CBC an Indigenous Strategy Or funding grab?
So CBC says it is now going to have an Indigenous oversight office. An office that is suppose to ensure that CBC actually does what it is already claiming it does, be the country’s national broadcaster. A job that comes with bags of government funding dollars. The national “publically funded” broadcaster says its “new” national strategy will see the hiring of more Indigenous staff and will promote Indigenous languages. A move that, no doubt lends itself to ensuring more funding for the CBC that could be facing potential cuts or belt tighting to its excessive funding. And for the first time, if it actually does what it claims its going to do, the country may actually hear the Indigenous perspective. The broadcaster says it talked to hundreds of people across...
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Winless Snipers still remaining upbeat
By Sam Laskaris Writer Darcy Powless believes he has the right individuals in place to have some lacrosse success. But Powless, the head coach and general manager of the Six Nations Snipers, is still waiting for his charges to rack up their first win of the Arena Lacrosse League (ALL) season. The Snipers saw their record fall to 0-7 when they dropped a 21-13 decision to the host Whitby Steelhawks this past Saturday. That match, which was held at Children’s Arena in Oshawa, marked the midway mark of the season for the Six Nations squad. The winless Snipers are currently occupying the basement in the ALL’s eight-team, Ontario-based East Division. But Powless, and plenty of league observers, realize that the Snipers are actually not that bad. “On paper, we’ve got...
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Rising lacrosse star from PIB tries out for Team Canada
By Athena Bonneau, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter As the sun dips behind the mountains, casting its golden glow on the landscape of sn?pin?tktn? (Penticton), Meadow Arcand-Squakin stands on the field with a lacrosse stick in her hand, ready to face the challenges that lay ahead. The young syilx and plains Cree woman from the Penticton IndianBand is emerging as a talented multi-sport athlete with aspirations that extend far beyond the boundaries of sports. Recently, Arcand-Squakin seized an opportunity by undergoing tryouts for Team Canada in women’s box lacrosse, bringing her one step closer to achieving her lifelong dream. After seeing an online advertisement for the first-of-its-kind tryouts, she did not hesitate to apply. The three-day event, which unfolded from January 3 to 7 in “Langley,’’ brought in approximately 200 Indigenous...
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Northern Manitoba First Nations declare state of emergency over poor winter roads
WINNIPEG- Chiefs from four northern Manitoba First Nations say they have declared a state of emergency because unseasonably warm weather has led to the failing of the winter road network they depend upon for vital goods and services. Grand Chief Scott Harper with a council representing the four First Nations, says their immediate focus is on expediting delivery of essential goods to safeguard the health, safety and well-being of residents. Harper called on the provincial and federal governments to meet with representatives from St. Theresa Point, Wasagamack, Garden Hill and Red Sucker Lake. Grand Chief Cathy Merrick of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs says the state of emergency is the “direct outcome of a legacy of inaction from governments to ensure First Nations have equitable access to goods, services and...
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Concerns persist about radioactive waste disposal site in Ontario
By Natasha Bulowski Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Everyone agrees a safe solution is needed for Canada’s current and future radioactive waste. But whether a recently approved disposal facility in Deep River, Ont., is the answer is the subject of hot debate. The “near-surface disposal facility” (NSDF) will see up to one million cubic metres of radioactive waste buried in a shallow mound at Chalk River Laboratories (CRL), about 190 kilometres northwest of Ottawa. Project proponents argue Canada must find a way to store low-level nuclear waste, some of which is currently not well-managed. “It’s a cleanup project and it needs to be done,” said Deep River Mayor Suzanne D’Eon in an interview with Canada’s National Observer. She called the project a “sensible solution.” “It’s also on a site that is...
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Metis speedskater hopes to represent Canada at 2026 Winter Olympics
By Sam Laskaris Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Alison Desmarais aspires to become an Olympian. The Metis Nation of Alberta member competes with the Canadian national NextGen (developmental) team in long track speedskating. She’s in her second season and trains in Calgary. Desmarais was a member of the Canadian national NextGen (developmental) short track squad from 2018 to 2020, but that group trains in Montreal. “I don’t speak French so the move to Montreal was really hard for me. And after a year I just decided I wanted to move back to Calgary,” she said. She was halfway through her studies at the University of Calgary, Desmarais explained, so it made sense to move back to western Canada. Desmarais, who is 26, believes she is making giant strides in long track...
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`We’re still losing kids’: Young panelists discuss intergenerational trauma at Iqaluit conference
By Jeff Pelletier Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A panel of young adults spoke of how intergenerational trauma from residential schools continues to impact their lives and communities, on the final day of the National Gathering on Unmarked Burials in Iqaluit. Four young people, two of them Nunavummiut, told their stories and also shared messages of hope on Thursday afternoon. The panel was one of the final events at the three-day gathering organized by the office of Kimberly Murray, the federally appointed special interlocutor for missing children and unmarked graves and burial sites. While the focus was on northern voices, the gathering was attended by representatives from Inuit, First Nations and Metis communities from across Canada. Pakak Picco of Iqaluit, one of the youth panelists, emotionally described dealing with the loss...
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Tangible bones store intangible culture, memories and stories
By Shari Narine Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Until federal politicians start “valuing people in their own homes”, intangible cultural heritage will remain misunderstood and underappreciated, said Agnieszka Pawlowska-Mainville, author of Stored in the Bones. “They always assume that intangible cultural heritage has something to do with materials, museums, archives, when really sometimes it just means valuing people in their own homes. Like a grandmother teaching her grandson or granddaughter how to cook, a father using his own hands with his own niece, nephew to do some kind of carving or some kind of sewing. It’s that element that I think (there’s) a lot of misunderstanding about,” said Pawlowska-Mainville, an associate professor in First Nations Studies at the University of Northern British Columbia. In Stored in the Bones, published late last...
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Makivvik election sees sharp drop off in voter turnout
By Cedric Gallant Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Pita Aatami won the Makivvik Corp. presidential election in a landslide last week, but voting day drew the lowest voter turnout in recent memory. Aatami earned 71 per cent of the vote. A total of 1,900 Nunavimmiut, or 18 per cent of the total voter base, voted him in. Voter turnout in the Feb. 1 election was 26 per cent. By comparison, in 2021 voter turnout reached nearly 41 per cent and nearly 47 per cent in 2018. Aatami said he is “deeply honoured” by the trust his fellow Inuit placed in him, in a statement released by Makivvik Corp. He also spoke of a “journey towards self-determination,” adding he is “committed to ensuring that the voices of our people are heard in...
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White House renews calls on Congress to extend internet subsidy program
By Kavish Harjai THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The White House is pressing Congress to extend a subsidy program that helps one in six U.S. families afford internet and represents a key element of President Joe Biden’s promise to deliver reliable broadband service to every American household. “For President Biden, internet is like water,” said Tom Perez, senior adviser and assistant to the president, on a call Monday with reporters. “It’s an essential public necessity that should be affordable and accessible to everyone.” The Affordable Connectivity Program offers qualifying families discounts on their internet bills, $30 a month for most families and up to $75 a month for families on tribal lands. The one-time infusion of $14.2 billion for the program through the bipartisan infrastructure law is projected to run out of...
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Peace Gallery North presents double solo art exhibit in February
By Edward Hitchins Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Peace Gallery North is displaying the work of two Peace region Artists through a double solo art exhibit in February. Haley Bassett is presenting `Bead Soup,’ while Farouzan Afrouzi highlights her work with ‘Entanglement’. For Bassett, whose artwork centres on identity, this was a chance to get more in touch with her Metis roots. A former program coordinator at Dawson Creek Art Gallery, Bassett said that despite her extensive work as a painter, beadwork was a relatively new skill she first learned in 2019. She had assembled a beadwork workshop at the gallery, where she became interested and learned the art form. “It was taught by a Cree artist named Adrienne Greyeyes,” said Bassett. “I learned from her. Originally, it was just a...
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Who’s really to blame in the James Smith tragedy?
By Ryan Kiedrowski Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A nation once again turned it’s eyes toward east-central Saskatchewan as details about the largest mass-murder in recent history surfaced during a coroner’s inquest into the 11 deaths on the James Smith Cree Nation and nearby village of Weldon. A collective `tsk, what a tragedy’ could be heard as readers learned of accounts from community members and emergency crews who experienced the events firsthand. After listening to many hours of testimony_equal parts viewing the timeline of events through a microscope and emotional accounts of early September, 2022_some common themes emerged. One could easily draw the conclusion that Myles Sanderson’s rampage was fuelled by drugs and alcohol. Add to that a toxic mixture of anger and resentment, and it made for prime conditions for...
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Gwich’in Tribal Council hopes to bring language nests to other communities
By Tom Taylor Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Tr’iinin Tsal Ginjik Ge’tr’oonahtan, the Gwich’in Tribal Council’s language nest, has been a success story through its first four years of existence, according to Michelle Wright, the organization’s manager of early learning and language. “The language nest has been very successful for children in that they are acquiring dinjii zhuh k’yuu, the Gwich’in language,” Wright said. “Parents of the program have observed a noticeable growth in their child’s ability to speak and understand. ”We have one program in Inuvik, with the hopes of expanding to other communities.” The language nest opened in Inuvik in early 2019. The program operates much like a full-day daycare, but is facilitated in Gwich’in, exposing children to the language at a young age. “Children ages zero to six...
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‘I’m so sick of this happening’: Advocate calls for national fire strategy
By Amanda Rabski-McColl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A Peawanuck woman is calling for a national Indigenous fire strategy after another deadly house fire in her home community. After a Feb. 1 house fire in Peawanuck killed two people and injured three more, the need for a national Indigenous fire strategy has come into sharp focus once again for families in the community. The Nishnawbe Aski Police Service is investigating the cause of last week’s fire. “Why is it that members of our community have to die for (the government) to do something?” questioned Joyce Hunter, a Weenusk First Nation member who lost a family member in the recent fire. She is also related to the 10-year-old girl who died almost a year ago to the day in another house fire in...
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Indigenous language hub seeking new funding after feds renwal rejection
By Sidney Coles Local Journalism Initiative Reporter After losing its biggest funder Canadian Heritage last year, the Victoria Native Friendship Centre (VNFC) is hoping to reinvigorate its First Nations multi-language program. The federal government has provided historic investments totalling $840.1M for 2019 to 2026 to and ongoing funding of $117M in support for the community-based efforts of the First Nations, Inuit, and Metis to reclaim, revitalize, maintain and strengthen their languages. The VNFC language program has had multiple funders since 2018, including the First People’s Cultural Council and the National Association of Friendship Centres. The majority of its funding was coming from Canadian Heritage. The department confirmed that in 2021-2022, it approved a total of $516,600 over two years to support the activities of the VNFC’s Urban Indigenous Language Hub....
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One month left to submit a claim under the First Nations Drinking Water Settlement
TORONTO, Feb. 07, 2024— Eligible First Nations communities and individuals have until March 7, 2024, to submit a claim under the First Nations Drinking Water Settlement. “There’s only one month left to submit a claim for compensation,” says Darian Baskatawang, Associate, Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP and Class Counsel for the First Nations Drinking Water Class Action Settlement. “We encourage those eligible to submit their claim right away so they can be compensated for their harms from living under a long-term drinking water advisory. For those who need help filling out their Claim Form, there are free resources available, including a Claims Assessment Tool and interactive guides, which can be found on the First Nations Drinking Water website. The Administrator is also available by phone to help Class Members through the...
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New AFN chief looks to turn page with Pierre Poilievre from Harper era tensions
By Alessia Passafiume and Stephanie Taylor THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA- The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations is trying to make inroads with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, hoping to forestall the tensions and angst that marked the party’s last time in power. The legacy of the Idle No More movement has shaped how young Indigenous activists and leaders view the Conservatives, an image that still hangs over the party nearly a decade later. “I want to be optimistic that he will work with First Nations,” Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said of Poilievre in a wide-ranging interview with The Canadian Press. “Young people were so frustrated (with the previous Conservative government), and out of that was born Idle No More. That’s certainly not the treaty relationship that I want to see.”...
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Boom in southern Quebec mining claims, including under people’s homes, causes anxiety
By Jacob Serebrin THE CANADIAN PRESS MONTREAL- When Ellen Rice-Hogan discovered that someone had bought a mining claim under her farm, she was shocked. There’s no mining around the Township of Low, Que., about 40 kilometres northwest of Ottawa, where she raises sheep and cattle. “It was shocking, surprising, all of the above,” she said in a recent interview. “We’re a small community, the potential of this is huge and it’s going to have a huge negative impact, I feel, on our territory.” A boom in mining claims is on in Quebec as prospectors anticipate explosive demand for minerals used in electric batteries. The rush has people laying claim all over, even under people’s homes. In response, residents and municipalities are calling for the rules to be tightened. While most...
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Pledge made to reduce underwater noise levels
By Kira Wronska Dorward Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Inuit Circumpolar Council vice-chair Lisa Qiluqqi Koperqualuk is applauding the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for recognizing the rights of Indigenous peoples and committing to reduce underwater noise levels. Following a meeting in London, England, in late January, the IMO affirmed articles 29, 41, 42 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. These passages emphasize the importance of environmental protection, fishing and harvesting use. They were included in the action plan created to reduce underwater noise caused by shipping. The global maritime community also re-affirmed the Inuit Nunaat Guidelines. “We are encouraged by the progress made last week our goal of seeing Indigenous knowledge utilized throughout the action plan and ultimately in the planning, operations and end goal of...
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