Treaty 3 youth lead through example PAGES 12 and 13 Vol. 37 #16
Ancient bones discovered in KI PAGE 14
Powwow time in Eagle Lake PAGE 11 9,300 copies distributed $1.50
August 5, 2010
Northern Ontario’s First Nation Voice since 1974
www.wawataynews.ca
Shibogama crowned bannock champs
Is it time for the Indian Act to go? National chief suggests outdated legislation could be gone in 5 years Debbie Mishibinijima Wawatay News
Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Shawn Atleo made headline news when he suggested it was time to get rid of the Indian Act. During the AFN assembly July 2022 in Winnipeg, Man., Atleo posed the question “Is it time to boldly suggest within two to five years, the Indian Act will no longer be part of our lives?” Atleo spoke of what the Indian Act system does provide. It provides the highest suicide rates, the highest incarceration rates in the country, the lowest education rates and the lowest income rates, he said. So rather than have a department that governs First Nation lives, Atleo suggested the federal government could set up a ministry of First NationsCrown relations, as well as a treaty rights tribunal. In this manner, items promised in centuries old treaties would be delivered such as health care and land, he said. The Indian Act, created in 1876, deals with Indian status, local government, management of reserve land and funding. Prior to the Indian Act, there were colonial laws and Royal Proclamations in place that governed Aboriginal people. Leaders in northern Ontario are quite ready to implement change. “When I travel to communities and listen to the Elders talk, even though
they don’t understand (the Indian Act), they understand it is a connection to the government,” Mushkegowuk Council Grand Chief Stan Louttit said. “They understand there is a specific act or law that recognizes Indian people, even though it is paternalistic. They (the Elders) look at it as a relationship with the government.” Louttit is supportive of a change to the existing governance structure. “If it’s a plan of AFN representing 633 First Nations, (including the Mushkegowuk communities), to get rid of the Indian Act, we have to be part of that and drive it. We have to come up with alternatives. If he works by himself with the government, it’s not going to work.” Louttit is keen on implementing the proposed changes. “Let’s pull a team together. Let’s get a national body together so we can drive this process, but it has to be grassroots driven with Elders and leaders,” Louttit said. see INDIAN ACT page 23
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK Send your comments to: editor@wawatay.on.ca or send to: Wawatay News 16-5th Avenue North P.O. Box 1180 Sioux Lookout ON P8T 1B7
ᑲᓇᑕ ᑭᒋᐅᑭᒪᑲᐣ ᐊᐟᓫᐃᔪ ᐃᑭᑐ ᐊᔕ ᐅᒋᒋᓭ ᒋᐁᐧᐱᓂᑲᑌᐠ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᐅᓇᑯᓂᑫᐃᐧᐣ ᑌᐱ ᒥᔑᓂᐱᒋᒪ ᐊᐧᐊᐧᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐃᐧᓇᐣ
Brent Wesley/Wawatay News
Margaret Kenequanash led her team, Shibogama’s Loonie Bannock Bakers, to victory at the 2010 Bannock Bake Off in Sioux Lookout, July 30. The Bannock Bakers beat out four other teams, including two-time champions the Extended Care Kookums. The annual event kicks off Sioux Lookout’s Blueberry Festival, which runs from July 30 to Aug. 8.
ᑲᓇᑕ ᑭᒋᐅᑭᒪᑲᐣ ᔕᐧᐣ ᐊᐟᓫᐃᔪ ᒥᓯᐁᐧ ᑭᐃᐧᒋᑲᑌᓂ ᑎᐸᒋᒧᐃᐧᓂᐠ ᑲᑭᐃᑭᑐᐨ ᐊᔕ ᐅᒋᒋᓭ ᑭᒋᐁᐧᐱᓂᑲᑌᓂᑭᐸᐣ ᐅᑭᒪᐅᐣ ᐅᓇᑯᓂᑫᐃᐧᐣ ᑲᐃᔑᑲᓇᐊᐧᐸᒪᐨ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐊᐧᐣ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᒥᓯᐁᐧᑲᒥᐠ ᑲᓇᑕ ᐅᑭᒪᑲᓇᐠ ᑲᑭᒪᐊᐧᒋᐦᐃᑐᐊᐧᐸᐣ ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᐅᐸᐡᑯᐃᐧᐱᓯᑦ 20 ᐱᓂᐡ 22 ᑲᐃᓇᑭᓱᐨ ᐁᐧᑎ ᐃᐧᓂᐯᐠ ᒪᓂᑐᐸ, ᐊᐟᓫᐃᔪ ᑭᐃᔑᑲᑫᐧᒋᒥᐁᐧ, ᐊᔕ ᓇᐦ ᐃᓯᓭᐸᐣ ᒋᑭᐅᓀᐣᑕᐸᑭᐸᐣ ᓂᔓᔭᑭ ᐊᑯᓇᐠ ᓂᔭᓄᔭᑭ ᐁᑲ ᐊᐊᐧᔑᒣ ᒋᑭᐱᒧᓂᑯᔭᑭᐸᐣ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᐅᑯᓂᑫᐃᐧᐣ. ᐅᑭᐊᓂᒧᑕᐣ ᑲᔦ ᐊᓂᐣ ᐁᐱᒥᑐᒋᑫᒪᑲᐠ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᐅᓇᑯᓂᑫᐧᐃᐣ ᐅᑭᒪᐅᓂᐠ ᑲᐅᒋᐱᒥᐅᓇᔓᐊᐧᑌ. ᒥᑕᐡ ᐅᓄᐁᐧᓂᐊᐧᐣ ᑲᐱᒥᑐᒋᑫᒪᑲᑭᐣ ᒪᐊᐧᐨ ᒥᔑᐣ ᐁᐅᒋᓂᓯᑎᓱᐊᐧᐨ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐊᐧᐠ, ᒪᐊᐧᐨ ᒥᔑᐣ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐊᐧᐠ ᐁᑭᐸᐦᐅᐣᑕᐧ
ᐅᒪ ᑲᐊᐱᑕᑲᒥᑲᐠ ᑲᓇᑕ, ᒪᐊᐧᐨ ᐁᓇᐊᐧᒋᓄᐊᐧᐨ ᑲᑭᔑᐃᐡᑯᓄᐊᐧᐨ ᒥᓇ ᐸᐣᑭ ᐁᔓᓂᔭᑫᑲᐡᑭᑕᒪᓱᐊᐧᐨ, ᑭᐃᑭᑐ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᑕᐡ ᐊᐱᐨ ᐃᐧᐣ ᐅᑭᒪᐅᓂᐠ ᐅᒋᐱᐃᐧᓂᑯᔭᐠ ᑲᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐃᐧᔭᐠ, ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᓇᐊᐧᐨ ᒋᑭᑲᑫᐧᑐᑕᑭᐸᐣ ᑲᓇᑕ ᐅᑭᒪ ᒋᑭᐅᓇᓴᐸᐣ ᒋᐅᑭᒪᐃᐧᐦᐃᑕᐧ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐤ ᐅᑭᒪᐠ ᑫᑭᐅᒋ ᐃᐧᑕᓄᑭᒪᐊᐧᐸᐣ ᑭᒋᐅᑭᒪᐊᓄᑭᓇᑲᓇᐠ, ᐊᔑᐨ ᑲᔦ ᑫᑭᐅᒋ ᐊᓄᑲᑕᒧᐊᐧᐸᐣ ᑭᒋᐊᔓᑕᒪᑫᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᒪᒥᓄ ᑲᓄᒋᑫᑕᒪᓱᐃᐧᐣ ᑲᐅᒋᐊᓄᑲᑕᒧᐊᐧᐨ. ᒥᑕᐡ ᐃᓂᐁᐧᓂᐊᐧᐣ ᐊᔕ ᑭᒋᐁᐧᐡᑲᐨ ᑲᐅᒋ ᐱᒥᑭᑲᑌᑭᐣ ᐊᔓᑕᒪᑫᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᑲᑭᐃᓇᐧᑌᑭᐸᐣ ᒋᐅᒋ ᒥᓄᐡᑲᒪᑲᑭᐣ ᐊᑯᓯᐃᐧ ᐃᐧᒋᐦᐃᑯᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᒥᓇ ᐱᑯ ᐊᐦᑭ ᑫᐃᔑᑲᐯᔑᓇᓂᐊᐧᐠ, ᑭᐃᑭᑐ. ᐅᐁᐧ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᐅᓇᑯᓂᑫᐃᐧᐣ ᑲᐃᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᒪᐊᐧᐨ ᓂᐢᑕᑦ ᑭᐅᓇᒋᑲᑌᐸᐣ 1876 ᑲᔭᑭᐊᐧᐠ, ᒥᐦᐅᒪ ᐁᐅᒋᑲᓇᐊᐧᐸᒋᑲᑌᑭᐣ ᐃᓇᐱᐣ ᐸᑭᑭᓂᑲᓂᐠ 23