Media.Knet.Ca

There have been a number of newspaper articles written about the Broadband Task Force report: The New National Dream: Networking the Nation for Broadband Access. Just last week after the AFN meeting in Halifax the Globe and Mail carried the story “High-speed Internet Service Would Link All Native Reserves” and CBC on-line news had the story “New plans to bring Internet to First Nation reserves”. In the June 28 edition of Wawatay News, the release of the New National Dream report was covered in the article, “National Broadband Task Force”. The Sioux Bulletin also carried an article about the release of the report in their June 27 paper, with the front page headline “High-speed Internet access for everyone”.

The report is available on-line (the Broadband Task Force final report). For additional information about connecting communities to broadband networks, check out the National Broadband Task Force web site, Reports and Papers in the Resource Area. There are many excellent reference documents that were used to assist the task force in developing their final report.

Aboriginals will risk another Oka for real input on governance, says top chief By SUE BAILEY HALIFAX (CP) - If "drastic measures" are needed - including another crisis like the 1990 Oka standoff - for real input on Indian Act changes, so be it, says Canada's top chief. "We lived through Oka, we lived through Ipperwash, we lived through Burnt Church," Matthew Coon Come, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, said Thursday. "And we're here to stay. We're not going to go away. We're going to continue to push the government for our issues. They'll have to deal with treaties. They'll have to deal with aboriginal title. Because it's in the constitution. Because the courts (have) recognized those rights." Crippling poverty, substandard housing, social chaos and rampant joblessness on First Nations are fuelling frustration, Coon Come said. Protests like the Oka fight over a Quebec town's plans to extend a golf course on native-claimed land; the 1995 Ipperwash land claims clash in Ontario; and last year's lobster wars at Burnt Church, N.B. could take other forms across Canada, he suggested. "I think there are some people that are willing to take drastic measures. If you've got nothing, you've got nothing to lose. You've got no job, your land is taken away, you've got no future." Talk of road blockades and other disruptive peaceful protest is very real, he added. And the assembly, Canada's largest native advocacy group representing about 700,000 of 1.4 million aboriginals, will support such action, he said. "I can't dictate what young people and chiefs and councils can do, if that's the avenue that they take. "I think the reaction will depend on the federal government that hasn't listened to First Nations or respected the Supreme Court or constitution recognizing aboriginal rights and how to implement them." Three hundred chiefs gathered for the meeting this week voted Wednesday to give Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault an ultimatum. They've given him 30 days to abandon ongoing consultations with aboriginals this summer on how to revamp the 1876 Indian Act. The chiefs have boycotted the process, saying it's too rushed and narrow to allow real input on legislation expected to be introduced this fall. Should Nault refuse to include the assembly's 633 chiefs in a broader, longer-term consultation, an "aggressive strategic plan of action" has been promised across Canada. Nault has offered to meet with the assembly to discuss its proposal, but has said talks with other chiefs and aboriginals will continue. http://ca.news.yahoo.com/010719/6/7n9f.html

Canadian Chiefs Threaten Protests Over Indian Act By Julie Remy TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian Indian leaders threatened civil disobedience on Thursday, possibly blocking highway traffic from coast to coast, if the federal government doesn't work closer with First Nations leaders in overhauling the historic Indian Act. Indian Affairs minister Robert Nault has outlined plans to amend the 1871 Indian Act with the aim of improving Indian self governance, notably by making band councils more accountable and updating the voting system on reserves. But a meeting of the Assembly of First Nations in Halifax, Nova Scotia, voted unanimously on Wednesday to protest against Ottawa's way of overhauling the act, saying the changes are being imposed on aboriginal peoples without due consultation. "First Nations of Canada shall be forced to engage in an aggressive strategic plan of action at the local, national and international levels" the assembly of chiefs said in a draft resolution to be adopted on Thursday at the two-day meeting. "We will block the highway form Prince Edward Island to Vancouver," Lawrence Paul, chief of the Millbrook First Nation in Nova Scotia said on Wednesday. Ghislain Picard, leader of some 100,000 natives in Quebec and Labrador, told Reuters from Halifax on Thursday that bands would increase their pressure on Ottawa if the government did not change its plans within a month. "If it's what needs to be done to prove our commitment, we would consider (blocking roads)," he said. Picard said the native leaders gathered in Halifax, representing some 700,000 Indians across Canada, wanted to be part of the consultation process to change the act, which he described as "a colonial legacy that needs to be abandoned." He remained suspicious of Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault's offer to "convene a meeting in the coming days to discuss a work plan." "This announcement must be considered, along with the affirmation, that the consultation is still going on, and our resolution was very firm: the process must stop now if the minister really wants to sit at the table," he said. But Ottawa said it was determined to proceed. "National consultations will go forward as scheduled. First Nation peoples and chiefs who have already participated and who plan to participate in consultations have been and will continue to be the backbone of this process," Nault said in a statement. Although Canada's 1.4 million aboriginal peoples receive some C$7 billion annually from the federal government, they remain plagued by poverty, often-deplorable living conditions, high rates of suicide and health problems. http://ca.news.yahoo.com/010719/5/7njv.html

Wednesday, July 18, 2001 Back The Halifax Herald Limited Chiefs urged to stand firm on right to govern selves Indian Act changes aimed at political, fiscal accountability Tim Krochak / Herald Photo Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come talks to native leaders in Halifax on Tuesday. By Michael Lightstone Amid calls for unity and firm resolve, Canada's native leaders appear unsure on how best to fight Ottawa's plans to legislate the way First Nations should govern themselves. Delegates at a national aboriginal convention in Halifax on Tuesday heard proposed changes to the Indian Act, dealing with the political and fiscal accountability of native bands, are misguided and hurtful. But forming a united front of chiefs attending the Assembly of First Nations annual conference is proving to be difficult. Some native leaders are already talking to the federal government about the controversial proposals, while others say a native-run agenda is needed to set the tone of future negotiations on any changes to the law. The Indian Act has remained largely unchanged since it was passed in 1876. Ottawa is holding public consultations on planned amendments this summer, but many bands - including those in Atlantic Canada - have refused to participate. National Chief Matthew Coon Come said natives must stand together if they hope to determine their own destiny. The assembly's executive committee presented a proposal for a strategy dealing with Indian Act amendments. A separate proposal was submitted by elders, though it closely resembles that of the executive committee. "We will need to mobilize as never before," Chief Coon Come told delegates. "We will have to become a political force to be reckoned with." Aboriginal governments have been taken to task for stories of fiscal mismanagement and serious election problems. Critics have charged the Chretien Liberals are pushing for change simply to placate stinging attacks from the Canadian Alliance. Motion calls for ouster of Coon Come Chief Coon Come said the only legislation Parliament needs to pass "are laws that recognize our rights to govern ourselves." He said most First Nations have rejected Ottawa's process to overhaul the Indian Act but acknowledged some are taking part in talks, "allowing the (Indian affairs) minister the opportunity to say his act is based on consultations with First Nations." Among the assembly's governance proposals: - revise the timeline so the process is slowed down; - form a joint planning committee with the federal government; - appoint a council of experts made up of native and non-native advisers; and - set up a joint legal team with Ottawa to draft legislation and assess legal implications. Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault was invited to address the conference but declined. In a July 16 letter to chiefs, he said "no item is off the agenda" and called on native leaders to work with the government. "There are a variety of opportunities now before us to improve the process to accommodate the differing interests involved," Mr. Nault said in his letter. Ottawa hopes to introduce new legislation in the House of Commons this fall. Assembly Vice-Chief Ghislain Picard, who represents Quebec and Labrador, urged his colleagues to boycott public consultation meetings. He said chiefs should have a plan B, should the organization's governance proposals be rejected. Delegates are to vote on the Indian Act issue before the conference ends Thursday. One native observer who is not a delegate said it's almost impossible to reach a consensus on what to do about Ottawa's plans for the Indian Act. Dwight Dorey, who heads a national group of off-reserve aboriginals, said regionalism and community interests will probably always come into play. "That's pretty evident in the debate here," he said in an interview. "And the extent of that debate is only within the Assembly of First Nations." President of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, Mr. Dorey leads about 800,000 off-reserve natives and Metis. He said his organization has discussed Ottawa's proposals and is preparing a response. "I'm currently in the process of working out the final details of a consultative process with the minister regarding the whole governance initiative," he said. http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/loadmain?2001/07/18+169.raw

Divided first nations rally behind chief 'We will not end up like Stockwell Day,' Sault says as challenge to Coon Come fades By KEVIN COX Wednesday, July 18, 2001 – Page A7 HALIFAX -- Assembly of First Nations national chief Matthew Coon Come easily fended off a phantom leadership challenge yesterday with an impassioned plea for unity at a time when the Assembly of First Nations appears deeply divided over issues of governance and financial accountability. Drummers had barely stopped pounding out the welcome song at the assembly's annual meeting when rumours began circulating about a non-confidence motion demanding the removal of the chief after his first year in office. The motion said many chiefs had questions about Mr. Coon Come's "leadership, political activity, religious convictions and ability to perform the job." But after Mr. Coon Come gave a powerful speech urging native leaders to stand together against attempts to assimilate and marginalize aboriginal people, two Ontario chiefs, Lyle Sayers and Leon Jourdain, whose names were on the recall motion as mover and seconder, insisted they supported Chief Coon Come. Chief Coon Come received a standing ovation from about 1,000 delegates after Larry Sault, chief of the Iroquois and Allied Indians, expressed his support for the national chief. "I have no problem with the national chief. I support him, and I will continue to support him. . . . We will not end up like Stockwell Day," Mr. Sault said, referring to the beleaguered Canadian Alliance leader. In his address, Mr. Coon Come acknowledged that some native organizations want to pull out of the Assembly of First Nations and represent themselves. But he urged the chiefs to stand together against challenges to native rights that he said threaten the existence of aboriginal people. "There are forces that would like to see us, first nations, eliminated from the face of the earth. . . . It will be attempted through the continual passing of laws that strip us, point by point, of our powers to govern ourselves as peoples," Mr. Coon Come said. "It will be attempted through the introductions of systems and institutions whose inappropriateness and ineffectiveness will leave us to a state of division and turmoil and make us doubt our own existence as peoples." Over the past year, native bands have gone through bitter debates over allegations of financial mismanagement and lack of accountability for the way public money is spent. As well, issues such as the growing native fishery have caused rifts between those who want to sign deals for boats and apply for licences with the federal government, and those who want to manage their own fishery based on their treaty rights. Native leaders also appear divided over how they should deal with sweeping proposals from Ottawa to alter the Indian Act and allow bands greater autonomy. Many chiefs are furious about the proposals because they say that Ottawa should not be telling natives how to govern themselves. Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault said in an open letter to the assembly yesterday that 160 sessions have been held to consult with native people on the changes, but the AFN pulled out of the discussions on April 30. Many chiefs are demanding the assembly follow through on its earlier vow to boycott the consultations and to develop its own plan for self-government. The assembly, however, will vote today on a proposal that calls for negotiations with the federal government to establish a "middle ground" for an agreement that would address problems with the Indian Act and provide changes that support economic development and fiscal initiatives. British Columbia vice-chief Satsan Herb George said it is important that native leaders tell the federal government how they want to govern themselves. "We need the opportunity to have that discussion and do the analysis," he said. But chiefs from Ontario and Quebec insisted that Ottawa is trying to eliminate its responsibility for native bands, and they demanded native leaders boycott the consultations on changing the Indian Act. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/GIS.Servlets.HTMLTemplate?tf=tgam/common/FullStory.html&cf=tgam/common/FullStory.cfg&configFileLoc=tgam/config&vg=BigAdVariableGenerator&date=20010718&dateOffset=&hub=headdex&title=Headlines&cache_key=headdexNational¤t_row=6&start_row=6&num_rows=1

The UPS for the mail server at mail.knet.on.ca failed during the night of Friday July 20, 2001. The defective UPS has been replaced and normal mail operation has been restored as of 9:49 AM today, Saturday July 21, 2001.

Please be patient with inbound mail as a lot of mail has been queued elsewhere. For the next few hours all backlogged mail will arrive in your inbox. It is quite common for messages to arrive out of sequence, with newer mail arriving prior to older mail. This is normal and to be expected.

Poplar Hill First Nation is working with a number of partners to construct their new Smart Business Centre. Wawatay News (June 28 edition) carried a story about how Poplar Hill's new business centre is being supported. Plans include wiring all the Hotel rooms so people will have high speed Internet access when they visit the community.

With the sudden death of Bill Mamakeesic on Wednesday, July 11 in Thunder Bay, Nishnawbe Aski Nation has lost another well known leader. Bill was the first Chief of Keewaywin First Nation in the late 1980's. Bill worked hard with the elders and community members to begin building a new community on the traditional lands of the people in that region. Later as Deputy Grand Chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation, Bill expanded his vision across NAN for strong and healthy communities in each of the portfolios and especially in education for which he was responsible.

During his second term as Chief of Keewaywin in the mid 1990's, Bill worked with the other Chiefs of Keewaytinook Okimakanak supporting the development of K-Net. He always looked for ways to ensure that the communities could prosper and grow. Bill worked to protect the Native language and encourage young people to contribute to their communities. The vision he shared with Keewaytinook Okimakanak involved providing the tools for the people to have meaningful lives wherever they chose to live.

Geordi Kakepetum recalls how “Bill always advocated for more services, activities and opportunities that would benefit the young people in his community and across Nishnawbe Aski Nation. Everyone remembers different accomplishments and efforts that Bill put forth on behalf of the Nishnawbe Aski.” One recent effort included Bill's representation of the Chiefs of Keewaytinook Okimakanak on the Northern Nishnawbe Education Council Board of Directors for the past several years.

Keewaytinook Okimakanak extends its sympathy to Bill's family, the people of Keewaywin First Nation and across Nishnawbe Aski Nation, as we honour and remember Bill.

Various local and regional newspapers and radio stations provided coverage of the launch of the Kuh-ke-nah Network of Smart First Nations. Read the on-line July 7 article in the Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal entitled "Red Lake-area First Nations to get 'connected'" and the July 11 front page story in the Sioux Bulletin "Northern Chiefs launch Smart First Nations Project". Other stories are available in the Red Lake District News (July 4 and 11 issues) and are being written for the Northern Ontario Business and Windspeaker. Wawatay News (July 12 issue) published an article about the launch entitled "Kuh-ke-nah Network Grand Opening".

Thanks to everyone for making this event so successful! Be sure to watch the Launch web site for more information about this event.

Several weeks ago, our primary file server died! The motherboard needed replacement and unfortunately the parts were going to take more that a few days. Fortunately our server had hot swappable drives so, with the support KNET staff, we removed one of the drives and placed it into one of the extra KNET servers. I built the server using Windows NT to mimic our primary server while it was down. In addition, with a conversion over to the KNET network to access broadband (which we were going to do eventually), we were able to share out this drive within a virtual private network and have Windigo staff access all of their data. It worked incredibly well and provided an off-site location for our data. Thanks to the KNET staff for their help in ensuring our staff were up and running with minimal delay! Allan Morrison