Suicide Intervention & Prevention Training

Access Suicide Intervention & Prevention training in your community by video-conference or by audio connection.

Upcoming KO Telehealth Education Events

KO Telehealth invites you to participate in education events offered through video conferencing.  The topics range from Sign Language to Physical Activity for Elders.

Please visit the web site to view all education events www.telehealth.knet.ca (Health Professionals, Education Sessions).  Contact Gayle Reid at gaylereid@knet.ca or 807-735-1381 ext 51304 if you wish to register for an education session.  All are welcome.

SLAAMB negotiations with HRSD moving forward to re-open office and services

The Sioux Lookout Area Aboriginal Management Board (SLAAMB) met with federal government officials from Human Resources Skills Development (HRSD) on Wednesday in Thunder Bay to continue the negotiations to re-open the Sioux Lookout based operation. Members of the Chiefs political group, the board and Bob Bruyere, SLAAMB Program Manager attended this meeting. An agreement in priniciple was worked out where "it would business as usual" for the SLAAMB office once the chiefs meet on April 26 in Sioux Lookout to review the terms and conditions that are being submitted this week to HRSD.

The story about this meeting was also reported in Thursday's Chronicle Journal (Thunder Bay) on the front page.

Click here to read last week's article about the closure of the office that was in the April 7 issue of the Chronicle Journal.

Click here to read's Wawatay's coverage of the closure.

Thunder Bay's RMYC hosts "Where are the Children" Exhibit

The Multicultural Association of Northwestern Ontario (MANWO) and Regional Multicultural Youth Council (RMYC) in Thunder Bay present the Where Are The Children? -Healing The Legacy of the Residential Schools Exhibition at the Victoriaville Mall.

A press conference was held at the Victoriaville Mall in downtown Thunder Bay on the opening of the Where are the Children? - Healing the Legacy of the Residential Schools Exhibition Thursday, April 14, 2005.

Speakers at the opening included Garnet Angeconeb, former residential school student and Secretary of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, Angie Bruce, Development Manager of the Legacy of Hope Foundation, Gabrielle Blais, Director General of Programs at Library and Archives Canada and Jeff Thomas, Curator of the exhibit. Other speakers included Moffat Makuto, Executive Director of the RMYC, David Paul Achneepineskum, NAN Executive Director and representatives from the Mayor’s office and MP Ken Boschoff’s office.

The Exhibit was created to promote an awareness of the Residential School Experience and is targeted to educate Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Youth. Everyone is encouraged to come out and view the exhibit at the Victoriaville Mall in Thunder Bay.

The Where are the Children? - Healing the Legacy of the Residential Schools Exhibition can be seen starting March 28 to July 22, 2005 from 10 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday and from 2 pm to 5 pm Saturday and Sunday.

For more information or for group reservations and special hours call (807) 622-4666.

To reach the Aboriginal Healing Foundation call 1 888 725 8886

To see the Where are the Children website click here

To visit the Aboriginal Healing Foundation site click here

To see pictures of the opening ceremony click here

First Nations SchoolNet program midterm evaluation includes KO/K-Net case study

A three day site visit from Jeff Anderson of R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. (Edmonton office) was part of the formative, mid-term evaluation work he is doing for the final report for Industry Canada. His visit that addresses the case study portion of the report, included:

  • interviewing the Regional Management Organization (RMO) program and contracted team members;
  • learning about the Keewaytinook Okimakanak organization and their Kuhkenah Network (K-Net) initiative, as it relates to Industry Canada's First Nations SchoolNet program;
  • visiting Pelican Falls First Nations High School to learn about the impacts of the program and the use of ICTs within that environment;
  • touring the Kuhkenah Network facilities and learning about its history and future development;
  • meeting with First Nations SchoolNet / RMO supported e-learning program leaders (KiHS and the Grade 8 Supplementary programs);
  • meeting with Carl Seibel, Industry Canada / FedNor program monitor for the Ontario region.

Carl's visit during these meetings also provided everyone with a stronger understanding about the important role that FedNor is performing in supporting the development of the broadband capacity and resources across Northern Ontario.

KO Telehealth services continues to grow with Webequie and Neskantaga sites

From the KO Telehealth web site at http://telehealth.knet.ca ....

KO Telehealth is pleased to announce that the expansion has increased to 16 fully operational KO Telehealth sites. The communities of Webequie and Neskantaga are now operational with comprehensive telehealth services.

The communities of Lac Seul, Bearskin Lake, Pikangikum, Fort Hope and Slate Falls are in the process of hiring Community Telehealth Coordinators over the month of April 2005.

The Community Telehealth Coordinator position has increased from part time to full time to accomodate the growing numbers associated with the program. The CTC's workplans now include a greater variety of responsibilities including the following: Scheduling, Education, Training, Administration, Technical Support, Clinical Support, Translation, Computer Skills, Community Promotion, Community Consultation, Meeting Participation, Liaison with Stakeholders and Partners and Communication Strategy with First Nations on a Provincial and National level, Sharing Knowledge and Expertise from Community Perspective.

Connecting Aboriginal Faculty and Graduate Students in North America

Aboriginal Scholars - Listserve - Careers for Aboriginal Scholars

Connecting Aboriginal Faculty and Graduate Students in North America

Careers for Aboriginal Scholars is a new North American list serv focusing on Aboriginal scholars within North America. Its purpose is two-fold:

  1. To recruit Aboriginal scholars for faculty positions and also;
  2. To recruit Aboriginal students into graduate programs.

Careers for Aboriginal Scholars supports these objectives through the dissemination of employment opportunities directly to Aboriginal faculty candidates who are currently teaching or studying within an academic setting; esp. those who have acquired their PhD or are in the process of completing it. In addition, Careers for Aboriginal Scholars encourages the development of future Aboriginal academics through the dissemination of information on graduate programs at various universities across both Canada and the US.

The list was created and is maintained by Cathy Wheaton, Manager of Employment Equity at the University of Regina. There is no cost to join the list. Any university faculty member, Aboriginal scholar, graduate student or prospective graduate students may add their names to the list. It is not a discussion group but an information sharing network where universities may list faculty position postings or graduate student recruitment announcements. 

The list was originally compiled with a base set of e-mail contacts consisting of a cross-section of Aboriginal faculty and also departments where Aboriginal graduate students are studying. Department heads and graduate program coordinators from a number of institutions including the University of Regina, University of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College have also been added. There are now 170 names on the list. Outside of Saskatchewan list members have also been added from a wide range of faculties in institutions such as:

  • University of Alberta
  • University of Lethbridge
  • University of Victoria
  • University of Toronto
  • University of Ottawa
  • University of Manitoba
  • University of Brandon
  • Lakehead University
  • University of Northern British Columbia
  • Trent University
  • Concordia University
  • Laurentian University
  • New York University
  • Harvard University
  • University of South Carolina
  • Cornell University

Faculties are encouraged to use the list when recruiting both Aboriginal faculty and Aboriginal graduate students. As the list is cost-free and timely we are not restricted in its usage.

Careers for Aboriginal Scholars E-mail list 

Purpose:

  • To assist Aboriginal scholars pursing a career in academics
  • To encourage emerging Aboriginal scholars to pursue study at the graduate level towards a career in academics

Audience

  • Aboriginal Scholars seeking faculty positions 
  • Aboriginal graduate students/Emerging Aboriginal scholars seeking graduate program information
  • Departments recruiting Aboriginal faculty
  • Departments recruiting Aboriginal graduate students

Content

  • This list will encourage the distribution of faculty opportunities in all disciplines of interest to Aboriginal scholars.
  • Institutions recruiting Aboriginal students for graduate programs in all disciplines.
  • Programs do not have to be Aboriginal focussed to be included. We have Aboriginal graduates looking for graduate programs in all disciplines.

List Instructions

To add a name:

  • For new members, simply send your e-mail addresses to: wheatonc@uregina.ca
  • Please include "Careers for Aboriginal Scholars" in the subject line so I know which list you would like to join, I maintain 2 lists. 

*You are encouraged to forward messages to others who may be interested in receiving messages, esp potential graduate students and/or to forward their e-mail addresses to be included on the list.

To delete a name

  • For members who wish to leave the list, send an e-mail to wheatonc@uregina.ca indicating they would like to deleted from the list.

To send a message

  • Send position postings, program information or questions to: wheatonc@uregina.ca 
  • Once the message has been reviewed, it will be posted if it meets the criteria for the list. 
  • Please do not send attached files, those who have additional information may leave contact info so interested individuals may request additional files. Receiving unsolicited file attachments slows down and clogs others mailboxes. 

*Note: The list is blind so no one else on the list can see your e-mail address. This ensures that unauthorized mailings do not take place.

Cathy Wheaton
Manager of Employment Equity
University of Regina
Phone: (306) 585-5627
wheatonc@uregina.ca

Medical study - Aboriginal Canadians at higher risk of sustaining severe trauma

The April 12, 2005, Vol.172, Issue 8 of the Canadian Medical Association Journal contains a research article entitled "Epidemiology of severe trauma among status Aboriginal Canadians: a population-based study". The Calgary based study found that the treaty status aboriginal Canadians in that region were nearly four times more likely to suffer a serious traumatic injury.

The study included the Calgary Health Region encompassing the city of Calgary and its surrounding areas which includes the three large First Nations (Stoney, Siksika and Sarcee [Tsuu Tina]). All adults (16 years of age or older) experiencing severe trauma  (1779 patients) living in the health region between Apr. 1, 1999, and Mar. 31, 2002, were included in the study.

Aboriginal Canadians were found to be at significantly increased risk of njuries resulting from motor vehicle crashes, assault and traumatic suicide. They are twice as likely to die as a result of their injuries.

From the CBC coverage of this report ...

The numbers don't come as a shock to Jason Goodstriker, the Alberta regional chief for the Assembly of First Nations. He has heard countless stories of injury and death among his people.

"Obviously there's a huge sense of disappointment," he said of the study.

"We've heard these numbers before and Canada – whether it's the population or the government – has had a tough time in dealing with that."

Goodstriker said First Nations communities need between $3 billion and $4 billion to address health and social concerns like the one addressed in the study.

UN report - Canada places 48 out of 174 countries for treatment of Native people

The United Nations report entitled "INDIGENOUS ISSUES - Human rights and indigenous issues - Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people, Rodolfo Stavenhagen" was released in December 2004.

Canada would be placed 48th out of 174 countries if judged solely on the United Nations' human development scale for the economic and social well-being of its First Nations people, states an April 11 CBC report.

Excerpt from attached study

33. Among the 174 countries included in the United Nations Development Programme Human Development Report 2003, Canada ranked eighth, with a score of 0.937 (it had ranked first in 1999). When the Human Development Index (HDI) is calculated for Registered Indians, however, it reveals a substantially lower score for this population, which would be ranked about forty-eighth among the countries in the report, according to the information received by the Special Rapporteur from the Aboriginal organizations in Canada. Canada recognizes that key indicators of socio-economic conditions for Aboriginal people are unacceptably lower than for non-Aboriginal Canadians.

From the CBC article... 

"Poverty, infant mortality, unemployment, morbidity, suicide, criminal detention, children on welfare, women victims of abuse, child prostitution, are all much higher among aboriginal people than in any other sector of Canadian society," said the report issued by the UN Human Rights Commission.

"Economic, social and human indicators of well-being, quality of life and development are completely lower among aboriginal people than other Canadians," said Stavenhagen, who also warns the housing, health and suicide situation is reaching crisis proportions.

He said the condition of aboriginal people in the country was "the most pressing human rights issue facing Canada."

Among the problems highlighted in the report:

  • Poverty affects 60 per cent of aboriginal children.
  • The annual income of aboriginal people is "significantly lower" than other Canadians.
  • Unemployment is very high among aboriginals.
  • 20 per cent of aboriginal people have inadequate water and sewer systems.
  • Aboriginals make up 4.4 per cent of the Canadian population but account for 17 per cent of the people in prison.
  • Cases of tuberculosis are six times higher than the rest of Canada.
  • Life expectancy among the Inuit is 10 years lower than the rest of Canada.

The Light House Gospel Hour and special events in Winnipeg

Feed My Sheep Ministries Support Group conducts this Gospel Music event in the Core area of Winnipeg, Manitoba for families and individuals who are in dire need. It is a place where individuals share their problems and receive counseling and support. It's a refuge place which gives a sense of belonging ... A place where you will feel God's presence. 

If you would like to receive information of our up-coming Gospel events send me an email. On April 28, 29 30, and May 1, everyone is most welcome to attend our Indoor Gospel Campmeeting in Winnipeg at 410 Pritchard Avenue (corner of Salter Street), starting @ 7:00pm Nightly. 

Next time you are in Winnipeg come and enjoy gospel music or get involved. Testimonies and singers are always welcome. We also pray for people in spiritual crisis, and we accept pray requests for all needs.

These gospel sessions take place every Friday Night @ 7:30 pm - 12:00am. At: 410 Pritchard Avenue (corner of Salter Street) in Winnipeg.

More information: MERV @ 1-204-694-4698 or
Email: mletandre@shaw.ca