Media.Knet.Ca

On Wednesday morning, three members of the Wahsa teaching team (Doug LeConte, Al Morrison and Marvin Osmond) meet at K-Net to get a tour of some of the e-learning tools being utilized by members of Industry Canada's First Nations SchoolNet team. Some of the potential program and course delivery strategies being explored and developed for students enrolled in the Northern Nishnawbe Education Council include:

• using video conferencing to share high school courses between Wahsa Distance Education Centres located in First Nations across the north, Pelican Falls First Nations High School in Sioux Lookout, Dennis Cromarty High School in Thunder Bay and Eagle Nest High School in Ear Falls;
• developing content and delivering programs and courses using the macromedia Breeze platform;
• integrating and complementing these different delivery tools with an e-learning platform that meets their needs, for example the moodle environment.

On Thursday morning, four members of the Wawatay team met at K-Net to discuss possible program and service delivery strategies for their organization that would support a stronger o­n-line presence in all their operations (newspaper, radio and television). Martin Tuesday, Alvin Fiddler, Leroy Fiddler and George Witham (via telephone) discussed various strategies for developing their infrastructure to support a variety of o­n-line applications that would see and support local First Nations being able to develop and deliver a wider range of community radio programming by linking radio stations o­n-line. Wawatay's web presence is now delivering current news stories and radio programming with the directions lead by Alvin and Leroy.

K-Net staff joined Carl Seibel, Telecom Officer at FedNor, Pierre Marin, Senior Analyst, Aboriginal Affairs Secretariat with the Privy Council and Peter Czerny, Research Officer, Broadband Program at Industry Canada o­n visits to Keewaywin and Sandy Lake First Nations. Meetings with Chief and Council members in each community, along with visits to the schools, health centres, the e-centre and KiHS (in Keewaywin) took place. A special lunch was hosted by the staff and students at the Keewaywin School as part of their fundraising for this year's school trip.

Click here to see the pictures from this trip.

As part of Industry Canada's First Nations SchoolNet program, the KO team of Tabatha Jourdain, Jamie Ray and Jesse Fiddler travelled to Six Nations to deliver another IT workshop for First Nation youth. The group of participants represented 12 First Nations from across the province. They are employed under the Youth Employment Initiative that KO is administering as part of their Regional Management Organization (RMO) work.

All the plans are now set for the official opening of the Northern Indigenous Community Satellite Network (NICSN) and earth station hub located in Sioux Lookout, o­ntario. This celebration is being hosted by Keewaytinook Okimakanak and its K-Net program. The ribbon cutting will take place at the site of the dish with the Honorable Joe Comuzzi, Minister of State for FedNor, participating in the ceremonies as well as our MP, Roger Valley and our MPP, Howard Hampton.

A video about this dish and what it means to the remote communities accessing its services is now available o­n-line (click here to view the 2.5 minute video).

Information packages include handouts:

• Partners Profile
• Kativik Regional Government (KRG)
• Keewatin Tribal Council (KTC)
• Keewaytinook Okimakanak
• Press Release from Telesat Canada
History of NICSN
• Check out the photos from the opening of the big dish

Everyone is invited to join Keewaytinook Okimakanak in celebrating this important launch by joining us o­n-line for the webcast of the event starting at 10:30 am CST. Visit http://knet.ca for the links to the webcast.

Five partners in the new Northern Indigenous Community Satellite Network (NICSN) worked with the Keewaytinook Okimakanak Research Institute (KORI) to produce short stories about how ICT tools and the broadband satellite connections are impacting their communities.

• Eabametoong First Nation - Access Increases Demand for even more Bandwidth  - http://smart.knet.ca/satellite/eabametoong.html
• Fort Severn First Nation  - Supporting Local Economic and Social Development On-line -  http://smart.knet.ca/satellite/fortsevern.html
• Slate Falls First Nation  - The power of partnerships: “We’re not remote anymore”  - http://smart.knet.ca/satellite/slatefalls.html
• Weagamow First Nation  - Making education opportunities available in remote communities  - http://smart.knet.ca/satellite/weagamow.html
• Webequie First Nation  - ICTs from the Ground Up: Grassroots Demand Pushes Expansion and Growth  -  http://smart.knet.ca/satellite/webequie.html

Each story provides a glimpse into the importance of communication technologies and broadband connectivity for these remote communities that can only receive these services through their community network and the satellite network. Industry Canada's FedNor program supported each of these communities with the development of the community's satellite earth station and the community network. Other Industry Canada IHAB programs including Smart Communities, BRAND, NSI, CAP and First Nations SchoolNet have also contributed to these local developments and are continuing to support their ongoing operation.

Indigenous Community Leaders from the North in Three Provinces to Attend Opening of Satellite Broadband Network in Sioux Lookout, Ontario

PRESS RELEASE - Sioux Lookout, Ontario. January 07, 2005    

Indigenous community leaders from the remote north in Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba will meet here on January 19, 2005, to launch a broadband network made possible through the harnessing of satellite technology. The leaders’ communities spanning many thousands of miles from Quaqtag on the Hudson Straits in Nunavik, Quebec, to Barren Lands First Nation close to the border of Saskatchewan in Manitoba have been connected by the Northern Indigenous Community Satellite Network, (NICSN) the first inter-provincial community-owned and operated broadband satellite network in Canada. NICSN is jointly managed through an inter-provincial partnership involving Keewaytinook Okimakanak Council in Northern Ontario, Kativik Regional Government in Nunavik, Quebec, and Keewatin Tribal Council in Northern Manitoba.

Keewaytinook Okimakanak (KO) is hosting the opening ceremonies to be held at the NICSN earth station and network hub located on the north side of the town of 5000. KO working with its partners from Manitoba and Quebec and a number of public and private investors has spearheaded the five years of development that culminate in the network launch on January 19.

“We are grateful to have been able to work with so many people to make NICSN a reality,’ said Geordi Kakepetum, Executive Director of KO. “We wanted communities other than our own to experience the benefits of full high-speed broadband services and now we can see the results of the partnerships that took place to make it happen.”

Representing the government of Canada at the celebrations on January 19 is the Minister of State for FedNor Joe Comuzzi whose department has invested more than $10 million in the Northern Ontario portion of the network infrastructure. The other key government of Canada investors in NICSN are Industry Canada’s First Nations SchoolNet (FNS), Smart Communities (SC), Broadband for Rural and Northern Development (BRAND) and the National Satellite Initiative (NSI) who, with Telesat and the Canadian Strategic Infrastructure Fund, have contributed $20 million in C Band satellite bandwidth which provides the space accommodation for the network. Bell Canada's investment in infrastructure upgrades to Sioux Lookout made it possible to located the hub here and closer to the where the services are being delivered.

Mr Kakepetum said he wants to use the opportunity provided by the network launch ceremonies to focus attention on the ways in which his and other remote northern communities are using this unique network to improve the lives of their citizens.  Guests at the opening will be invited to witness how this new technology brings world-class telehealth services to community users as well as other applications like an internet-based high school for grade 9 and 10 students throughout the north of Ontario. “Our Chiefs began to improve ICT’s in our communities over ten years ago,” Mr Kakepetum said. We have been fortunate to receive the support of governments and industry to help us, and now we are glad to see that other Indigenous communities from Manitoba and Quebec will be developing these vital services.”

For further information about the NICSN launch on January 19, 2005, please contact:

Florence Woolner, Opening Co-Facilitator
fwoolner@nwconx.net
807 7374418 – p
807 7377287 – f

For information about NICSN and K-Net please contact
Dan Pellerin, Network Manager, K-Net
Keewaytinook Okimakanak
Danpellerin@knet.ca
807 7371135  #51258

or

Brian Beaton, General Manager, K-Net
Keewaytinook Okimakanak
BrianBeaton@knet.ca
807 7371135   #51251

Angus Miles, Fort Severn First Nation network technician, Aaron Hardy, Fort William First Nation KiHS Technician and Jamie Ray, Flying Post First Nation member and KO Computer Technician, travelled to Toronto this week for to attend a Cisco Academy training program at Centennial College. They are representing the Ontario Regional Management Organization (ON-RMO) at this training. For more information about this training initiative, visit http://www.fnsacademy.ca

The training program is being sponsored by the Saskatchewan / Alberta Regional Management Organization (Keewatin Career Development Corporation - http://kcdc.ca) as part of Industry Canada's First Nations SchoolNet program with funding support from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC). The Education Network of Ontario is contracted by KCDC to coordinate the training.

Upon their return, Angus and Jamie will be delivering the Cisco ITE1 level training on-line for the youth hired under the First Nations SchoolNet Youth Employment initiative. The training will be made available using a variety of the communication tools such as Breeze and video conferencing.

Terence Burnard accepted a term contract to work with K-Net Services in Keewaytinook Okimakanak's Sioux Lookout office, starting January 1, 2005. Terence is working with Adi Linden providing additional support for the ongoing operation of the Kuhkenah network.

As the Network Analyst, Terence will be providing network and programming support for the various network services. Before starting with K-Net on a full-time basis, Terence took on a contract to develop a community cable modem management system that supports local technicians to manage their own community cable modems by adding, removing, suspending cable modems from their local network.

He worked on this contract from his former home just outside of Kingston. He there moved from Dinorwic to take a computer systems program at St. Lawrence College in Kingston. Terence is an Eagle Lake First Nation band member.

Terence can be contact at the K-Net office in Sioux Lookout. His e-mail address is terenceburnard@knet.ca

The offices of the Honourable Joe Comuzzi, Minister of State (FedNor - Federal
Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario) and the Honourable Roger Valley, MP for Kenora Riding confirmed their attendance at the January 19 launch of the Northern Indigenous Community Satellite Network (NICSN) in Sioux Lookout.

The launch will include the official opening of the new 7.3M satellite earth station located at the water tower. This earth station is providing broadband connections that include video, voice and data traffic for remote communities across the northern parts of Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. Representatives from each of these regions are planning to attend this two day workshop to establish an association of partners that will be sharing the bandwidth being made available to these communities through a partnership between Industry Canada and Telesat Canada.

For more information about this event, visit http://smart.knet.ca/satellite

This past week, Frank Odasz, owner of Lone Eagle Consulting, contacted K-Net to discuss the work that is being done in the First Nations across the region. Frank travels the world supporting First Nations in their work to develop economic and social opportunities with their community members. He expressed an interest in working with communities and individuals to further expand some of the potential opportunities that exist with the broadband connections that are being established in the communities across the region.

After the meeting, Frank drafted the following message documenting some of the valuable resources he has freely made available on-line for everyone to use. He invites everyone to share their stories with him so he can work with others to show what is possible. His message is being shared in the same spirit of inviting everyone to become engaged in furthering the developments and opportunities that exist with these broadband connections. It is through working together that a stronger community and nation will grow! As Frank writes on his web site:

"The greatest freedom one can give to another is how to become a self-sufficient learner and earner, via the Internet.  This site is dedicated to those who lend their wings to others."

Brian,

You were very generous in enlightening me this morning. Generally, I'm the one who intimidates others with my technical knowledge, but I felt like a kindergartner this morning.

My presentation on People-Centered Knowledge Networks - described in my last message to you,  focuses on rural workforce training as the key application for a CMS system, but inherently grows social capacity through a structured mentoring program that generates social recognition for those who share new knowledge with others. The other resources generally are intended to enlighten rural individuals and leaders regarding what's possible - and what their first small action steps should be. Once we have just one real success story, the Me-Too dynamic will kick in and ideally we'll emulate your snowballing success disseminating innovations. Please feel invited to offer your candid reactions to all of my too many writings. (Grin)

For those who might be interested in your communities regarding supplemental income or full-time self-employment, my online class is available and is presented as a train-the-trainers model. I've generated many articles on indigenous Internet empowerment http://lone-eagles.com/alaskan-resources.htm  All of which is geared to instilling the vision as to what's possible...as validated at a high level by the fine work I've only glimpsed this morning. My ecommerce success stories are at http://lone-eagles.com/connect-idaho.htm and I'd love to see a similar listing develop from your communities.

The more I learn about the successes and new tools at your end, the better armed I'll be to spread the word, engage many local champions in many rural communities, and as is my calling - create free self-directed online curriculum. Future funding is very viable as I've already generated many grant proposals for indigenous communities as listed at the end of http://lone-eagles.com/village-sustainabilty.htm  

My most recent community grant template does not require outside funding but serves as a way to engage the greater community in learning from their own first digital generation about the innovations of other communities in a way that it becomes inevitable that they will begin to adopt these innovations and the ongoing process of looking through the Internet Window to learn on a regular basis. This implementation model focuses on an intergenerational approach http://lone-eagles.com/seeds.htm  

My many presentation descriptions are at http://lone-eagles.com/presentations.htm  I generally give attendees their first introduction to demonstration of digital art tablets, digital music home studio applications, multimedia slideshows created with my Sony Mavica CDROM camera, community promotion CDROMs, Ebay as an easy way to be introduced to ecommerce, and my online course as a fast-track overview on what's working for others like them - on a dramatic scale!

Unless I win a big grant (my last one in 1994 was $880,000) I can only offer to trade my presentations, resources, and online training time, for your training and site development/maintenance services. I have 256k wireless at home but it is sometimes inconsistent.

It is very likely I could bring your team several communities in the next month, potentially dozens or hundreds depending on your capacity and entrepreneurial ambitions.

I could see a few days in person as being very productive. Are your key knet innovators in one place or spread out all over? I'd think industry Canada would be throwing funding at you and that your team would have invitations to be presenting on the road on a continuous basis?

I'll stop here. My best and worst trait is I'm prolific as a writer and resource gatherer.  January 18-20 I'm presenting in Browning, Montana - on the Blackfeet reservation. We have many excited champions there and intend to create a video success story from the very beginning.

FYI, I'd submitted my presentation to Gareth Shearman for the Vancouver conference but don't know if I'm going or not. I, too, try to minimize my air travel, but enjoy driving all around Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.

On the table is what story you'd like to tell about empowering us, and how I can help develop a scalable solution for all rural communities who desire a way out of their dramatic economic and social decline.

What next steps best suit your interests?

Thanks again,

Frank