In the last federal parliament, four aboriginal people were elected to represent different ridings across Canada ... the Hon. Ethel Blondin-Andrew, Secretary of State for Northern Development; Inuit MP Nancy Karetak-Lindell representing Nunavut; and Metis MP's Paul Devillers and Lawrence O'Brien.

In a CBC news story, a local Blood First Nation youth in Alberta is running as an independent in the riding where he grew up. Myron Wolf Child is seeking a seat in the House of Commons for the southern Alberta riding of McLeod - see http://www.cbc.ca/edmonton/story/ed_wolfchild20051222.html

The First Peoples National Party of Canada (http://www.fpnpoc.ca) is a new political entity working to create a voice for Aboriginal people across Canada (see story from Turtle Island discussions below for its platform).

From http://aboriginaltimes.com/Members/Editor/federal%20election%202005

Native leaders push the message that aboriginal vote can make the difference

December 28, 2005
By TIM COOK - Canadian Press

Tina Keeper concedes that the decision to join the rough-tumble world of federal politics was a huge one for her.

It's a long way from the set of the 1990s TV show North of 60, where her role as a First Nations police officer won her a Gemini award in 1997. But Keeper, who spent the last few years as a community activist specializing in suicide prevention and working on aboriginal issues with the Liberal party, says she felt an overwhelming urge to have a direct say in the future of her people.
 
"Any nation has to be self-determining. That is the basis of well-being," says Keeper, who decided to run for the Liberals in the northern Manitoba riding of Churchill.
 
"My personal feeling about it all is that if I can use my profile to . . build bridges between the aboriginal and non-aboriginal sectors of our society, then I think that is well worth it."
 
Keeper hopes she can be a role model for young people, teaching them that involvement in mainstream politics - even something as simple as showing up to vote - is good for aboriginal people.
 
It's a message that aboriginal leaders and Elections Canada have been working to drive home to First Nations, Metis and Inuit as they battle sagging turnout numbers.
 
This year, the focus is on the fact that with a growing aboriginal population and an election shaping up as a tight two-horse race, courting the native vote could make a big difference.
 
"Every vote counts, and there is a real opportunity for us to influence the outcome in a positive way," says Phil Fontaine, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations.
 
"But we will only be able to make a difference if we vote, and so our push here is to try and convince our people to participate."
 
Information on voting rates among aboriginals in the federal election is sparse.
 
An Elections Canada study of the 2000 vote showed turnout was 16 per cent lower at polling stations on reserves than it was for the rest of the population.
 
The reasons vary, according to the study, from a "perceived lack of effectiveness" and "feelings of exclusion," to the disproportionate rates of poverty in aboriginal communities.
 
"It's a tough sell," said Peter Dinsdale, executive director of the National Association of Friendship Centres.
 
"Typically aboriginal people haven't been all that engaged in Canadian elections."
 
In an effort to make the sale, native groups are trying to show that the aboriginal vote will count this year.
 
Statistics Canada points to 26 ridings where aboriginal people account for at least 10 per cent of voters.
 
On its website, the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples has published a list of more than two dozen ridings where the number of aboriginal voters in 2004 was greater than the margin of victory.
 
Dinsdale's association is planning a campaign with briefing material about election issues to be sent to more than 100 friendship centres nationwide.
 
"I think, by and large, people have to see a benefit in turning out to vote," says Clement Chartier, president of the Metis National Council.
 
"I think people see, more and more, the need to do that, and as leaders we need to ensure that they get that message."
 
Fontaine says politicians are starting to respond.
 
He cites the desire of all parties to delay an election until after last month's first ministers' meeting on aboriginal issues as an example.
 
"No one wanted to pull the plug before," Fontaine says. "That tells me they are listening and they see us as an important issue."

The Liberals say they have 15 aboriginal candidates running in this election, while the NDP boasts five. The Conservatives say they don't profile their candidates in that way and declined to give a number.
 
Keeper knows that one of the biggest hurdles she will face is getting aboriginals into polling booths, so that's what she's telling people on the doorsteps.
 
"One of the things I've been trying to do is just key-message that: 'Get out and vote. We have to participate,' " she says.
 
"People need to know that it will impact and that's an important message."

Wed. Dec. 28, 2005.

Tales of hope from northern schools - Teachers getting parents involved - Success stories despite daunting odds

LOUISE BROWN - EDUCATION REPORTER

It's not your typical school field trip, even up in Ontario's Far North.

The annual Grade 9 moose hunt in the remote reserve of Fort Hope — complete with "firearms protocol" and tips on how to produce the quickest kill — is part of a broad move to boost Ojibwa children's sense of identity and help them feel ready to learn.

In a year filled with reports of despair from across Canada's First Nations, teachers and principals from Ontario's most isolated reserves flew "south" to Thunder Bay recently to share some moving tales of hope.

This quiet little conference on "best practices" north of 50 may offer an early peek at the sorts of programs Ottawa could choose to support with the $1.8 billion it promised native schools last month at the historic First Ministers' Aboriginal Summit in Kelowna, B.C.

The Toronto Star reported earlier this year about the daunting social odds faced by children in schools on federally funded northern reserves in the series Ontario's Forgotten Children.

Yet despite the odds, a growing number of northern schools brought good news to the conference organized by the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, which represents 49 northwestern Ontario reserves.

Here are some of the more dramatic success stories:

• Fort Hope (also known as Eabametoong): The four-day moose hunt for 15 top students is the highlight of an unusual study unit that uses this traditional native skill to teach physics (by calculating the force packed by various bullets); biology (by observing how to "dress"' and quarter a carcass); literacy (keeping a daily journal); outdoor education (reading maps to keep within assigned hunting grounds) and history (practising the way people cooked and built shelters before contact with Europeans).
   
  To principal Steve Bentley, boosting children's pride in their heritage is as important as the literacy drive the school has introduced. It now has weekly drumming groups and weekend reading circles. Students spend two weeks each year on the land in an outdoor education program that includes cultural lessons in trapping and teepee from teachers, parent volunteers and community elders. Every other Friday afternoon students learn traditional beadwork, dancing and drumming.
   
  Gradually, Bentley says he is beginning to see better behaviour, improved reading and less teacher turnover.
   
  "It's important to build children's self-esteem and cultural respect, because when kids feel better about themselves, they're going to learn."
   
• Lansdowne House (also known as Neskantaga): Fed up with children having to move away to attend high school in other towns — and failing — this community started its own Grade 9 program last year. The program lasts a year and a half to give students extra time to complete credits they may find challenging, said principal Julia Johnston.
   
  --------------------------------------------------------
  `I was asked to raise educational standards — and we're doing that.' - Julia Johnston, principal, Lansdowne House (Neskantaga)
  -------------------------------------------------------
   
  "Before, when students went away, it was a disaster, but we're about to graduate our first 15 Grade 9 students in January, ready to ship out to Grade 10," said Johnston, who has launched a string of new programs across all grades. The school avoids the term "special education" where possible because families find it too negative, but has bolstered support for struggling students so much that some remedial students saw their skills jump by two grade levels last year.
   
  "We hired a special education teacher with 20 years experience. We now engage parents by putting them in charge of their child's special education plan whenever possible," said Johnston. Parents are asked to sign notes to confirm their children have done their homework. The school runs a free homework help night each Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 7.15 p.m. which draws up to 80 per cent of the student body.
   
  The school is one of three across northern Ontario, along with Weagamow and Summer Beaver (Nibinamik) that now has been assigned a literacy specialist from Frontier College offering help to both children and parents.
   
  "I was asked to raise educational standards," said Johnston, "and we're doing that."
   
• Sandy Lake: The school has begun to assess children for special needs in kindergarten, rather than wait until Grade 1.
   
  The parents of children with attention-deficit disorder are asked to help out for an hour each day in their child's class.
   
  "They're coming around slowly. Some parents have started coming in to the Grade 3 and 4 classroom," said Yesno. "They know it will help their child succeed."
   
  If a student is suspended for vandalism or fighting, the school may lift the suspension if the parent is able to come to school and monitor the child in class.
   
  The school also started a weekly Ojibwa culture class for parents in singing, drumming and the syllabic symbols of written Ojibwa, in part to make them more comfortable in a school setting, and in part to enrich their sense of heritage.
   
  "We had (aboriginal) actress Tina Keeper come and talk to the community as a role model. These are all small things, but we believe they can add up in the future and make a difference."

Meanwhile, while the Fort Hope students learned much from their moose hunt, they did not actually shoot a moose, confides principal Steve Bentley.

"I wouldn't say anything to the kids, but I imagine a group of 13-year-olds having fun would have a hard time surprising any animal at all."

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

Honouring unsung heroes of the north - Living conditions among the challenges

April tour of reserves reveals rare educators

Dec. 27, 2005

LOUISE BROWN - EDUCATION REPORTER

Running late because he had been busy moose hunting, David Kakegamic was a different breed of education director than I'm used to interviewing.

But then, the fly-in community of Sandy Lake, Ont., is a different kind of community than the kind I generally cover.

It's wrapped in woodlands, hours by bush plane from the nearest library, coffee shop or hospital — and the children here face a different level of challenge than I've ever seen.

Ever.

In the isolated northern reserves where photographer René Johnston and I went to report on schools last April, we saw living conditions that were shocking to find in Ontario. But we also met a most inspiring and motley crew of educators working to help these children learn.

High in the northern bush, out of sight and mind from the rest of Canada, an eclectic army of visionaries — some native, some non-native and a whole rowdy bunch from Newfoundland — are devoting years of their lives to helping Ontario's forgotten children. I didn't get to write about them in our series, but they are the unsung heroes of the north:

Grizzled Hungarian refugee Joseph Farsang, a veteran teacher with white stubble and soft heart, walked the gravel roads of the poverty-stricken North Spirit Lake First Nation, night after night, to visit his more needy students and encourage their parents to send them to school.

Genteel teacher Laura Marchand, a retired principal from Vancouver Island, would slip food to hungry students and scold parents and staff she suspected of using crack.

Teacher Lynda Brown of Sandy Lake set up a weekend reading program for children in the school library and discreetly laundered the clothes of students whose families have no washing machine.

Ponytailed teacher Chris Williams returned to his hometown of Weagamow Lake with a native teaching diploma and now uses a gentle manner and firm rules to deal with a Grade 5 class that includes a student with fetal alcohol syndrome disorder, another with a speech disability and several with behavioural problems.

Soft-spoken artist Saul Williams' passion for children outweighs his Grade 8 education to make him not only the beloved education director in his hometown of Weagamow Lake, but a powerful advocate for children in the 24 reserves across the Sioux Lookout District.

He can remember being flown off to residential school as a boy, and dropping out.

He is fighting to ensure that his own son has a better future.

It was an honour to meet them.

from http://anglicanjournal.com/extra/news.php?newsItem=2005-12-27_sds.news

Church advises dioceses of short deadline in schools agreement

SOLANGE DE SANTIS- STAFF WRITER

“We are aware of the difficulties involved in trying to meet the deadline set by the government and we will do all we can to support you as you deal with due process in your own jurisdictions. We sincerely hope that all dioceses will be able to approve the … agreement based on the benefit that will flow to all dioceses and to the General Synod,” read an information letter dated Dec. 21, 2005, from Acting General Secretary Ellie Johnson and other negotiators.

The letter was sent to all diocesan bishops and chancellors (church legal advisers), members of the church’s national governing body, the Council of General Synod (CoGS) and the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples, a national committee.

The document reiterated the terms of a plan announced in late November that would compensate all students who were part of a national boarding school system aimed at educating native children. Also announced was an agreement that would release Roman Catholic entities that ran schools from legal liability, but would commit them to funding $54 million in healing programs for aboriginals.

The Anglican church in 2003 negotiated a cap on its legal liability of $25 million, but since the Roman Catholic agreement is more favorable, is reopening its negotiations with the government.

It is likely that the Anglican cap will be reduced to about $5.771 million, an amount based on a proportional formula from the Roman Catholic agreement. The Anglican church would also be required to contribute about $4.975 million in cash toward healing programs and another $4.975 million in “in-kind” healing programs and services, for a total of about $15.721 million.

As of the third quarter of 2005, $16.8 million had been collected toward the $25 million goal, with $6.6 million paid out in lawsuit settlements.

General Synod, the church’s national office in Toronto, has scheduled five conference calls in early January to allow bishops, other diocesan officials, CoGS members and indigenous Anglicans to ask questions about the agreement. 

The letter added that “we are negotiating an extension of (the Jan. 30) deadline and will advise you immediately if such an extension is achieved.”

Major decisions are generally made by the diocesan bishop in consultation with officials and the diocese’s executive council.

The information letter said it is anticipated that a final agreement, which needs approval from seven Canadian courts, would become effective in late 2006 or early 2007. Until then, the current settlement agreement remains in force.

The boarding school system was run by the federal government and administered by various churches. While some former students said they received a valuable education, others told stories of physical and sexual abuse in some schools and said they were alienated from their language and culture. Hundreds of former students have sued the government and churches for damages.

N O T I C E
3rd Annual First Nations Youth Symposium

visit http://chiefs-of-ontario.org/youth for more information

PROVIDING OUR CHILDREN WITH THE TOOLS FOR LIFE

2006 First Nations Early Childhood Development Conference

Why Attend?

Participants of the conference will deepen their understanding of the expanding early childhood knowledge base, develop skills that improve professional preparation and practice, and sharpen their ability to use effective, active learning approaches for families. The conference will include workshops and plenary sessions that give participants time to reflect, network and dialogue with one another about practical applications of these ideas. Innovative strategies will be presented to address the cognitive, social, emotional and physical needs of young children. Participants will have opportunity to expand their professional networks with other early childhood educators and exhibitors representing early childhood organizations and associations. The conference will benefit those seeking to gain ideas about what has been effective in the development of early childhood programs in various First Nations communities. Ultimately, participants will return to their organizations with an action plan, resources, other practical tools, and supportive professional relationships.

What to Expect?

The conference theme is “Providing Our Children with the Tools for Life.” Early childhood educators recognize the critical importance of children’s early years and share a common goal to prepare children to start school ready to learn, and to grow to live healthy and fulfilling lives. Although a wide range of topics will be presented, workshop presentations will relate to cooperation in the community and elements of success in programming. Areas of particular interest in the conference include the following:

• Status of Early Childhood Development Programs in Ontario First Nations
• Showcasing Cooperation (Models of Successful Program Integration)
• Case Management and Child Welfare and Reporting (Confidentiality and Liability)
• Staff Development (Communication, Presentation, and Team Building
• Program Planning and Proposal Writing (Fundraising)
• Traditional Aboriginal Child-rearing Practices (Role of the Child in the Family; Behaviour Modification; Role of Grandparents)
• Elements of Successful Early Childhood Development Programming (Parental and Family Support; Special Needs; Elders; Teen Parenting; Pregnancy Prevention)
• Early Years Screening and Identification (Speech and Language Pathology; Hearing and Sight; Autism; Grief and Loss; Exceptional Children; Mental Health; Attention Deficit and Hyperactive Disorder; Physically Disabled Children)
• Integration of Special Needs in Programming (Program Modification and Management)
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
• Language and Cultural Programming
• Child Physical Health (Diabetes, Obesity, Recreation, Communicable Diseases)
• Parenting
• Models of Community Planning (Outreach, External Resource Development)
• Healing Through Laughter
• Behavioural Management (Difficult Children)
• First Nations Culture within ECD Curriculum
• School Readiness (Math, Discipline)
• Parental and Community Involvement
• Nutrition (Requirements, Deficiencies, and Menu Planning)
• Building Community Partnerships

Who Should Attend?

The conference is designed for early childhood educators and community workers who mentor early childhood professionals and parents of young children, including:

• Teacher educators
• Program directors and administrators
• Principals
• Researchers
• Policymakers
• Curriculum and instructional coordinators
• Teacher mentors and coaches
• Resource and referral specialists
• Educational consultants and trainers
• Early childhood specialists in Ontario First Nations

How to Register?

Check the website http://chiefs-of-ontario.org/ regularly for updates as registration information will be posted shortly. For more information please call Cara at 519-750-1016 or email cara@coo.org

From the Backgrounder of the Press Release (see below) ... THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

Sadly and invariably whenever UN human rights bodies review Canada’s record of compliance with its international obligations, safeguarding the rights of Indigenous peoples readily emerges as a very serious area of concern. Amnesty International’s Human Rights Agenda has consistently stressed that improving the protection of Indigenous peoples’ rights is one of the most pressing human rights challenges that Canada faces.

In 2005, the Human Rights Committee laid out seven recommendations regarding the rights of Indigenous peoples in Canada, including two areas highlighted in Amnesty International’s Human Rights Agenda: violence against Indigenous women, and the plight of the Lubicon Cree.

i)Violence against Indigenous Women

Amnesty International’s October 2004 report, Stolen Sisters, outlined alarmingly high levels of violence and discrimination faced by Indigenous women in Canada. Indigenous women’s groups across Canada have been pressing the government to recognize and respond to this serious human rights concern for many years, such as through the Native Women Association of Canada’s Sisters in Spirit Campaign. Over the past year a number of important initiatives have been announced by both federal and provincial government departments, including substantial funding for NWAC. Indigenous women’s organizations have a central role to play in stopping violence against Indigenous women and need adequate, sustained funding to do so. But other institutions, including the police, also have a crucial role to play.

The Human Rights Committee notes that Aboriginal women are far more likely to experience a violent death than other Canadian women and calls on Canada to:

… gather accurate statistical data throughout the country on violence against Aboriginal women, fully address the root causes of this phenomenom, including the economic and social marginalization of Aboriginal women, and ensure their effective access to the justice system. [Canada] should also ensure that prompt and adequate response is provided by the police in such cases, through training and regulations.

It is time to ensure safety for all Indigenous women in Canada. The government should act immediately to put in place consistent approaches to gathering and analyzing statistics about the level and nature of violence experienced by Indigenous women in Canada. The government should also ensure that effective action protocols are adopted by police forces across the country, so that all police recognize the heightened vulnerability of Indigenous women to violence and take appropriate steps to respond to that violence.

ii)Lubicon Cree

One of the most glaring failures to implement UN level human rights recommendations is the situation of the Lubicon Cree in Alberta. In 1990, the Human Rights Committee issued a detailed report documenting serious violations of the rights of the Lubicon, stemming from a decades-old failure to enter into an agreement with the Lubicon regarding their land rights. The Committee called on the government to ensure a prompt and just settlement of the dispute. Fifteen years later the dispute remains unresolved, the ability of the Lubicon to provide for themselves remains under threat, and there have been no negotiations between the government and the Lubicon for over two years.

Fifteen years on, the Human Rights Committee has called on Canada to:

… make every effort to resume negotiations with the Lubicon Lake Band, with a view to finding a solution which respects the rights of the Band under the Covenant, as already found by the Committee. It should consult with the Band before granting licenses for economic exploitation of the disputed land, and ensure that in no case such exploitation jeopardizes the rights recognized under the Covenant.

It is time, far past time, for a just resolution of the land rights dispute with the Lubicon Cree. Canada must make negotiation of a just settlement a high priority, and ensure that its negotiators are given a clear mandate to reach a settlement that ensures full respect and protection of the rights of the Lubicon Cree under national and international law.

http://www.amnesty.ca/themes/resources/unchr_ip_rights_booklet.pdf

Advancing the Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples - A Critical Challenge for the International Community Voices from a forum at the 61st Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights - 13 April 2005

Presented by Amnesty International, la Fédération Internationale des Ligues des Droits de l’Homme (FIDH), the Netherlands Centre for Indigenous Peoples (NCIV), Friends World Committee for Consultation (Quakers), and Rights and Democracy  - October 2005

Amnesty International Canada
312 Laurier Avenue East
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K1N 1H9
http://www.amnesty.ca

Quaker Aboriginal Affairs Committee
Canadian Friends Service Committee
60 Lowther Avenue
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M5R 1C7
http://www.quaker.ca

Rights and Democracy
1001 de Maisonneuve Blvd. East
Suite 1100
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
H2L 4P9
http://www.dd-rd.ca

PRESS RELEASE - AMR 20/C11/2005 - 19 December 2005

http://www.amnesty.ca/resource_centre/news/view.php?load=arcview&article=3129&c=Resource+Centre+News

Putting human rights on the agenda: It Is Time To Comply with UN recommendations, says Amnesty International Canada

Canada’s commitment to human rights has been weakened but it is not beyond repair, says Amnesty International Canada. The challenge for all the political leaders is to make human rights issues a priority in the next Parliament with a commitment to implement recommendations for Canada by United Nations human rights bodies this past year and years previous. The problems have been identified, now It Is Time To Comply, says Amnesty International Canada in an update released today.

“The rights of Indigenous people, the maintenance of security through human rights, and justice and oversight mechanisms for refugees, torture survivors and prisoners are all areas that require serious attention”, says Alex Neve, Secretary General of the English branch of Amnesty International Canada.

The UN Human Rights Committee’s call for compliance by Canada must be met with federal, provincial and territorial cooperation in a new coordinated public approach that ensures Canada meets its international human rights obligations, says the organization.

In the critical area of Indigenous peoples, the right to safety of all Indigenous women must be ensured. Effective action protocols for all police, that reflect the particular vulnerability of Indigenous women are critical, as the UN Human Rights Committee has asserted. Canada must also make a high priority the negotiation of a just settlement of the land rights of the Lubicon Cree in Alberta. In 1990 the UN Human Rights Committee called for a “prompt and just settlement of the dispute”. It is now long past time for Canada to comply, says Amnesty International Canada.

In December 2004 Amnesty International’s Human Rights Agenda outlined the importance of security grounded in respect for human rights. Without respect for these rights there is only greater injustice and insecurity, notes the organization.

The UN Human Rights Committee and the Committee against Torture have both called on Canada to uphold the absolute prohibition against deporting individuals to torture. Amnesty International Canada says is it time for Canada to enact legislation to ensure that no one will ever be sent from Canada to a place where they face the possibility of torture. And the government must refrain from seeking ineffective diplomatic assurances that allow transfers to countries where there is a grave risk of torture.

The troubling use of security certificates under immigration law to detain non-Canadians has received scrutiny from the UN Human Rights Committee and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, for failing to meet international fair trial standards. Amnesty International Canada is calling for the process to be brought into line with international law and allow those accused of involvement or support for terrorism to have a fair hearing that meets international standards.

In the last two years there have been a number of cases - Maher Arar, Abdullah Almalki, Ahmed El Maati, Muayyed Nureddin - of arrest, detentions and torture abroad, where questions have been raised about the involvement of Canadian officials. The government cannot play a role in the rendition and torture of Canadians in other countries. The UN Human Rights Committee made it clear in their report this year that a public and independent inquiry must review all the suspected cases and determine direct or indirect involvement of Canadian officials. All cases of Canadian citizens detained and tortured abroad in the context of national security investigations must be subject to a fair, independent and comprehensive public review, says the organization.

In the area of justice and oversight Canada is also failing to meet recommendations set out by the UN human rights committees. Canada must change the State Immunity Act to allow individuals to seek redress in Canadian Courts for torture and other serious human rights violations suffered abroad, says Amnesty International Canada.

Canadians cannot seek redress for torture in other countries and rejected refugees who may face the danger of torture, as the Committee against Torture has noted, are being denied a judicial review on the merits of their cases. The Committee has called for this type of review. Canada must meet this recommendation, says Amnesty International Canada, and live up to the requirement of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and establish the refugee appeal process.

In the oversight area there are two critical issues that need attention to bring Canada into compliance with the recommendations of the UN committees. The UN Human Rights Committee has noted the need for an independent external redress body for federally sentenced women prisoners. This independent oversight body is critical says Amnesty International Canada. And Canada must adhere to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture that provides for national and international inspection of detention centres to help identify conditions that are conducive to torture. Intergovernmental wrangling cannot be allowed to stall Canada’s commitment to a crucial mechanism to ensure that the conditions that lead to torture do not exist in prisons in Canada and around the world.

This year the UN committees reviewing human rights issues have made it clear what Canada must do to meet its international human rights obligations.

“Amnesty International says it is time for Canada to comply with the UN recommendations,”, says Michel Frenette, the executive director of the francophone branch of Amnesty International Canada. “We are challenging all the political leaders to make a commitment during this election that action on these human rights issues will be a priority in the next Parliament. Canada’s international human rights reputation depends on it.”

For further information, please contact:

John Tackaberry
Media Relations
(613) 744-7667 #236

Elizabeth Berton-Hunter
Media Relations (Toronto)
(416)363-9933 x32

From the Heritage Canada web site at
http://www.canadianheritage.gc.ca/march-21-mars/hands-mains/index_e.cfm

Entry Deadline - January 16, 2006

2006 marks the 10th anniversary of the Racism. Stop It! National Video Competition. The Competition involves thousands of young Canadians in every province and territory. It requires little or no acting experience but requires one to have fun. It also allows individuals to move beyond the recognition of the problem and take action to Stop It!

All members who enter the Racism. Stop It! National Video Competition receive participation certificates. The 10 winning videos are selected by a tiered process in which entries are judged for originality, audio/visual quality and, most important, the effectiveness of the Racism. Stop It! message. The winners are invited to an award ceremony to commemorate March 21, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

In 1966, the United Nations declared March 21 the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and, in 1989, Canada began the March 21 Campaign to promote racial harmony. The Racism. Stop It! National Video Competition is part of our country’s Campaign against racial discrimination and every year we encourage youth to participate.

How To Enter

If you are between 12 and 18 years of age inclusive (must be under 19 as of March 21), you are eligible to enter the Racism. Stop It! National Video Competition. Produce a 60 to 90 second video that represents your team's thoughts on eliminating racial discrimination. Use your personal filmmaking style: experimental, narrative, animated, high-tech, or documentary. Whatever helps get your message across. You can feature as many people as you like in your video - include your whole school or members of your community if they have something to say about eliminating racial discrimination. However, your production team can consist of only five people! You and your team can get help, but it must be your own creative efforts.

You can enter the Racism. Stop It! National Video Competition by filling out the Entry form and sending it to the Racism. Stop It! National Video Competition Co-ordinator, c/o The Students Commission, 23 Isabella St., Toronto, ON M4Y 1M7, as indicated on the entry form.

Deadline

The entry deadline for the Racism. Stop It! National Video Competition is January 16, 2006. Videos must be postmarked by that date. For further information please call 1-888-77MULTI/1-888-776-8584.

14th annual “Learning To Walk Together” Traditional Pow Wow

March 18 & 19, 2006

Vandament Arena - Northern Michigan University

Marquette, Michigan

Ph:  906-227-1397

Fx:  906-227-1396

www.nmu.edu/nativeamericans

Everyone has until December 25 (Christmas Day) to submit letters to the Ontario Energy Board and Hydro One Remote Communities to have either "observer" or "intervenor" status in the proceedings to change electricity rates in remote communities served by Hydro One. The Notice of Application was published in the Dec 15 issue of Wawatay and states that "Your request must made by letter received no later than 10 days from the publication date of this notice." Click here for a PDF copy of the Notice as it appears in Wawatay.

The notice also states "Hydro One Remote Communities Inc. is seeking approval of $35.552 million as the revenue it requires." It then goes on to say that some customers who are able to conserve electricity and maintain lower kilowatt per month usage will have their cost decease. But what is not stated is the penalties that will be charged to those users who might need more electricity to heat their poorly insultated homes or operate their businesses and organizations in these communities. There are many unanswered questions in this Notice of Application, so hopefully different organizations and communities will establish intervention status with these proceedings to protect the interest of the people who live and work in the far north.

Further information on how to participate in these proceedings can be found at http://www.oeb.gov.on.ca or by calling the Consumer Relations Centre at 1-877-632-2727