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Bingwi Neyaashi takes control of reserve lands PAGE 6
Unity walk halted by Thunder Bay police PAGE 14 Vol. 39 #3
Housing needs highlighted by community tour PAGE 10 9,300 copies distributed $1.50
February 2, 2012 Northern Ontario’s First Nation Voice since 1974
www.wawataynews.ca
Finding laugher in Kasabonika Lake
Photo by Lenny Carpenter/Wawatay News
Gregory Anderson (right) of Kasabonika Lake First Nation was interviewed about his community’s housing crisis on Jan. 18. He was asked where he slept and he replied, “Uh, a bed?” Then he, Trudy Sugarhead(left) and another youth shared a laugh. In addition to a lack of housing, Kasabonika Lake’s sewage treatment plant and diesel generation station have been at capacity for years, causing health and safety concerns, and its school is overcrowded and in disrepair, leading to high dropout rates. See stories on Kasabonika on page 3 and 8.
Cat Lake chief pleads for drug abuse help
ᓇᑕᐁᐧᐣᑕᑲᐧᐣ ᒋᐊᔭᐠ ᐃᐡᑯᓂᑲᓂᐠ ᐳᓂᐃᐧᑲᒥᑯᐠ ᐱᒥᓭᐃᐧᑲᒥᑯᐠ ᐊᐸᒋᒋᑲᐣ ᑲᐃᐧᐣᒋᑫᒪᑲᐠ ᑲᐱᐳᓂᒪᑲᐠ ᐱᒥᓭᐃᐧᐣ
First Nation declares state of emergency Shawn Bell Wawatay News
The prescription drug crisis devastating First Nations across northern Ontario boiled over in Cat Lake on Jan. 23, as the community declared a state of emergency and issued a plea for help in addressing the health and safety of band members. Chief Matthew Keewaykapow issued the call for help to the federal and provincial governments, saying the band could no longer provide essential services or protect its members. “The situation is beyond our current band resources and we require immediate and long term assistance from our federal and provincial partners,” Keewaykapow said. An estimated 70 to 80 per cent of the community’s 500 residents are addicted to some form of prescription drug, primarily Oxycodone or Percocet, according to an environmental scan done by the band office. The users include children as young as 11 years old. Russel Wesley, a spokesperson
for the First Nation, noted that the number of Elder abuse incidents and other crimes in Cat Lake are shockingly higher than other communities of similar size. The number of people on welfare in Cat Lake has also risen dramatically, from 80 in 2009 to over 200 in 2011, with another 100 applicants on file.
“Yet again we see another First Nation trying to deal with the harmful effects (of prescription drugs).” - Mike Metatawabin, NAN deputy grand chief
Wesley said that the cash brought into the community each week by the Northern Store for the purpose of cashing checks is now gone the day it arrives as drug users flock to the store. The Cat Lake state of emergency comes nearly three years after Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) declared a state of emergency across all NAN communities due to rapidly increas-
ing prescription drug addiction rates. Despite the NAN-wide call for help, NAN deputy grand chief Mike Metatawabin said that response from governments has been “slow or none at all.” “We’ve done everything we can to bring resources to address the issues,” Metatawabin said. “It’s a serious matter which needs to be addressed as immediately as possible, but yet again we see another First Nation trying to deal with the harmful effects.” Of growing concern is the prevalence of people in Cat Lake and other First Nations using needles to inject drugs. In Cat Lake since Dec. 1, 2011 the community’s nursing station has exchanged over 500 needles. Claudette Chase, the medical director of Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority (SLFNHA), said the health authority is seeing a huge increase in rates of Hepatitis C across northern Ontario as injection drug use continues to rise. See Cat Lake on page 7
ᑲᑭᐸᐸᒥ ᑭᐅᑫᐊᐧᐨ ᐅᑭᒪᐠ ᑭᐊᐧᐸᐣᑕᐦᐊᐊᐧᐠ ᑫᑯᓀᓇᐣ ᑲᓇᓄᑌᓭᑭᐣ ᐃᐡᑯᓂᑲᓂᐠ, ᐁᑲ ᑲᒥᓇᐧᔑᓂᑭᐣ ᐅᐊᐧᑲᐦᐃᑲᓂᐊᐧ, ᒧᐊᐧᐳ ᑲᐃᐧᓇᑲᒥᒋᑫᒪᑲᐠ ᓴᑲᐦᐃᑲᓂᐠ ᒥᓇ ᑭᑭᓄᐦᐊᒪᑫᐃᐧᐣ ᕑᐃᐠ ᑲᕑᐃᐠ ᐊᐧᐊᐧᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐃᐧᓇᐣ
ᐁᑲ ᑲᑕᑲᐧᐠ ᐱᒥᓭᐃᐧᑲᒥᑯᐠ ᐊᐸᒋᒋᑲᐣ ᑲᐅᒋᐃᐧᐣᒋᑫᒪᑲᐠ ᑲᐱᐳᓂᒪᑲᐠ ᐱᒥᓭᐃᐧᐣ ᐃᒪ ᒣᒣᑫᐧᔑᐃᐧᓴᑲᐃᑲᓂᐠ ᒥᐦᐅᐁᐧ ᒪᐊᐧᐨ ᑭᒋᑫᑯᐣ ᑲᑭᐃᐧᐣᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᑲᐸᐸᔐᐣᑕᑲᐧᐠ ᒋᑭᑲᑫᐧᐊᔭᑭᐸᐣ ᓄᑯᒥᑫ ᑲᑭᐊᔭᑭᓀ ᑭᐅᑫᐊᐧᐸᐣ ᐅᑎᐸᒋᒧᐠ ᐃᒪ ᓂᔭᓇᐣ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᐊᐢᑭ ᐃᐡᑯᓂᑲᓇᐣ. “ᒪᐊᐧᐨ ᐃᑯ ᓂᓇᑕᐁᐧᐣᑕᐣ ᐅᐁᐧ ᐊᐸᒋᒋᑲᐣ ᒋᐊᔭᒪᐠ ᓂᐱᒥᓭᐃᐧᑲᒥᑯᓇᐣ” ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᒣᒣᑫᐧᔑᐃᐧᓴᑲᐃᑲᓂ ᐅᑭᒪᑲᐣ ᕑᐃᑕ ᑕᐧᑦᓴᐣ ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᒉᐣᐁᐧᕑᐃ ᐱᓯᑦ 18 ᑲᐃᓇᑭᓱᓂᐨ ᑲᑭᐊᔭᒥᐦᐊᐨ ᒥᓯᐁᐧᑲᒥᐠ ᒥᓇ ᐅᒪ ᐯᔓᐨ ᑌᑎᐸᐦᐃ ᑲᐃᔑᐸᑭᑎᓇᒧᐊᐧᐨ ᑎᐸᒋᒧᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᑲᑭᐱ ᐱᔕᐊᐧᐨ ᐃᒪ ᑲᑭᐃᔑᐸᐣᑭᓯᓂᐠ ᑭᐢᑐᐣ ᐁᕑ ᐱᒥᓭᐃᐧᓂ
ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᐁᑲᑫᐧᐳᓂᒪᑲᑭᐸᐣ ᐃᐁᐧ ᐱᒥᓭᐃᐧᐣ ᑲᑭᓄᐣᑌᐸᐣᑭᓯᐠ ᒉᐣᐁᐧᕑᐃ ᐱᓯᑦ 10 ᐁᑲᐧ ᑲᔦ ᒪᐊᐧᐨ ᑭ ᑭᒋᓱᑭᐸᐧᓂᓄᐁᐧᐸᐣ ᐃᐁᐧ ᐊᐱ. “ᑲᓂᑲ ᐊᐱ ᑫᐃᓯᓭᑫᐧᐣ, ᐸᓂᒪ ᑲᓇᐱᑯ ᑭᒋᒪᒋᓭᐃᐧᐣ ᐁᓇᑭᐡᑭᒪᐠ ᑫᑲᐱ ᓂᑲᐱᓯᐢᑫᓂᒥᑯᐣ. ᒥᑐᓂ ᐱᑯ ᐊᐧᐊᐧᓀᐣᑕᑲᐧᐣ.” ᓂᐃᐧᐣ ᐊᐃᐧᔭᐠ ᑭᐊᐱᒋᔑᓄᐠ ᐃᒪ ᐱᒥᓭᐃᐧᓀᓯᐠ ᓇᐸᐦᐅ ᑲᑭᐸᐣᑭᓯᐠ ᒥᓇ ᑭᐸᓯᑌᐁᐧᐱᓯᐣ ᐊᐧᑭᑎᑯᑦ ᐯᔑᑯᑎᐸᐦᐊᑲᐣ ᓂᑲᑌ ᐱᒥᓭᐳᓂᐃᐧᓂᐠ. ᐯᔑᐠ ᐁᑕ ᑲᐃᐧᐣ ᒋᐅᒋ ᐊᐱᒋᔑᐠ. “ᑲᐃᐧᐣ ᓂᑭᑫᐣᑕᓯᐣ ᑭᐡᐱᐣ ᑭᑫᐣᑕᒧᐊᐧᑯᐸᓀᐣ ᒪᐊᐧᐨ ᐁᑭ ᑭᒋᒪᒋᑭᔑᑲᓂᐠ ᐊᐱ ᑲᐱᑕᑲᐧᑯᒋᓄᐊᐧᐨ” ᐃᑭᑐ ᑕᐧᑦᓴᐣ. “ᑲᐃᐧᓂᐣ ᑲᓇᑫ ᐊᑲᒥᐠ ᒋᑭᐅᐣᒋ ᑌᐱᓇᑲᐧᐠ ᐁᐱᒋᒪᒋᑭᔑᑲᐠ ᐊᐱᐣ ᑲᐱᑲᑫᐧᐳᓂᒪᑲᐠ.” ᐃᓇᐱᐣ ᐸᑭᑭᓂᑲᓂᐠ 6
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