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Thunder Bay’s ‘little secret’: First Nation prostitution PAGE 8 Vol. 39 No. 25
Naotkamegwanning youth learn beauty of Anishinawbe culture PAGE 16
Attawapiskat stained glass bridges religion, culture PAGE 10 9,300 copies distributed $1.50
August 23, 2012 Northern Ontario’s First Nation Voice since 1974
www.wawataynews.ca
ᔦᐢᓄ ᓂᑲᓂᐡᑲᒪᑫ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᐊᐢᑭ ᔕᐧᐣ ᐯᓫ ᐊᐧᐊᐧᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐃᐧᓇᐣ
ᐦᐊᕑᐱ ᔦᐢᓄ ᑭᐅᑕᐱᓇᑲᓄ ᒋᐅᐡᑭ ᑭᒋᐅᑭᒪᑲᓂᐃᐧᐨ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᐊᐢᑭ ᑎᐯᐣᒋᑫᐃᐧᓂᐠ (NAN). ᔦᐢᓄ ᑭᐸᑭᓇᑫ ᐯᔑᐠ ᐊᔑᑌᐱᐦᐃᑲᓂ ᐁᑭᐊᓭᐧᐁᐧᐱᐡᑲᐊᐧᐨ ᑯᑕᑭᔭᐣ ᑲᑭᐱᒥᐸᑐᓂᐨ ᑌᕑᐃ ᐊᐧᐳᐢ ᐊᐱ ᒪᒋᐨ ᓂᐦᓴᐧ ᑲᐱᐣᒋᐁᐧᐱᓂᑲᓂᐊᐧᐠ. ᔦᐢᓄ ᐅᑭᑌᐱᓇᐣ 22 ᐊᔑᑌᐱᐦᐅᑯᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᐁᑲᐧ ᐊᐧᐳᐢ 21 ᐅᑭᐊᔭᓇᐣ. ᐊᐱ ᑲᑭᐃᐡᑲᐧ ᐸᑭᓇᑫᐨ ᑲᑭᐊᔭᒥᐨ, ᔦᐢᓄ ᐅᑭᐃᐧᐣᑕᐣ ᒪᐊᐧᐨ ᐁᑭᒋᓀᐣᑲᐧᓂᐠ ᐅᑭᒪᑲᓇᐠ ᑭᒋᐃᐧᒋᑲᐸᐃᐧᑐᑎᐊᐧᐸᐣ ᒥᓇ ᐱᑯ ᐃᐡᑯᓂᑲᓇᐣ. “ᓇᑕᐁᐧᐣᑕᑲᐧᐣ ᒋᐃᐧᒋᑲᐸᐃᐧᑕᑎᔭᐠ,” ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᔦᐢᓄ. “ᑲᐃᐧᐣ ᑯᑕᐠ ᑫᑯᐣ ᐊᔭᓯᐣ ᑫᑭᑐᒋᑲᑌᑭᐸᐣ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᑕᐡ ᑲᑭᓇ ᑭᓇᐊᐧ ᑭᓇᑕᐁᐧᐣᑕᑯᓯᓇᐊᐧ ᒋᐃᐧᒋᑲᐸᐃᐧᑕᑎᔦᐠ, ᑫᑭᔭᓄᒋ ᐃᐧᒋᐦᐊᑭᑕᐧ ᑭᑕᐊᐧᔑᔑᒥᓇᓂᐠ ᒋᑭᔭᓂ ᐊᔕᐊᐧᐸᐣᑕᒧᐊᐧᐨ ᐅᐱᒪᑎᓯᐃᐧᓂᐊᐧ ᐁᐧᑎ ᓂᑲᐣ.” ᑲᑭᐅᐡᑭ ᐅᓇᐱᐦᐃᐣᑕᐧ ᑫᓂᑲᓂᑕᒪᑫᐊᐧᐨ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᐊᐢᑭ ᑭᔭᓂᑭᔑᒋᑲᑌ ᐅᐸᐅᐃᐧᐱᓯᑦ 15 ᑲᐃᓇᑭᓱᐨ ᑲᑭᔭᓂ ᐱᐣᒋᐁᐧᐱᓂᑫᑲᑕᐃᐧᑕᐧ ᑫᐅᐡᑭ ᑭᒋᐅᑭᒪᑲᓀᓯᐃᐧᐊᐧᐨ. ᑭᒋᐅᑭᒪᑲᓀᐢ ᓫᐁᐢ ᓫᐅᑎᐟ ᐱᑕᐯᑯᐠ ᑲᐅᒋᐨ ᑭᑭᐁᐧᐅᑕᐱᓇᑲᓄ ᒪᒪᐤ 24 ᐅᑭᐊᔭᐣ ᐱᐣᒋᐁᐧᐱᓂᑫᐃᐧᓇᐣ. ᐅᑕᓇᐠ ᑲᑭ ᑭᒋᐅᑭᒪᑲᓀᓯᐃᐧᐊᐧᐸᐣ ᐊᓫᐱᐣ ᐱᐟᓫᐊᕑ ᐊᐧᒐᐡᑯᓂᒥᐠ ᑲᐅᒋᐨ ᐁᑲᐧ ᒥᓇ ᑲᐧᔾᐢ ᑲᑭᑲᒥᐠ ᑭᐁᐧᐃᐧᐣ ᑲᐅᒋᐨ ᑭᓂᑲᓂᓭᐊᐧᐠ 39 ᒥᓇ 34 ᐅᑭᐊᔭᓇᐊᐧ. ᓄᑯᑦ ᑲᑭᒋᐅᑭᒪᑲᓂᐃᐧᐨ ᔦᐢᓄ ᐅᒥᐡᑲᐧᒋᐡᑲᐊᐧᐣ ᑲᑭ ᑭᒋᐅᑭᒪᑲᓂᐃᐧᐸᐣ ᐢᑕᐣ ᐯᕑᑎ, ᑲᑭᐳᓇᓄᑭᐸᐣ ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᓴᑭᐸᑲᐃᐧᐱᓯᑦ ᐊᐱ ᑲᑭᐃᐡᑲᐧ ᐅᓇᑭᒪᑲᓄᐸᐣ ᐅᐣᑌᕑᐃᔪ ᐅᑭᒪᑲᐣ ᒋᐃᓇᑭᓱᐨ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᑲᒪᔦ ᐅᓇᑭᒪᑲᓄᐸᐣ ᒋᑭᒋᐅᒪᑲᓂᐃᐧᐨ, ᔦᐢᓄ ᑭᐃᔑᐸᐸᒥᓯᐸᐣ ᐅᐣᑌᕑᐃᔪ ᐅᑭᒪᐅᓂ ᐁᑭᓂᑲᓂᐱᒧᐨ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂ ᒥᓇ ᑕᔑᑫᐃᐧ ᑲᓇᐊᐧᐸᐣᒋᑫᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᐃᒪ ᐱᐊᐧᐱᑯᑫᐃᐧ
Submitted photo by Christina Filazzola/NAN
Harvey Yesno of Eabametoong First Nation was elected NAN Grand Chief on Aug. 15, winning by one vote over Terry Waboose. Alvin Fiddler, Goyce Kakegamic and Les Louttit were elected Deputy Grand Chiefs.
ᐱᒧᒋᑫᐃᐧᓂᐠ. ᐁᐧᑎ ᐅᑕᓇᐠ ᐅᑭᐱᓂᑲᓂ ᐱᒧᑐᓇᐸᐣ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᐊᐢᑭ ᐊᓄᑭᐃᐧ ᒪᒋᑕᒪᓱᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᑲᐅᒋᐃᐧᒋᒋᑲᑌᑭᐣ, ᓂᔭᓇᐧ ᑭᐱᐅᑭᒪᑲᓂᐃᐧᐸᐣ ᐊᐸᒪᑐᐣᐠ ᒥᓇ ᑭᐱᐊᐧᐃᐧᒋᑕᐧᐸᐣ ᐠᕑᐊᐣᐟ ᑲᐧᐣᓱ ᒋᕑᐃᑎ 9, ᐁᑲᐧ ᐊᐱᐣ ᑲᑭᐊᐣᒋᓂᑲᑌᐠ
ᓄᑯᑦ ᑲᐃᔑᓂᑲᑌᐠ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᐊᐢᑭ ᐱᒧᒋᑫᐃᐧᐣ, ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᐁᐧᑎ 1970 ᑫᑲᐟ ᑲᔭᓂᑭᔑᐱᓭᐠ ᐱᓂᐡ ᑲᔭᓂᐅᐡᑭᓭᐠ 1980 ᐱᒥ ᐊᑭᐣᒋᐊᐦᑭᐃᐧᐣ. ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᐃᒪ ᑭᔐᒋᐊᐧᓄᐠ ᑲᑭᑕᔑᒪᐊᐧᒋᐦᐃᑎᐊᐧᐨ ᔦᐢᓄ ᐅᑭᑲᓄᓇᐣ ᐅᑭᒪᑲᓇᐠ ᐃᒪ ᑲᑭᐅᑲᐧᐱᐊᐧᐨ ᐅᐁᐧ
ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᐊᐢᑭ ᑲᐃᔑᓂᑲᑌᐠ ᓄᑯᒥᑫ ᐱᑯ ᐃᓀᐣᑕᑲᐧᐣ ᑲᑭᐅᐡᑭᒪᒋᒋᑲᑌᑭᐸᐣ. “ᐊᒥ ᓂᐣ ᐁᓀᐣᑕᒪᐣ ᐁᑭᒋᓀᐣᑕᑲᐧᐠ ᑲᑭᓇ ᐅᒪ ᑲᐱᔕᔭᐠ ᒋᑭᐃᐧᐣᑕᒪᑎᔭᑭᐸᐣ ᐅᐡᑭᑫᑯᓇᐣ ᒥᓇ ᐅᐡᑭ ᐸᑯᓭᓂᒧᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᑲᑲᑫᐧ ᑲᒋᑎᓇᒪᐠ,” ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᔦᐢᓄ. “ᓇᑕᐁᐧᐣᑕᑯᓯᐊᐧᐠ ᑭᔭᐱᐨ ᒥᔑᐣ
Yesno elected NAN Grand Chief Shawn Bell Wawatay News
Harvey Yesno has been elected new Grand Chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN). Yesno won by one vote over Terry Waboose on the third ballot. Yesno received 22 votes to Waboose’s 21 votes. In his victory speech, Yesno stressed the importance of unity amongst communities and chiefs. “We need to be united,” Yesno said. “There’s no way to do it otherwise. We need all of you to stand together, so that our children will have something to look forward to in the future.” The new executive council of NAN was finalized on the evening of Aug. 15 with the election of the deputy grand chiefs. Incumbent Les Louttit of Fort Albany was returned to the council with 24 votes. Former deputy grand chiefs Alvin Fiddler of Muskrat Dam
and Goyce Kakegamic of Keywaywin led the way in voting with 39 and 34 votes. As Grand Chief, Yesno replaces former grand chief Stan Beardy, who stepped down in June after being
“We need to be united.” -new NAN Grand Chief Harvey Yesno
elected Regional Chief of Ontario. Prior to being elected, Yesno served as the Ontario government’s director for Aboriginal and Community relations for the Ring of Fire. He has previously been the executive director of the Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund, served as chief of Eabametoong First Nation for five terms and was involved in Grand Council Treaty No. 9, which later became Nishnawbe Aski Nation, in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Yesno told the chiefs gathered in Kashechewan that the birth of Nish-
nawbe Aski Nation is still in its early stages. “I think it is important that all of us express new ideas and new horizons to reach for,” Yesno said. “We need to get our people more involved in the process.” He also spoke about the need to get youth educated and involved in the process of governance. Before the election Yesno told Wawatay News that he would look to establish a NAN youth grand chief if he were elected. “We need to keep offering hope in the future, positive things that will inspire our young people to stay alive,” Yesno said. Mike Metatawabin was eliminated on the second ballot, after receiving 12 votes compared to Yesno’s 16 votes and Waboose’s 15 votes. Brian Davey, Lawrence Martin, Doug Semple and David Neegan were eliminated after the first ballot. See Fiddler on page 3
ᑭᑕᓂᔑᓂᓂᒥᓇᓂᐠ ᒋᑭᒥᓯᑲᑕᒧᐊᐧᐸᐣ ᐅᒪ ᐃᓀᑫ ᐃᓇᓄᑭᐃᐧᓂᐠ.” ᐁᑲᐧ ᒥᓇ ᐅᑭᑲᓄᑕᐣ ᒪᐊᐧᐨ ᐁᓇᑕᐁᐧᐣᑕᑲᐧᐠ ᒋᑲᑫᐧ ᐃᐡᑯᓄᐦᐃᑕᐧ ᐅᐡᑲᑎᓴᐠ ᒥᓇ ᑫᐃᓇᐧᐊ ᒋᐊᔑᑎᓂᑕᐧ ᑲᐱᒥᔭᓄᑲᑌᐠ ᐅᑭᒪᐅᓂ ᐸᐸᒥᓯᐃᐧᓂᐠ. ᑲᒪᐧᔦ ᑭᒋᐅᑭᒪᑲᓂᑲᓂᐊᐧᑭᐸᐣ ᔦᐢᓄ ᑭᐃᑭᑐᐸᐣ ᐃᒪ ᐊᐧᐊᐧᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐃᐧᓂᐠ ᑭᐡᐱᐣ ᐸᑭᓇᑫᐨ ᑭᒋᐅᑭᒪᑲᓂᐃᐧᓂᐠ ᐊᒥ ᑫᑐᑕᐣᐠ ᒋᑲᑫᐧ ᐅᓂᑲᐸᐃᐧᐦᐊᐨ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᐊᐢᑭ ᐅᐡᑲᑎᓴᐣ ᒋᑭᒋᐅᑭᒪᑲᓂᔑᔑᐃᐧᓂᐨ. “ᒋᑲᑫᐊᐧᐸᑕᐦᐊᔭᐠ ᐊᐣᑎ ᑫᔭᓂᔑ ᐊᐯᓂᒧᐊᐧᐨ ᐁᐧᑎ ᐊᓂᓂᑲᐣ, ᒥᓄᑫᑯᓇᐣ ᒋᒥᔭᓇᑭᑕᐧ ᑫᑭᔭᓄᒋ ᒋᑭᐡᑲᑯᐊᐧᐨ ᑭᑐᐡᑲᑎᓯᒥᓇᓂᐠ ᒋᐱᒪᑎᓯᐊᐧᐨ,” ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᔦᐢᓄ. ᒪᐃᐠ ᒥᑕᑕᐊᐧᐱᐣ ᑭᓴᑭᒋᐁᐧᐱᐡᑲᐊᐧᑲᓄ ᓂᔕᐧ ᑲᐃᐡᑲᐧ ᐱᐣᒋᐁᐧᐱᓂᑲᓂᐊᐧᐠ, 12 ᐅᑭᐊᔭᓇᐣ ᐱᐣᒋᐁᐧᐱᓂᑲᓇᐣ, ᐁᑲᐧ ᐃᐧᐣ ᔦᐢᓄ ᐅᑭᐊᔭᓇᐣ 16 ᒥᓇ ᐊᐧᐳᐢ 15. ᑊᕑᐊᔭᐣ ᑌᐱ, ᓫᐊᕑᐃᐣᐢ ᒪᕑᑎᐣ, ᑕᐠ ᓭᑦᐳ ᒥᓇ ᑌᐱᐟ ᓂᑲᐣ ᑭᓴᑭᒋᐁᐧᐱᐡᑲᐊᐧᑲᓄᐊᐧᐠ ᓂᐢᑕᑦ ᑲᐃᐡᑲᐧ ᐱᐣᒋᐁᐧᐱᓂᑲᓂᓄᐊᐧᐠ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᐃᐧᐣ ᐃᒪ ᑭᒋᐅᑭᒪᑲᓀᐢ ᐱᐣᒋᐁᐧᐱᓂᑫᐃᐧᓂᐠ, ᑐᕑᐃᓴ ᐦᐊᓫ ᐊᑕᐊᐧᐱᐢᑲᐟ ᑲᐅᐣᒋᐨ ᒥᓇ ᐱᔦᕑ ᒪᐧᕑᓱ ᐊᐧᐃᐧᔦᑲᒪᐠ ᑲᐅᐣᒋᐨ ᑭᓴᑭᒋᐁᐧᐱᐡᑲᐊᐧᐊᐧᐠ ᓂᐢᑕᑦ ᑲᐃᐡᑲᐧ ᐱᐣᒋᐁᐧᐱᓂᑲᓄᐊᐧᐠ. ᓫᐅᑎᐟ ᑭᑭᐁᐧᐅᑕᐱᓇᑲᓄ ᐃᒪ ᑲᑭᐱ ᐱᒧᑐᐨ ᐊᐧᑲᐦᐃᑫᐃᐧᐣ ᒥᓇ ᑯᑕᑭᔭᐣ ᑭᒋᐊᓄᑭᐃᐧ ᑫᑯᓇᐣ ᐁᑲᐧ ᒥᓇ ᐊᓄᑭᐃᐧ ᒪᒋᑕᒪᓱᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᑲᐅᒋᐃᐧᒋᒋᑲᑌᑭᐣ. ᐱᐟᓫᐊᕑ ᓂᔕᐧ ᑭᐱᒥᐊᓂᑫ ᑭᒋᐅᑭᒪᑲᓀᓯᐃᐧᐸᐣ ᒣᑲᐧᐨ 2003 ᐊᑯᓇᐠ 2009 ᐁᒪᐧᔦ ᑯᑭᐸᑐᐸᐣ ᑭᒋᐅᑭᒪᑲᓂᑫᐃᐧᓂᐠ ᒣᑲᐧᐨ 2009, ᐁᑲᐧ ᑫᑲᐟ ᑭᐸᑭᓇᑫᐸᐣ ᐢᑕᐣ ᐯᕑᑎᐊᐧᐣ ᑲᑭᐸᑭᓇᑫᓂᐸᐣ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᐃᐧᐣ ᑲᑭᑲᒥᐠ ᓂᐦᓴᐧ ᑭᐱᒥᐊᔭᓂᑫ ᑭᒋᐅᑭᒪᑲᓀᓯᐃᐧ ᒣᑲᐧᐨ 1997 ᐊᑯᓇᐠ 2006 ᐁᒪᐧᔦ ᓇᑲᑕᐠ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᐊᐢᑭ ᓂᑲᓂᑕᒪᑫᐃᐧ ᐊᓄᑭᐃᐧᓂ ᓂᔕᐧ ᑲᑭᐱᒥ ᐅᑭᒪᑲᓂᑲᓂᐊᐧᓂᐠ.
Stanley Cup in Garden River
Submitted photo
Los Angeles Kings’ forward Jordan Nolan brought the Stanley Cup to Garden River on Aug. 20, for a parade and party. See page 14.
ale S t a e S d n e k e e W y a D r u o Lab vel from September 4, 2012 until August 24, 2012 for tra Purchase reservations
Take off for the weekend!
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Wawatay News
AUGUST 23, 2012
ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ
INSIDE WAWATAY NEWS
THIS WEEK... ᐊᐧᓂᓇᐊᐧᑲᐠ ᑲᑕᔑᒣᑕᐊᐧᓄᐊᐧᐠ ᐅᐁᐧ ᑐᑲᐣ ᑐᐦᐁᐃᐧᐣ ᐁᑲᐧ ᒥᓇ ᑫᐃᐧᐣ ᒪᐊᐧᐨ ᑭᐅᐣᒋᐅᐡᑲᑎᓯ ᐃᒪ ᑕᓯᐣ ᑲᑭᑯᒋᐦᐃᑎᐊᐧᐨ, ᐊᑎᐟ ᑲᔦ ᐊᑯᓇᐠ 19 ᑭᑕᓱᔭᑭᐃᐧᓀᐊᐧᐠ ᑲᑭᐱᑯᒋᑐᐊᐧᐨ. ᒥᓇᐊᐧ ᐊᐦᑭᐊᐧᓂᐠ ᐅᑭᐅᓀᐣᑕᐣ ᒥᓇᐊᐧ ᒋᑯᒋᑐᐨ.
ᐸᑭᑎᓂᑲᑌ ᐊᑭᐣᑕᒪᑫᐃᐧ ᒪᒥᔑᑫᒧᐃᐧᐣ ᐃᐡᑯᓄᑲᒥᑯᐣ ᐅᐣᒋ ᐁᐧᑎ ᓀᐣᑲᐱᐦᐊᓄᐠ ᓂᔑᐣ ᑊᕑᐃᑎᐡ ᑲᓫᐊᑦᐱᔭ ᐃᐡᑯᓂᑲᓇᐣ ᐅᑭᐸᑭᑎᓇᓇᐊᐧ ᐊᑭᐣᑕᒪᑫᐃᐧ ᒪᒥᔑᑫᒧᐃᐧᐣ ᐁᐃᐧᑎᐸᑯᓇᐊᐧᐨ ᑲᓇᑕ ᐅᑭᒪᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᒋᑎᐸᐦᐊᒪᐃᐧᐣᑕᐧ ᑲᑭᒪᒋᑐᑕᑯᐊᐧᐨ ᑲᑭᑕᔑ ᐃᐡᑯᓄᐦᐃᑕᐧ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐃᐧ ᐊᐊᐧᔑᔕᐠ ᐃᐡᑯᓄᑲᒥᑯᐣ. ᐸᓂᔑᓂᓂᐃᐧ ᐅᑎᐡᑯᓂᐠ ᑲᑭᐃᐡᑯᓄᐦᐃᑕᐧᐸᐣ ᐃᒪ ᐃᐡᑯᓄᑲᒥᑯᐣ ᑲᐃᐧᐣ ᐃᒪ ᒋᑭᐅᐣᒋ ᑲᓇᐁᐧᐣᑕᑯᓯᐊᐧᐸᐣ ᑲᐃᐧᐣ ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᐃᓇᑌᓯᓂ ᒋᑭᒥᓂᑕᐧ ᑎᐸᐦᐃᑫᐃᐧᓂ ᑲᑭᒪᓯᓇᐦᐃᑲᑌᑭᐸᐣ ᓇᑯᒥᑐᐃᐧᐣ 2006 ᑲᓇᑕ ᐅᑭᒪᐃᐧᐣ ᓇᑯᒥᑐᐃᐧᓂᐠ. ᑲᓇᑕ ᑭᒋᐅᑭᒪᑲᐣ ᔕᐧᐣ ᐊᐟᓫᐃᐅ ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᐁᐸᑯᓭᐣᑕᐠ ᐅᓄᐁᐧᓂᐊᐧᐣ ᑐᑲᐣ ᒪᒥᔑᑫᒧᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᒋᔭᓂᒥᓯᑌᐡᑲᒪᑲᑭᐣ ᒥᓯᐁᐧ ᐅᒪ ᑲᓇᑕ ᐊᐦᑭᐣᐠ ᒋᐅᒋ ᑌᐱᓂᑕᐧ ᑲᑭᓇ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐊᐧᐠ ᑫᐃᐧᓇᐊᐧ ᑲᑭᐱᐃᐡᑯᓄᐊᐧᐸᐣ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐃᐧ ᐊᐊᐧᔑᔕᐠ ᑲᑭᑕᔑᑲᓇᐁᐧᐣᑕᑯᓯᐸᐧᐣ ᐃᐡᑯᓄᑲᒥᑯᐣ.
Mishkegogamang junior golfer competes in national tournament Barry McLoughlin of Mishkegogamang First Nation competed in the PING Junior Match Play Golf Championship last month. While he did not make the final cut of 16, McLoughlin played well and gained some valuable experience. The 15-year-old who plays regularly at Sioux Lookout Golf and Country Club was one of the youngest players at the tournament, where golfers can be as old as 19. He plans to continue practicing towards making the cut next year.
Day school lawsuit starts in BC Two British Columbia First Nations have launched a lawsuit against the federal government aiming to get compensation for the effects of residential day schools. First Nations students who attended residential schools but did not reside at the schools are currently not eligible for compensation under the federal government agreement signed in 2006. AFN National Chief Shawn Atleo said he hopes the day school lawsuit spreads across Canada to cover every Aboriginal student who attended a residential day school.
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ᓀᐅᑎᑲᒥᑲᐧᓂᐠ ᐅᐡᑲᑎᓴᐠ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯᐃᐧᐃᔑᒋᑫᐃᐧᓇᐣ
Page 3
ᐊᐊᐧᔑᔑᐃᐧ ᓇᑕᒪᑫᐃᐧ ᑲᐅᐣᒋᐸᑭᑎᓂᐨ ᑭᑭᐡᑭᓇᑲᓂᐃᐧ
ᐊᓄᑭᐃᐧᐣ
ᔓᓂᔭ
ᒉᒥᐢ ᐯ ᐃᓀᑫ ᐊᐊᐧᔑᔑᐃᐧ ᓇᑕᒪᑫᐃᐧ ᐊᓄᑭᐃᐧ ᐱᒧᒋᑫᐃᐣ ᐅᑭᑯᐡᑫᐧᐣᑕᓇᐊᐧ ᑲᑭ ᑭᐡᑭᓇᒪᐃᐧᐣᑕᐧ ᔓᓂᔭᐣ $1.7 ᒥᓫᐃᔭᐣ ᒥᓂᑯᐠ. ᐯᔭᑯᑌᓄ ᐅᑲᑭᐸᐦᐊᓇᐣ ᓂᔑᐣ ᑲᓇᐁᐧᓂᒪᐊᐧᓱᑲᒥᑯᐣ ᒥᓇ 22 ᐊᓄᑭᓇᑲᓇᐠ ᑕᐳᓇᓄᑭᐦᐊᑲᓄᐊᐧᐠ ᐊᐱᐣ ᑲᑭᐱᐃᐧᐣᑕᒪᐃᐧᐣᑕᐧᐸᐣ ᐅᐣᑌᕑᐃᔪ ᐅᑭᒪᐅᐣ ᒋᑭᐡᑭᓇᒪᑯᐊᐧᐨ ᔓᓂᔭᐣ. ᐅᓄᐁᐧᓂᐊᐧᐣ ᑲᑭᐱᒧᑐᐊᐧᐸᐣ ᐊᐧᑲᐦᐃᑲᓇᐣ ᐊᒋᓇ ᑭᑕᔑ ᑲᓇᐁᐧᐣᑕᑯᓯᐸᓂᐠ ᐊᐊᐧᔑᔕᐠ ᒥᓇ ᐅᐡᑲᑎᓴᐠ ᑲᓂᑲᑌᐃᐧᓂᑕᐧ ᐅᓂᑭᐦᐃᑯᒪᑲᐠ ᐁᑲ ᑲᐧᔭᐠ ᑲᑐᑕᑯᐊᐧᐨ ᓇᐣᑕ ᐁᑲ ᑲᐧᔭᐠ ᑲᑲᓇᐁᐧᓂᒥᑯᐊᐧᐨ.
Child services funding cut A James Bay coast child services organization is shocked by a $1.7 million funding cut. Payukotayno plans to close two receiving homes and lay off 22 workers after finding out the provincial government’s plan to cut its funding. The homes provide temporary accommodation for children and youth who have been removed from their families because of abuse or neglect.
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Youth in Naotkamegwanning (top left) learned about their history and culture while having fun at the community’s annual wilderness camp. Barry McLoughlin (top right) participated in a national golf championship. Residential day school students launched a lawsuit in BC, and Payukotayno found out it has been cut by $1.7 million.
ᒣᐡᑭᑲᐧᑲᒪᐣᐠ ᐅᐡᑲᑎᐢ ᐅᑭᑭᔑᑐᐣ ᒥᓯᐁᐧ ᑲᑭᐅᐣᒋᐊᐧᐨ ᑲᑭᑯᒋᐦᐃᑎᐊᐧᐨ ᑲᐧᓫᑊ ᑐᐦᐁᐃᐧᐣ ᐸᕑᐃ ᒥᐠᓫᐊᐠᓫᐃᐣ ᒣᐡᑭᑲᐧᑲᒪᐣᐠ ᑲᐅᐣᒋᐨ ᐅᑭᑭᔑᑐᐣ ᐱᐣᐠ ᒍᓂᔪᕑ ᑲᐧᓫᑊ ᑐᐦᐁᐃᐧᐣ ᑯᒋᐦᐃᑎᐃᐧᐣ ᐅᑕᓇᐠ ᐱᓯᑦ. ᐊᓇᐃᐧᐣ ᑲᐃᐧᐣ ᒋᑭᐅᐣᒋ ᐅᑎᑕᐣᐠ 16 ᑲᐃᑯᐡᑲᓂᐊᐧᐠ, ᔕᑯᐨ ᐃᑯ ᒪᐊᐧᐨ ᑲᐧᔭᐠ ᐅᑭᓇᑲᒋᑐᐣ ᑲᑭᒣᑕᐁᐧᐨ ᒥᓇ ᐅᑭᐅᐣᒋ ᑭᑫᐣᑕᐣ ᑫᔭᓂᑐᑕᐣᐠ. ᓂᔭᓄᔕᑊ ᑕᓱᔭᑭᐃᐧᓀ ᐊᐧᐁᐧ ᐅᐡᑲᑎᐢ ᐁᑲᐧ ᑲᑲᐯᐦᐃ ᒣᑕᐁᐧ ᐃᒪ
ᑭᑭᓄᐦᐊᒪᐊᐧᐊᐧᐠ
ᐱᑲᐧᑕᑭᐠ ᑭᑭᓄᐦᐊᒪᑫᐃᐧᐣ ᑲᑭᑐᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᓀᐅᑎᑲᒥᑲᐧᓂᐠ ᐅᑭᐅᐣᒋ ᐃᐧᒋᐦᐃᑯᓇᐊᐧ ᐃᒪ ᑲᑲᐯᔑᐊᐧᐨ ᒥᓇ ᐱᑯ ᑭᒋᔭᐦᐊᐠ ᒋᑭᑭᓄᐦᐊᒪᐊᐧᐊᐧᐨ ᐅᐡᑲᑎᓴᐣ ᐅᑕᓇᐠ ᑲᑭᐱᐃᔑᐱᒪᑎᓯᐨ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂ ᒥᓇ ᐱᑯ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐊᐧᑎᓯᐃᐧᓂ. ᑊᓫᐊᐠ ᕑᐃᐳᕑ ᐱᑲᐧᑕᑭᐃᐧ ᑭᑭᓄᐦᐊᒪᑫᐃᐧᐣ ᑭᐃᔑᐃᐧᓇᑲᓄᐊᐧᐠ 40 ᐅᐡᑲᑎᓴᐠ ᒋᕑᐃᑎ #3 ᑕᔑᑫᐃᐧᐣ ᐯᔑᑯᐱᒥᑯᓇᑲ. ᑭᐃᓇᐧᑌ ᒥᓇ ᐅᐁᐧ ᑭᑭᓄᐦᐊᒪᑫᐃᐧᐣ ᒋᐅᒋ ᐃᐧᒋᐦᐃᑕᐧ ᐅᐡᑲᑎᓴᐠ ᒋᓇᑲᓂᑕᐧ ᑲᑲᑫᐧ ᓂᓯᑎᓱᐊᐧᐨ. ᑲᑭᓂᑲᓂᐡᑲᐠ ᐅᐁᐧᓂ ᐃᔑᒋᑫᐃᐧᓂ ᒐᐧᔾᐢ ᐊᐧᔾᐟ ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᓇᑕᐁᐧᐣᑕᑲᐧᐣ ᒋᐊᐧᐸᐣᑕᐦᐃᑕᐧ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᐅᐡᑲᑎᓴᐠ ᐊᐣᑎ ᑫᑭᐅᐣᒋᒥᑲᒧᐊᐧᐸᐣ ᐅᑕᓂᔑᓂᓂᐊᐧᑎᓯᐃᐧᓂᐊᐧ ᒥᓇ ᒋᔭᓂ ᑲᑫᐧ ᓂᓯᑕᐁᐧᐣᑕᒧᐊᐧᐨ ᒋᑭᒋᓀᐣᑕᒧᐊᐧᐨ ᑲᐱᐅᐣᑕᑲᓀᓯᐊᐧᐨ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᒥᐦᐅᐁᐧ ᐯᔑᑲᐧᔦᐠ ᑲᑐᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᑲᒪᒋᐃᐧᓂᑕᐧ ᐱᑲᐧᑕᑭᐣᐠ ᒋᔭᓄᒋ ᑭᑭᓄᐡᑲᒪᐃᐧᐣᑕᐧ ᐊᐣᑎ ᑫᑭᔭᓄᒋᑲᐧᔭᑯᔑᓄᐊᐧᐨ.
Naotkamegwanning youth learning culture A wilderness retreat in Whitefish Bay gave community members and Elders a chance to expose youth to the history and culture of Anishinawbe people. The Black River wilderness retreat brought 40 youth from the Treaty #3 community out on the land for a week. The program is intended to help deal with youth suicides. Coordinator Joyce White said Anishinawbe youth need to be shown the way to access their culture and realize the pride of being Anishinawbe, and the wilderness retreat is one way of helping them along that path.
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Wawatay News
AUGUST 23, 2012
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ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ
Province slashes Payukotayno budget Assembly of First Cuts mean closure of James Bay coast group homes Lenny Carpenter Wawatay News
The executive director of a child and family welfare agency on the James Bay coast was “shocked” to discover last month that the provincial government cut their budget by almost nine per cent. Payukotayno: James & Hudson Bay Family Services executive director Charlene Reuben did not expect the Ministry of Children and Youth Services (MCYS) to cut the agency’s annual budget by $1.7 million. “We submitted a higher budget than last year because our numbers are continuing to rise,” Reuben said, adding that the budget is usually determined by statistics. “There was no indication that our budget was going to be cut and by that amount.” The cut has led Payukotayno to close two staff-supported receiving homes and lay off 22 full-time employees, including the managers and front-line workers who run the homes. “(MCYS) told us we weren’t getting any additional funding and we had to live within our means,” Reuben said. “The board felt the decision would be that closing the two staffmodeled homes would be the best choice.”
Nations announces education forum Lenny Carpenter Wawatay News
“It’s sad to see happen because it doesn’t affect just our staff but also the children and families that we service.” Receiving homes provide temporary accommodation for children and youth who have been removed from their families because of abuse or neglect and who need a period of assessment and stabilization, providing them quiet, safe places to live while in transition. And while their closure has led some to speculate that children would be sent down south due to a lack of capacity, Reuben said that is not the case. “(The receiving homes) weren’t at full capacity so the children that are in the homes
have been placed elsewhere in the community,” she said. “We are building resources in other areas of the community, so it’s not necessary to say the children are going elsewhere.” Aside from the receiving home closures and employee layoffs, Reuben said Payukotayno is in line to operate without any major impacts to its services. “We felt that we were developed enough so it wouldn’t have a huge impact,” she said. “I think based on those cuts, we should be fine.” Payukotayno will not be the only child welfare agency to be impacted by budget cuts. Included in the March 2012 provincial budget was an
announcement that Children’s Aid Society agencies across the province would see a funding reduction of $16 million. “It’s a whole province cut and we happen to be the first one,” Reuben said. The budget cuts are part of the McGuinty government’s plan to reduce spending by $17.7 billion over the next three years and erase its $258 billion deficit by 2017-18. Incorporated in 1984, Payukotayno has a service population of more than 13,000 people located along the James Bay and Hudson Bay coast, including Weenusk, Attawapiskat, Fort Albany, Kashechewan, Moose Factory and Moosonee.
First Nation leaders from across Canada will be gathering in Ottawa from Oct. 2-4 to participate in the Chiefs Assembly on Education. The three-day gathering will be an opportunity for a full discussion on supporting First Nations education and identifying strategies to move forward in critical areas such as treaty rights, jurisdiction, funding and language. “First Nations leaders established education as a key priority, with our ultimate goal being First Nations control of First Nations education,” said National Chief Shawn Atleo in a media release. “Our direction forward must address the treaty right to education, First Nation jurisdiction over education, fairness and equity in funding and resources to support language and cultural instruction.” Among the topics will be federal funding for new schools. A 2011 AFN survey of more than 450 First Nation communities found that 47 per cent (or 219)
First Nation communities indicated the need for a new school. Of those 219 communities, 70 per cent have been waiting more than five years and 13 per cent have been waiting for than 20 years. Earlier this year, the federal government promised $275 million over three years to support First Nation education. Recently, they committed funds to build new schools in Fort Severn and Pikangikum. Atleo commended the community leadership for years of lobbying and said the government needs to do more. “First Nation schools and infrastructures require predictable, adequate and stable funding, supported by strong First Nations systems, delivering a curriculum that respects our rights, our languages and identities and strengthens the fabric of our families and communities,” Atleo said. The Assembly on Education was mandated by the chiefs during the recent AFN Annual General Assembly and is being organized with no government support.
BC First Nations file residential day school lawsuit against feds Lawsuit should spread across Canada, says Atleo Shawn Bell Wawatay News
In a lawsuit with implications for First Nations across Canada, two British Columbia bands say that students who attended residential schools without residing in the schools were scarred by their experiences despite being allowed to go home at night. The Tk’emlups te Secwepemc Indian Band and Sechelt Indian Band filed a class-action lawsuit on Aug. 15, arguing that the language and culture loss they experienced while attending residential schools during the day should be compensated. The lawsuit estimated that 300 members of the two bands who attended day
schools in the communities are still alive. “Day scholars” are not eligible for the common experience payment paid to former residential students under a federal government compensation agreement signed in 2006. The lawsuit hopes to change that. “Many members of Canada’s Aboriginal communities were excluded from the agreement, not because they did not attend residential schools and suffer cultural, linguistic and social damage, but simply because they did not reside at residential schools,” says the statement of claim. The lawsuit only covers survivors of two schools in British Columbia, but Assembly of First
Nations National Chief Shawn Atleo hopes it will spread across Canada. Atleo told reporters that the Aboriginal community has been advocating for years for day scholars to be included in residential school compensation payments, but the federal government has been ignoring the calls. “Whether day scholar or resident, students received similar sorts of abuse and trauma,” Atleo said. The national chief said that First Nations in Saskatchewan and Manitoba have already expressed interest in joining the lawsuit. He said the goal is to have it cover everyone across Canada who attended residential school as a day scholar.
Submitted photo by Christina Filazzola
Goyce Kakegamic gets sworn in as deputy grand chief during NAN’s Keywaywin Conference in Kashechewan on August 15. Kakegamic is joined by Alvin Fiddler and Les Louttit as deputy grand chiefs.
Fiddler, Kakegamic and Louttit round out Nishnawbe Aski Nation executive council Continued from page 1 In the deputy grand chief elections, Theresa Hall of Attawapiskat and Pierre Morriseau of North Caribou Lake were eliminated on the first ballot. Louttit returns to the execu-
tive council after spending the last term holding the housing and infrastructure portfolio as well as the economic development portfolio. Fiddler spent two terms as deputy grand chief from 2003 – 2009 before running for grand
chief in 2009, an election he narrowly lost to incumbent Stan Beardy. Kakegamic served for three terms as deputy grand chief from 1997-2006 before stepping away from NAN politics for two terms.
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Wawatay News
AUGUST 23, 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 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
Creatures of Habitat Xavier Kataquapit UNDER THE NORTHERN SKY
I
am accustomed to living in towns and cities surrounded by people. However, when I am out on the land for long periods of time everything changes. There is no longer access to all those luxuries that we take for granted like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, theatres, television, radio, phone and internet connection. Most of all there are no or few people around. My social life becomes the familiarity I experience with the creatures near me in the wilderness and on the lake. It takes some time before this kind of socialization can take place. You can’t expect to go camping for a week and develop some rapport with the environment and the surrounding creatures. A month seems to work for me. My day starts when I am routinely rudely awakened by the bang, bang sound of pine cones falling from the tall trees onto the roof of my cabin, thanks to the work of Anakoochas, or Mr. Squirrel. I believe he does this for the shear enjoyment of knowing that it bugs me at six in the morning. I open the door to my camp to step out into a world of towering pine trees and the reflections on the lake. On cue the squirrels chatter at me and I am greeted along the path by a couple of chipmunks. They seem to be involved in some conspiracy to wake me early. They continually remind me throughout my day that it is in fact their world. The squirrels and chipmunks are never far away and often I find myself gazing into their stare as they sit perched on a log or stump just meters away. Magwa, or Mr. Loon and his lovely wife and young one paddle up to the shoreline every morning at around nine to say hello. They have become accustomed to my friend Mike singing to them as they fish on the quiet waters of the lake. Often they join in and entertain us with some wonderful tunes of their own. Sometimes the little song birds seem to appear out of nowhere to join in the sing song and many times now I have been astonished at that scene on the shores of the lake alive with nature’s music. There were a lot of ducks, or Sheesheep, on the lake a few weeks ago but one day I spotted a Mikisew, or fish eagle circling high in the sky and then the
ducks were gone. Sadly, we also lost one of the young loons early on and it is suspected that the eagle had his claw in that disappearance. I understand of course that the eagle is only doing what comes natural but I would rather he spend his time grabbing the many mice that scamper about on the land and leave the loons and ducks alone. The eagle and I have not been on great terms these past few weeks. My little skunk friend, Shikak, shows up from time to time and always with such pomp and ceremony. She makes a little noise to let me know she is about and parades by with that confidence that only a skunk can manage in the animal world. She knows everybody out here regards her with a hands off respect and she seems to wallow in it. She never stays long and just takes a little walk near me then saunters off into the forest. The beaver, or Amisk, family swims by slowly every night and sometimes stops to check out the trees I have cut. The old poplars up the hill were rotten and sick so I took a few down. The beaver family seems to approve of my work and I see them now and then wandering about the stumps and chomping on a few woody morsels here and there. They have a wonderful lodge down at the end of the lake but they don’t much like visitors and are more than happy to let this be known by the great slaps they make with their flat tails on the surface of the lake when we approach. At times we hear the howls of the Maheekan, or wolves coming from the mountain far in the distance. They let us know they are around but they are but shadows on the land. Last week we saw a moose calf crossing a road nearby and he seemed very focused on getting to a lake nearby where he probably has family. There are signs of Maskwa, bears about but for the time being they don’t seem much interested in us. That is a very good thing. A huge Peeshoo, or lynx walked softly past us one day last week. She was surprised to see us taking a break along the path and she turned to look at us directly. We were a little spooked by a face that seemed more human than cat. It almost seemed as though she wanted to say something to us. The encounter reminded me of all kinds of stories from my Elders on the land but those tales and legends will come another day maybe when the snow is falling and we are gathered around a warm fire drinking tea.
Wawatay News archives
Deer Lake summer, date unknown.
Remembering Josias Fiddler
I
was so sorry to read of the passing of Elder Josias Fiddler in Wawatay News. The article about his accomplishments was impressive; I would like to add to this a number of things that Josias worked on that were not covered. I first met Josias when he became the Executive Director of the Friendship Centre in Red Lake, in the early 1970s. There he worked with a number of others to try and improve the lives of people who had moved from the northern communities to service centres like Red Lake, and also to help those who were passing through and needing assistance. He worked on a number of issues during those years involving housing, justice, education and opportunities for young people to learn about their culture in meaningful ways. When a Fellowship and Communications Centre was
proposed for Sioux Lookout, by some insightful leaders in the north who wanted to make Sioux Lookout a less hostile place for northerners to live in and to do business, it was logical for Josias to be asked take on that role. This was an important time in the evolution of the Grand Council Treaty No. 9 as NAN’s predecessor was called. The Fellowship Centre, under Josias’ leadership played an important part as a venue for those meetings. Wawatay itself began its life in that building, with Single Side Band radio as its principal tool of communication. A newsletter was born there, which evolved into Wawatay News and itself became an influential separate organization. Josias was an important part of that group of young aboriginal people from the remote communities with the language, intellectual
and educational capabilities to deal both with the world outside the north and the understanding of their own communities and their people. Together, they were the enablers, combining their skills to support the Chiefs of the day and to help them find ways to translate the Chiefs’ vision of a more organized and effective presence in the Canadian political landscape into something very tangible and durable. I remember being with Josias, Teri and family and a whole group of young people who were attending high school in Sioux Lookout on a picnic activity in the bush north of Sioux Lookout one cold and wintry Saturday. Josias was concerned that children from the north were not getting out and enjoying the bush enough, so we packed hot dogs and buns and went out to have a winter cookout. The fire was roaring away, and people
were chomping down on hot dogs when I was suddenly grabbed from behind by Josias and thrown down in the snow. This was a bit disconcerting until I realized that the back of my parka had caught fire from a spark, a fire that was rapidly spreading. We had a good laugh about that on more than one occasion. Josias will be missed not only as an Elder; but as one of a group of individuals whose work helped lay the foundations for the evolution of First Nations’ leadership for the remote northern communities in Ontario. John Vincett
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
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CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER David Neegan davidn@wawatay.on.ca EDITOR Shawn Bell shawnb@wawatay.on.ca WRITER/PHOTOGRAPHER Rick Garrick rickg@wawatay.on.ca WRITER/PHOTOGRAPHER Lenny Carpenter lennyc@wawatay.on.ca INTERIM REPORTER Stephanie Wesley
ART DIRECTOR Roxann Shapwaykeesic, RGD roxys@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
TRANSLATORS Vicky Angees vickya@wawatay.on.ca Agnes Shakakeesic agness@wawatay.on.ca CONTRIBUTORS Xavier Kataquapit John Vincent Joyce White John Ferris Guest editorials, columnists and letters to the editor do not necessarily reflect the views of Wawatay News.
Wawatay News
LETTERS
AUGUST 23, 2012
TO
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ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ
Bush Notes
THE EDITOR Re: Feds refuse to sign off on housing project for Attawapiskat (Wawatay News, August 9) There must be more to this story then what is reported here. The process and qualifications for obtaining a Ministerial Loan Guarantee are set out in Aboringinal and Northern Development Canada’s (AANDC) manual (which can be found on the web). Does the Attawapiskat band council qualify for the guarantee and have they completed all the required steps in the application process? Has AANDC been in contact with the band council to discuss any possible deficiencies in the application? The band council should not abandon the process claiming the government is out to get them, they owe it to their members who are seeking housing to do everything they can to resolve any deficiencies in the application process. If Attawapiskat qualifies for this program and has complied with all requirements of the application process, or IF AANDC refuses to discuss any deficiencies in the application with the Attawapiskat band council, then every Canadian should be outraged at the Minister’s refusal to sign the guarantee. Submitted online Re: Feds looking to allow nurses to prescribe Suboxone ( Aug. 16) I have said since Suboxone was first introduced in America for opiate addiction/dependency that EVERY doctor should be allowed to prescribe it!! It should be readily available to EVERYONE, 24/7!!!! Along with counseling, Suboxone is a GIFT to Opiate addiction/dependency!!! Submitted online
John Ferris/Special to Wawatay News
New Nishnawbe Aski Nation executive council meets its constituents.
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in these communities Aroland Atikokan Attawapiskat Balmertown Batchewana Bearskin Lake Beaverhouse Big Grassy Big Island Big Trout Lake Brunswick House Calstock Cat Lake Chapleau Cochrane Collins Couchiching Couchiching Deer Lake Dinorwic Dryden Ear Falls Emo Flying Post Fort Albany Fort Frances Fort Hope Fort Severn Geraldton Ginoogaming Grassy Narrows Gull Bay Hornepayne Hudson Iskatewizaagegan
Kapuskasing Kasabonika Kashechewan Keewaywin Kenora Kingfisher Lake Kocheching Lac La Croix Lac Seul, Kejick Bay Lake Nipigon Lansdowne Long Lake Mattagammi Michipicoten Migisi Sahgaigan Missanabie Mobert Moose Factory Moosonee Muskrat Dam Musselwhite Mine Naicatchewenin Naotikamegwanning Nestor Falls Nicikousemenecaning North Spirit Lake Northwest Angle #33 Northwest Angle #37 Ochiichagwe’Babigo’ Ining Ogoki Pic River Osnaburgh Pawitik Pays Plat Peawanuck
Pickle Lake Pikangikum Poplar Hill Rainy River Red Lake Red Rock Rocky Bay Sachigo Lake Sandy Lake Saugeen Sault Ste. Marie Savant Lake Seine River Shoal Lake Sioux Lookout Sioux Narrows Slate Falls Stanjikoming Stratton Summer Beaver Taykwa Tagamou Timmins Thunder Bay Wabaskang Wabigoon Wahgoshing Wapekeka Washaganish Wauzhusk Onigum Wawakapewin Weagamow Lake Webequie Whitedog Whitesand Wunnimun Lake
6
Wawatay News
AUGUST 23, 2012
ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ
Seagull eggs, rabbit and bear staples of traditional Pays Play First Nation diet Rick Garrick Wawatay News
Seagull eggs were harvested from the north shore of Lake Superior.
Eggs from fish and seagulls were part of the traditional diet in Pays Plat, a Robinson Superior community located on the shore of Lake Superior. Along with moose, rabbit and even bear, eating eggs and other traditional foods was not only for survival, but a way for the people of Pays Plat to connect to the land. “This land is our land,” said Pays Plat Councillor Raymond Goodchild. “It’s not
only this little (reserve) here, we’re attached all the way down through our traditional territory. We’ve got family down in Marathon and Pic River, we’ve got family up in Lake Helen, we’ve even got family up north.” Goodchild said community members used to travel to wherever food was available before the Pays Plat reserve was established. “They had to travel with the game,” Goodchild said. “If the ducks are moving, you got to move with the ducks and geese. If you don’t, you
“They would eat what we have to eat or they would starve.” – Raymond Goodchild
will starve.” Peoples’ travels made having a diverse diet important. Today, many members in Pays Play still eat the foods of their ancestors. “We boil the fish eggs up,” Goodchild said. “We also eat the heads of certain fish.”
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Goodchild said seagull eggs are collected along the shores of Lake Superior. “Seagull eggs are a lot better than farm eggs,” Goodchild said. “One omelet covers the whole frying pan and it tastes different.” Goodchild said the newcomers learned to eat seagull eggs after arriving on the shores of Lake Superior. “They would eat what we have to eat or they would starve,” Goodchild said. “And we even showed them how to eat bear. At one time we used to eat bear, because we had to eat.” Goodchild said rabbit was also on the community’s traditional diet. “We believe the rabbit in certain seasons is medicine for us,” Goodchild said. “The rabbits in January eat certain plants that give us healing for our sicknesses. That is what we believe.” Goodchild said the rabbit “guts” were also fried up in a frying pan with butter in the spring after being cleaned out and washed with salt. “That is some smell,” Goodchild said. “It was good, though. It turns into some kind of spicy little stuff. It has a tingling taste to it.” Goodchild said the large intestine of the moose was also a tasty food.
If we start learning what the land is, we learn that it is part of us. - Raymond Goodchild
Visit www.slaamb.on.ca for more information and to register.
Organized by the Sioux Lookout Area Aboriginal Management Board (SLAAMB), along with the Northern Ontario Steering Committee. Dryden:
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“You smoke it over a fire,” Goodchild said. “They smoked that, then they boiled that. It’s good too, I really like it.” Pays Plat has been developing a healing plants book with photographs over the past three to four years as a resource for future generations. “What are the healing plants?” Goodchild said. “We have to talk to the older people to get their permission and location of some of the places where they know where the plants are.” Goodchild said the book will be an important resource to provide youth with information about how they are attached to the land. Goodchild is looking for the youth to learn more about their traditions, noting that community members used to have an in-depth knowledge of the land back then. “If we start learning what the land is, we learn that it is part of us,” Goodchild said. “We are part of the land. We walk on it, we eat on it, we live on it, we sleep on it. The water and everything in it is part of us.” Goodchild said the Anishinabe need to get back on the land and own the land. “We were here and we owned the land,” Goodchild said. “We were born here and we owned it. And the resources are our resources — the berries, the trees, the moose, the fish and even the rocks.”
Wawatay News
AUGUST 23, 2012
7
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Moose Cree nets funding to improve tourism Lenny Carpenter Wawatay News
Tourism along the southern coast of James Bay will get a boost after the federal government announced it has committed funds to help grow the industry in the region. On Aug. 14, FedNor announced it will provide $126,725 to Moose Cree First Nation in partnership with the Moose River Heritage and Hospitality Association (MRHHA) to develop a strategic plan to help create jobs and enhance tourism in Moosonee, Moose Factory and neighbouring communities.
“We were finding that visitors that come to the area were wanting to experience the culture as opposed to just coming and looking.” – Juliet Rickard
The strategy, called the Moose River Hospitality Development Project, will be designed to integrate, enhance and expand tourism services and marketing efforts. Once fully implemented, the strategy is expected to attract an additional 10,000 tourists to the area and triple overnight visits to nearly 6,000 within the fiveyear period. Moose Cree’s economic development officer Juliet Rickard said the funding comes as tourism operators have noticed a decline in tourists over the years. “We used to get thousands of tourists in the 70s and then it slowly started to decline in the 80s,” Rickard said. “And it’s quite low now.” Charlene Gunner of the MRHHA believes train ridership going to Moosonee and Moose Factory is down from past years as are numbers of guests checking into local hotels. “A hotel Moose Cree used to run closed down,” Gunner said. “Looking at our community, the tourism facilities are closing.” This includes a locally owned tourism company that would bus tourists around the communities and take them aboard a tourist vessel that brought them out towards the open waters of James Bay. It closed in 2007 due to declining business. Nowadays, Rickard said it is difficult and costly for tourists to fully experience
the communities with a train schedule that limits their visit if they do not stay overnight. Often, she said, they are unable to visit Moose Factory. The new funding will allow MRHHA – formerly the Moose River Travel Assocation, a nonprofit volunteer organization – to hire a development officer for two years to develop a strategic plan that addresses the impediments of tourism in the region and ways to address the issue. Rickard said one of the issues that should be addressed is finding a way to work with boat taxi drivers to enhance services for tourists wanting to visit Moose Factory. “If we can work with those people we can have more coordinated services,” she said. Rickard added the plan should also include ways of combining culture with tourism. “We were finding that visitors that come to the area were wanting to experience the culture as opposed to just coming and looking,” she said. A development officer is expected to be hired by September. Moose Cree Chief Norm Hardisty welcomed the news of the tourism funding. “We are proud to work in partnership with the government of Canada to build a strong, selfsustaining regional economy for Aboriginal communities in the area,” he said in a media release. “This FedNor investment will help us attract more tourists to the area by creating new tourism offerings, expanding existing services and promoting the region as an ideal holiday destination to visitors and guests from around the world.” FedNor Minister Tony Clement said empowering First Nations to take charge of their economic future is a key priority for the federal government. “Today’s announcement will strengthen northern Ontario’s tourism industry by developing a strategic plan that will help Aboriginal communities capitalize on the inherent strengths of the region, create jobs and strengthen the economy,” he said in a press release. Funding for this project was provided through FedNor’s Northern Ontario Development Program, which supports initiatives that strengthen community economic development, enhance business growth and facilitate innovation throughout the region.
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Numbers of tourists along James Bay coast has been in decline for a number of years, including a decline in the number of train passengers riding to Moosonee, according to a local travel association. New federal funding hopes to change that pattern.
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Wawatay News
AUGUST 23, 2012
ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ
First Nations prostitutes part of Thunder Bay’s ‘little secret’ Stock photo
First Nations sex trade workers in cities across Canada continue to be mostly ignored by both the general public and service providers. In places such as Thunder Bay, the problem remains and few are doing anything about it.
Stephanie Wesley Wawatay News
“We should never look at them as a problem, or an offender,” Bridget Perrier, 36, said of females who are prostitutes. “We should more or less look at them as a victim.” Perrier spent years working as a prostitute, having started at a young age on the streets of Thunder Bay. It has been 10 years since she left the sextrade industry, and she now works with other ex-prostitutes with a goal of getting more young women out of the cycle of prostitution. Perrier was born in Thunder Bay to an Ojibwe woman who gave her up for adoption to a non-Native family. During her time with her adopted family, a friend of the family sexually abused her. She began to exhibit behavioural-problems and it was hard for her parents to handle her. She ended up in a Children’s Aid Society-run group home where she was “recruited” to work as a prostitute at the age of 12. “I started turning tricks at a really young age. I worked Simpson Street – back in the day, that was the place to work,” Perrier explained. “There was a whole group of us,” she added. “You wouldn’t believe how many girls. This is Thunder Bay’s little secret.” Although Thunder Bay has a thriving sex-trade industry, there are little to no options available for women who would like to exit the industry. Perrier said that there was “nothing in Thunder Bay” for a young woman in her situation, so she had to go to Toronto for help.
Thunder Bay still lacks services It’s been 10 years since her departure, and the city is still lacking in services for women looking for a way out of the
“Survivalists have come out of it (prostitution)... And they’re worth it. Their dreams are worth it and their dreams will help them come out.” – Bridget Perrier
business. A call was made by Wawatay News to the social-services information line 211 Ontario asking for services in Thunder Bay that were aimed at women exiting the sex-trade. The operator at 211 provided information on shelters in the city, as well as counseling services and Ontario Works for monetary help and low-income housing, but there was no single entity to help a woman in need of an exit-strategy. Sue Watson, an outreach worker at the John Howard Society, acknowledges the fact that today there are not any programs set up in the city for these women. Watson said that the issue is starting to gain the attention of groups around the city. Other programs that are already in place have become quasi-outreach programs for prostitutes who can utilize some of the services offered, she said. “Our homeless people’s program has expanded into grief services for sex-trade workers,” Watson said, adding that she often counsels women who are involved in prostitution. The John Howard’s Society has also formed a coalition called Sex-trade Workers Alliance of Northwestern Ontario (SWAN). When speaking with ex-prostitutes about what helped them the most when it came to leaving the sex-trade, Watson learned that there was “one person who was
supportive and they were the key to getting out” for these women. “SWAN is hoping to be that key,” said Watson. Watson explained that it is not the group’s intention to try and coerce the women into changing, but to be supportive and also educate the community and other social workers not to judge them. “We just want them (the sextrade workers) to be able to access services and know that we are here,” Watson expressed. Watson is hoping to recruit former street workers into SWAN to get their invaluable input with creating a program, much like the website Sextrade101 that was started by Perrier and her associates. Sextrade101’s mission is to educate and spread awareness of the ills of the business and is also aimed at helping women escape the lifestyle. “It seems to be the model that works,” Watson said of Perrier’s ideology.
Colonialism and First Nation street workers First Nations women have long since been a target for men and women seeking to exploit them by luring them into the prostitution lifestyle. In an essay written by Jackie Lynne, entitled Colonialism and the Sexual Exploitation of Canada’s First Nations Women, she states: “Street prostitution in the lives of Canadian First Nations women is a fundamental form of sexual oppression whose exploitative roots are located within earlier colonial relations.” In her essay Lynne writes that First Nations women have been dominated since early European settlers first made contact. Since European women were not allowed to join their husbands in colonial
submitted photo
Bridget Perrier travels to cities across Canada conducting awareness workshops on prostitution.
Canada, First Nations women were targeted as “country wives.” Patriarchy, a socialsystem where the male is dominant over the female, was introduced to First Nations in Canada through European contact. “The sexual domination of First Nations women has remained unabated to present-day due to patriarchy’s stronghold,” Lynne positions in the paper. In Perrier’s view, the effects of colonization can be seen in the number of young First Nations women on the streets of cities across Canada. “Aboriginal people have intergenerational trauma, we have suffered under the hands of colonialism for a long time – it does play a big role,” Perrier explained. “It is sad that such a beautiful people are so targeted. It’s our territory, we shouldn’t have to feel that pressure.” Meanwhile Thunder Bay, which is still an anchorage for ships with sailors and has
always been a starting off point for men who work in the bush and surrounding mines, has a long-standing history of brothels and prostitution. In an article in Thunder Bay’s Chronicle Journal, dated February 3, 2012, on the subject of prostitution in Thunder Bay, current mayor Keith Hobbes is quoted as saying that when he was a rookie cop in the city in 1976, he questioned why the brothels in the city were not shut down. “I was told that the brothels were tolerated as part of the community,” he said. “The brothels had always been there and always would be.”
New legislation could make things worse The introduction of a new legislation in March of this year will allow prostitutes to operate legal brothels out of
their homes in Ontario. Perrier worries that this will make it more difficult to seek out those who are trafficking underage prostitutes in brothels, and lead to more people choosing to enter the world of prostitution. “It is not an inspiring career choice,” Perrier said. “Girls need to see the pictures of their self when they start turning tricks. First you look great, but by the end of the cycle you’re missing teeth. You’re whacked out.” Perrier feels that the new law regarding the brothel houses does not protect the girls who are working, but the men who are preying on them. “Those men who are trolling around for girls should be charged,” Perrier said. Watson also agreed that it is the men who pay for sex who should be the focus when it comes to the issue of prostitution. “People are not identifying the Johns,” Watson said. “They are harassing the women, more so.” Perrier believes that Canada should “go the Nordic model,” which is making it illegal for men to pay for sexual services and holding them accountable instead of the women who sell sex. “Hold the demand accountable, and the supply will diminish,” Perrier said. As for Thunder Bay’s “little secret,” Watson wants to see the issue of prostitution in Thunder Bay brought out into the mainstream media. “Keeping this issue on the forefront is the key,” Watson said about curtailing Thunder Bay’s high prostitution rates. “This is forgotten about, we need to keep it more visible and get more education on the subject out there.” “Survivalists have come out of it (prostitution),” Perrier said. “And they’re worth it. Their dreams are worth it and their dreams will help them come out.”
Wawatay News
AUGUST 23, 2012
9
ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ
‘We have to shake the legacy of colonialism’ Stephanie Wesley Wawatay News
Bridget Perrier is a selfdescribed “warrior.” She is a survivor in every sense of the word. Adopted out by her Ojibwe mother to a non-Native family in Thunder Bay, she suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a family friend. The repercussions of this abuse surfaced when she was placed into a Children’s Aid Society-run group home in the city and was quickly lured into the world of prostitution at the age of 12. “There were a lot of us,” Perrier said of the underage prostitutes who were working in Thunder Bay. Perrier is now 36, and it has been 10 years since she exited the world of prostitution. She works with her website SexTrade101.com in helping spread awareness of the world of prostitution. The site is a tool for women who want to escape the sex-trade. Perrier is very open when speaking of her past; she does not talk quietly when discussing the life she lived while working as a prostitute. Her voice is strong; she speaks quite loudly, almost as if she is speaking for the first time. In some ways she is, for the voice of prostituted women often goes unheard or is too afraid to talk. Perrier is an example of how one can turn their life around if they really want to. She talks about her life at 13 years old, of being flown to Halifax to stay at a brothel. She would stay with the brothel
owner’s kids so that if the house was raided they could lie and say she was a friend of their children. Stories like this are not uncommon when it comes to prostitution and underage girls. Perrier would like to see it eradicated. She has lived the life and does not want to see any more girls sucked into it. “There was no enjoyment when I was prostituting between me and the men who paid me. You don’t have control,” Perrier said. “You’re someone else’s property. That’s how I felt for many years.” “To this day, I still have intimacy issues,” Perrier said of the psychological damage that has been done to her because of prostitution. Perrier said that a lot of the First Nations prostitutes she worked with were often marginalized because of addictions. Perrier knows that even now it is not uncommon to see a First Nations prostitute on Court Street in Thunder Bay who looks strung-out because
of the city’s own OxyContin epidemic. “The drugs are killing the First Nations people,” Perrier said. She too developed a drughabit of her own after a few years working as a prostitute. “It was a hidden habit,” she explained. Before the age of 17, Perrier gave birth to her son Tanner and he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia several months after. “For five years of his whole life, I watched my baby suffer. Chemo treatments, bone marrow transplants, immense suffering. And I couldn’t get it together,” Perrier explained. “I still worked, I had to work.” Perrier was arrested around the time her son was on his deathbed, but she managed to get out of jail and spend three days by his side. He made her promise not to “go to work” anymore before he died. It was a promise she kept. After realizing there was no assistance for her in Thunder Bay, Perrier left to Toronto
and found help in the Aboriginal community there. There were services in the city to aid women who were in her situation. Soon after, she gave birth to a baby girl. When she changed her baby’s diaper one day, she knew in her heart that the cycle of prostitution would end with her. “No man would do to my baby girl what had been done to
me,” Perrier said. “I reclaimed myself, my title. Everyone has a title; I knew I was a warrior,” Perrier said. “I realize that there is a legacy of colonialism going on, and oppression,” Perrier said of First Nations women who are involved in prostitution. “We have to shake that legacy off.” Perrier and her Sextrade101 group now travel across Canada
to speak at conferences and workshops, as well as schools, on the subject of prostitution in hopes of preventing more young people from entering the world. Perrier is adamant that she will stand up to the men she encountered in her life who hurt and used her, and say “you are not going to hurt any more little girls.”
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Wawatay News
AUGUST 23, 2012
ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ
Stained glass project offers residential school healing Attawapiskat couple designs stained glass window panels for local church Lenny Carpenter Wawatay News
With no experience in cutting or designing stained glass windows, Jackie Hookimaw-Witt and her partner Norbert Witt began a project last January. Five months later, they completed and installed the last of the six window panels measuring three metres tall and a metre wide that are now in the local Catholic church. The project had its origins when the couple applied for a grant with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), which offered art grants that helped with reconciliation of the residential school experience between the church and survivors. In January, Hookimaw-Witt said when they discovered their grant was approved, they were given the option to complete the project by the end of the current fiscal year - which was in March - or next year. They decided to shoot for the current year. “We were faced with a tight schedule and I was naive thought we would finish in two months,” she said. But part of the reason for the decision was the need to ship the glass before the end the winter road season. Otherwise, they would have to wait a fullyear. In late January, HookimawWitt and Witt flew to Ottawa to take part in an intensive one-week training program where they learned how to cut, solder, cement and lead the
photos by Adam Biehler/special to Wawatay News
Norbert Witt, Jackie Hookimaw-Witt and Dominic Hookimaw designed, created and installed the stained glass windows in Attawapiskat’s church. The window panels represent one of the six seasons in Cree culture, as well as telling a story relevant to the community. stained glass. As an artist who had painted murals, Witt said it was challenge to work with new media. “(Hookimaw-Witt) was better in soldering than I was,” Witt said. Witt originally hails from Germany and was teaching in Attawapiskat when he met Hookimaw-Witt. After they returned to the community, Hookimaw-Witt broke her arm in an accident, which limited her ability to work with the stained glass. “So we had to train my brother (Dominic), who’s a skilled carpenter,” she said. They had him start off with a small glass segment and after the window panel, he had picked up the techniques and worked day and night cutting the glass. “He became so specialized,” Hookimaw-Witt said.”Me and
(Norbert) were so slow and inaccurate because we’re not as skilled with our hands, but Dominic, he was so fast and I was impressed.” In designing the glass panels, the couple were only able to find one local artist to design a panel. With a tight deadline and unavailability of local artists, Witt designed the remaining five panels himself. Drawing on local culture and history, the couple decided to do six panels, with each representing the seasons, as there are six seasons in Cree culture. Each panel tells a story relevant to the community. One panel displayed fishing to denote the summer months, another showed goose hunting in the spring, and another featured a Nativity scene in a tipi. Some panels had special meaning for Hookimaw-Witt. One
Sioux Lookout First Nations S Health Authority Health Care in Partnership with First Nations
panel shows a local Cree plowing a field alongside a missionary. Hookimaw-Witt said her father was taught how to grow and harvest potatoes within the community. “So each windows represents
“So each window represents an element, like the clans, and the bottom tells the story...” – Jackie Hookimaw-Witt
an element, like the clans, and the bottom tells the story,” she said. “You can interpret the pictures in many ways.” The panels were installed as
they were completed, with the last one installed in May. Hookimaw-Witt said she was concerned about the reaction of the local church to the project since churches tend to avoid the residential school subject. But the local priest of more than 30 years, Father Vezina, was receptive to the stained glass panels. Word of the project spread and a bishop from Moosonee visited Attawapiskat to see the panels himself, along with a priest from Toronto. Hookimaw-Witt said they appreciated and liked the stained glass panels. “I wanted to show something, that when we do an art, something to do with religion, we should do something decolonized like being spiritual rather than being institutionalized, and incorporating our
indigenous philosphies,” she said. Hookimaw-Witt said she used to have questions about her identity and struggles as a Native woman. It was not until she went to university that she began to understand the socio-economic issues facing First Nations people and the residential school legacy. She went on to receive a Phd in sociology and equity studies. Hookimaw-Witt said the stained glass project was a form of healing for her, Dominic and the community. “When we share our energy, we talk about the art what it means to us, together cutting glass, it’s healing for us too,” she said. “It was good for our self esteem and psychological well-being.”
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NOTICE OF AGM The Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority is holding its Annual General Meeting September 5 and 6, 2012 in Sioux Lookout, Ontario at the Sunset Suites. Listen live on the Wawatay Radio Network 89.9FM in Sioux Lookout or BellTV channel 962. Or watch live online at www.slfnha.com. Broadcast runs from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. CT.
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Wawatay News
AUGUST 23, 2012
Adding Native humour to puppetry Lenny Carpenter Wawatay News
Derric Starlight asks the Cookie Monster if he’s had cookies since arriving in Moose Factory to take part in the 10th annual Creefest and 2012 Gathering of Our People. “Yes,� the Cookie Monster replies, “but then everyone says, ‘what is that rez dog doing eating cookies?’� Starlight, comedian puppeteer, took the main stage and entertained the crowd on July 26 with his collection of puppets, ranging from Muppets like Kermit the Frog and Animal to Sesame Street characters Elmo and Grover. Using his perfect impersonations, Starlight, who hails from the Tsuu T’ina Nation west of Calgary, added a Native flair to the comedic show. “The Native humour has always been there,� the Dene and Blackfoot man said. “Especially when I did the Muppets. It’s funny going to a powwow and Kermit the Frog will have Native jokes. And it’s quite unique that these puppets will be doing that.� Starlight’s interest in puppetry began when on Christmas he received his first puppet – Kermit the Frog – as a threeyear-old. “That’s where I started, doing the voices,� Starlight said. “Since I got older, I nailed it down to a tee. I can do 350 voices now.� After Starlight completed film school and failed to find jobs in the industry, his sister, a daycare worker, suggested he put on a show for the children. The show was well-received. “So every kid wanted me to do birthday parties,� he said. Starlight credits comedian Don Burnstick for helping him start his comedic puppetry career, as Burnstick asked Starlight to open his shows. Since then, Starlight has traveled with his puppets across Canada, the United States, New Zealand, Hawaii, Tahiti and Japan. Starlight also created his own puppets, the most notable being a Native grandmother named Granny. Granny went on to cohost the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards with actor Adam Beach.
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Derrick Starlight had the Creefest crowd cracking up with his impersonations of puppets mixed with native jokes. Starlight has won a Gemini Award for his role on the APTN TV Series “Wapos Bay,� of which Starlight voices several characters. He has also been involved in wrestling promotion, putting together shows involving wrestling greats such as Ric Flair and the Hart family. Following the July 26 performance, Starlight put on an antibullying workshop the next day. It is a subject that has impacted his life since he first was interested in puppets, as he was the victim of taunts and criticism from his peers. “I was bullied all my life,� Starlight said. He told the children gathered at the workshop that when he put on one of his first shows, the parents of the children were the ones who teased him as a child. “At my age, people still bug me and tease me,� he said. “Bullying will go on forever.� But Starlight takes great pride in his work. “I enjoy just making people laugh,� the 31-year-old said. Following his performance in Moose Factory, Starlight noted that the jokes work in every community he performs. “Native people are the same all over,� he said. It was Starlight’s first visit to the Mushkegowuk territory. “I love it. It’s a beautiful place, and the people are nice here,“ he said.
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REVIEW Review of Draft Forest Management Plan: Information Centre Pic River 2013â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2023 Forest Management Plan The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), Green Forest Management Inc. (GFMI) and the Pic River Public Consultation Committee (PRPCC) invite you to review and comment on the 2013â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2023 Draft 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 third opportunity (Stage 3) for this FMP occurred on May 15â&#x20AC;&#x201C;17, 2012 when the public was invited to review and comment on operations for the first and second terms of the plan. This â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Stage 4â&#x20AC;&#x2122; notice is to: t * OWJUF ZPV UP SFWJFX BOE DPNNFOU PO UIF %SBGU '.1 and t 3FRVFTU DPOUSJCVUJPOT UP UIF CBDLHSPVOE JOGPSNBUJPO to be used in planning. Comments from the public will be considered in revisions to the Draft FMP. How to Get Involved The Draft FMP and summary will be available on the MNR public website at ontario.ca/forestplans BOE BU UIF ('.* office at the location noted below, during normal office hours for a period of 60 days from September 25, 2012â&#x20AC;&#x201C;November 21, 2012. Comments on the Draft FMP for the Pic River Forest must be received by Tim Reece of the planning team at the MNR Wawa District Office, by November 21, 2012. 5IF 0OUBSJP (PWFSONFOU *OGPSNBUJPO $FOUSF JO 5PSPOUP BU #BZ 4USFFU BOE 4FSWJDF 0OUBSJP -PDBUJPOT JO .BOJUPVXBEHF /JQJHPO PS 8BXB QSPWJEF *OUFSOFU BDDFTT 5P BTTJTU ZPV JO UIF SFWJFX BOE UP QSPWJEF UIF PQQPSUVOJUZ UP BTL RVFTUJPOT information centres will be held at the following locations from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the following days: September 25, 2012 at 1 Selkirk Avenue â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Multi-purpose Room at the Recreation Centre, Terrace Bay, ON September 26, 2012 BU 1FOJOTVMB 3PBE o $POGFSFODF 3PPN BU UIF ;FSP .PUPS *OO .BSBUIPO 0/ September 27, 2012 at 1 Mississauga Drive â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Council of Chambers at the Municipal Office, Manitouwadge, ON *O BEEJUJPO UP UIF NPTU DVSSFOU WFSTJPOT PG UIF JOGPSNBUJPO BOE NBQT XIJDI XFSF QSFWJPVTMZ BWBJMBCMF UIF GPMMPXJOH information will also be available: t %SBGU '.1 JODMVEJOH TVQQMFNFOUBSZ EPDVNFOUBUJPO t %SBGU '.1 TVNNBSZ BOE t ./3 T QSFMJNJOBSZ MJTU PG SFRVJSFE BMUFSBUJPOT .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 XJUI B QMBOOJOH UFBN NFNCFS QMFBTF DPOUBDU POF of the individuals listed below: Tim Reece, RPF Management Forester Ministry of Natural Resources 48 Mission Road Wawa, ON P0S 1K0 tel: 705-856-4717 fax: 705-856-7511
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 ./3 District Manager or the Regional Director using a process described in the Forest Management Planning Manual (2009). The last possible date to seek issue resolution with the MNR Regional Director is December 21, 2012. Stay Involved A final opportunity to inspect the approved plan before it is implemented will take place during the inspection of the MNRapproved FMP (Stage 5), which is tentatively scheduled for January 22 to February 21, 2013. The approval date of the FMP is tentatively scheduled for January 22, 2013. 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 IPXFWFS ZPVS DPNNFOUT XJMM CFDPNF QBSU PG the public consultation process and may be shared with the general public. Your personal information may be used by the .JOJTUSZ PG /BUVSBM 3FTPVSDFT UP TFOE ZPV GVSUIFS JOGPSNBUJPO SFMBUFE UP UIJT GPSFTU NBOBHFNFOU QMBOOJOH FYFSDJTF *G ZPV IBWF RVFTUJPOT BCPVU UIF VTF PG ZPVS QFSTPOBM JOGPSNBUJPO QMFBTF DPOUBDU 1BVM (BNCMF BU 3FOTFJHOFNFOUT FO GSBOĂ&#x17D;BJT +FOOJGFS -BNPOUBHOF BV
12
Wawatay News
AUGUST 23, 2012
ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ
SIOUX LOOKOUT FIRST NATIONS HEALTH AUTHORITY Client Services Department TRANSPORTATION DISPATCHER Internal/External Posting Permanent Full Time Location: Sioux Lookout, Ontario
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 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: September 7, 2012 by 4:30 p.m. No resumes received after that time will be accepted. The Health Authority wishes to thank all applicants in advance. However, only those granted an interview will be contacted.
Ontario Court of Justice Court Locations*: Dryden; Thunder Bay *Please check www.ontariocourts.ca/ocj/jpaac/advertisements for an updated listing of advertised vacancies. At the request of the Attorney General and in accordance with the Justices of the Peace Act, 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. 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. As First Nations people comprise a large percentage of the population in the areas being serviced by the courts in Dryden and Thunder Bay, we especially encourage people of Aboriginal heritage and people with an in-depth understanding of Aboriginal communities and the issues affecting those communities to apply for these vacancies. For detailed information about: the vacancies noted above; minimum qualifications and the General Selection Criteria; the required application forms; and the Committee’s process; please visit the Justices of the Peace Appointments Advisory Committee’s website at www.ontariocourts.ca/ocj/jpaac. Applications for current vacancies must be submitted on the current prescribed application form or supplementary form, as applicable, and received by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, October 12, 2012. Applications received after this date WILL NOT be considered. As of August 2, 2011, applications must be submitted in response to each advertised 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 of vacancies by registering at www.ontariocourts.ca/ocj/jpaac/advertisements/vacancy-postings. Pour voir cette annonce en français, consulter le site Web du Comité à www.ontariocourts.ca/ocj/fr/jpaac/annonces.
COMMUNITY YOUTH JUSTICE WORKER Working under the direction of the Restorative Justice Manager, the Community Youth Justice Worker will receive diversion referrals, organize and facilitate restorative justice circles, submit reports on a timely basis and assist First Nations in the development of alternative justice systems. Qualifications: • Education and/or equivalent experience in social, justice or law related field; • Experience with the Euro-Canadian Legal system and knowledge of Aboriginal Legal systems; • Experience in organizing and delivering training programs; • Ability to work in a cross-cultural environment; • Computer skills required for word processing, email and internet; • Public speaking skills and excellent oral and written communication skills; • Willingness to communicate with others about law related and traditional issues; • Demonstrated ability to work independently; • Must be willing and able to travel extensively; • Valid Driver’s License and access to a personal vehicle; • Ability to speak Cree would be a definite asset. Location: James Bay Coast Salary: Based upon experience with benefits Closing Date: Friday, September 7, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. EST Please send a resume including three (3) references to: Joyce Crawford, Restorative Justice Manager By Mail: Attention: Restorative Justice Manager Nishnawbe-Aski Legal Services Corporation 86 South Cumberland Street Thunder Bay, ON P7B 2V3 Fax: 807-622-3024 Email: cjohnson@nanlegal.on.ca For more information and a complete job description please contact: Chantelle Johnson at 1-800-465-5581 or 807-622-1413. Please note: Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
For Lease Request for Expression of Interest Anemki Mountain Corporation is seeking expressions of interest from Aboriginal organizations and corporations interested in leasing space in a professional building complex to be constructed on Fort William First Nation. Each unit should not be less than 400 square feet. The building currently has two prospective tenants, a legal corporation and a medical clinic. The building site is near city transportation. We require that each involved party cost share in the building design budget as the building is to be designed and constructed according to the conditions specified by those expressing interest in this endeavor. For further information call 807 623 8160 and speak to Cheryl Guse-Bannon, General Manager.
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Employment Opportunity Nishnawbe-Aski Legal Services Corporation (NALSC) is a unique legal services office that provides legal, paralegal and law-related services to the members of Nishnawbe-Aski Nation (NAN). The Restorative Justice Program is an initiative being undertaken by NALSC to provide an alternative to the mainstream justice system which incorporates traditional Aboriginal cultural components. NALSC is seeking a Community Youth Justice Worker for the communities of: Moose Cree, Kashechewan, Fort Albany, Attawapiskat and other communities as required.
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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (FULL TIME)
SIOUX LOOKOUT FIRST NATIONS HEALTH AUTHORITY Primary Health Care Unit
NNADAP WORKER
MEDICAL SECRETARY Internal/External Posting Permanent Full Time Location: Sioux Lookout, Ontario
POSITION SUMMARY: Slate Falls Nation requires a Drug and Alcohol worker to provide counselling, education, promote awareness and recommend treatment options, aftercare for individuals and families struggling with drugs, substance and alcohol abuse. The worker will design community programs to assist individuals in direct intervention with alcohol and drug abuse. This position will be located in Slate Falls Nation. The Successful applicant must be available to relocate to Slate Falls Nation. MAIN DUTIES: • Prepare Annual community education awareness promotion goals and objectives • Develop and design intervention measures to address Drug and alcohol and other substance abuse with individuals and families • Review and recommend a list of treatment centers for clients and families • Design an effective aftercare follow up and support system to individuals and families who have attended a treatment program • Provide one on one counselling to the individuals and families that require help with their drug, substance and alcohol abuse. • Organize and support the intervention programs such as AA and role model programs and healthy lifestyle promotion programs • Hold community workshops, school presentations, home visits and develop newsletters on the programs • Provide annual submission of work plan and maintain reports • NNADAP worker will work under the rules of Client Confidentiality • On-Call 24\7, Whenever in the community • Perform other duties as required QUALIFICATIONS: • Degree or diploma in a related human services field or an equivalent combination of training and experience and at least three (3) years experience working in a similar environment working with individuals with illness/addictions would be an asset; • Excellent communication and inter-personal skills both written and verbal; • Excellent knowledge of Treatment, Recovery and Counselling strategies an asset; • Community-based Mental Health and Case management experience ; • Evidence of good work and attendance record; • Excellent clinical skills engaging with, assessing, and promoting treatment, rehabilitation and recovery; • Ability to communicate fluently in Ojibwe or Oji-cree as an asset; • Previous experience in promoting healthy lifestyles would be an asset; • Proven experience working with First Nation organizations would be an asset; CLOSING DATE: START DATE:
*Must be the same ad in following weeks to get the special pricing. Cannot be combined with any other offers. All pricing is subject to HST.
August 29, 2012 4:00PM CST September 4, 2012
Applicants can send a resume, cover letter, and contact information for three references to: Brenda Roundhead, Admin Assistant\Human Resource 48 Lakeview Road Slate Falls, Ontario P0V 3C0 807-737-5700 ext 119 Or email: broundhead@slatefalls.ca Note: Only applicants considered for an interview will be contacted
Reporting to the Operations Supervisor, the Medical Secretary is responsible for performing a variety of medical secretarial duties to Physicians and the Primary Health Care Unit staff. QUALIFICATIONS • Diploma or certificate in Medical Office Assistant or equivalent; • Previous experience (minimum 1- 2 years) in a Medical Office; • Previous experience in medical terminology and medical transcription an asset; • Possess excellent dicta-typing skills; • Proficient keyboarding skills (50 wpm) is required; • Possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills (both verbal and written). KNOWLEDGE & ABILITY • Working knowledge of medical office procedures; • Ability to maintain effective working relationships with patients, medical and clinic staff and the general public; • Must have experience and understanding of Native culture, and the geographic realities and social conditions within remote First Nation communities; • Superior time management and organizational skills; • Ability to work independently in a high paced work environment; • Working knowledge of medical office procedures and electronic medical record; • Must be willing to relocate and live in Sioux Lookout. 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: September 7, 2012 by 4:30 p.m. No resumes received after that time will be accepted. 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
AUGUST 23, 2012
SIOUX LOOKOUT FIRST NATIONS HEALTH AUTHORITY RECEPTIONIST/SECRETARY External Posting Casual Employment Location: Sioux Lookout, Ontario
Telemedicine Informatics Educator – Job Posting SUMMARY Reporting to the Clinical Services Coordinator (CSC), the Telemedicine Informatics Educator coordinates telemedicine training for Community Telemedicine Coordinators (CTCs) and for KO eHealth Services staff and other KO health staff. The Informatics Educator assesses CTC training needs, provides training, supports the acquisition of specific telemedicine skills and knowledge, develops continuous learning plans, and monitors learner success and performance. S/he takes the lead role to ensure CTC certification. The Informatics Educator prepares practical learning materials, documents standard telemedicine procedures, and prepares and updates training procedure manuals. The Informatics Educator provides technical assistance in his/ her work with the CTCs and the telemedicine team to ensure high quality telemedicine delivery. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES a) Diploma or degree in Nursing or other health field preferred b) Experience working with First Nations communities in health or education c) Knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal culture and values, and of the geographical and health care challenges of First Nations in the Sioux Lookout district d) Familiarity with health system in the district e) Experience with adult learning and training strategies f) Ability to learn, adopt and teach new technical and clinical skills and practice g) Understanding of and interest in the use of communications and learning technologies in health care delivery h) Excellent interpersonal skills i) Strong computer skills (M/S Office Suite, E-mail, Internet) j) Good oral and written communications skills k) Able to work independently or as part of a team l) Ability to speak Cree, Oji-Cree or Ojibway an asset m) Some travel to remote communities required Location: Balmertown, Ontario Deadline for applications: Friday, August 24, 2012 Please send cover letter, resume and three written references to: Hiring Committee Keewaytinook Okimakanak P.O. Box 340 Balmertown, ON P0V 1C0
The Receptionist/Secretary is responsible for performing administrative and clerical support services for all SLFNHA departments. QUALIFICATIONS • Minimum Grade 12; • Certificate/Diploma in Secretarial Arts an asset; • Minimum 2 years experience in a clerical/secretarial field an asset; • Previous experience working in the Sioux Lookout Zone health care system would be a definite asset; • Ability to speak in one of the First Nations Dialects in the Sioux Lookout Zone is required; • Excellent public relation skills; • A valid Ontario Driver’s License will be an asset. KNOWLEDGE/ABILITY • Proficient keyboarding skills, knowledge of file management techniques and telephone reception; • Knowledge of Microsoft Office XP Pro (Office Pro 2007 an asset); • Must have experience and understanding of Native culture, and of the geographic realities and social conditions within remote First Nation Communities; • Good working knowledge and experience in time management, excellent 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 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: OPEN 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
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Network Technician Wawatay Native Communications Society is seeking an energetic, motivated and reliable individual for the position of Network Technician. Wawatay Native Communications Society is a self-governing, independent community-driven entrepreneurial native organization dedicated to using appropriate technologies to meet the communication needs of people of Aboriginal ancestry in Northern Ontario, wherever they live. In doing so, its founders intended that Wawatay would serve their communities by preserving, maintaining and enhancing indigenous languages and culture. Wawatay’s mission is to provide media capabilities and content that address the unique needs of the Nishnawbe people. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the Network Technician is responsible for the IT resources of Wawatay Native Communications Society. This position oversees the existing network and computer resources and provides consultation on the expansion and maintenance of the network and related resources. The person chosen will actively develop and maintain the various web properties of Wawatay. There are currently four independent web sites. They are based on PHP and MySQL.
We are currently accepting applications for the following full time positions: Flight Attendants - Thunder Bay, ON Heavy Equipment Technician - Thunder Bay, ON
The Wawatay network consists of three offices interconnected via a VPN. It is a mixed Windows PC and Mac environment. There are several small business servers fulfilling various roles within the organization such as file sharing and audio streaming.
Customer Care Representative - Thunder Bay, ON
Qualifications: • Degree or Diploma in IT related field such as networking or programming. • Experience working with small business networks. • Proficiency programming in PHP. • Proficiency with MySQL databases.
Customer Service Agent - Sioux Lookout, ON
Duties: • Maintain the Wawatay network and all related assets. • Develop and maintain the web properties of Wawatay. • Consult on IT related issues or purchases. • Provide technical support to the Wawatay staff. Assets: • Experience working with Apple computers. • Experience with Windows Servers • Experience with Linux. • Knowledge or experience with the Asterisk PBX. • Ability to communicate in Cree, Oji-Cree, or Ojibway would be a plus. Location: Salary: Deadline for Applications:
To be determined Commensurate with experience. Friday, August 24, 2012.
Please send resume, cover letter and three letters of reference to: Tabatha Jourdain, Human Resources Wawatay Native Communications Society Box 1130, Sioux Lookout, ON P8T 1B7 Fax: (807) 737-3224 Email: tabathaj@wawatay.on.ca Wawatay Native Communications Society wishes to thank in advance all those who submit applications. Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
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ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ
Ramp Attendants - Sioux Lookout, ON
Aircraft Fueler (Rotational) - Pickle Lake, ON Cargo Agent - Pickle Lake, ON Flight Follower - Red Lake, ON For a detailed description of these and other current job openings please visit: www.wasaya.com Please submit resumes w/cover letter to: Kerry Wabange Recruitment and Retention Coordinator Wasaya Airways LP 300 Anemki Place, Suite B, Thunder Bay, ON P7J 1H9 Fax: (807) 475-9681or e-mail: careers@wasaya.com A challenging and rewarding career is awaiting you at Wasaya Airways LP!
Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation Job Posting – Chief Administrative Officer Summary Reporting to the Chief and Council, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation (WLON) government has primary responsibility for administration of the affairs of the First Nation. The CAO is responsible for directing a team of department heads, supervisors, technicians and support staff in order to manage the affairs of the community, to deliver services, and assist in major project negotiations. The CAO is answerable to the Council for the administration and its overall performance. The CAO plays a strong leadership role and fosters staff development and teamwork. The CAO is the primary advisor to and liaison with the Council which must rely on the CAO for well-founded advice to inform its exercise of decision- making authority. Linking all CAO functions requires attention to law, policy, finance, human resources, and infrastructure. Qualifications • Member of Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation is a definite asset • Completion of Post-Secondary Degree or equivalent • Strong leadership and supervisory skills • Experience in management and human resources is an asset • Awareness of WLON culture and traditions • Proficiency in Windows, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint • Excellent organizational and time management skills • Must clear a criminal reference check Duties/Accountabilities Human Resources • Co-ordinate, develop and implement sound human resources practices • Co-ordinate the various branches of the administration and ensure timely reports are submitted on a regular basis to the CAO • Provide a strong leadership role for staff • Foster teamwork and collaboration across programs to address community issues • Develop a positive work environment among staff • Ensure staff take part in professional development training • Ensure staff have appropriate resources to work with, address issues that affect staff as they arise, and make well-informed and fair decisions on staff matters • Advise on potential legal and financial consequences of proposed actions • Serve as the contact person for members of Council with concerns about the administration or the actions and general conduct of staff Primary Advisor to Council • Ensure that council policies and decisions are adhered to and carried out • Supervise the department heads/staff in implementation and be responsible to Council for making the change happen • Attend all meetings for Council • Play an advisory role in keeping the Chief and Council procedurally on track and duly informed of proper procedures • Prepare and present reports to Council • Proactively identify potential issues and benefits when Council is discussing a particular issue Budgetary and Fiscal Duties • Oversee the preparation of annual estimates for Council’s budget deliberations • Monitor revenues and expenditures on a frequent basis • Analyze funding agreements and recommend signature • Ensure terms and conditions of agreement are met • Oversee financial records and ensure generally accepted practices are followed • Oversee audits, other financial statements and annual reports • Undertake longer term planning documents as required and useful Policy & By-Law Development and Negotiation Assistance • Oversee the administration and enforcement of by-laws • Maintain a working knowledge and understanding of all bylaws, policies and relevant federal and provincial legislation • Work with Council as policies and by-laws are under development • Assist Council in negotiations on major projects • Facilitate consultants and organize staff to support negotiations • Analyze proposals and positions for impacts on the community Facilities Management • Maintain oversight of Capitol and O&M matters for all public investments in infrastructure • Undertake special proposals and projects • Explore partnership and borrowing as required Communications • Keep Council apprised of all matters of importance in the community • Keep Council apprised of all matters of importance regarding administration of the government • Act as liaison between the Council and citizens Other duties as assigned by Chief and Council Salary will commensurate according to qualifications and experience Please submit cover letter, resume and 3 work-related references to Attn: Chief & Council WLON Band Office Front Desk By noon on August 15, 2012 Only those selected for an interview will be contacted. We thank all applicants for their interest.
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Wawatay News
ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ
AUGUST 23, 2012
Nolan brings Stanley Cup to Garden River Lenny Carpenter Wawatay News
The Stanley Cup made its way to Garden River First Nation on Aug. 20 where Jordan Nolan spent the day celebrating his victory with the community. Hundreds gathered to celebrate the Stanley Cup victory with Nolan, who won the Cup as a member of the Los Angeles Kings in June after they defeated the New Jersey Devils in six games. Festivities began with a ceremony that included a smudging of the Cup. After some addresses from chiefs, Nolan brought the Cup to the recreational centre where he presented it to the youth. A parade ensued along Highway 17B, which included a short stop at the landmark Garden River train bridge for photos. At the community centre, Nolan met and posed for photos with friends and fans along with the Cup. The son of former NHLer and coach Ted Nolan, Nolan had not taken hockey seriously when he was drafted in the eighth round in 2009. Ted said one of the knocks of his son as a hockey player was his work ethic. He took his son aside for a heart-to-heart conversation. “Before I started my American Hockey League career, he said just dedicate five years of your life to hockey and do everything you can do to get to the NHL, and if things don’t work out, you can go do something else,” Nolan
Submitted photo
Jordan Nolan of the LA Kings brought the Stanley Cup to Garden River First Nation on Aug. 20, where hundreds gathered to celebrate the accomplishments of the 23-year-old First Nations NHL player. recalled. “But my main goal was to be in the NHL and I knew that. In order for that to happen, I’d have to make some changes in my life, and
once I made those decisions, everything just started clicking so things worked out.” With a newfound commitment, Nolan changed his atti-
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tude and toiled away in the minors before he was called up to join the Kings in February. The 23-year-old played in all the remaining regular season
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games with the club and played in every playoff game. He was on the ice during the final minute of the Cup clinching game. Ted and his wife Sandra
shed tears of joy as Nolan hoisted the Cup during the on-ice celebrations. “It’s special feeling too coming from a First Nations community, Garden River,” Ted said. “Some of the things that our people went through and what have you, and all of sudden, you see one of our own win the Stanley Cup and bring it to a First Nations community. It’s something that still sends chills down your back.” Ontario Regional Grand Chief Stan Beardy was on hand for the celebrations. “Jordan’s story is the story that we want to tell about our youth,” he said in a media release. “Through hard work, determination, and commitment to his sport, Jordan Nolan has been able to achieve his dreams. I know we can expect many more great things from him in the near future, and that he will continue to be an inspiration to our youth.” National Chief Shawn A-inchut Atleo offered congratulations Nolan. “Nolan is an important role model for all of us, particularly our young people, who must continue to be inspired, motivated and encouraged to commit to achieving their dreams,” Atleo said in a press release. “This accomplishment is one we all share, as we continue to work toward adequate supports for Indigenous athletes and encourage healthy living among our peoples as a foundation for success.”
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Wawatay News
AUGUST 23, 2012
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Young Mish golfer plays Canadian championship Shawn Bell Wawatay News
Barry McLoughlin of Mishkeegogamang First Nation did not go to the PING Jr Match Play golf championship expecting to win. After all, he is only 15 and the tournament included youth aged 15-19. McLoughlin did go for the experience, and that was what he got. His first round of the twoday tournament was tough. It essentially eliminated him from competition. But he learned quickly on that first round, and his second dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s scores were much lower. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I started to feel a lot better on the second day and I shot pretty well,â&#x20AC;? McLoughlin said. McLoughlin finished 57th out of 60 golfers at the tournament, held at the St. Andrews Valley Golf Club in Aurora, Ontario. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m only 15, and there were only a handful of 15-year-olds at the tournament,â&#x20AC;? he said. It was quite the experience for the young man. Golfers from around the world participated, as well as some of the best junior golfers in Canada. Only the top 16 made the cut after the first two days. From there they battled it out in a match-play, head to head competition. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I knew I likely was not going to win,â&#x20AC;? McLoughlin said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was trying to make the cut. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s different when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re there, with people watching and following you around the course.â&#x20AC;? Even making it to the invitational tournament was an accomplishment for the young golfer who calls Sioux Lookout Golf and Country Club his home course. He finished fourth at a qualifier tournament in Winnipeg earlier this year, which earned
Submitted photo by Anna Phelan
Barry McLoughlin of Mishkeegogamang was one of only a handful of 15-year-olds at a recent national championship in Aurora. While he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make the cut, just playing in the tournament was an accomplishment. him the invitation to Aurora. McLoughlinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Winnipeg finish was impressive on its own. But consider the fact it was the first golf tournament he had ever played, and it starts to show just how bright the young manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future golf career could be. McLoughlin, however, is taking it all in stride. He says a golf scholarship someday would be â&#x20AC;&#x153;a bonus.â&#x20AC;? In the meantime he is just working as hard as possible to continue improving his game. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to make the cut (at next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s championship),â&#x20AC;? McLoughlin said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to practice more, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to improve a few things about my game.â&#x20AC;? He said he tries to play a round of golf every day, when he has time. This year he has got his handicap down to six, an
incredibly low number considering his young age.
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REVIEW Big Pic Forest (2007â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2017) Forest Management Plan Review of Draft Planned Operations for Phase II (2013â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2017) The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), GreenForest Management Inc. (GFMI) and the Pic River Public Consultation Committee (PRPCC) invite you to review and comment on the Phase II (2013â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2017) draft planned operations 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 U IF ESBGU QMBOOFE IBSWFTU SFOFXBM BOE UFOEJOH PQFSBUJPOT BOE access roads for the second five-year term: and t UIF ./3 T QSFMJNJOBSZ MJTU PG SFRVJSFE BMUFSBUJPOT You will also have an opportunity to contribute to the background information used in planning. Comments from the public will be considered in revisions to the draft planned operations. How to Get Involved The draft planned operations and the operations summary will be BWBJMBCMF PO UIF ./3 QVCMJD XFCTJUF BU ontario.ca/forestplans and at the Manitouwadge Area Office, Wawa District, during normal office hours by appointment for a period of 30-days from September 10, 2012 to October 10, 2012. The Ontario Government Information Centre in Toronto at 777 Bay Street and ServiceOntario locations in Manitouwadge, Marathon and Wawa provide Internet access. Meetings with representatives of the planning team and the 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 more information or wish to discuss your interests with a planning team member, 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
%VSJOH UIF QMBOOJOH QSPDFTT UIFSF JT BO PQQPSUVOJUZ UP NBLF B XSJUUFO SFRVFTU UP TFFL SFTPMVUJPO PG JTTVFT XJUI UIF ./3 %JTUSJDU .BOBHFS PS UIF 3FHJPOBM %JSFDUPS VTJOH B QSPDFTT EFTDSJCFE JO UIF Forest Management Planning Manual (2009). 5IF MBTU QPTTJCMF EBUF UP TFFL JTTVF SFTPMVUJPO XJUI UIF ./3 3FHJPOBM %JSFDUPS JT November 9, 2012. Stay Involved The preparation of the draft detailed operations for the second five-year term (Phase II) has been completed. Following receipt of comments, the draft planned operations will be revised and the final planned operations will be available for inspection. There is a final opportunity to inspect the planned operations before they are implemented during the inspection of the ./3 BQQSPWFE QMBOOFE PQFSBUJPOT (Stage 3), which is tentatively scheduled for January 2013. The approval date of the planned operations for the second five-year term is tentatively scheduled for February 2013. 5IF .JOJTUSZ PG /BUVSBM 3FTPVSDFT JT DPMMFDUJOH ZPVS QFSTPOBM JOGPSNBUJPO BOE DPNNFOUT VOEFS UIF BVUIPSJUZ PG UIF 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 .JOJTUSZ PG /BUVSBM 3FTPVSDFT UP TFOE ZPV GVSUIFS JOGPSNBUJPO SFMBUFE UP UIJT GPSFTU NBOBHFNFOU QMBOOJOH FYFSDJTF *G ZPV IBWF RVFTUJPOT BCPVU UIF VTF PG ZPVS QFSTPOBM JOGPSNBUJPO QMFBTF DPOUBDU 1BVM (BNCMF BU 3FOTFJHOFNFOUT FO GSBOĂ&#x17D;BJT )Ă?MĂ&#x2019;OF 4DPUU BV
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Wawatay News
AUGUST 23, 2012
ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ
Naotkamegwanning youth shown ‘beauty and richness’ of Anishinawbe culture Shawn Bell Wawatay News
Naotkamegwanning First Nation’s annual wilderness camp is, on the surface, a chance to bring youth from the community out on the land and give them the opportunity to experience the traditions of their ancestors. Scratch a little deeper and it is so much more. As the Treaty #3 community continues to heal from a youth suicide epidemic that 10 years ago led its chief to declare a state of emergency, the wilderness camp has become a key part of the community’s healing. Last week 40 youth, aged eight to 16, along with Elders and other adult programmers, travelled to a camp on Black River. They spent the week fishing, singing, dancing and making traditional crafts. They heard stories and learned lessons from the Elders. And of course they spent time swimming and playing at the beach. But the week was not just about having fun. It was not just about being exposed to traditional skills and teachings. More than anything, the wilderness camp was an opportunity to introduce the youth to their culture, to show them some of the really good things about being Anishinawbe and help them
Photos submitted by Joyce White
Children at the Naotkamegwanning wilderness camp act a play tracing the history of First Nations people from pre-contact (top left and top middle), through to contact with Vikings and Pilgrims (bottom right), to the decrees of Canadian and American parliaments (top right), to the violence of residential schools (bottom left). The play was one way that organizers of the camp tried to teach the children their own history and instill in them a desire to learn more about their own culture. Coordinator Joyce White said that when she learned her own history and culture she stopped feeling shame for her brown skin, language and food, and that is what she hopes to pass down to the children.
cultivate pride in themselves and their people. Joyce White, the camp’s coordinator and Naotkamegwanning’s suicide prevention worker, knows how it is to lose a child to suicide. She also knows how it feels to be a young Anishinawbe person without pride in her culture. White described her childhood as being “like I was an
empty shell.” She said she did not know her traditions or teachings, and the result was that she was ashamed of being Anishinawbe. “When I learned my history, when I was given an understanding of the culture, this is what helped me,” White said. “I was no longer ashamed of my brown skin, of my language and
Roy Thomas, We’re all in the Same Boat, 1984, acrylic on canvas, 122 x 228 cm, private collection.
JUNE 7 – SEPTEMBER 9, 2012 THUNDER BAY ART GALLERY When I use my paintbrush I understand that I am not the only one doing the painting even though my name goes on the finished work.
— Roy Thomas
my accent, of the food I ate. That’s what I want to pass down to the children.” To that end, the wilderness camp is just one step on a long journey. White repeatedly emphasized that the purpose of the camp is simply a chance to show the youth a way to access their culture. “I’m helping them to understand that it is their responsibility to put themselves back to where they belong, to find their identity, and to find the beauty and richness of our culture,” White said. “We need to understand who we are and be proud of it.” Throughout the wilderness camp, sharing circles were held to allow Elders time to speak to the youth. One of the lessons available to the children was how to make the most of time away from all the technologies, such as video games and cell phones. White said the cultural activies such as beading and doll-making were always used by the people to relax the mind and body while occupying time with a positive activity. She recalled an Elder teaching her that it was her responsibility to find ways to keep herself busy to avoid boredom, and that to do that one must be creative. “This Elder told me, as we
were going to the bush for 10 days, that ‘it’s up to you. You can make it miserable for yourself, or you can make it fun for yourself,” White said.
“Many of them come from so much sadness and neglect. We can’t heal people overnight, but we’re planting seeds. That’s why it has to be
“I’m helping them to understand that it is their responsibility to put themselves back to where they belong, to find their identity, and to find the beauty and richness of our culture. We need to understand who we are and be proud of it.” -Joyce White
On one evening during the week, the youth put on a play that White wrote called Anishinawbe Life. The play documented pre-contact Anishinawbe culture, moved through to contact with the Vikings and then the British, and eventually ended up in the residential school era. The campers played all the roles, and had a lot of laughs along the way, but beneath the laughter was the message for the entire camp – Anishinawbe people have a long, beautiful and rich cultural tradition, and the youth of today have inherited it from their Elders and ancestors. The week ended with a fiddle square dance, an evening where many of the youth really opened up. But White emphasized that a one-week long camp cannot change things on its own. “We need to be patient with these kids,” she said.
ongoing, and a lot more of it.” White would like to see similar wilderness camps for women, men and all the people of Naotkamegwanning. She knows there is no way to heal youth in isolation of the rest of the community. But in the short term the challenge will be just to keep the youth wilderness camp going. The program is funded through the federal National Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention fund, which is set to expire in two years. AJ White, Naotkamegwanning’s health director, said there has been a noticeable impact of having the wilderness camp on the youth. But he said the issues plauging youth in the community are still there, as is the problem of youth suicide. “Any little thing that we can do is huge,” White said. “The camp is a big part of that.”