Media.Knet.Ca

The latest INAC report on the provision of drinking water to First Nations on reserve makes lots of claims to be delivering clean water. 97 First Nations still are considered to have HIGH RISK drinking water systems.

Since the announcement of the Plan of Action for Safe Drinking Water in First Nations Communities on March 21, 2006, actions undertaken by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Health Canada, and Environment Canada, have achieved the following results:

• In March 2006, 193 high-risk drinking water systems were identified; that number has been reduced to 97 in the past 12 months;
• In March 2006, 21 communities were identified as priorities; seven of these have been removed from that category, notably Woodstock (NB), Constance Lake
  (ON), Ochiichagwe’bibigo-ining (ON), Wabigoon Lake Ojibway (ON), Driftpile (AB), Shuswap (BC), and Taku River Tlingit (BC);
• the Protocol for Safe Drinking Water in First Nations Communities was issued and put into effect; and
• an Expert Panel has provided a report on options for a regulatory regime.

In addition,

• 875 water and wastewater operators have received on-going training through the Circuit Rider Training Program and all operators now have access to 24-hour support hotlines; and
• In the March 19, 2007 Federal Budget, Canada’s New Government announced there will be new standards to ensure that all First Nations have access to safe drinking water. The Minister is expected to table legislation in the Spring of 2007.

Plan of Action for Drinking Water in First Nations Communities - Progress Report March 22, 2007

Click here for a PDF copy of the INAC report ...
 
Table of Contents

• Executive Summary
• Background
• Progress on the Plan of Action
• Conclusion
• Appendix A - 21 Priority Communities Progress Report

From CBC News ...

Obese children will die younger than their parents: report
March 27, 2007 - CBC News

About one-quarter of Canadians aged two to 17 are overweight or obese, and they are expected to live shorter lives than their parents, the Commons health committee warned Tuesday.

Click here for PDF copy of the Healthy Weights for Healthy Kids Report

An all-party committee report titled Healthy Weight for Healthy Kids calls on the federal government to stop the trend toward increasing obesity levels among Canadian children by the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, and to decrease levels by at least 25 per cent by 2020.

The excess weight puts children at risk of a range of preventable health problems, including Type 2 diabetes, susceptibility to heart attack and stroke, joint problems and mental health issues.

"It has been said that obesity outranks both smoking and drinking now in its effects on health and health costs," said committee chair Rob Merrifield, a Conservative MP for the Alberta riding of Yellowhead.

"For the first time in recorded history, today's younger generation will live shorter lives than their parents. Yet parents, and this is, I believe, the most alarming statistic that we found, do not recognize the problem."

According to a survey by the Canadian Medical Association, nine per cent of parents identified their children as being overweight or obese.

Rates among aboriginal children are worse, with 55 per cent living on reserves being overweight or obese, compared with 41 per cent for First Nations children living off reserves, said the report.

Children on reserves are also snacking on processed, high-sugar foods, but statistics suggest obesity levels go down considerably if one meal a day is made of traditional First Nations food, Merrifield said.

The report calls on the federal government to immediately:

• Start a comprehensive public awareness campaign.
• Mandate standardized labels on the front of packages.
• Remove trans fats from the Canadian diet and replace them with an alternative low in saturated fat.

"We have to change the paradigm so that it's unfashionable to overeat and it's very fashionable to exercise more," Merrifield said.

It will probably take a generation to change the culture, but it is possible, said Conservative MP Steven Fletcher, who sits on the committee.

In response to the report, non-profit consumer group Centre for Science in the Public Interest renewed its calls to limit commercially motivated pressures on children to eat, drink and be inactive.

The Commons committee's report called for a review of the food and beverage industry's self-regulation of their advertising to children.

++++

From CTV News ...

Report reveals staggering child obesity numbers
Updated Tue. Mar. 27 2007 - ctv.ca

The childhood obesity "epidemic" means Canadian kids will, for the first time in recorded history, live shorter than their parents, warns a new report.

The Commons health committee report released Tuesday concludes 26 per cent of Canadians between the ages of two and 17 are overweight or obese, an increase of 15 per cent from 1978.

The staggering numbers show that on reserves, 55 per cent of First Nations children in that age group are considered grossly overweight.

The report, titled "Healthy Weights for Healthy Kids," says obesity outranks smoking and drinking in its impact on health and costs related to health-care.

"We're killing our kids with kindness," warned Conservative MP Rob Merrifield, chairman of the Commons health committee which produced the report after nine months of consultations.

The all-party report says Canada has one of the world's highest childhood obesity rates, ranking fifth among 34 countries that are a part of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The added weight is triggering higher rates of preventable life-threatening diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, while also causing joint problems and mental health issues, the committee says.

Children are consuming too many calories in fatty and processed foods and sugary drinks, and spending too much time in front of the TV and computer, MPs warn.

"The link between obesity and the increased consumption of sweetened drinks is particularly disturbing," the 60-page report says. "It has been estimated that sugary drinks may be responsible for as much as one pound per month weight gain in adolescents."

An even more disturbing figure was the fact that only nine per cent of parents recognized their children to be obese or overweight.

"This is the most alarming statistic we found, that they do not recognize the problem," Merrifield said.

The panel says the federal government must immediately ban trans-fats and launch a public awareness campaign to warn of the health care crisis.

The committee recommends changes take place at all levels, including at home, in schools, in the community and in advertising and media markets.

Other recommendations include:

• Putting mandatory, standardized labels on the front of food packages;
• Helping children get more exercise through programs such as Participaction; and
• Collaborating with First Nations and Inuit to curb obesity among aboriginal children.

The committee set 2010 as the target date for halting the rise of childhood obesity, the year Canada hosts the Winter Olympics.

"This is a year when all of Canada's attention will be focused on physical activity, the pride of Canada, our youth and healthy living," said Heart and Stroke Foundation CEO Sally Brown.

General obesity costs Canada about $1.6 billion a year in health-care costs. The panel said it costs the economy another $2.7 billion in lost productivity, disability insurance, reduced quality of life and mental health problems due to stigmatization and poor self-esteem.

With a report from CTV's Monica Matys and files from The Canadian Press

The following four stories cover INAC Minister Prentice's comments that the Conservative government will not be issuing an apology to the survivors of the government's 100 years of residential school history.

United Church press release ...

United Church Calls for a Full National Apology to First Nations

TORONTO, ONTARIO, NEWS RELEASE--(March 29, 2007) - Nothing less than a full national apology by the Canadian government to Canada's Aboriginal peoples is acceptable, says The United Church of Canada.

The church's statement was released today in response to comments made earlier this week by Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice indicating that the Conservative government would not issue an apology as a part of its Settlement Agreement with survivors of Indian Residential Schools.

"It is completely unacceptable for the Harper government to use the fact that an apology was not part of the Settlement Agreement as an excuse not to apologize," says the Rev. James Scott, the United Church's General Council Officer for Residential Schools. "After all, the Common Experience Payment, which is a central component of the Agreement, recognizes the systemic harms that were inherent in the education policy of operating residential schools."

Scott says the United Church has consistently pressed the Canadian government to include a full national apology as part of its response to the legacy of residential schools. In a letter to Minister Prentice in August 2006, the United Church's then Moderator, the Right Rev. Peter Short, wrote:

"It is our concern that the Agreement, which attempts to address the harm done to former students, will seem hollow and disingenuous if a national apology does not accompany its implementation. Indeed, we are aware that from the standpoint of those most affected, those with whom we are attempting to set things right, an apology is central to the true spirit of reconciliation."

Scott says, "We believe that a national apology, partnered with the Settlement Agreement, will be a historic step toward closing this tragic chapter of our past and fostering a new and positive spirit in which to work together with all Aboriginal peoples towards a more just and promising future."

Scott adds that the United Church itself is endeavouring to address the range of harms perpetrated against Aboriginal children in the schools through abuse settlements, healing initiatives, full disclosure and acknowledgement of this history, and sincere efforts toward reconciliation and right relations. The United Church of Canada first apologized to First Nations peoples in August 1986 and then in 1998 offered a formal apology to former students of residential schools, their families, and communities.

"We all need to be accountable for the legacy of residential schools, and must press the government to apologize on our behalf," says Scott. "It is a living legacy, the pain is in the present. Apology can be a significant step toward healing our broken relationships."

For further information: Mary-Frances Denis
Communications Officer
The United Church of Canada
416-231-7680 ext 2016 (business)
416-885-7478 (cell)
416-766-0057 (home)
www.united-church.ca
E-mail: mdenis@united-church.ca

++++++++++++++

CTV story ...

Gov't attacked on Indian residential schools issue
Mar. 27 2007 - Canadian Press

OTTAWA -- Opposition MPs assailed the Indian Affairs minister in the Commons on Tuesday, calling his refusal to apologize for widespread abuse in native residential schools an insulting betrayal.

Generations of people are still suffering the effects of church-run federal schools that First Nations children were once forced to attend, said Liberal MP Gary Merasty.

"The children confined to these schools ... were taken from their families, taken from their communities,'' said the member of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation in Northern Saskatchewan.

"And unspeakable acts were committed upon them.

"Why does the prime minister refuse to apologize for the atrocities suffered by these children?''

The former Liberal government acknowledged in 1998 that physical and sexual abuse in the schools was rampant for much of the last century.

Many native languages have never recovered from school policies that harshly punished children for speaking them. Ongoing struggles with alcohol and drug addiction, sexual dysfunction and domestic violence are blamed in part on the social havoc wreaked by residential schools.

The former Liberal government stopped short of apologizing, but offered a statement of reconciliation that opened a floodgate of lawsuits.

Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice said Monday that the $2-billion compensation package finalized by the Conservatives does not include an apology, so none is forthcoming. Moreover, he said, the now defunct system of live-in schools was meant to educate native children.

"In saying this, he denies that the primary goal was actually to destroy aboriginal people, languages and culture,'' fumed Merasty.

"It is amazing, the magnitude of the gap between compassion and doing the right thing that this government has. The minister knows that an apology was to follow the completion of the residential schools agreement.''

The Liberals initially offered a compensation package in November 2005 that did not include an apology. Former deputy prime minister Anne McLellan said in a related letter that "there is a need for an apology that will provide a broader recognition of the Indian residential schools legacy and its effect upon First Nation communities.''

Prentice says the Liberals never followed up on that point. In fact, they never had the chance.

They were defeated soon after introducing the agreement that was later finalized after months of additional tweaking by the new Conservative government. No apology was in the final version, negotiated with the participation of the Assembly of First Nations -- which has always called for one.

Many survivors say that hearing Prime Minister Stephen Harper say he's sorry for what happened to them is worth more than the average compensation of $24,000 they'll each collect if the deal is accepted.

NDP aboriginal affairs critic Jean Crowder accused the Conservatives of shunting aside aboriginals, a political non-entity when it comes to Tory voter support.

"There is no action to close the poverty gap for First Nations, the clawback of money to promote and protect Indigenous languages, no movement on self-government negotiations and now the Conservatives refuse to recognize the wrong-headed, damaging policies of past governments.''

Prentice blasted back with his oft-used reference to a Liberal "legacy of 13 years of broken promises'' that he says did little to help aboriginal people.

"It is this government that has signed an agreement'' to compensate former residential school students, he said.

"An apology did not form part of the contractual provisions at that time.''

Prentice has denied that the government was legally advised to withhold such a gesture for liability reasons.

Chiefs from Atlantic Canada called Monday for an official apology -- noting that the Conservatives have said they're sorry for the Chinese head tax, among other past wrongs.

+++++++++++

Globe and Mail story ...

No residential school apology, Tories say - Indian Affairs Minister contradicts pledge made by Liberals to natives two years ago

BILL CURRY - POSTED ON 27/03/07  

OTTAWA -- The Conservative government will not issue an apology as a part of its settlement to survivors of Indian residential schools, Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice announced yesterday.

His comments contradict a written pledge Ottawa made to the Assembly of First Nations in a deal reached nearly two years ago under the Liberals.

Speaking on behalf of survivors, native chiefs held a press conference yesterday in Moncton, demanding to know why Prime Minister Stephen Harper has apologized for the Chinese head tax and to Maher Arar, but not to residential school survivors.

But Mr. Prentice told reporters on Parliament Hill that the deal, which is nearly complete, will not include an apology.

"The agreement did not call for an apology," he said.

"I don't propose to reopen the provisions of the agreement."

Mr. Prentice played down the significance of a political accord signed nearly two years ago between the AFN and the then-Liberal government that was the precursor to a November, 2005, agreement in principle, and then an April, 2006, final agreement with the Conservatives worth at least $1.9-billion.

In that original letter, Anne McLellan, then deputy prime minister, wrote "there is a need for an apology that will provide a broader recognition of the Indian Residential Schools legacy and its effect upon First Nation communities" once a final settlement is reached.

Mr. Prentice insisted legal concerns are not behind his comments and said the issue is completely different from the cases of Mr. Arar or the Chinese head tax.

"I've said quite clearly that the residential school chapter of our history is one that was a difficult chapter. Many things happened that we need to close the door on as part of Canadian history, but fundamentally, the underlying objective had been to try and provide an education to aboriginal children and I think the circumstances are completely different from Maher Arar or also from the Chinese head tax."

The head tax was a tax imposed by the government to discourage immigration from China after the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Mr. Arar is a Canadian citizen who was sent to Syria and tortured. Mr. Harper told the House of Commons that Canada offered Mr. Arar a $10-million out-of-court settlement because that was the estimate of what he would have received had the matter been pursued in civil court.

Starting in 1974, native children were forcibly removed from their homes and placed in residential schools, where they were not allowed to speak their own language. Tales of sexual and physical abuse at the schools are widespread among former students. The last residential school closed in 1996.

Liberal MP Anita Neville said it was "clearly understood" that an apology would follow the completion of the residential schools settlement and slammed Mr. Prentice's comments.

"It's part of a pattern of disrespect and betrayal," she said.

Rick Simon, the AFN's regional chief for Atlantic Canada, held a press conference in Moncton yesterday calling for an apology. He said many natives have taken note of Mr. Harper's two major apologies during his first year in office.

"He's apologized to everybody else but he doesn't see us as a big voting bloc," he said.

+++++++++++

Canada.com article ...

Ottawa rebuffs Atlantic chiefs bid for apology over residential schools
Kevin Bissett, Canadian Press - Tuesday, March 27, 2007

MONCTON, N.B. (CP) - Atlantic First Nations chiefs seeking an apology from Prime Minister Stephen Harper for abuse suffered by children at native residential schools were flatly rebuffed Monday by Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice.

Chief Rick Simon, vice chief of the Assembly of First Nations, said an apology to First Nations people for their treatment at the schools between the 1870s and 1970s is overdue.

"We have noted your willingness, Mr. Prime Minister, to apologize to Japanese Canadians who were interred during the Second World War, your apology to Chinese Canadians who were subjected to a racist head tax and your apology to Maher Arar, yet to date we have heard nothing of plans to apologize to residential school survivors," he said, quoting from a letter sent to Harper.

"All First Nations people wonder why."

But outside the House of Commons, Prentice made it clear that there are no plans for an apology from the federal government.

"We're in the process of implementing the agreement and the agreement did not call for an apology," he said. "The agreement was negotiated over the course of several years and 10 months of court proceedings. I don't propose to reopen the provisions of the agreement."

Prentice dismissed suggestions that former residential school students should get the kind of apology that was extended to Chinese Canadians or Arar.

"I think the circumstances are quite different," he added.

"I've said very clearly that the residential school chapter of our history is one that was a difficult chapter. Many things happened that we need to close the door on as part of Canadian history.

"But fundamentally the underlying objective had been to try to provide an education to aboriginal children. And I think the circumstances are completely different from Maher Arar or the Chinese head tax issue."

Tens of thousands of native children were taken from their families to attend the schools across Canada, and many were physically and sexually abused.

They say the separation from family also deprived them of their culture.

Chief Lawrence Paul, co-chair of the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs, questions how people are supposed to heal when the country's political leader won't acknowledge the wrongdoings.

"Mr. Prime Minister, if an apology is not given to help the residential school survivors to heal, there will always be a black mark on the history of Canada that time will never erase," he said at a news conference in Moncton, N.B.

The letter the chiefs sent to the prime minister is in support of Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine's efforts to get an apology.

Fontaine was one of the first national figures to go public in 1990 with his own story of sexual and physical abuse at the Fort Alexander School in Manitoba.

The federal government settled on a compensation package earlier this year that will see former students paid $10,000 for their first year, and $3,000 for each additional year spent at a residential school.

Former Indian affairs minister Jane Stewart offered a "statement of reconciliation" in 1998, but many survivors say it didn't go far enough.

Among those is Lottie Johnson, 61, of the Eskasoni Reserve in Cape Breton.

"In order for all parties to heal an apology must first be made," she said.

"It would validate the losses of language, culture, tradition, spirituality and the loss of connection to our families."

Chief Noah Augustine of New Brunswick's Redbank Reserve said the apology must be made soon, because survivors are dying.

"This shouldn't be unexpected. It's simply an apology for these atrocities that were done to our people by the Canadian government at the time," said Augustine.

"Lesser men have taken bigger steps. I would think that prime minister Harper can step up on behalf of Canada and apologize to our people."

Anishinabek Nation press release ...

Anishinabek Nation Appoints Women’s Water Commission

SAULT STE. MARIE, ON,--(March 27, 2007) - On Saturday March 24th, 2007, Grand Council Chief John Beaucage addressed the Anishinabek Nation Building Conference in Sault Ste. Marie, pledging to do more to contribute to the well-being of the environment and particular to the Great Lakes water.

Grand Council Chief John Beaucage has appointed an Anishinabek Women's Water Commission to advise the Union of Ontario Indians on water issues and Great Lakes management issues.

"Our work with regard to the water and Great Lakes co-management will not focus only on policy and science. Through our Women's Water Commission, the beliefs that water is living and spoken for by our women will now be reflected in Ontario's management regime," said Grand Council Chief Beaucage.

"We need to ensure that First Nations, especially our women, maintain their role as stewards of the water and give a voice for our most precious resource," added Beaucage.

The Anishinabek Women's Water Commission will advise the Union of Ontario Indians on all aspects related to the management of the Great Lakes. It is expected that Grand Council Chief Beaucage and Minister David Ramsay will sign a co-management agreement on Tuesday, March 27 to ensure First Nation participation in all decision-making that will impact the Great Lakes basin.

More importantly, the newly created Commission will play a leadership role in raising the awareness of Great Lakes water and impacts to its quality and quantity. The Women's Water Commission will also share their tremendous traditional knowledge and teachings about water as they undertake their work across the Anishinabek Nation.

Josephine Mandamin, an Elder from Wikwemikong Unceded Nation will serve as founding Chief Commissioner of the Anishinabek Women's Water Commission.

"Water is a great uniter and I know that this historic step will begin to unite all nations because we all share an equal concern: the water's future," said Josephine Mandamin. "Hearing Mother Earth cry about how ill she is and how she is having a hard time feeding her children is a reminder to us all that our women feel the same way too. We must unite in this monumental task."

Mandamin established the Mother Earth Water Walk, the lead walks around Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Lake Ontario. Her group will walk around Lake Erie in 2007.

Mary Deleary of Muncey and April Jones of London will also serve as founding Commissioners. Both women are traditional teachers whose extensive aboriginal traditional knowledge focuses on the water and women's role as caretakers on the water.

"My commitment as Anishinabe-Kwe (native woman) to ensuring the sustainability for life for our future generations guides much of my life," said Mary Deleary. "Our 'Sacred Water' is the very essence of what will continue to sustain our life."

"During my lifetime, I have seen the extreme changes that have occurred regarding the sustainability of one of our most precious resources, Mide-waboo," said April Jones. "I continue to learn and to help in any way that I can regarding the protection of the water, because it is evident that the very future of our children and all of creation is dependent upon it."

The Anishinabek Nation incorporated the Union of Ontario Indians (UOI) as its secretariat in 1949. The UOI is a political advocate for 42-member First Nations across Ontario . The Union of Ontario Indians is the oldest political organization in Ontario and can trace its roots back to the Confederacy of Three Fires, which existed long before European contact.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Bob Goulais, Executive Assistant to the Grand Council Chief
Primary Phone: 705-497-9127 ext. 2245
Secondary Phone: 705-498-5250
E-mail: goubob@anishinabek.ca

Ontario government press release ...

Anishinabek/Ontario Agreements Pledge Cooperation

Commit To Work Together On Implementation Of Great Lakes Agreement

TORONTO, March 27 - Anishinabek Nation leaders and Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources today signed three memoranda of understanding that will help strengthen cooperation and collaboration on issues related to natural resource management.

A Memorandum of Understanding on the implementation of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement was signed by Minister of Natural Resources David Ramsay, and Grand Council Chief John Beaucage on behalf of 42 Anishinabek Nation communities.

"Our First Nations are dedicated to the principles of co-management," said Grand Council Chief Beaucage. "We acknowledge Ontario's jurisdiction in managing the Great Lakes on behalf of their citizens, while we will be asserting traditional management principles on behalf of our citizens."

"I am pleased to join Grand Council Chief Beaucage in signing the memorandum on Great Lakes Basin waters, which will help build our relationship with the Anishinabek Nation," said Ramsay. "By working together cooperatively, we can move forward, seeking mutually agreeable solutions on our common priority of protecting and conserving the waters of the Great Lakes Basin."

The memorandum of understanding related to the Great Lakes commits Ontario and the Anishinabek Nation to:

• Hold an annual meeting between the Anishinabek Grand Council Chief and the Minister of Natural Resources
• Establish a joint Great Lakes Charter Annex Agreement Implementation Committee, and
• Help build Anishinabek Nation advisory and technical capacity through the Union of Ontario Indians retaining a technical advisor, as well as other measures.

Ontario is committing $300,000 over three years to this effort.

Ontario and the Anishinabek Nation also signed a memorandum of understanding committing to a "collaborative approach" that would revitalize the Anishinabek/Ontario Resource Management Council process that was established seven years ago. Continuing the work of the council will help foster a positive working relationship and ensure greater coordination on issues related to natural resource management.

In addition, an agreement was signed establishing a protocol on the transfer of Eagle remains to Anishinabek First Nations. The Eagle is of particular social, cultural and religious importance to Aboriginal people.

The Anishinabek Nation incorporated the Union of Ontario Indians (UOI) as its secretariat in 1949. The UOI is a political advocate for 42 member First Nations across Ontario. The Union of Ontario Indians is the oldest political organization in Ontario and can trace its roots back to the Confederacy of Three Fires, which existed long before European contact.

http://ontario.ca/mnr

For further information: Anne-Marie Flanagan, Minister's Office, Ministry of Natural Resources, (416) 327-0654; Bob Goulais, Anishinabek Nation, info@anishinabek.ca,. (705) 497-9127, (705) 498-5250 (Cell)

NAN press release ...

NAN urges formal apology for residential schools

            THUNDER BAY, ON, March 27 /CNW/ - Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Grand Chief Stan Beardy says regardless of whether or not a formal apology was part of the Residential School Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Assembly of First Nations, the formal recognition of wrong-doing by Canada should warrant more than compensation packages for First Nation people impacted by the residential school system.

            "What better way to reach closure than to issue a formal apology?" said NAN Grand Chief Stan Beardy who represents 49 First Nation communities across Ontario.

            "Regardless of whether or not a formal apology is in the text of the agreement or was understood to take place following the agreement, it's vital to the healing process for not only NAN members affected by the residential school system, but First Nations across the province and country."

            Beardy's comments come after yesterday's statement by Indian and Northern Affairs Minister Jim Prentice that the deal worth at least $1.9 billion in compensation packages will not include an apology from the Prime Minister of Canada, despite the Minister's comments that the door needs to close on various parts of Canadian history.

            Assembly of First Nations has been negotiating with the Government of Canada since December 2004 to reach a deal that will compensate more than 12,000 Aboriginals currently participating in law suits seeking compensation for the effects of the residential school system that uprooted Aboriginals children across Canada from their home communities.

            An Agreement-in-Principle was reached with the former Liberal government November 2005 and subsequently a final agreement with the Conservative Harper Government April 2006.

            Since 2005, NAN has publicly urged for a formal apology by the Prime Minister of Canada and continuation of programs focused on individual and community healing for approximately 90 per cent of NAN members impacted by the residential school system.

            Approximately 5,000 NAN members attended residential schools.

-30-

/For further information: Jenna Young, NAN Director of Communications, (807) 625-4952, OR (807) 628-3953 (mobile)/

OHQC press release ...

Managing Chronic Disease Huge Challenge For Ontario - Report Says Health System Slowly Improving But Gaps Need Attention

TORONTO, March 26 - Ontario is facing a huge challenge to reduce and better manage chronic diseases, the Ontario Health Quality Council (OHQC - http://www.ohqc.ca) said today in releasing its second annual report.

Click here for a PDF copy of the report

"The way we handle chronic diseases is at the top of our `needs improvement' list," said OHQC Chair Ray Hession. "The number of people living with chronic disease, such as arthritis, diabetes, and heart failure is increasing as our population ages - and yet many of these cases could be prevented or better treated. Ontario needs a coordinated, system-wide, long-term strategy for reducing and better managing chronic diseases. People will be healthier and it will ease a large pressure on our health system."
 
Highlights of the OHQC's findings on chronic diseases in Ontario included:

- 1-in-3 Ontarians has one or more chronic diseases. Of those, almost 4-of-5 over the age of 65 have one chronic disease, and of those, about 70 percent suffer from two or more.

- At least 60 percent of Ontario's health care costs are due to chronic diseases.

- Obesity increases the likelihood of developing many chronic diseases. One in three Ontarians over the age of 18 is overweight and 15 percent are obese.

- South Asians and Latin Americans are at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Aboriginal Ontarians also are three to five times more likely to develop this disease.

- Over 80 percent of cases of coronary heart disease, such as heart attacks, and type 2 diabetes, and over 85 percent of cases of lung cancer and chronic obstructive lung disease such as emphysema could be prevented through healthier lifestyles - including nutritious food, physical fitness, clean environment and meaningful, safe work.

Despite the chronic disease challenge, the OHQC reported that, overall, there are positive signs that Ontario is making slow but steady progress in improving its health system:

- Ontario's Wait Time Strategy has reduced wait times in the targeted areas of cancer and cardiac care, hip and knee replacements, diagnostic imaging and cataract surgery. Success was achieved through a targeted strategy and supplementary funding. The model could be applied more broadly in the health system.

- Ontario has opened 359 telemedicine centres in 190 communities, many of them in rural and remote locations. These centres enable patients to use computer links and video equipment for long-distance "virtual appointments" with specialists who may not exist in their communities.

- Since 2003, an additional half-million people reported that they have a regular doctor, which means we are keeping pace with population growth. The overall supply of health-care providers is growing and will continue to grow in the future because of the increases in seats in education programs.

- Between 2000 and 2005, the number of 12-19 year olds who smoke daily dropped by half, from 11 percent to 6 percent.

- The percentage of heart attack patients admitted to hospital who survive the critical 30-day post-attack period, has grown from 85.5 percent to 88.9 percent over six years.

The OHQC report emphasized that Ontario must work to continually improve the quality of its publicly funded health care.

"Ontarians want independent third bodies to regularly rate, measure and publicly report on their health system," Hession said. "The OHQC does this on a province-wide level, but we also need this to be done at the regional level and for each local health care organization. Practices such as accreditation drive improvements in quality by measuring how well individual institutions stack up against proven best practices and by spotlighting where there are problems, so that improvements can be made."

For the second year in a row, the OHQC reported that a major barrier to accountability and quality improvement is a lack of information about what is taking place in the health system. "If we can't measure quality, we can't manage it effectively, it's that simple," Hession said.

About the OHQC

The Ontario Health Quality Council is an independent agency funded by the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care. The Council reports directly to Ontarians on access to publicly funded health services, human resources in health care, consumer and population health status, outcomes of the health system and ways of improving it. The Council is made up of 10 appointed members from across the province who have a diverse range of expertise, including hospital governance, medicine, academic and research work, business, public and health policy, ethics and aboriginal and community leadership.

For further information: Ania Basiukiewicz, Communications Assistant, Tel: (416) 323-6868 x221

Canadian Aboriginal Writing Challenge
By The Dominion Istitute, Toronto, ON (Mar 23, 2007)

Are You An Aspiring Young Aboriginal Writer? Canadian Aboriginal Writing Challenge receives submissions from across the country

Media Release ...

March 23, 2007 – Calling all young Aboriginal writers interested in winning cash prizes and receiving national recognition.

The Dominion Institute is pleased to announce the launch of the 2007 Canadian Aboriginal Writing Challenge.

Building on the success of previous years, young Aboriginal writers will submit stories that interpret defining moments in the history of this country and its Aboriginal people. The Institute is expected to receive submissions from across Canada showcasing the talents and creativity of young Aboriginal authors.

The winners of the 2006 Challenge, Sable Sweetgrass from Calgary, Alberta, and Alicia Elliott from Ohsweken, Ontario, were presented with an award and cash prize by Chief Phil Fontaine of the Assembly of First Nations at ceremony in Ottawa. Alicia’s winning essay, entitled Across the Barricade, described the land dispute in Caledonia from the point of view of a Native protestor and Caledonia resident. Sable’s winning essay, entitled Maternal Ties, told the tale of a young woman’s display of a baby cord amulet and elk tooth dress at her graduation ceremony as a way of honouring her family and heritage.

Sponsored by Enbridge Inc. and organized by the Dominion Institute, Canadian Aboriginal Writing Challenge is a national initiative for Aboriginal youth. Winners are selected from two age categories - ages 14-18 and 19-29.

The first place winners in each age category receive a cash prize and a trip to Ottawa. Each story will also be published in The Beaver: Canada’s History Magazine. Students who have a story in the top ten, as selected by an expert Advisory Committee of Aboriginals authors and leaders (see below), receive a cash prize. All winning essays are published online and all participants receive a certificate of recognition for their participation.

The deadline for this year’s contest is June 29, 2007.

Students and educators interested in learning more about the contest should visit www.our-story.ca or call 1-866-701-1867.

The Dominion Institute is a national charitable organization dedicated to promoting Canadian history and civic culture (www.dominion.ca)

Advisory Committee:

• Her Excellency Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada - Honorary Patron
• Chief Patrick Brazeau - National Chief of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples
• Tantoo Cardinal (Actress and Author) - Committee Member
• Tomson Highway (Playwright and Author) - Committee Member
• Brian Maracle (Journalist and Author) - Committee Member
• Lee Maracle (Writer) - Committee Member
• Rachel Qitsualik (Journalist and Author) - Committee Member
• Drew Hayden Taylor (Playwright and Author) - Committee Member
• Tresley Tourond – Committee Member
• Marilyn Dumont (Theytus Books) – Committee Member

For Further Information Contact:
Jeremy Diamond
Dominion Institute
Tel: 416-368-9627
Mobile: 416-722-9754
Email: jeremy@dominion.ca

From CBC News ...

Arctic survey looks at aboriginal well-being
Last Updated: Friday, March 23, 2007 - CBC News

Indigenous people across the Arctic feel their well-being is linked to balancing hunting and fishing with wage-earning jobs, as well as having more control over local decision-making, according to a circumpolar survey of more than 7,000 people.

The $9-million Survey of Living Conditions in the Arctic, produced by the Arctic Council, was a collaboration involving researchers, the Inuit of northern Canada and indigenous peoples in Greenland, Alaska and Chutkotka, Russia.

The results showed indigenous people across the Arctic share common experiences such as being sent to boarding schools and being prevented from using their native languages — experiences that have led to common social problems, project lead Birger Poppel of Greenland said Thursday.

"They define suicide, alcohol problems, drug problems, domestic violence as major problems," he said. "There's a general agreement across borders."

At the same time, survey respondents said that the more involved they feel in decisions affecting their communities, the more satisfied they are overall with life. In Canada, social ties with informal support among Inuit are generally very strong, the report found.

"Some of the striking findings though were a sense of local control was very strongly related to satisfaction with your life as a whole," said Jack Kruse, a researcher with the Institute of Social and Economic Research in Anchorage, Alaska.

"There were variations in that sense of local control across the north; in Alaska it was particularly higher, which was surprising."

Kruse also found people's well-being is strongly related to how they can balance subsistence activity such as hunting and fishing with wage-earning jobs.

"We found a strong relationship between levels of subsistence activity and overall satisfaction with life," he said. "You could imagine then that efforts to improve traditional education could pay off in the long run with satisfaction and less depression and less suicide."

The survey found that the Inupiat respondents on the north slope of Alaska had the highest sense of control over their affairs, using revenues from oil development to create jobs in the area.

By contrast, health, employment and other living conditions were much poorer in Chukotka, Russia, than in the rest of the Arctic. Respondents there reported very low satisfaction levels.

Kruse said the team hopes to complete the survey with the Saami peoples in parts of Scandinavia next year. In the meantime, the Arctic Council will use the current survey results to look at sustainable development in the North. Indigenous groups can also use the results to form policies.

• Click here for the Survey website
   
• Click here for a PDF of the Survey Overview

From the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples web site ...

The Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples has the honour to table its SIXTH REPORT

Your Committee, which was authorized by the Senate on Tuesday, May 9, 2006, to examine and report on the involvement of Aboriginal communities and businesses in economic development activities in Canada, now tables its final report entitled Sharing Canada’s Prosperity – A Hand Up, Not A Handout.

Click here for a PDF copy of the report

Respectfully submitted,

Original signed by

GERRY ST. GERMAIN, P.C.
Chair

From CBC News ...

Business key to aboriginal success: report
Last Updated: Thursday, March 22, 2007- CBC News

Aboriginal communities must establish successful economies if they ever hope to conquer poverty and social problems, according to new report by a Senate committee — but they'll need a lot of help to make that happen.

Members of the standing Senate committee on aboriginal peoples were in Winnipeg Thursday to promote the committee's new report, tabled Tuesday.

The report, entitled Sharing Canada's Prosperity — A Hand Up, Not a Hand Out, calls for changes to the Indian Act and increased government support for aboriginal business development.

The committee spent more than two years examining what helps First Nations achieve business success in Ontario, the Prairie provinces, British Columbia, northern Ontario, Nova Scotia and Quebec.

In dozens of communities, the committee found "involvement in economic development activities has done more to change the lives of aboriginal people in the last decade than any number of government programs," the report said.

Manitoba-born senator Gerry St. Germain said a huge roadblock for First Nations that want to go into business is the snail's pace at which governments are settling land claims.

"I've worked with … some various chiefs here in Manitoba, and I know if these treaty land entitlements, additions to reserves and specific claims are resolved, they will have economic generators in their community that would create tremendous opportunities for their people," he said.

Business a relatively new concept

Nick Sibbeston, the committee's deputy chair, said the committee acknowledged that building strong economies on First Nations can be difficult, especially on remote reserves,"where there's apathy, where people are simply not organized and in a position to do business."

"Business requires a higher level of commitment and organization. I would have to say that in some of the bigger centres, they are more apt to have had this training and business culture."

Canadians may not realize how new business is to First Nations, he said.

"I can speak mostly from the North, because we just come from a cultural background of hunting and trapping, the last 30, 40, 50 years, and that was a simpler way of making a living," said Sibbeston, an aboriginal senator from the Northwest Territories.

"When you enter the business world, it's more complicated and it's different. You really need to be organized, work at the speed of businesses and so forth. It takes some time to acquire that."

Governments need to create more educational and financial support for aboriginal businesses, the committee recommends.

The report also calls for a radical overhaul to the Indian Act, especially where land ownership is concerned, saying that because of the act, "market forces do not operate properly on Indian lands," deterring or raising the cost of doing business on reserves.