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The Great Rivers Project is a pilot project that Aroland, Long Lake #58 and Ginoogaming First Nations have undertaken to promote and preserve traditional history and culture. NAN artist, John Ferris, founder of the project, says the project will have many spins offs, including inspiring of other communities to collect and write their histories. "One of the goals of this project is to create curriculum for elementary, secondary and post secondary institutions," he said.

Ferris has been developing this concept with grassroots leaders and members of the Matawa, Mushgegowuk and Wabun tribal areas for the past few years. Aroland, Long Lake #58 and Ginoogaming have reiterated their enthusiasm and overwhelming support with band council resolutions (bcr’s) indicating that they want their communities to participate in this pilot project.

NAN Deputy Grand Chief Goyce Kakegamic supports the Great Rivers Project. "I am impressed that this will be a grassroots-driven project where Oskhi and the Great Rivers Education Project will work with community leaders and teachers, elders, youth and women to develop an accurate and comprehensive history of the participating First Nations." He says this is an excellent example of a partnership between NAN’s post secondary institute and a grassroots community-driven team.

There have been a number of meetings between members of Oskhi and the Great Rivers Education Project to forge a partnership that will best serve the needs of the members of Aroland, Ginoogaming and Long Lake #58.

"I applaud your collective efforts," Kakegamic said, "to develop a classroom curriculum that will speak directly to our students. NAN needs projects such as this one to explore our historical backgrounds and traditional customs that have strengthen our people for generations."

This project blends the efforts of our artists and writers with those with technical expertise in academics, telecommunications and computer technology. It promises to further NAN efforts in the capacity-building process that First Nations communities require to compete in the mainstream economy.

Each was given the opportunity to introduce themselves, tell about their backgrounds and offer their opinions about the creation of the proposed school. Some of the ideas included the following:

• The proposed school must be a center of excellence for the elementary education. It cannot be a "dumping ground" for the boards of education. The goal of the school is to meet or exceed all provincial standards in education and equip its students to live productive lives in both traditional and mainstream societies.
• The proposed school must create a positive learning environment for the students, teachers, administrative and support staff in sharp contrast to the systemic racism faced by our students in the mainstream system.
• It is critical to support initiatives such as this one, which are part of the on-going process to create our own institutions.
• There is no need to "reinvent the wheel." There are many Native elementary schools currently in operation in Canada and the United States. Much can be learned from schools operated by other minority and religious groups. Examine such programs as "Walking in Beauty."
• The students should not be "guinea pigs." The proposed school needs to be well researched, well planned and well executed in order that the first intake gets just as good an education as future students in the school.
• Statistical data must be collected and analyzed that will support this proposal. A database containing the names, addresses, emails, and phone numbers of as many urban Aboriginal people living off-reserve in Thunder Bay must be created. The Deputy Grand Chief is writing a letter to all NAN Chiefs asking them to provide a list of their band members who are currently living in Thunder Bay.
• Collect letters of support from those who have offered support.
• Communication must be effective to strengthen support for this initiative, including newsletters and brochures.

A number of questions and concerns were raised by the Working Group including the following:

• The Deputy Grand Chief presented various school models that currently exist in Winnipeg and the Sioux Lookout area. Unlike DFC, the school should be a partnership with one of the two school boards in Thunder Bay in order that the teachers can access all of the secondary and tertiary services that the students require to succeed. The D/GC is very impressed with the progress made at the Native elementary school in Winnipeg.
• The proposed school must be a center of excellence.
• Qualified and accredited Aboriginal teachers should teach the students. Elders must play a central role in the education of the students.
• The participants discussed the pros and cons of establishing a partnership with one of the two boards of education in Thunder Bay.
• The curriculum must be conceived, developed and taught by Aboriginal people. This does not mean that the curriculum must be created specifically for the proposed school. Components can be "borrowed" from other successful programs currently in operation.
• The proposed school must be centrally located and easily accessible. The students, teachers and parents must feel "ownership" over the Native elementary school and feel welcome.
• The proposed school must promote diversity and the variety of cultures that are embraced by Nishnawbe Aski Nation. The Medicine Wheel should be used as a model.
• The proposed school should hire Aboriginal teachers who will act as positive role models for the students. Non-Aboriginal teachers, even if their hearts are in the right place, do not always understand the culturally issues associated with the lives of urban Aboriginal people living off-reserve.
• Thunder Bay is lagging behind other communities such as Winnipeg and Timmins in terms of Native-controlled Aboriginal education.

Deputy Grand Chief Kakegamic has written to the NAN Chiefs requesting their assistance in developing a contact list of urban NAN members living in Thunder Bay who may wish to send their children to the proposed Native Elementary School.

Dean of Medicine impressed by KO's achievement's in Tele-Medicine and Tele-Education

The Founding Dean of the Northern Ontario Medical School (NOMS) had an opportunity to see first hand the innovative telemedicine and distance education solutions that one of NAN's tribal councils is implementing to overcome some of the obstacles to providing quality health care and schooling in Ontario's far north. During a two-day visit over March 31 and April 1, Doctor Roger Strasser, MD and two of his staff, along with representatives of Nishnawbe Aski Nation visited Keewaytinook Okimakanak (KO) in Balmertown and then toured the nursing station in Deer Lake First Nation.

"The achievements of Keewaytinook Okimakanak's K-NET, Telehealth and Keewaytinook Internet High school (KiHS) initiatives are remarkable," the Founding Dean of the Northern Medical School said. "NOMS can learn much from the experiences of KO with regard to the operational platform and educational framework of the Keewaytinook Internet High School, as well, KO’s expanding telemedicine capacity within telehealth."

Geordi Kakepetum, the Executive Director of Keewaytinook Okimakanak said he was impressed with the sincerity and objectivity of Dr. Strasser and his staff. "Roger came here to listen and learn, he asked many questions and was really interested in how our KO First Nations and partners have developed local solutions to regional problems that confront all NAN communities. We look forward to working with him."

During their visit to Deer Lake First Nation the representatives of the Northern Medical School toured the nursing station and observed a real-time telehealth demonstration, which included the examination of a patient in nearby North Spirit Lake First Nation. "This is exactly the kind of experience that our medical students will require if they are going to fully appreciate the opportunities and challenges of practicing in remote and isolated communities in the North," Dr. Strasser said after the tour.

Mayor Duncan Wilson of Red Lake praised both KO and NOMS as leaders who are making a great impact on the lives of all Northerners. "KO has demonstrated how much a group of dedicated people can achieve in just ten short years, when their hearts and minds are focused on the common good. I see the medical school as another force that will improve the quality of life in the north. It’ a great day when good people like you can come together to work toward a better future for all of us."

Deputy Grand Chief Goyce Kakegamic of Nishnawbe Aski Nation  believes that a bridge has been built connecting the Northern Medical School with KO.

"What we are seeing here today is the kind of opportunity that exists when we all work together toward a common goal. We all want better health care and better educational opportunities for our children. Working together, KO and NOMS can become a model of cooperation for all people, Native and Non-Native in the North."

Kakepetum, the Executive Director of KO, thanked his staff in Balmertown, Deer Lake and North Spirit Lake for all their hard work and cooperation in making the NOMS / NAN visit a memorable one. "Everybody pulled together just the way they always do. I’m proud of our family here." The KO Executive Director also thanked Bearskin Airlines for their consideration with regard to the flights to and from Thunder Bay and the charter to Deer Lake.

Ojibway and Cree Cultural Center Highlights

Working together in education is one way of maintaining the language and culture of the NAN area. To help the NAN schools in their attempts to develop successful programs the Ojibway and Cree Cultural Center has been producing curriculum support materials and resources to meet their language and culture needs. Recent materials include Anishininiimowin Stories (2) a Grade 2 reader for Oji-Cree and Northern Ojibway immersion and language classrooms. Anastasia Weesk created the stories while Bart Meekis from Sandy Lake provided the illustrations. This Grade 2 reader is also available in Cree as Omushkegowuk Stories (2). These readers contain ten stories based on the good way of life or milopimatesiwin. This way of life derived from living on the land and obtaining food from it, kept the Oji-Cree, Northern Ojibway, and Cree people strong, happy, and healthy.

In addition, a unit profile has been developed for Book 1 —Us found in Omushkegowuk Stories (1)/Anishininiimowin Stories (1). This unit provides language teachers with an integrated approach to presenting the material found in Book 1 and ideas for presenting the other books in this reader. A similar unit profile will be produced for material found in Omushkegowuk Stories (2)/Anishininiimowin Stories (2) in the future.

To assist NAN schools in developing a challenging and rigorous curricula the Ojibway and Cree Cultural Center has undertaken extensive research on Native language and culture programming. In partnership with Omushkego Education, a Cree language workshop was held with language teachers from the Mushkegowuk communities along the James Bay coast to develop language expectations for the schools in this area. Jim Etherington and Greg Spence of Omushkego Education facilitated this workshop. The results of the language workshop included the production of The Omushkego Language and Culture Curriculum, Early Childhood Education to Grade 3, Cree Language document. Future workshops will involve using the knowledge of the elders to develop cultural expectations to complete this document.

Furthermore, to ensure that high standards are met when implementing the Cree Language document, writing examples for Grade 1 to 3 were created at a workshop at the Great Moon Gathering held in Moose Factory. Three writing examples, in syllabics for each grade, were developed by Cree elders and language teachers from the James Bay coast.