Media.Knet.Ca

Press Release ...

Prentice Breaks Faith with Kashechewan: Conservative Inaction Leaves Residents Vulnerable to Impending Flood Season

2007-03-16 - Charlie Angus today condemned Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice for playing a cruel game with the people of Kashechewan. The minister has told community leaders he will not accept the results of a community consultation process that he commissioned to determine the future location for the flood-threatened community.

"We are on the eve of yet another flood season and the only thing Prentice has done since the last flood is delay and play games," said Angus. "Meanwhile the people of Kashechewan continue to suffer from squalid conditions and insufficient infrastructure."

Prentice has refused to accept the recommendations because he claims it will be too expensive.

"Prentice’s rejection of findings he commissioned is unacceptable. The people of Kashechewan have a signed agreement with the government of Canada to move them to safer ground," added Angus.

A thorough process was undertaken by Dr. Emily Fairies that determined the community overwhelmingly wants to be located to higher ground on their traditional territory.

The Kashechewan report debunks claims made by Prentice's personal envoy Allan Pope who claimed the community wanted to move off their territory to either Timmins or Smooth Rock Falls. In 2005, after sustained NDP pressure, the Liberal government moved to evacuate the residents of Kashechewan to save them from contaminated water that resulted in disease and squalid living conditions.

Angus says its time Prentice stopped dithering over Kashechewan.

"Prentice's own bureaucrats are speaking about a threat to life if the dike fails again. No steps have been taken to protect people from another flood. Prentice is gambling with the lives of the people of Kashechewan."

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From Timmins Daily Press ...

New subdivision offers homes for Kash residents

Scott Paradis - March 13, 2007

It's a quiet, late February Monday afternoon in this remote community of 1,900 people.

Much of the town's population had left for the weekend, and not everyone had returned yet. Some left Friday for a concert, an all-chiefs meeting or a basketball tournament in Moose Factory. Others have left Kashechewan to visit friends, or partake in other activities in Attawapiskat or Moosonee.

Hitting the road for any reason is tempting for the people living in a community that only has roads leading to other towns for little more than two months a year.

But Kashechewan isn't completely silent.

The sound of power saws slicing into wood, hammers pounding on the heads of nails and heavy equipment ripping through the frozen soil disrupts the otherwise quiet morning.

A work crew of more than 12 men operates the power saws, hammers and heavy equipment.

They are creating a new subdivision for the town that is said to be in desperate need of housing.

Deputy Chief Philip Goodwin said funding for the new units and renovations of the old units has been lagging.

"Construction, it's kind of slow," said Goodwin.

There will be some development come late April or early May, he said. Those units, nearly 30 of them, will go to families in desperate need of new homes.

The new homes are in addition to the ones that have been undergoing renovations.

The housing issue is a personal one for Goodwin. His home, like many others in the community, is filled with multiple generations.

It isn't uncommon for some families to have upwards of 12 people living in a two- or three-bedroom home.

"A lot of people, a lot of families are in need of new homes," Goodwin said.

When the Kashechewan band began deciding what families in the community were in need of new housing units, they compiled a list of 90 family names.

The almost 30 homes now being constructed in a new subdivision will go to the families from that list considered most in need, Goodwin said.

At the construction site, progress is on track to provide the community with the new homes by spring.

"We're probably right now at this stage, about 25 per cent complete for the whole project," said Bill Aitken, technical co-ordinator for the construction project.

"Some of them will be done in about (four weeks)," Goodwin said, estimating that about 12 per cent of the total project complete by then.

A lot of building materials are still coming to the community via a winter road from Moosonee.

Aitken said those materials have to get to the community quickly, before the road begins to thaw, but he's hopeful that there won't be any problems.

Currently there are 13 carpenters, two mechanics, and three people working on sewer and water systems, and five heavy equipment operators.

"Most of them are local," he said.

When those materials do get to Kashechewan, Aitken said there shouldn't be anything in the way of the project being completed on time.

Aitken said he just hopes the project moves forward a little more comfortably in the coming weeks.

"I just hope it warms up," he said.

From the Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal ...

NAN women share views at conference

By JONATHAN WILSON - Mar 17, 2007
 
Women from across Nishnawbe Aski Nation are moving to the forefront in fixing the problems in their remote communities.

A three-day conference organized by the NAN Women’s Council kicked off Friday in Thunder Bay.

Women’s Council spokeswoman Jackie Fletcher said the gathering is the first of its kind, bringing together 80 women from the area spanning to Hudson’s Bay between the Quebec and Manitoba borders.

“The women are so talented,” she said.

“We want to share the gifts that the women have.”

The conference is titled “Reclaiming Our Past Glories and Gifts to Share With Our Families”.

Fletcher said the women’s council will present its strategies to the delegates, to find out if they reflect the issues in the 49 NAN communities.

“We’re tackling pretty heavy issues,” Fletcher said.

“Family violence is a big one in the communities, and suicides and other issues you’ve heard about up in the North.”

Fletcher said they want to take a positive approach to solving such problems, by finding out what’s working well in some communities.

“If you focus of the negative things, it attracts negative things,” she said.

“This whole conference will be about looking at what positive things are happening in our communities.”

Among the guest speakers is NAN’s government relations manager Alanna McKenzie, who also owns her own software and family food service businesses.

She’s accomplished things her female ancestors never would have attempted, and feels taking charge of her future would meet her elders’ approval.

“Our grandfathers and grandmothers wanted us to survive,” she said.

“That’s what we do when we come forward and take on different challenges.”

As an aboriginal businesswoman, McKenzie said she always tries to conduct herself with dignity and respect.

She said she was looking forward to tackling the issues with other delegates this weekend.

“Leadership comes in many forms,” she said.

“With things changing so much in our communities, I hope that we see more women coming forward.”

Thunder Bay Mayor Lynn Peterson welcomed conference delegates Friday, and commended them for working to make their communities stronger.

“Women are such a force in each and every community,” Peterson said, “and when they all work together, it makes a really big difference.” 

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Tb News Source article ...

NAN conference focuses on women
Tb News Source - 3/16/2007

Women and their many contributions will be front and center this weekend at a first-time conference.

The Nishnawbe Aski Nation Women's Council kicked off the 'Reclaiming Our Past Glories and Gifts to Share with Our Families' conference Friday. The three-day event will focus on women and what they do in their communities.

Over 70 delegates from across NAN territory will be taking part in the conference. They will be participating in workshops and hearing from a variety of successful female speakers. Women's council member, Jackie Fletcher says the event will have a positive spin, keeping away from all the negativity that has been surfacing about the Northern communities.

The goal of the conference is to contribute to the development of a socio-health plan for all of the 49 NAN communities. The conference runs through Sunday afternoon at the Travelodge Airlane.

NAN Education Meeting  
Regency C, Victoria Inn, Thunder Bay
March 20-21, 2007

Presenters:

• Deputy Grand Chief Terry Waboose
• Nishnawbe Aski Nation Education Committee
• Dr. Emily Faries - NAN Education Jurisdiction
• Katherine Knott, INAC Region Director of Education
• Rosie Mosquito Oshki Pimache Win Education & Training Institute
• Ministry of Education – Aboriginal Education Unit

Group Discussion: What do you view as a quality education system within Nishnawbe Aski Nation? 

There will be eight strategic plan items that each group will have an opportunity to review and add input into. What does this mean to your community? To your school? What is working? What isn’t working? Where are the gaps?

1. To ensure provision of appropriate special education funding and programming for NAN students
2. To promote Education Capacity Development in NAN First Nation Communities
3. To help ensure availability of adequate, needs-based funding for education programs and services within NAN.
4. To support the availability of appropriate curriculum in NAN First Nation schools.
5. To document Education capital backlog within NAN First Nations
6. To document the Post-Secondary funding requirements and analyze current INAC funding policies
7. To actively support and provide input to the Education Jurisdiction negotiations and the codification of NAN education laws.
8. Open Comment Table

Meeting WORD Documents:

• Announcement Letter
• Spec. Ed. & Tuition Agreement Clinic Agenda
• Registration Form
• Meeting Agenda
• Meeting Poster

From CBC News ...

Ottawa balks at $500M cost of moving Kashechewan within traditional land

Thursday, March 15, 2006 - Canadian Press: SUE BAILEY

OTTAWA (CP) - Residents of the besieged Kashechewan reserve have turned down a recommended move to Timmins, Ont., in favour of rebuilding within their traditional land - an option government estimates suggest will cost $500 million.

Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice promptly balked Thursday at the cost despite repeatedly saying the people could choose whether to relocate. The tiny Cree First Nation wants to move on to high ground along the flood-prone Albany River about 450 kilometres north of Timmins.

"(Prentice) said he cannot accept that because where will the money come from?" said Stan Louttit, grand chief of the Mushkegowuk Council representing Kashechewan.

"It's going to cost too much."

Kashechewan leaders say the move within their traditional hunting grounds near James Bay was promised by the former Liberal government. An agreement to rebuild the remote fly-in reserve was reached in October 2005.

It came just days after photos of toddlers with skin rashes blamed on dirty water made Kashechewan an international poster child for aboriginal poverty and federal neglect.

"Certainly that was not the consensus of the community - that they move to Timmins," said Louttit. "That's what (Prentice) wanted."

The minister wasn't pleased with the community's own consultation called the Voice of the People, Louttit said.

"I think the chief will have to go home and tell the people of Kashechewan that the government does not support what they want. It's going to be very, very devastating."

Prentice was not immediately available for comment. He has himself described living conditions on the reserve as "deplorable."

Still, whopping cost projections have cast the issue in a new light, said his spokesman Bill Rodgers.

"They were given the choice to make their own decision, and that's what they've done," he said after the meeting with Kashechewan leaders wrapped up. "According to the calculations we've seen, it's the most expensive option there is.

"If the cost estimate remains in the range we're looking at right now, it's unlikely the government would go for that option."

Relocating from scratch about 35 kilometres up the Albany River would cost an estimated $500 million, say internal government documents obtained by The Canadian Press. "This scenario will not provide any additional economic opportunity for the community."

Prentice appointed former Ontario cabinet minister Alan Pope to study options and poll the people. Pope recommended last fall that Kashechewan be rebuilt on the outskirts of Timmins - an option that would cost about $200 million, say the federal documents. It's among the cheapest of several relocations studied.

"The reserve on the Albany River would continue to be their reserve," Pope said last November in response to concerns about assimilation.

"There would be means of accessing their traditional lands for traditional activities such as hunting and fishing."

Timmins would offer better job prospects, health care, education and policing, Pope stressed. But the vast majority of Kashechewan members have returned, even after repeated evacuations, to the only home they've ever known.

Louttit says no one has ever done a detailed study of related costs. "We have some estimates, but nothing accurate."

Ottawa moved the people against their will to the low-lying land in 1957. The original name Keeshechewan - Cree for "where the water flows fast" - became Kashechewan after it was misspelled by federal officials.

The reserve has been evacuated three times since 2004. Ottawa has spent millions of dollars to remove residents twice for severe spring flooding and once amid a tainted-water crisis. This, as the community of about 1,700 people grapples with squalid housing, domestic violence, addiction and a recent spate of 21 reported youth suicide attempts, including by a nine-year-old.

Former Indian Affairs minister Andy Scott pledged to relocate 50 new houses a year for 10 years. The Conservatives later backpedalled, saying the Liberals never formally set aside required funding.

Caught in the middle are men, women and children who've been repeatedly uprooted from cramped, decrepit living conditions.

Pope painted a grim picture of life on the reserve, especially for young people.

"Community-based services in Kashechewan are incomplete, inconsistent and inadequate," he found after reviewing historical records, band finances and the results of door-to-door surveys.

Regular health care simply isn't available. A round-trip flight to the closest major centre, Timmins, costs about $600.

"Dental care is rarely available," Pope said. "Domestic violence is a major issue that remains unaddressed. Dietary and healthy lifestyle issues have not improved, and the high cost of fruit and vegetables makes their resolution unlikely."

Pope described chronic under-funding that has only worsened as yearly contributions from Ottawa fail to keep pace with population growth. He noted that financial reports are late - something the new chief Jonathan Solomon promised to fix - and said much of Kashechewan's crippling $5-million debt is because of ongoing housing shortages.

Kashechewan should not be penalized for trying "to provide adequate housing for the band members," Pope said.

"Elementary and secondary school students are sharing one facility and attendance and curriculum are reduced accordingly. Elementary students have neither gym classes nor recess.

"Class hours for secondary students of 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. have cut attendance in half."

Louttit says the people of Kashechewan are doing their best to prepare if unpredictable spring weather brings another disastrous wave of water.

"The community has had a very rough two or three years."
 

Race Relations Week 2007: Our Community.  Our Family.  Our Future.
 
Race Relations Week in Sioux Lookout, starts Friday, March 16, with a youth Dance at the Rec Centre and will wrap up on Sunday, March 25 with the ever-popular Multicultural Potluck Feast and presentation of the People Making Changes - Mary Carpenter Award. 

Download copies of the week's agenda and activity posters below.

Friday (16th) is the deadline for nominations for the Mary Carpenter Award.  If you know someone who has contributed to positive race relations in Sioux Lookout, please nominate them for this award.  You can pick up a nomination form from the Sunset Suites, the Anti-Racism Committee office, off the web site (www.slarc.ca) , or by calling Laurel Wood (737-2174). 

You can also check out all the events planned for the week on the web site. There's something for everyone in Race Relations Week 2007. Come celebrate with your family and community.

Download and post the following WORD documents:

• Sioux Lookout Proclamation
• Activity Chart / Agenda
• Square dance
• Shirley Cheechoo films
  

AFN press release ...

National Chief welcomes today's 2007 Alternate Federal Budget's commitment to close the First Nations poverty gap with rest of Canada

     OTTAWA, March 15 /CNW Telbec/ - The 2007 Alternate Federal Budget, released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, allocates a total of $6.1 billion in spending for First Nations over the next three years.

     "This represents an ideal budgetary response to the needs of First Nations. It meets the requirements of First Nations after years of failed promises and commitments that have not been met. It is also consistent with what was promised in the 2005 Kelowna Accord," said National Chief Phil Fontaine. "This is a fair, reasonable and achievable response to the kind of investments that First Nations are seeking in the next three years. It will enable us to be real contributors to Canada's economy."

     The alternate budget addresses critical funding issues such as First Nations child welfare, housing, land claims, education, environment, and Non Insured Health Benefits. The budget also eliminates the Department of Indian Affairs' two per cent funding cap that has been strangling First Nations communities since 1996.

     "I can only hope that this Monday's federal budget will closely resemble the fiscally prudent and balanced alternate  budget presented to Canadians today," said National Chief Fontaine. "First Nations want to assume their rightful place in Canada - socially and economically. This alternate budget addresses the current loss of First Nations economic potential, as well as the loss of labour force potential that our young and growing population represents.

     "Chiefs are tired and frustrated with managing First Nations poverty," commented the National Chief. "The bottom line is that we want to create opportunity and become much stronger contributors to the economic fabric of this country. I'm sure this sentiment is shared by all Canadians."

     For the 2007-8 fiscal year, the Alternate Federal Budget allocates $801 million for fiscal sustainability; $500 million for land claims; $420 million for housing, $405 million for NIHB; $200 million for education, $125 million for health, $125 million for child welfare; $110 million for environmental stewardship; and $38 million for economic development - a total of approximately $2.9 billion in First Nations spending.

     The 2007 Alternate Federal Budget is available at www.policyalternatives.ca.

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

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/For further information: Bryan Hendry, A/Director of Communications,(613) 241-6789, ext. 229, cell (613) 293-6106, bhendry@afn.ca; Nancy Pine, Communications Advisor - Office of the National Chief, (613) 241-6789, ext.243, (613) 298-6382, npine@afn.ca/

Assembly of First Nations Bulletin - Specific Claims

March 2007 Communiqué from National Chief Phil Fontaine

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.

Specific Claims

There is currently a backlog of approximately 1062 unresolved claims within the federal specific claims process. Estimates of the total value of these unresolved claims range between $2.6 and $6 billion. Although First Nations have been working with the federal government for the past eight years to find solutions to the current backlog, to date, these efforts have not met with success. These efforts began in 1998 with the Joint First Nations – Canada Task Force on Specific Claims Policy Reform (the “Task Force”). The report of the Task Force, which was issued in 1998, proposed a detailed and technically sound model Bill. The federal government did not implement the Task Force recommendations.

However, the Government of Canada did unilaterally draft and pass Bill C-6, also known as the Specific Claims Resolution Act (SCRA), without the approval or support of First Nations. Although the SCRA received Royal Assent on November 7, 2003, it has not yet been proclaimed into force. The Chiefs-in-Assembly, through official resolutions, have made it clear that they do not accept the SCRA in its current form, and have called for it to be amended or withdrawn.

In 2006, the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples was charged with the responsibility to examine the nature and status of the Government of Canada’s specific claims policy. In its deliberations, the Senate Committee heard from a range of groups and individuals including the Minister of Indian Affairs, the Department of Justice, lawyers engaged in private practice, and various First Nations leaders and organizations, including the Assembly of First Nations (AFN). Minister Prentice is on record at these hearings declaring that, due to its unacceptability to First Nations, the SCRA must be reformed, rewritten or discarded altogether.

The AFN made submissions to the Senate Committee on November 8, 2006. In our submissions the AFN continued to press for the establishment of an independent claims resolution body, increased funding for claims resolution and First Nations participation in the process, and for specific claims to be characterized as contingent liabilities.

Report of the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples

In December 2006, the Senate Committee released its final report on the federal specific claims process, entitled “Negotiation or Confrontation: It’s Canada’s Choice.” We are pleased to report that the Senate Committee has, for the most part, endorsed all of the recommendations made by the AFN.

Summary of Recommendations
The Committee made a number of recommendations to address flaws with the existing claims resolution process and to reduce the backlog, including:

1. Establishment of a New Independent Claims Resolution Body

The Committee endorsed the establishment of a new independent claims resolution body. In particular, the Committee recommended:

• That the Government of Canada start work immediately to establish a new body independent of government with the mandate and power to resolve Specific Claims.
• That the new body be established in full partnership with First Nations.
• That the joint process for establishing the new body be sufficiently resourced to enable the body to be operational within two years of the next budget date.
• That the new body be fully capable of reaching settlement agreements on claims within five years of their submission to the independent body.

In his submissions to the Committee, the Minister also endorsed the establishment of a new independent body. Thus, there is considerable room for optimism that the federal government may be willing to establish a new independent body and to allocate resources for this purpose.

2. Specific Claims Resolution Act

The Committee recommended that the SCRA be repealed. First Nations clearly favour the options and legislative framework for reforming the specific claims process that is set out in the Joint Task Force Report. However, a repeal of the SCRA would require First Nations and the federal government to start from scratch in developing legislation to establish a new independent claims resolution body. Thus, while First Nations prefer the approach set out in the Joint Task Force Report, it may also be possible to address First Nations interests and concerns with a modest package of amendments to the SCRA. Further debate on the advantages and disadvantages of repealing the SCRA is required.

3. Funding for Indian and Northern Affairs and the Department of Justice

The Committee made the following recommendations regarding the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND) and the Department of Justice (DOJ):

• That Canada increase the financial/human resources for claims resolution at DOJ and DIAND to improve the existing process and move a significant portion of the unresolved claims forward before the new body is in operation.
• That Canada ensure that human resources assigned to Specific Claims at DIAND and DOJ are working in teams in a common location in order to improve communication, file management, and the timely resolution of valid claims.

4. Funding for First Nations to Research and Negotiate Claims

The Committee recommended that the Government of Canada provide sufficient funding for the human and financial resources that First Nations require to research and prepare their claims submissions.

5. Establishment of a Specific Claims Fund

The Committee recommended that the Government of Canada establish a dedicated fund for the payment of Specific Claims settlements. The Committee further recommended that these funds:

• not be allocated to other spending priorities;
• not lapse at the end of the fiscal year and any unused funds in a given fiscal year be carried forward to subsequent fiscal years; and
• be for an amount no less than $250 million per year.

In our submission to the Senate Committee, the AFN recommended that the backlog be reduced in 3 to 5 years and that $1.5 billion be allocated to jumpstart settlements. An estimate of the contingent liability in 2005 dollars places the value of unresolved claims at $6 billion. At $250 million per year, it will take 24 years to resolve the current backlog. However, at $500-$750 million per year, the backlog could be reduced in 3 to 5 years.

6. Contingent Liability

The Committee recommended that Specific Claims be identified as contingent liabilities.

7. Access to Information

The Committee recommended that the Government of Canada ensure that First Nations have equal access to government records necessary for documenting their specific claims.

8. New Guiding Principles

The Committee recommended that the principles of fairness, inclusion, dialogue and recognition of regional differences be used as guidelines for both the development of a new independent body and for any reforms to the existing process in the interim, including:

• Fairness: full disclosure of arguments, legal opinions, and other negotiations; full access to records and information; no penalizing effect on compensation levels due to other First Nations’ settlements.
• Inclusion: inclusion of First Nations leaders in reforming the Specific Claims process; cooperation with First Nations leaders in designing the structure and operations of a new independent body; involvement of other stakeholders such as provincial and territorial governments to arrive at mutually acceptable settlements earlier.
• Recognition of Regional Differences: processes appropriately adapted to regional differences including those accommodating the fact that the greatest number of outstanding Specific Claims are from BC; inclusion of oral history relevant to understanding First Nations’ experience.
• Dialogue: open and transparent communications to eliminate the “us versus them” atmosphere; truth and the exercise of good will to resolve claims cooperatively and more quickly.

Next Steps
In a letter to the Minister dated March 7, 2007, the National Chief urged the federal government to endorse the Senate Committee’s recommendation to establish a new independent claims resolution body in partnership with First Nations and to establish a Specific Claims Fund for settlement purposes. The National Chief also urged the federal government to endorse the Committee’s recommendations to allocate sufficient resources to the specific claims process, both in the short-term and over the longer-term for First Nations, the DOJ, and DIAND to advance and review claims.

Despite our repeated efforts, AFN has not had the resources to organize important committee meetings on this matter. Our efforts continue and officials are meeting with the Minister’s office to confirm a process that will improve the specific claims process, resolve the outstanding backlog of specific claims and establish a new independent claims body. We will keep you posted on our progress as we all appreciate the importance of this matter. Resolution of specific claims forms part of Canada’s national debt owed to First Nations and progress on their resolution is an essential measure to advance First Nations economic and social development.

Meegwetch!

Assembly of First Nations, 473 Albert Street suite 810, Ottawa, Ontario K1R 5B4 1-866-869-6789 or by fax at 613-241-5808 www.afn.ca

Bi-National 2007 Forum
Native American and First Nation Business Summit
First People, First Partners, First Choice

March 27th & 28th 2007
The Travel Lodge Airlane
Thunder Bay, Ontario

The Bi-National Forum 2007 will unite Canadian First Nation and US Native American business leaders with leading corporations and government agencies to explore new potential for trade and cross-border business, economic, & investment opportunities and partnerships.

The Bi-National Forum 2007 is an excellent opportunity to showcase leading edge pathways and opportunities for Aboriginal business development and expansion. It is our mission to provide a forum that reaches beyond borders, where Aboriginal businesses and organizations can engage to develop new cross-border synergies and potential for strategic alliances.

The Forum will facilitate cross-border discussions among Aboriginal business leaders and Fortune 500 companies seeking ‘minority content’ in its supply chain and will highlight those organizations that can assist in the ‘minority supplier certification’ process.

The Bi-National Forum is just a starting point to the long-term development of direct channels for business linkages between two unique Aboriginal settings. It marks the initiation of meaningful dialogue and serious examination of innovative avenues for cross-jurisdictional economic development and foreign direct investment opportunities.

This inaugural event will provide networking events, workshops and seminars with experts from a wide variety of sectors including minority procurement, trade, and investment. The forum will also include a tradeshow featuring 20 spaces for exhibitors and sponsors from both Canada and the United States.

A limited number of sponsorship opportunities are available on varying levels and provide unique exposure to a targeted and dynamic audience. Whether you want to join our inaugural event as a unique promotional partner, sponsor a networking lunch or reserve a Trade Show booth to showcase your business or organization, contact us today to find out more about our sponsorship packages and rates.

Email: sponsorship@binationalforum.ca
For more information visit:
www.binationalforum.ca

To register for the Bi-National Forum 2007, please contact our conference coordinator:

Stephanie Ash
1 (807) 767-4443
email: stephanie@binationalforum.ca

Various Conference Packages including accomodations are available. Call today to take advantage of our Early-Bird rates.

Click here for a PDF copy of the Conference Brochure

Click here for a PDF copy of the Conference Agenda Highlights

Indian Residential School Survivors
National Conference & Workshop

April 30, May 1&2, 2007
WINNIPEG Convention Centre

The Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (IRSSA) is in the process of final approvals. This has paved the way for preparing survivors and communities to move forward. The next phase of the process is the "OPT-OUT Period" of 150 days, during which survivors will have the option of including or excluding themselves from the settlement. it is anticipated that implementation of payment will take place in late 2007, depending on the number of individuals who decide to receive the Settlement. This flow of money into our Aboriginal communities will have both positive and negative effects.

Positive Effects:

• Economic Development
• Individual and Community Investments
• Improved Quality of Life
• Will and Estates
• Elder Support

Negative Effects:

• Elder Abuse
• Family Violence
• Alcohol, Drug and Gambling Issues
• Fraud
• Conflict within communities

The Settlement Agreement Community Impacts Working Group (CIWG) has been created to coordinate and support efforts across Canada to minimize the negative effects and maximize the positive effects of the Settlement Agreement. Membership includes representatives from several Federal Government Departments, national Aboriginal organizations, and other stakeholders who are responsible for programs such as the IRS Reconciliation Health Support Programs.

Please join us for this three-day educational Workshop and Conference that will provide the tools to help effectively deal with the financial, social, personal, family and economic aspects related to the Settlement.

Click here for a copy of the conference poster and FAX REGISTRATION form (PDF copy of the faxed information)

Matawa First Nations tribal council press release ...

First Nations file to protect rights in Kenogami Forest

Thunder Bay, ON: The Matawa First Nations have just commenced legal proceedings in the form of a Judicial Review Application against Minister of Natural Resources, David Ramsey. The Director of Industry Relations at the MNR, Terrace Bay Pulp Inc. (owned by Buchanan Forest Products) and Neenah paper Company of Canada are also named respondents.

The legal proceeding seeks to set aside the MNR’s transfer of the Sustainable Forest License (SFL) in the Kenogami Forest, from Neenah to Terrace Bay/Buchanan on August 31, 2006, on the basis that Matawa First Nations were not consulted about the transfer and the terms of the SFL.

The legal case also seeks orders from the court requiring the Minister to fulfill the MNR’s obligations in term and Condition 34 of the Class Environmental Assessment Order, and to consult the Matawa First Nations about how this should be done. Term and Condition No. 34 required the MNR to undertake various measures to provide for more equal participation by Aboriginal peoples in the benefits provided through forest management planning, including more equal management and decision-making capacity, as well as employment, business, economic or financial benefits. “So far, little has been done to honour or implement these legal requirements,” says Chief Veronica Waboose.

Despite continued lobbying and requests from the nine communities of the Matawa First Nations to be included and consulted in any regional forestry planning developments affecting the Kenogami territory, the First Nations have been excluded. All of the Matawa First Nations have reserves either in or adjacent to the Kenogami Forest and therefore have treaty rights, including rights to harvesting, hunting, fishing and trapping in the territory covered by the Kenogami Forest. The non-cooperation and disregard for regional collaboration from both government and industry has left the Matawa First Nations with no other options to be heard.

The proceedings, which will come for a hearing before the Divisional Court of the Ontario.

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Notes to Editor:

Matawa First Nations includes nine (9) communities in Northern Ontario: AROLAND FIRST NATION, CONSTANCE LAKE FIRST NATION, EABAMETOONG FIRST NATION, GINOOGAMING FIRST NATION, LONG LAKE #58 FIRST NATION, MARTEN FALLS FIRST NATION, NESKANTAGA FIRST NATION, NIBINAMIK FIRST NATION, and WEBEQUIE FIRST NATION

Media Contact:

Kate Kempton, legal counsel
Olthuis Kleer Townshend
Tel: 416-981-9374
Cell: 416-571-6775
Email: kkempton@oktlaw.com

Stephanie Ash
Firedog Communications
Tel: (807) 767-4443; Fax: (807) 767-4479
Email: stephanie@firedogpr.com