Media.Knet.Ca

Eugene Roman, Group President of Bell Systems and Technology along with Rebecca Shipman (Associate Director), Nathalie Micucci (K-Net Sales Account, Ottawa), Steve Burton (Sales Manager, Ottawa) and Gary Martin (Engineer, Sudbury) with Bell hosted a meeting on May 18 at their downtown Toronto office with representatives from FedNor and K-Net. Carl Seibel, Telecom Officer with FedNor along with K-Net staff (Dan and Brian) joined the Bell Canada team to discuss our work over the past few years in developing telecom network in Northwestern Ontario. The meeting provided an opportunity to examine areas of common interest and further the Bell and K-Net partnership in developing telecom infrastructure and services in First Nations across Ontario.

A tour of Bell exCITE! Co-lab provided the team with an opportunity to observe and share strategic planning and engagement workshop strategies with each other.

Thomas Harper of Koocheching First Nation successfully made a call to K-Net Services from the Koocheching school on May 28. What was unique about this call was that it was completed using a computer and a two-way satellite internet service supplied by Industry Canada's First Nations SchoolNet program along with the Skype VOIP software. Of special significance is the fact that Koocheching First Nation remains one of the last Nishnawbe Aski Nation communities that has only a single radio phone serving the entire community.

Koocheching FN applied to the BRAND and FedNor programs for financial support to install a broadband connection to their community. BRAND rejected the portion of the Windigo First Nations Council's proposal that included Koocheching (even though they included them on their graphical presentation to the rest of the world). The Chief and Council are now working with FedNor in the hope that they will support their application to develop an adequate broadband connection to serve their community.

In the meantime, the Chief and Council are now investing in an interim local solution that will try to use the two-way satellite internet service at the school to deliver a connection for the families and all the buildings presently located in Koocheching. A local wireless solution is being purchased by the band that will hopefully be able to reach all the homes and deliver a connection to the rest of the world.

The VOIP software that can connect everyone to Koocheching and others is available free at http://www.skype.com ... you need a sound charge with speakers along with a microphone to be able to use this software and connect with others. A headset with a microphone will provide you with a little more privacy (these cost about $20). After loading the software, you are ready to make some calls using this on-line service. It is a good idea to write e-mail messages to everyone letting them know your username. The K-Net Helpdesk has three people connected to the Skype service ...

• John Moreau (Skype username = johnknet)
• Jamie Ray (jamie-knet)
• Jeannie Carpenter (jeannie)

The computer in the Koocheching school has Thomas Skype's username on it (tomharper). Give it a try ...

Recommended listening .... CBC's Business Network had a short 2 minute radio column entitled "How to avoid spam scams". (Requires Real Audio to hear this clip. Click here to get the free player.)

Recommended reading ... If you are having problems with your email you can go to K-Net Help and look up the K-Net Email FAQ

The K-Net e-mail service is now facing a crisis that requires everyone's help. We need EVERYONE to empty their mail boxes of all these different spam and virus messages. There are now over 500 e-mail accounts that are "over quota". This means each of these accounts have over 50M of storage space being used and are no longer able to be used to send or receive messages unless these messages are either deleted or downloaded to your own computer.

One hint to delete messages is contained in the K-Net Email FAQ web site. I am over my quota but I am not allowed to delete any messages.

• You need to turn off the use of your Trash bin.
• Login to your email.
• Go to "Options" then to "Folder Preferences"
• Change "Trash Folder:" so that it is "Do Not Use Trash"
• Click "Submit"
• Now you should be able to delete any message and clean up your mail box

Using SHOW ALL and TOGGLE ALL are two mail features that will help speed up the process of doing this housekeeping.

K-Net is now being forced to begin deleting e-mail accounts that are not being used. This means that if you do not use your e-mail account then it will be deleted to help free up storage space. Of course, if your e-mail account is deleted then this will also remove your myknet.org web site, if you have set up a personal homepage on myknet.org ... so, the two messages are ...

USE IT OR LOSE IT and CLEAN UP YOUR MAIL BOX!!

Thanks for your help in making K-Net the best place to be on-line!!

On Tuesday, May 18, Joe Lance, Executive Director at Kativik Regional  Government (KRG), Denis Beaudouin, Satellite Technical Consultant and KRG Advisor, along with Mike Collins, Account Manager and Elaine Robichaud, Associate Director of Government and Carrier Sales with Telesat Canada met in Toronto with Carl Seibel, Telecom Officer with FedNor and two K-Net staff. Topics discussed included:

• Background (history of partnership and developments)
• Research
• C-Band Public Benefit Transponder space
• Telesat and Ka bandwidth
• Access Agreement
• Transponder Space allocation
• Other Partners
• Infrastructure
• Transfer of clients and contracts
• Follow-up

Ga Wiianiniiganiitamagoyak Children's Centre in Deer Lake was selected to participate in a National Community Exchanges Program. This initiative was developed by Aboriginal Head Start On Reserve (AHSOR), to provide the opportunity for participants to exchange the following:

• Experience another Aboriginal Head Start project in a selected Aboriginal community in Canada;
• Learn from colleagues and aboriginal participants by visitng a site;
• New ways of delivering the program, cultural and language appreciation, expanding knowledge of the best practices in the six components inherent to the AHSOR Program criteria;
• Visit another part of Canada, experiencing new sights and learning the historical environment;
• Exchange ideas and discuss issues of mutual interest; identity and expand resource sharing; and explore trouble shooting approaches through brainstorming sessions;
• Profile your project and community with pride, by creating an awareness and appreciation of our differences and similarities.

The staff at GW Children's Centre will be travelling to Saskatoon, to meet with Saskatoon Tribal Council's Aboriginal Head Start site. The Children Centre will soon be looking for volunteers to sit on a committee to oversee the Community Exchanges Program. The Committee will be the hosting delegates, they will be showcasing the programs successes and the community of Deer Lake.

The Gathering Of Our People 2004 & Omuskego Creefest 2004

July 27 to July 31, 2004 Moose-Factory, Ontario

The Values and Living Spirits of Nookomonan and Nimooshominan Guide Us To Gather In Friendship, Unity and Goodwill; To Celebrate, Honour and Strengthen Our Cree Culture

The Activities include: Traditional Feast, Traditional Music, Dance & Drama, Step & Square Dancing, Gospel & Various Music

Alll Are Welcome To Attend

For Furthur Information Please Contact:

Moose Cree First Nation @ 705-658-4619 Or Mushkegowuk Council @ 705-658-4619

Friday, May 14th, 2004 was a day to remember for some Kasabonika Lake FN high school students from Chief Simeon McKay Memorial Education Centre.  They met with and presented gifts to Minister Rick Bartolucci, his Parliamentary Assistant, Bill Mauro MPP-Thunder Bay/Atikokan, ADM John Gammon, and their Policy Advisors and Assistants.

Minister Bartolucci had a brief meeting with Chief Gordon Anderson, Deputy Chief Eno H. Anderson, Council and Elders in the School Gym on issues of importance to the Kasabonika Lake FN and as they relate to the programs, policies, and objectives of the Ministry of Northern Development & Mines.

The Ministerial entourage looked stunning in their beaded leather vests and medicine necklaces as they departed for Webequie First Nation with additional gifts of dreamcatchers, moccasins, and gauntlets.

A commitment to entrench communication strategies, consultations, and full consideration of a Far North Resource Development Council was achieved, in addition to further visits.

The spring issue of Canada Connects celebrates the innovative work being done across Canada in the field of eHealth. The on-line version of the magazine that is scheduled to be on the news stands in June is now available. The centre spread recognizes the work being done by Keewaytinook Okimakanak in developing telehealth services in the Nishnawbe Aski Nation communities north of Sioux Lookout.

Check out the KO telehealth story on-line and the two KO visionaries who worked to develop these services (Geordi Kakepetum and Orpah McKenzie). The magazine and the KO Telehealth story also features other KO partners in the development of these innovative services (FedNor, Health Canada, NORTH Network, Bell Canada and others).

The Canadian Research Alliance For Community Innovation And Networking (CRACIN) workshop in Montreal is being attended by two Keewaytinook Okimakanak staff members. Click here for the meeting agenda.

Brian Walmark, KO's Special Projects Coordinator, is working with a number of post-secondary partners and organizations to develop the Keewaytinook Okimakanak Research Institute as directed by the Chiefs of Keewaytinook Okimakanak. Click here to view the briefing note describing this new KO initiative.

KO's K-Net Services is working with CRACIN as one of the seven case studies to research community networking in First Nation. Adam Fiser, a PhD graduate student at the University of Toronto is developing his thesis proposal to gather information about the work being completed to support First Nation schools in their efforts to get connected to broadband infrastructure and applications.

Chief Raymond Mason, Keewaywin First Nation and Dan Pellerin, K-Net's Network Manager, are attending Industry Canada's First Nations SchoolNet (FNS) program bi-annual gathering that is taking place in Halifax. These meetings provide an opportunity for the six Regional Management Organizations to meet with Industry Canada's Information Highway Applications Branch (IHAB) team to share stories and develop strategic plans to support First Nation schools across Canada.

Video conferencing connections are in place using KO's video bridge to connect all the members of the FNS team that includes the RMO's across Canada (click here to see the six different RMO hosts supporting all First Nation schools in Canada). Jesse Fiddler, K-Net's Multi-media Manager, was scheduled to attend this conference but weather prevented his attendance in person. He was still able to participate in the meeting and complete his prepared presentation using the video conference facilities. The meeting is being webcast and archived for others to learn about this work.

Meeting agenda follows:

4th FNS National Program Meeting
May 12th, 13th and 14th, 2004
Casino Nova Scotia Hotel, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Lunch speaker: Paul Swinwood (day to be determined)