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Press Release

McGuinty Government Investments Link Remote Communities

Ministry of Northern Development and Mines
January 16, 2007 - 014

Construction Begins On Winter Roads In Ontario’s Far North

SUDBURY – Construction of nearly 2,940 kilometres of winter roads to connect remote communities in the province’s Far North is underway with the help of an Ontario government investment, Northern Development and Mines Minister Rick Bartolucci announced today.

“The economic and social importance of the winter roads to isolated northern communities that are accessible only by air during other times of the year cannot be overstated,” said Bartolucci. “We appreciate that our government’s contribution to the Far North’s winter roads network is critical for lowering transportation costs and providing alternative access during the winter.”

In November, the minister announced that the McGuinty government had committed $3.5 million for this winter’s seasonal roads network, enabling 21 First Nations organizations and the Town of Moosonee to build 2,940 kilometres of seasonal roads.

The roads are built over frozen ground and waterways to connect communities in the Far North to the province’s permanent highway and rail systems. Weather permitting, the winter roads are in use from freeze up until late March. In most cases, the communities cost-share and manage the construction. Since 2003, investments in infrastructure, postsecondary education, research and innovation and key economic sectors have helped strengthen Ontario's economic foundations and continue to build opportunity.

Information on winter roads conditions is available from each community. A list of road construction projects is attached, and a map of the winter road network and community contacts may be found at: http://www.mndm.gov.on.ca/mndm/nordev/wroads/default_e.asp

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Contacts:

Laura Blondeau
Minister’s Office – Sudbury
(705) 564-7454

Terry Bryson
MNDM – Sault Ste. Marie
(705) 945-5926

Backgrounder / Press Release

2006-2007 WINTER ROADS PROGRAM

Twenty-one First Nations organizations and the Town of Moosonee are using an Ontario government investment of $3,480,700 to build 2,940 kilometres of seasonal roads this winter.

1. Asheweig Winter Road Corporation - $556,500 - A 474-kilometre winter road network connecting the communities of Big Trout Lake, Wapekeka, Kasabonika Lake, Wawakapewin, Wunnumin Lake and Kingfisher Lake First Nations to the Pickle North all-season road.
2. Bearskin Lake First Nation - $111,300 - A 106-kilometre winter road running northeasterly from Muskrat Dam to the community.
3. Cat Lake First Nation - $183,750 - A 175-kilometre winter road from Pickle Lake to Cat Lake First Nation.
4. Deer Lake First Nation - $110,775 - An 88-kilometre winter road running west from North Spirit Lake to Deer Lake.
5. Fort Severn First Nation - $245,700 - A 234-kilometre winter road from the community to the Ontario border near Shamattawa, MB.
6. Keewaywin First Nation - $96,600 - A 92-kilometre winter road beginning at Magiss Lake and stretching to the community on the east end of Sandy Lake.
7. Koocheching First Nation - $21,600 - A 12-kilometre winter road to connect with the Keewaywin road.
8. Matawa First Nations Management - $596,925 - A 511-kilometre network of winter roads and trails connecting Nibinimik (Summer Beaver), Neskatanga (Lansdowne House), Eabametoong (Fort Hope) and Marten Falls to the all-season roads system.
9. Moose Cree First Nation - $25,200 - An eight-kilometre winter ice road to connect to Moosonee. 
10. Muskrat Dam First Nation - $170,100 - A 108-kilometre winter connector road from Muskrat Dam to Round Lake.
11. North Caribou Lake First Nation - $57,750 - A 42-kilometre winter road from the end of the Pickle North all-season road to Round Lake and across the lake to the community.
12. North Spirit Lake First Nation - $182,700 - A 116-kilometre winter road running northward from the end of the Nungessor all-season road.
13. North West Angle First Nation - $38,800 - A 70-kilometre winter road from Windigo Island to Kenora.
14. Pikangikum First Nation - $51,975 - A 33-kilometre winter road from the Nungessor all-season road to the community.
15. Poplar Hill First Nation - $51,450 - A 49-kilometre truck-standard winter road to connect into Pikangikum. 
16. Sachigo Lake First Nation - $73,500 - A 70-kilometre winter road running northwesterly from Muskrat Dam to the community.
17. Sandy Lake First Nation - $115,500 - A 110-kilometre winter road connecting with the Deer Lake road at Duckling Lake.
18. Temagami First Nation - $12,600 - A 12-kilometre winter road from Temagami Access Road to Bear Island.
19. Town of Moosonee - $18,300 - Two ramps required for the winter road to Moose Factory Island.
20. Webequie First Nation - $115,500 - A 110-kilometre winter road from Neskantaga to Webequie.
21. Weenusk First Nation - $210,000 - A 200-kilometre winter road from Peawanuck to Fort Severn.
22. 3981584 Ontario Inc. - $434,175 - A 320-kilometre truck winter road from Moosonee to Attawapiskat via Fort Albany and Kashechewan.

Assembly of First Nations Bulletin A Communiqué from National Chief Phil Fontaine January 2007

The Assembly of First Nations issues regular updates on the National Chief’s activities and work underway at the national office.

More information can be found on the AFN’s website at www.afn.ca.

New Challenges for 2007

A new year is upon us and with it come new challenges and new opportunities. It also provides an opportunity to reflect on past accomplishments. Among these is the agreement reached for Residential School Survivors. The court ratification process is almost wrapped up, and the courts that have given decisions so far have been very supportive of the settlement. We will soon be in a 5 month court mandated review period allowing survivors the opportunity to assess the agreement. I, personally, and the AFN as a whole, continue to believe that this agreement is just and fair and is essential for survivors to begin the process of healing, recovery and wellness for the future.

First Nations were deeply disappointed about the federal Government’s decision last year to not support the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. AFN is continuing to work internationally to advance First Nations interests. If you would like to send a letter to the UN to express your concerns about Canada’s stance on the Declaration, a template and contact information is available on our website (www.afn.ca).

The Government’s approach to changes to section 67 of the Canadian Human Rights Act and Matrimonial Real Property (MRP) also cause concern. The AFN supports changes in both of these areas, however, we are adamant that such changes must be pursued respectful of the duty to consult and in a manner that recognizes and supports the jurisdiction of First Nation governments to protect the collective and individual human rights of their citizens. The Government’s approach to these two issues may be characterized as an attempt to achieve a quick fix rather than working with First Nations to find substantial and enduring remedies.

In November, I co-chaired the National Aboriginal Health Summit with Premier Campbell where all governments reaffirmed their commitment to close the gap in health status between First Nations and other Canadians. Premier Gary Doer will host a second Health Summit later this year where further progress on First Nations health interests is expected to be made. To ensure that the federal government is fully engaged on advancing First Nations health priorities, I signed a joint health work plan with Health Minister Tony Clement at our December Special Chiefs Assembly. Our work with Minister Clement will improve access and the quality of health services, and ensure that essential changes are made in the federal system to provide greater control to First Nations.

First Nations scored a major victory in the Supreme Court of Canada late last year. The AFN intervened in two cases, Sappier-Polchies and Gray. These cases involved individuals charged with a forestry offence. The court decision established that Maliseet and Mi’ikmaq have an Aboriginal right to harvest wood for domestic purposes on their traditional territory. In this context, the AFN was able to raise several original arguments that were adopted by the court, including the scope of the Aboriginal right (“domestic use”) and the failure of the Crown to show that Colonial legislatures ever had the authority to extinguish Aboriginal rights. The AFN continues to monitor and be involved, where possible, in relevant Supreme Court of Canada business.

Prime Minister Harper recently shuffled his cabinet. Indian Affairs Minister, Jim Prentice, and the Minister of Health, Tony Clement, remain in their current positions -- AFN plans to continue to build on our relationships with them. We also anticipate working closely with the new Environment Minister, John Baird. As you know, environmental issues such as global warming, pollution, and contamination directly impact many First Nation communities. We cannot let another year, another season, pass without taking immediate steps to deal with these dire concerns. The AFN expects to become much more involved in this issue over the coming year.

At our Special Chiefs Assembly in December, we saw that many other important issues remain to be resolved, and a number of important events will take place over the next few months to address several of them:

• January 23-25 will see the National Aboriginal Economic Development Symposium take place in Saskatoon;
• On February 6-8 the National Housing & Water Policy Forum will take place in Toronto; and
• A National Aboriginal Women’s Summit will take place in June in Corner Brook, Newfoundland.

AFN is also expecting to hold a special forum on Matrimonial Real Property in the very near future, as well as a national conference on Historic Treaties. Information on these and other events will be sent to communities as it becomes available and will be posted on our website. I should also note, as I had committed at our last Special Chiefs Assembly, you can expect to see significant changes in how our Assemblies are run in the future. We are working to establish more effective ways of conducting our Assemblies, including how we effectively deal with resolutions.

As I look to the coming year, there will continue to be a range of challenges and opportunities. There will most likely be another federal election sometime this year. First Nations’ voter participation increased by 8 percent in last year’s federal election. Last month, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Elections Canada to enter into the second phase of a voter education campaign for First Nations. The goal of this campaign is to create educational tools and opportunities for First Nation citizens to make a choice about participating in electoral processes. I feel strongly that First Nations can make a difference by exercising their right to vote.

Regardless of whether or not an election takes place, the AFN continues to advance a set of priorities with which ever government is in power. We launched the Make Poverty History for First Nations campaign last fall, and as a part of this we undertook a wide range of initiatives that continue to drive us in the New Year. Central to this is the First Nations Plan, which builds on the resolutions and the policy positions adopted by the Chiefs-in-Assembly. In the coming months we will turn our energies to Creating Opportunities for our communities, opportunities for hope and success.

We saw an example of the potential of First Nations youth early in this New Year when millions of hockey fans in Canada and around the world witnessed the incredible goaltending of Carey Price as he led Team Canada to its third consecutive championship at the World Junior Hockey Tournament. Carey’s mother is Chief Lynda Price of the Ulkatcho First Nation at Anahim Lake in northern British Columbia. Carey is now 19 and playing Junior hockey for the Tri-City Americans in Oregon, and has been drafted by the Montreal Canadiens. Most importantly, Carey is an inspiration and a role model for all First Nations youth. Congratulations are due to Carey and his family! We look forward to seeing him on the national and international stage for many years to come.

I want to take this opportunity to wish you the very best in this New Year and reaffirm my commitment to work on your behalf to the utmost of my abilities.

Meegwetch and Happy New Year!

Assembly of First Nations, 473 Albert Street, Suite 810, Ottawa, Ontario K1R 5B4 Tel: (613) 241-6789 Toll-free: 1-866-869-6789 Fax: (613) 241-5808 www.afn.ca

FN Power Summit -Opponents, Proponents or Partners?

March 9 & 10, 2007— Calgary Sheraton Suites

Jim Prentice, the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, Premiers, Hydro companies and Alternative Energy Companies will present at the “FN Power Summit” conference in Calgary. The conference runs March 9 &10, at the Sheraton Suites Hotel, and is expected to draw over two hundred people, so register early.

Canada is an emerging energy superpower. First Nation land and water provide unique operational and financial leverage. The conference will explore:

• What leads to successful relationships between First Nations, Power companies and governments?
• What principles and models lead to opportunity and wealth?
• How can First Nations help develop energy projects “Opponents, Proponents or Partners”?
• What is the role and direction of Provincial and Federal Governments' long-term energy plans?
• What are the implications for the production of electricity?

“We are pleased to announce that our program co-chairs will be Willie Littlechild, Elmer Derrick, Strater Crowfoot and Matt Vickers,” stated Ken Thomas, CEO of First Nation Network and host of the conference.

Who should attend: First Nation leaders and managers, Chiefs, Councilors, Tribal Councils, Provincial and Territorial Organizations, AFOA members and CANDO members. Ministers, Policy Advisors and Analysts as well as executives and managers of Power Utilities, significant energy consumers, independent power producers and marketers, lawyers, consultants and government employees are also invited.

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For further information, please contact:

Ken Thomas, CEO, First Nation Network,
E: ken.thomas@sasktel.net.
T: 306.241.5655, F: 306-664-7176
Website: www.firstnationnetwork.com

Indigenous Film Network - The Tour
is coming to Sioux Lookout
January 21 and 22
at the Nishnawbe Gamik Friendship Centre.

PAMELA MATTHEWS, from the Sachigo Lake First Nation, is an accomplished director, filmmaker and actor and she will host MOVIE NIGHTS in Sioux lookout!

Pamela recently appeared as Denise David in "Indian Summer: the Oka Crisis" and as Carolyn George (Dudley George’s sister) in “One Dead Indian”. Her other television roles include Renegadepress.com, The Rez, Destiny Ridge, Street Legal and North of 60, for which she was nominated for a Gemini Award for her guest starring role of Suzie Muskrat. Pam has also appeared in theatres across the country, most notably in “The Rez Sisters” at Alberta Theatre Projects, Sunshine Theatre and Theatre Aquarius.

Sunday January 21st   - 8:00PM

~ The Journals of Knud Rasmussen by Zacharius Kunuk and Norman Cohn ~

Monday January 22nd  – 8:00PM

• ~ Smudge by Gail Maurice ~
• ~ The Winter Chill by Paul M. Rickard, starring Dakota House and Glen Gould ~
• ~ A Shot in the Dark by Pamela Matthews ~

Nishnawbe Gamik Friendship Centre
 
TICKET PRICES – One Purchase for all Screenings (4 films)

• $10.00       Single Ticket
• $15.00       Couple
• $20.00       Family Pass [2 Adults 2 Kids]
• Free          Elders & Youth

Doors Open 7:30pm

Need info? Call Laurel Wood at 737-2174

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KUNUK COHN PRODUCTIONS
IGLOOLIK ISUMA PRODUCTIONS
BAROK FILM
PRESENT

A FILM BY ZACHARIAS KUNUK AND NORMAN COHN
“THE JOURNALS OF KNUD RASMUSSEN”

After completing “Atanarjuat The Fast Runner,” set in the mythological past in a community whose balance of life had not changed for 4,000 years, Zacharias Kunuk and Norman Cohn chose to depict a series of events that took place in 1922, when Shamanism was replaced by Christianity – and the balance of life was changed forever.

Kunuk was inspired to make the film for “a first audience that is Inuit: elders who are still alive and young people looking for a future beyond boredom, unemployment and suicide. It tries to answer two questions that haunted me my whole life: Who were we? And what happened to us?” Cohn adds “If the Inuit of “The Fast Runner” ended up in church, then the Inuit depicted in the “The Journals of Knud Rasmussen” have ended up in today’s headlines, all too often living desperate lives on the margins of society.”

For the team at Igloolik Isuma Productions, the best result of making “The Fast Runner,” was that many Inuit in the community discovered great things could be accomplished today through the same collaboration and teamwork on which the very survival of their people had once depended. The central rule of life, anchored in collaborative community effort, had not often been demonstrated since the changeover took place in 1922.

Igloolik Isuma’s mission begins and ends with the community. Depicting the lives of ancestors of people who worked on the production recognizes, dignifies and honors people who had a good sense of the world and their place in it, and thereby draws renewed sustaining energy into our world.

“We believe happy people should not worry about hidden things. Our spirits are offended if we think too much.” Avva

The words of the last great Iglulik shaman, Avva, and his life story, were recorded by the Danish adventurer Knud Rasmussen on his 5th Thule Expedition across the Canadian Arctic. Avva followed ancestral rules and taboos because they worked to protect human kind. They came out of life and were turned toward life.

SYNOPSIS

Iglulik, 1922-23. Real people, Actual events.
The great shaman, Avva, and his family are living on the land some distance from Iglulik, his home community that lately has taken up the teachings of Christian missionaries.

Explorer/adventurer Knud Rasmussen pays Avva a visit, accompanied by two fellow Danes: trader Peter Freuchen and anthropologist Therkel Mathiassen. Rasmussen hears and records Avva’s life story and that of his wife Orulu.Their son, Natar, impulsively agrees to guide Freuchen and Mathiassen north to Iglulik.

After a celebration, Rasmussen leaves to head west while Avva, facing strong headwinds, sets out with his family and guests en route for home. His beautiful daughter, Apak, has troubling dreams about the road ahead. In an oral culture that never anchored its history with pen and paper, digital technology today affords new opportunities for storytellers.

High-definition cameras are particularly well suited to the ancient art and values of Inuit storytelling, which invites viewers directly into a world of sentient beings – with no introductions – welcome to watch, listen and think for themselves.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ISUMA and "The Journals of Knud Rasmussen", GO TO: www.isuma.ca

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A Filmmakers Journey through Ipperwash
and the Murder of Chippewa activist Dudley George

Dudley George was the first person killed in a land claims dispute in the 20th century.

On September 4, 1995, Dudley George was one of thirty or so unarmed protesters, including Elders, women and children, who peacefully occupied Ipperwash Provincial Park to protest the destruction of their burial ground and a fifty year delay in returning their tribal land.

The Ontario Provincial government immediately ordered the Ontario Provincial Police to take steps to remove the Indians from the park. 

On the evening of September 6, under the cover of darkness, two hundred members of the heavily armed Tactical Response Unit moved in on the protesters.

The filmmaker’s journey:

Pamela spent many childhood summers camping at CFB Ipperwash where her father was the resident doctor for the cadets in training. Of course, she had no idea of the on-going land dispute. Then, on Labour day weekend, 1995, she met Dudley George during the peaceful occupation of the park – only to find out two days later that he had been killed by the OPP.  Soon after, Pam was hired by the George legal team to help on the case - and, in 2004, she played the role of Carolyn George in the CTV movie, “One Dead Indian”.

Produced, Directed, Written and Edited by
Pamela Matthews 
for York University’s MFA Master’s Thesis in Film Production
Thunderbird Productions     (DV/DVD 58min)
590B Roehampton Avenue,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada    M4P 1S8
(C) 416.997.3046     (T) 416.481.2848
Email:  pamelamatthews@sympatico.ca         
Website:   www.pamelamatthews.ca

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Upcoming scheduled visits to the remote northern First Nations include:

Indigenous Film Network Tour Schedule

TEAM A – Pamela Matthewa, Kyle Corston

Bearskin Lake 

Mon 15 – JKR
Tues 16 – Winter Chill; Shot in the Dark

Sachigo Lake 

Wed 17 – JKR
Thurs 18 – Winter Chill; Shot in the Dark
Fri 19 – Atanarjuat

Sioux Lookout 

Sun 21 – JKR,
Mon 22 – Winter Chill; Shot in the Dark

Big Trout 

Tues 23 – JKR,
Wed 24 – Winter Chill; Shot in the Dark

Wapekeka 

Thurs 25 – JKR

Cat Lake 

Fri 26 – JKR,
Sat 27 – Winter Chill; Shot in the Dark,
Sun 28 – Atanarjuat

TEAM B – Gail Maurice, Shawn Henry

Kingfisher 

Mon 15 – JKR
Tues 16 – Winter Chill; Shot in the Dark

Wunnumin 

Wed 17 – JKR
Thurs 18 – Winter Chill; Shot in the Dark

Weagamow Lake  

Fri 19 – JKR
Sat 20 – Winter Chill; Shot in the Dark
Sun 21 – Atanarjuat

Fort Hope 

Tues 23 – JKR
Wed 24 – Winter Chill; Shot in the Dark

Poplar Hill 

Fri 26 – JKR
Sat 27 – Winter Chill; Shot in the Dark
Sun 28 – Atanarjuat

Pikangikum 

Mon 29 – JKR
Tues 30 – Winter Chill; Shot in the Dark

Deer Lake 

Wed 31 – JKR
Thurs FEB 1 – W. Chill; Shot in Dark

North Spirit Lake 

Fri FEB 2 – JKR
Sat FEB 3 – Winter Chill; Shot in Dark
Sun FEB 4 - Atanarjuat

Workshops will be held in some communities.
Call Jacquie Carpenter, tour manager for more info. 416 535 1962 acquiec@isuma.ca

From http://www.kenoradailyminerandnews.com/News/280768.html

Whitedog school closed until further notice
By Mike Aiken - Miner and News - Monday January 15, 2007

Roughly 230 students at Wabaseemoong First Nation School have been told to stay home this week as the community addresses air quality issues in the facility.

Band councillor Waylon Scott said they’re concerned about illnesses related to mold and airborne asbestos.

“The principal’s been flooded with calls from concerned parents,” he said Monday morning.

The beleaguered building has been the subject of studies and makeshift repairs in recent years, as the First Nation and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada argued over plans for new construction.

National Chief Phil Fontaine of the Assembly of First Nations and Treaty Grand Chief Arnold Gardner have both been involved in lobbying efforts to speed up the approval process, after overcrowding forced a teacher to give up the front room of their home to make way for a classroom.

The staff room has also been converted to a special education room for 12 children, as staff tried to deal with 320 students last fall. Scott said some students may be staying home because they weren’t getting enough help with their lessons, while parents may be keeping their children home over health concerns.

Complaints have included headaches and nausea, with adult staff also reporting concerns, Scott added. The principal had recommended the closure of the school. His decision has since been supported by band council.

Scott also said the air quality concerns were part of a report done for Indian and Northern Affairs Canada two years ago, which were confirmed by a new independent study.

Indian and Northern Affairs spokesman Tony Prudori confirmed the situation at the school, saying it would be closed from Jan. 15 to 19 for repairs. He noted Health Canada had been called to help deal with the air quality issues.

Prudori noted the department had made $220,000 available for repairs to the school, which were completed before the end of 2005 and included the heating and ventilation system. Indian Affairs has also offered to pay for a portable in order to ease overcrowding, he said.

Prudori added the department is continuing to work with the First Nation, in light of the most recent report, again offering financial assistance to carry out repairs.

A spokesman for the minister’s office in Gatineau, Que., Patricia Valladeo, said they were hoping to schedule a meeting later this week, but weren’t able to release details. She also wasn’t able to comment on the details of the reports, but said she would be looking into both matters.

A new building to replace the 34-year-old school could cost $18 million, with design and tendering processes yet to be completed. The existing structure was built on clay, which means the foundation is sinking, leading to problems with shifting walls, bent door frames and the electrical panel separating from the wall in the maintenance area.

Problems with heating led to burst pipes last Christmas, which meant there was a flood in the gym that led to the buckling of wooden floorboards.

The Treasury Board Secretariat was expected to provide preliminary project approval by the end of January, setting the stage for detailed design work and more precise cost estimates.
The process was not supposed to be delayed by the recent cabinet shuffle, in which former president John Baird made way for Vic Toews.

Whitedog is a community of about 1,700, including 878 living on-reserve, which is located about an hour’s drive northeast of Kenora.

The six First Nations SchoolNet Regional Management Organizations (RMOs) from across Canada met via video conference with the new program administration on Friday, January 12. This was the first RMO meeting with INAC officials since the December 1 announcement that the First Nations SchoolNet program would be moved from Industry Canada to INAC.

Juliet Balfour, Director of Operations - Education Branch, Indian & Northern Affairs Canada,  chaired the meeting. She provided an update on the work that has been completed to date and the work that is required to ensure the program is able to continue beyond its March 31, 2007 end date. She praised the RMOs for their past successes and indicated that the transfer from one federal department to another is a good indication that the program is viewed positively by the government.

The INAC officials are now preparing a Memorandum to Cabinet to continue the program for the next two years.

The First Nations SchoolNet program has provided FN schools across the country with the dollars required to construct and pay for broadband connectivity solutions so students in these remote and rural community can develop online skills and resources. In previous years, the FNS program also provided professional development training and workshop, online activities along with the hardware and software resources required to support the use of these broadband connections.

First Nation leaders and schools are encouraged to lobby INAC officials, especial INAC Minister Prentice, at every opportunity to ensure this funding program is continued.

The following seven stories from the Sun Media highlight the challenges faced by Aboriginal people in Canadian society thanks to racist attitudes and systemic discrimination. The titles of these six stories that appear today in different Sun Media online news sites are:

• Borne the brunt - Aboriginals target of racism, stereotyping
• History lessons a textbook case of racism, Ottawan says
• Love ... and hate - 9/11's echoes and mixed bliss
• Canadians admit racist tendencies
• Natives say they get no respect - Cultural stereotyping rampant
• Aboriginal women gain job, life skills - The potential for profit
• 'Still a lot of racism' - But City of Edmonton trying to remove barriers for aboriginal people: expert

From http://winnipegsun.com/News/Canada/2007/01/15/3382356-sun.html

Borne the brunt - Aboriginals target of racism, stereotyping
By JOYANNE PURSAGA, STAFF REPORTER - Mon, January 15, 2007

As a teenager, he learned a brutal lesson about racism.

"We were sitting in a park and a bunch of non-aboriginal guys came and beat the hell out of us," recalled David Chartrand, president of the Manitoba Metis Federation. "At that time we found out the reason they beat us up was because we were a bunch of natives sitting in a park. Where does this hostility come from?"

Linda Simard faced similar hostility, although less overt, when her skin didn't match job interviewers' expectations.

"They would talk to me on the phone, but in person I could guarantee I wouldn't get a job. The enthusiasm just went away," said Simard, a 57-year-old Metis woman who has been looking for work the past two years. "I think it's a big problem for Metis people, unless the person can pass themselves off as white."

On this, Day 2 of a six-part Sun Media series on racism and tolerance, Chartrand and Simard's stories illustrate how Canada's aboriginal people have borne the brunt of prejudice through the years.
 
Poverty rates remain high in aboriginal communities, fueling social problems and feeding harmful stereotypes. The 2001 census found 32.5% of the country's aboriginal population had low-income status, compared with 27.2% of all visible minority people and 12.4% of the non-aboriginal population.

And while racism has become more subtle, it's still around, said Chartrand.

"A lot of times the colour of your skin and the way you're dressed leads people to come to conclusions quite quickly," said Chartrand.

He said tolerance is increasing but some stereotypes die hard.

"If you're aboriginal, you fall into these categories of welfare recipient and drug abuser. All these images flash into the eyes of the judge, without knowing the person," said Chartrand. "We're slowly clawing our way out of there, but it is slower than we expected."

He said education is the key to change.

"To combat racism, you have to build self-esteem in your people and ensure they feel equal in society," said Chartrand. "We need to understand and educate more."

Behind bars

One place where aboriginals aren't a minority is in many Canadian prisons. Wendy Whitecloud, a law professor specializing in aboriginal issues at the University of Manitoba, said aboriginal people are greatly over-represented behind bars.

Nationally, aboriginal people made up 2.7% of the Canadian population but account for 18.5% of the federal prison population, according to the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. In Manitoba, aboriginals make up 70% of the total prisoner population, according to Statistics Canada. In Saskatchewan, that figure is a staggering 77%.

Whitecloud said such facts can trigger racist attitudes, when people fail to seek out the root causes of criminal acts.

"It's something that seems to be really ingrained in the West that aboriginal folks just don't have the respect of the larger community and stereotypes fit into that process," said Whitecloud.

Yet some aboriginal people believe the focus on racism would be better directed to address immediate social problems for the community.

"The issue of racism has gotten out of hand. It baffles me that we focus on that when we need to get our children to school and kids shouldn't be having kids. Those are things we should focus on rather than racism," said Madeline Hatch, an aboriginal Winnipegger.

Hatch said over-sensitivity can lead too many issues to be defined as racially motivated.

"A lot of times people yell out 'racism' when it has nothing to do with racism," said Hatch.

Hatch says people should stop focussing on racism and start addressing social problems affecting the aboriginal community.

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From http://ottsun.canoe.ca/News/National/2007/01/15/3382752-sun.html

History lessons a textbook case of racism, Ottawan says
By LAURA CZEKAJ, OTTAWA SUN - Mon, January 15, 2007

A young Jerry Lanouette learned about his Aboriginal ancestors in Ottawa schools from textbooks that called them "savages" and "killers."

"A lot of our textbooks taught us that Indians were savages and pagans and that we scalped settlers without provocation. That we went on war parties and burned and pillaged settlers' villages," recalled the now-46-year-old.

"But nowhere in the history textbooks do they mention how Aboriginal people actually saved the lives of many settlers and showed them how to live in the harsh climate and conditions."

It hasn't been that long since those overtly racist lessons were being taught in Ottawa and in cities across the country, Lanouette, who is the executive director of the Odawa Native Friendship Centre, pointed out yesterday.

"A lot of our so-called Baby Boomers are about my age, so they were also taught the same things through our education systems," he said. "So most of our policy-making and decision-making bureaucrats that are in government today are products of that era and that environment. So you wonder how much of that train of thought and perception is really deep-rooted in their beliefs and if their actions are affected."
 
Following the recent murder of Kelly Morriseau, a young Native woman who was found dead in Gatineau Park, Lanouette said, the media and the public seemed to focus more on the police comments about her possible involvement in prostitution than on the fact that she was a young woman whose death left her children motherless.

"To me, that's just going into that stereotypical approach of what a Native is," he said. "A lot of people see us as lazy, uneducated drunks with social issues."

But there is hope for the next generation to learn from mistakes made by their predecessors, said Lanouette.

"I think it's (the Aboriginal community's) responsibility to educate and raise awareness of Aboriginal people within mainstream society," he said. "But again, that's an arduous task without the proper resources."

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From http://www.ottawasun.com/News/National/2007/01/15/3382753-sun.html

Love ... and hate - 9/11's echoes and mixed bliss
By VIVIAN SONG, NATIONAL BUREAU - Mon, January 15, 2007
 
The news didn't come as a surprise but the expectation didn't dull the sting of the truth either.

When told that a Leger Marketing poll for Sun Media revealed that Canadians have the lowest opinion of the Arab community, Khaled Mouammar didn't pause or express alarm.

Instead there was a slight sigh of resignation as the president of the Canadian Arab Federation -- who is not Muslim -- launched into a frank dialogue on the state of Arab-Canadian relations.

"What you're saying confirms that when people have low esteem of an ethnic group, they're not going to hire them, or socialize with them," Mouammar said. "This is why young Arabs and Muslim youth are facing issues of low self-esteem, alienation and marginalization."

Little more than half of Canadians polled had a good opinion of the Arab community at 53%, while other groups received majority approval.
 
Mouammar pointed to a recent 2006 report from the Canadian Labour Congress that found unemployment rates were highest among Arab and West Asian populations in Canada at 14%, followed by Blacks at 11.5%.

His concerns were echoed by the executive director of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, who also called for less talk and more implementation of antiracism legislation such as the Employment Equity Act.

"Canada on the surface has viable legislation that deals with racism but the implementation side is lacking," said Ayman Al-Yassini.

"Members of racialized groups are not getting jobs they're qualified to fill because of stereotyping."

The latest annual report out of the Canadian Human Rights Commission, in 2005, chastizes the public sector for continuing to underutilize visible minorities. They hold just 8.1% of all public sector jobs, while the private sector was applauded for its overall representation.

The stunning arrests of 17 terror suspects in Toronto last summer also brought the Anti-terrorism Act to the fore.

The act is an institutional form of discrimination, Mouammar charged.

"Instead of saying these are accused, alleged suspects, Prime Minister Stephen Harper congratulated the security forces. He really convicted them publicly before they were tried in courts."

But not everyone agrees.

"We demand that Charter rights be granted to all and that people be presumed innocent. But we don't think the Canadian government has acted contrary to that at all," said Munir Pervaiz, secretary of the Muslim Canadian Congress.

In fact, Pervaiz called on Muslim-Canadians to do their part in educating Canadians, saying that instead of showing the diversity of the Muslim world they've chosen to "Arabicize" themselves, feeding the confusion.

"It's our duty to let Canada know what the true face of a Muslim is. It's very diverse, multinational and comes from a community as diverse as Canada now -- the Far East, Turkey, North Africa, India, and Sri Lanka."

NOT TRUTHFUL

Meanwhile, 47% of Canadians may admit to being somewhat racist, but one expert questions if the 51% of people who believe they're not are being truthful to themselves.

"We may not see ourselves as racist but we all have some kinds of racist attitudes to some extent," said Tuula Heinonen, an associate professor at the University of Manitoba specializing in cross-cultural adaptation.

Respondents likely interpreted the label differently, she explained, with some linking "racist" with behaviour -- never having assaulted someone because of their race may be enough for some to shirk the label.

"I think it's a good thing to realize you might be racist and that maybe you should think about it," she said. "If people are willing to admit, they might be more willing to do something about it."

---

Scott Young and Helen Kim, a mixed race couple, relax in their Toronto home with son Noah, 2. "Intermarrying is the last frontier in social integration." says Anne Millan, author of the 2004 report Mixed Unions.

It's called yellow fever.

A social phenomenon that describes the preference -- usually among men -- for Asian partners.

And it was precisely Scott Young's immunity to the "fever" that Helen Kim, a Canadian-Korean, felt drawn to him, she says laughing.

"Part of what attracted me to him was because he had never dated an Asian before," she says in her Toronto-area home with son Noah, 2, in her lap.

"There was no legacy of yellow fever here," Young jokes in return.

Theirs is becoming an increasingly common story in Canada where mixed unions are on the rise.

According to Statistics Canada, interracial couples made up 3%, or 452,000, of Canada's married or common-law couples in 2001 -- that's up 35% since 1991.

But while the majority of respondents had no problem dealing with a taxi driver, doctor, supervisor or neighbour of another ethnicity, their response was markedly different when asked how they would feel if their child were to intermarry.

Sixteen per cent say it would depend on the race, and 9% said they would react negatively.

"People in mixed unions tend to be younger, live in urban areas, and tend to be highly educated," said Anne Milan, senior analyst at StatsCan and author of the 2004 report titled Mixed Unions.

Experts attribute the rise to Canada's growing diversity.

And some sociologists, like University of Toronto professor Monica Boyd, describe the growing trend as a barometer of social tolerance since marriage is such a binding union between two separate identities.

"Intermarrying is the last frontier in social integration," she said. "It's an intimate fact that produces the next generation. It's one of the most important indicators of acceptance and integration into an ongoing social world."

SMALLER POOL

Milan's study found that the Japanese are the most likely to partner outside their group. The long Canadian heritage of the Japanese community partially explains why they have the highest proportion of mixed unions, Milan says. But unlike the Chinese and South Asians, who are among the least likely to intermarry, the Japanese also have a smaller pool of eligible partners within their own group to choose from, she added.

And what of the children born of these mixed unions? It's often said mixed babies make for beautiful children and Noah is no exception. His features are distinct, a hypnotic blend of Caucasian and Asian traits: Dark, round eyes set in almond hollows, soft chestnut hair and impossibly porcelain skin.

But if intermarriages result in mixed children, is there a fear of cultural and ethnic dilution?

"The only thing I'm more worried about is if he gravitates more towards one culture," Young said.

Noah is a bright young tot with a growing vocabulary -- an English one.

He is already well-versed in hockey jargon -- and deft with a stick-- but only recently learned from his grandmother how to count in Korean.

Kim likens Noah's mixed heritage to her own identity as a Canadian-Korean: She takes the best of both worlds.

"I'll sign him up for Korean lessons but I won't force him. Just how I'll sign him up for French and Spanish," Kim said.

She's already anticipated a scenario in which Noah will be forced to gaze back at himself.

"I asked Scott how he would handle it when Noah comes home crying because someone called him a Ch---," she said.

For now, Noah sits quietly in his mother's lap.

His parents, too, have fallen into a brief silence when asked if it would bother them were their adult son to come home with a partner of another race.

Kim comes back with a resounding "no," while Young offers a more cautious response.

"I have no issue with ethnicity. I have an issue with personality. If it's a culture that forces him to change and become different, we probably wouldn't want that. As long as he can make his own decisions."

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From http://www.ottawasun.com/News/National/2007/01/15/3382754-sun.html

Canadians admit racist tendencies
By KATHLEEN HARRIS, NATIONAL BUREAU - Mon, January 15, 2007

OTTAWA -- Shattering the myth of Canada as a colour-blind nation, nearly half of Canadians admit they're at least a bit racist, a startling Sun Media poll reveals.

The sweeping survey of attitudes toward immigrant ethnic communties, conducted by Leger Marketing, produced eyebrow-raising results by asking Canadians to take an honest look in the mirror.

While 51% insist they aren't at all racist, another 47% confess they harbour at least some racist views -- and that their prejudice is planted firmly at the door of Arab minorities.

"Canada prides itself on being an accepting country that is a number of different ethnic communities coming together, and obviously immigration is a big part of where we've come as a country," said Dave Scholz, vice-president of Leger Marketing.

"But , that being said, almost half of us still believe that there are some racist undertones within our behaviour."

Our bigotry doesn't evenly blanket all minority groups.

The survey found most Canadians hold a high opinion of Italian, Latin American, Asian, Jewish and Black communities, yet only 53% said they think well of members of the Arab community.

Those figures suggest a post-9/11 backlash that is unfairly tarring all Arabs with the same brush as the Taliban, Scholz said. They also reflect the power of media coverage and world affairs in shaping personal views of our neighbours at home.

"I find it worrisome that coverage could potentially lead the Canadian population to be prejudiced or racist against an entire group," he said.

The poll also shows that while most Canadians would vote for a prime minister from an ethnic group other than their own, 21% believe some races are more gifted than others. And while we're okay with a taxi driver, supervisor, doctor or neighbour who's of another race, we're ill at ease with the idea of our son or daughter entering a cross-cultural marriage.

"With politics, it's more about how you deal with people and who you are than about what ethnic community you come from. But when you start to personalize it ... then that's a different case," Scholz said.

REDNECK

The poll also proves Alberta's "redneck" image is undeserved, with 6% fewer people than the national average saying they hold some racist views. Ontarians are also less racist than most Canadians, while Prairie dwellers are 2% higher than the average.

Because Sun Media's Racial Tolerance Report was compiled through an online survey, Scholz said results are even more accurate than if carried out by other methods that provide less anonymity.

This online Leger Marketing poll, commissioned by Sun Media, surveyed a representative national sample of 3,092 adult Canadians between Dec. 27, 2006, and Jan. 5, 2007. Responses are considered accurate within plus or minus 1.8 percentage points 19 times out of 20.

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From http://torontosun.com/News/OtherNews/2007/01/15/3382689-sun.html

Natives say they get no respect - Cultural stereotyping rampant
By BRETT CLARKSON, TORONTO SUN - Mon, January 15, 2007

As the only aboriginal kid in school, Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux was frequently called a "squaw" and a "darky" by the white children.

"I'm resilient, so I fought my way through it and I survived it," she recalls.

Growing up in a home fraught with alcoholism and violence, she dropped out of high school at 16, only to return to university and finally completing her PhD in anthropology in her 40s.

Now Wesley-Esquimaux teaches aboriginal history and culture courses at the University of Toronto and Laurentian University to students of all backgrounds.

She says younger aboriginals are only recently beginning to show signs the community is recovering from the cultural stereotypes promoted by Hollywood and the trauma of the residential schools suffered by the older generations.

"The aboriginal community is stereotyped as uneducated for the most part, and that's certainly an issue we're grappling with," Wesley-Esquimaux says. "You know, that they don't like to work, that they're lazy, that they work on 'Indian time', that they only come in when they feel like it. There's all kinds of biases and stereotypes."

Wesley-Esquimaux, who lives on the Georgina Island reserve in Lake Simcoe, said the sad scenes of native men staggering drunk on Toronto streets misleads the public to believe all aboriginals are alcoholics.

The reality is that most aboriginals are invisible to the mainstream population because they're too busy working and living like everybody else, she said. But the stereotypes still loom heavily.

"Because they're the only ones who are really visible, that's what people think Indians are," Wesley-Esquimaux says.

"And the reality is that alcoholism rates in a lot of communities are way, way down. This generation, who have pretty much begun the recovery process from the residential schools experience and a lot of that trauma, are just not drinking like that (anymore)," she said.

These days, Wesley-Esquimaux says, there's a heightened interest in the native community among both aboriginals and non-aboriginals. She also said she's rarely been the victim of any kind of racism in Toronto during her adult years.

Still, the community knows that great social challenges still exist and that poverty rates remain high. The 2001 census found 32.5% of the country's aboriginal population had low-income status, compared with 27.2% of all visible minorities and 12.4% of the non-aboriginal population.

STILL HAS OBSTACLES

And even if tolerance and education are on the rise, racism towards native people is still out there, even if it's subconscious, Wesley-Esquimaux says.

"If you're obviously, identifiably native, if your hair is long, people will have a tendency, whether they're conscious of it or not, to equate that with something in their own unconscious, their own biases," she says.

Wendy Whitecloud, a University of Manitoba law professor specializing in aboriginal issues, says the aboriginal community still has obstacles to overcome.

"It's something that's really ingrained in the West that aboriginal folks just don't have the respect of the larger community, and stereotypes fit into that process," Whitecloud says.

Wesley-Esquimaux says public stand-offs like the Caledonia conflict are frustrating to the community because it wants the federal government to step in and help resolve the situation in a positive way.

PAST INJUSTICES

She added there's some resentment in the community towards various levels of government for past injustices, and also because of the recent Caledonia and Deseronto land claim disputes.

Aboriginals need to rise above this resentment and sense of victimization, Wesley-Eaquimaux says. The community needs to foster a sense of pride in itself if it's going to overcome the social challenges it still faces, she said.

"Aboriginal people need to see themselves as victors, not victims," Wesley-Esquimaux says.

"Because they're still here in 2007... They've retained their cultures and spiritual values, and they did that in spite of so many different kinds of efforts, legislation, laws, and attempts to take it all away from them."

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From http://winnipegsun.com/Business/2007/01/15/3382345-sun.html

Aboriginal women gain job, life skills - The potential for profit
By JOYANNE PURSAGA, STAFF REPORTER - Mon, January 15, 2007
 
Two years into a fruitless job hunt, Linda Simard feared her working life was over.

Simard had held a job through most of her adult life, but after losing an office position, she was forced to collect welfare.

"I was feeling down because I couldn't get hired," said the 57-year-old Metis woman. "I felt like giving up."

Fast forward to today and Simard is preparing to launch her own business.

The recent graduate of the Self Employment Program for Aboriginal Women (SEPAW), offered at Ka Ni Kanichihk Inc., an aboriginal support centre in Winnipeg, hopes to launch a full-time cleaning and organization service within the next few months.

She said the program allowed her to see the profit potential in her own tidy habits.

SELF-SUSTAINING

"You don't always see yourself in a positive way when you're not working," said Simard.

Only low-income aboriginal women living in the Winnipeg area are eligible for the program. It aims to teach students how to start their own business and become self-sustaining.

The next course will last 21 weeks. It begins Feb. 5. The process includes life skills training and a 15-week period to develop a business plan.

Information sessions for applicants will be held Jan. 17 and 24 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the McDermot Avenue centre.

Ka Ni Kanichihk's executive director Leslie Spillett said the program offers a unique focus.

"Right now, we are the only self-employment program that focuses on aboriginal self-employment in Winnipeg," said Spillett. "We found current programs didn't seem to stay connected to aboriginal people in the same way."

Spillett said SEPAW allows women to learn in a space that adheres to aboriginal culture. A sacred area, for example, allows women to practice traditional tobacco ceremonies and prayer.

"Everything we teach centres around aboriginal methods," added Sharon McIlraith, the program's manager, noting the course includes an overview on First Nations and Metis culture.

The program is funded by grants through Service Canada, a federal government department, and is provided free to participants.

Spillett said the program teaches women to discover their full potential.

"A lot of women have a natural skill, so they need the ability to get someone to pay for this labour," said Spillett. "It's to get people to understand their life experiences can be turned into something positive."

The six participants who completed the last round of classes are now preparing to launch businesses in crafts, catering and fashion design.

Each will have financial support from social assistance for one year following the program's completion to allow them to invest in their businesses.

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From http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Edmonton/2007/01/15/3382542-sun.html

'Still a lot of racism' - But City of Edmonton trying to remove barriers for aboriginal people: expert
By AJAY BHARDWAJ, EDMONTON SUN - Mon, January 15, 2007

Lewis Cardinal has heard all of the stereotypes about aboriginal people.

They're lazy, uneducated, unemployed, can't hold down a job and usually have criminal records.

He shakes his head.

"Over 70% are employed," he says.

Nonetheless, Cardinal, an aboriginal consultant who worked on the Edmonton Urban Aboriginal Accord, says racism towards aboriginal people is just as prevalent now as it was years ago.

"I still experience it today," said the 44-year-old PhD student who hails from Sucker Creek First Nation in northern Alberta.

"There's still a lot of racism. I take calls from people who've been turned down for apartments. They'll go to get a place and soon as they there, they'll say it's taken."

As part of the second day of a week-long series on racism, the Sun turns its attention to the prejudice aboriginal people face.

Cardinal and Muriel Stanley-Venne, president of the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women, say racism towards Canada's indigenous people has been ingrained over generations of government policy.

"Aboriginal people have had very few rights," said Stanley-Venne.

"All the discriminatory things that have happened, happened because of government legislation.

"How do you fight the government?"

The systemic discrimination includes an education that has taught students little about aboriginal history, philosophy and ways of life, said Cardinal.

"People don't know who we are," he said.

Poverty rates remain high in aboriginal communities, fuelling social problems and feeding harmful stereotypes.

The 2001 census found 32.5% of the country's aboriginal population had low-income status, compared with 27.2% of all visible minority people and 12.4% of the non-aboriginal population.

Yet some aboriginal people believe the focus on racism would be better directed to address immediate social problems for the community.

"The issue of racism has gotten out of hand. It baffles me that we focus on that when we need to get our children to school and kids shouldn't be having kids. Those are things we should focus on rather than racism," said Madeline Hatch, an aboriginal from Winnipeg.

Hatch said over-sensitivity can lead to many issues to be defined as racially motivated.

"A lot of times people yell out 'racism' when it has nothing to do with racism," said Hatch.

And there's hope.

In 2004, the city established the Edmonton Urban Aboriginal Accord Initiative to make the city known as a place that "welcomes, supports and embraces aboriginal contributions toward Edmonton's culture and economy."

"It's an earnest attempt by the City of Edmonton to remove barriers," said Cardinal.

"It's a document about relationships and how you create relationships."

The accord sets the stage to talk about issues of the past and move towards correcting them, said Cardinal.

"We need to do something to bring down these barriers. The way you start to correct historical injustices is to give people a place to come talk about the issues."

The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP) is inviting Aboriginal people to complete a very one sided online survey that they say will help shape their position on "Matrimonial Real Property (MRP) On Reserve Lands".

Everyone is invited to share their opinions by clicking here.

From the web site ...

The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP) has been invited by the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, the Honourable Jim Prentice, to participate in a national dialogue to resolve the Indian Act's failure to deal with disputes over Matrimonial Real Property on reserve lands (MRP).

Outside of the reserve context, MRP issues are managed by provincial laws that guarantee that real property (land and homes and other assets tied to land) cannot be disposed of by either party to a relationship that is failing or failed without protection for the rights of the other partner. In all provinces, these rights extend to married persons - they deal with who may possess the marital home during a break-up or in the case of family violence, and prevent either partner from selling the home without providing an equal or equitable share in the home's value to the other partner. In some provinces, these rights are extended beyond formally married partners to common law partners, to Aboriginal customary marriages and to same-sex partnerships.

In this questionnaire, we are asking for your advice and input on what you think is the best way to resolve the outstanding gaps in federal legislation regarding matrimonial property rights on reserve lands. The government of Canada is advancing three main options - the adoption of provincial laws (which vary from province to province), the use of provincial laws with the option of Bands to opt-out of those laws where they create their own laws that meet minimum standards, and a new federal law setting basic standards for MRP rights protection, also with the right of Bands to opt-out of the federal model by adopting their own laws meeting certain standards.

Our main question is simple: which option or approach do you think is most likely to close the gaps in the Indian Act and to help those affected by MRP disputes protect their rights and interests? This may seem to be a fairly straight-forward question, but there are complex issues at play. There are so many flaws and gaps in the Indian Act that amending it on any one issue can invite valid demands to reform the legislation to address other and often closely related problems - like the absence of accountability and governance rules, the failure of the Act to provide appeal mechanisms regarding Band decisions, and major issues associated with the Indian Act's membership and status provisions. In addition, ownership of and rights to homes and land interests on reserve often raise treaty rights issues - since about 50% of all reserves in the country were established originally by treaties. Treaty rights are protected by the Constitution from any negative effect or infringement by ordinary legislation like the Indian Act, and so any change to the Indian Act itself can have un-intended impacts on treaty rights.

Penny Carpenter, K-Net's Business Manager and Donna Williams, KO Teleheatlh Manager travelled to Toronto this week to meet with:

• Ministry of Health's e-Health and Aboriginal Liaison office;
• Smart Systems for Health office
• Ontario Telehealth Network office.

Penny attended these meetings to

• introduce the developments happening within the Kuhkenah Network with additional broadband connections being established in a number of Aboriginal health sites; and 
• identify strategies and needs to have all the Aboriginal health sites begin to receive equitable access to the Smart Systems for Health Agency network services and resources.

Articles and press releases on the latest round of court proceedings between Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation, Platinex and the Ontario government concerning mining exploration and development on the First Nation traditional territory without appropriate involvement of the community. Unfortunately, some of the reporting demonstrates both the ignorance and prejudices against First Nation positions with statements like the ones the Canadian Press reporter writes (see below - "The province must write a blank cheque ..."

From Wawatay News Online - posted 2007.01.10

Injunction against Platinex remains in place

A Toronto-based mining company remains barred from drilling in Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug following hours of discussions in a Thunder Bay court Jan. 9.

Representatives for the community, Platinex Inc. and the province of Ontario met in a back room of the court for more than four hours trying to reach an agreement that would lift the injunction, provide the company access to the land and give the community rules of engagement that must be followed, the lawyers said.

“Kitchenumaykoosib’s trust has been betrayed,” said Kate Kempton, who represents the community with nearly 1600 band members. “It’s too risky for KI to proceed without these rules in place.”

Platinex wants to continue drilling on the land to confirm earlier results of platinum in the community’s traditional lands.

But for that to happen, an agreement must be in place.

”It’s still possible to come to an agreement in the next little while,” Kempton said. “We’re still stuck on key issues.”

The matter will return before Justice Patrick Smith Jan. 22 and 26 and April 2 and 5.

Platinex was orginally barred from drilling in the community last summer.

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From http://www.tbsource.com/Localnews/index.asp?cid=90916

Drilling injunction upheld
Tb News Source - Posted: 1/9/2007

A court order stopping Platinex Mining from drilling on Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation will continue.

The two sides appeared in Ontario Superior Court Tuesday before Justice Patrick Smith. Justice Smith issued an injunction in July halting exploration work on the reserve.

Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug claims the province circumvented a Supreme Court decision when it gave permission to Platinex to drill on their land without consultation and six months later, there is still no agreement on how the consultation process should proceed.

The First Nation says they have problems with new proposals brought forward by the province, at what they say is the last minute, and they can not go ahead without resolving these issues.

Later this month the concerned parties will return to the Superior Court to deal with procedural matters. Then in early April, the matter will be argued before the courts. In the meantime, there will be no drilling on the group's traditional lands by Platinex.

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Click here to read the follow MNDM press release online

News Release - Ministry of Northern Development and Mines
January 10, 2007 - 009
 
Ontario Committed To Resolution In Far North Mineral Exploration Dispute - Seeks Intervenor Status In Court Proceedings

SUDBURY – The Ontario Government is seeking intervenor status to participate in injunction proceedings between Platinex Inc. and Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) First Nation.  Negotiations on a consultation process continued yesterday at the Ontario Superior Court in Thunder Bay but no agreement was reached. 

“Ontario remains optimistic that a resolution can be reached between the two parties and that is why we are seeking intervenor status,” said Minister of Northern Development and Mines, Rick Bartolucci.  “We believe it’s important to continue to proactively pursue a resolution that is acceptable to all.”

Although Ontario is not a party to the injunction proceedings between Platinex and KI, the Honourable Mr. Justice G.P. Smith’s interim order in July 2006 required a consultation process be developed for the Platinex drilling project and that the Crown be involved.

“The Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, together with KI and Platinex, has worked hard on this issue and we will continue to devote our efforts toward finding a solution,” said Bartolucci.  “It’s only reasonable that all three parties should have the opportunity to move the yardsticks forward. It’s my hope that KI and Platinex will support our request to participate in the proceedings.”
 
One of the outstanding issues is the signing of a technical process agreement being drafted to guide the consultation.  Ministry staff indicated they would be prepared to sign a completed protocol and the minister has written to the Chief of KI offering to sign a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC). 

“I have signed similar MOCs with other communities in the past, which reflect a broader political commitment to work together to improve the understanding of each other’s responsibilities, requirements, practices and expectations,” said Bartolucci.  “In our experience, these agreements can form the basis for the more technical agreements that follow.”

The ministry recognizes the Crown’s obligation to respect and honour the Aboriginal and treaty rights of communities and that communities have a right to be appropriately consulted and accommodated as set out in recent Supreme Court decisions. The Supreme Court decisions also confirmed the importance of all parties engaging in a reciprocal, constructive consultation process.

The ministry has been working cooperatively with First Nations to support increased participation by Aboriginal peoples in decisions that affect their lives.  It will soon be initiating public discussions on developing mining-related Aboriginal consultation guidelines.

-30-

Contacts:

Laura Blondeau
Minister’s Office – Sudbury
(705) 564-7454

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From http://www.cbc.ca/cp/business/070111/b011189A.html

Aboriginals say Ontario must pay for consultations to end mining dispute
Published: Thursday, January 11, 2007 - Canadian Press: CHINTA PUXLEY

TORONTO (CP) - The province must write a blank cheque for extensive consultations with the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation before any mining activity begins near the community, a spokesman for the remote northern Ontario band said Thursday.

John Cutfeet said the province didn't consult the First Nation when it allowed junior exploration company Platinex Inc. to drill on land 600 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, Ont.

Ontario is holding up negotiations by refusing to pay for a full consultation on drilling on the Big Trout Lake property, he said.

While the proposed mining site isn't on reserve land, it is within the aboriginal band's traditional territory and could contaminate the community's lake, Cutfeet said.

"All we want to see ... is that we have a say in what happens in our territory that's going to have a huge impact on our lives," he said. "The lake is our livelihood. We eat out of there. We drink water out of there."

In the meantime, a court injunction has halted work on the site, and Cutfeet said negotiations have stalled.

The province should not only be paying for a full consultation before any mining activity begins, but that right should be enshrined in law so all aboriginals are consulted before prospectors go in search of gold, diamond and nickel in the north, the First Nation argues.

This case is being closely watched because the band is challenging the Ontario Mining Act on constitutional grounds, which could impact the high hopes many have for unlocking the north's natural resources.

Rick Bartolucci, Ontario's minister for northern development and mines, said he's optimistic all sides will be able to resolve the dispute through negotiation.

While he wouldn't talk about whether the province will pay for consultations with the First Nation because it is part of the ongoing legal dispute, Bartolucci hinted the government won't be writing any blank cheques any time soon.

"Certainly our ministry and the government continues to be very, very responsible with regards to the management of costs of this engagement," he said. "We've made a rather fair proposal to (the First Nation) with regards to the cost they would incur."

Negotiations are continuing and moving forward, Bartolucci said. It's not necessary to legislate consultation with aboriginals into law because the Supreme Court has already handed down a ruling to that effect, he added.

But Anna Baggio of the Wildlands League environmentalist group said it's time the government took a strong stand to protect aboriginal land rights and the province's boreal forest.

The conflict over mining activity in northern Ontario could have been avoided if the province updated its "antiquated" mining act to spell out clear rules on aboriginal consultation and environmental protection, she said.

Right now, there is nothing compelling the province to hold meaningful consultations with aboriginals before they authorize mining activity on their land, she said.

"You can't just have business as usual development. It's failing communities and it's failing nature."

New Democrat Gilles Bisson, who represents Timmins-James Bay, said the government must go beyond simply consulting aboriginals and should legally include them in both planning and revenue-sharing if it wants to exploit the natural resources of the north, he said.

"The First Nations communities don't want to live in poverty forever," Bisson said. "They recognize that developing mining, water and forestry activities are going to be good for them over the long run. But First Nations have to have a say in what happens when it comes to access to their territories."

The Big Trout Lake dispute started last year when protesters blocked an access road and landing strip, arguing the government had no right to grant Platinex a mining permit for their land.

Platinex filed a $10-billion suit and asked for a court order to remove the protesters. The band filed a countersuit and successfully obtained a temporary injunction prohibiting exploration on the land.

Superior Court Justice Patrick Smith gave the band, company and province five months to negotiate. The talks were granted an extension this week.

© The Canadian Press, 2007