Media.Knet.Ca

The final report of the Kuhkenah Network of SMART First Nations presents the success story of the completion of this Industry Canada Smart Communities demonstration project. The report highlights the achievements, lessons learned, recommendations and how the work has grown beyond the original project goals and deliverables.

Click here for a copy of the 75 page report (860K - PDF) - This project officially began in April 2001 and end in March 2005. But it was in the summer of 1999 that the first Expression of Interest was submitted by Keewaytinook Okimakanak to Industry Canada indicating our interest in becoming Canada's Aboriginal Smart Communities demonstration project. The work continue ...

HIGHLIGHTED RECOMMENDATIONS (there are many other recommendations for communities and government contained under each of the project activities and within the final project evaluation that can be found at http://smart.knet.ca/evaluation):

• Government investment in broadband infrastructure is required to ensure ALL First Nations are connected and able to access equitable on-line programs and services. Each remote and rural First Nation across Canada is unique and requires unique telecom solutions to accommodate local and regional opportunities. The goal to bring broadband connections into every community across Canada was initiated with Industry Canada’s pilot of the BRAND program. This goal remains incomplete due in part to inadequate funding. This goal must be reaffirmed by the Government of Canada with adequate resources to complete this task. The basket of "basic" services proposed by the CRTC must now be expanded and supported by the Government of Canada to include access to broadband and open network infrastructure as defined in the National Broadband Task Force report from June 2001.
• Government must commit to purchasing their services from community networks as a vehicle to deliver on-line services with Canadians rather than creating new, parallel private networks that threaten the sustainability of the local community networks. Along with the use of community networks, governments must take a leadership role in the use of ICTs to conduct their business. It is not enough to provide government information on web portals. Government officials need to adopt IP-based information sharing and reporting strategies (voice, images), including internet protocol (IP) videoconferencing and telephone services (Voice over IP - VoiP) to communicate with citizens and clients. The most effective way to deliver a national program to expand connectivity and telecommunications in First Nations across Canada has been the creation of the partnerships involved with Industry Canada’s First Nations SchoolNet program’s Regional Management Organizations (RMOs). The RMO model has been utilized effectively to deliver a variety of national First Nation initiatives. The regional model has been pioneered by government internally to deliver economic development and e-community facilitation across Canada through regional agencies such as Industry Canada’s FedNor initiative.
• For remote regions that want to control and own their networks, it's practically impossible to build a sustainability strategy based on traditional business and program delivery models. Rather, innovative and cooperative telecom policies and government programs are required to ensure equitable access and sustainable operation to the required infrastructure and applications.
• Technologies like IP-based video conferencing and telephony service can provide much needed revenue while offering residents and subscribers an alternative to traditional independent services. To maximize value and revenue video conferencing must deliver TV quality images, requiring two-way symmetrical services. Watch out for salesmen selling non-symmetrical connectivity products and services that remove limited financial resources from the region.
• Aggregate demand for video, voice, and data services across the community and provide an integrated solution to ensure a cooperative and sustainable local community network operation.
• Establish revenue generating services such as local network management, technical maintenance and assistance, website and portal development and hosting. These services will be valuable to businesses and organizations across the community.
• In order for a network to be sustainable in a small community, the community needs to be involved in all the development phases and ongoing operation as much as possible. This effort will ensure that all the local organizations and service agencies working with the community will be able to contribute to the ongoing operation and maintenance of the local network so everyone in the community can access these on-line services.
• Government policies and programs are required to support the development of local capacity and provide equitable resources for the local operation of these telecom solutions. Developing and sustaining broadband infrastructure and associated services are necessary and essential components for a healthy economic and social environment in all Canadian communities. For the communities where private sector telecom providers will not venture due to inadequate markets, governments must intervene and provide the communities with the resources required to construct and sustain these community broadband networks that will support their required applications. Program processes including funding applications, monitoring and reporting requiring multiple government stakeholders and partners must be streamlined and less onerous for the community applicant and must better reflect the project risks involved to produce successful results with local and regional government support systems (such as FedNor and accounting firms for financial auditing purposes).
• Locally deployed and operated telecom infrastructure and capacity building is essential to drive and sustain these communication tools for supporting local economic and social development opportunities. Investments in local human resource and skills development support the effective use of ICTs and broadband infrastructure by the people they are meant to serve. Strategic investments and supporting government policies and programs supports a healthy and growing environment that benefits all sectors of the Canadian society. These applications are required to support the ongoing operation of the community network and help pay the bills for the local services being provided.

Two upcoming Aboriginal women's gatherings found on the Canadian Women's Health Network will be focusing on issues relating to communities, health and our children.

National Aboriginal Women in Leadership Training Conference: " Our Children, Our Youth, Our Future"
October 19-22, 2005   Montreal, QC

Now in its sixth year, the Annual National Aboriginal Women in Leadership Training Conference brings together women from across Canada to develop leadership skills, network, exchange information, empower each other and recognize the accomplishments and talents of First Nations women.

For more information contact:

First Nations Training and Consulting Services
PO Box 69, Saanichton, BC   V8M 2C3
Phone: (205) 652-7097, Fax: (205) 652-7039
fntcs@telus.net
www.firstpeoplescanada.com/2005WIL.html

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Health Research Governance and Aboriginal Women Workshop

September 13-14, 2005   Vancouver BC

A Pre-Conference Workshop to precede the Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada Annual Conference hosted by the ABORIGINAL WOMEN'S HEALTH AND HEALING RESEARCH GROUP

Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites
700 Old Lillooet Road
North Vancouver BC
V7J 2H5.

The Aboriginal Women's Health and Healing Research Group (AWHHRG) is a national network of First Nations, Métis and Inuit women researchers interested in community-based research focused on the health and healing of Aboriginal women, their families and communities. The AWHHRG receives financial support from the Women's Health Contribution Program, Health Canada and is working toward the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for Aboriginal Women's Health and Healing.

*Participants *
Researchers, students and community members with an interest Aboriginal women's health and healing research are invited to participate in the workshop.

*Cost *
The general rate for the workshop is: $100.00 for both days or $50.00 for a single day. The student rate is $50.00 for both days or $25 for a single day. Lunch will be provided on both days .

Participation will be limited to 50 people and will be available on a first-come, first serve basis.

*Contact *
Interested parties should register with Cara Wehkamp prior to September 09, 2005. Please email carawehkamp@sympatico.ca for registration form.

from the NAN Decade for Youth web site at http://nandecade.ca ....

Youth Council Fall Meeting 05

The NAN Decade Youth Council and Trust Fund board (one in the same) is planning their fall meeting in Thunder Bay for September 17 & 18. You can learn more about the Decade Youth Council here!

They are also co-sponsoring a Youth Peace March in Thunder Bay on Friday, September 16th. The "Youth for Peace, Let's Stop Violence Now!" peach march will take place at 2pm on Friday, September 16th. Leaving the Lakehead Labour Centre at 2pm to Thunder Bay City Hall for a rally at 3pm. Youth BBQ and agency display at Metis Community Centre at 4pm. Youth Dance at Labour Centre, 8pm to midnight. All youth are invited to join.

The Regional Multicultural Youth Council in cooperation with the Decade Youth Council are planning this event to raise awarness about youth violence and substance abuse. It is part of the Northern students orientation activities. Download the very cool poster in PDF here

The BIG NEWS for this year is that the NAN Charitable Youth Trust Fund received their charitable status number in April. So, the Trust Fund is now a registered charity and board members have begun fundraising.

On Friday, August 26, the National Indigenous Community Satellite Network contact, Joe Lance of the Kativik Regional Government, received a letter indicating that the NICSN expression of interest for Round 2 of funding has been invited to proceed to the project development stage. The NICSN application is requesting two additional C-Band transponders to accommodate the various broadband applications being provided in remote Aboriginal communities across the northern parts of Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba. In total over 40 remote communities are to served by the satellite bandwidth being requested by NICSN from Industry Canada's National Satellite Initiative. For more information about NICSN, visit http://smart.knet.ca/satellite.

National Satellite Initiative - Round 2: Notifications of Interest

This round of funding consists of $85 million managed by Infrastructure Canada to fund the acquisition of satellite capacity, and possibly common ground infrastructure, for satellite-based broadband projects in isolated and remote communities across Canada where satellite is the only practical means of providing broadband access.

Round 2 of the National Satellite Initiative received 27 notifications of interest in funding for satellite-based broadband projects. From the above link to the NSI site the details about each submission, including contact names and telephone numbers can be found. Industry Canada-Infrastructure Canada thanks all interested parties for their participation in this broadband initiative.

August 25, 2005

SIOUX LOOKOUT – The Ontario government is strengthening the North’s economic development potential by supporting two studies on telecommunications infrastructure, Northern Development and Mines Minister Rick Bartolucci announced today.

"Our government recognizes the importance of ensuring modern, reliable telecommunications infrastructure is in place across Northern Ontario," Bartolucci said. "These studies will help determine which areas lack these services and how best to make the technology accessible to all northerners."

The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) is providing $100,000 to NetCentral Community Communications Network, based in Sudbury, to conduct a cellular infrastructure study on behalf of all Community Based Networks (CBNs) in Northern Ontario. The study will provide a more complete picture of existing and required cellular infrastructure throughout the North.

NetCentral is also receiving $30,000 to conduct a gap analysis and needs assessment study within Northern Ontario’s information and communication technology (ICT) sector. This study will provide an overview of ICT services available in communities across the North and a complete baseline study for use in evaluating ICT development progress.

"We are committed to addressing the unique challenges faced by northerners," said Bartolucci, who also chairs the NOHFC. "These studies will help define strategies to improve telecommunications services in the North and lead to renewed economic prosperity."

"The need for extending cellular service and Information and Communications Technology is supported by municipalities throughout Northern Ontario," said David Courtemanche, Chairman of NetCentral and Mayor of the City of Greater Sudbury. "Once the gaps are identified, we can develop cost-effective solutions that offers widespread benefits to residents, municipalities, industry and tourists."

This NOHFC project is part of the government’s Northern Prosperity Plan for building stronger northern communities. The Northern Prosperity Plan has four pillars: Strengthening the North and its Communities; Listening to and Serving Northerners Better; Competing Globally; and Providing Opportunities for All.

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Contacts:

Laura Blondeau
Minister’s Office – Sudbury
(705) 564-7454

Michel Lavoie
MNDM/NOHFC – Sudbury
(705) 564-7125

www.resultsontario.gov.on.ca

Modernized Infrastructure Boosts Economic Development

RESEARCH FINDS SYSTEMIC DISCRIMINATION IN GOVERNMENT POLICIES ON ABORIGINAL EDUCATION

Speaking Notes for Delbert Horton, Past-Chair Aboriginal Institutes Consortium On the Release of the CRRF Report on Aboriginal Institutions of Higher Learning

Click here for the full 87 page report (pdf version)

August 24, 2005

• I am pleased to participate in the announcement of the completion of this report.
• The recommendations are crucial to the stability, growth and development of Aboriginal-controlled post-secondary institutions.
• There are eight in Ontario which deliver a variety of programs including degree, diploma, certificate and skill-trades programs.    Our institutes also deliver a variety of adult education programs, and some operate alternative secondary school programs.  We also conduct community-based research.   In short, we respond to a wide variety of First Nations education needs and are an integral component of a First Nations life-long learning system.
• The first recommendation calls for the federal government to recognize, through legislation, the authority for First Nations institutions to grant degrees, diplomas and certificates. Currently our institutions must work in partnership with mainstream institutions and purchase the right to grant their degrees and their diplomas.   
• The related issue is the need to ensure sustainable funding for First Nations institutions.   Without government policy and legislative recognition, there is no mechanism to ensure adequate access to sustainable resources such as operating grants.
• A variety of models exist to recognize and resource First Nations institutions.  Unless policy change occurs, the successes achieved by First Nations institutions will be limited.   There are increasing demands, such as increasing numbers of students and demands for new education and training programs.  The existing approach is not adequate to allow First Nations institutions to grow and to thrive.
• First Nations post-secondary institutions are an important resource in First Nations education and a potential resource to all governments which deal with First Nations education.   An investment to build our capacity is an investment in enhancing the quality of First Nations education in Ontario.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CRRF SPONSORED RESEARCH FINDS SYSTEMIC DISCRIMINATION IN GOVERNMENT POLICIES ON ABORIGINAL EDUCATION

Toronto, August 24, 2005: A study released by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) and prepared by the Aboriginal Institutes’ Consortium, representing eight Aboriginal post-secondary  education and training institutes in Ontario, has found that there is a consistent pattern of systemic discrimination in the way the federal and provincial governments handles the education of Aboriginal students.

The report, Aboriginal Institutions of Higher Education – A Struggle for the Education of Aboriginal Students, Control of Indigenous Knowledge and Recognition of Aboriginal Institutions, was released at the “OUR CHILDREN, OUR FUTURE, OUR WAY” conference sponsored by the Chiefs of Ontario. It examines the evolution of government support for Aboriginal students enrolled in post-secondary institutions and the development of Aboriginal post-secondary institutions, noting that it was only in 1968 the federal government adopted a policy to provide funding support for status Indians enrolled in post-secondary studies.

In 1972, the National Indian Brotherhood (now the Assembly of First Nations) released a policy document, Indian Control of Indian Education, which reaffirmed the rights gained through treaties for Aboriginal peoples to be in control of their own education. The federal government adopted the policy a year later. Its shortcoming was that it was geared to elementary education.

“One of the excuses governments use to get out of their responsibility of funding Aboriginal higher-learning institutions is to play each off against the other,” observes LuAnn Hill, one of the authors of the report. “The federal government says that education is a provincial responsibility. The provinces say that the federal government is responsible for the education of Aboriginal persons. We are caught in the middle.”

The report makes it clear that First Nations institutions have developed sophisticated programs which meet all the “established” criteria for graduation. Nevertheless, only a few have been granted the right to award their own degrees. It demands that all First Nations post-secondary institutions be given the same recognition.

Additional recommendations include obtaining sustainable funding comparable to mainstream institutions; ability to transfer credits earned in an Aboriginal institution to a mainstream school and vice-versa; increasing the amount of funding available for First Nations’ student; making specialized funding available to address language issues, including language preservation; that the two levels of government and the Aboriginal communities to establish a formal process to develop policy and legislation to support Aboriginal education.

“Governments’ control of Aboriginal education has always been one of the ways they have used to try to assimilate Aboriginal peoples,” observes Paul Winn, Vice Chair of the CRRF. “By not allowing Aboriginal tertiary institutions to grant degrees or certificates is one way they continue to exercise paternalistic control over Aboriginal peoples.”

The conference was also the venue for the release of A New Agenda: A Manifesto for First Nations Education in Ontario, a foundation document adopted and endorsed by the Chief of Ontario.

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The Canadian Race Relations Foundation’s mission is to shed light on the causes and manifestations of racism, provide independent, outspoken national leadership, and act as a resource and facilitator in the pursuit of equity, fairness and social justice for all Canadians. The CRRF is a registered charitable organization and has Special NGO Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. 

Contact:
Dominique Etienne, Communications, CRRF: 416-952-8171

From CRR web site at http://www.crr.ca/Load.do?section=26&subSection=38&type=2

Aboriginal Institutions of Higher Education

A Struggle for the Education of Aboriginal Students, Control of Indigenous Knowledge and Recognition of Aboriginal Institutions ...
An examination of government policy

 Click here for the overview and summary document (pdf version) - included below in html format

By:The Aboriginal Institutes' Consortium
Published by:Canadian Race Relations Foundation

Overview

Aboriginal peoples  continue to reclaim their cultures and languages and require educational programs that are responsive to their worldviews, histories, contemporary circumstances, social systems, and knowledge systems.  Aboriginal-controlled post-secondary institutions have emerged in order to design, develop, and deliver educational programs that respond to the higher learning needs of Aboriginal persons.

Federal and provincial governments have not embraced this community-based Aboriginal development.  Both the federal government and the government of Ontario have, to a certain extent, attempted to accommodate the special needs of Aboriginal students attending provincial colleges and universities by making funding available to these institutions to provide Aboriginal-specific programs and services.  However, Aboriginal peoples are not content to remain consumers in the provincial education system.  Ownership of traditional knowledge and application of appropriate methodologies and appropriate content are significant issues, and have driven Aboriginal communities to develop their own post-secondary institutions.  These institutions are not formally recognized in federal or provincial law or policy as educational entities in the same manner as provincial colleges or universities, and operate on the periphery of the established education system in Canada.

This study examines the history and development of Aboriginal-controlled post-secondary institutions and assesses how governments in Canada have responded to their development.  It also examines major consequences of this lack of policy and legislative support by providing a comparison between Aboriginal institutions and provincial colleges and universities.  Finally, because the issue affects Aboriginal institutions across Canada, recommendations for policy and legislative support for Aboriginal institutions are presented.  This study also raises the question: 'Does racism exist with respect to Canadian policy and legislative support for Aboriginal-controlled post-secondary institutions?'

Executive Summary

Education can either be a tool for success or a tool for destruction.  This study examines key events in the recorded history of Aboriginal education that have triggered a concentrated and consistent reaction from Aboriginal peoples to take continuous measures to design and develop an evolving and distinct education system to address the unique needs of Aboriginal peoples. 

Education was one of the earliest means by which the Canadian government attempted to absorb and assimilate Aboriginal peoples into accepting the culture and educational practices of the dominant society.  This study highlights some of the key events in the recorded history of Aboriginal education since European settlement and some of the outcomes resulting from colonial education systems. 

The most notable practice employed for this purpose was the development of residential schools run primarily by various religious orders.  The residential schools removed children from their communities, often leaving them unable to return home for a number of years.  This social experiment inculcated Aboriginal children into Euro-Canadian religious values and social mores, including training in the Euro-Canadian understanding of the roles of men and women.  Until 1951, the Indian Act of Canada forbade Aboriginal persons, defined as "Indian" for the purposes of the Act, from attending university unless they voluntarily relinquished their status as an Indian under a process called enfranchisement (The Indian Act, 1876).

A review of the history of Aboriginal education highlights the actions and involvement of non-Aboriginal peoples in education and the need of Aboriginal peoples to define their own vision and aspirations for education.  It also demonstrates that since 1972, Aboriginal peoples have consistently asserted their determination to regain control of their systems and institutions of education.

In 1969, the government of Canada tabled a White Paper document on the future of Aboriginal peoples in Canada (Ottawa, 1996a).  It essentially called for the assimilation of Aboriginal peoples into the body politic, indistinguishable in law from the Canadian populace.  This led to a massive mobilization of Aboriginal persons and the formation of numerous organizations dedicated to the recognition of Aboriginal rights and identity.  In 1972, First Nations  in Canada joined together to issue a policy document entitled Indian Control of Indian Education, which demanded recognition of the right of Aboriginal people to educate their children (National Indian Brotherhood, 1972).  This call has subsequently been reaffirmed in great detail in numerous documents including, most notably, the Assembly of First Nations' Tradition and Education: Toward a Vision of our Future (1988), the Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (Ottawa, 1996a and 1996b), and the relatively recent Report of the Minister's National Working Group on Education (Ottawa, 2002).  Aboriginal peoples have been consistent in their demand for recognition of their education authority and control over the education of their children.  

At every level - from early childhood to elementary, secondary, and post-secondary - Aboriginal peoples continue to develop and deliver education programs for their citizens with the understanding that "the Road to Knowledge is Eternal" .  The activities in which Aboriginal peoples have engaged include planning and administering elementary and secondary schools, developing immersion programs, providing early childhood education, partnering with mainstream colleges and universities, and ultimately, developing Aboriginal-controlled post-secondary institutions to deliver adult and post-secondary education programs.  At every level, Aboriginal peoples have had to struggle with federal and provincial laws, policies, and procedures that do not serve their interests.  As Aboriginal communities develop the capacity and the institutions needed to control their own education, government policies and programs have not evolved to recognize the work accomplished and the economic benefit of Aboriginal institutions in Aboriginal communities across Canada.  It is important to note that mainstream institutions across Canada are afforded economic benefits due to the lack of policy support for Aboriginal-controlled institutions. 

By the mid-1970s, the number of Aboriginal persons attending post-secondary institutes began to rise dramatically across Turtle Island (North America).  The response across Turtle Island varied.  In Canada, the federal government (through the Department of Indian Affairs) provided grants to established post-secondary institutes to develop and deliver programs specifically for these students.  Provincial funds were also made available to mainstream, established institutions to develop and deliver culturally sensitive programs for Aboriginal students.  In the United States, post-secondary institutions also began to address the growing number of Aboriginal students and state and federal funds were made available to assist these institutions in meeting the needs of Aboriginal students.

With the growing number of Aboriginal students came the need to control and deliver culturally appropriate programs to Aboriginal students.  In the United States, the Tribal College movement began.  In 1970, the Navajo Institute became one of the first Aboriginal institutions to deliver programs to its students.  In Canada, Blue Quills First Nations College in Alberta, a former residential school, began to deliver programs for its students in 1971, responding to the need for local control of all Aboriginal education programs.

In the United States, there are now thirty-three Tribal Colleges, which are recognized through federal legislation as post-secondary institutions with the authority to grant certificates and two-year diplomas.  In Canada, there are fifty Aboriginal post-secondary institutions; however, these institutions have not been afforded authority similar to that of their southern counterparts.  Instead, current federal and provincial policies force Aboriginal institutions to partner with "recognized" mainstream post-secondary institutions in order to access funding and to ensure the credibility and portability of student credentials.

There are two primary questions that arise from this situation: (1) Why have Aboriginal post-secondary institutions not been recognized as having the right to grant diplomas, degrees, and certificates in their own right? and (2) Why won't governments in Canada provide Aboriginal institutions with equitable access to funding? 

Existing federal and provincial policies and funding programs provide some acknowledgment of the work of Aboriginal institutions, but also entrench them as second-class institutions.  Only in the province of British Columbia has legislation been passed to recognize two Aboriginal institutions as having the authority to grant degrees and diplomas (British Columbia, 1985).  The rest of Canada must move forward and develop legislation to enable all Aboriginal institutions to hold this same authority.

Research into these issues highlights the successes achieved by Aboriginal peoples that have exercised control over their own education systems from the elementary level through to Aboriginal owned and controlled post-secondary institutions.  This study demonstrates some of the unique aspects of Aboriginal post-secondary institutions, which differ significantly from the design and creation of mainstream post-secondary institutions.  The ways in which Aboriginal institutions address the unique cultural, language, social, economic, and political needs of Aboriginal peoples evidences their successes in improving access, retention, and success rates of Aboriginal persons in post-secondary institutions. 

This study demonstrates the extent of policy and legislative support for Aboriginal institutions, discusses policy limitations impacting the stability, growth, and continued development of Aboriginal institutions, and examines the consequences of the lack of policy support.  Provincial and federal policy and legislative support for Aboriginal institutions from other jurisdictions such as Saskatchewan, British Columbia, the United States of America, and New Zealand provides examples of policy change that could occur to increase support for Aboriginal post-secondary institutions in Canada. 

An examination and comparison of policy support for Ontario's mainstream post-secondary institutions in relation to the policy support for Aboriginal post-secondary institutions also operating in the province of Ontario demonstrates inequities in the system.  For example, even when Aboriginal post-secondary institutions deliver mainstream programs, they are not eligible to receive direct operating grants that are available to mainstream post-secondary institutions for the same outcome.  This brief example demonstrates how Aboriginal institutions are clearly disadvantaged by a lack of government support.  This lack of policy support for Aboriginal institutions is discriminatory and creates barriers that have negative impacts on Aboriginal persons, communities, and Nations; ultimately, this impacts upon Canada's economy and labour market.  

This study exposes the current situation; government policies have relegated Aboriginal institutions as second class institutions, reliant on "mainstream" institutions to validate their programs and grant diplomas and certificates. The potential for Aboriginal institutions to be in an equitable position where government funding is available, where the transfer of credits is honoured, where faculty and infrastructure are established, is not available within current legislation or policy. This is systemic racism, and this must change. Change must occur or Aboriginal post-secondary institutions will remain in a subservient position, responding to government policies and brokering programs that are recognized only by the established institutions. It is time to recognize the work that has been accomplished by Aboriginal post-secondary institutions in providing quality, cultural-based programming for their communities. Government policy and support must honour this work, and support the future equitable developmentof Aboriginal-controlled post-secondary institutions.

NAN Press Release ... NAN Youth Participate in Mentoring Project

Ten youth from Nishnawbe Aski Nation territory are participating in a youth mentoring project focused on nurturing entrepreneurship among First Nations in Toronto, ON August 24 - 27, 2005.

TORONTO, ON:  Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Deputy Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler today acknowledged the participation of thirteen business executives from Toronto’s downtown core in a youth mentoring project involving ten youth from Nishnawbe Aski Nation territory – an area covering two-thirds of Ontario and home to 49 First Nation communities.

The four day educational program taking place this week in Toronto, was developed jointly between NAN Grand Chief Stan Beardy and POA Educational Foundation Chairman Aditya Jha. 

“This is just another example of how we need to place more importance on our youth by empowering them with knowledge and experience that will allow them to succeed,” said Deputy Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler who holds the portfolio for NAN Decade for Youth and Development – a program dedicated to giving NAN youth a voice in the decision-making processes affecting the future of Nishnawbe Aski Nation, while seeking ways to encourage participation of young men and women within NAN communities.

“It’s a great experience and opportunity for NAN youth to work closely with successful business people in a setting so different from many of their home communities,” said Fiddler. “It’s also a great way for the urban community to familiarize themselves with our territory and people – especially the many potential entrepreneurs and leaders we have among our youth.”

Project Beyshick will focus on nurturing entrepreneurship among First Nation people.  The program involves ten youth participants from NAN territory – an area spanning West to Manitoba, East to Quebec, and from the 51st parallel North to the coasts of James and Hudson’s bays. 

These youth will be paired with and job shadow senior business executives of corporations and organizations that best match the students’ personal goals and interests.  They will also participate in recreational events including a visit to Niagara Falls and baseball game.

“I don’t think governmental approaches should be our only answer - if we nurture the youth that will be the real morale booster,” said POA Educational Foundation Chairman and President of Toronto-based Osellus Inc. Aditya Jha.  “Our goal is to nurture entrepreneurs amongst First nation Youth and these Executives will be the great link.”

The following NAN youth will be participating in Project Beyshick: 

• Vivian Miranda Kakepetum from Sandy Lake First Nation, Lakehead University Business;
• Autumn Yesno from Eabametoong First Nation, Confederation College Hotel Management;
• Brent Waboose from Ginoogaming First Nation, Confederation College Entrepreneurship;
• Lisa Moonias from Marten Falls First Nation, Confederation College Business;
• Mark Meekis from Sandy Lake First Nation, Confederation College Restaurant Business;
• Vanessa Moonias from Marten Falls First Nation, Lakehead University Nursing;
• Melissa Archibald from Taykwa Tagamou First Nation, Ecole Secondaire Cochrane High School;
• Myra Beardy from Sachigo Lake First Nation, Wahsa Distance Education Centre – Sachigo Lake;
• Rowena Moonias from Marten Falls First Nation, Sir Winston Churchill High School C.V.I. – Thunder Bay;
• Tracy Prevost from Taykwa Tagamou First Nation, Ecole Secondaire Cochrane High School.

Some of the corporations with executives participating in the program include TV Ontario, AMJ Campbell Van Lines, Trillium Health Care Centre, TD Bank Financial Group, ICICI Bank Canada, Bell Canada, Osellus Inc., and GlobalMaxx Technologies.

Project Beyshick will run from August 24 through to August 27, 2005 complete with a Thank You Dinner recognizing program participants at 6:00 p.m. Thursday August 25, 2005 at the Boulevard Club, 1491 Lakeshore Boulevard West, Toronto, Ontario.  Nishnawbe Aski Nation host Deputy Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler will welcome The Hon. James K. Bartleman, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and Ontario Regional Chief Angus Toulouse as they address project participants, representatives from POA Educational Foundation, and NAN Chiefs and Tribal Council Chairs.

Project Beyshick is jointly funded by POA Educational Foundation and Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund (NADF) through Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario’s (FedNor) Local Initiatives Contribution Agreement.

***

For more information please contact

Jenna Young,
Communications Officer
Nishnawbe Aski Nation
(807)625 4952

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Read the Toronto Star article about this initiative ...

From http://chiefs-of-ontario.org/news/aug24-05.html

Chiefs of Ontario Releases Education Manifesto, a Comprehensive Declaration of First Nations Jurisdiction over Education 

TORONTO, Aug. 23 /CNW/ - The Chiefs of Ontario are proud to announce the release of "The New Agenda: A Manifesto for First Nations Education in Ontario". The Manifesto consists of eighteen research and discussion papers on key areas of First Nations education in Ontario.

The Manifesto was envisioned by the Ontario First Nations Chiefs-in-Assembly as a means of providing a foundation for change in First Nations education. It provides a comprehensive overview of what exists in First Nations education in Ontario, as well as providing a direction for building upon the successes of First Nations education.

Ontario Regional Chief Angus Toulouse is attending the "Our Children, Our Future, Our Way" Education Conference in Toronto at the Delta Chelsea Hotel, Churchill Room. At 11:45 am on Thursday August 24th the Regional Chief will formally announce the completion of the Manifesto, and will be available to respond to questions. The Manifesto announcement will follow the release of a report commissioned by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation entitled "Aboriginal Institutions of Higher Education - A Struggle for the Education of Aboriginal Students, Control of Indigenous Knowledge and Recognition of Aboriginal Institutions".

Background

First Nations in Ontario

There are 134 First Nations communities in Ontario. These communities comprise thirteen distinct Nations of people, each with their own languages, customs and territories. These Nations are the Algonquin, Mississauga, Ojibway, Mohawk, Onoyota'a:ka, Tuscarora, Cree, Cayuga, Seneca, Onondaga, Odawa, Pottowatomi and Delaware. Although the focus of political activity by First Nations communities is primarily centred within provincial boundaries, the traditional territories and activities of the nations extend beyond provincial and international boundaries.

The Manifesto - Background

The New Agenda - A Manifesto for First Nations Education in Ontario was envisioned by the Ontario First Nations Chiefs-in-Assembly as a means of providing a foundation for change in First Nations education. The project was mandated by AOCC Resolution 03/18.

First Nations in Ontario are seeking a return to the full recognition and respect for the jurisdiction of their governments over education. First Nations require the capacity to protect and advance their societies' values, traditions and cultures. Education is recognized as a fundamental means to pass on cultural norms and values and the continuation of societies. The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples noted that the destiny of a people is intricately bound to how its children are educated. The revitalization and use of First Nations languages is fundamental to this goal.

First Nations view education as a lifelong holistic process. First Nations have a right to comprehensive education programming and First Nations controlled institutions at all levels which includes, but is not limited to, daycare, pre-school/early learning programs, elementary, secondary, language immersion, special education, teacher education post-secondary, upgrading, vocational, training, and adult education; that right is not externally circumscribed. The greatest concern of First Nations is that they are only operating their schools and administering programs: control is still attached to the federal government.

What First Nations Desire in Education:

First Nations rightfully seek adequate resources to be able to operate effective education systems which will meet the dual goals stated in Indian Control of Indian Education of preserving their identities while preparing their citizens to live and work in a modern world. The federal government has a fiduciary responsibility to provide adequate funding for education based on need. First Nations structures, institutions and governance in education are protected and affirmed under Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.

The New Agenda: A Manifesto For First Nations Education in Ontario

Remarks by Ontario Regional Chief Angus Toulouse
At the Our Children, Our Future, Our Way Education Conference
Wednesday August 24, 2005

• Ahneen.   I am Angus Toulouse, the Ontario Regional Chief.     I am pleased to be joined by Nelson Toulouse, Deputy Grand Chief of the Union of Ontario Indians, and Tim Thompson, Education Coordinator for the Chiefs of Ontario.
• In 2003, the First Nations leadership in Ontario mandated the development of a comprehensive education document to identify First Nations education needs in Ontario.
• I am pleased to take this opportunity to formally announce the completion of “The New Agenda:  A Manifesto For First Nations Education in Ontario.
  The Manifesto consists of eighteen research and discussion papers prepared solely by First Nations educators and addresses virtually every aspect of First Nations education in Ontario, from cradle to grave.  
• It provides a comprehensive overview of what exists in First Nations education in Ontario, as well as providing a direction for building upon the successes of First Nations education.
• This week the Chiefs of Ontario held an education conference with the theme “Our Children, Our Future, Our Way”.    The Manifesto is truly about our children, and it sets out a made-in-Ontario First Nations template for creating opportunities for success for our future generations.
• The Manifesto confirms that First Nations view education as a lifelong holistic process.   
• First Nations have a right to comprehensive education programming and First Nations controlled institutions at all levels which includes, but is not limited to, daycare, pre-school/early learning programs, elementary, secondary, language immersion, special education, teacher education post-secondary, upgrading, vocational, training, and adult education; each of these initiatives must be linked in a seamless system and not exist in isolation.  
• The greatest concern of First Nations is that they are only operating their schools and administering programs: ultimate control is still attached to the federal government through the policies of its many departments and branches.
• We understand that initiatives are underway at a federal level which will hopefully respond to our needs.    The Manifesto provides a concrete basis for moving beyond the status quo. 
• I will now ask Nelson to say a few words.

Remarks by Nelson Toulouse, UOI Deputy Grand Chief and COO Portfolio Holder for Education and Languages
At the Our Children, Our Future, Our Way Education Conference
Wednesday August 24, 2005

• Ahneen.
• I am pleased to join the Ontario Regional Chief in the release of the Manifesto.
• First Nations in Ontario have formed an Education Coordination Unit, consisting of policy representatives from each of our political organizations and other education delivery authorities.   As the Chiefs of Ontario portfolio holder for education and languages I am the chair of the Unit.
• Our task over the coming days, weeks and months will be to develop approaches for the implementation of the Manifesto.   The Manifesto notes that while we have schools, we really lack system-wide supports for our schools. 
• The Manifesto calls for the development of a multi-tiered education system, with local communities exercising a greater degree of control and involvement over their education.    It demands the creation of regional school authorities and service delivery bodies to provide system supports to schools that provincial schools take for granted, like curriculum development, teacher education, and development of programs designed for the transmission of our languages and cultures.
• The Manifesto then sets out the need for a province-wide authority to  coordinate First Nations direction, common standards and policy matters relating to the operation of school systems.
• In summary, this is the work we have set out for ourselves.   
• This is a groundbreaking moment for us.     We believe that the completion of the Manifesto marks an important day in our history when we will look back and say “that was the time when we truly began to make a difference in achieving First Nations control over our education.”   
• Meegwetch.   Thank You.
  

The Aboriginal Telehealth Knowledge Circle is holding a Canada Health Infoway Phase 1 planning session in Keewaytinook Okimakanak's Balmertown office. The meeting is scheduled to start Monday, August 22 and end Wednesday, August 24.

The objective of the meeting is:

• Engage stakeholders to build working network and support via ATKC in the development of a series of “Aboriginal Telehealth Toolkits” that can help assist Telehealth development and implementation for and with Aboriginal communities by:
  • Conducting or participating in an “Environmental Scan” to identify processes, requirements and services available for the development of Telehealth services; and
  • Sharing best practices and expertise.

Representatives from the following groups have travelled to Balmertown for this workshop.

• Canada Health Infoway - Robert Vigneault, Telehealth Director (Winnipeg) and Krista Balenko, Program Officer (Montreal)
• ATKC - Steven Fox-Radulovich, Director (West Bay) and Allen DeLeary, Health Consultant (Ottawa)
  • Board Members:
  • Marion Maar, Faculty, Northern Ontario School of Medicine (former Research and Evaluation Coordinator, Noojmowin Teg Health Centre) (Sudbury)
  • Jay Lambert, FN Health Info System Coordinator, FN Chiefs’ Health Committee (Vancouver)
  • Donna Williams, KO Telehealth Program Manager
• NORTH Network - Dr. Rob Williams, Clinical Director (Timmins)
• Canadian Society of Telehealth - Dr. Richard Scott, President (Calgary), Roberta Hildebrand, Executive Director (Ottawa)
• KO Team participating in this meeting
  • Geordi Kakepetum, KO Executive Director
  • Robert Thomas, KO Health Director
  • Tina Kakepetum Schultz, KO Health Community Liaison
  • Kevin Houghton, KO Telehealth Project Manager
  • Brian Beaton, K-Net Coordinator (Sioux Lookout)

Eugene Nicholas, Assembly of First Nations' Health Programs Coordinator is joining the meeting by video conference from Montreal.