Media.Knet.Ca

The two following press releases highlight the challenges facing First Nations as they cope with poor housing, poverty, poor nutritional food ...

AFN press release

National Chief says Poverty and Lack of Access to Affordable, Healthy Foods the Main Reason for First Nations Childhood Obesity Epidemic

OTTAWA, March 29 - Tuesday's release of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health's report on childhood obesity, "Healthy Weights for Healthy Kids", has recognized the underlying and confounding causes of poverty that have a direct outcome in terms of prevalence for obesity for First Nations children.

"The Committee's careful consideration of the evidence showing the alarming trend that more than half of First Nations children are either overweight or obese is a validation of our position that the federal government needs to honour its responsibilities to First Nations children, their families and communities," said National Chief Phil Fontaine.

"Childhood obesity among First Nations children is directly linked to overcrowding, poor access to healthy foods and lack of opportunities to be physically active in First Nations communities," said National Chief Fontaine. "Poverty among 1 in 4 First Nations children compared to 1 in 6 Canadian children is the greatest social justice issue facing this country, and is at the heart of this health crisis."

"Last week's federal budget did nothing to prevent the further impacts of health and socioeconomic disparities faced by First Nations children," commented National Chief Fontaine. "First Nations governments face the most impoverished health, social and education budgets in years. Their ability to halt escalating crises or innovate the system to create efficiencies will be more than ever stifled by this significant fiscal imbalance."

"Without a comprehensive, sustainable and long-term intervention on the part of all governments, including First Nations governments, this alarming trend will lead our children into a future of adult obesity and chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. It should be noted that AFN had recommended childhood obesity as a specific measure for the success of the 2005 Kelowna Accord.

"First Nations require improved access to a safe and inexpensive food supply, including traditional foods," added the National Chief. "They also require more opportunities for access to low cost physical activity, and supportive school environments."

Only half of First Nations schools have gym facilities. First Nations communities were excluded from the pan-Canadian Healthy Living Initiative. There is no program dealing with food security or recreation in First Nations communities.

Expansion of the Aboriginal Head Start program to all First Nations communities and investment in its nutrition and physical activity component would be a starting point proposed in the AFN Submission to the Standing Committee on Health report. To access the submission in its entirety, please visit the Health webpage at www.afn.ca. Data on First Nations childhood obesity and related conditions can be found at www.rhs-ers.ca.

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

For further information: Bryan Hendry, A/Director of Communications, (613) 241-6789 ext. 229, Cell: (613) 293-6106, bhendry@afn.ca.

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INAC press release ...

Government is committed to improving Aboriginal housing: Report notes previous Government's inaction

            OTTAWA, March 29 /CNW Telbec/ - Canada's New Government thanks the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development for its report on Aboriginal housing.

            The committee's report concludes in part that "the federal government's housing programs to date have failed and are failing to keep pace with the actual needs of Aboriginal Canadians for adequate, suitable, and affordable housing."

            The Hon. Jim Prentice, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, notes however the Committee's acknowledgement of the positive steps taken in Budget 2006 to address the shortfall in off-reserve and Northern housing.

            "Considerable work remains to be done to fix a system that has been broken for years", said Minister Prentice. "The Committee's conclusion concerning the housing crisis is a sad testament to the systemic inaction and gross neglect of the previous Liberal government."

            In Budget 2007, Canada's New Government acted to begin addressing the need to remedy the significant disparities in the quantity and quality of housing available to Aboriginal people.

            "In addition, Canada's New Government has earmarked $300 million to be dedicated to the development of a housing market in First Nations communities", said the Minister.

            Unlike previous governments, this government is setting realistic, measurable targets and getting things done for First Nation Canadians on- and off-reserve and Inuit.

-30-

/For further information: please contact: Deirdra McCracken, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Jim Prentice, (819) 997-0002/

New NAAF Dates! New NAAF Times!

Stay tuned and don't leave that NAAF Channel!

Painting a Brighter Future through our Education Program

(Toronto, ON) - The National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation is proud to announce the new Annual deadlines of May 1st for Fine Arts and Cultural Projects and June 1st for Health Careers and Post-Secondary Education.

"We are always looking at new ways to offer innovative programming and new initiatives that can best help propel our Aboriginal youth into whatever career field they have chosen." stated NAAF CEO, Roberta Jamieson. "After careful deliberation, the new deadlines of May 1st and June 1st were selected to meet the needs of the students and potential recipients or our scholarship programs."

The Scholarship programs that the Foundation offers:

The Fine Arts Scholarship Program - Fine arts and performing arts studies including visual, performing, media, graphic, and literary arts. Through this program, funding is also provided for the Cultural Projects; this enables Aboriginal organizations, groups, or accredited individual programs to access funds to promote Aboriginal arts, cultures, and languages, particularly those aimed at youth.  The objective of the Cultural Projects Program is to assist in providing a hands-on arts or cultural experience to community members, especially youth, and to promote the retention of Aboriginal languages. NAAF supports programs that encourage an appreciation of art, culture and language as a source of personal enrichment.

New Deadline is May 1st

The National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation (NAAF) offers financial assistance to Aboriginal students through our Education Program's bursaries and scholarships. Providing upwards of $2.8 million, annually. NAAF prides itself by investing in the future of First Nation, Métis and Inuit youth, to excel in their educational and career goals. The National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation (NAAF) provides Aboriginal Youth with additional opportunities in the following areas:

Post-secondary Education Bursary Awards Program – study in business, science, law, engineering, technical studies, computer science, education, social work and social sciences. New Deadline June 1st

Aboriginal Health Careers Bursary and Scholarship Program – studies in medicine, nursing, dentistry, physiotherapy, pharmacy, lab research, lab technology, dietetics, nutrition, health, administration, public health policy and other health fields.

New Deadline June 1st

Scholarship and bursary applications can be accessed on the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation website at www.naaf.ca under the Education Programs link.

For more information regarding The Education Program contact:
Education Analyst: Rachel Hill 1 -800- 329-9780 ext:  or rhill@naaf.ca

The National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation (NAAF) is a nationally registered non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds to deliver programs that provide the tools necessary for Aboriginal youth to realize their potential. NAAF is a financially accountable organization that has been providing invaluable support to Aboriginal Peoples across Canada for over 22 years. The Foundation has grown rapidly over the years due to the demands and needs of Aboriginal youth

Private Sector

CIBC, Air Canada, Alliance Pipelines, APTN, BP Canada Energy Company, Casino Rama, Diavik Diamond Mines, Enbridge, Encana, First Air, Fort McKay, Global Television, IBM, Nexen Inc., Shell Canada Ltd., Suncor Energy Foundation, Syncrude

Public Sector

Government of Canada

Canadian Heritage, Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians, Health Canada, Human Resources and Social Development Canada, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Industry Canada/Aboriginal Business Canada, Canadian Forces, Government of the Northwest Territories, Province of Alberta, City of Edmonton

For further information, please contact:

Billie Jo Tabobondung,
NAAF Communications Coordinator
416-987-0248.

Here is a story that should make everyone take notice about the strategies of the Conservative government in relaxing foreign ownership rules for telecom firms. This is particularly disturbing given the second story that shows that Canada still has a lot of work to do to support adequate and appropriate broadband infrastructure across the country.

From CBC news online ...

BCE shares surge on report of takeover
March 29, 2007 - CBC News

Shares of communications conglomerate BCE Inc., the parent firm of Bell Canada, opened with a gain of 11 per cent on the TSX Thursday after reports that U.S. private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts is weighing a bid to take the company private.

The stock of BCE opened at $33.50, up $3.37 from the previous close.

Based on Wednesday's closing price of $30.13 a share, BCE's total market capitalization is about $24.33 billion. Factoring in a takeover premium of 15 to 20 per cent, a takeover bid from KKR could be worth as much as $30 billion.

The Globe and Mail reported Thursday that KKR has had at least two meetings with top officials at BCE, including CEO Michael Sabia.

Neither BCE nor KKR has offered comment on the takeover speculation.

A bid from New York-based KKR would face numerous regulatory hurdles, including the foreign ownership rules that prevent non-Canadians from owning more than 46 per cent of the voting stake of a telecom firm.

The Globe and Mail reported that KKR is looking for Canadian partners, such as the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, which is already BCE's largest shareholder, with a five per cent stake.

If the KKR offer does proceed, it could be the biggest acquisition in Canadian corporate history and one of the biggest leveraged buyouts in the world. Leveraged buyouts rely heavily on debt to finance share purchases.

KKR, Teachers' and BCE already have a business history. In 2002, KKR and Teachers' teamed up to buy BCE's Bell Canada directories business for $3 billion. The Yellow Pages directory business was spun off in 2004 as a publicly traded income trust.

Over the years, KKR also invested in other Canadian companies, including Shoppers Drug Mart in 2000 and Masonite International in 2005.

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CBC news online ...

Canada tumbles in global tech study
March 28, 2007 - CBC News

Some European countries and Singapore outrank Canada and the United States in their ability to best exploit information and communication technology, according to a new survey.

The World Economic Forum's "networked readiness index" measures the range of factors that affect a country's ability to harness information technologies for economic competitiveness and development. Canada slipped from sixth place in 2004-2005 to 11th place in the 2005-2006 study, which was released Wednesday.

The United States, which topped the previous rankings, slipped to seventh, according to the World Economic Forum. It had the same score as the Netherlands, but the forum ranked Holland one spot ahead of the U.S.

Networked Readiness Score by country

 Denmark  5.71
 Sweden  5.66
 Singapore  5.60
 Finland  5.59
 Switzerland  5.58
 Netherlands  5.54
 U.S.  5.54
 Iceland  5.50
 U.K.  5.45
 Norway  5.42
 Canada  5.35

The initial release of material from the report did not provide details of the reasons for Canada's tumble in the rankings. For the U.S., it cited the low rate of mobile telephone usage, a lack of government leadership in information technology and the low quality of math and science education.

But Thierry Geiger, one of the forum's economists responsible for the 361-page report, said the U.S. market environment remains the best in the world in terms of how easy it is to set up a business, get loans and have access to market capital.

Nordic countries — traditionally strong in all surveys conducted by the Geneva-based forum — dominated the top of the rankings. Denmark edged Sweden for the top spot, while Finland was fourth.

Singapore was the top Asian nation in third.

The report covered 122 countries, with Chad, Burundi, Angola, Ethiopia and Bangladesh at the bottom.

Toronto Sun article ...

Troubled reserve may be on the move
JORGE BARRERA, NATIONAL BUREAU - Thu, March 29, 2007

The Kashechewan tragedy could be closer to a palatable ending after Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice indicated a willingness yesterday to consider a request from the Cree First Nation to relocate 30 km from their flood-beleaguered community.

The First Nation of about 1,700 is once again bracing for breakup on the Albany River and possible spring floods.

Kashechewan burst into the national psyche through grim images of scabbed skin and sickly brown water in 2005. The community, which sits on a flood plain, has been evacuated three times since 2004.

Prentice initially balked at the request which had a $500-million price tag that is now being questioned because Indian Affairs has yet to survey the site.

Now the minister says he is open to the request but is awaiting a departmental analysis before committing. Prentice is expected to present his position to Kashechewan Chief Jonathon Solomon tomorrow by phone.

"I indicated to them that I would get a briefing from the department and get back to them," said Prentice.

Solomon said he was on the site two days ago with an engineering firm hired by the department to prepare a cost analysis.

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CBC.ca news ...

Kashechewan leaders renew call for government action
Wednesday, March 28, 2007 - CBC News

With the prospect of spring flooding weeks away, leaders of the Kashechewan First Nation have renewed their call for government help for the troubled northern Ontario community.

"My people today are very edgy because of the spring flood that's just around the corner," Chief Johnathon Solomon said during a news conference Wednesday in Ottawa.

Earlier this month, Solomon said Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice had balked at a report saying the community preferred to be relocated 30 kilometres upstream within their traditional lands. The move could cost as much as $500 million.

The band report contradicts an earlier federal report recommending community members be moved to the city of Timmins, about 480 kilometres to the south.

Kashechewan lies on the flood plain of the Albany River, and many of its buildings are susceptible to flooding.

Solomon said Prentice has committed to officially respond to the community report.

"I'm just waiting for that commitment, and I have every confidence the minister will get back to me," he said.

Solomon said the phones in the band council office have been "ringing off the hook" with people asking if they are going to be moved out before the expected flooding.

He called on the Conservative government to honour a 2005 deal, reached with the previous Liberal government, to build a new community within their traditional hunting grounds in 10 years.

Last November, a report prepared for Indian Affairs by former Ontario cabinet minister Alan Pope recommended moving the reserve to the outskirts of Timmins, giving community members access to hospitals, schools and employment.

Prentice had repeatedly said the people could choose whether to relocate, but following the release of the survey, a spokesperson for Indian Affairs told CBC News the cost projections had forced the ministry to take a second look.

Ottawa first moved the community, against its will, to the low-lying land in 1957.

Flooding and tainted water have prompted three evacuations since 2004.

The evacuations came as the community grappled with squalid housing, domestic violence, addiction and a number of reported suicide attempts.

Prentice himself has called conditions on the reserve "deplorable."

AFN message from National Chief Phil Fontanine ...

Disappointing Federal Budget Does not Include First Nations in a “Stronger, Better” Canada

March 27, 2007

First Nations leaders across the country are outraged and deeply disheartened by the lack of investment for our peoples in last Monday’s federal budget.

Frankly, our people do not see any reason to believe that the government cares about the shameful conditions of First Nations. This federal budget goes far towards cutting taxes and paying down the national debt – but there is no mention of dealing with the huge debt to First Nations in the form of nearly 1,000 outstanding land claims. The recent Senate Report on specific claims – Negotiation or Confrontation: It’s Canada’s Choice – the title says it all.

There is $69 million in new spending over the next two years, and an additional $300 million which was announced in last year’s budget to support private home ownership for First Nations. It is notable that there is no comprehensive plan or investment in our children, our families, and our communities. Instead, we see billions of dollars in spending on everything from museum interns, to foreign workers, and to tax cuts benefiting the wealthiest in this country.

Even more troubling, perhaps, is the ongoing implication in the budget that somehow First Nations already receive enough, and that it is not being managed well. I call on all First Nations leaders to join me to reject this argument. We have to show them that the $9.1 billion they repeat so often does not get to our communities. In fact, our governments have suffered under declining resources because of discriminatory fiscal treatment, and that our schools, our community centers, our essential community services, and our people are suffering as a result.

Canadians believe in fairness, and trust that no one should be left behind in prosperous times. I can only believe that they would be alarmed if they knew about the devastating consequences for First Nations given the lack of attention that First Nations have received in this budget. It is clear that the frustration of our people is growing, and this budget does nothing to allay their concerns.

It is clear that the circumstances of First Nations peoples remain a black mark on Canada. It’s an enormous burden, not just on our people, but the whole country. We prefer to turn this situation around so that First Nations are more effective contributors to Canada’s prosperity. We need to be able create opportunities, not continue to miss out on them.

Nowhere is the fiscal imbalance more apparent than in the under-funding of First Nations health, child welfare, education, housing and infrastructure. No other Canadian group has had to endure a two-percent cap on funding that has now been in place for over a decade.

Our population continues to grow and the poverty gap continues to widen. Monday’s budget only contributes to the imbalance by providing $39 billion over seven years to the provinces, without any comparable attention to First Nations.

This government continues to ignore the devastating socio-economic conditions of First Nations. There's $22 billion to pay down the debt, yet nothing to address Canada's constitutional obligations to First Nations.

In November 2005, First Nations had a plan that was unanimously accepted by the Premiers and Aboriginal leaders. As an Opposition MP at the time, Minister Prentice said: "the fight against aboriginal poverty is the most pressing social issue that our country faces … and as Conservatives, we believe something has to be done."

However, in addition to rejecting First Nations in the budget on March 19th, on March 21st, the government voted against Private Member’s Bill C-292, which requires the government to honour the $5.1 billion Kelowna Accord. The Bill passed the House of Commons and is now on to the Senate. However, this government insists it has no obligation to honour funding requirements in Private Member’s Bills.

It should be clear that as part of these critical investments, First Nations of this country seek a commitment to structural change. The First Nations – Federal Crown Political Accord on the Recognition and Implementation of First Nation Governments (signed in May 2005) provides an exit strategy from the current policies and structures that restrict our communities and condemn our people to maintaining the status quo conditions of poverty.

Minister Prentice committed to the process established under the Accord at a meeting of BC First Nations last year. I call upon him to act to replace fundamentally flawed government processes and policies.

In the weeks and months to come we must re-focus our energies and coordinate our efforts so that our voices will be heard. I look forward to working with the National Executive and all First Nations organizations to carefully plan and maximize opportunities to strengthen our case and our conviction.

Meegwetch!

The latest INAC report on the provision of drinking water to First Nations on reserve makes lots of claims to be delivering clean water. 97 First Nations still are considered to have HIGH RISK drinking water systems.

Since the announcement of the Plan of Action for Safe Drinking Water in First Nations Communities on March 21, 2006, actions undertaken by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Health Canada, and Environment Canada, have achieved the following results:

• In March 2006, 193 high-risk drinking water systems were identified; that number has been reduced to 97 in the past 12 months;
• In March 2006, 21 communities were identified as priorities; seven of these have been removed from that category, notably Woodstock (NB), Constance Lake
  (ON), Ochiichagwe’bibigo-ining (ON), Wabigoon Lake Ojibway (ON), Driftpile (AB), Shuswap (BC), and Taku River Tlingit (BC);
• the Protocol for Safe Drinking Water in First Nations Communities was issued and put into effect; and
• an Expert Panel has provided a report on options for a regulatory regime.

In addition,

• 875 water and wastewater operators have received on-going training through the Circuit Rider Training Program and all operators now have access to 24-hour support hotlines; and
• In the March 19, 2007 Federal Budget, Canada’s New Government announced there will be new standards to ensure that all First Nations have access to safe drinking water. The Minister is expected to table legislation in the Spring of 2007.

Plan of Action for Drinking Water in First Nations Communities - Progress Report March 22, 2007

Click here for a PDF copy of the INAC report ...
 
Table of Contents

• Executive Summary
• Background
• Progress on the Plan of Action
• Conclusion
• Appendix A - 21 Priority Communities Progress Report

From CBC News ...

Obese children will die younger than their parents: report
March 27, 2007 - CBC News

About one-quarter of Canadians aged two to 17 are overweight or obese, and they are expected to live shorter lives than their parents, the Commons health committee warned Tuesday.

Click here for PDF copy of the Healthy Weights for Healthy Kids Report

An all-party committee report titled Healthy Weight for Healthy Kids calls on the federal government to stop the trend toward increasing obesity levels among Canadian children by the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, and to decrease levels by at least 25 per cent by 2020.

The excess weight puts children at risk of a range of preventable health problems, including Type 2 diabetes, susceptibility to heart attack and stroke, joint problems and mental health issues.

"It has been said that obesity outranks both smoking and drinking now in its effects on health and health costs," said committee chair Rob Merrifield, a Conservative MP for the Alberta riding of Yellowhead.

"For the first time in recorded history, today's younger generation will live shorter lives than their parents. Yet parents, and this is, I believe, the most alarming statistic that we found, do not recognize the problem."

According to a survey by the Canadian Medical Association, nine per cent of parents identified their children as being overweight or obese.

Rates among aboriginal children are worse, with 55 per cent living on reserves being overweight or obese, compared with 41 per cent for First Nations children living off reserves, said the report.

Children on reserves are also snacking on processed, high-sugar foods, but statistics suggest obesity levels go down considerably if one meal a day is made of traditional First Nations food, Merrifield said.

The report calls on the federal government to immediately:

• Start a comprehensive public awareness campaign.
• Mandate standardized labels on the front of packages.
• Remove trans fats from the Canadian diet and replace them with an alternative low in saturated fat.

"We have to change the paradigm so that it's unfashionable to overeat and it's very fashionable to exercise more," Merrifield said.

It will probably take a generation to change the culture, but it is possible, said Conservative MP Steven Fletcher, who sits on the committee.

In response to the report, non-profit consumer group Centre for Science in the Public Interest renewed its calls to limit commercially motivated pressures on children to eat, drink and be inactive.

The Commons committee's report called for a review of the food and beverage industry's self-regulation of their advertising to children.

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From CTV News ...

Report reveals staggering child obesity numbers
Updated Tue. Mar. 27 2007 - ctv.ca

The childhood obesity "epidemic" means Canadian kids will, for the first time in recorded history, live shorter than their parents, warns a new report.

The Commons health committee report released Tuesday concludes 26 per cent of Canadians between the ages of two and 17 are overweight or obese, an increase of 15 per cent from 1978.

The staggering numbers show that on reserves, 55 per cent of First Nations children in that age group are considered grossly overweight.

The report, titled "Healthy Weights for Healthy Kids," says obesity outranks smoking and drinking in its impact on health and costs related to health-care.

"We're killing our kids with kindness," warned Conservative MP Rob Merrifield, chairman of the Commons health committee which produced the report after nine months of consultations.

The all-party report says Canada has one of the world's highest childhood obesity rates, ranking fifth among 34 countries that are a part of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The added weight is triggering higher rates of preventable life-threatening diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, while also causing joint problems and mental health issues, the committee says.

Children are consuming too many calories in fatty and processed foods and sugary drinks, and spending too much time in front of the TV and computer, MPs warn.

"The link between obesity and the increased consumption of sweetened drinks is particularly disturbing," the 60-page report says. "It has been estimated that sugary drinks may be responsible for as much as one pound per month weight gain in adolescents."

An even more disturbing figure was the fact that only nine per cent of parents recognized their children to be obese or overweight.

"This is the most alarming statistic we found, that they do not recognize the problem," Merrifield said.

The panel says the federal government must immediately ban trans-fats and launch a public awareness campaign to warn of the health care crisis.

The committee recommends changes take place at all levels, including at home, in schools, in the community and in advertising and media markets.

Other recommendations include:

• Putting mandatory, standardized labels on the front of food packages;
• Helping children get more exercise through programs such as Participaction; and
• Collaborating with First Nations and Inuit to curb obesity among aboriginal children.

The committee set 2010 as the target date for halting the rise of childhood obesity, the year Canada hosts the Winter Olympics.

"This is a year when all of Canada's attention will be focused on physical activity, the pride of Canada, our youth and healthy living," said Heart and Stroke Foundation CEO Sally Brown.

General obesity costs Canada about $1.6 billion a year in health-care costs. The panel said it costs the economy another $2.7 billion in lost productivity, disability insurance, reduced quality of life and mental health problems due to stigmatization and poor self-esteem.

With a report from CTV's Monica Matys and files from The Canadian Press

The following four stories cover INAC Minister Prentice's comments that the Conservative government will not be issuing an apology to the survivors of the government's 100 years of residential school history.

United Church press release ...

United Church Calls for a Full National Apology to First Nations

TORONTO, ONTARIO, NEWS RELEASE--(March 29, 2007) - Nothing less than a full national apology by the Canadian government to Canada's Aboriginal peoples is acceptable, says The United Church of Canada.

The church's statement was released today in response to comments made earlier this week by Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice indicating that the Conservative government would not issue an apology as a part of its Settlement Agreement with survivors of Indian Residential Schools.

"It is completely unacceptable for the Harper government to use the fact that an apology was not part of the Settlement Agreement as an excuse not to apologize," says the Rev. James Scott, the United Church's General Council Officer for Residential Schools. "After all, the Common Experience Payment, which is a central component of the Agreement, recognizes the systemic harms that were inherent in the education policy of operating residential schools."

Scott says the United Church has consistently pressed the Canadian government to include a full national apology as part of its response to the legacy of residential schools. In a letter to Minister Prentice in August 2006, the United Church's then Moderator, the Right Rev. Peter Short, wrote:

"It is our concern that the Agreement, which attempts to address the harm done to former students, will seem hollow and disingenuous if a national apology does not accompany its implementation. Indeed, we are aware that from the standpoint of those most affected, those with whom we are attempting to set things right, an apology is central to the true spirit of reconciliation."

Scott says, "We believe that a national apology, partnered with the Settlement Agreement, will be a historic step toward closing this tragic chapter of our past and fostering a new and positive spirit in which to work together with all Aboriginal peoples towards a more just and promising future."

Scott adds that the United Church itself is endeavouring to address the range of harms perpetrated against Aboriginal children in the schools through abuse settlements, healing initiatives, full disclosure and acknowledgement of this history, and sincere efforts toward reconciliation and right relations. The United Church of Canada first apologized to First Nations peoples in August 1986 and then in 1998 offered a formal apology to former students of residential schools, their families, and communities.

"We all need to be accountable for the legacy of residential schools, and must press the government to apologize on our behalf," says Scott. "It is a living legacy, the pain is in the present. Apology can be a significant step toward healing our broken relationships."

For further information: Mary-Frances Denis
Communications Officer
The United Church of Canada
416-231-7680 ext 2016 (business)
416-885-7478 (cell)
416-766-0057 (home)
www.united-church.ca
E-mail: mdenis@united-church.ca

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CTV story ...

Gov't attacked on Indian residential schools issue
Mar. 27 2007 - Canadian Press

OTTAWA -- Opposition MPs assailed the Indian Affairs minister in the Commons on Tuesday, calling his refusal to apologize for widespread abuse in native residential schools an insulting betrayal.

Generations of people are still suffering the effects of church-run federal schools that First Nations children were once forced to attend, said Liberal MP Gary Merasty.

"The children confined to these schools ... were taken from their families, taken from their communities,'' said the member of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation in Northern Saskatchewan.

"And unspeakable acts were committed upon them.

"Why does the prime minister refuse to apologize for the atrocities suffered by these children?''

The former Liberal government acknowledged in 1998 that physical and sexual abuse in the schools was rampant for much of the last century.

Many native languages have never recovered from school policies that harshly punished children for speaking them. Ongoing struggles with alcohol and drug addiction, sexual dysfunction and domestic violence are blamed in part on the social havoc wreaked by residential schools.

The former Liberal government stopped short of apologizing, but offered a statement of reconciliation that opened a floodgate of lawsuits.

Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice said Monday that the $2-billion compensation package finalized by the Conservatives does not include an apology, so none is forthcoming. Moreover, he said, the now defunct system of live-in schools was meant to educate native children.

"In saying this, he denies that the primary goal was actually to destroy aboriginal people, languages and culture,'' fumed Merasty.

"It is amazing, the magnitude of the gap between compassion and doing the right thing that this government has. The minister knows that an apology was to follow the completion of the residential schools agreement.''

The Liberals initially offered a compensation package in November 2005 that did not include an apology. Former deputy prime minister Anne McLellan said in a related letter that "there is a need for an apology that will provide a broader recognition of the Indian residential schools legacy and its effect upon First Nation communities.''

Prentice says the Liberals never followed up on that point. In fact, they never had the chance.

They were defeated soon after introducing the agreement that was later finalized after months of additional tweaking by the new Conservative government. No apology was in the final version, negotiated with the participation of the Assembly of First Nations -- which has always called for one.

Many survivors say that hearing Prime Minister Stephen Harper say he's sorry for what happened to them is worth more than the average compensation of $24,000 they'll each collect if the deal is accepted.

NDP aboriginal affairs critic Jean Crowder accused the Conservatives of shunting aside aboriginals, a political non-entity when it comes to Tory voter support.

"There is no action to close the poverty gap for First Nations, the clawback of money to promote and protect Indigenous languages, no movement on self-government negotiations and now the Conservatives refuse to recognize the wrong-headed, damaging policies of past governments.''

Prentice blasted back with his oft-used reference to a Liberal "legacy of 13 years of broken promises'' that he says did little to help aboriginal people.

"It is this government that has signed an agreement'' to compensate former residential school students, he said.

"An apology did not form part of the contractual provisions at that time.''

Prentice has denied that the government was legally advised to withhold such a gesture for liability reasons.

Chiefs from Atlantic Canada called Monday for an official apology -- noting that the Conservatives have said they're sorry for the Chinese head tax, among other past wrongs.

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Globe and Mail story ...

No residential school apology, Tories say - Indian Affairs Minister contradicts pledge made by Liberals to natives two years ago

BILL CURRY - POSTED ON 27/03/07  

OTTAWA -- The Conservative government will not issue an apology as a part of its settlement to survivors of Indian residential schools, Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice announced yesterday.

His comments contradict a written pledge Ottawa made to the Assembly of First Nations in a deal reached nearly two years ago under the Liberals.

Speaking on behalf of survivors, native chiefs held a press conference yesterday in Moncton, demanding to know why Prime Minister Stephen Harper has apologized for the Chinese head tax and to Maher Arar, but not to residential school survivors.

But Mr. Prentice told reporters on Parliament Hill that the deal, which is nearly complete, will not include an apology.

"The agreement did not call for an apology," he said.

"I don't propose to reopen the provisions of the agreement."

Mr. Prentice played down the significance of a political accord signed nearly two years ago between the AFN and the then-Liberal government that was the precursor to a November, 2005, agreement in principle, and then an April, 2006, final agreement with the Conservatives worth at least $1.9-billion.

In that original letter, Anne McLellan, then deputy prime minister, wrote "there is a need for an apology that will provide a broader recognition of the Indian Residential Schools legacy and its effect upon First Nation communities" once a final settlement is reached.

Mr. Prentice insisted legal concerns are not behind his comments and said the issue is completely different from the cases of Mr. Arar or the Chinese head tax.

"I've said quite clearly that the residential school chapter of our history is one that was a difficult chapter. Many things happened that we need to close the door on as part of Canadian history, but fundamentally, the underlying objective had been to try and provide an education to aboriginal children and I think the circumstances are completely different from Maher Arar or also from the Chinese head tax."

The head tax was a tax imposed by the government to discourage immigration from China after the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Mr. Arar is a Canadian citizen who was sent to Syria and tortured. Mr. Harper told the House of Commons that Canada offered Mr. Arar a $10-million out-of-court settlement because that was the estimate of what he would have received had the matter been pursued in civil court.

Starting in 1974, native children were forcibly removed from their homes and placed in residential schools, where they were not allowed to speak their own language. Tales of sexual and physical abuse at the schools are widespread among former students. The last residential school closed in 1996.

Liberal MP Anita Neville said it was "clearly understood" that an apology would follow the completion of the residential schools settlement and slammed Mr. Prentice's comments.

"It's part of a pattern of disrespect and betrayal," she said.

Rick Simon, the AFN's regional chief for Atlantic Canada, held a press conference in Moncton yesterday calling for an apology. He said many natives have taken note of Mr. Harper's two major apologies during his first year in office.

"He's apologized to everybody else but he doesn't see us as a big voting bloc," he said.

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Canada.com article ...

Ottawa rebuffs Atlantic chiefs bid for apology over residential schools
Kevin Bissett, Canadian Press - Tuesday, March 27, 2007

MONCTON, N.B. (CP) - Atlantic First Nations chiefs seeking an apology from Prime Minister Stephen Harper for abuse suffered by children at native residential schools were flatly rebuffed Monday by Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice.

Chief Rick Simon, vice chief of the Assembly of First Nations, said an apology to First Nations people for their treatment at the schools between the 1870s and 1970s is overdue.

"We have noted your willingness, Mr. Prime Minister, to apologize to Japanese Canadians who were interred during the Second World War, your apology to Chinese Canadians who were subjected to a racist head tax and your apology to Maher Arar, yet to date we have heard nothing of plans to apologize to residential school survivors," he said, quoting from a letter sent to Harper.

"All First Nations people wonder why."

But outside the House of Commons, Prentice made it clear that there are no plans for an apology from the federal government.

"We're in the process of implementing the agreement and the agreement did not call for an apology," he said. "The agreement was negotiated over the course of several years and 10 months of court proceedings. I don't propose to reopen the provisions of the agreement."

Prentice dismissed suggestions that former residential school students should get the kind of apology that was extended to Chinese Canadians or Arar.

"I think the circumstances are quite different," he added.

"I've said very clearly that the residential school chapter of our history is one that was a difficult chapter. Many things happened that we need to close the door on as part of Canadian history.

"But fundamentally the underlying objective had been to try to provide an education to aboriginal children. And I think the circumstances are completely different from Maher Arar or the Chinese head tax issue."

Tens of thousands of native children were taken from their families to attend the schools across Canada, and many were physically and sexually abused.

They say the separation from family also deprived them of their culture.

Chief Lawrence Paul, co-chair of the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs, questions how people are supposed to heal when the country's political leader won't acknowledge the wrongdoings.

"Mr. Prime Minister, if an apology is not given to help the residential school survivors to heal, there will always be a black mark on the history of Canada that time will never erase," he said at a news conference in Moncton, N.B.

The letter the chiefs sent to the prime minister is in support of Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine's efforts to get an apology.

Fontaine was one of the first national figures to go public in 1990 with his own story of sexual and physical abuse at the Fort Alexander School in Manitoba.

The federal government settled on a compensation package earlier this year that will see former students paid $10,000 for their first year, and $3,000 for each additional year spent at a residential school.

Former Indian affairs minister Jane Stewart offered a "statement of reconciliation" in 1998, but many survivors say it didn't go far enough.

Among those is Lottie Johnson, 61, of the Eskasoni Reserve in Cape Breton.

"In order for all parties to heal an apology must first be made," she said.

"It would validate the losses of language, culture, tradition, spirituality and the loss of connection to our families."

Chief Noah Augustine of New Brunswick's Redbank Reserve said the apology must be made soon, because survivors are dying.

"This shouldn't be unexpected. It's simply an apology for these atrocities that were done to our people by the Canadian government at the time," said Augustine.

"Lesser men have taken bigger steps. I would think that prime minister Harper can step up on behalf of Canada and apologize to our people."

Anishinabek Nation press release ...

Anishinabek Nation Appoints Women’s Water Commission

SAULT STE. MARIE, ON,--(March 27, 2007) - On Saturday March 24th, 2007, Grand Council Chief John Beaucage addressed the Anishinabek Nation Building Conference in Sault Ste. Marie, pledging to do more to contribute to the well-being of the environment and particular to the Great Lakes water.

Grand Council Chief John Beaucage has appointed an Anishinabek Women's Water Commission to advise the Union of Ontario Indians on water issues and Great Lakes management issues.

"Our work with regard to the water and Great Lakes co-management will not focus only on policy and science. Through our Women's Water Commission, the beliefs that water is living and spoken for by our women will now be reflected in Ontario's management regime," said Grand Council Chief Beaucage.

"We need to ensure that First Nations, especially our women, maintain their role as stewards of the water and give a voice for our most precious resource," added Beaucage.

The Anishinabek Women's Water Commission will advise the Union of Ontario Indians on all aspects related to the management of the Great Lakes. It is expected that Grand Council Chief Beaucage and Minister David Ramsay will sign a co-management agreement on Tuesday, March 27 to ensure First Nation participation in all decision-making that will impact the Great Lakes basin.

More importantly, the newly created Commission will play a leadership role in raising the awareness of Great Lakes water and impacts to its quality and quantity. The Women's Water Commission will also share their tremendous traditional knowledge and teachings about water as they undertake their work across the Anishinabek Nation.

Josephine Mandamin, an Elder from Wikwemikong Unceded Nation will serve as founding Chief Commissioner of the Anishinabek Women's Water Commission.

"Water is a great uniter and I know that this historic step will begin to unite all nations because we all share an equal concern: the water's future," said Josephine Mandamin. "Hearing Mother Earth cry about how ill she is and how she is having a hard time feeding her children is a reminder to us all that our women feel the same way too. We must unite in this monumental task."

Mandamin established the Mother Earth Water Walk, the lead walks around Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Lake Ontario. Her group will walk around Lake Erie in 2007.

Mary Deleary of Muncey and April Jones of London will also serve as founding Commissioners. Both women are traditional teachers whose extensive aboriginal traditional knowledge focuses on the water and women's role as caretakers on the water.

"My commitment as Anishinabe-Kwe (native woman) to ensuring the sustainability for life for our future generations guides much of my life," said Mary Deleary. "Our 'Sacred Water' is the very essence of what will continue to sustain our life."

"During my lifetime, I have seen the extreme changes that have occurred regarding the sustainability of one of our most precious resources, Mide-waboo," said April Jones. "I continue to learn and to help in any way that I can regarding the protection of the water, because it is evident that the very future of our children and all of creation is dependent upon it."

The Anishinabek Nation incorporated the Union of Ontario Indians (UOI) as its secretariat in 1949. The UOI is a political advocate for 42-member First Nations across Ontario . The Union of Ontario Indians is the oldest political organization in Ontario and can trace its roots back to the Confederacy of Three Fires, which existed long before European contact.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Bob Goulais, Executive Assistant to the Grand Council Chief
Primary Phone: 705-497-9127 ext. 2245
Secondary Phone: 705-498-5250
E-mail: goubob@anishinabek.ca