Sioux Lookout District teachers of Native children gather at Winnipeg conference

February 18, 2006 - 9:56am | by Anonymous

The Kekeenamawkayo 2006 - “Closing the Gaps” conference took place in Winnipeg this past week (February 14 to 16, 2006). Click here for a copy of the Jan 15 version of the Program at a Glance (WORD document)

Industry Canada's First Nations SchoolNet program supported this event through their Ontario Regional Management Organization. Cal Kenny from K-Net travelled from Sioux Lookout to attend the event and gather some video footage and interviews with some of the presenters. Both the Keewaytinook Internet High School (lead by Darrin and his team of KiHS staff) and the Grade 8 Supplementary Courses (lead by Fernando) were highlighted in a day long workshop about e-learning. The Keewaytinook Okimakanak Research Institute (lead by Brian Walmark) presented their findings about the online professional development series on Special Education, Literacy and Child Development hosted by the KORI team. A video conferencing connection was installed in the meeting room for connections to other sites and demonstration purposes. Brian's presentation is posted online within the new K-Net Online Meeting Space and can be accessed by signing up at  http://meeting.knet.ca/moodle/course/view.php?id=9

Click here to see some pictures from this gathering

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KO team joins SLAAMB's Career Fair in Sioux Lookout

February 18, 2006 - 9:56am | by Anonymous

Staff from the Keewaytinook Okimakanak Sioux Lookout office set up a display booth at Thursday's Career Fair that was held at the Queen Elizabeth District High School. The booth highlighted the work being done at Keewaytinook Okimakanak and provided the career fair participants with a glimpse of the possible career opportunities available within the organization.

Hosts of the display were Marie Carson (Fort Severn band member) and Kanina Terry (Lac Seul band member). Click here to view the pictures taken during this event.

Click here for more information about this event.

The various presentations and information sessions were video conferenced and web cast so others could watch them over the internet. The archives of these sessions are available online at http://webcast.knet.ca/Careers/

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De-colonizing / undoing racism workshop at Red Lake Heritage Centre

February 17, 2006 - 9:55am | by Anonymous

"Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack"

Where:  Heritage Centre, Red Lake
Time:  1:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Date:  Saturday, Feb 18, 2006

This workshop will be facilitated by Dr. Celia Haig-Brown, professor at York University, Author of:

  • Resistance and Renewal: Surviving the Indian Residential School,
  • Taking Control: Power and Contradiction in First Nation Adult Education
  • Making the Spirit Dance Within: Joe DuQuette High School and an Aboriginal Community.

This workshop is the sixth of an on-going series that is intended to help heal and develop cross-cultural relationships.  This particular workshop will be about de-colonizing / undoing racism work, with the focus on the residential schools.  The workshop will include a tour of the "Where are the Children?" exhibit now on display at the Heritage Centre.

Everyone is welcome to attend; it is not necessary to have attended previous sessions to participate.  Registration is by donation.  Please bring your own refreshments.

For more information, please call Kaaren at 727-3196 or 727-3006. Miikwech!

Michele Alderton
Director/Curator, Red Lake Regional Heritage Centre
P.O. Box 64
51A Highway 105
Red Lake, ON, P0V2M0
Tel: (807) 727-3006   Fax:  (807) 727-2686
Website:  http://redlakemuseum.com

Showing until March 31st at the Heritage Centre:  Where are the Children? Healing the Legacy of Residential Schools 
http://www.wherearethechildren.ca
 and Residential Schools, the Red Lake Story,  http://www.redlakemuseum.com (Click on the Education Program link from our home page to see our Events Calendar)

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Sharing traditional knowledge helps youth at Treaty 3 Kenora gathering

February 17, 2006 - 7:25am | by Anonymous

From Kenora Daily Miner News online at http://www.kenoradailyminerandnews.com./story.php?id=213733

Treaty 3 youth descend on Kenora for healing conference
Aboriginal youth from across Northwestern Ontario and eastern Manitoba joined with elders and community members Wednesday as they sought ways to the heal the deep troubles facing the new generation.

By Mike Aiken Thursday February 16, 2006

Aboriginal youth from across Northwestern Ontario and eastern Manitoba joined with elders and community members Wednesday as they sought ways to the heal the deep troubles facing the new generation.

Perhaps the most daunting is the appearance of crystal meth in neighbouring First Nations.

“It’s already in my community,” said presenter Kenny Kakeeway of Whitefish Bay.

Even those going through treatment can take five or six months to recover their sense of self, and another four years to regain their thought processes, Kakeeway noted.

“This is a highly addictive drug,” he emphasized, adding local treatment centres are not yet able to handle clients hooked on the drug.

At Whitefish Bay, residents have lost at least eight young members to suicide within 18 months, while another 26 have attempted to take their own lives.

Two years ago, Treaty 3 declared a state of emergency in an attempt to get outside help for their generation in turmoil. At the time, crisis call workers at Wabaseemoong (Whitedog) were logging 300 calls a month, while intervention workers estimated there were 200 children in care.

“We’re Anishinabe,” said Kakeeway.

“We lost a lot of our culture in the residential schools, so we have to go back to that,” he added, referring to the many traditional, sacred practices described by elders during the conference.

Whitefish allows alcohol, which is how harder drugs find their way into homes on the reserve, said Kakeeway.

If young people learned their traditional names and clans, they could claim their roles in society and gain a sense of belonging.

“Once you have that, then you don’t need drugs and other things,” he said.

Organizer Tina Armstrong estimated about 280 attended Wednesday’s session.

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New Association to Promote Northern Prosperity through Mineral Development

February 16, 2006 - 10:56pm | by Anonymous

The new Boreal Prospectors Association was announced today to promote prosperity through mineral development in Northern Ontario 

Thursday 16th February 2006; Thunder Bay, ON: The Boreal Prospectors Association (BPA) announced today that it has been established to provide a forum in which its members can identify and address the many unique geographical, governmental and cultural challenges facing the mineral industry in Ontario’s far north.

The founding of The Boreal Prospectors Association (BPA) comes at a time of increasing mineral exploration activity and significant discoveries being made in Northern Ontario. It is being pioneered as a member of the Ontario Prospectors Association (OPA) by an executive of independent prospectors, regional First Nation representatives and industry representatives active in Northern Ontario.

Says Doug Parker, a director of The Boreal Prospectors Association: “The role of the mineral industry is becoming increasingly important to economic development of Northern Ontario’s communities. It is the intent of our Association to engage and support individual northern prospectors and to facilitate community-industry interaction by encouraging capacity building and mutual understanding. Through this approach the Association will seek to ensure that mineral industry activities occur to the benefit of local communities, lead to sustainable development within the region and result in a more robust mineral industry.”

Director David Duchesne adds, “The Boreal Prospectors Association can help to enhance northern prosperity by listening to northern voices and echoing the needs of our members. By providing a mechanism that encourages northerners to become part of the mineral industry, the Association can help to create a link to people, land and resources, build lasting partnerships and foster a strong business environment.”

Interested members of the public are invited to attend the association’s annual general meeting and symposium, THE NORTHERN ONTARIO MINES AND MINERALS SYMPOSIUM “Building a Sustainable Future on Bedrock” on February 21st and 22nd, 2006 in Sioux Lookout. For more information visit or email: borealprospectors@hotmail.com.

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Media Contact:

Stephanie Ash, Firedog Communications Inc.
Tel: 1 (807) 767-4443; Cell: 1 (807) 472-5276; Email: stephanie@firedogpr.com

Notes to the Editor:

About The Boreal Prospectors Association

The executive of the Boreal Prospectors Association includes: Thomas Tookate (Attawapiskat), Doug Parker (Independent Prospector), Luc McKay (Shibogama), Mike Fox (NADF), David Duchesne (IFNA), Michael Cunningham (De Beers Canada) and Mitch Diabo (Kasabonika). Currently there are 36 members of the association approximately half of whom reside in northern communities and the remainders are involved with industry and government.

The region North of 51 includes approximately 35 communities all of which are First Nation with the exception of Pickle Lake and Moosonee.

The concept of the association was first proposed by the leadership of Kasabonika Lake First Nation in an effort to encourage capacity building and understanding of the mineral industry in northern communities, improve engagement of the mineral industry with residents of the north and increase local participation in the industry.

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Diabetes conference in Winnipeg searching for solutions to Aboriginal pandemic

February 15, 2006 - 7:47am | by Anonymous

The National Aboriginal Diabetes Association (www.nada.ca) is hosting a three day conference in Winnipeg this week. Click here to find out more information about this conference.

From CBC News - Feb 13, 2006

Conference aims to prevent native diabetes 'pandemic'

A conference in Winnipeg is looking for ideas to stem the growing tide of diabetes among Canada's aboriginal community.

Diabetes among aboriginal people was virtually unheard of in the 1940s, but today the risk of Type 2 diabetes among aboriginal populations is estimated at three to five times higher than for non-natives, according to the Canadian Diabetes Association.

The National Aboriginal Diabetes Association estimates Manitoba could see the number of cases of diabetes triple over the next 20 years in what aboriginal leaders and health professionals are calling a "pandemic."

"Pandemic means that a disease is throughout the entire country," said Alex McComber, one of the conference chairs, who sits on the board of the National Aboriginal Diabetes Association. "If we talk about the phrase using Indian country, it's there, it's everywhere."

Conference delegates say diet, lack of exercise, genetics and stress contribute to the problem, as does lack of access to fresh food in aboriginal communities, especially in the North.

"It's horrendous to eat healthy in the northern communities if you are relying on one store to provide all the food," said McComber, who has helped to teach young Mohawk students about proper diet and exercise at the Kahnawake First Nation near Montreal.

"We know that foods high in fat, high in sugar, high in salt, preservatives, etc., are very inexpensive to send, and they have a long shelf life," making them less expensive and more popular for people living on remote First Nations.

Dieticians, better food needed on reserves

Isabelle Shannacappo, from the Rolling River First Nation, near Riding Mountain, Man., says part of the solution is also personal responsibility.

"We cannot control the diabetes without the help of the people," said Shannacappo, who has had Type 2 diabetes for more than 20 years. "The people have to do their own prevention."

Shannacappo said governments should help provide financial support for dieticians on reserves to help people eat better. She also said, where possible, it's crucial to help get fresh, affordable food to remote communities.

Theresa Oswald, Manitoba's minister of healthy living, says the provincial government is working on programs to grow fresh produce in the North.

It's estimated almost 20 per cent of the First Nations population in Manitoba will contract diabetes.

First ministers meeting in Kelowna, B.C., last fall listed diabetes prevention as one of their top priorities in addressing aboriginal poverty and health care.

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NOSM hosts workshop for Aboriginal Community Coordinators

February 14, 2006 - 1:35pm | by Anonymous

Northern Ontario School of Medicine Press Release - Feb 14, 2006

28 Aboriginal Health Leaders From Across Northern Ontario Gather at Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM)

For Immediate Release:  Tuesday, February 14, 2006 -- Aboriginal health leaders from the three major treaty organizations and health access centres of Northern Ontario will be arriving at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine's East and West campuses at Laurentian and Lakehead Universities respectively, later this afternoon for a two-day NOSM orientation session.  The leaders will travel to NOSM from the 28 communities that have been selected as medical student teaching sites.  Each community will host two NOSM students for a four-week placement starting in April, 2006 where the students will learn first-hand about disease, illness, preventative care, healing and health in a rural, remote environment.

NOSM's Director of Undergraduate Medical Education Programs, Marie Matte explained the importance of this part of the NOSM curriculum which provides a hands-on approach to medical education.  "These community placements are the first of many for first year NOSM students.  It is important that we have the input of the community leaders in the development of this unique component of the NOSM curriculum."

Students will spend between 10-12 hours per week in clinical settings such as urgent care, after hours clinics, youth and school programs, substance abuse centres, outpatient settings with RNs, MDs and visiting health care professionals.  Not only will students learn the clinical skills required for the curriculum, they will also examine the roles of all health care providers in rural/remote settings.   During the placements, students will also be required to continue their classroom learning through scheduled sessions that will be delivered through videoconferencing technology.

Orpah McKenzie, NOSM's Director of Aboriginal Affairs noted that the placements will have a large focus on culture.  Students will be expected to spend up to 12 hours per week in community-based, culturally-focused experiences ranging from feasts to hunting and fishing.  "It is important that NOSM graduates are aware of the North's cultural diversity and vibrancy.  By immersing NOSM students in remote, rural Aboriginal communities, they will learn integral communications skills for practicing medicine in the North."

While at NOSM, the Aboriginal leaders will become more familiar with NOSM's curriculum and how it applies to their community.  They will end their orientation session with a congratulatory luncheon on Thursday, where each of the 28 communities will be formally recognized as NOSM Teaching Sites.

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is a pioneering faculty of medicine. The School is a joint initiative of Lakehead and Laurentian Universities with main campuses in Thunder Bay and Sudbury, and multiple teaching and research sites across Northern Ontario. By educating skilled physicians and undertaking health research suited to community needs, the School will become a cornerstone of community health care in Northern Ontario.

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For more information, or to arrange for an interview, please contact:

Tracie Smith
NOSM West Campus
807-766-7314 or 807-624-7862
Tracie.Smith@normed.ca  

or      Joey McColeman
NOSM East Campus
705-662-7275
Joey.McColeman@normed.ca

Communications Unit
Northern Ontario School of Medicine
West Campus
Lakehead University
955 Oliver Rd.
Thunder Bay ON  P7B 5E1
Tel: 807-766-7300
Fax: 807-766-7370

East Campus
Laurentian University
935 Ramsey Lake Rd.
Sudbury ON  P3E 2C6
Tel: 705-675-4883
Fax: 705-675-4858
E-mail: NormedNews@NorMed.ca

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Traditional knowledge and customs important tools in preventing youth suicide

February 14, 2006 - 6:38am | by Anonymous

From http://www.tbsource.com/Localnews/index.asp?cid=80372

On the Path to Healing
Tb News Source - Web Posted: 2/10/2006
 

As the Nishnawbe Aski Nation’s conference on youth suicide came to a close, 22-year-old Jordan Quequish had time to reflect on what it all meant.

“These workshops helped (the youth) understand who they were, they got to ask questions about the traditional ways of life,” he said. “Most importantly they learned how precious they are. As a community, we are precious.”

Speaking softly but eloquently, the young man from North Caribou Lake talked about the terrible tragedies he and his family had experienced. As a young boy, he was sexually attacked by four men on separate occasions. By the time he was four, he had lost his first family member to suicide.

“There just really is nothing to do there,” he said of the two remote reserves he has lived on. “A lot of my people were abused and don’t have any hope, so they take their own lives.”

Quequish said after his first cousin died the problems seemed to snowball. Now he has lost 15 friends and family members to suicide, and he was almost one of them.

“So many times I wanted out of this world, you have no idea,” he said, shaking his head. “So many times I asked God why he put me here, what was I supposed to do?”

Fortunately, Quequish was able to find the answer to his questions through spirituality. Determined to break out of the cycle of abuse and depression that plagues too many First Nations communities, he made it a personal mission to bring tradition back to his people.

This was no easy task. As Quequish explained, traditional spirituality and customs were virtually non-existent on his reserve. He tried to speak with his grandfather, an elder, who had lived through some of the worst dismantling of native culture.

“My grandfather told me that the government came and told us to strip ourselves of our old ways of life. If we didn’t stop, then they told us we were going to prison,” he said. “The elders were so scared that they went along with it, and eventually started to see the (traditional practices) in the same way, like witchcraft.”

The effects of cultural loss and the disaster of residential schools left communities like Quequish’s in shambles. NAN Grand Chief Stan Beardy spoke about this same issue in December following the Kelowna agreement. He, and many others, have said these problems continue to trickle down generation after generation and the cycle of poverty, abuse and depression never stops.

“About 90 per cent of NAN people are impacted negatively by residential schools still,” he said. “The majority of my people don’t have parenting skills because when you grow up in an institution, you don’t learn normal behaviours. You don’t have the usual avenues for expressing emotions. The learned to be ashamed of expressing any sort of emotion, that’s why they don’t cry, they don’t laugh. And the majority of suicide victims are products of residential school parents.”

Beardy attributed this to the abuse that stemmed from repressed emotions and negative past experience, which continues to repeat itself in small communities.

“And when our young people go through problems or challenges, they have no one to turn to, no one to share life experience or teachings with them. There is a major lack of a support mechanism.”

While Beardy and other First Nations officials fight for policy changes, Quequish and the NAN Decade of Youth Council are using tradition to fight modern problems. The goal of the conference was not only to talk openly about suicide, but to help youth appreciate the beauty and strength of their culture.

“What was really amazing was seeing the relationships that developed between the elders and the young people,” said Decade of Youth coordinator Melanie Goodchild-Southwind. “This was a very safe environment where culture was flourishing. It was the way it could have been for our ancestors.”

The teaching sessions included things like hand drumming, sacred firekeeping, powwows and different sacred dances.

“That is suicide prevention in action,” Goodchild-Southwind said. “Self-esteem is built when this happens, when youth learn about themselves.”

This is what Quequish felt when he returned to his roots several years ago, although it wasn’t met with much enthusiasm.

“Back home I was wearing long braids and sometimes my (traditional) ribbon shirt,” he said. “And my own people called me a crazy Indian.”

Nevertheless, Quequish soldiered on. He is one of the only grassdancers in his area, and continues to encourage his peers and elders alike to embrace the old ways.

“Some are starting to be more traditional in a quiet way,” he said. “Things are slowly changing, but one day it’s going to be rapid. Our generation will do a lot more, I think.”

“One day I’m going to turn around my community. I’m going to be a leader of my community.”

On that last day of the conference, Quequish sat by the sacred fire that burned all week long.

“When we light the sacred fire, all of our past elders come to be with us,” he said. “This same fire burns in our hearts, our hearts that beat to the same drum in our nation. It’s the heartbeat of our people.”

Goodchild-Southwind said Quequish is a great example that change is possible. She said there was an overwhelming consensus that the conference was a start to something really positive, and NAN will definitely consider hosting another one.

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L'll Bands Youth Hockey Tournament 2006

February 13, 2006 - 11:14pm | by Anonymous

Little Bands Youth Hockey Tournament 2006

February 17 , 18 , 19 , 2006

Sioux Lookout Arena and Eagle Lake First Nation Arena

11 Peewee Teams  ages 11-12 yrs old

7 Bantam teams ages 13-14 yrs old

Daily admission -Adults  $5.00 a day

                      - 12 under $3.00 a day

Teams : Big Trout Lake , Muskrat Dam , Bearskin Lake , Sachigo Lake , North Caribou Lake , Wapekeka , Kasabonika Lake , Sandy Lake , Pikangikum , Deer Lake , Mishkeegogamang .

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