Media.Knet.Ca

The KO team at the AFN meeting in Ottawa led by Geordi Kakepetum shared success stories and challenged the new managers of First Nations SchoolNet to ensure that the program grows and prospers.

The Keewaytinook Okimakanak team took some time to meet with the new INAC managers of First Nations SchoolNet. KO’s Geordi Kakepetum and Brian Walmark shared the successes, hopes and challenges faced by K-Net, the Regional Management Organization (RMO) for Ontario. Geordi told those around the table about how First Nations SchoolNet, in particular the access to broadband and the applications, have changed the learning opportunities available for students in remote and isolated First Nations Schools.

First Nations SchoolNet is being transferred from Industry Canada to the Department of Indian Affairs as part of an overall restructuring initiative to make INAC responsible for all economic development on-reserve.

During the friendly and informal meeting, Geordi outlined to Juliet Balfour, the Director of Socio-Economic Policy and Regional Operations (Education Branch) and Barbara Caverhill, her Senior Policy Manager, several key challenges that require attention from the Department. He said to maintain the access and applications used by teachers and students in First Nations schools across Canada First Nations, it was essential that funding be restored to levels before recent cutbacks. "We can’t afford to provide the schools with the resources they need for upgrades in software and hardware," he told the INAC officials.

Geordi emphasized that it was critical that decision-makers at the community level must know that First Nations SchoolNet will continue after the end of the fiscal year. He feared that without an official announcement from Canada many First Nations Schools would have to advise the telecom providers that they could no longer afford broadband fees in the new fiscal year. "Many people are not aware that First Nations SchoolNet has been transferred to INAC or even know that the program will continue."

Juliet Balfour, INAC’s new First Nations SchoolNet Manager said it would be difficult to make an announcement until funding receives final approval. She said her department is seeking the authority to run First Nations SchoolNet for two years. During which time, INAC will go to Treasury Board to get the necessary authorities to transform it into a permanent program. She assured Geordi that she would determine what kind of announcement her department could make in the interim.

Geordi emphasized the importance of the Regional Management Orgnizations (RMOs) and how they were responsible for the rapid migration of broadband to almost every First Nation School in Canada that wanted it. "This is a big country. Each region is different. The RMOs know the challenges faced in their regions and they know the players. That’s why we can get things done." He added that there is a lot of sharing that takes place between the RMOs such as the video bootcamp created by the RMO in Atlantic Canada which was available on-line for First Nations participants across Canada.

Joe Poirier of IHAB had just returned from a tour of Ontario’s far north and reported what he had seen with the Keewaytinook Interent High School and G8, the grade supplementary on-line program in literacy, mathematics and science, two applications created by K-Net as part of First Nations SchoolNet. "Because of KiHS, young people in the north can get a high quality education without having to leave their families and go to high schools in the south." He said he could see how engaged KiHS students are in the classroom. Brian Walmark added that KiHS is currently being evaluated by a professor from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). "His preliminary findings sound very favourable," he said. Geordi pledged to provide the INAC officials a copy of the evaluation as soon as it was available.

Geordi invited the two INAC officials to come to Balmertown where they could see for themselves KiHS in action and some of the other applications created as a result of First Nations SchoolNet. Juliet Balfour and Barbara Caverhill said they would check their schedules to determine if they had any dates in January available for a visit.

Juliet said that she needs to have the successes of First Nations SchoolNet, the activity of the RMOs and K-Net in particular documented so that she can use them to lever the kinds of the funds the program needs to continue. The K-Net team recommended that INAC sponsor a face-to-face meeting in the new year of all of the RMOs where each could present its success stories. It would also provide the new INAC managers with the opportunity to meet all of the key players at the RMOs. In the interim, Juliet pledged to either participate or have members of her staff participate in the monthly on-line meetings of the RMOs.

Following the breakfast briefing, Brian Walmark provided Juliet Balfour and Barbara Caverhill with an on-line tour of the K-Net website. He showed them some of the digital video produced by community youth and some of the other applications made possible with funding from First Nations SchoolNet. "This program puts tools in the hands of people," he told them.

Juliet Balfour expressed great interest in what other areas beyond education could be served by broadband in First Nations communities such as health and economic development. The KO team told her about Jesse Fiddler who worked at K-Net for many years before taking his skills back with his family to Sandy Lake First Nation where he has created a thriving IT business serving clients on and off-reserve.

To see photos of the meeting between the KO team and First Nations School as well as other pictures taken at the AFN meeting in Ottawa, Click here ...

Read the CBC online coverage of this important ruling following the AFN press release ...

AFN press release ...

Assembly of First Nations Applauds today's Supreme Court of Canada rulings on Sappier/Polchies and Gray cases

     OTTAWA, Dec. 7 /CNW Telbec/ - "This is a victory for the Mi'gmaq Nation and Maliseet Nation," said AFN National Chief Phil Fontaine. "We congratulate those who have successfully met yet another challenge to the recognition of Aboriginal rights.

     The Sappier/Polchies and Gray cases involve the First Nations right to harvest timber for domestic use.

     "These decisions are a positive signal for all First Nations because it opens the door for other communities to pursue access to resources for domestic uses," added National Chief Fontaine. "This is a step towards the eradication of poverty in First Nations communities

     "This ruling will provide access to much needed resources in our traditional lands to build shelter, provide transportation, tools and fuel," said AFN Atlantic Regional Chief Rick Simon, who noted today's decisions are based on findings of the importance of natural resources to traditional and contemporary First Nations culture.

     Today's decision provides more clarity with regards to proving Aboriginal rights among all parties. Furthermore, today's decision by the Supreme Court signals that a more flexible approach to recognizing Aboriginal rights is required by the courts and the federal government.

     "However, further negotiations with governments must move forward in terms of resource revenue sharing arrangements," added Regional Chief Simon.

     The Assembly of First Nations is the national organization that represents First Nations citizens in Canada.

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/For further information: Bryan Hendry, A/Director of Communications, (613) 241-6789, ext. 229, Cell :(613) 293-6106, bhendry@afn.ca; Nancy Pine, Communications Advisor to the National Chief, Cell :(613) 298-6382, npine@afn.ca/

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From http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2006/12/07/native-court.html

Top court upholds aboriginal logging rights on Crown land
Thursday, December 7, 2006

Native people have the right to log Crown lands for personal use, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday in a unanimous judgment on two New Brunswick cases.

'A practice undertaken for survival purposes can be considered integral to an aboriginal community's distinctive culture.'
-Supreme Court decisionThe high court judges decided three New Brunswick men who took Crown wood to make furniture, build a home and burn as firewood were exercising their aboriginal rights, not stealing.

The ruling upholds the decision of the lower courts in New Brunswick, which also ruled in the men's favour.

"The respondents possessed an aboriginal right to harvest wood for domestic use," the judges wrote in their summary.

In 2005, the Supreme Court had ruled against aboriginal people's right to log Crown lands for commercial purposes — but these men were clearly logging for personal use, the court said.

Darrell Gray, who is Mi'kmaq, was originally charged in 1999 for taking maple trees from Crown lands near three reserves. Clark Polchies and Dale Sappier, both Maliseet, were charged two years later for harvesting trees on Crown land without a licence.

The Supreme Court judges ruled that both Mi'kmaq and Maliseet people logged wood on those lands long before Europeans arrived in North America.

The judges said records show the wood was historically used for shelter, transportation, tools and fuel. It was key to native people's survival.

"A practice undertaken for survival purposes can be considered integral to an aboriginal community's distinctive culture," the judges wrote in their summary.

The judges said the right to harvest the wood must be allowed to evolve with the times. Historically, natives used the wood to build temporary shelters, but now the right must be allowed to evolve to the construction of modern homes, they wrote.

They stressed that the wood cannot be sold, traded or bartered for money, even if the money is used to build another home.

Native leader applauds decision

Jeff Tomah, chief of the Woodstock First Nation in New Brunswick, praised the decision. Sappier and Polchies belong to Woodstock First Nation.

"Housing has been an issue for quite some time and this case here, of course, will help," said Tomah.

"There's a lot of our people scattered and we haven't had time to build houses in a timely manner, but this is a landmark decision that will sure help our people."

The judges' decision follows a long legal battle.

After lower courts and the New Brunswick Court of Appeal ruled in favour of the men, the Crown appealed to the Supreme Court.

New Brunswick government pleased
The New Brunswick government is pleased the Supreme Court brought clarity to the issue.

"In this case, we really do have a well-written decision," said Education Minister Kelly Lamrock, speaking on behalf of the government.

"It is well reasoned and it is clear…. It's one that we certainly believe can be accommodated in our shared interest of managing the land."

Six provinces, the federal government and two forest industry associations intervened in the case, siding with the New Brunswick government.

Nova Scotia was one of the interveners.

The provincial government announced Thursday it will review the ruling to determine the potential implications for Nova Scotia.

Provincial Natural Resources Minister David Morse said an agreement signed in 2002 involving the Mi'kmaq, and the Nova Scotia and federal governments will lead to full negotiations on native rights issues, including forestry.

Dear Make Poverty History supporter:

The rate of child and family poverty in Canada has been stalled at 17-18% over the past 5 years despite strong economic growth and low unemployment, according to a new report by Campaign 2000.

The 2006 National Report Card on Child & Family Poverty finds that 1,196,000 children - almost 1 in every 6 children - live in poverty in Canada. In First Nations communities the child poverty rate is higher: 1 in every 4 children.

“These disturbing findings demonstrate that we need political commitment to a Poverty Reduction Strategy for Canada with targets, timetables and funding. Countries like the United Kingdom have done this with success and Canada can too.” stated Laurel Rothman, National Coordinator for Campaign 2000.

You can voice your concern about child poverty and call for government action by going to http://www.campaign2000.ca and click on Take Action to send a message to the Prime Minister. Add your voice to the growing call for a poverty reduction strategy today! 

One of the specific things the Make Poverty History platform calls for as a way to end child poverty in Canada is “involving groups where poverty is predominant, such as Aboriginal People, women, minorities and youth in the design and implementation of a domestic poverty reduction strategy.”

Now there is a way you can contribute to designing such a strategy.

The National Council of Welfare, an independent body established to advise the government on social development, has recently launched a web-based survey to seek input from Canadians on developing a poverty reduction strategy for Canada. They want to hear from individuals and organizations about why you think there is so much poverty in Canada and what you think we can do about it. To participate click on:

https://media6.magma.ca/www.leverus.com/ncw/?refererid=12 

The more people who participate in this survey, the more the results will have to be taken seriously by government.

Thanks,

Dennis Howlett Coordinator, Make Poverty History