Media.Knet.Ca

3rd Train-The-Trainer  2007

Sioux Lookout - June 25-29, 2007

• Are you a community worker seeking training?
   
• Are you committed to promoting healthy communities?
   
• Are you committed to deliver a workshop/s in  your community? 

If so, this is the training for you..

Equay-wuk is able to cover all related costs for 2 delegates per community.  Priority communities are those serviced by Equay-wuk (Women's Group).

Workers who should attend:

• family violence prevention workers
• family support workers
• shelter/healing centre staff
• NNADAP workers
• mental health workers
• community health representatives
• other front line workers

For more information, contact:

Jennifer or Felicia

(807) 737-2214

or toll free

1-800-261-8294

From The Edmonton Journal ...

Reconciling the truth

Making amends; Although the Indian residential schools program was abandoned more than 10 years ago, much of its legacy remains unresolved. Advocates hope a Truth and Reconciliation Commission can start the healing
Catherine Rolfsen, Vancouver Sun, June 03, 2007

It's hard to picture Robert Joseph, hereditary chief of the Gwawaenuk First Nation and special adviser at West Vancouver's Indian Residential School Survivors Society, at age six. But his grey crewcut and boyish grin hint at the child who was shipped off to St. Michael's residential school in Alert Bay decades ago.

He didn't know why he was taken from his community, or why he wasn't allowed to speak the only language he knew. He is still struggling to figure out why, 10 years later, he "staggered out of St. Mike's already a full-blown alcoholic."

A lot remains unclear for survivors of Indian residential schools. Although the institutions are now closed -- the last shut its doors in 1996 -- much of their legacy remains unresolved.

Chief Robert Joseph, a survivor of the residential schools, stands on the bank of the Capilano River. He says an apology from the federal government is essential to the healing process.

Today, Joseph is more hopeful than ever that Canadians are ready to confront their history.

Much of his hope rests on a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) planned as part of the landmark $4-billion residential schools settlement agreement negotiated between the federal government, churches involved in running the schools and the Assembly of First Nations.

Although it likely won't begin until early next year, there are already high hopes that the project -- in which survivors of residential schools will tell their stories on a national stage -- will turn over a new leaf between First Nations communities and the rest of Canada. But there's also skepticism as to whether a TRC is the way to reconcile and whether Canada is ready.

The very fact that Canada has resorted to a TRC -- a model used internationally to deal with genocide, civil war and apartheid -- is an admission that the fallout from residential schools requires extraordinary measures.

Since South Africa's ground-breaking commission began in 1994, TRCs have been an increasingly popular way to deal with widespread human rights abuses. At least 40 have been set up in places such as Sierra Leone, East Timor and Chile.

Those involved in planning Canada's say a TRC is an ideal way to address the legacy of residential schools, institutions overseen by the federal government to break up aboriginal communities by assimilating their children.

Bob Watts, the interim executive director of the TRC, said the project can help turn the page on a shameful past. The former chief of staff to the Assembly of First Nations grand chief Phil Fontaine said he hopes that, through the commission's work, "the trauma and the legacy and the negative effects that our communities are feeling will end."

It's a tall order for five years work and a $60-million budget. The TRC will host seven national events across the country followed by many more community events. Anyone affected by residential schools will be encouraged to tell his or her story.

"I'm sure there will be people there that will tell their story that have never told it to anybody before. Never told it to their family," Watts said.

Over more than a century, 130 residential schools were built across Canada, most run jointly between the federal government and churches. The AFN estimates that 150,000 children attended the institutions -- which means that about nine out of 10 aboriginal people know a survivor.

Physical and sexual abuse were rampant. More than 19,000 claims for these and other abuses have been filed against the government by former students. But survivors also blame the schools for loss of language and culture, substance abuse and depression.

The residential schools settlement sets aside $1.9 billion for a "common experience payment" of $10,000 for the first year and $3,000 for each additional year spent at school, available to all eligible survivors. Additional money is available for those who suffered sexual and physical abuse. Survivors now face the decision of whether to claim their compensation -- forfeiting the right to sue in the future -- or to opt out of the settlement.

But negotiators say individual payments aren't the only answer for the estimated 80,000 living former students. The settlement also promises $225 million -- $100 million of which is to come from the churches in "cash and services"-- to go toward healing initiatives.

The TRC is an attempt to set the record straight on the past. Much of the history of residential schools is still contested -- for example, the mortality rate in schools is undetermined, but estimates ran as high as 50 per cent in the early 20th century.

In April, Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice announced he would strike a special committee to investigate these deaths and examine why little was done to improve the overcrowding, disease and underfunding that plagued the schools.

Diaries and letters kept by former school employees are being unearthed, and an archive and research centre about residential schools are planned, all to fulfil the commission's first mandate: truth.

Reconciliation is the hard part. How does a country get past its history?

It's a question Paulette Regan has spent a long time thinking about. As a former resolution manager for Indian Residential Schools Resolution Canada, a federal department devoted entirely to resolving the legacy of the institutions, she was on the front lines of the effort to mend the relationship between aboriginals and the federal government. She said the first step toward reconciliation is for survivors and the Canadian public to start talking.

"It's one thing to know about the schools," Regan said. "It's another thing to truly understand their impacts. And I think the only way you truly understand is in dialogue with survivors and communities and families."

But not everyone thinks a TRC can achieve reconciliation. Stephane Leman-Langlois, an expert on the South African TRC at the University of Montreal, is not convinced the model makes sense in Canada.

The South African TRC was set up to address the vast number of human rights abuses during apartheid, Leman-Langlois said. The commission even made the controversial move of granting amnesty to about 1,000 perpetrators in exchange for full confessions.

But the Canadian TRC will avoid acting like a courtroom. It will not have the power to grant amnesty or subpoena former school employees, many of whom are dead anyway. For their own protection against lawsuits, those testifying will not be allowed to name abusers unless allegations have been proven in court.

If survivors want to name names -- or to testify in private for any reason -- they will be able to choose an in-camera hearing. But those names won't end up in any final reports.

So there will be little individual accountability in the Canadian TRC. But those involved say that's not the point. "We have a criminal justice system here in Canada that can do that work," Watts said.

Rather than laying blame, Watts said the TRC is about uncovering the roots of residential school policies and reconciling the relationship between aboriginals and the rest of Canada.

But Leman-Langlois is skeptical that a TRC can do the job. "You can't really institutionalize reconciliation. That's a very personal thing," he said. "It's kind of a pointless political, rhetorical exercise to call it a truth and reconciliation commission."

Those involved admit that a TRC is not a sure-fire formula for reconciliation.

"They're not a magic bullet or anything," acknowledged Kathleen Mahoney, the lawyer who negotiated the settlement agreement for the Assembly of First Nations. "They have to be worked at and it could very well not succeed."

For Mahoney, an international human rights lawyer and professor at the University of Calgary, success means raising public awareness about the legacy of residential schools.

"Hardly any of my students know anything about residential schools, notwithstanding the fact that it's the largest human rights violation in the history of this country, ever," Mahoney said. "Canada's right up there with the worst violators, but nobody knows that."

But Mahoney said the TRC will be a failure if all parties are not involved. She said a lack of public participation would be "another slap in the face to the survivors."

Mahoney is confident that churches, aboriginal leaders and government bureaucrats are motivated to see the TRC work. However, the commission will not have the power to subpoena, meaning participation is purely voluntary.

But Mahoney is uncertain that all federal politicians share a commitment to reconciliation.

Until recently, Prentice had stonewalled calls by opposition members, churches and aboriginal leaders for an official apology for the schools. Recently, he expressed support for a Liberal motion calling for an apology in the House of Commons but suggested the government would wait until after the TRC's findings.

"It is my sincere hope, as happened in South Africa, that this matter will be dealt with, that the whole issue of apologies, the whole issue of how this country is to find a way forward will be dealt with by the truth and reconciliation commission," Prentice said in a House of Commons debate May 1.

In 1998, then Liberal Indian affairs minister Jane Stewart's "statement of reconciliation" acknowledged the government's role in the schools, and said the government was "deeply sorry" for those students who were physically and sexually abused at the schools. But she stopped short of apologizing to all survivors.

Several churches have offered apologies and "confessions" for their part in the schools, including the Anglican church that ran St. Michael's.

Joseph has seen a lot of healing since his time at St. Michael's, but the hereditary chief said an apology from the federal government is "absolutely essential" to reconciliation.

"A government would be absolutely remiss not to extend that apology, because there has been some good work done, and a lot of healing has started, and reconciliation is just within our reach and we don't want to lose that," Joseph said.

But he said that neither an apology nor the TRC will be the end of his healing and his work with aboriginal communities.

"I know that having received the last cheque, having heard the last apology, having had the truth commission, it won't be the end of it," Joseph said. "It will be the beginning. The real beginning."

APTN press release ...

APTN To Host National Aboriginal Solidarity Day Celebration

Aboriginal Day Live, the first annual Aboriginal Solidarity Day celebration hosted by Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), will broadcast live across the nation from the network’s Winnipeg headquarters June 21st, 2007. Aboriginal Day Live will begin at 1 pm ET (12 pm CST Manitoba, 11 am CST Saskatchewan, 11 am MT, 10 am PT) and will repeat at 7 pm ET/PT.

Ray St. Germain, Native Communications Incorporated (NCI) radio personality, and APTN National News: Daytime host Cheryl McKenzie will emcee the hour-long concert featuring high-profile Canadian Aboriginal talent, including “Fiddle Master” Donny Parenteau, the Asham Stompers, champion hoop dancer Lisa Odjig, Juno award winner Leela Gilday, Nunavut’s own Lucy Idlout, Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Award nominees Dead Indians and the internationally renowned band CWeed.

The celebration is open to the public. A special children’s tent will be set up introducing the new APTN Kids on-air host, with free giveaways for the younger attendees.

“APTN is proud to showcase some of the finest Aboriginal talent in the country for all to enjoy on this very special day,” says Jean LaRose, APTN Chief Executive Officer. “As Canada’s only national Aboriginal broadcaster, it is our honour and privilege to host Aboriginal Day Live, through which we join the nation in celebrating the uniqueness and diversity of our Peoples.”

Aboriginal Solidarity Day was first called for in 1982 by the National Indian Brotherhood (Assembly of First Nations). The date of June 21st was chosen due to the cultural significance of the summer solstice, the first day of summer and longest day of the year. National Aboriginal Day, now in its 11th year, was designated by the federal government in 1996 as a special day for all Canadians to celebrate the unique heritage, cultures and contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people in Canada.

After the live broadcast, APTN will air encore presentations of the 2006 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards, the 2007 National Aboriginal Achievement Awards and back-to-back broadcasts of the Hillerman Trilogy, starring critically acclaimed actor Adam Beach.

About APTN:
September 1, 2006 marked the seven-year anniversary of the launch of the first national Aboriginal television network in the world with programming by, for and about Aboriginal Peoples to share with all Canadians and viewers around the world. APTN is available in over 10 million Canadian households and commercial establishments with cable, direct-to-home satellite (DTH), telco-delivered and fixed wireless television service providers.

APTN does not receive government funding for operations but generates revenue through subscriber fees, advertising sales and strategic partnerships. APTN broadcasts programming with 56% offered in English, 16% in French and 28% in Aboriginal languages. For program schedule or for more information, please contact APTN at (204) 947-9331 or toll-free at 1-888-278-8862, or visit the website at www.aptn.ca.

On May 29, INAC minister presented the Main Estimates of his department to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development. He stated, "The current 2007–2008 Main Estimates includes $6.3 billion for my department." This figure includes the dollars required to support on and off reserve programs, Metis, Inuit and Northern programs (click here for his presentation). As well, the Assembly of First Nations published a report last year called The $9 Billion Myth Exposed: Why First Nations Poverty Endures. Still the conservatives continue to spread what has now become their 10 billion dollar myth. A more appropriate question that Chief Maracle asks at the end of the following articles is, "how much is spent per capita on non-native Canadians?" (federal, provincial and municipal government combined)?

From the Belleville Intelligencer ...

NDP's aboriginal critic calls Kramp's figures 'a disinformation campaign'
Samantha Craggs - June 02, 2007

An aboriginal affairs critic for the New Democratic Party is using words like "irresponsible" and "disinformation" to describe a recent mail-out by MP Daryl Kramp about funding for native communities.

The Prince Edward-Hasting MP's recent mail-out to constituents bears the heading "Getting things done for aboriginal people" and says the Conservatives will spend $7.4 billion for First Nations citizens on reserves.

But the NDP's Jean Crowder said the flyer is oversimplified to the point of being misleading.

"Several people faxed or e-mailed it to me because they were so concerned about it," said Crowder, who represents a British Columbia riding. "When people put out simplistic pieces of information that say people are getting plenty of money, it really is a disinformation campaign."

Kramp's mail-out says the federal government will spend about $10.2 billion in 2007-08 to fund programs directed toward aboriginal people. It says $7.4 billion will go to programs and services on reserves, an increase of $600 million the year before. That translates to $16,465 per person, said Kramp's flyer.

It also says $850 million is forecast for claims resolution and implementation and $2 billion will go to Metis, Inuit and First Nations people living off reserve.

Crowder disputes those figures, which she said include bureaucratic costs such as the minister's salary for Indian and Northern Affairs (INAC) rather than direct service. Programs funded by that money include dollars spent on any program with the word "aboriginal" in it, rather than money transferred to band councils, she said. Those figures also include lawyer salaries in land claim negotiations, and 15 per cent fees paid to third-party managers, she said.

Kramp was said he was surprised by the allegations and baffled at how Crowder could dispute the statements, saying he has budget information to back up all three of the dollar figures on his mailing. Administration costs account for four per cent of the $7.4 billion program and services costs, and INAC's total administration costs are $250 million, which includes management, human resources and legal costs, he said. The INAC budget has increased $1.1 billion since last year.

"Regretfully, maybe she takes offence to what we put out, but it's factual data," he said. "I'm certainly not here to mislead anyone. I'm disappointed with the fact that she considers it a disinformation campaign. This is department information and she should have access to it. That's why it confuses me ... If there's a reason, I'll take my knocks, but in this case, there really isn't." Wording on the mailing is concise and spare, deliberately devoid of complexities of the issues, he said, in order to make it clear to those reading it. The mailing included a poll style question: "Do you think Canada's government is getting things done for aboriginal people?" with check boxes for "yes! I think the government's efforts are a good start" and "no! the government is not on the right track." The question is included so the general consensus of those in the riding can be gauged, which is imperative to better understanding how future policy decisions can be made, Kramp said.

Meanwhile Crowder said the NDP and her counterparts in the Liberal party believe the only real way to properly fund First Nations is to follow through on the Kelowna Accord, a deal signed between First Nations and the federal Liberals in 2005. The accord had full support from the New Democrats and it would have added $5 billion to funding for First Nations over five years. In March, the majority of MPs voted in favour of it, with most of the governing Conservatives voting against. The Conservatives dismissed the accord as having been too vague about specific application of federal funds.

Chief R. Donald Maracle of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte (MBQ) said Kramp's government should honour Kelowna. The accord, he said, was signed after months of discussions with government and native officials and the MBQ want to see it enacted.

"The question that should be asked is if people believe that the honour of the Crown should be upheld between the government and the First Nations people?" he said. "That's really what's at issue."

Maracle said Kramp's mail-out statements also raise questions, such as how many land claims $850 million will settle, and how much is spent per capita on non-native Canadians?

On May 19, two babies were successfully delivered after local health care professionals who found themselves working with the mothers and a doctor on call located in Sioux Lookout. The Community Telehealth Coordinators in Lac Seul and Mishkeegogamang worked with the local health team to successfully connect with the doctor and support the mother and staff throughout the birthing process. In Kejick Bay, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine student was called upon to provide support to the mother during the birth. Everyone involved are happy that all went well and the babies and mothers are reported to be well.

CONGRATULATIONS to everyone involved but especially the mothers and babies!!

NEWS FROM MISHKEEGOGAMANG TELEMEDICINE

I AM VERY THRILLED TO SUBMIT THIS NEWS FROM MISHKEEGOGAMANG TELEMEDICINE

On, Saturday May 19, 2007 at about 9:00 a.m. the nurse on call called me in to hook up the telemedicine workstation with the Sioux Lookout emerge.  I was still in bed sleeping when the call came in, we got back at 3:00 am from Dryden, that was a long ride.  It was snowing and raining.  The roads were very slushy and we had to slow down to 40 to 50 km/h. We almost went off the road.

I was surprised to hear that it was for a prenatal in labor, I wasn’t expecting to hear that kind of news that early in the morning (still half asleep).  I told the nurse to send the medical driver up for me, still in my p.j.’s and no morning coffee. 

There were two nurses on call, they tried communicating to the doctor over the phone but had difficulty in describing what was happening. As soon as the doctor came on over the video, it was easier for her to know and show the nurses what to do. It was amazing to see the doctor and nurses working together in delivering the baby.

It was a very exciting and emotional experience witnessing life exiting the womb and entering the world ... 4th time again but the first via -Telemedicine.  I don’t know where I got the energy from, to coach and help mom.  The newborn boy arrived at 11:18 am. After the delivery I thanked God for being there, watching over mom and baby and guiding us through this situation.

I was happy and relieved to hear that both mom and baby were fine and healthy, they returned home the next day. The experience was great for me.  Wow, amazing how technology has come a long way.

Darlene Panacheese
Telemedicine Coordinator

Here is the Nurse’s point of view.

Highlight for me, I did my first delivery on May 19, 2007. What a rush that is. 

Here are the pictures of the final result!! A gorgeous baby boy born at 11:18, what an amazing experience from a whole different place when you are not the one giving birth. Amazing absolutely amazing!!

Neither Nicole or I have ever delivered anyone and Nicole is presently pregnant so it was gonna be me to do the delivery!  Well thank the good Lord above, everything was good and no complications.  As a result it was a very positive uplifting experience.

Here are the pictures of the beautiful baby boy, Nicole's and my first!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lori

From the Sudbury Star ...

Medical school wise to work with natives

The Sault Star Editorial - May 30, 2007

We look to The Northern Ontario School of Medicine as one way to solve the doctor shortage in this region. However, the school's mandate goes beyond that.

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is based on a model established in Australia for medical students, largely from rural areas, to train and eventually work in those settings. The Australian program paid special attention to the health care of aboriginals. Likewise, NOSM pays special attention to our native communities.

When we talk about the list of native issues that must be addressed, health is the most important.

The troubles native communities face with diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, are well documented as are issues such as substance abuse, suicide rates and poor diets.

As part of their studies, NOSM students must do placements in aboriginal communities.

"It gives them a better insight and perspective into the cultural aspects of the communities they're involved in. They're immersed in culture, lifestyle, tradition and the people," said registered nurse Maxine Lesage, health services supervisor at the Garden River Wellness Centre.

Two students praised the centre, which offers a wide range of services, including a physiotherapist, dietitian, counselling and foot-care clinics. Such services are not available at many more remote native communities.

There's more to supporting the native communities in their health-care needs than providing new equipment and medicine. Understanding the culture is critical.

We often express concerns about throwing money at various native problems without seeing any results. This is the case when non-natives adopt a we-know-what's-best approach that ignores the opinions of natives and their unique situation. When it comes to something as personal as health care, sensitivity to cultural realities is a must.

By working closely with native health-care workers, NOSM students are addressing this matter. In doing so they are laying the foundations for a health system that will be effective for our native communities.

May 30, 2007

Colin Mayes
CHAIR
Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
Sixth Floor, 180 Wellington Street
Wellington Building
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A-0A6

SENT VIA FAX: C/O Bonnie Charron, Clerk of the Committee at (613) 996-1962

Dear Sir or Madam:

We would like to take this opportunity to set the record straight. It is our understanding that on May 30, 2007, Minister Jim Prentice conveyed to the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development the opinion that the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, in concert with the Alberta Chiefs of Treaties 6, 7 and 8 and the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations shared the view that the present Government of Canada “is one of the best governments that they have ever worked with on the ground getting things done.”

Please be advised that the Union of BC Indian Chiefs finds, at this point in time, Minister Prentice's opinion to be completely inaccurate, greatly exaggerated and premature to say the least.

In fact, the Government of Canada's failure to support the Kelowna Accord, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People and a formal apology in relation to the Residential School experience has greatly contributed to the rising tensions and frustrations on the part of First Nations across Canada. Hence, the National Day of Action on June 29, 2007.

The Union of BC Indian Chiefs finds such sweeping inaccurate assumptions from Minister Prentice to be counter-productive.

Sincerely,

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip
President
Union of BC Indian Chiefs

CC: Members of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
Union of BC Indian Chiefs, Chiefs Council
BC First Nations Leadership Council

Angus Reid Global Monitor: Polls & Research ...

Canadians Assess Aboriginal Claims, Protests
June 1, 2007

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in Canada believe their federal administration should be more mindful of the country’s Aboriginal communities, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 68 per cent of respondents want the government to speed-up existing Aboriginal land claims disputes.

In addition, 60 per cent of respondents want Ottawa to do more to deal with poverty in Aboriginal communities.

Still, Canadians are disappointed with the recent railway line blockades staged by Aboriginal protesters. 56 per cent of respondents believe these actions are unjustified, and 67 per cent agree with Indian affairs minister Jim Prentice, who suggested penalizing native leaders if federal money is used to plan blockades.

According to the 2001 census, more than 900,000 Aboriginal persons inhabit Canada. In the 1990s, the Canadian government established the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples to assess the success or failure of past policies and develop recommendations for future programs and projects. Nunavut and the Northwest Territories give official status to Aboriginal languages.

In recent weeks, some Aboriginal groups have discussed staging a national day of action on Jun. 29, to protest the slow pace of negotiations on more than 800 native land claims.

On May 21, Prentice suggested that changes in the process would be implemented, saying, "There has been a complaint in this country for 60 years that the government of Canada serves as the defendant and the judge and the jury and the research body. (...) The government of Canada is in conflicting roles. And that’s something that we are trying to get to the heart of."

Last month, Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty discussed the current state of affairs, saying, "Provinces and territories are caught up in peacekeeping missions, trying to settle a (land claims) dispute, a dispute that often predates Confederation between a federal government and a first nations community."

Polling Data

As you may know, Aboriginal protesters have blockaded railway lines in recent weeks, as part of ongoing land claims disputes. Do you think these actions are justified?
Justified 35%, Unjustified 56%, Not sure 9%

Do you agree or disagree with these statements?

The federal government should speed-up existing Aboriginal land claims disputes
 68% Agree, 20% Disagree, 12%  Not sure
 
Native leaders should be penalized if federal money is used to plan blockades
 67% Agree, 17%, Disagree, 16%  Not sure
 
The federal government should do more to deal with poverty in Aboriginal communities
 60% Agree,  28% Disagree,  11%  Not sure

Source: Angus Reid Strategies
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,097 Canadian adults, conducted on May 22 and May 23, 2007. Margin of error is 3.0 per cent.

From Saskatoon Star Phoenix ...

First Nations want cash for cellphone airspace
Paul Samyn, CanWest News Service - May 31, 2007

OTTAWA -- The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs wants to charge Manitoba Telecom Services for cellphone signals that pass through the airspace of the province's reserves.

Earlier this month, the province's chiefs passed a resolution calling on MTS to pay for using First Nations airspace, which the AMC believes is a resource no different than its land or waterways.

First Nations don't charge airlines for flying through their airspace, nor do they bill owners of satellites for orbiting above their reserves.

The chiefs want to share in the revenues for the "transmission of signals (inclusive of phones -- land/cellular, information technology access, etc.) that cross the land, water and air space of our reserves."

The AMC resolution may be a legal long shot, but also in its motion was another demand echoed by the Assembly of First Nations that may have a fighting chance: Ottawa is preparing to auction off more airwaves for cellphone coverage and the country's First Nations want a piece of the action to ensure that reserves get better cell phone service.

In its federal submission last week, the AFN said a lack of cell phone coverage for rural and remote First Nations is hurting the economic prospects of reserves.

"Some First Nations communities do not have equal opportunity to participate in the new economy because they do not have access to wireless service. . . . First Nations peoples and communities are disadvantaged from realizing the benefits of participating in the new economy," the AFN said.

University of Manitoba law professor Bryan Schwartz said there appears to be a clear role for the federal government to ensure First Nations interests and needs are reflected in its upcoming auction of additional wireless bandwidth.

AMC Grand Chief Ron Evans won't be commenting on the revenue-sharing proposal until he has had a chance to discuss the matter with MTS.

MTS officials could not be reached for comment.

(Winnipeg Free Press)

From the Executive Summary ....

Aboriginal protests and occupations occur throughout the province, often with little warning, and no one can predict where they will occur. The fundamental conditions and catalysts that spark such protests continue to exist in Ontario, more than a decade after Ipperwash. However, my analysis has convinced me that Aboriginal occupations and protests are not inevitable, nor are they inevitably violent.

The provincial government and other institutions must redouble their efforts to build successful, peaceful relations with Aboriginal peoples in Ontario so that we can all live together peacefully and productively. There have been significant, constructive changes in the law and to key public institutions in the twelve years since Ipperwash. Yet more is needed. ...

Click here for the full report web site ...

Volume 1. Investigation and Findings
Volume 2. Poilicy Analysis
Volume 3. Inquiry Process
Volume 4. Executive Summary

Government To Respond To Report Today

TORONTO, May 31 - The Ontario government has received the final report of the Ipperwash Inquiry, Attorney General Michael Bryant announced today.

"On behalf of the McGuinty government, I would like to thank Justice Sidney Linden and the staff at the Ipperwash Inquiry for their dedicated efforts in conducting this important review," said Bryant. "The report is the result of more than three years of hard work, which, as promised, is immediately being made available to the public."

In November 2003, Attorney General Michael Bryant asked Justice Linden to conduct a public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the 1995 death of Dudley George, who was shot by an Ontario Provincial Police officer during a First Nations protest at Ipperwash Provincial Park. Justice Linden was also asked to make recommendations about how to prevent similar events from occurring in the future.

The Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, Monte Kwinter, and the Minister Responsible for Aboriginal Affairs, David Ramsay, will be in Forest, Ontario to provide a preliminary response to the report following Justice Linden's news conference.

"This has been an historic and profoundly important commission," said Bryant "We had an excellent commissioner who produced an extremely detailed report that will help us learn from the past and promote peaceful resolutions in the future."

The report is posted on the Ipperwash Inquiry's website at www.ipperwashinquiry.ca. The ministry has also posted a link on its website at www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca. Printed copies are available through the Publications Ontario bookstore, 880 Bay Street, Toronto, 1-800-668-9938, www.publications.gov.on.ca.

For further information: Greg Crone, Ministry of the Attorney General, Minister's Office, (416) 326-1785; Brendan Crawley, Ministry of the Attorney General, Communications Branch, (416) 326-2210