Media.Knet.Ca

January 14, 2002 marked a historic date for the evolution of training for Water Treatment Plant Operators in the north. Keewaytinook Okimakanak in conjunction with the Keewatin Patricia District School Board, Northern Waterworks Inc. and the Municipality of Red Lake played host to the first of a series of Water Plant Operator evaluations designed specifically to provide data that will ensure future training is specific to their needs. Keewaytinook Okimakanak is presently pursuing options for the establishment of a permanent training centre located in Red Lake that will be designed to provide the communities with an affordable and sustainable source for training services. The long term objective of this project is to ensure that all northern communities have a safe, reliable source for drinking water being operated and maintained by Provicially Certified Water Treatment Plant Operators. Read the newspaper article and see the picture in the January 16, 2002 issue of the Red Lake District News.

Hello! I'm Wanda Good assistant to Phil Beaumont, Conference Coordinator for the next World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education 2002(WIPCE-2002). The hosts of the next WIPCE are The First Nations Adult and Higher Education Consortium and the Nakoda Nation of Alberta, Canada. The conference will be held on August 4th-10th, 2002 in Calgary. This conference will attract 3000 to 5000 Indigenous Peoples from around the world. Conference activities include some of the following: - Workshops/seminars by Indigenous Peoples from around the world on Education, Indian Movements, Treaties, Traditional Practices. - International Indigenous games, such as canoeing, lacross, horse events. - Cultural entertainment, with groups from Hawaii, Maoris from New Zealand, Australian Aboriginees, Africans. This conference may not come back to Canada for many years to come. It may be a once in a lifetime opportunity for some of our people. Check us out at www.fnahec.org/wipce2002. Early registration has been extended to February 28, 2002. So get your registrations in. Inform you elders groups, etc. Anyone who may be interested! You may contact me at (403) 212-2676, or by email wipce@fnahec.org. Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you.

On Saturday, January, 19, The Pelican Falls First Nations High School's hockey team and the undefeated Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School's ThunderHawks will be playing at the Sioux Lookout Memorial Arena. The show, starting at 7pm, will be a good one said one student as he was walking to his Class.

Bimaychikamah Wolf Pack 1st Annual Invitational Youth Hockey Tournament is scheduled for February 8-10, 2001. The entry fee is $300.00/Team and it is open to both boys and girls, ages 9-13. There should be at least one player representing the respective age group. The tournament will be played in an outdoor rink setting. For more information or if interested please contact myself at Michaelloon@hotmail.com. Entries will be accepted until January 31, 2002 at 12:00 p.m..

FIRST NATIONS CONNECT Conference

February 11 to 14, 2002 in Thunder Bay, ON Conference Poster Keewaytinook Okimakanak’s Kuh-ke-nah Network (K-Net) and Nishnawbe Aski Nation are inviting representatives from each Nishnawbe Aski Nation community to a conference to explore strategies and applications that will support building a NAN wide network that connects all the First Nations using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). We are asking that each NAN First Nations send one local champion who will participate in all aspects of the conference to determine the best strategy to have your community connected to this network. All the conference information is being made available on-line at as it is produced for distribution. Be sure to visit http://smart.knet.ca/conference for the latest updates. For Conference Registration Information, please contact: Cheryl Bechard Keewaytinook Okimakanak Box 340, 127 Mine Road Balmertown, ON P0V 1C0 Tel: 1-800-387-3740 Fax: 1-807-735-1383 Conference Questions? Call 807-735-1381 or 800-387-3740 and ask for David OR 807-737-1135 (Toll Free: 1-877-737-KNET (5638) and ask for Brian

The Zone Hospital is now set up with the Adcom telemedicine suite in their renovated clinic / examination room and a videoconferencing unit located in their library. This equipment is presently connected to the K-Net Network so meetings and CME can be conducted using either unit. These units are part of the NORTH Network Telehealth Initiative that will provide a connection to the hospitals across Northern Ontario (including Thunder Bay Regional Hospital, the Margaret Cochenour Memorial Hospital in Red Lake, etc), as well as connections to the Health Science Centre in Winnipeg and Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto (and several other health programs and services) for a complete selection of telemedicine services. Funding for this $17 million project is coming from Health Canada (CHIPP), Industry Canada (FedNor), Northern Ontario Heritage Fund (NOHFC), the Ministry of Health, all the project partners and many other programs and projects across the province. During the installation (January 9, 10 and 11), the Adcom Technician (Gus) worked with Barbara Roche (the Zone Hospital's Telehealth Coordinator), John Moreau (K-Net Helpdesk Coordinator / Technician) and many others to test and troubleshoot the equipment. A number of pictures were taken of the equipment, the locations, the tests, the training and the people involved. These pictures can be found at http://photos.knet.ca/Telehealth. For more information, contact Barbara Roche at the Zone Hospital (737-3030), John Rowlandson (Keewaytinook Okimakanak's Telehealth Project Manager) or Christine Penner Polle (KO's Telehealth Coordinator) at 800-387-3740.

What should be done to stop people from fighting and killing each other from this subject called "Gay". Many young people should know how it feels to be alone because their friends have turned them down and they have felt many loniness and no one in our own community knows how bad it hurts... I think everyone should treat everyone with repect... As for me, as a 17 year old, I find it so stupid when people mistreat each other. We're in CANADA for crying out loud. Everyone needs to treat each other with kindness....

The Quequish-Roundhead-Petawanick family welcomes new babies! 2 beautiful baby girls! Penelope Renee Victoria & Kimberly Saralyn Storm Roundhead... And there are more that I cannot begin to name!

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien today announced the appointment of James K. Bartleman as the Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario. A distinguished career diplomat, Mr. Bartleman is also a member of the Minjikanig First Nation of Ontario and the first Aboriginal to be named Lieutenant-Governor of the province. James Bartleman is one of Canada's most accomplished diplomats, with a record of serving in some of the most highly sensitive foreign affairs positions in the Canadian government. A member of the Minjikanig First Nation of Ontario, he has achieved the highest rank in the Foreign Service of any Canadian Aboriginal and is the first Aboriginal to be named Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario. At the time of this appointment, Mr. Bartleman was Head of the Canadian Mission to the European Union. From 1994-98, he was Foreign Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister and Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet for Foreign and Defence Policy. Mr. Bartleman has also served as Director General, Bureau of Intelligence and Director General, Economic Intelligence Bureau at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. From 1998-99, Mr. Bartleman was High Commissioner to South Africa. From 1999-2000 he was High Commissioner to Australia. In 1990, he served in Brussels as Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the Canadian Joint Delegation to the North Atlantic Council. From 1981-83, he was Ambassador to Cuba. From 1986-90, he was Ambassador to Israel. In 1999, Mr. Bartleman received a National Aboriginal Achievement Award in the category of Public Service. Mr. Bartleman was born in Orillia, Ontario, and received his elementary and secondary education in Port Carling, Muskoka. He earned a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in History from the University of Western Ontario in 1963. He is married to Marie-Jeanne Bartleman and they have three children. PMO Press Office: (613) 957-5555

Residents of Weagamow Lake, were quite happy with this year's activities. Which kicked off on December 1st till January 2nd. Everyone in the reserve participated in such events such as, radio games (also televised), sliding, and the skidoo train which drew half of the community. Kids watched along the streets of Weagamow as the Santa Claus parade began... Every year when Santa comes to Weagamow, he get's slimmer and slimmer .... (I wonder what he does?) For more about this years games and events be sure to check out the Wawatay news in the coming weeks.