The 2006 gathering in Moose Factory that took place from August 14 to 18 successfully wrapped up with a strong sense of Cree pride and cultural awareness.

From http://www.nationalcreegathering.ca/indexnew.php

The 11th Annual National Cree Gathering 2006 - Moose Factory, August 14 - 18

The purpose of this gathering is to provide an opportunity for our people in our area, especially our youth to observe, learn and to gain a better understanding of their own distinct Cree heritage. In conjunction with other Cree Nations on a national level, it is our hope to promote and preserve our unique traditional ceremonial practices, language and ways of our people that was eroded and slowly phased out over the years.

It is imperative that we all make an effort to understand and help maintain our traditional knowledge, language and practices of our ancestors for the benefit of our children, grandchildren and future generations yet unborn. It is important and incumbent upon us today to ensure that they be provided with an opportunity to connect with who they are, where they come from and to be proud of who they are as Cree people. This is the cornerstone of how we may be able to heal and to regain our strength and unity as a proud and strong people, and to stand again as a strong Cree Nation.

"As Crees we have a very rich history. We have an abundance of ceremonies, customs, values and beliefs as a people. The Creator has blessed our people with many gifts- beautiful gifts of creation such as the land and animals to live together in harmony. Our people have been misunderstood, our history has been distorted, but we must come together to remind our people of our original instruction as a people- the original instruction we have from our creator. We must reflect on the past, the many hardships of our people have endured in order to survive as a people. Where we stand today and where we are going in the future."

Check out the stories about this gathering in the Timmins Daily Press:

•  Youth travel from Manitoba to see National Cree Gathering - Scott Paradis, August 21, 2006 - There's no destination too far for a group of Manitoba youths.
   
  The group of 10 arrived in Moose Factory from their Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation, Man., home after a more than a 30-hour drive, a four-hour train ride, a 20-minute boat taxi and a three-minute land cab. .... READ MORE ...
   
• Cree Gathering wraps up in Moose Factory - Scott Paradis, August 19, 2006 - Flames from the sacred fire began to fizzle shortly into the noon hour Friday.
   
  The fire, prepared for the 2006 National Cree Gathering in Moose Factory, kept burning throughout the entire celebration, which began Monday. Nighttime showers, high winds and events diverting attention elsewhere did little to threaten the symbolic flames. READ MORE ...
    
• Cree Gathering underway in Moose Factory - Scott Paradis, August 16, 2006 - Cree people of the James Bay Coast should take a cultural lesson from the West, a First Nation Chief said.
   
  Moosonee First Nation Chief Patricia Faries-Akiwenzie said she hopes the 2006 National Cree Gathering will be the first portion of that lesson. .... READ MORE ...
   
• Gathering participants remember tougher times - http://www.timminspress.com/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentID=158270&catname=Local+News

From http://www.timminspress.com/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentID=159899&catname=Local+News

Docs vacating the North, study reveals

James Wallace  /  Osprey News Network
Saturday, August 19, 2006

A third of all doctors living in Northwestern Ontario expect to leave their practices by 2009, shows an Ontario Medical Association study obtained by Osprey News.

The study not only confirms that doctor retention continues to be a chronic problem in the North but it also found current doctor-retention initiatives for underserviced areas are not working.

Almost nine out of 10 doctors believe there is a "serious physician retention problem in Northwestern Ontario" and 41 per cent believe that "regardless of physician-retention initiatives, more and more physicians will leave Northwestern Ontario to practise elsewhere."

Dr. David Bach, president of the Ontario Medical Association, said although the study focused on doctors in Northwestern Ontario, it likely reflects physician sentiments across the North and in rural, underserviced communities.

"I suspect it is broadly applicable because the issues that are identified here are common issues in semi-rural and northern places," Bach said.

The study found doctors decide to leave for a combination of professional and personal reasons but significantly concludes personal and family issues are the "most significant" factor influencing doctor intentions.

"Most physicians who expect to leave practice in Northwestern Ontario within five years state that they are leaving for personal/family reasons (54 per cent) as opposed to retirement (37 per cent), professional (25 per cent) or community (eight per cent) reasons," the study found.

Younger and female physicians are most likely to leave for personal and family reason and the more "rural" the community is, the higher the risk it will lose a physician.

While 18 per cent of Thunder Bay physicians intend to leave their practice within five years, 44 per cent of regional physicians outside of the city of Thunder Bay plan to move elsewhere.

Meanwhile, doctors who came to the North for "good income" were also more likely to leave within five years.

The study surveyed 200 doctors in Northwestern Ontario, almost two-thirds of all doctors in the region, and 100 spouses.

Specific personal concerns affecting doctor decisions to leave communities included a lack of time for family life, lack of access to relatives and friends and uninterrupted free time away from work, the study found. Other concerns included:

• Ease of travel in and out of community;
• Quality of education for children;
• Availability of cultural events;
• Spouses/partners' contentment in the community;
• Availability of recreation;
• Compatibility with the medical community.

Spousal satisfaction was found to be very influential in family decisions to stay or leave the North.

Professionally, physicians were most strongly dissatisfied with workloads, their relationship with hospitals and health care organizations and access to medical services including hospital and long-term care beds, home care services, social and psychological counseling for patients and technology.

Any of these personal or professional concerns could represent a "tipping point" for doctors who plan to leave their northern practice, and should be addressed in future retention strategies, the study found.

Strategies need to be developed that involve the provincial government, local health care systems and communities with more emphasis on a "personal," highly individualized approach to retaining physicians.

"Physicians are not commodities that can be supplied according to demand; communities must compete for physicians in an environment of physician shortages," the study concluded. "Because physician satisfaction and intention to stay is so individualized, planning and implementing retention strategies is a challenge."

Measures could be taken to address both personal and professional concerns.

The study suggests innovative measures are needed to improve personal and community satisfaction including lobbying airlines to facilitate easier access in and out of town and free family fares for doctors to visit relatives every six months.

Doctors who responded to the survey stated that "the community could be more welcoming and accepting toward physician families as newcomers, and that local medical colleagues and healthcare administrators could be more supportive."

Regarding their professional lives, physicians suggested a number of retention incentives including disability and dental benefits, pension plans, reduced workloads, premiums for doctors who stay in the North, paid sabbaticals, more medical education opportunities, higher income to reflect workloads and increased availability of visiting doctor locums.

"It was not the purpose of this study to recommend models for physician retention, however, the findings do suggest that new models are required," the researchers found.

"Retention strategies that target only professional factors and offer only monetary incentives are not supported by this research." The study was sponsored by the Thunder Bay Medical Society, funded by the Ontario Medical Association and conducted by a team of researchers at Lakehead University School of Social Work led by Professor Mary Lou Kelley.

Bach said the erosion of doctors from the North is also exacerbated by the number of doctors approaching retirement, approximately 20 per cent all the doctors in the province.

"This is a problem in the North but it is also a problem elsewhere," he said. "We could lose a fair number of doctors fairly quickly if things don't change."

"The physician shortage is an issue that's been with us for a while," Bach said. "It's an issue that's worrisome across the province and it's going to be with us for a while.

"So we all have to work on this together," he said.

From http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=18988c28-3b64-422d-ac38-4f534dc96ec7&k=84650&p=1

First Nations say regulations, resources needed to protect drinking water

by Melanie Patten, Canadian Press
Published: Tuesday, August 15, 2006

HALIFAX (CP) - Native groups say the quality of water on First Nations reserves will continue to deteriorate unless more resources are given to band councils.

Representatives from First Nations communities in Atlantic Canada also told members of a federal panel Monday that regulatory standards should be set for drinking water on reserves.

There is concern, however, that communities will not be given the funding to match the extra responsibility.

"There's a ton of liability that could potentially fall to bands with no resources to legitimately do that work," Michael Cox of the Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq said after a presentation to the panel.

"To go about creating protocols that are attached to funding agreements and holding bands hostage for that is not a good process."

The three-member independent panel of experts has been travelling across the country holding public hearings since June.

It will submit a report to Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice by September as part of a plan announced in March to improve water quality in First Nations communities.

There were 83 First Nations communities under boil-water orders as of Aug. 4. The Health Department also has a priority list of 21 communities with what it calls "high risk water systems."

There are three reserves with boil-water advisories in effect in Atlantic Canada.

Hundreds of people were evacuated in October from the Kashechewan First Nation in northern Ontario after E. coli was found in water samples.

Water quality on reserves is largely a shared responsibility between First Nations communities and the federal government.

Band councils are responsible for providing communities with clean drinking water, including sampling and testing it.

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada provides funding for construction and maintenance of water treatment facilities, as well as training and certifying operators. Health Canada ensures monitoring programs are in effect.

But Cox said he's concerned about who will be responsible for water quality if new regulations are enacted.

"In my experience, every time I see the Department of Indian Affairs or anybody else doing this it's to limit liability or to get themselves out of liability's path," said Cox, whose organization represents six First Nations communities in Nova Scotia.

The panel said First Nations communities they have heard from across Canada all agree they need more resources.

But panel chairman Harry Swain, director of the Canadian Institute for Climate Studies, said the communities disagree over what regulations should be in effect and how they would be enforced.

"Opinions are all over the block," he said during a break in the hearings. "Some say national, some say absolutely local, some say provincial, regional. Some say we don't need regulations at all."

Andy Nicholas of New Brunswick's Mawiw Council - which represents three First Nations in New Brunswick - said the same regulations should be set across Canada.

"We're talking quality of water here," he said.

"You're not going to have 600 different standards. I think water, air - this is common ground for all of us."

© The Canadian Press 2006

From http://www.kenoradailyminerandnews.com/story.php?id=248362

Treaty 3 Police turn sod on new headquarters

By Mike Aiken, Miner and News
Tuesday August 15, 2006

Treaty 3 Grand Chief Arnold Gardner called it a great day for nation building, as he helped break ground on a new police headquarters Monday.

Joined by the chief of police, Brian Rupert, Gardner said it would be good for the morale of the service.

“We’re going ahead with something that’s really needed,” he said Monday.

At present, about 40 officers are sharing the Kenora OPP detachment with their provincial colleagues, which measures only 54 square metres (600 sq. ft.) .

“They’ve been patient, and so have the OPP,” Rupert said, referring to his officers.

The 75-member force was created just over three years ago, and its membership is roughly three-quarters aboriginal. It was designed to fulfill the recommendations of numerous reports calling for an increased presence of First Nations officers in law enforcement.

Police board chairman Joe Red Thunderboy said financing for the project had already been approved by the banks. He estimated the total cost would be about $5.5 million for the 1,400 sq. ft. (126 square metre) building, and he hoped it would be completed within a year.

Located on Homestake Road, across Round Lake from the Treaty 3 administrative offices, the new headquarters will include holding cells and briefing rooms, which will make it easier for officers on patrol to do their work, Rupert said. It will also help senior officers stay in touch with their rank and file, he added.

According to the federal government, there are now 319 aboriginal communities in Canada with dedicated police services, and they employ close to 1,000 police officers, most of whom are of aboriginal descent.

Records kept by Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada say there are single community services, such as at Six Nations where there is a population of 10,000, as well as multi-community agreements, such as in Nishnawbe-Aski, which serves 44 communities.

Keewaytinook Okimakanak Telehealth's capacity to continue to serve First Nations in the Sioux Lookout Health Zone and future opportunities for Aboriginal people to gain access to telehealth services in the province of Ontario has successfully demonstrated how comrprehensive telehealth can improve integrated access to health and wellness services on reserve, reduce health service worker and professional isolation and reduce patient and system travel burden. Our partnerships with Ontario First Nations, Health Canada and the Ontario Telehealth Network have supported the growth of our network from five pilot sites in  2002 to 25 sites in 2006.

Now entering our fifth year of operation, KO Telehealth faces the on-going challenge of securing program funding. Independent evaluations in 2001 (Telesychiatry Pilot), 2003 (CHIPP) and most recently in  2006 (PHCTF), demonstrates KO Telehealth's capacity to make more effective use of existing health and human resources. The findings of the most recent evaluation completed in March 2006 by the Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research and the University of Guelph suggests that.... the Expansion Project has successfully improved access. The program has the ability to reach the economic breakeven point based soley on averted travel. Ohter benefits, not included in the model could push the program beyond the breakeven point. Feedback from numerous stakeholders spoke of the many improvements in access and the potential to improve health.

The purpose of the 12 – 13 September meetings is to share with stakeholders current and planned evaluatory and research activities that will impact future delivery of regional and province-wide telehealth service development and to use this opportunity to connect principals involved in these evaluation and research activities with community, provider and policy stakeholders. Specifically, the gathering will address the capacity of telehealth services to remove longstanding barriers and support Aboriginal and First Nations health policy objectives, its ability to make more effective use of health human resources and how evaluation and research will attend to First Nation and Inuit Health Branch requirements to show medical transportation savings. This workshop also provides participants with an opportunity to understand what is necessary to sustain telehealth in remote and northern places -- such as the Sioux Lookout Health Zone – and what might be required to extend this service model to rural and near-urban Aboriginal settings in Ontario.

We are inviting representatives from the Community Health Directors Advisory Committee, Telehealth Elders Committee, Chiefs Committee on Health, Tribal Council Health Directors, KO Evaluation Team, Sioux Lookout First Nation Health Authority, Health Canada, Canada Health Infoway, Ontario Ministry of Health, the Ontario Telehealth Network, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Assembly of First Nations, Chiefs of Ontario and Nishnawbe Aski Nation to attend the meeting. KOTH is dedicated to improving health for all First Nations communities through a sustainable First Nations Telehealth program that is holistic, community driven and culturally appropriate.

Five researchers from the Universities of Ryerson, York and Toronto arrived in Thunder Bay on Tuesday and then travelled to Sioux Lookout and Lac Seul.

The Community Wireless Infrastructure Research Project, funded by Infrastructure Canada is another spin off initiative from the Canadian Research Alliance for Community Innovation and Networking (http://cracin.ca). As part of this project, the researchers are producing a series of publications about four case studies about the use of community wireless networks in Fredericton, Montreal, Toronto and Lac Seul First Nation.

From their Background Information .. Purpose of the Study ...

This study is invertigating various models of public internet infrastructure provision and the benefits associated with them. In particular, the study is considering how wireless internet access can be made available to Canadian citizens in ways that ensure access to everyone, regardless of georgraphic location, income or other potential constraints. The study will do so by investigating cases of wireless internet in a number of communities in Canada. Results of the study will be made available to the project funding agency, Infrastructure Canada and to all interested parties.

Benefits of the Study:

The research investigates issues to the development, deployment and use of wireless internet. As a public policy issue, it is important to understand the benefits and disadvantages of both private and public ownership and control of wireless internet infrastructure. The researchers will be reporting their results back to Infrastructure Canada, the funding agency, and it is hoped that the findings of this study will be taken into account in future public policymaking with respect to the stucture of ownership for wireless internet infrastructure in Canada.

Click here to see the pictures of the meeting at K-Net

Click here to see the pictures of the meetings in Thunder Bay (KORI)

INAC Press Release from http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/nr/prs/m-a2006/2-02782_e.html

MINISTER PRENTICE PRAISES EFFORTS TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY IN NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO FIRST NATION COMMUNITIES

THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO (August 16, 2006) - The Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians, today praised progress made to improve water quality on First Nation reserves in northwestern Ontario.

"Earlier this year, I stated that all Canadians, regardless of where they live, should have access to safe, clean drinking water," said Minister Prentice.  "In Ontario, First Nations are working with Canada's new government and other partners to reach this goal."

Some projects currently under way in Ontario include:

• Kasabonika Lake First Nation has completed construction of a new $5 million water treatment plant upgrade.
• Ochiichagwe'Babigo'Ining (Oh-chee-chag'-way Bab'-eego In'-ing) First Nation is constructing a new $4.4 million water treatment plant.
• Cat Lake First Nation has completed a $1.2 million upgrade to their water treatment plant.
• Chapleau Ojibway First Nation has commissioned a new $856,000 water treatment plant, replacing its current plant.

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada invested approximately $11.3 million in these projects, and the First Nations managed the design and construction of these plants.

On March 21, 2006, Minister Prentice announced a plan of action to address concerns over the safety of drinking water for First Nations communities.  This plan includes:

• implementation of a Protocol for Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Communities;
• mandatory training for all water treatment plant operators and a regime to ensure that all water systems have the oversight of certified operators;
• complete remedial plans for First Nation communities with serious water issues, starting with 21 communities most at risk;
• a expert panel to advise on the appropriate regulatory framework; and
• a clear commitment to report progress on a regular basis.

Since 2003, INAC has invested more than $168 million in upgrading and building new water plant systems in Ontario.  In 2006-2007, it will focus on investing and assisting First Nations in:

• meeting water standards and regulations;
• inspection and compliance; and
• capacity development at the community level.

The Kasabonika Lake First Nation, which is located approximately 570 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, has a total of 910 members, 882 of whom live on reserve

The Ochiichagwe'Babigo'Ining First Nation, near Kenora, has a total of 323 members, 119 of whom live on reserve.

The Cat Lake First Nation, located about 180 kilometres north of Sioux Lookout, has a total of 591 members, 493 of whom live on reserve.

The Chapleau Ojibway First Nation, near Chapleau, has a total of 38 members, 30 of whom live on reserve.- 30 -

This release is also available at: www.inac.gc.ca.

For further information, please contact:

Tony Prudori
Communications Officer
INAC Communications
(807) 624-1535

Chief Elsie Gray
Cat Lake First Nation
(807) 347-2100
Chief Gordon Anderson
Kasabonika Lake First Nation
(807) 535-2547

Chief Vernon Barry Henry
Ochiichagwe'Babigo'Inning First Nation
(807) 548-5876

Chief Anita Stephens
Chapleau Ojibway First Nation
(705) 864-2910

Stories coming from the International AIDS conference being held in Toronto will hopefully increase awareness and support further prevention programs for the Aboriginal population. But the news about the increased number of HIV/AIDS victims that are Aboriginal is very troubling. Increased knowledge and education are important components of the work that is necessary to make inroads in the battle against the spread of this horrible disease.

From the NAN Health web site ...

Please click on the link to access the NAN AIDS & Healthy Lifestyles website http://aids.nan.on.ca

For information and news or to be added to a mailing list for up to date information on HIV/AIDS please click on the following links.  http://hivandhepatitis.com or http://cdcnpin.org

Contact Gwen Medicine (gmedicin@nan.on.ca) if have any questions, comments or ideas on what you would like to see posted!

Gwen Medicine, HIV / AIDS Coordinator
Tel: (807) 623 8228 or Toll Free: (800) 465 9952, ext 4940
E-mail: gmedicin@nan.on.ca
710 Victoria Avenue East
Thunder Bay, ON P7C 5P7 
Fax: (807) 623 7730

The 2006 World AIDS Conference is being held August 14 - 17, 2006 in Toronto!  For more information please visist www.aids2006.org

from CBC online News at http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/aids/aboriginals.html

Aboriginals: Canada's most vulnerable population - Last Updated August 15, 2006

Canada's First Nations people are disproportionately becoming infected with HIV and AIDS.

"Aboriginal people now total 16.4 per cent of all AIDS cases," said Chief Angus Toulouse, Ontario Regional Chief-Chair of the Assembly of First Nations, during a news conference at the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto.

"This is a 500-per-cent increase over the past 20 years, compared to a 24 per cent decrease in the general Canadian-born population."

Aboriginals make up just three per cent of the country's population, but the infection rate for First Nations people is nine per cent, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

And the numbers have been rising rapidly.

 Kevin Barlow, executive director of the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network, tells the AIDS conference about the unique challenges facing Canada's aboriginals in the fight against the disease. (Robin Rowland/CBC)

"I've had a lot of friends die (from AIDS)," says Kevin Barlow, executive director of the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network and a speaker at the Toronto AIDS conference.

"I've seen so many die that in some ways, there are times when I have to numb myself to that kind of loss. But I also draw upon their strength because every person that has touched my life who has been HIV-positive, their spirit teaches me that I must do more."

It's hard to analyze the figures for aboriginal people exclusively, because ethnicity isn't always reported when cases or test results are recorded. But, looking at the cases where the cultural background of the infected person is known reveals some unsettling patterns.

In 2005, aboriginals represented an estimated 200 to 400 new HIV infections that year, according to Canada's public health agency. At the end of 2005, there was an estimated 3,600 to 5,100 First Nations People living with the disease.

Before 1993, aboriginals represented about two per cent of AIDS cases Canada reported to the Centre for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control (CIDPC) where ethnicity was known. By 2003, the number had climbed to 14.4 per cent.

Barlow told CBC News he believes that the problem is much larger than the numbers suggest.

"We also know that aboriginal people are not getting tested," he said. "They're not getting the information as much as we would like them to. Given those kind of dynamics, and the marginalization of some of our people, that creates the formula for the virus to be spreading a little more rapidly than we would like."

That's why he is pushing to create an international HIV/AIDS secretariat to bring a higher profile to the issues of aboriginals and other indigenous people.

"So that in these future conferences, there will be a bigger indigenous presence. It's sad that at this conference there was only one workshop that was indigenous-led."

Epidemic hits women, children and intravenous drug users hardest

Injection drug use is the most common way aboriginals in Canada come in contact with the HIV virus.

It's a trend that has been getting worse over time. Before 1993, 11 per cent of all aboriginal AIDS cases stemmed from injection drug use. By 2003, this rose to 51.7 per cent.

The pattern is even more apparent when looking at HIV infections for the period between 1998 and 2004: 59.4 per cent of aboriginal HIV infections stemmed from injection drug use, compared with 27.5 per cent of cases for the non-aboriginal population.

And the proportion of women with HIV and AIDS is greater when comparing the aboriginal and general Canadian populations. Women represent nearly half (45 per cent) of all positive HIV reports in the aboriginal population, while for the non-aboriginal population the figure is about 20 per cent.

Root causes

The HIV virus and AIDS is a relatively new phenomenon for aboriginals in Canada, speeding the pace at which it has been spreading in the community, Barlow says.

While most AIDS organizations have been around for more about 25 years, he says most aboriginal AIDS agencies have been in existence for just 10 or 12 years years — and as little as four in some cases.

"When we finally mobilized around HIV/AIDS we hit a lot of roadblocks," he said. "One, we didn't have the data that we needed. Second, the dollars were pretty much committed. There were no new dollars for aboriginal people to get into the sectors and start doing some work."

As the frontline response tried to catch up to the AIDS epidemic, he says, the disease kept shifting its spreading pattern within the aboriginal community. From homosexual men, to women, to sex trade workers and the prison population — its changing shape made it hard for AIDS workers to focus their response, he says.

"We have had to do more work in the last 10 years than many of these other groups because our population shifted so quickly … and that has created pressures in itself because the resources haven't grown the way we would have liked," says Barlow.

Plus, poverty, lower education levels, poor housing, and the leftover scars from the residential school years have resulted in more high-risk activities, such as higher intravenous drug use in the aboriginal community, he says.

"These types of lifelong traumas don't just go away. And sadly, some people turn to negative coping patterns, which include addiction," he says.

Mounting a response

The Canadian government hasn't responded adequately, Toulouse says.

"A $5.1 billion commitment was made at the First Ministers Meeting in Kelowna last November to eliminate poverty among the First Nations over the next 10 years," he says. "This included $1.3 billion in new health investments. So far none of this has been approved by the Conservative government."

The Assembly of First Nations estimates that the health-funding shortfall will reach close to $2 billion over the next five years, he says, most likely resulting in cutbacks to HIV/AIDS prevention and promotion programs.

"I would say there would still be a stigma (about HIV and AIDS) in the aboriginal community, because of the lack of resources that aren't there to provide the education and awareness to the youth, and also to the general First Nations population as a whole," Toulouse says.

To stop the rising numbers of HIV-infected aboriginal people, more resources need to be directed towards the front lines, says Barlow.

"Since the Conservative government took (office), four aboriginal AIDS organizations have closed their doors. Two of them have reopened, because the funding finaly started flowing. But two of them remain closed in Manitoba. So here we are listed in the federal initiative as a target population, but yet our service agencies are closing down."

He says even the existing organizations are overwhelmed — some have just two or three workers to serve an entire province.

It's only been recently that the federal government has allotted money to deal with AIDS, of which portions are earmarked for aboriginals, he says. Despite losing loved ones to the disease himself, Barlow says he's optimistic about the future.

"I must continue to make sure there are more people in our communities that don't get infected.

"And when there are people living [with] HIV, that we support them and we stand by them. That's the aboriginal way. We don't have the luxury of throwing away any of our people because we've had so much loss."

Aboriginal prevention strategies needed to curb AIDS epidemic - Last Updated Tue, 15 Aug 2006

From the NAN web site at http://www.nan.on.ca

Keewaywin Award Winners

Posted by: Communications  khankila@nan.on.ca - 8/15/2006
Congratulations to the 2006 Keewaywin Award Winners from the 25th Annual Keewawayin Conference in Sachigo Lake, August 2-4, 2006.

Keewaywin Award Winners

Youth Achievement Awards

Henry Tyson Baker, 18, Mishkeegogamang FN-
Athletic/Recreation Award

Winning awards isn’t new to Henry who graduated this year from Pelican Falls First Nation High School on the honour roll.  Some of his awards include:  Gary Quill Memorial Award: Overall Student of the Year, Most Improved Player      Volleyball 2004-05, MVP Basketball and Volleyball 2005-06, Senior Boys Athlete of the Year 2005-06 and the Colin Hood OFSAA School Sport Award 2005-06.  This past year Henry, who was new to the sport of running, qualified for OFSAA Championships for Cross Country Running in Kingston Ontario. He was the first PFFNHS student athlete to qualify for any OFSAA Championship.

Junior Canadian Rangers, 14-16, Kashechewan FN-Leadership/ Community Involvement –Stan Mckay Memorial Award

Chelsea Goodwin, Leonard Goodwin, Kaitlin Nakogee, Joseph Paulmartin, Lawrence Sutherland, Corbin Wesley, Stephanie Wesley, Ernie Wynee

During the tainted water crisis in Kashechewan (October-December 2005) these eight Junior Canadian Rangers volunteered their services to the community by assisting Canadian Rangers to deliver water bottles to the homes.  They also assisted evacuees, particularly the old and infirm and mothers with young children, to get from their homes to the airport and onto evacuation planes.

 “In the name of the Queen and on behalf of the people of Ontario, I want to thank you for your commitment to your country and community. As Junior Rangers you are role models for the youth in your community,” said the Honourable James Bartleman, Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario.

Marcus Ostamus, 18,  Eabametoong FN –Education/Academic Award

Marcus is entering grade 12 in September at Sir Winston Churchill High School.  Marcus, a bright and intelligent student, is very dedicated to his academics and is planning his post secondary education in Computer Engineering. He enjoys his computer programs and is very talented.  Some of the awards he has received in the past include: Xavier Michon Memorial Award, Grade 10 Honour Roll- Outstanding Achievement, Grade 10 Mathematics-Outstanding Achievement and Eabametoong Education Authority Board of Directors Award.

Daniel Cheechoo, 22, Moose Cree FN-
Youth Council Award

Daniel is a great athlete, a dedicated student and a role model for the youth and his peers.  Daniel is a vital asset to the basketball community in the Moose Factory area, as he and a couple of friends founded and organized a team called The Jazz.  Many players from this team went on to represent Team Ontario, winning the 2005 Ontario Aboriginal Summer Games and later a bronze medal at the 2006 North American Indigenous Games in Denver Colorado. Daniel was instrumental in bringing the first ever summer basketball tournament CREEHOOPS to Moose Factory.  This year Daniel has taken on the lead role in planning and organizing the event.  He has also developed a CREEHOOPS website to promote the tournament.  He took on other leadership roles when he was elected Vice President for two years on the Engineering Access Program Council at the University of Manitoba.  Daniel’s knowledge, vision, skills, creativity and design are definitely an asset to his people and his community.

Kyle Stone, 10, Whitewater Lake FN-
Youth Leaders of Tomorrow Award

Kyle is a natural leader, he works hard and has excellent academic achievements.   In September he will be going into Grade 6 at CD Howe Public School.  This past year he was presented with two awards: the Classroom Achievement Award and the Athletic Achievement Award.  Kyle demonstrates leadership qualities while participating in many athletic activities.  He was the assistant Captain for the Thunder Bay 9AAA Hockey and the Port Arthur Contentials, Minor All-Star team.  Kyle actively promotes his First Nation’s heritage at school and in his sporting activities.  He is an ambassador for bringing awareness of aboriginal   culture to his classmates, by producing reports on First Nations and by dancing in his regalia.  Kyle continuously earns respect from his peers for his outgoing and charismatic personality.

Other Keewaywin Awards  

NAN Woman of the Year Award
Theresa Sutherland

Emile Nakogee Award for Leadership
David Paul Achneepineskum

NAN Elder of the Year Award
Moses Angees

NAN Staff of the Year Award
Jenna Young

A new web site and newsletter is now available from the provincial Ministry of Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

Check out the web site at http://www.sbe.gov.on.ca/ontcan/sbe/en/home_en.jsp and the newsletter at http://www.sbe.gov.on.ca/ontcan/sbe/en/news_sbbeat_en.jsp

From the first issue of the Small Business Beat ....

A SNAPSHOT of small business

Opening a small business is a big decision. It requires belief in your product, understanding the market, establishing a business structure, often assuming financial risk and, ultimately, setting out on your own. But are you really alone? Not at all! In taking this step, you also become a member of the vast and highly supportive network that is the small business community of Ontario.

So what defines this community that you’ve joined? What is a typical small business? How do most businesses get started?

Most businesses in Ontario are very small, with close to three-quarters employing fewer than five people. For statistical purposes, the Province of Ontario categorizes a business as “small” if it is a goods-producing firm with fewer than 100 employees or a service firm with fewer than 50 employees.

Companies above that size, with up to 500 employees, are considered medium-sized. The popular term “SME” (small and medium-sized enterprise) combines all of these components of the economy into one sector. Together, SMEs make up 99 per cent of Ontario’s businesses and account for more than 50 per cent of Ontario’s jobs.

Currently, about 340,000 SMEs operate across the province. While each firm is critical to Ontario’s economic growth and job creation, a small number of leading-growth firms make a very large contribution to employment. Between 1997 and 2000, for example, 2.7 per cent of Ontario’s small and medium-sized enterprises created 60 per cent of all new jobs in the province.

Small businesses run the entire gamut of the business spectrum from retail to manufacturing, from the service industry to the IT sector, as entrepreneurs find unique niches in the marketplace. Entrepreneurs also come to small business in different ways. Statistics show that more than 50 per cent of Ontario’s small business owners start their firms from scratch, about 25 per cent start with the purchase of an existing business, 20 per cent start with the takeover of a family business, and another five per cent are spin-offs.

Financing options also vary with most SMEs using a combination of resources. About 75 per cent of SMEs use a line of credit to finance their operations. More than one-third have a term loan. About 25 per cent use mortgages, personal loans and credit. Loans from family or friends remain the financing method of choice for about one in 10 small businesses.

Starting your own business requires a leap of faith. But the many positive attributes—including independence and the ability to balance work and family—are attractive, and many Ontarians appear eager to take the plunge. A recent survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business cites entrepreneurship, at 43 per cent, as the leading choice of Ontarians as the most rewarding career path.