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At last week's Sioux Lookout District First Nations Teachers' Conference in Winnipeg, Lt. Gov. James Bartleman announced his plans to expand the delivery of the Summer Literacy Camps to 25 First Nations. Below is a story in today's Toronto Sun about this work and the stories from last summer's camps in 5 Nishnawbe Aski Nation communities.

From the Toronto Sun at http://www.torontosun.com/Lifestyle/2006/02/19/1451149-sun.html

Hope for Native youth - Literacy programs are key
By SYLVI CAPELACI, TORONTO SUN - Mon, February 20, 2006

First Nations youth may be fluent in their indigenous languages of Cree, Ojibwe and Oji-Cree, but it's English they need to speak, according to Frontier College's Philip Fernandez, administrator of the Lt.-Gov.'s Aboriginal Literacy Summer Camps.

English is their springboard to career opportunities within their own communities and to the outside world -- to places far beyond their remote towns tucked away in northwestern Ontario, says Fernandez.

Given the right literacy tools, children of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation will see old age. For many, English is a synonym for survival -- a lifeline from death.

"Every other week, a Native child kills themself. One girl hung herself on a tree in front of the school. It's a real tragedy," says Lt.-Gov. James K. Bartleman.

Soaring suicide rates and their high-level of illiteracy are key reasons he initiated the 2005 summer literacy camps in North Caribou Lake, Kingfisher Lake, Muskrat Dam, Neskantaga and Fort Albany.

"Very few children make it through high school. Those that do are about five years behind other Ontario children," Bartleman says of this struggling population in transition from a traditional to modern society.

The five camps, staffed with 20 councillors recruited from Southern Ontario and about 40 from Native communities, hosted a three-week literacy program for 365 kids between the ages of 4 to 14.

Last July, Bartleman visited the camps and found the children dispelled stereotyping:

"They were really anxious to read and to learn. Even though we brought sports equipment, we found them drifting away from the ball diamonds and going back to the books. "  

Already big plans are in the works to run camps in 25 communities this coming summer and Bartleman has pledges from sponsors to pay for summer programs for the next five years.

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PHOTOSENSITIVE

Capturing the essence of the Lt.-Gov.'s camps is a compelling photographic exhibition, Summer of Hope, on view until Friday at The Allen Lambert Galleria in BCE Place (or visit website http://www.photosensitive.com/ps/).

The collection of poignant black and white images of First Nations children were taken by five top Canadian photojournalists who belong to PhotoSensitive -- an organization of volunteers who donate their time and their talent to raising awareness towards global and national issues.

"People think it's hopeless, this (the exhibit) shows that it's not. It shows the joy of life in the communities and that's why it's called Summer of Hope." says Bartleman.

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LT.-GOV.'S INITIATIVES

• In 2004, a program was launched that collected more than 1.2 million books for First Nations school libraries.
• To enrich learning and communication skills, a twinning program was created pairing kids in native and non-native schools.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED:

The Amick (beaver in Ojibwe) Book Club will supply books to aboriginal youth through the months in between summer camps. The Lt.-Gov. urges all Canadians to get involved:

"A $100 donation or even 10 individual $10 donations will pay for a child's participation for one year in the club." With this funding, each child will receive six books a year plus a magazine that they will be encouraged to submit stories to.

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To make a donation, mail to: Club Amick, The Southern Ontario Library Service, 111 Peter St., Suite 902, Toronto, ON, M5V 2H1, or call 1-800-387-5765.