario.

“Ask the NWMO” is an advertising feature published regularly in this and other community newspapers to respond to readers’ questions about Canada’s plan for managing used nuclear fuel over the long term and its implementation. The Nuclear Waste Management Organization welcomes your questions. Please forward your questions to askthenwmo@nwmo.ca.

For more information, please visit: Pour de plus amples informations, veuillez visiter :

www.nwmo.ca/backgrounders

M. Paul Gierszewski est directeur de la sûreté du dépôt à la Société de gestion des déchets nucléaires. Avant de se joindre à la SGDN, il travaillait pour Ontario Power Generation, où il était responsable du maintien et de l’amélioration des modèles de système d’évaluation de la sûreté des dépôts géologiques en profondeur. M. Gierszewski a obtenu un baccalauréat en sciences de l’ingénierie à l’Université de Toronto et un doctorat en génie nucléaire au Massachusetts Institute of Technology de Boston. Il est ingénieur agréé dans la province de l’Ontario.

« Demandez-le à la SGDN » est un encadré publicitaire qui paraîtra régulièrement dans ce journal et dans d’autres journaux de la collectivité pour répondre aux questions que se posent les lecteurs sur le plan canadien de gestion à long terme du combustible nucléaire irradié et de sa mise en oeuvre. La Société de gestion des déchets nucléaires attend vos questions. Veuillez envoyer vos questions à demandez@nwmo.ca.

www.nwmo.ca