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From the Timmins Daily Press ...

Kash plan addresses classroom shortage - New school to house all students
Scott Paradis - August 09, 2007

Kashechewan could have enough classrooms to accommodate all of its children this fall - a luxury the First Nation hasn't enjoyed in two years.

The $200-million federal government deal for Kashechewan will provide it with a new school.

In the meantime, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) intends to provide the First Nation with space to address its current classroom shortage.

"We are working with the community to provide it with portables," said Joe Young, a director of funding services for INAC.

Those portables would be serving a community that hasn't produced a high school graduate on its own soil in about two years.

INAC officials elaborated on details about the school, among other things, in Kashechewan Wednesday afternoon during a special media phone briefing.

That briefing intended to give reporters - who have long tracked the plight of Kashechewan's "historical background" - information along with any possible "next steps," said INAC representative Bob Howsam.

One of those next steps is to build an all-in-one elementary and high school for the community.

More than two years ago, Kashechewan's elementary school was condemned due to toxic mould, among other issues. Any belief that the school would be re-opened went up in smoke, literally, when a fire ripped through the building in late June.

Since the originally condemning of that school, elementary students have been sharing the high school facilities.

The students now go to school in shifts - elementary school students hit the books in the morning while high school students attend later in the afternoon and into the evening.

INAC said it is working with the community to ensure that when the school is built, it will be a size that can "accommodate" all the First Nation's children.

But INAC, while it hopes to provide the remote First Nation with portables come this fall, cannot guarantee that timeline.

"We're taking steps forward," said Young. "We're hopeful for fall." There are numerous challenges when bringing infrastructure to an isolated community, he said.

For Kashechewan, the new school can't come soon enough.

The community's school has not produced a graduate for nearly two entire years.

That fact was highlighted in a recent report, which took an in-depth look at Kashechewan, its problems and potential solutions.

Former cabinet minister Alan Pope conducted that report.

During an one-on-one interview with The Daily Press last week, Pope revealed that he had "a lot of problems" with Kashechewan's school. "The school system is $9 million-a-year of public expenditure and they haven't had a graduate in two years," he said.

"And they don't teach math or sciences. So no one coming out of there could possibly advance their education."

Pope doesn't conclude what has caused the First Nation's education system to fail so badly, however, he does suggest that the multiple community evacuations could be at play.

Three times in the span of a year Kashechewan had been partially or fully evacuated - twice because of spring-time floods and once because of concerns over the quality of the community's drinking water.

MP Charlie Angus (NDP - Timmins-James Bay) said he hopes INAC is serious not only when it says it will provide a new school, but portables in the meantime as well.

"They can't miss another year," he said.

"These years lost are years these kids can't get back."

Angus admits that he hasn't thoroughly went through the details of this promised school.

He said talk of a new school sounds promising, but he hopes the community will get it without having to fight for it.

"If the government is moving at a good speed on this, than it will be very good news," Angus said.

From National Post ...

Probe set for plan to give braces to aboriginal children - Experts question whether it is a health priority
Tom Blackwell, National Post- August 09, 2007

Health Canada has commissioned a study of its multi-million-dollar orthodontics program for Aboriginal children, as some experts question whether installing braces should be a government priority in a population afflicted by a litany of other health and dental problems.

More than 20,000 First Nations children have been approved for non-cosmetic orthodontic treatments in the past 10 years under a program that cost $5-million in 2006-07. The federal department says it is trying to find out whether the treatments, which can themselves encourage tooth decay, actually improve patients' overall oral health.

"What we want to know is are we doing more harm by keeping the braces on?" said Bonnie Tolstoy, director of benefit management for Health Canada's Aboriginal health program.
"For example ... after the braces come off, would it mean extraction of teeth due to decay and rot? Would it mean an increase in root canals?"

Independent experts say there is no question that braces can lead to "horrendous" cavity problems in some Aboriginal patients, who already are several times more likely than the general population to experience dental decay.

Public-health dentists have long debated whether the government should fund what could be considered an elective procedure when dental and gum disease is widespread, and often untreated, said Dr. Gerry Uswak, acting dean of dentistry at the University of Saskatchewan.

"If one was looking at this as public money and if one was looking at providing the best bang for the buck, personally I would like to see more money into prevention and treating the existing disease to get people out of pain and suffering."

For some Aboriginal people, who can have terrible tooth misalignments, orthodontics is an "absolutely" appropriate service for taxpayers to fund, said Dr. Doug Brothwell, head of community dentistry at the University of Manitoba.

The trouble is that many of the children who get braces do not regularly brush their teeth, and orthodontics only makes dental hygiene more difficult, he said. The result of giving them braces can be "horrendous failures," said Dr. Brothwell.

"Some are getting harmed through, I would say, poor case selection." 

As with many other areas of health, Canada's Aboriginal people suffer disproportionate teeth trouble. As many as half all First Nations preschoolers develop early childhood "carries": so many cavities they have to be put under a general anesthetic while all the bad teeth are fixed or extracted. That is about 10 times the rate in the general population, said Dr. Brothwell.

Likewise, Aboriginal people generally get three to five times as many cavities as the overall population.

Poor diet in communities that have shifted in recent decades from traditional "country" foods to more processed and packaged fare is one factor, dentists say. In places where poverty, poor housing and deficient water supplies are more pressing challenges, teeth cleaning can also be overlooked, they say. And, despite federal help, many Aboriginal people have little access to professional dental care.

Dental care of First Nations members is provided under the government's non-insured health benefits program, which also covers their medical costs.

Orthodontics services are provided for young people who have facial "anomalies" such as cleft palates and to counter severe functional defects, said Bonnie Tolstoy, director of benefit management for the program. Braces are not applied for purely aesthetic reasons, she said.

Still, the department has no clear idea of the overall result of the service, which is why it has commissioned Kathy Russell, an orthodontist and professor at the Dalhousie University school of dentistry, to study the question.

Dr. Uswak said one reason that aboriginal people end up needing braces in the first place is because they had numerous cavity-ridden teeth removed earlier in life. He advocates putting more resources into prevention - teaching people about dental hygiene, providing more professional dental care and flouridating drinking water - before the problems become serious.

NAN Press Release ...

Ontario Trillium Foundation funds NAN Women's Development Project

    THUNDER BAY, ON, Aug. 9 /CNW/ - Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Deputy Grand Chief RoseAnne Archibald together with Mishkeegogamang Ojibway Nation Chief Connie Gray-McKay, NAN Women's Council member and spokesperson Jackie Fletcher, and Members of Provincial Parliament Bill Mauro (Thunder Bay-Atikokan) and Michael Gravelle (Thunder Bay-Superior North) this morning announced an Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) contribution to the NAN Women's Development Project.

    A grant of $536,500 over three years will be utilized to develop the capacity of women as leaders to achieve healthier communities within NAN territory - an area covering two-thirds of the province of Ontario.

    "This is a monumental announcement that will prove to enhance the many accomplishments and strides of the NAN Women's Council in the past year," said NAN Deputy Grand Chief RoseAnne Archibald who represents 49 First Nation communities across James Bay Treaty 9 territory and the Ontario portion of Treaty 5. "Women have always been agents of positive change and healing in their communities and by empowering and engaging women to contribute their ideas and perspectives, we're strengthening our communities."

    The NAN Women's Development Project takes a groundbreaking and strategic approach to building healthy, vibrant communities, including the development of women's circles in each of NAN's 49 communities (16/year) and a video documentary capturing the progress and impact of the project.

    "The project will develop and empower women as agents of positive social change," said NAN Women's Council member and spokesperson Jackie Fletcher. "The four main components of our approach include integrated participatory research, leadership development training, capacity building workshops, and the establishment of NAN women's circles."

    Fletcher, together with NAN Deputy Grand Chief RoseAnne Archibald, accepted a plaque from OTF Board member Donna Gilhooly and MPPs Mauro and Gravelle.

    "I am pleased that the province of Ontario is supporting such a worthwhile program," said Bill Mauro, Member of Provincial Parliament (Thunder Bay-Atikokan). "Providing infrastructure to support women's leadership development not only benefits the women involved but also their families and their communities."

    "I am very pleased that we are providing significant investment in the Women's Development Project which will benefit all the NAN communities across Ontario," said Member of Provincial Parliament Michael Gravelle (Thunder Bay-Superior North). "Truly, community-based initiatives such as this one can have a remarkable impact, and I am looking forward to the program's success over the next few years."

    "Women are the foundation - the ones that educate our children," said Connie Gray-McKay - Chief of one of NAN's 49 First Nation communities. "This project will enhance the transfer of knowledge from women to children during the foundational years that's so very important to family and community development - it will help build a healthy foundation."

    Nishnawbe Aski Nation is an Aboriginal political organization representing 49 First Nation communities within James Bay Treaty 9 and Ontario's portion of Treaty 5. The NAN Women's Council, established in 2004, ensures the on-going involvement of women in the decision making process of NAN.

    The Ontario Trillium Foundation is an agency of the Government of Ontario. For 25 years, it has supported the growth and vitality of communities across the province. OTF continues to strengthen the capacity of the volunteer sector through investments in community-based initiatives. For more information, please visit www.trilliumfoundation.org.

For further information: Jenna Young, Director of Communications, Nishnawbe Aski Nation, (807) 625-4952, (807) 628-3953 (mobile)

From CBC News ... http://www.cbc.ca/cp/national/070808/n080891A.html

Premiers promise to play more active role in helping native communities
Canadian Press: CHRIS MORRIS - August 8, 2007

MONCTON, N.B. (CP) - Canada's premiers say they are staking out a greater role on aboriginal affairs now that the federal government has abandoned the $5 billion Kelowna accord to assist First Nations communities.

Aboriginal leaders and premiers attending the annual Council of the Federation conference on Wednesday plan to formalize their meetings as native people increasingly turn to the provinces for support.

Up until now, native leaders have appeared on an informal basis at the premiers' annual summer get-togethers. But Premier Shawn Graham, host of the three-day conference, said the meetings will be more organized and extensive from now on.

"We have a responsibility and we can't be hung up on the jurisdictional divide," Graham said after the private two-hour meeting with aboriginal leaders.

"We should be actively at the table advancing education, social change and other social causes in our First Nation communities. We need to take a proactive role."

However, Graham was vague on details, especially how much money the provinces would be willing to invest in improving living conditions on reserves and economic opportunities for Aboriginal Peoples.

Aboriginal affairs long have been considered the domain of the federal government.

Graham said the premiers want to get past the Kelowna accord and the federal Conservative government's opposition to the deal, which was signed with Paul Martin's Liberal government in 2005.

"We're not hung up on how the federal government wants to brand it," Graham said.

"We just want to see action and we're willing to work with the federal government in moving these issues forward."

The wide-ranging Kelowna accord would have seen $5 billion go toward native education, employment and anti-poverty initiatives.

The Conservatives had said they were committed to meeting the accord's goals, but did not support a private member's bill backed by the Liberals, Bloc Quebecois, and NDP that passed in March. As a result, the government wasn't obliged to support the accord financially.

The Tories say they are taking a more "targeted approach" to dealing with specific land claims, concluding the residential schools settlement agreement and extending human rights protection to natives living on reserves.

British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell said that while help from Ottawa is still needed, the provinces can take some actions on their own.

"We'll continue pushing the federal government to join us in closing the gaps, but I think we have to focus on what we can do," Campbell said.

Phil Fontaine, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, said regular, formal meetings between First Nations leaders and the premiers will help pave the way to easing poverty and chronic unemployment among Canada's Aboriginal Peoples.

Fontaine said First Nations people respect the fact that the provinces continue to support the goals of the Kelowna accord.

"There's a provincial responsibility to the accord and we expect that each jurisdiction will now proceed to give effect to the accord," Fontaine said. "That's important for us."

Fontaine said the premiers recognize that high unemployment on Canadian reserves, especially among young people, represents an enormous untapped labour resource for the country.

Fontaine said 60 per cent of the First Nations population is under 24 years of age and represents a skilled, highly mobile labour force.

"A major report by the C.D. Howe institute has identified two major sources to ease the labour shortage in this country: immigrants and our community," Fontaine said.

"We have a very young population . . . our birth rate is twice the national average. There's a ready source there."

Fontaine said he believes the premiers realize the potential from a native workforce.

"The premiers are on side," he said.

"It's clear to everyone we need to focus on labour participation to deal with high unemployment rates in First Nation communities."

Canada's 13 premiers are in Moncton for their three-day annual conference. Environmental issues are expected to dominate discussions.

© The Canadian Press, 2007

UN Press Release ...

International Day of World's Indigenous People on 9 August to Recognize Contribution to Environmental Protection, Combating Climate Change

7 August 2007
HR/4930  - OBV/642

As the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People is celebrated around the world on 9 August, indigenous peoples’ contribution to environmental protection is being recognized.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in his message to mark the Day, said: “Recently, the international community has grown increasingly aware of the need to support indigenous people -- by establishing and promoting international standards; vigilantly upholding respect for their human rights; integrating the international development agenda, including the Millennium Development Goals, in policies, programmes and country-level projects; and reinforcing indigenous peoples’ special stewardship on issues related to the environment and climate change.” (See Press Release SG/SM/11115.)

In addressing these issues and recalling the theme of the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People (2005-2015), “Partnership for action and dignity”, the Secretary-General said, “let us be guided by the fundamental principle of indigenous peoples’ full and effective participation”.

Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Sha Zukang, in his official message for the International Day, noted that indigenous people live in many of the world’s most biologically diverse areas and have accumulated a great deal of knowledge about these environments.

“With their wealth of knowledge about their environment, indigenous people can and should play a crucial role in the global effort to respond to climate change. We should listen to them,” said Mr. Zukang.

For example, indigenous peoples use their traditional knowledge to lessen the impact of natural disasters. An Oxford University symposium in April this year heard how indigenous people “use strips of mangrove forest to absorb the force of tidal surges and tsunamis, others apply genetic diversity in crops to avoid total crop failure and some communities migrate among habitats as disaster strikes”.

The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted by the Human Rights Council in June 2006 and currently being considered for adoption by the General Assembly, also recognizes that respect for indigenous knowledge, cultures and traditional practices contributes to sustainable development, including proper management of the environment.

“The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples represents the minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of indigenous peoples. Many still live under the most oppressive and marginalized conditions and yet they are also the ones who are providing solutions to serious world problems such as climate change and the erosion of bio-cultural diversity,” stated Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Chairperson of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

In recognition of indigenous peoples’ particular vulnerability to climate change and their important role in responding to it, the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in its 2008 session will focus on “Climate change, bio-cultural diversity and livelihoods: the stewardship role of indigenous peoples and new challenges”.

Vulnerability in the Face of Climate Change

Many indigenous communities are already needing to adapt their way of life due to the changing environment -- from Sami reindeer-herding communities in Sweden whose reindeer are unable to find food beneath the thick ice due to heavier than normal snowfalls, to indigenous communities in the Andes where extreme weather events are creating serious food security problems.

In the words of Sheila Watt-Cloutier, an Inuit activist who was recently awarded the Mahbub ul Haq Award for Excellence in Human Development by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon,: “We are all connected. The Arctic is geographically isolated from the rest of the world, yet the Inuk hunter who falls through the thinning sea ice is connected to melting glaciers in the Andes and the Himalayas, and to the flooding of low-lying and small island States.”

According to a recent report from the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, several indigenous communities in Alaska are actively looking into relocation options for entire communities due to land and coastal erosion caused by the thawing of the permafrost and large storm-driven waves.

“More than 80 per cent of Alaskan communities, comprised mostly of indigenous peoples, are identified as vulnerable to either coastal or river erosion,” says the report.

Relocation is also an issue in small island States, such as Vanuatu and Samoa, where rising sea levels and flooding from extreme weather events are a problem. According to the same report, one community in Vanuatu has been forced to abandon their homes and move half a kilometre inland, as their original settlement is now being flooded up to five times a year.

High-altitude areas are not only seeing melting glaciers and ice peaks, but according to the report, some are also seeing negative impacts on their agriculture as a result of climate change and drought. In the Cordillera in the Philippines, 2000-year-old rice terraces are under attack from giant two-foot earthworms that have been thriving due to dwindling water supplies, causing soil and terrace walls to dry up even further.

About the Day

The International Day of the World’s Indigenous People is commemorated each year on 9 August in recognition of the first meeting of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations in Geneva in 1982. This year’s observance at the United Nations is being organized by the Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Department of Economic and Social Affairs; and the NGO Committee on the Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.

For more information of the Day and events at United Nations Headquarters, please visit http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii

For media enquiries, please contact Renata Sivacolundhu, Department of Public Information, tel: 212 963 2932, e-mail: sivacolundhu@un.org

For Secretariat of the Permanent Forum, please contact Mirian Masaquiza, Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, tel: 917 367 6006, e-mail: IndigenousPermanentForum@un.org

From the Globe and Mail ...

A judicial magic key opens land use talks - Judge plays referee to a junior miner and first nations group at loggerheads over mineral exploration
JACQUIE MCNISH - August 8, 2007

When a crew of mining drillers drove down an icy stretch of road in a northern corner of Ontario last February, hopes were running high that they might prove a major platinum discovery for their employer, Platinex Inc.

Instead, the crew never made it to their small base camp.

Blocking their way was an angry group of the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) First Nation who ordered the workers off land near their reservation at Big Trout Lake. Outnumbered, the crew retreated. Their base camp and airstrip were destroyed and a volley of lawsuits was unleashed, including a $10-billion claim for damages from Platinex.

At first it looked as if Platinex was destined for the kind of legal purgatory that has paralyzed for years the progress of pipelines, mining and oil and gas explorations that venture into regions protected by first nation treaties. Even though junior companies such as Platinex carry government-issued mineral claims entitling them to explore treaty lands, they typically face years of legal skirmishes and negotiations to settle on terms for exploring, developing and sharing any profits with first nations groups.

Adding to the tensions are frayed relations between governments and first nations groups who argue that their rights and claims are often ignored and overlooked by provinces and the federal government when they grant businesses rights to their lands.

Platinex and the KI, however, were able to fast-track their complaints thanks to what can only be called a legal miracle. Waving the magic wand was Mr. Justice George Smith of the northwest region of the Superior Court of Ontario.

In May, Judge Smith handed down an order that essentially gave the court a unique role as a kind of referee overseeing a consultation protocol that set conditions for Platinex, the KI and even the Ontario government to allow limited exploration to proceed almost immediately.

"This is a unique and creative order," said Neal Smitheman, an aboriginal law specialist at Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, which represents Platinex. "The court magically found a way to deal with what could have been a lengthy standoff."

Sandra Gogal, an aboriginal law expert with Miller Thomson LLP, said the Platinex order helps clarify the rights of companies and first nations in land use disputes. Land use clashes are on the rise, she said, because demand for resources is pushing companies into more remote regions at a time when recent Supreme Court decisions are reinforcing the rights of first nations to be consulted about the terms and scope of exploration.

"Businesses have to change their attitudes. The courts are telling us that first nations have a right to be consulted and businesses and governments have to recognize that these rights have to be resolved up front," Ms. Gogol said.

As Platinex executives tell it, the company struggled in vain to negotiate exploration terms with the estimated 2,000 KI residents that live near Big Trout Lake. According to court documents, Platinex offered to hire an archaeologist to assure no burial or other historic sites were damaged by drills. It also offered to respect trap lines, hire community workers and share the drilling results and a percentage of future revenue from the project.

The offers, however, were rejected by the KI, its lawyer Kate Kempton said, because of an "atmosphere of frustration and mistrust" that overshadowed the talks. "The KI came to the table very wary of Platinex's intentions."

Fuelling KI's frustration was what she described as the Ontario government's unwillingness or indifference to fulfill their treaty obligation to consult with the aboriginals about development on their land.

Arguing that the KI lacks the experience, expertise and financial resources to properly assess the impact of mining exploration, the aboriginals asked the court to order Ontario to give it $600,000 to fund studies and assessments of the drilling impact. The province, however, told the court it would only fund $150,000 of the costs.

Underlining the tensions was the harsh reality that neither the junior mining company nor the small aboriginal group could afford a prolonged legal battle.

Like a parent wading into a sibling fight, Judge Smith ordered the two sides in early May to attempt reconciliation and reserved for the court the right to supervise or direct the talks. The order, Judge Smith said in his decision, "was to encourage the parties to continue a dialogue, with the hope that this would enhance mutual understanding."

His strategy worked. By May 18 the two sides were close enough for the judge to order that Platinex could proceed with the first phase of its drilling. The company could drill, he ordered, provided it honoured the terms of a protocol and memorandum of understanding that called for it to consult with the KI about its activities and commit to such terms as the hiring of an archeologist.

By giving Platinex the green light, Judge Smith eliminated an effective veto right first nations have held over exploration projects until all their demands are met.

In place of a veto, Judge Smith set a timetable to resolve a number of remaining issues such as the amount of money Ontario should be ordered to pay the KI for assessments and who should be on the hook for legal expenses.

While Judge Smith's creative solution found a shortcut around the legal roadblock, it is still unclear whether it was achieved in time for Platinex. The company had plans in February to raise money for drilling in Big Trout Lake through a private placement. The stock sale, however, was shelved after the KI roadblock and its lawyer Mr. Smitheman said the company is actively looking to raise money to pay for drilling that the court has allowed.

"It's a vicious circle," Mr. Smitheman said. "Platinex couldn't raise funds to drill until it resolved the aboriginal dispute and now that it is resolved it's looking for money to start the drilling."

jmcnish@globeandmail.com

From News1130 ...

First-time filmmaker searches for family history in residential schools doc
LISA ABEL - August 5, 2007

TORONTO (CP) - Growing up in Sioux Lookout, Ont., Nadia McLaren sensed there was something missing from her family history, a feeling she calls "a restlessness of an ancient sadness."

As a child, her grandmother Theresa McCraw, originally from the Ojibwa community of Heron Bay Pic River, Ont., attended St. Joseph's, an Indian residential school in Thunder Bay, yet rarely spoke about her experiences there.

"I just got bits and pieces of her story," McLaren says. "I took this knowledge and her bits and pieces that she did tell me for granted, because I thought that I could ask my aunts and uncles about Granny's experiences - which I did - and none of them knew."

The native residential schools began operating in the late 1800s and it wasn't until the late 1970s that all the schools were shut down.

While some had positive experiences in the government-run institutions, many of the 150,000 students, removed from their families and their traditional lands, and forced to abandon their native languages and spiritual practices, were physically and sexually abused in the process.

McLaren sensed that McCraw's time at St. Joseph's hadn't been positive. After her grandmother's passing in 2003, McLaren knew that a vital piece of their family history had been taken to the grave.

The graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design began to create a commemorative art exhibit where she would videotape native elders telling their stories, and show them alongside her paintings.

But by the third interview, McLaren realized that a full-length feature film would be the most effective way to get the elder's stories "out into the world."

"I figured the elders stories deserved that kind of attention."

The result is Muffins For Granny, an 88-minute documentary that weaves together home movie footage of her grandmother, interviews with six elders, including animated recreations of their stories, archival photos from residential schools, traditional songs, and scenes of the natural beauty of Ontario's north.

"For a lot of the elders it was the first time they actually spoke about it, so it was really powerful. It was pretty hard on the crew and myself, but definitely felt honoured that they were sharing these stories with us," McLaren says.

Earlier this year, the federal government approved an agreement that would give roughly 80,000 aboriginal students who were abused in residential schools $10,000 for the first year of attendance and $3,000 for every subsequent year.

The deadline for former students and their families to decide whether to stay in the settlement or remove themselves is August 20.

Harvey Trudeau, the eastern Canada liaison for the National Residential Schools Survivors' Society, says that since he has been involved with the society, he has "yet to help anybody fill out an opt-out form."

"As far as we know, the opt-out numbers are not very high," Trudeau says.

Trudeau, who attended a residential school in Spanish, Ont., says the payments might "make the experience easier to bear" for the survivors, though the money will "never help them forget what they've been through."

Karen Isaacs, a peer support worker with a residential schools program for survivors and their families at the Council Fire Native Cultural Centre in Toronto, doesn't know of anyone who has opted out, either.

"I think the compensation package is forcing them to open up their pasts, which will open the door to their healing, but they want to get it done with as little said as possible," Isaacs says.

"I find a lot of people don't want to talk about it. There's the pain; they don't want to feel that pain again. Some of them had such harsh treatment in residential school and they don't want to repeat it," she says.

Wayne Spear, director of communications Aboriginal Healing Foundation, one of the funders of the film, says supporting the making of Muffins for Granny fit well with the healing and public awareness components of the foundation's mandate.

"When people who have suffered trauma, particularly residential schools, realize there are other people who have actually overcome the fear and isolation of having been physically or sexually abused and kept it sort of a shameful secret, it has a healing effect," Spears says, "because people realize they're not alone and other people have gone through this as well and they've been able to cope with it."

Spears says the film "could be an enormous resource for education of the general public," since residential schools are often "softened or dealt with euphemistically" in the Canadian schools.

McLaren is looking for a distributor, applying to screen at more film festivals and trying to get the film into movie theatres. She's also had interest from organizations looking to use it as a tool for cultural sensitivity training.

Muffins for Granny recently ended an engagement in July at Camera, an independent screening room and art gallery in Toronto. Earlier versions of the film were shown at several native film festivals last year in Toronto and Winnipeg, where it won best documentary.

Perhaps what happened at a showing at a film festival in Moose Factory, Ont., was more meaningful to McLaren than the award.

"That was a really powerful screening, because afterwards one of the elders stood up, turned to his people and he said, 'It's time we started talking about this."'

"After I saw that happening, I realized this documentary would find its way," McLaren says. "It was a really powerful experience."

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2nd Annual Benefit Concert for
Ohski-Aa-yaa'aag Bimaadiziiwin Foundation
(Good Life for Young People)

BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER!!

Thursday, August 9th, 2007
Assabaska Heritage Park
On Beautiful Lake of the Woods
Morson, Ontario, Canada

Featuring: Keith Secola and Wild Band of Indians

With Special Guests:

Shane Yellowbird, George Leach, Cheri Maracle, Percy Tuesday, Ryan Black, Courney Jourdain, Carissa Copenace

A tent meeting will be held in Cat Lake on Aug. 29 - Sept 1, you can contact Councilor Alex Bighead at work 347-2100 or at home 347-2081 for further info.