Media.Knet.Ca

Two employees who will working with KO over the summer months have joined the KO Research Institute (KORI) in Thunder Bay.

Under the HRSDC Summer Student Placement Program, Katherine Kakegamic and Sharon Brethour will be supporting online workshops, meeting areas and projects that KORI is working on during the summer months.

Katherine Kakegamic (Deer Lake FN band member) will be supporting the online workshops and web pages for projects including: Breast Cancer Awareness, Safer Communities and Economic Development. Katherine will be returning to Confederation College in the fall to continue her studies in mental health. 

Sharon Brethour (Fort Severn FN band member) will be coordinating and scheduling online activities and assisting with the KOTM Change Management project. Sharon will be attending Lakehead University in the fall to being the teaching program.

We are excited to have both post-secondary students share their knowledge and develop specific skills as they contribute to these projects this summer.

For updates and photos visit the KORI website.

From CBC News ...

Western premiers to tackle aboriginal 'third solitude' - Must close gaps between aboriginal Canadians and rest of country, leaders say
July 5, 2007

Leaders attending the western premiers conference in Iqaluit on Thursday and Friday say they plan to focus on ways to improve the lives of Canada's aboriginal people.

Canada, which has long focused on the "two solitudes" between its English and French populations, must now address a "third solitude" between aboriginal Canadians and the rest of the country, British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell said.

"There are enormous gaps in health care and education and economic opportunity and in social opportunities for aboriginal Canadians, whether they're Inuit, First Nations or Métis people," Campbell said as the premiers gathered on Wednesday.

The conference, which runs through Friday, has brought premiers from western provinces and the three northern territories together — for the first time, in Nunavut — to talk over a variety of issues before all premiers meet in Moncton, N.B., in August for the Council of the Federation's summer meeting.

Manitoba Premier Gary Doer said many of the western premiers have stayed committed to the principles behind the Kelowna Accord, an agreement that then-prime minister Paul Martin's Liberal government worked out with aboriginal leaders in 2005.

It would have dedicated $5 billion over five years to improve areas such as education and housing.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper backed away from the Kelowna agreement after being elected in early 2006, instead committing $450 million for aboriginals in that year's budget.

Doer said Canada must still develop a firm commitment to closing the gap in living standards between aboriginal people and other Canadians.

"The issues of treaty land entitlements and resolving outstanding treaty issues are important to all of us," Doer said.

"We've all been very committed in the past to the objectives, especially in the Kelowna Accord, and how do we move forward on that issue."

Doer said premiers attending this week's gathering want to develop concrete ideas on the issue, then bring them to their meeting with the other premiers next month.

From Calgary Sun ... http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/National/2007/07/05/4314396-sun.html

New approach to Native development urged
DAVE DORMER, SUN MEDIA - July 5, 2007

Osoyoos Indian Band Chief Clarence Louie wants to help his people help themselves.

Louie, the newly appointed National Aboriginal Economic Development Board (NAEDB) chairman, met for the first time with Indian Affairs and Northern Development Minister Jim Prentice in Calgary yesterday, where he encouraged the federal government to focus more on creating economic development for Native people rather than having them rely on existing social programs.

Doing that, he explained, could reverse the troubling trend of poverty and despair he sees plaguing many First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities across Canada and provide them with a positive outlook on the future.

"When it comes to reducing Aboriginal poverty, it's not going to happen in a year or two, but you will see the direction," Louie said during a news conference to announce the new strategy.

"You'll be able to see the programs and the effect they are having."

Mandated by the federal cabinet, the 13 NAEDB members were chosen from First Nation, Inuit and Metis populations from across the country, not so much based on their race, but rather their individual expertise, explained Prentice.

"From everything I hear across the country there's a strong consensus amongst Aboriginal people that the time has come for a whole level of economic development and a whole new approach to economic development on a larger scale than we've seen in the past and in a way that is focused and leveraged," he said.

The NAEDB will serve as an non-political body, advising the federal government on how best to deal with various Aboriginal issues.

+++++++++

INAC press release ...

National Aboriginal Economic Development Board to Play Strengthened Role in Advising Canada's new Government

CALGARY, AB, July 4 - Today, the Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians met for the first time with the National Aboriginal Economic Development Board (NAEDB) executive members to discuss how the board can play a stronger role in the Government of Canada's new approach to Aboriginal economic development.

Minister Prentice named the new members and chairperson of the National Aboriginal Economic Development Board on April 26, 2007.

"Canada's New Government is working to create a more coherent and practical approach to increasing Aboriginal participation in the economy, capitalizing on a range of economic opportunities," said Minister Prentice. "As an arms-length, private-sector body representing the economic development interests of all Aboriginal people, the NAEDB is well positioned to play a key role as this work unfolds."

Chief Clarence Louie, the board's newly appointed Chairperson, welcomed the commitment made by Minister Prentice. Chief Louie is President and CEO of the Osoyoos Indian Band Development Corporation in British Columbia.

"No other body in Canada has the mandate we have to concentrate exclusively on Aboriginal economic development," said Chief Louie. "This is a critical priority if we want to solve a host of other issues for our people. Economic development is the cornerstone.

While the scope of the new approach is still in development, the board will provide advice on areas such as investment strategies, business creation, access to business capital, Aboriginal involvement in major projects, Aboriginal/non-Aboriginal partnerships, as well as policy development.

Other participants in the meeting were Nellie Cournoyea, former Premier of the Northwest Territories and Dawn Madahbee, Northern Ontario Aboriginal business leader involved in Aboriginal business financing and the tourism sector. Along with Chief Louie and Chief Jim Boucher, Chairman of the Board of the Fort McKay Group of Companies in Alberta, these nationally and internationally recognized individuals now serve as the Executive Committee of the NAEDB.

The National Aboriginal Economic Development Board is mandated by the federal Cabinet and members are appointed by Order-in-Council. The Board acts as a vital link between policy makers, legislators, government departments, and Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal business and community leaders, providing counsel on all matters pertaining to Aboriginal economic development.

For further information: media may contact: Minister's Office: Deirdra McCracken, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Jim Prentice, (819) 997-0002; Media Relations: Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, (819) 953-1160; This release is also available on the Internet at www.inac.gc.ca; For more information about the NAEDB, visit www.naedb-cndea.ca

July 5, 2007

Chiefs of Ontario Community Support Services is pleased to announce a Northern First Nations Training session on Palliative Care

July 24 – 26, 2007 at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario.

Objectives of the program:

1. To familiarize the learner with traditional healing approaches to spirituality and end of life care
2. To expand knowledge about the dying process, pain and symptom management, psychosocial issues, ethical decision making at end of life
3. To understand and learn practical approaches to grief and bereavement care
4. To enhance communication skills for working with dying persons and their families and care providers
5. To provide a forum for community support services personnel from various First Nations communities in Ontario to learn together and share ideas.

For further information, please contact:

Donna Loft at (613) 396-1140 lofi@kos.net. OR
Carol Antone at 1-877-517-6527 health@coo.org

PARO Centre for Women's Enterprise, Canadian Women’s Community Economic Development Council, the North of Superior Training Board, as well as the Community Economic and Social Development Program of Algoma University are working together to plan a Women's Economic Development Conference to be held in Thunder Bay on April 29 and 30, 2008. 

This project will positively contribute to building sustainable community economic development in Northern Ontario through providing information and resources while building on women’s experience.  

Your completion of this survey will help us meet these goals and will assist us in delivering a conference that will meet your needs.  

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=TMlbj1ZbwYj5T4gWZFL0wg_3d_3d

Thank you very much for your assistance.

Kind regards,

Pamela Caland
Project Coordinator - Northern Opportunities for Women
PARO Centre for Women's Enterprise / PARO Centre pour l'enterprise des femmes
110-105 North May Street
Thunder Bay, ON  P7C 3N9
807.625.0328 (voice)
807.625.0317 (fax)
now@paro.ca
www.paro.ca

Everyone is invited to watch the live webcast of Minister Bartolucci of Northern Development and Mines in Sioux Lookout that took place this morning at 10 am CDT. Click here to watch the video as a Windows Media streaming file.

Minister Bartolucci was fogged in at the Sudbury airport so Diane Martin, NOHFC Board member stepped up to announce their funding contribution towards assisting 13 remote satellite First Nations in Northern Ontario to access additional satellite bandwidth in addition to five of these communities getting a local cable system to connect the homes, businesses and organization to this improved service. Four terrestrially served communities are also part of this project to complete the work necessary for all Nishnawbe Aski Nation communities to have broadband access in all these remote First Nations.

Geordi Kakepetum, Executive Director of Keewaytinook Okimakanak will be in Sioux Lookout to speak with Minister Bartolucci about this initiative. Keewaytinook Okimakinak (KO) is working these First Nations and their First Nations Councils (Windigo and Shibogama) to successfully implement and complete this work.

Thirteen of the First Nations participating in the project are already served by satellite connections. They are: Attawapiskat, Cat Lake, Eabametoong, Fort Severn, Kasabonika, Martin Falls, Muskrat Dam, Neskantaga, North Caribou Lake, Peawanuck, Sachigo Lake, Slate Falls and Webequie. However, the current satellite bandwidth capacity cannot meet the growing demand for services and transactions that call for high-speed connection.

The remaining communities of Bearskin Lake, Kingfisher Lake, Koocheching and Wawakapewin are served by land-based systems. These communities and five of those served by satellite, currently lack cable or telephone networks to connect subscribers to the Internet.

The K-Net project will address both of these gaps by:

• increasing bandwidth by leasing additional satellite capacity for an 11-year period; and
• overseeing the construction of cable and telephone networks to provide broadband connections to all homes and organizations in participating communities that are currently lacking this service.

A third component of the project will see a satellite earth station built in Montreal to support the existing earthstation that is located in Sioux Lookout. K-Net has a Memorandum of Agreement with two Aboriginal organizations in Manitoba and Quebec to deliver broadband service to the satellite served communities in those provinces. These thirty-one other remote Aboriginal communities are associated with the Keewatin Tribal Council (Manitoba) and the Kativik Regional Government (Quebec). For more information about this inter-provincial partnership called the Northern Indigenous Community Satellite Network (NICSN), visit http://smart.knet.ca/satellite.

In addition to the NOHFC and the communities involved, other private and public sector partners in this major project include Telesat Canada and other levels of government.

From the Osprey News Network - Timmins Daily Press ...

First Nation praises proposed land transfer
Shirley Mills - July 03, 2007

Missanabie Cree First Nation members might soon have a place to call their own.

Ontario has agreed that the First Nation is entitled to 15 sq. miles of Crown land the band argues it was entitled to, according to treaties signed more than a century ago

The land is, in part, in West and Stover townships and borders on the Chapleau Game Preserve.

Band officials says members have scattered far and wide, but expect residents to eventually return to their roots thanks to the agreement.

Four open houses were recently held to explain the proposed land transfer, which has a provision the land does not involve private property.

The claim involves Treaty 9, first entered into agreement in 1906 between the federal and provincial governments and the various Cree and Ojibway First Nations in the James Bay Coast watershed.

"Our community has been waiting more than 100 years for this and we're excited," Chief Glenn Nolan said.

"We look forward to working with the municipalities and other First Nations to strengthen economically."

In 1996, Canada accepted the claim. In 2000 Ontario also accepted and negotiations began.

Following an environmental assessment and the proposal being evaluated as a Category B project for Ministry of Natural Resources stewardship and facility development projects, it's expected a decision on the exact location and boundaries will be ironed out by the fall.

It's anticipated the land transfer will take place in the spring of 2009.

"Now I can come home," said Deputy Chief Audrey Bateson, who lives in Saskatchewan.

Dan Goodwin, negotiator for the Ontario Secretariat for Aboriginal Affairs, said the 15-square-mile land transfer reflected on 101 band residents in 1906.

But now, an additional 55 square miles of Crown land, which the First Nation contends it's entitled to, has been temporarily set aside. It will take a court process to sort it out, Goodwin said.

"Now that they know they have a place of their own, there will be community and economic development to become self-sufficient," Goodwin said. "Members of the MCFN have scattered, but this is providing the opportunity for our members to come back," Nolan said.

From NAN web site ...

Submit Keewaywin Nominations

NAN is accepting nominations to the 26th Annual Keewaywin Awards taking place during the Chiefs Assembly in Aroland First Nation August 14th through 16th.

In recognition of outstanding achievements and dedication to the people of Nishnawbe Aski Nation

• NAN Youth Awards
  • Academic
  • Athlete
  • Leadership / Community Involvement
  • Cultural
  • Youth Council
• NAN Woman Award
• NAN Elder Award
• Emile Nakogee Award for Outstanding Leadership

Nominations are now being accepted.

Contact:

NAN Communications Assistant Colleen Berry
Telephone:  807-625-4902
Toll Free:  1-800-465-9952
Email:  cberry@nan.on.ca

Click here to download nomination form

DEADLINE Monday July 23, 2007

Community leaders will continue to be busy this summer attending all the different upcoming meetings that are planned.

• The Sioux Lookout District Chiefs are meeting this week in Sioux Lookout for the annual Sioux Lookout Area Aboriginal Management Board (http://slaamb.on.ca) meeting.
• Next week, there is the Assembly of First Nations annual General Assembly (http://afn.ca/article.asp?id=179) in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
• The Nishnawbe Aski Nation 26th annual Keewaywin Conference is taking place in Aroland on August 14th through 16th.
• Then there is bbthe Tikinagan Annual Chiefs Assembly that is taking place in Wapekeka on August 21-23.

CBC's Editor in Chief of CBC News, Tony Burman introduced CBC's new web site about Aboriginal people that was presented to the public on Aboriginal Day (visit http://www.cbc.ca/aboriginal). In his online blog he asks for feedback and he is getting a lot of interesting comments from people across the country.

From CBC Inside Media - A forum about Media Issues ...

How the media cover Aboriginal stories

As Aboriginal issues in Canada grow in importance in today’s news agenda, there was a remarkable gathering of journalists at CBC Regina on Thursday that was exhilarating in its scope.

The session was historic at the CBC. For the first time, it brought together 20 CBC Aboriginal journalists from across Canada, about half of the CBC’s total number, and they were joined by a similar number of reporters, producers and other CBC journalists who deal with Aboriginal issues as part of their job.

....