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Vol. 38 #11
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May 26, 2011 www.wawataynews.ca
Northern Ontario’s First Nation Voice since 1974
Family can find closure after Wabasse laid to rest Rick Garrick Wawatay News
Jordan Wabasse was laid to rest May 16 in his community of Webequie. “It was very emotional to be at that funeral,” said Grand Chief Stan Beardy. “It was extremely moving. I think it was especially hard for his immediate family, his parents and his siblings. It really touched my heart because I can relate to how the family feels.” Beardy lost his own son in tragic circumstances about seven years ago. “I know how devastated they feel to go through that,” Beardy said. Beardy said the coffin was sealed and there was no viewing of the body. “It was a metal coffin and a lot of people signed their comments right on the coffin in magic marker,” Beardy said. “There were a lot of young people that were there and I think they were very emotional. I saw a lot of tears – I think Jordan was very well-liked in the community.” Deputy Grand Chief Terry Waboose and two other NAN representatives also attended the funeral, as did representatives from Matawa First Nations, Matawa Learning Centre and communities throughout the region. Visitation for family and friends was held May 14 at Jenkens Funeral Home in Thunder Bay. A memorial service was held May 13 along the Kaministiquia River near the Western Grain Elevators east of the James Street Bridge. Mourning began for Wabasse May 11 when his body was identified. Cries broke out that evening when Lillian Suganaqueb – who had led the search for Wabasse for more than three month – told the searchers and others gathered at the Travelodge Hotel Airlane that the body found May 10 in the Kaministiquia River was confirmed to be his.
“The coroner contacted the mother and made positive identification,” said Suganaqueb, search coordinator of the 50 to 100 volunteers who had been looking for Wabasse since he went missing Feb. 7. “It’s Jordan.” Webequie Elder Louis Waswa said a prayer for the family and loved ones shortly afterwards. “It’s been very hard for the family and the community of Webequie,” said Matawa First Nations CEO David Paul Achneepineskum, one of those gathered at the Travelodge. “At the same time, now that they know what has happened to Jordan, I think it will start to bring some closure to the families and to the community of Webequie and especially to his classmates at the Matawa Learning Centre. It has been a hard couple of months for them.” “For us, we pray for the family because it will take some time for them to heal. There are a lot of people in the Matawa communities that are right behind the family.” Webequie Chief Cornelius Wabasse described Jordan Wabasse as a young man who was close to his community and loved sports. “He was a young man pursuing education here in the City of Thunder Bay,” Chief Wabasse said. “He liked hockey and sports.” Chief Wabasse said it was a long day for his community as they waited for the results of the identification of the body. “Today the community waited all day and now it is time to move forward and start working on the closure,” Chief Wabasse said. Initial results of the May 11 postmortem examination indicate the cause of death was drowning, according to the Thunder Bay Police. Foul play is not suspected. see WABASSE page 3
ᐊᒥ ᐁᑲᐧ ᒋᐊᓂᔑ ᑲᑫᐧ ᓴᑲᑫᐣᑕᒧᐊᐧᐨ ᐊᐧᑯᒪᑲᓇᐠ ᕑᐃᐠ ᑲᕑᐃᐠ ᐊᐧᐊᐧᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐃᐧᓇᐣ
ᒐᐧᕑᑎᐣ ᐊᐧᐸᐢ ᑲᑭᐅᐣᒋᐨ ᐅᑕᔑᑫᐃᐧᓂᐠ ᐁᐧᐱᑫᐧᐠ ᑭᐃᔑᓇᐦᐃᓇᑲᓂᐃᐧ ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᒪᑯᐱᓯᑦ 16 ᑲᐃᓇᑭᓱᓂᐨ. ᒥᐢᑕᐦᐃ ᑭᐊᔭᒪᑲᐣ ᒧᔑᐦᐅᐃᐧᐣ ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᑲᐱᒥᓇᐦᐃᓂᑲᓂᐊᐧᐠ, ᐃᑭᑐ ᑭᒋᐅᑭᒪᑲᐣ ᐢᑕᐣ ᐯᕑᑎ. ᒪᐊᐧᐨ ᐃᑯ ᑭᑐᑭᐡᑲᑫᒪᑲᐣ. ᐃᑭᐁᐧᓂᐊᐧᐠ ᒪᐊᐧᐨ ᐅᑭ ᑭᒋᐊᓂᒥᐦᐃᑯᓇᐊᐧ ᑫᒋᐊᐧᐠ ᑲᑭᐊᐧᑯᒪᐊᐧᐨ, ᐅᓂᑭᐦᐃᑯᐣ, ᒥᓇ ᐃᐧᒋᓂᑕᐃᐧᓂᒪᑲᓇᐣ. ᒪᐊᐧᐨ ᐃᑯ ᐣᑌᐦᐃᐠ ᓂᑭᐅᒋᑐᑭᐡᑲᑯᐣ ᐊᓂᐡ ᐁᑭᑫᐣᑕᒪᐣ ᐊᓂᐣ ᐁᐃᓇᒪᐣᒋᐦᐅᐊᐧᐨ ᐊᐧᑯᒪᑲᓇᐠ ᐅᐁᐧᓂ ᐅᑎᓯᓭᐃᐧᓂᐊᐧ. ᐯᕑᑎ ᑫᐃᐧᐣ ᐅᑭᐊᐧᓂᐦᐊᐸᓂᐣ ᐅᑯᓯᓴᐣ ᓭᓯᑯᐨ ᐁᑭ ᐅᐣᒋᐊᐧᓂᐦᐊᐨ ᓇᐣᑕ ᓂᓴᐧᓱᔭᑭ ᐅᑕᓇᐠ. ᐣᑭᑫᐣᑕᐣ ᑕᐡ ᐊᓂᐣ ᐁᐱᒋᐊᑫᐧᐣᑕᑲᐧᓂᐠ ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᑲᐱᒥᐃᐧᒋᐃᐧᑯᐊᐧᐨ, ᐯᕑᑎ ᐃᑭᑐ. ᐯᕑᑎ ᐃᑭᑐ ᐃᐁᐧ ᒥᑎᑯᐊᐧᐡ ᑲᑭᐃᔑᐱᓇᐦᐃᑲᑌᐠ ᒥᔭᐤ ᑲᐃᐧᐣ ᒋᐅᐣᒋ ᐸᑭᓂᑲᑌᐠ ᒥᓇ ᑲᐃᐧᐣ ᒋᐅᐣᒋ ᐸᑭᑎᓂᑲᑌᐠ
ᒋᐊᐧᐸᐣᒋᑲᑌᐠ. ᑭᐱᐊᐧᐱᑯᐊᐧᐣ ᐃᐁᐧ ᒥᑎᑯᐊᐧᐡ ᐁᑲᐧ ᒥᔑᐣ ᐊᐃᐧᔭᐠ ᐅᑭᒪᓯᓇᐦᐊᓇᐊᐧ ᑫᑯᓇᐣ ᐃᒪ ᐊᐧᑭᒋᒥᑎᑯᐊᐧᐡ ᑲᒪᑲᑌᐃᐧᐱᐦᐃᑫᓭᓂᐠ ᒪᓯᓇᐦᐃᑲᓇᑎᑯᓂ ᐁᑭᔭᐸᒋᑐᐊᐧᐨ, ᐯᕑᑎ ᐃᑭᑐ. ᑭᒥᔑᓄᐊᐧᐠ ᐅᐡᑲᑎᓴᐠ ᑲᑭᐱᔕᐊᐧᐨ ᒥᓇ ᒥᐢᑕᐦᐃ ᒧᔑᐦᐅᐃᐧᐣ ᐅᑭᐊᔭᐊᓇᐊᐧ. ᒥᐢᑕᐦᐃ ᐅᐣᒋᑲᐊᐧᐱᐃᐧᐣ ᐣᑭᐊᐧᐸᑕᐣ ᑌᐯᐧ ᐱᑯ ᐁᓇᑲᐧᐠ ᐁᑭᓴᑭᐦᐊᑲᓂᐃᐧᐨ ᒐᐧᕑᑎᐣ ᐅᑕᔑᑫᐃᐧᓂᐠ. ᑭᒋᐅᑭᒪᑲᓀᐢ ᑌᕑᐃ ᐊᐧᐳᐢ ᒥᓇ ᑯᑕᑭᔭᐠ ᓂᔑᐣ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᐊᐢᑭ ᐅᑭᒪᐠ ᑫᐃᐧᓇᐊᐧ ᑭᐱᔕᐊᐧᐠ ᑲᑭᐃᔑᓇᐦᐃᓂᑲᓄᐊᐧᓂᐠ, ᐁᑲᐧ ᑲᔦ ᒪᑕᐊᐧ ᐱᒧᒋᑫᐃᐧᓂᐠ ᑲᑕᓇᓄᑭᑕᒪᑫᐊᐧᐨ, ᒪᑕᐊᐧ ᑭᑭᓄᐦᐊᒪᑫᐃᐧᑲᒥᑯᐠ ᒥᓇ ᑌᑎᐸᐦᐃ ᑕᔑᑫᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᑲᐊᔭᑭᐣ ᑭᐱᐅᐣᒋᐊᐧᐠ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᒉᐣᑭᐣᐢ ᒋᐸᐃᑲᒥᑯᐠ ᑭᑕᔑᒪᐊᐧᑐᐡᑲᐊᐧᐠ ᐊᐧᑯᒪᑲᓇᐠ ᒥᓇ ᑲᑭᒥᓄᐃᐧᒋᐊᐧᐊᐧᐨ ᒐᐧᕑᑎᓄᐣ ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᒪᑯᐱᓯᑦ 14 ᐃᒪ ᑕᐣᑐᕑ ᐯ.
James Benson/Special to Wawatay News
Jordan Wabasse was laid to rest May 16 in his community after his body was found in Thunder Bay. The Webequie teen was missing since early February. After several months of searching, his body was found in the Kaministiqua River by some boaters. Wabasse is the seventh teen in the last 10 years from Nishnawbe Aski territory to have died while attending school in Thunder Bay.
ᐃᓇᐱᐣ ᐸᑭᑭᓂᑲᓂᐠ 3
7 th Annual Wasaya Airways Charity Golf Tournament Friday July 22, 2011 Red Lake Golf and Country Club REGISTER TODAY! ENTRY DEADLINE JULY 4TH
All proceeds donated to the Red Lake Emergency Shelter
CONTACT Kevin Brewer at kbrewer@wasaya.com or (807) 474-2355