January 5, 2012 by Wawatay News

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Wawatay’s top news stories for 2011 PAGE 6-15 Vol. 39 #1

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NAN asking for better FASD support PAGE 3

2011 year in review in pictures PAGE 16

January 5, 2012

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Wawatay News

January 5, 2012

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

Whirl’n n twirl’n as DFC students square dance Rick Garrick

Wawatay News

Fiddle music and square dancing took over Dennis Franklin Cromarty First Nations High School (DFC) Dec. 14 as 10 students showed off moves they learned over the first semester. “The first time we were like, ‘it’s just square dancing,’” said Mayveline Quill, a Grade 12 DFC student. “Then we started laughing about it and after a while we started having fun.” Quill joined the dance group this fall along with 15 other students to help show that DFC students are involved in a wide variety of activities, including cultural activities such as square dancing, not just the negative activities portrayed in media coverage. “We just like to have a good time while we are dancing,” Quill said. “If somebody makes a mistake, automatically, the next person will point out where they are going.” Although the square dancers enjoyed themselves practicing over the last two-three months and performing in front of Thunder Bay Mayor Keith Hobbs and a number of other dignitaries as well as DFC students and staff, they thought the idea of square dancing was just a joke when first approached by Keewaytinook Okimakanak (KO) staff. “When they first mentioned it, everybody sort of laughed,” Quill said. DFC principal Jonathan Kakegamic and Hobbs were among a number of audience members who joined in to dance with the square dancers after their performance was over. “I rather enjoyed myself,” Kakegamic said. “Even though we were doing simple steps, I had to concentrate. It was nice to see the mayor there – he is a big supporter of our school.” Kakegamic said the square

Rick Garrick/Wawatay News

A group of 10 Dennis Franklin Cromarty First Nations High School students performed a number of square dances Dec. 14 before their classmates and staff at DFC. dancers have been learning discipline in addition to their dance steps. “They need to go three times a week, and most of them have been regular participants,” Kakegamic said. “And all of them did well in school.” In addition to the DFC performance, the square dancers also performed at a Nishnawbe Aski Nation banquet and a KO Secondary School Services banquet.

“Once they got going, their practice and training took over,” Kakegamic said. The idea for the square dancing lessons came from the square dance sessions provided during the Treaty 5 100th anniversary celebrations in Deer Lake a few years ago. “Us leaders of KO were really impressed being entertained by the young people dancing (at the Treaty 5 100th anniversary celebrations),” said Goyce

Kakegamic, education coordinator for KO Secondary School Services. “So at the beginning of the year, I asked the students if they would consider joining a dancing club.” Goyce was impressed with the students’ dedication to their square dance lessons. “They came three times a week and they were having a ball,” Goyce said. “After the (DFC square dance) presentation, even some other students

were saying I’m going to consider joining the program after Christmas.” Quill returned to DFC this year to complete additional courses in parenting and recreation and leadership to be better prepared for college. “I haven’t failed a course in high school,” Quill said. “It feels good to accomplish things that you wanted to do when you were younger.” Quill is looking forward to

continuing her success in the field she chooses once she graduates from college. “All I want to do is succeed in the workforce, have a better job and make a living out of it,” Quill said. “I’m thinking about working out here in the city for about five years and then go back home to help out my chief and council.” KO is a non-political chiefs council serving six northern First Nations.

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Rick Garrick/Wawatay News

Thunder Bay Mayor Keith Hobbs and a number of Dennis Franklin Cromarty First Nations High School staff joined in with 10 DFC students after they performed a number of square dances Dec. 14 at the Thunder Bay-based Northern Nishnawbe Education Council school.

More activities planned for winter at DFC

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 

Square dancing, guitar making, skating and broomball are among the activities planned for 2012 at Dennis Franklin Cromarty First Nations High School (DFC) in Thunder Bay. “We hope to get the (outdoor skating rink) going by January,” said DFC principal Jonathan Kakegamic. “We’ll have a phys-ed program there; we’ll use it as an incentive too. It will be used quite regularly for broomball and hockey.” Kakegamic said a minor hockey league team is also considering the use of the rink for practice sessions. “As an outreach to the City of Thunder Bay, we are going to do that,” Kakegamic said. Kakegamic said the guitar-making course offered this past fall is going to be offered again during the second semester due to student demand. “And there will be incentive trips for our students,” Kakegamic said. “We do a road trip up North on the winter road one weekend when we take a group of hockey players and broomball players.” Kakegamic said the male students went to Weagamow for hockey last year while the female students went to Mishkeegogamang for broomball. “But this year we are going to combine it in Deer Lake,” Kakegamic said. “That will be done over the winter road as an outreach to our communities.” Kakegamic said the square dancers will also perform in their home communities once the winter road opens. - RG

Wawatay News

January 5, 2012

Highway project raises concerns Rick Garrick

Wawatay News

Four Treaty #3 communities recently met to discuss common concerns about the Highway 17 twinning project from Kenora to the Manitoba border. “The four First Nations agree that the engagement process carried out by the Ministry of Transportation Ontario to date has been deeply flawed and is inconsistent with the fundamental principles of meaningful consultation,” said Chief Lorraine Cobiness of Ochiichagwe’babigo’ining Ojibway Nation in a Dec. 20 press release. The four communities decided to raise their common concerns with the federal and provincial governments and have committed to ensuring treaty commitments are fulfilled and their interests addressed before there is any decision to proceed with the Highway 17 twinning project. “We’re disappointed that the government of Canada has been on the sidelines about this so far,” said Obashkaandagaang Chief Alfred Sinclair. “Our treaty is with Canada, not Ontario. We expect Canada to step up and engage with us directly about this project. We need to define our relationship with Ontario.” An MTO representative said the MTO is committed to building constructive, co-operative relationships with First Nation people in Ontario, and honouring its obligation to consult with First Nations where proposed activities might adversely affect treaty rights. “Over the span of twenty months, MTO has met with representatives from these communities on various occasions to gain a better understanding of their perspectives, which includes broader community awareness as well as to discuss

the potential impacts of fourlaning through Treaty 3 lands,” said Sharon Nye, executive assistant, regional director’s office, northwestern region, in an e-mail. “MTO staff will continue to provide opportunities for involvement of First Nation communities who may be affected by the proposed four-laning so that Aboriginal interests can be appropriately considered.” Canada and Ontario announced plans in 2009 to cost share in the first 15-kilometre section of the project between the Manitoba border and Rush Bay Road, with the Ministry of Transportation to obtain federal and provincial environmental approvals necessary for construction to proceed. The ministry is also completing a route planning study for the remaining 25 kilometres between Rush Bay Road and Kenora to identify a corridor for a future four-lane highway. At the conclusion of the study, the selected corridor will be designated to allow for effective property development and to protect the lands for future highway construction needs. The ministry stated on its website that there is no commitment, timetable or funding at this time for the detail design and the construction phases for the 25-kilometre section. Iskatewizaagegan #39 Chief Eli Mandamin said First Nations are not just another stakeholder. “When we engage, we engage as self-governing Nations,” Mandamin said. “We’re treaty people with selfgovernment rights. We expect to be consulted with on that basis.” Shoal Lake #40 Chief Erwin Redsky added: “Everything begins with our treaty. Government has to respect treaty promises.”

More input in education needed Rick Garrick

Wawatay News

Grand Chief Stan Beardy said a legislated base with some First Nations control is needed to improve First Nations education after the provincial government brought up the issue in the Nov. 22 Speech from the Throne. “The federal delivery of education on-reserve is not legislated-based, so you don’t have a minimum, you don’t have standards,” Beardy said after the Nov. 22-24 Nishnawbe Aski Nation Special Chiefs Assembly. “It’s almost ad hoc in delivering that education because it is delivered without a policy.” Beardy brought up former auditor general Sheila Fraser’s report on First Nations education in the 2011 June Status Report of the Auditor General of Canada, which stated that the education gap between First Nations living on reserves and the general Canadian population has widened. Based on 2001 and 2006 census data, the report stated the education gap has not been reduced and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (now Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada) has only begun to implement a strategy for closing it. The report also stated the

proportion of high school graduates over the age of 15 is 41 per cent among First Nations members living on reserves compared with 77 per cent for Canadians as a whole. In 2004, the Auditor General noted that at existing rates, it would take 28 years for First Nations communities to reach the national average. More recent trends suggest that the time needed may be longer. The provincial government said during the Speech from the Throne that it will continue to call on the federal government to work with First Nations, other Aboriginal partners and the province to improve education supports for Aboriginal students. “What we need is greater input in the design of that education system by our own experts,” Beardy said, noting that while the Maori in New Zealand are “very well educated,” their values and principles in regards to their culture and language have gone up along with their educational attainment. “We cannot have that perception as First Nations people that if our people get well educated, it’s at the expense of their cultural identity. As First Nations people get higher learning, then their cultural identity gets reinforced at the same time.”

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

Newest addition

submitted photo

Nakina Air Services recently introduced a new Pilatus PC-12 NG airplane to its fleet. The plane was purchased from Pilatus Centre Canada (PCC), the only authorized Pilatus sales and service centre in Canada. “Nakina has been a client of Pilatus Centre Canada since they took delivery of their first PC-12 in 1999,” said Robert Arnone, president and CEO of PCC, in a Dec. 20 press release. Nakina is a family owned company that provides air service to northwestern communities in Ontario. “Nakina provides scheduled passenger service in northwestern Ontario and as such we operate in harsh environments, including winter icing conditions and gravel airfields,” said Greg Bourdignon, chief pilot of Nakina Air. He added that the last PG-12 was purchased in 1999. “Twelve years, 20,000 hours and 36,000 landings later, we decided it was time to upgrade to the latest Pilatus PC-12 NG,” said Bourdignon. -CQ

Ontario failing FASD support: NAN Chris Kornacki

Wawatay News

Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) is asking the Ontario government to develop an integrated provincial strategy for prevention and support services to deal with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). FASD is an umbrella term describing the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank

alcohol during pregnancy. These effects may include physical, behavioral, mental, and learning disabilities with possible lifelong implications. “Countless children are falling through the cracks because of Ontario’s continued failure to fully address FASD,” NAN Deputy Grand Chief Terry Waboose said. “This puts them at high risk for developmental disorders and severely impairs their

chances to grow up to lead the full, happy and productive lives they so desperately deserve.” NAN said Ontario is falling behind other provinces when it comes to FASD prevention and support, many of which have strategies and targeted mandates for FASD. In 2006 Ontario cut the Northwestern Ontario FASD Diagnostic Clinic that provided services to many First Nation communities.

“Without assessments and proper services, many First Nation children are at very high risk for secondary disabilities that can severely impair their development. Lives are at risk and it is crucial that the government officially recognizes the crippling health and social impacts of this disorder and begins to work with First Nations to design and implement a strategic response,” Waboose said.

UN committee to investigate missing and murdered Aboriginal women Chris Kornacki

Wawatay News

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) announced it would conduct an inquiry into murdered and missing Aboriginal women in Canada. The decision came after a call by the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) and the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action (CFAI) citing what they

say is the Canadian government’s failure to take effective action on the murders and disappearances of Aboriginal women in Canada. “It’s time we take the government to task on how they treat Aboriginal people and women in particular, especially when Canada has been called to task by the CEDAW,” Jackie Fletcher, spokeswoman for the Nishnawbe Aski Nation Women’s Council (NANWC), said. “Canada is a signatory to the

CEDAW convention, therefore they need to put into action what the convention states,” Fletcher added. According to a NAN press release, in the past 20 years more than 600 Aboriginal women have gone missing or were murdered in Canada. The CEDAW is now calling for an examination into the reasons for the failure to investigate the cases and to take the necessary step to remedy the deficiencies in the current system to determine if there is a

pattern to the murders and disappearances. “It is too often that our mothers, daughters, sisters and grandmothers face death in such a tragic way,” said Mike Metatawabin, NAN deputy grand chief. “First Nation women are the centre of our families and they must not be treated as second class citizens.” “The way which all levels of government have treated our sisters is horrendous,” he added.

Kasabonika Lake receives new hockey equipment Christian Quequish Wawatay News

Christmas came early for the youth of Kasabonika Lake First Nation as the National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA) and the family of former prime minister Lester B. Pearson donated 55 sets of hockey equipment to the com-

munity Dec. 21. “The community … is very grateful and thankful for the donation by the NHLPA and the Pearson family,” said Gordon Anderson, chief of Kasabonika Lake First Nation. “I don’t think I’ve seen so many happy faces as I did when the children were receiving their equipment.”

The NHLPA said they wanted to do this in honour of Pearson’s love of sports, as well as a tribute to his northern Ontario riding. The donation was made through the NHLPA’s fund, Goals and Dreams. “The members of the NHLPA are proud to join with the Pearson family through our Goals and Dreams fund,

to bring the game of hockey to the children of the Kasabonika Lake First Nation,” said NHLPA Goals and Dreams chairman Devin Smith. “Together with the NHLPA, we are very pleased to promote opportunities for First Nation youth through hockey,” said Landon Pearson, a representative of the Pearson family.

Wawatay News

January 5, 2012

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

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

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

Commentary

Happy New Year Xavier Kataquapit Under the northern sky

e are all looking forward to a new year but many are fearful of the coming of 2012. Some believe that the upcoming year is marking the end of an historic period. Many think that this year will be a spiritually changing one and far too many believe it will mark the end of the world. This idea has been boosted in popular culture through movies, books and websites detailing how and why this year will mark the end. The apocalypse was a recurring topic of excitement when I was a growing up in a remote Native community on the James Bay coast. It seemed like whenever a significant date or the announcements of a mystic or religious leader was heard, everyone talked about an end date. When news spread of the end, everyone lived at a more frenzied pace and more people attended the local church. Those end time believer’s plans were tossed to the wind. What was the use of thinking about the future if the end was coming? There was a general sense of fear and apprehension for the future. I have lived through countless apocalypses at this point. I grew so tired of them by the time I was a teenager that I started wishing for an apocalypse for the apocalypse. When it comes to the upcoming year 2012, most people cite the Mayan long count calendar, a number of years calculated to be a 5,125-year period, according to the Mayan system. This time period actually ends on December 21, 2012 in our modern calendar and it is this date that is falsely explained as the moment when our world will end. When Europeans first read about Mayan culture and writing, they did so with a Euro perspective. One of the strongest of European ideas were based on Christianity and the image of an end of the world and a catastrophic apocalypse. It was with this frame of mind that a German scholar named Ernst Forstemann, in the early 1900s, interpreted some Mayan writing to describe a catastrophic flood and a ‘destruction of the world.’ This scholar made no reference to the Mayan long count calendar, December 21, 2012, or even if the events he described took place in the past or would happen in the future. Succeeding researchers in Mayan culture made reference to his ideas and later attributed the events to the end of the

Mayan long count calendar. This was an untruth. New age proponents and believers also associate the date to significant astrological alignments and events. In fact the date does not coincide with any significant alignment of the stars or planets. One of the ideas that is circulated is the alignment with sun and the centre of our galaxy at some point in 2012. This idea is mostly discounted by astronomers because of the fact that no one is really sure of where the galactic centre is located due to fact that it is obscured by cosmic dust, debris and millions of bright stars. It is also impossible to determine the exact boundaries of our massive galaxy and to identify how it is oriented – a crucial fact that is necessary to determine where the centre is located. To further disprove this end world Mayan myth is the fact that the Mayans never made any emphasis that the world would end at the end of a long count calendar period. They viewed this as merely a changing of the clocks to mark the start of a new period. It was the Mayan form of the year 2000 for us. The idea of the end according to the Mayans is also contradicted by the fact that they also referenced dates beyond our time and thousands of years into the future. Why would they talk about the distant future if the end would happen in 2012? It seems like so many of us are always fascinated and intrigued about an absolute end to everything. Sometimes this obsession is so strong that it seems to drive the world towards a path of negativity. The biggest adrenalin rush ever has to do with so many people being caught up in the doomsday scenario. We should be more careful of our ideas of an end to our world. If we continue to believe in a doomed end then we can be led to think that terrible events could and should happen to fulfill our beliefs. What would happen if instead of a catastrophic end and doomsday we chose to believe in a better future life, peace and good will? So, do a little research for yourself on this topic of 2012 and the Mayan calendar and if you ignore the shallow hype and myths you will discover the truth about 2012. We will certainly have our challenges this year but it won’t be because of some hocus pocus myth, rather it will all have to do with we the people who inhabit this beautiful planet. Happy 2012 and may you do your very best to make it the best year ever for your loved ones. www.underthenorthernsky.com

Leanne Larmondin/Wawatay News archives

Cat Lake, March 1992.

Searching the heavens for stars Richard Wagamese One Native Life

here’s a star I used to look for in the night sky. It wasn’t Venus. I was enough of an astronomy nut back then to know that the one glittering cosmic unit I sought out as the darkness fell was not a planet nor was it a familiar, named star. Instead, this was a star that had seemed to call to me for as long as I can remember. When I was a small boy in the northern Ontario bush,

there’d been a connection between us. I could feel it back then, just as I could feel it as a young man. I don’t know when I first became aware of it. I only know that for the longest time it was a part of my evening ritual to look for it, to scan the heavens until I found it and then heave a deep breath like satisfaction. I called it the Far Star. As far as astronomy goes it lay somewhere to the right of Vega in the constellation Lyra. That’s a triangle of stars you can see in the summer and on into autumn. You have to look for it. It’s not an easy read. It was the Far Star because of loneliness. When I was a small boy I never knew my

family. I was a foster kid and had only really known that sense of dislocation that all foster kids feel when they know the home they call home is not really home at all.

As long as there was that glittering star I could hold, I could persevere, I could prevail. But seeing that star made me feel attached. As long as it shone in the heavens, as long as I could search for it and find it, I always felt as though my

life and my world were being watched over and guarded. I felt protected and safe. The Far Star was hope. As I grew older and relationships sometimes ended or life did not turn out as the answer to my dreams, finding the Far Star grounded me in hope. As long as there was that glittering star I could hold, I could persevere, I could prevail. We all need symbols in our lives. We all need lynch pins to spiritual truths. We all need beacons to lead us to ourselves. I still look for that star sometimes. When I find it, I recall comfort and the idea born when I was small that hope rests in common things and always will.

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CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER David Neegan davidn@wawatay.on.ca WRITER/PHOTOGRAPHER Rick Garrick rickg@wawatay.on.ca INTERIM REPORTER Lenny Carpenter lennyc@wawatay.on.ca STUDENT REPORTER Christian Quequish

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Matthew Bradley matthewb@wawatay.on.ca Sales Representative 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 Chris Kornacki Richard Wagamese

Guest editorials, columnists and letters to the editor do not necessarily reflect the views of Wawatay News.

Wawatay News

January 5, 2012

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

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January 5, 2012

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Top News Story

2011

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The Attawapiskat housing crisis drew national debate and brought First Nations funding issues to the forefront, making it Wawatay’s news story of the year. The community declared a state of emergency in late-October as five families, including Elders and children, were living in tent frame shelters or sheds and were expected to endure the upcoming winter without proper housing. First Nation officials said they were living without running water, sewers or electricity. Some reportedly had to throw their sewage out in a ditch. Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus made a Youtube video depicting the substandard housing conditions, and no government or outside organization responded to the emergency declaration until weeks later when the Canadian Red Cross said it would provide emergency relief. It was then that national media outlets visited the community and more photos emerged showing the living conditions. With Prime Minister Stephen Harper under fire, he asked where the $96 million his government put into the commu-

nity since 2006 went, putting the band’s financial management in question. When the federal government finally acted, it put the First Nation under third-party management. This decision was met with strong opposition from Chief Theresa Spence and other leaders. “It is incredible that the Harper government’s decision is that instead of offering aide and assistance to Canada’s First People, their solution is to blame the victim, and that the community is guilty and deserving of their fate,” Spence said on Dec. 1. On Dec. 5, the third-party manager was ordered by the band council to go back on his plane when he attempted to go into the community. Meanwhile, in a display of unity, Spence and other chiefs left an Assembly of First Nations chiefs meeting in Ottawa to attempt to confront Harper and Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Minister John Duncan on Parliament Hill before being told to leave by RCMP officers. Upon appointing a manager, the federal government agreed to provide 22 modular homes for the community and funds

to renovate three houses. It also agreed to fund repairs for the community’s healing lodge, which will be used as a temporary shelter for the families while they await the arrival of the modular homes through the winter road in January. The appointment of the third-party manager drew national debate. A blog clarifying how First Nations funding works, written by a Metis law student in Montreal, circulated on the Internet. Reports surfaced of how third-party managers only added to other First Nations’ financial turmoil instead of fixing it. With the debate raging, Spence continued to oppose third-party management and said underfunding is the issue, not mismanagement. Spence met with Duncan in Thunder Bay on Dec. 15. When he would not budge on the appointment of a manager – instead agreeing to remove him once the housing crisis is “over” and an audit is complete – Spence filed a court injunction after the meeting, calling third-party management “very impunitive, counterproductive and unreasonable.”

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January 5, 2012

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

Forest Fires

Wawatay News file photo

Jordan Wabasse’s disappearance this past February led to a three-month search by a group of volunteers in Thunder Bay. The 15-year-old award-winning midget B hockey goalie’s body was discovered May 10 in the Kaministiquia River.

Jordan Wabasse Jordan Wabasse’s death while attending high school in Thunder Bay is Wawatay’s secondnews story of the year. “It’s been very hard for the family and the community of Webequie,” said Matawa First Nations CEO David Paul Achneepineskum shortly after Wabasse’s body was found May 10 in the Kaministiquia River. “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.” Wabasse was last seen Feb. 7 getting off a city bus near his boarding house in Thunder Bay. He was laid to rest May 16 during a funeral service in 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 immedi-

ate family, his parents and his siblings.” Beardy said youth were very emotional during the service, noting many people signed Wabasse’s coffin. “I saw a lot of tears – I think Jordan was very well-liked in the community.” Webequie Chief Cornelius Wabasse described Jordan 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.” After the 15-year-old awardwinning midget B hockey goalie went missing, a group of volunteers searched for three months until his body was discovered by recreational boaters near the Western Grain Elevators just east of the James Street Bridge. “We worked alongside with a grandmother,” said Lillian Suganaqueb about the searchers. “There were a few volunteers that were there every single day. The grandmother — she

The thousands of people in Nishnawbe Aski Nation communities who were evacuated from their homes this summer due to raging forest fires makes this Wawatay’s third top news story of 2011.” As increasing numbers of Nishnawbe Aski Nation members were evacuated from their communities due to the forest fires, NAN Grand Chief Stan Beardy called for a state of emergency. Keewaywin was evacuated July 17-18 due to a threat from Red Lake Fire Number 82, located about 10 kilometres southwest of the community of about 500 on-reserve band members. One hundred and ninetyseven community members were sent to Greenstone July 17 in a stage one evacuation of Elders, people with health issues and young children. Another 150 were evacuated

not reflected in the treaty written in 1905. “We’re finding the treaty commissioners … said many, many things to our forefathers in regards to the treaty for the purpose of getting that X,” Mushkegowuk Grand Chief Stan Louttit said.

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While Louttit has met or planned to meet with federal and provincial officials, he said the Mushkegowuk legal team has prepared a statement of claim to take Ontario and Canada to court because the treaty was not properly presented to the chiefs.

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NAN put out a call July 19 to the cities and municipalities in northwestern Ontario to continue to assist by providing emergency shelters for up to 5,000 community members who could be forced to flee their homes that week. Other communities faced similar forest fire ordeals this summer. Deer Lake was evacuated July 7 due to smoke conditions, with evacuees returning home July 13-15. Mishkeegogamang was evacuated June 22 due to a nearby forest fire. Evacuees began returning home July 26, starting with Mishkeegogamang and Eabametoong. As of Aug. 1, about 2,582 evacuees had returned to their communities. All evacuees were back home by Aug. 3.

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just wouldn’t give up.” After his death, questions were raised about his death and the deaths of six other Nishnawbe Aski Nation high school students in Thunder Bay since 2000. “While we do not yet know the full details regarding Jordan’s disappearance, we do know that youth from NAN territory often find themselves without an adequate network of social support in an unfamiliar environment after moving hundreds of miles away from home,” said Deputy Grand Chief Terry Waboose. “Each of these deaths is a tragedy and they must stop. We demand that the governments of Ontario and Canada work with First Nation leaders and educators to ensure that adequate support services are in place for students who must travel away from home for secondary school and to work with us to develop education services in all First Nations that is on par with the rest of Canada.”

Honourable mention: Treaty commissioner diary discovery The discovery of the diaries of Treaty 9 commissioners by the Mushkegowuk Tribal Council appears to confirm what many First Nation leaders have been saying all along: that many oral agreements were made between the government and the First Nations that were

July 18 to Greenstone. The rest of the community was evacuated later that day. Four other Nishnawbe Aski Nation communities were evacuated as of July 19 due to smoky conditions from forest fires across northwestern Ontario. About 750 Elders, people with health issues and young children were evacuated from Sandy Lake July 18, about 160 from North Spirit Lake July 18, about 281 from Eabametoong July 17 and about 250 from Cat Lake July 14-15. About 230 community members in Kingfisher were on standby July 19. In addition to their July 17 phase-one evacuation, Eabametoong Chief Harry Papah said his community was considering a phase two evacuation of the about 1,000 remaining community members due to thick smoke from forest fires to the west of the community.

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January 5, 2012

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

Top Male Newsmakers

Riley Barkman Riley Barkman’s 700-kilometre walk to raise donations for the Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre CT scanner fund earns him Wawatay’s male newsmaker award. Barkman was overwhelmed with the final tally of more than $205,000 raised during the walk, which began March 28 on the winter road at Sachigo Lake and finished April 13 in Sioux Lookout. “It’s crazy,” said the 20-yearold Sachigo Lake band member. “I wasn’t expecting that amount at all.” Barkman had been looking to raise the final $100,000 needed to reach the $1.5 million target set by the Wasaya Group to purchase the CT scanner. The Meno Ya Win Foundation expects to perform about 2,500 exams with the CT scanner during its first year of use, with numbers possibly increasing to 4,000 exams per year over a five-year period. The CT scanner uses X-ray images to produce detailed computerized 3D images of the body to help diagnose various diseases such as cancer. The Wasaya Group began the fundraising campaign at the request of former Independent First Nations Alliance general manager Grace Teskey before she died in 2006 from cancer. Teskey wanted to make sure Meno Ya Win would have a CT scanner to help provide early detection of cancer for patients from remote communities in the area. Meno Ya Win Health Centre Foundation board member Stanley Sainnawap said it was

“very fitting” that a youth from Sachigo was doing the walk. “We haven’t spoken about this a lot but one of Grace Teskey’s wishes was that the community of Sachigo Lake be involved in bringing the CT scanner to the Sioux Lookout hospital,” Sainnawap said. “We must support (Riley) in his efforts. He is a great example of someone doing something instead of just talking about doing something.” Barkman began the walk with fellow walkers Andrew Kaminawash and Stanley Barkman and a support team of his father Tim Barkman, Fred Barkman, Danny Sanderson, Robert Barkman, Bonnie Sanderson and Mary Tait. He completed the walk in Sioux Lookout along with Kaminawash, Stanley Barkman, Lawrence Morris and Matt O’Connell. Barkman said he was inspired by his father and by the need to find ways to help other Aboriginal people. “I’m feeling better about myself, now that I’ve helped other people, and hopefully save a few lives,” Barkman said. Although Barkman averaged about 41 kilometres per day during the walk, he never felt like giving up. “I’m not that kind of guy, I don’t quit,” Barkman said. Tim Barkman said his son had a goal and nothing was stopping him from reaching that goal. He encourages other youth to do the same. “Just do it,” Tim Barkman said. “You’ll get the support you need once people see that you’re doing it.

Wawatay News file photo

Sachigo Lake’s Riley Barkman raised about $205,000 during a 700 kilometre fund-raising walk from Sachigo Lake to Sioux Lookout for the Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre CT scanner fund.

Adam Fiddler Sandy Lake Chief Adam Fiddler’s dedication to his community during the 2011 summer forest fire crisis makes him second for Wawatay’s male newsmaker of the year. Chief Fiddler and 20 community members stayed behind in Sandy Lake after the rest of the community was evacuated due to smoke from forest fires. “If they were not here with me, I would have sunk,” Fiddler said during a July 28 interview. “It was as if we were in a big canoe – they were the ones pad-

dling and all I was doing was steering. If they were not here with me, we would have gone nowhere, so I really appreciated those 20 people who stayed with me.” The community members stayed behind to help keep the power plant and water treatment plant operating as well as patrol the community. Sprinkler systems were set up to protect the homes and many of the larger buildings. Fiddler said it was his responsibility as chief to stay behind

and look after the community in a July 21 YouTube video press release, which was posted to keep evacuated residents informed of the situation in their community. “I fill more than an administrative role,” Fiddler said. “I have a traditional obligation as chief to protect and ensure the safety of all of the members of the First Nation as well as the community.” Fiddler and the 20 community members felt as if they were “on edge” due to the for-

est fire. “But we were also very heavy and very tense knowing our people were going through a lot out in the different evacuee host sites,” he said. Most of Sandy Lake’s 2,700 community members were evacuated July 18-21 due to smoke from a forest fire about nine kilometres from the Sandy Lake power plant. As of July 21, the fire was about 3,500 hectares in size. Fiddler planned to stay in the community until the last pos-

sible moment. “I knew there were MNR (Ministry of Natural Resources) crews here if we had to leave when the fire got close,” Fiddler said. “I also have a boat down at the lake and that would have been an option as well.” Fortunately, the forest fires did not approach the community. A few days of cool weather helped with the fire fighting efforts in the area, stopping the fires from getting any closer to the community. About 100 support people who left July 21

JANUARY 11

returned July 27 to help prepare for the return of the rest of the community beginning July 29. “When they arrived on Wednesday (July 27), it was just emotional for me,” Fiddler said. “I was very tense, but when they landed it just took a big load off my shoulders. It was the first time I felt relived since they left knowing I had that support back in the community.”

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January 5, 2012

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Top Female Newsmakers

Filmmaker Derosier

For her consistent presence in the community for her films that highlight Aboriginal issues or her work within the community, Michelle Derosier is female newsmaker of the year. It was a busy year for the Eagle Lake First Nation member, who co-owns Thunderstone Pictures, a film and video production company based in Thunder Bay. In September, she premiered her feature documentary, Return to Manowin, which chronicled her family’s attempts to revive their traditional riceharvesting after 30 years of absence. Three years in the making, and having spent the last 10 months in editing before its premiere, the 71-minute documentary drew discussions about preserving traditional practices. “Everybody has traditions, and we live in an ever-changing world where it’s easy for the traditions to get lost,” Derosier said. “This was about a lot more than making a film, it was about starting an active process of remembering not only who we are as a family but who we are as a people.” Derosier also debuted a documentary about prescription drug abuse. The Life You Want follows a young Fort Hope mother and her battle with OxyContin. The 34-minute documentary was produced by Thunderstone, the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health

Authority and the Sioux Lookout Zone Chief’s Committee on Health to bring attention to the situation facing many families and communities in northern Ontario. The B’iindigaate Film Festival continued to grow as it ran for its third year in September. Derosier chaired the organizing committee and helped come up with the idea for a festival that would help bridge the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal gap in the city by showing films produced by Indigenous filmmakers or featured Aboriginal issues. “Our numbers have doubled and tripled compared to some screenings last year,” she said. “Overall, we’re just thrilled with our community. The number of seats that are filled tell us that we’re doing something right.” Derosier was instrumental in the production of Stories from the River’s Edge, which aired on CBC’s The Fifth Estate in November. The episode came about after seven high school students died in the last 10 years – including Jordan Wabasse – while attending high school in Thunder Bay. It followed Wabasse’s grandmother as she sought answers into his death as well as two Deer Lake sisters as they traveled to Thunder Bay to attend high school. Thunderstone Pictures became involved when CBC learned of their skillsets and Derosier’s community con-

nections. After a fast-paced and intensive 20-day shoot, Derosier was inspired by the youth involved, whom she described as “amazing, strong and resilient.” “You’d hear a sad story and the next day they’d do something amazing,” she said. “They’d be having fun, making you laugh and just being teenagers.” In the spring, Derosier and company co-owner Dave Clement worked with students at Dryden High School to produce a short film that adapted an Anishnaabe legend into a high school drama. With the aim of bringing students together and building self-esteem, the project had the students write the script, lead the art direction, crew on the production and act on-screen. The final product, Eagle Vs. Sparrow, received an honourable mention for Best Canadian Short Drama at the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival in October. In November, Derosier and Clement received the Community Safety & Crime Prevention Award for a business, which was presented by the Thunder Bay Crime Prevention Council. They were awarded for their productions that “helped eliminate barriers between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people by openly portraying racism, suicide, mental illness and poverty.”

Wawatay News file photo

Eagle Lake First Nation’s Michelle Derosier had a busy year as she premiered three films as a director; chaired the B’iindigaate Film Festival committee; played an important role in the production of a CBC Fifth Estate documentary; and received a community safety and crime prevention award from the City of Thunder Bay.

Theresa Spence Her drive to provide housing for her community and her stance against third-party management has made Theresa Spence the second female newsmaker of the year. Spence’s first year as chief of Attawapiskat was relatively quiet until she declared a state of emergency in late-October due to a housing crisis. Five families, including Elders and children, living in tent frame shelters and sheds were expected to endure the harsh Canadian winter without proper housing. The crisis drew national media attention, putting Spence front and centre of an issue that

had many Canadians wondering why there were people living in third-world conditions within their own country. Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Minister John Duncan’s decision to put the community under third-party management drew more controversy and debate, as some questioned the accountability of the band council and its management of funds. Spence strongly opposed third-party management from the start. “It is incredible that the Harper government’s decision is that instead of offering aide and

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assistance to Canada’s First People, their solution is to blame the victim, and that the community is guilty and deserving of their fate,” she said on Dec. 1. With her accountability questioned even by her own community members, Spence continues to defend herself by pointing out that the band’s financial statements has been posted online since 2005 and has expressed a willingness to undergo an audit. After meeting with Duncan on Dec. 15, Spence filed a court injunction against Aboriginal Affairs for its decision to put her community under third party management despite a promise WAWATAY NEWS Date Completed:

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the imposed intervention would be lifted once the housing crisis is over. With court dates to follow, an audit to be ordered by Duncan, and the construction of a new school for Attawapiskat set to begin in the spring, it’s likely Spence will continue to make headlines in her second year as chief of her community. Wawatay News file photo

Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence speaks to media on Dec. 15 in Thunder Bay about the housing crisis facing her community.

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January 5, 2012

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On May 7, Donna Chief of Wabigoon Lake First Nation was inducted into the Manitoba Softball Hall of Fame “for her individual contributions to the sport.” “To be recognized for your individual contributions is quite an honour,” said Chief. She had previously been inducted into the Manitoba Softball Hall of Fame as a member of the Smitty’s senior women’s fast pitch team back in 2007. The team took her on as their pitcher in 1985 after a couple of members saw her pitch at a tournament in Kenora. “I asked them if they had room for another pitcher and they thought that was a pretty good idea,” said Chief. She said that her time with the Smitty’s team allowed her to travel all over Canada, except for Quebec. Chief received the out-

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Keewayin’s Patrick Kakegamic claimed a gold medal in discus and shotput and a silver medal in javelin at the Ontario ParaSport Summer Games in Sarnia, Ont. Aug. 19-21. Kakegamic was born with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, a condition that affects the skin and joints.

NAN youth claim gold Patrick Charles Kakegamic of Keewaywin First Nation knows what it means to be challenged. Kakegamic was diagnosed with Elders Danlos syndrome; he said it curved his spine, and his bones are weaker than they should be. He said he usually finds it difficult to get around when it’s raining and muddy, as he uses a wheelchair, and never really took interest in activities such as track and field. That is, until this past spring where he undertook a training session with coach Scott Haines.

“He noticed how I didn’t let my disability stop me from trying,” said Kakegamic. “I try not to let anything bring me down. I just try my best.” Kakegamic would eventually go on to the Ontario ParaSports Games in Sarnia, Ont. in August of last year. He met Randall Whiskeyjack of Slate Falls First Nation. Kakegamic said he competed with Whiskeyjack throughout the games, and they egged each other on. “We’d try to scare each other, nothing mean or anything, but we’d just try to get our mind off the competition a little bit,” said

Kakegamic. Kakegamic was able to get a gold medal in the discus and shot put, and a silver medal in the javelin toss. Whiskeyjack won the gold medal in the javelin toss, and silver in shot put and discus. Kakegamic said is he looking to get three gold medals at his next competition. “They have a sense of value and a sense of hope in the future because they have goals to try to be on the national team,” said Haines.

SIOUX LOOKOUT FIRST NATIONS HEALTH AUTHORITY Nodin Child & Family Intervention Services (NCFI) MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELLOR Internal/External Posting Permanent Full Time LOCATION: SANDY LAKE FIRST NATION

ADVERTISEMENT EXTERNAL POSTING The Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service is taking applications to participate in the NAPS Auxiliary Constable Program. The program is geared to provide individuals the opportunity to gain valuable employment experience if they want a career in law enforcement. Program Requirements • The NAPS auxiliary members are required to perform a minimum of 20 hours of patrol per month for a minimum of six (6) months. • Auxiliary members are able to commit the time and effort required inclusive of mandatory patrol and training. • Auxiliary members to receive mandatory Firearms and Personnel Safety training • Auxiliary members to attend additional special events as required. Qualiﬁcations for the NAPS Auxiliary Program • Be nineteen (19) years of age or older. • Be a Nishnawbe-Aski Nation citizen or citizen of Canada. • Be of good moral character. • Does not have a criminal record, or has one that would be eligible for a Pardon. • Subjects will have to consent to pre-selection testing. • Driver’s License not mandatory if in the process of obtaining a license. • Has grade 12 Education, or GED (General Education Development), or is in the process of obtaining GED. Applications may be downloaded from naps.ca If you are interested please submit your applications to: Attention: Sgt. B.Baxter Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service 309 Court Street South Thunder Bay, ON P7B 2Yl bob.baxter@naps.ca

standing pitcher award in 1986, and in 1989 received the Olive Little Award for top female player. She received a bronze metal in the 1991 Canadian championships, and a bronze and gold metal at the Western Canadian championships. “One of the highlights of my career was when I got to throw in that North American Indigenous Game in 2002,” said Chief. Chief had been playing since she was 12 or 13. “I had such a love for it and I had a pretty good glove even as a little girl,” Chief said. “I used to play third base to start off before I started pitching.” Chief said she stopped playing baseball due to arthritis and a knee replacement, but that she wants to become a coach. “I think I’m ready to go back and give a hand to the youth,” said Chief.

This full time position reports to the Clinical Supervisor. The Mental Health Counsellor will be responsible for providing direct Clinical Intervention and Prevention Services to referred clients in the Child and Family Intervention catchment area of Sandy Lake. The Mental Health Counsellor Position is located in Sandy Lake. QUALIFICATIONS • Degree in Social Work/Psychology with relevant clinical/counselling experience is preferred; • Minimum two years experience in the health services environment; • Specialized courses in specific areas of mental health; • A thorough understanding of the Mental Health Act, Child & Family Services Act and awareness of current issues within Northern and remote Native communities an asset; • Proficiency in clinical assessment skills and client needs; • Experience with video counselling technology an asset; KNOWLEDGE & ABILITY • Ability to communicate in one of the First Nations dialects of the Sioux Lookout Zone is an asset; • Ability to manage a case load independently; • Familiarity with working in acute care situations; • Knowledge of community resources; • Knowledge of Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007. Experience with a Client Database (e.g. CIMS), Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS) & Brief Child and Family Phone Interview (BCFPI) an asset; • Excellent time management and organizational skills, as well as the ability to work independently; • Experience working with youth, a definite asset; • Must be willing to relocate. • Education assistance and training available dependent upon applicant’s qualifications and in accordance with SLFNHA Policies and Procedures Please send cover letter, resume, three most recent employment references and an up-to-date Criminal Reference Check with a Search of the Pardoned Sexual Offender Registry to:

WAWATAY NEWS SIOUX LOOKOUT FIRST NATIONS HEALTH AUTHORITY

NODIN Child & Family Intervention Services (NCFI) Date Completed: December 29, 2011

MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELLOR Internal/External Posting 2 COL x 108 AGATES Permanent Full Time Position Location: Sioux Lookout, ON Completed by: Matthew Bradley Size:

ID:

This full time position 20120105 SLFNHA Mental HealthSandyreports LakeJobAd to the Clinical Supervisor. The Mental December 2011 2:08 PM will be responsible for providing direct Clinical Health 29, Counsellor Intervention and Prevention Services to referred clients in the Child and Family Intervention catchment area of Sioux Lookout.

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in speciﬁc areas of mental health; • A thorough understanding of the Mental Health Act, Child & Run asServices is Family Act and awareness of current issues within Run ad with Northern andchanges remote Native communities an asset; (no additional required) assessment skills and client needs; • Proﬁ ciencyproof in clinical Require newwith proof • Experience video counselling technology an asset;

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Please send cover letter, resume, three most recent employment references and an up-to-date Criminal Reference Check with a Search of the Pardoned Sexual Offender Registry to:

Human Resource Department Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority P.O. Box 1300, 61 Queen Street Sioux Lookout, ON P8T 1B8 Phone: (807) 737-1802 Fax: (807) 737-2969 Email: Human.Resources@slfnha.com

Human Resources Department Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority P.O. Box 1300, 61 Queen Street Sioux Lookout, ON P8T 1B8 Tel: (807) 737-1802 Fax: (807) 737-2969 Email: Human.Resources@slfnha.com

Closing Date: January 13, 2012

Closing Date: January 18, 2012

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

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

For additional information on the Health Authority, please visit our website at www.slfnha.com

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Couchiching golfer Tyson Morrisseau has plans to attend the Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy in South Carolina this coming fall, where he will receive training from Tiger Woods’ former swing coach.

Aboriginal youth puts his way to golf school Tyson Morrisseau, a Grade 8 student in Couchiching First Nation, is set to go to the Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy in South Carolina for the 2012/2013 school year. “I was really excited I got in and I didn’t really believe I got in,” said Morrisseau, who is the first Native student to be accepted into the program. Morriseau said he looks forward to learning more about something he loves doing and acting as a role model for other First Nations youth. Morriseau has played at the Heron Landing Golf Course near his home in Couchiching for about 10 years. “When they started the golf course in Couchiching, he came out with me,” said Morrisseau’s father, Calvin Morrisseau. He added that Morrisseau usually watches the Golf Channel or looks up golf tips on the Internet, some of which he downloads to his phone for further study. “So he’s out there practicing those swings all the time. He’s always got a golf club in his hand,” said Calvin. One hurdle Morrisseau and his immediate family have to

face is a tuition fee, which is about $65,000 for the first year. The Morrisseau’s have come up with several money-making strategies to deal with the high cost of Tyson’s dream, such as: monster bingo, auctioning off autographed memorabilia by Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens, and applying to the Dreamcatcher’s Fund – a charity organization that gives out grants designed to help youth become leaders. The Hank Haney International Golf Academy will be giving Morrisseau $5,000 towards his tuition for being the first Native student to apply and be accepted into the program. Morrisseau will be attending a training session in March. He will be returning in September to attend school full-time. During his time at the academy, he will be required to enter several golf tournaments, which will rank him on a national scale and make him eligible for scholarships to colleges and universities. “It’s the path that is going to give him the best opportunity to be a PGA (Professional Golfers’ Association of America) golfer,” said Calvin.

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NOTICE OF FINAL PUBLIC MEETING To be held by Ontario Solar PV Fields 1 Limited Partnership Regarding a Proposal to Engage in a Renewable Energy Project Project Name: Wainwright Solar Park Project Location: 180 Morton Rd., Oxdrift ON P0V 2J0 Dated at Durham Region this the 12th of December, 2011 Ontario Solar PV Fields 1 Limited Partnership is planning to engage in a renewable energy project in respect of which the issuance of a renewable energy approval is required. The proposal to engage in the project and the project itself is subject to the provisions of the Environmental Protection Act (Act) Part V.0.1 and Ontario Regulation 359/09 (Regulation). This notice must be distributed in accordance with section 15 of the Regulation prior to an application being submitted and assessed for completeness by the Ministry of the Environment. Meeting Location: DATE: 22nd of February, 2012 TIME: 6:00 – 9:00pm PLACE: Oxdrift Community Hall, Highway 17, Emergency # 18946 Project Description: Pursuant to the Act and Regulation, the facility, in respect of which this project is to be engaged in, is a Class 3 Solar Facility. If approved, this facility would have a total maximum name plate capacity of 10 MW. The project location is described in the map below. Documents for Public Inspection: The Draft Project Description Report titled “Wainwright Solar Park - Draft Project Description Report” describes the project as photovoltaic solar farm which will collect energy from the sun using thin photovoltaic modules and convert it to electrical energy for distribution to the local electricity distribution system. A written copy of the Draft Project Description Report will be made available for public inspection on December 21, 2011 at www.ontariosolarpvﬁelds.com. WAWATAY NEWS has obtained or prepared, as Further, the applicant be, the following supporting documents October 17, 2011 in order to comply with the requirements of the Act Size: and Regulation: Construction Plan Report; Design 2 COL x 76 AGATES and Operations Report, Decommissioning Report; Completed by: Matthew ﬁnalizedBradley Project Description Report and all attached 20111027 Sunset Inn Coupon ID: appendices. copies of the draft supporting October 25, 2011 11:38Written AM documents will be made available for public To: ________________________ inspection on December 21, 2011 at: ________________________ Date theCompleted: case may

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Dryden Public Library, 36 Van Horne Avenue, Dryden ON

Wainwright Solar Park 180 Morton Rd., Oxdrift ON P0V 2J0

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Arts Stories

January 5, 2012

Year

of the

Success of Biindigaate The Biindigaate Film Festival continued to showcase Aboriginal talent in filmmaking and address important issues at this year’s event in September. In its third year, the festival’s growth, emergence of success stories and screening of films that highlighted Aboriginal issues makes it Wawatay’s Arts story of the year. The festival featured the premiere of several films directed by Aboriginal filmmakers in northern Ontario. Among them is Michelle Derosier’s Return to Manomin, a documentary about Derosier and her family’s attempt to revive their rice-harvesting tradition. It was shot in Thunder Bay and near Eagle Lake First Nation, Derosier’s hometown. There was also the premiere of Eulogy From A White House, a film that featured the team of three Moose Cree members. The writing of Phoebe Sutherland, directing of Jon Kapashesit, and acting of Jocelyn Cheechoo were put on display. The festival did not shy away from sensitive issues. The Life You Want, a film pro-

duced by the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority, follows a Fort Hope young mother and her journey to overcome her prescription drug addiction. After the screening, there was a Q&A session with the filmmakers and the film’s subject, Doris Slipperjack, where they talked about the prescription drug abuse epidemic that has plagued many northern communities. Festival programmer Dave Clement said the Q&A was his highlight of the festival and that it is something the committee tried to incorporate more into the program. “It’s a way of creating dialogue,” he said. “You actually get to hear from the filmmakers themselves and take part in the discussions.” Some of the films drew heavy emotions from the viewers. The film Mémère Métisse is about 70-year-old Cecile St. Amant, who refuses to acknowledge her Métis heritage, and her granddaughter’s attempts to understand her denial and possibly open her eyes to the richness of their culture. It moved at least

one viewer to tears, who said St. Amant’s story is also the story of his own mother. “It’s moments like this – having a member of the community come up to you and you see how it impacted them – that makes this festival special,” Derosier, who is also chair of the festival committee, said. The festival included films from afar, often dealing with themes and struggles similar to those faced by the Indigenous people of Canada. “It goes back to who is telling the story,” she said. “In the past, First Nations people have not been able to control the image of themselves. With the emerging technology in media arts and the number of Native filmmakers growing, they can now tell their stories and show them to the world.” Derosier said the festival continues to get bigger every year. “Our numbers have doubled and tripled compared to some screenings last year,” she said. “Overall, we’re just thrilled with our community. The number of seats that are filled tell us that we’re doing something right.”

WAWATAY NEWS

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

Chapman travels abroad to expand artistic horizons

Wawatay News file photo

Fort William artist Christian Chapman paints one of the works he completed during an artist-in-residency program in Finland.

The work of Fort William’s Christian Chapman was displayed at the Thunderbird Aboriginal Arts, Culture and Entrepreneur Centre in Toronto in late-November. Chapman produced the work during an artist-in-residency program in Finland in April. Chapman and his partner Jean Marshall, a Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug artist, travelled to Kaamanen in northern Finland to learn about the Sami culture, artwork and crafts. “It’s beautiful work,” Chapman said. “We got to see a lot of their traditional art while we were in Lapland.”

Chapman and Marshall also visited builders of traditional boats and sleighs while in Lapland. “The traditional Sami boats ... are like maybe a rowboat but a little bit more streamlined,” Chapman said. “And their sleighs are — the Sami people have their own way of designing things -–- very unique in the way things are made for sure.” Chapman completed a series of paintings and Marshall completed some beadwork during the program, which included artists from Hong Kong, Belgium, Spain, New York and Washington, D.C. His work displayed at the

Toronto exhibition was included in Aanikoobijigani Gikinoohamaagewinan: Noonkom ishinamowinan Ancestral Teachings: Contemporary Perspectives, which featured the work of 10 Aboriginal artists from across Canada. Chapman planned to head across the Pacific Ocean to New Zealand from Nov. 28-Dec 21 to learn a new printmaking technique through funding from the Ontario Arts Council. “It’s going to be a pretty eyeopening experience,” Chapman said. “From what I hear, it’s going to be in the subtropics. It’ll be a lot warmer down there than here, for sure.”

Date Completed: Dec 5, 2009

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Environment Stories

January 5, 2012

of the

Year

Abandoned fuel in Sachigo

Workers near abandoned fuel tanks located near Sachigo Lake.

Removal of almost a million litres of fuel from an abandoned gold mine west of Sachigo Lake First Nation makes Wawatay’s top Environmental News Story of 2011. The cleanup will wait at least one more year, despite longstanding environmental and safety concerns from the community. But the fuel from the abandoned gold mine doesn’t pose an ‘emergency situation’ assures the Ontario government. Since 2004, Sachigo Lake has unsuccessfully pressed mining companies with claims on the

Red Sucker Lake First Nation in Manitoba to support that activity. It also warned: “One of the fuel tanks at the mine site has a leaking valve.” The Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry (MNDMF, formerly MNDM) plans to have a contractor deal with hazards at the site, including the fuel, in the winter of 2012. “At least after close to 20 years, something is moving right now,” Chief Titus Tait of Sachigo Lake said of MNDMF’s current plan. “We’ve been fighting for someone to look after

mine site and the province to remove the fuel, 48 kilometres away at Lingman Lake. At least 10 years earlier, when it commissioned an assessment of the site, the province had been aware of the fuel stored in steel tanks at a mine camp on the northwest shore of the lake and on a bog near the mine site 1.7 kilometres inland. In the 1980s, Twin Lake Gold Mines conducted underground exploration at the Lingman Lake property, noted that report, and fuel was transported about 58 kilometres to the site by winter road from

Health Stories

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of the

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

(the fuel).” In the meantime, it will be another anxious year for the people of Sachigo Lake, Tait said, as they fret about the possibility of a major spill of fuel and contamination of a watershed that includes lakes and rivers of Opasquia Provincial Park. They’ll worry too, as they do every summer, about what might happen if a forest fire ignites that much fuel so close to home, Tait said. “You can imagine the anxiety every year that this might happen. There’s always been talk things are going to blow up.”

Year

Peawanuck radar clean up Weenusk Corporation 500 and the Ministry of Natural Resources cleaning the mountainous radar site near Weenusk (Peawanuck) First Nation is Wawatay’s second Environmental news story of 2011. “The clean-up of the radar site has been a long time coming and Weenusk First Nation is eager to move forward with this project,” Chief Edmund Hunter said. “Jobs will be created over the next three years for people from my community and that is very important to us. As well, the clean-up will improve the health of the environment for the people who live on this land.” The radar site, one of many across Canada, was an initiative by the Department of National Defense and decommissioned in the mid 1960s. Known as the Mid-Canada Radar Line, the purpose of the system was to provide early warning of attacks by air. According to the MNR, there are 98 similar radar sites abandoned across Canada, 17 of which are in Ontario and 14 along the Hudson and James Bay coasts. The clean up at the Winisk

River radar site, known as Site 500, is projected to take three years to complete, create employment for 40 people in the first year, and cost about $41 million. Ontario signed a one-year agreement with Weenusk Corporation 500 worth $3 million and the province is providing training and job opportunities to complete the general clean up. The province also signed an $8 million contract directly with Weenusk First Nation to provide and operate a remote base camp at the site. An old army truck sits on the property, a vision of days gone and past. The site also has 11 major derelict buildings and 17 deteriorating vehicles. Several 55,000-gallon fuel tanks also occupy the land. Meanwhile, more than 50,000 empty 45-gallon drums were individually cleaned, sanitized of any remaining contaminants, crushed and buried in a landfill on location. Drums still containing oil or diesel-fuel are being diverted from the burying process and removed from the site.

Food security issue raised in 2011: Health Wawatay News file photo

Doris Slipperjack’s battle against prescription drugs was featured in a Wawatay News story about the world premiere of The Life You Want. Prescription drug abuse was Wawatay’s #1 health story of the year.

Prescription drug abuse Prescription drug abuse made the headlines many times over the past year, making it Wawatay’s health story of the year. Nishnawbe Aski Nation leaders discussed how prescription drug abuse has affected themselves or their families, Suboxone treatment successes were highlighted and a three-part feature on beating prescription drug addictions was printed and posted online with videos. Nishnawbe Aski Nation Deputy Grand Chief Mike Metatawabin said he was “scared” when his daughter told him she had been prescribed Percocets after undergoing a Caesarean section during the recent birth of her baby. “I’m taken aback,” Metatawabin said. “I can’t believe it, but at the same time a friend of mine earlier this summer had an incident too where he was hurt and they prescribed him percs. And he refused them.” Metatawabin said he’s heard many stories where people have

become addicted to prescription drugs such as Percocets and OxyContin after having the painkillers prescribed to them by doctors. “Why do they authorize these doctors to prescribe them,” Metatawabin said. “It’s having a devastating impact, destroying communities, destroying the well-being of families. It’s shocking. I want to look into this. I want to know if there are alternatives.” Two Suboxone treatment successes were featured, including one about an Eabametoong couple who turned their lives around after undergoing the community’s Suboxone treatment program. Melanie Oskineegish first got hooked on OxyContin prescription drugs after “just” trying them. “I liked it and I kept doing it,” Oskineegish said. Her partner Richard Quisses recommends the Suboxone treatment program. “I was (among) the first cli-

ents going in,” Quisses said. “The four of us completed the program, but there’s a few that went off the program and went back to the stuff they were on. Myself, I haven’t touched anything.” Doris Slipperjack’s battle against prescription drugs was also featured in a story about the world premiere of The Life You Want. “I feel like I’m fighting a battle within myself,” Slipperjack said in the film, which features her battle against prescription drug abuse. “And that’s a neverending battle. I thought being high was everything; being high was my world. But it’s not because when I was high I couldn’t even think, I couldn’t even feel.” Slipperjack eventually signed up for a treatment program using Suboxone, a combination medication program that treats adults dependent on opiates such as oxycodone or morphine. “It’s like a substitute, you

know how your mind is always thinking of opiates,” Slipperjack said. “It’s like a blocker; it prevents you from doing. It helped me with the withdrawals at the beginning, but now I’m feeling good.” The Wawatay three-part feature included a story on Melanie Beardy, a mother of four who was attempting to beat her addiction to OxyContin. Four other women were also featured. Beardy said OxyContin was the first thing she reached for when she awoke in the morning, noting she was using at least half an 80-milligram tablet a day. She said her addiction affected her children emotionally, physically, spiritually and she wasn’t there to nurture them or comfort them when they cried. The feature also included a story on the frontline workers who are trying to help prescription drug addicts in their communities.

Fort Albany community members laid out a pathway for a healthier community through healthier food during a workshop in January 2011 and concerns about food costs and availability were raised during the Oct. 25-27 Nishnawbe Aski Nation 2011 Food Symposium. “Fort Albany, like other communities, faces a challenge in getting affordable food, quality food as well as being able to feed our families,” said Gigi Veeraraghavan, a member of Fort Albany’s food security committee during her presentation at the Food Symposium. “Hunting has also become expensive because now we have to go out in our big minivans and boat and motor and go camping.” Fort Albany volunteers set up a greenhouse provided by the University of Waterloo through a research grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research next to the Peetabeck Academy school with plans to incorporate gardening into the classroom curriculum. “While we were building the greenhouse, students were asking ‘Who is the greenhouse for?’ and we said ‘The greenhouse is for you!,’” said Joan Metatawabin, school nutrition and greenhouse coordinator. “Everyone is excited to start planting seeds.” Fort Albany also established a food security committee in January 2011.

“We established it because we were concerned about the availability of affordable food,” Veeraraghavan said. “It’s just impossible to feed a family, especially a large family.” Veeraraghavan said traditional foods such as moose, caribou, fish and geese are an important part of the community’s diet, but there are concerns about whether future generations will be able to continue harvesting traditional foods. The Food Symposium included discussions on maintaining and promoting forest and fresh water food systems, traditional food systems, project planning and community involvement, alternative marketing structures, and building food skills in cultivation and preparation. “Given the current conditions regarding food shortages and high pricing of food in NAN territory and around the world, NAN continues to assist communities in finding solutions,” said Grand Chief Stan Beardy. “By working to address concerns related to diabetes, childhood obesity, affordability of healthy foods, and the sustainability of traditional food systems, we create a more healthy future for our generations to come.” Presentations were made on growing food in the North, garden planning, bee keeping, raising chickens and collective harvests with workshops being held on food preservation.

Year

Wawatay News

January 5, 2012

Review: 2011

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

Pictures

Wawatay News file photo

Lac Seul won the A-side midget final game 5-3 over Sandy Lake during the 2011 Little Bands Native Youth Hockey Tournament in Sioux Lookout this past February, which featured 35 teams from across the region.

Wawatay News file photo

Rob Spade dances with style during Ogden Community Public School’s powwow April 14 in Thunder Bay. Spade is a youth outreach worker for the Neighbourhood Capacity Building Project, providing in-school and after-school program for Aboriginal students.

Wawatay News file photo

A walk-a-thon began on July 11 with community members from Summer Beaver First Nation. They planned to walk from Pickle Lake to Thunder Bay - a 642-kilometre journey - as a tribute to those who lost their lives in a 2003 plane crash near Nibinamik First Nation.

Wawatay News file photo

The Fort Albany raft anchored on the edge of the river. The raft was 63 feet long and 16 feet wide. The rafters set out from Hearst to travel 285 miles down the Kenogami and Albany rivers to Fort Albany First Nation in late May

A group of Deer Lake community members were evacuated in late July by a four-engine Hercules aircraft due to heavy smoke conditions from forest fires in the surrounding area. Community members were evacuated from many different Nishnawbe Aski Nation communities throughout the summer due to forest fires.