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At the First Nations Northern Housing Conference held at the Prince Arthur Hotel on February 17 to 19, 2004 in Thunder Bay, Fort Severn received the HOUSING INNOVATION RECOGNITION AWARD. The award recognizes the community's innovative efforts and strategies to contracting local building contractors to construct their new homes. Housing designs include various innovative construction packages to meet the unique environmental and financing challenges facing remote First Nations.

George Kakekaspan, Fort Severn's Project Manager and former chief, was on hand to lead a workshop providing other First Nations with details about their work in meeting local housing needs. He accepted the award on behalf of the community.

Click here to view the pictures.

Monday's (February 23rd) Celebration of Technology was hosted by the Eel Ground First Nation school from New Brunswick.  The school celebrated their inclusion in SchoolNet's Network of Innovative Schools (NIS) by highlighting the students' and teachers' spirit of enthusiasm for education and technology.

Included in the event was a live video conference linking together a total of 10 additional sites from across the country. Students from 5 other First Nation NIS schools joined in the live videoconference which was webcast live by KNet. Students from Pelican Falls First Nations High School in Sioux Lookout joined this special event and showcased their innovation in the delivery a culturally appropriate technology and communication program for students. Students and staff participating in a wilderness dog sled adventure joined the event by satellite phone telling the audience about their work while a powerpoint presentation was scrolling by. The full archived webcast and live chat session is available for viewing by going to http://webcast.knet.ca/schoolnet and clicking on the "Replay Eel Ground FN Innovative Schools Video Conference" to replay this entire event.

Prime Minister Paul Martin delivered a videotaped congratulatory message and AFN National Chief Phil Fontaine and Mi'kmaq Grand Chief Ben Sylliboy joined the group in person along with many other special guests.

Click here to view some of the pictures taken from the site in Sioux Lookout and of the live webcast.

And with all of the excitement about the Oscars, let's not forget about the Ochre Awards!  Click here to see the Atlantic RMO Helpdesk light-hearted approach and method of thanking all of those who made the Eel Ground Celebration of Technology such as a positive and historic event.  Wela'liog!

The agenda for this event follows:

• Master of Ceremonies: Roger Augustine
• 2:00 p.m. Honour Song, Emerson Francis & Chester Martin
• Opening Prayer, Joyce Paul
• O' Canada, Students directed by Marion Vicaire
• Welcoming Address, Chief George Ginnish, Eel Ground First Nation

Guest Speakers

Phil Fontaine, National Chief, Assembly of First Nations
Elijah Harper, Former Federal MP
Shawn Graham, Liberal Opposition Leader
John Bernard, President, Donna Cona
Percy Barnaby, President, Abenaki Associates
Ross MacLeod, Industry Canada Representative

Congratulatory Messages

Ben Sylliboy, Grand Chief, Mi'kmaq Nation
Dougal MacDonald, Associate Director General, DIAND
T.J. Burke, MLA, Fredericton North
Paul Martin, Prime Minister (via video)

Live Video Conference

Network of Innovative Schools Participating:

Xit'olacw Community School
Mount Currie, British Columbia
www.lilwatnation.com/index.php

Sally Ross School
La Ronge , Saskatchewan
www.geocities.com/sallyross2002

Otter-Nelson River School
Cross Lake, Manitoba
www.CLEA.mb.ca

Kitigan Zibi School
Manikwaki, Quebec
http://www.kza.qc.ca

Eel Ground First Nation School
Eel Ground, New Brunswick
www.eelgroundschool.ca

Pelican Falls First Nation School
Sioux Lookout.Ontario
www.nnec.on.ca

Ulluriaq School
Kangiqsualujjuaq, Quebec
http://www.kativik.qc.ca/ulluriaq

NEWSPAPER COVERAGE

02/24/04 
Publication: NB - New Brunswick Telegraph Journal 
Source: CED - All Cedrom Publications 
 
BY DERWIN GOWAN Telegraph-Journal 
Students at the Eel Ground Arrowhead School took a trip across Canada on Monday afternoon.

They did via a cross-country video conference in the gymnasium to mark the school's status as a member of SchoolNet's Network of Innovative Schools - with broadband/high-speed Internet and video conferencing access.

Eel Ground Arrowhead School has 84 students from kindergarten to Grade 8, all Mi'kmaq from Eel Ground First Nation on the Northwest Miramichi River.
 
Principal Peter MacDonald and his staff set up a computer laboratory in the school several years ago and, in 2001, won the silver award in the International Schools Cyberfair competition sponsored by lightspan.com. 

Getting broadband and joining the SchoolNet network builds on this work.

The video conference Monday allowed the crowd in the school gymnasium to visit other aboriginal schools across Canada including Sally Ross School at La Ronge, Sask., Xit'oclacw Community School in Mount Currie, B.C., Kitigan Zibi School in Manikwaki, Que., Ulluriaq School at Kangiqsualujjuaq in the Arctic region of northern Quebec, and Pelican Falls First Nation School at Sioux Lookout, Ont.

The students at Pelican Falls First Nation School took the visitors from across the country to a winter camping trip by dogsled - making the link  with satellite telephone.

Those on hand in Eel Ground heard a recorded message from Prime Minister Paul Martin, delivered from Ottawa.

And, many dignitaries attended the event itself at Eel Ground. They  included Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine, Manitoba MLA Elijah Harper, New Brunswick Intergovernmental Affairs and International Relations Minister Percy Mockler, provincial Opposition Leader Shawn Graham - who delivered a few words in Mi'kmaq; and two successful aboriginal businessmen: John Bernard, a Maliseet from Madawaska First Nation who founded the technology company Donna Cona in Ottawa, and Percy Barnaby, a Mi'kmaq from Eel Ground with Abenaki Associates.

Abenaki Associates, founded in 1984, provides First Nations financial management systems, professional training, communications and automation and other services across Canada. The company has offices in Ottawa, Winnipeg and Eel Ground.

The youngsters in Arctic Quebec demonstrated traditional "throat singing." Mr. MacDonald, the principal at Eel Ground, said a few words to them in Inuktitut. (He taught in the Arctic in the past).

Mr. Fontaine recognized the importance of young people learning to use tools like high-speed Internet. "We're living in interesting times," he said. "There's a lot of talk about change and renewal . . . the radical transformation that's needed in Canada for First Nations people to assume their rightful place.

"I would be the last to minimize the accomplishments we are witnessing here today - wonderful," he said.

The day wrapped up with a traditional feast at the band office following the official ceremonies.

Reach our reporter tjmira@nb.aibn.com

Gilles Matthews
Media Monitoring/Press Clippings - Room 273D
947-5203

Bad weather, slippery highways and even a chemical spill could not stop the First Nations SchoolNet Web Construction Workshop at the Northwest Angle #37... For regular updates, see the First Nations SchoolNet web portal!

PIKANGIKUM YOUTH CHALLENGE 2004

$10,000.00 CONFIRMED

DEADLINE EXTENDED TO TOMORROW

24 YEARS AND UNDER

ENTRY FEE $1200.00

MORE INFO

EMAIL SAMSON KEEPER 

OR PHONE ME AT WORK 773 5561

HOME 773 5013

Fort Hope will be hosting a Youth Hockey Invitational Tournament on March 4 to 7th, 2004.

The divisions are from tykes to Midgets...

For more information contact:

• Sharon Roe at (h)242-1366 / (w)242-7221

• Tracy Bois at (h)242-1325 / (w)242-8421 or tracybois@knet.ca

• Mathew Shawinimash at (h)242-7424 / (w)242-7429 or

• Brent Harrald at (h)242-1122 or Brentharrald@hotmail.com

Deadline to enter your team is February 27, 2004

Keewaytinook Okimakanak is the Ontario Regional Management Organization (RMO) for Industry Canada's First Nation SchoolNet program. One of the many deliverables being made available to First Nation schools across Ontario is a series of travelling web site development workshops using Post Nuke. This week, members of the RMO team traveled to Moose Factory and Ginoogaming First Nations to work with representatives from different First Nation schools in the region to produce new web sites that will then be used by the staff and students at their school to share their information with others on-line. Click here to view the pictures from these workshops.

As the RMO for Ontario, the KO team and our partner organizations, a wide menu of support services are being provided for the First Nations schools across the province. Web site development workshops, web site and e-mail hosting services are just a couple of these services. Be sure to visit the Ontario First Nations RMO web site to learn about all the exciting opportunities be made available supporting First Nation schools in getting on-line and accessing broadband connectivity solutions.

Industry Canada's Saskatchewan Smart Communities Demonstration project, the Headwaters Project, invited an interested group of people to meet via video and telephone on Feb 18 to discuss research opportunities and partnerships. Representatives from groups from coast to coast joined the meeting to share their thoughts and developments.

Video conferencing sites included FNESC (Vancouver), Headwaters Project (La Ronge), Industry Canada (Saskatchewan office), K-Net (Sioux Lookout) and Smart Labrador (Forteau). Industry Canada SchoolNet (Ottawa) and Michael Gurstein (New Jersey) joined the meeting by telephone.

Discussions began with the host site (Saskatchewan) presenting information about the Mid Canada Research Institute (MCRI) and Dr. David Malcolm reviewing their business case to develop an institute serving the communities and regions in the Boreal Forest region from coast to coast. Each of the other meeting participants shared their own work in research and upcoming opportunities for collaboration. Michael Gurstein spoke about the CRACIN initiative that his team is leading to examine community networking initiatives across Canada (including a case study about K-Net).

The meeting ended with an agreement to continue sharing information on-line within a list serve being hosted by MCRI. Everyone is welcomed to join this list serve by sending an e-mail to discussion-subscribe@mcri.ca. For more information about this mailing list, please visit the MCRI website at www.mcri.ca. Information about this mailing list can be found in the Communications section. A streaming media file with the recording of today's videoconference will be posted shortly in the History section.

An early morning fire on Monday, Feb 16, quickly engulfed the entire school in Deer Lake. The school building accommodated K-8 classes along with the Wahsa and KiHS programs and the education administration. Very little could be saved as the fire raced throughout the entire building. Click here to see the pictures of the fire.

Sandy Lake Recreational 35 years and over Old-Timers Hockey Tourmament, orginally scheduled for February 19 to 21/04, has been moved to March 25, 26, & 28/04...

So you still have time to register your team in...Please phone Ringo Fiddler @ 807-774-5531 or Kennedy Fiddler -  807-774-5121...

Entry Fee-$600.00                                     Prizes: 1st: $3000.00.....

                                                           2nd: $1,500.00.....3rd: $600.00

No checking allowed,

Accommodations provided....Please try to bring your own sleeping  gears...

The Keewaytinook Okimakanak SMART team is working together to plan and host the upcoming Indigenous SMART International Virtual Conference that will be happening on March 17 and 18, 2004. Conference information, updates and  activities are being posted at http://smart.knet.ca/international

Everyone is invited to register on-line for this event. Click here for the on-line registration form.

We look forward to learning about different innovative ICT efforts being made by other Indigenous groups from around the world as well as showcasing the work accomplished over the past three years of the Kuhkenah Network of Smart First Nations demonstration project.

Please mark these dates on your calendar and plan to join us for this international event where everyone will have a chance to showcase their work and efforts in using ICTs in their homes, work and communities.