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Donated books soon to be sent to the KO/KIHS schools.

Keewaytinook Okimakanak set up an information booth at the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) gathering taking place in Charlottetown, PEI on July 20 to 22, 2003. Click here to check out the pictures of some of the leaders who stopped by to discuss our work.

Chief Darby Harper wants to see his community get connected to other communities outside of their small remote First Nation. He is working with Industry Canada's First Nations SchoolNet's Regional Management Organization to expand the use of their local school's two-way satellite internet connection to connect the other houses in his community to the internet. Click here for pictures and the story about the installation of Koocheching's new wireless hot zone.

Koocheching is still without a community wide hydro and telephone service. Local generators provide the power required to operate the computers and the equipment. A new water service is being installed this summer that will include an innovative solar system to provide power for this service with the capacity to power their local telecom system.

In 1998, the old Koocheching School was first connected to the internet using the combination MSAT / DirecPC system. The outbound MSAT satellite route provided a 4.8K connection to the internet via the Education Network of Ontario service out of their Ottawa office for the networked computers in the school. The return data was received using the DirecPC connection that was first provided by Telesat Canada and later transferred to Bell Canada. A 12 minute video produced by the First Nations SchoolNet program in 1998 documents the set up in Koocheching and what the internet means to them. Click here to watch the video (requires Windows Media).

In 2002, Koocheching began working with Windigo to approach FedNor to obtain the necessary funding to establish a broadband connection into the Bell network north of Red Lake. Then their community was included in the Windigo application to Industry Canada's Broadband for Rural and Northern Development (BRAND) program. But they were not included in the funding that has been given to Windigo to establish the connections in Muskrat Dam and Slate Falls. So as an interim solution, Chief Harper is working with the available connections and their own resources to connect the homes in his community.

Dan Pellerin, K-Net's Network Manager travelled to Muskrat Dam and Slate Falls this past week to meet with community leaders and band staff. Discussions about the installation and operation of their local community broadband network took place. As well the team, including Bill and Ivan Blair from Blair Electronics, toured the communities to determine the best hub location and construction requirements for their local community cable system.

Windigo First Nations Council applied to Industry Canada's Broadband for Rural and Northern Development program (BRAND) on behalf of Koocheching, Muskrat Dam and Slate Falls to develop a broadband connectivity solution in these communities. Funding approval was received to develop these essential services in Muskrat Dam and Slate Falls.

Each of the First Nations are hiring local staff to support and manage this local economic development initiative on an ongoing basis. K-Net Services is contracted to be the Project Manager for this development with Dan taking the lead role on this work. Blair Electronics will be the contractor doing the installation. Windigo First Nations Council is providing the project administration.

Luis Barnola, Senior Program Specialist with the Institute for Connectivity in the Americas - ICA, hosted a video conference meeting between the Executive Director of E-Panama along with other officials from Panama and the KO Telehealth evaluation team and K-Net staff.

This office is Panama's office dedicated to connectivity and development. The Panama team was interested in learning about how Canada is deploying tele-medicine and tele-health strategies so they can adjust their own e-plans.  As well, E-tourism (eco-tourism) in small islands inhabited by indigenous people (Kuna Nation) is also an important development for them so meaningful connectivity strategies can be deployed in these areas to support sustainable development of such pristine  environments.

Feedback from all the meeting participants was positive. The evaluation team with reps from the universities of Guelph and Laurentian expressed their pleasure at being able to meet with these guests from Panama.

Luis wrote in a follow up e-mail ... "My warmest gratitude for your time and interest on their "visit".  They/we were most impressed by what they saw ...".

Dan also wrote ... "The video conference went well from our end.   We learnt a couple of items from the outside such as the high importance placed on the economics of connectivity.  We also got a chance to try to explain ourselves and the program to a different audience (good sales practice) and how to work together better as a team."

KO's Geordi Kakepetum met with Roger Valley, the newly elected MP for Kenora riding... The rookie MP is looking forward to working with KO... He wants to learn more about KiHS, KO's Internet high school and other telecommunications applications... He offered to open doors for KO in Ottawa... He said he has been told he will have to remain for extended periods of time in Ottawa during the realities of Minority Government... However, he pledged to keep the lines of communication open with KO... For photos, click here...

KO Chiefs tour new Water Treatment Training Facility in Dryden during this week's chiefs' meetings.

Following the tour, the Chiefs are receiving reports from SLAMMB and NAPS... To see photos, click here.

On Friday, K-Net Services completed the 100M LAN Extension connection to the Keewaytinook Okimakanak office in Thunder Bay. This connection provides the broadband connectivity for a number of First Nation organizations in Fort William First Nation and Thunder Bay. This Thunder Bay consortium is lead by Nishnawbe Aski Nation and includes Matawa First Nations Management, Oshki, Nishnawbe Aski Legal Services, Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund, Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corp and Fort William FN Adult Learning Centre.

As part of their work with Industry Canada's First Nations SchoolNet, Cal Kenny and Jesse Fiddler attended the Pii Waseya gathering of residential school survivors recently held in Eagle Lake First Nation. Throughout the four day event, Cal and Jesse interviewed and video taped a number of the different activities and participants. Click here to view the photos from this gathering.

As a start, a series of short video clips are being produced highlighting some of the information obtained throughout this event. The first four video clips consist of four statements by Mahgeegan Shawanda, a youth workshop leader and conference presenter. The following clips are now available on-line (Windows media player required):

1. Introduction (7.49M)
2. Youth activities (8.88M)
3. Community and Individual healing work (8.91M)
4. Parenting and family relationships (13.7M)

Additional video taped sessions from this gathering are now available (July 23):

1. Kitty Everson - an elder's story
2. Steve Jordain - dealing with abuse in our communities
3. Dr. Gilchrist
4. Canoe  Race
5. Phil Gatensby- Part 1
6. Phil Gatensby- Part 2, Story

The KO Research Institute has been forming partnerships ...