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Keewaytinook Okimakanak representatives (Chief Raymond Mason, Keewaywin First Nation, Dan Pellerin, K-Net's Network Manager and Brian Beaton, K-Net Coordinator) shared the K-Net Story with conference participants at the Canadian Commission for UNESCO's Paving the Road to Tunis - WSIS II: The Views of Canada's Civil Society on the Geneva Plan of Action and the Prospects for Phase II gathering in Winnipeg.

Representatives of civil society, academia and the private sector of all provinces and territories gathered over the week-end to discuss issues related to building information societies in Canada in preparation for the second phase of the United Nations' World Summit of the Information Society (WSIS) that is planned for Tunis in the November, 2005. 

The K-Net Story was shared during the Sunday morning session entitled Community Networking in Canada: from Research to Grassroots Experience  which was chaired by Sharon Hackett with the  Rapporteur: Darlene Thompson, Secretary-Treasurer, N-CAP in Nunavut 

• Communities at the Centre of the Information Society, Michael Gurstein, Co-investigator, Canadian Research Alliance for Community Innovation and Networking (CRACIN) and Chair, Community Informatics Research Network
• Grassroots Experience
  • Monique Chartrand, Director-General, Communautique
  • Brian Beaton, Coordinator, K-Net Services
  • Gwen Friedrich, Executive Director, Community Outreach Group Inc.

Hand outs included ...

• The Keewaytinook Okimakanak's position paper entitled "Turning the Corner with First Nations' Telehealth"
• Keewaytinook Okimakanak's e-Community Concept Paper
• Keewaytinook Okimakanak's Community Broadband Aggregation Networking Model
• Kukenah Network community network diagram

Urban native mothers picket MP’s office By Chen Chekki - The Chronicle-Journal May 13, 2005

Native people accusing Canada Revenue of using their child tax credits to pay off taxes vented their anger Thursday in protests in several Canadian cities, including Thunder Bay.

Almost 100 urban native mothers and their families marched in front of the office of MP Joe Comuzzi (L-Thunder Bay-Superior North) to inform him that the tax dispute has made it more difficult for low-income families to buy food and clothing for their children.

They held placards that read “CRA holding working mothers and children hostage” and “We gave our land, you gave us poverty.” Tammy Bobyk, a mother of two children, said her child tax benefits have fallen from $220 to $50 a month.

“By taking away child tax benefits, Revenue Canada is directly causing us to sink further into poverty,” the Thunder Bay resident said. “It’s a move that’s hurting the most vulnerable in our communities — our children.”

It all stems from an agreement reached between the Canada Revenue Agency and the O.I. Group of Companies in 1995. The O.I. is a native-owned company based at Six Nations First Nation near Brantford, employing about 1,000 natives across Canada to help native non-profit groups.

The O.I. said changes in tax guidelines in 1995 threatened the tax-exempt status of those with First Nation treaty rights.

Four of O.I.’s launched a court challenge of the changes and the O.I. struck the deal with the CRA that set up a system for handling native tax returns until the four court cases were finished.

O.I. members, nearly three-quarters of them mothers earning about $32,000 a year, are supposed to be able to file tax returns and objections to their tax reassessments. The CRA is required to freeze the processing of their taxes at that point, without charging taxes or taking away benefits until the court cases are done.

Natives claim the CRA has been taking some or all of their child tax benefits to cover reassessed tax bills.

In some cases, members were given benefits and then had them taken away, charged O.I. president Roger Obonsawin.

He alleged that the CRA is targeting his members because his company is the only one helping to fight the 1995 tax revisions in court.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Comuzzi said Thursday that the protesters did not try to make contact with the MP before they picketed. A meeting is being scheduled.

A spokeswoman for Canada Revenue said the protesters’ concerns have been addressed in writing.

She wouldn’t elaborate further, citing the need to respect confidentiality rights.

This weekend, several Keewaytinook Okimakanak and CRACIN members are planning to attend Canadian Commission for UNESCO's conference:
"Paving the Road to Tunis - WSIS II: Canada's Civil Society Views on the Geneva Plan of Action and the Prospects for Phase II."

The Keewaytinook Okimakanak team is made up of Keewaywin's Chief Raymond Mason, Brian Beaton and Dan Pellerin from K-Net. Among the CRACINites heading to Winnipeg are Andrew Clement, Michael Gurstein, Christie Hurrell, Rob Mastin, Marita Moll, Leslie Shade, Randall Terada and someone from Communautique. 

For those attending, Keewaytinook Okimakanak has a table in the Exhibition area, as does CRACIN.  Drop by to say hello.

For those not attending, you may want to catch the webcasts of  the conference dinner keynote speech by Ann Medina on Friday, as well as the conference plenaries on Saturday and Sunday. This is made possible using the Macromedia Breeze application courtesy of K-Net with CRACIN's Christie Hurrell as the webcaster. The live text chat built into Breeze will
allow for some interaction with the event.

To access the webcast sessions see instructions below or visit the CRACIN home page http://www.cracin.ca and follow the links under the "News" column on the right-hand side of the page.

*Webcasting Schedule for the Canadian Commission for UNESCO's "Paving the Road to Tunis" conference.*

To access the meeting rooms for each event:

1. Go to the "meeting room" (webcasting site) at the URL listed on the webcasting schedule below (each event has its own URL)
2. Login at the "enter as a guest" field. Please use your full name as your login.
3. Be patient! Your machine may take a moment to load the breeze plugin and the breeze presenter plugin.
4. To logout, simply close your browser window.

Breeze Live Troubleshooting FAQ
http://www.macromedia.com/cfusion/knowledgebase/index.cfm?id=tn_18815

The Road to Tunis Conference Programme
http://www.unesco.ca/en/commission/resources/documents/ProgrammeRoadtoTunisProgrammePaverlavoiedeTunis.pdf

Breeze Webcasting Schedule

*Event for Friday May 13* - Conference Dinner Keynote Speech Summary

Has Canada become a genuine knowledge society? Ethical and social aspects of a knowledge society.
Keynote Speaker Ann Medina, Host of History Television's History on Film and Former Foreign Correspondent CBC's The Journal
URL http://breeze.knet.ca/r70855106/
When 6:30 - 9:30 p.m., Central Time

*Events for Saturday May 14*

*Plenary 1* - Summary Remarks by the President, Canadian Commission for UNESCO Max Wyman
URL http://breeze.knet.ca/r49742995/
When 9 - 9:15 a.m., Central Time

*Plenary 2* - Summary Reports of the Rapporteurs, followed by questions and discussion
Chair Max Wyman
URL http://breeze.knet.ca/r21059126/
When 11:45 a.m.- 12:30 p.m., Central Time

*Plenary 3* - Summary Reports of the Rapporteurs, followed by questions and discussion
Chair Max Wyman
URL http://breeze.knet.ca/r28919912/
When 3:45 - 5:30 p.m., Central Time

*Events for Sunday May 15*

*Plenary 4* - Summary Programme
Chair Max Wyman
URL http://breeze.knet.ca/r80906111/
When 8:45 - 9 a.m., Central Time

*Plenary 5* - Summary 
Reports of the Rapporteurs, followed by questions and discussion

• Presentation and Adoption of the Civil Society's Communiqué
• Adjournment
• Chair Max Wyman
  URL http://breeze.knet.ca/r90227043/
  When 10:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m., Central Time

CBC Radio reports that AFN National Chief Phil Fontaine will not cross CAW Local 229 (http://www.caw.ca/ )  picket lines to accept an honourary doctorate degree at Lakehead University.  The strike is in its fourth week. The CAW represents university employees who do custodial, grounds and maintenance work. The main issue is the university's demand to contract out union jobs after those currently holding those positions retire or resign.  Convocation takes place on May 28th.  For more information, click here: http://www.caw.ca/news/newsnow/news.asp?artID=814

The latest issue of the @ Guelph university newsletter has an article entitled "Hooking up for better health". Click here to read the article

The article describes the research and production work that George Ferreira, PhD candidate and Andres Ibanez, master degree candidate,in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development (SEDRD). They're both graduate students of rural extension studies professor Ricardo Ramirez who completed his doctoral thesis about some of the early community ICT work being done by Keewaytinook Okimakanak.

          Keewaywin Youth Rally 2005

June 17, 18 & 19, 2005

Guest Speaker:   Marty McLean & Rose McLean (Thunder) of Winnipeg, MB

Guest Musicians:  Ivan & Vanessa Sawan of Alberta

For more info, Contact Pastor David Fiddler 807  771 1328

or

Pauline Kakegamic 807  771 1014

Matawa First Nations will be hosting a benefit dinner on May 26th, 2005 in support of the Shelter House Thunder Bay. Celebrity, Tom Jackson will be the guest of honour.

Thunder Bay , 9th May, 2005: Matawa First Nations Management is proud to announce a fundraising dinner in support of Shelter House Thunder Bay, featuring First Nation celebrity, Tom Jackson as guest of honor. This event will take place on Thursday May 26th, 2005 at the Victoria Inn, and will include guest speakers, presentations, a silent auction and live entertainment. Hosted by Matawa First Nations Management, this event will raise funds for the Shelter House Thunder Bay Capital Fundraising Campaign.

Matawa First Nations Management will be organizing the dinner, arranging for sponsorship opportunities and collecting donations on behalf of Shelter House Thunder Bay in an effort to raise community awareness about the Shelter House, and raise much needed funds for the design and development of a new Shelter House Facility.

Says Director of Operations for Matawa First Nations Management, Bruce Visitor: "As an organization, our Chiefs feel it is very important to give back to those who support our First Nations in the region. The Shelter House continues to provide vital services for our members and we want to show our support for this campaign. Our staff likes to get involved in the community and gives much of their free time to volunteer activities. This particular event really touches us on a personal level, as a housing shortage is a major issue that we deal with every day. "

Executive Director Cal Rankin agrees with Visitor, saying; "We serve hundreds of people each year, providing them with the basic necessities of life: shelter, food, clothing and advocacy. With a service area that covers all of Northwestern Ontario, approximately 85% of Shelter House Thunder Bay’s client base is comprised of First Nations peoples. To see another non-profit organization reach out in this way is really heart-warming; it shows that there is a really strong basis of community support for the goals we are trying to achieve; goals that can only be met by a successful Capital Fundraising Campaign."

Information on sponsorship opportunities and tickets are available by calling Vivian Ledger at Matawa First Nations Management at: 807 344 4575. Tickets cost $120 per person.

We will be holding a 3rd Annual Youth Rally on May 19-22 at  the Emmanuel Pentecostal Church starting at 7:00 pm.

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is hosting their board and staff retreat in Sioux Lookout this week. As part of their visit to Sioux Lookout, they are touring Keewaytinook Okimakanak's K-Net office, the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority and Menoyawin.

On Thursday, Dan Pellerin, K-Net Network Manager and Terence Burnard, K-Net Systems Analyst travelled with Windigo First Nations Council (Debbie Korobanik), Blair Electronics (Bill Blair) and four Industry Canada officials lead by Rick Hansen and Christine Cosgrove (regional BRAND project managers) to see the results of the broadband infrastructure that is now operating in Slate Falls and Muskrat Dam First Nations.