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Nishnawbe-Aski Legal Services Corporation

Employment Opportunity

The Nishnawbe-Aski Legal Services Corporation is a unique legal services office in Thunder Bay.  The Corporation provides legal, paralegal, and law-related services, public legal education, research, and law reform services to the members of the First Nations of Nishnawbe-Aski Nation (NAN).  The Corporation functions as an Area Office of Legal Aid Ontario (LAO).  

This innovative legal service places substantial responsibility for the administration of justice and the provision of all legal services to the members of NAN, in the hands of First Nation people themselves.  The Nishnawbe-Aski Legal Services Corporation is presently recruiting a full-time permanent Community Legal Worker for the Shibogama First Nations Council communities of Kasabonika Lake, Kingfisher Lake, Wapekeka, Wawakapewin and Wunnumin Lake.

Community Legal Worker

Working under the LAO Area Director and Legal Aid Coordinator, the CLW is crucial to the operation of this unique legal services corporation.  S/he will work with justice personnel and the communities to improve the administration of the Euro-Canadian legal system of justice, and assist clients and their families in various legal matters.  S/he will play a central role in the development and delivery of public legal education in the communities and assist in the development and implementation of restorative justice alternatives.

Qualifications:

• Successful completion of Secondary School and/or equivalent experience in a related field;
• experience with the Euro-Canadian legal system and knowledge of Restorative Justice alternatives;
• experience in organizing and delivering programs;
• ability to work in a cross-cultural environment;
• good command of the English language;
• ability to speak the Oji-Cree language fluently an asset;
• willingness to communicate with others about law-related and traditional issues;
• must be willing and able to travel.

Location:     Sioux Lookout, ON, with extensive travel to the Shibogama communities.
Salary:         Salary negotiable.
Closing Date:     Friday, October 8, 2004 at 5:00 p.m.

Please submit your resume and cover letter including 3 references to:

Mary Jean Robinson, Area Director
Nishnawbe-Aski Legal Services Corporation
86 Cumberland Street S.
Thunder Bay, ON, P7B 2V3

(Tel. 1-800-465-5581) (Fax 1-807-622-3024) Email: info@nanlegal.on.ca.  

Please note that only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

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To whom it may concern:

I would like to address the matter of the Bar Association's resolution regarding the resident school survivors.

We the Sisters of the Four Directions have some serious concerns on the matter where in fact it affects directly to the surviors. Correspondence has been sent to the Bar Assication in the province of Manitoba.

We, the sisters of the Four Directions, feel very strongly regarding the comments were made by the Bar Associtions to be an inappropriate discriminatory resolution against our basic human rights as aboriginal women. We find it very offensive that a group people who did not experience the horrors of physical, mental and sexual abuse, would take it upon themselves to prejudge and consider the treatment we recevied  in those hell holes as a minor act.

At present we speak only on our behalf and we are saying to the Canadian Bar Assocation, we gave only permisson to only one lawyer and his assistant to defend the crimes committed against us NOT to all the members of Bar Association.

We are very tired of people speaking on our behalf and making resolutions and accords on our behalf without our knowledge or without us giving the permissions to do so.

We no longer allow members of goverment, institutions, associatons to devalue our  lives with their constant resolution and accords which we strongly feel infringe upon our basic rights to our freedom of thought and speech.

Letters are being addressed to other people including the national grand chief, the justice minister in Ottawa, etc. We would like some feedback from various parties who are affected by the system.

We are currently looking for support for our cause and will provide the mailing address when requested.

Yours truly,

Meeqwetch

Sisters (Chantelle) of the four Directions

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

Message dated October 7, 2004

Open letter to Residential School Surviors/All interested Band Members

We are newly formed group of Aboriginal women ,naming ourselves Sisters of the Four  Directions. We have traditionally adopted each other as aboriginal sisters, working together to achieve for ourselves, also those we represent, better lives for today also for future generations. We are in strong protest of the past decisions, actions, also current decisons, action made, actions  taken on our behalf, on behalf of our ancestry, on behalf of future generals are detrimental to aboriginal people.

In the past, cold hearted decisions , action by those representing church goverment made, carried out in the same fashion, are now greatly affecting the continuation of  race of people who defined by Natural Law ( Aboriginall Parchment one, statement of Chief Kakepenaise, Great One ) a race of  people near to perfect, only flaw they possessed was that they cared too much, now the affects of this flawed  has caused in the past now, also will continue to create a castrophic, negative effect. Each of our generations are affected some deeply scarred some broken spiritually, others, lost souls trying to survive,some barely existing

As a matter of survival, psychological coping mechanisms were developed by our  ancestors, also ourselves. Are we going to continue to pass these survival methods on to our future generations. Question yourself. Are  these methods of survival working to our benefit. We suggest that they are  not. Our people are still facing high  rates of alcoholism, suicde, lack of self estem, identity crisis, drugs, family break ups, violence, malicious gossip towards one another, yet the vast majority of  our people live in denial of the fact that decisions made, actions taken against us are the real cause of these castrophic problems.

Genocide, yes we say it is, slow, tortuous, methodical sometimes swift acts of crime are being inflicted upon aboriginal by representatives of church, also goverments.

Remember, those of you who can, the history of your own community, the affects by others,which have created atmospheres of animosity, uncertainty, fear,survial mechanisms, feuds, which we are passing down to the future generations. From a near to perfect race we are on the brink of possible destruction, extinction.

Take a moment, an hour or more to reflect back on those occurrences  we mentioned, with a clear open, with honesty, truth, then perhaps psychological coping mechanismes will be released withing your selves.

Our Anicinakwe/Anicinable beliefs, also of our ancesty were are being destroyes, shattered, stripped from our ancestry,also ourselves, then we in turn burden our future generations with the same negativity. We are saying, NO demonstrating to those responsible, that we willl not allow ourselves to be integrated, assimilated into a system, designed to destroy aboriginalty.

Sure we  have piously been given back the right to our beliefs, values,but on the other hand, our governing system is being tested, self goverments? What form of self goverment? The administering to your kind, misery, apathy. To coincide with their goverment structures aboriginals have become the property, the  inheritance of provincial, goverments.

What will be the next process Assimlation be? Transferring of rights down to  your nearest the local municipality, or  the neighboring Mayors who in (( MOST CASES ARE RACIT TOWARD ABORIGINALS )) -Good Lord, Our Ancestry being ruled stated with the Queen of England, is the local goverment next door to your community to become Our Final Rulers- Rule of Law is stated in the Charter of Rights and Freedom, well, under whose law will the future generations be expected to abide by.

We the Sister of the Four Directions are saying NO and we will NO longer Tolerate thte  cold hearted decisions made, nor do we accept the actions taken against our race.

To date, we have protested against a cold hearted resolution, made on our behalf by Canadian Bar Associations, have made precise statements of protest towards Churchs, Aboriginal, Goverments, Provincial, also Federal Goverment.

Our  next plan of action will take place at a later date, will be advised when. This protest, will be against the Church. We will will demonstrate to, signify to those representations a precise message message stating, simply to them, what their decisions, action,action  have done to us. This a plan we call " A WALK OF PAIN"

We are seeking support either the way of standing with us, walking with us or by  contributing a monety donation (small or large) to direct deposit to "Sisters of the Four Directions" chequing account transit no. 08-327-003  account no. 100-543-8 Royal Bank Hargrave/Portage Aveue, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Whatever a support we receive will be greatly appreciated,also use constructively to address, not only our  plight, or those we represent, but probably also your plight. We not only acknowledge, but are to taking a step further, firmly. strongly,stating a believe in the supremacy of God ( Taken of Rights and Freedom.)

Meeqwetch from our hearts

Sisters of the Four Directions

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We, the Chikane Family of Weagamow Lake are still trying to locate a sm/med size bag, color is a dark blue/navy.  The first article I submitted had a wrong blue NAC TAG number.  The correct blue NAC tag number is 10935.  The missing bag also had another tag (Bearskin Airline) with one of my parents' name on it along with their phone number.

On Thursday morning, August 19, 2004 we received some bad news that my uncle was in the ER in SLKT.  My mother called my father who was in SLKT for a business meeting and informed him of the news she received.  Upon his arrival at the hospital, he was informed that my uncle was in serious condition and would be medivaced to Winnipeg, MB via a helicopter.  My father then became an escort for my uncle but was told he could not accompany him on the helicopter.  He was then put on a NAC flight to Wpg.  Upon arriving, he waited by the plane for his bag but was told by the Pilots that they would bring it inside for him, but it was never brought in.

My uncle passed away that same evening at the Health Sciences Center. This missing bag contains my deceased uncle's personal belongings, purchases and my father's personal things and important contents. It has caused my parents and family a lot of emotional turmoil and stress not knowing where this bag may be.  We have called the airline but have not received any information as to where this bag may be.  

Please find it in your heart to help us locate my father's bag.  We are facing this tremendous sorrow & grief after losing my uncle.  Locating this bag would give us a sense of relief and uplift some of our sorrow.  Keep us in your prayers as we continue searching.  

Please email me if you have any suggestions as to where else we can call.  If you require further information, please call the North Caribou Lake Band Office at (807) 469-5191 and ask for Dan or Angela or one of the the council members.

Thank you on behalf of the Chikane Family.