Media.Knet.Ca

Meetings in Thunder Bay with a number of different partners involved in building and sustaining Information Technology networks across the region took place on Wednesday, Nov 22.

At the airports (Sioux Lookout and Thunder Bay), informal discussions with members of the McMaster / Sioux Lookout doctors team members is resulting in further discussions around the growth of telehealth services and the network for applications including public health program development and delivery.

At the KORI office (http://research.knet.ca), Carl Seibel, FedNor Telecom Project Officer met with KO team members (Geordi, Brian Walmark, Franz and Brian Beaton) to discuss current initiatives and future IT opportunities and requirements.

At Confederation College, representatives from the college (Paul, Brent, Claire, Brian), Contact North (Pat via video conference), NOSM (Pasi), Keewatin Patricia Board of Education (Del), Rainy River Board of Education (Steven), ORANO (Phil, Ron), Northern Development and Mines (Randy), FedNor (Carl) and KO (Brian) met to discuss strategies for developing the ORION Research and Education fibre connections across the region. Regrets from Lakehead University and the Superior Greenstone Board reps were expressed.

After the folks from ORANO left, a number of people involved in Economic Development across the region joined the meeting to discuss strategies for "completing the job of making sure EVERY community in northern Ontario has access to broadband connections and applications". Northern Development and Mines is now looking to complete this work within their new mandate.

Later at the Valhalla, team KO team (Geordi and Brian) met with the new president and CEO of Thunder Bay Telephone (Peter Diedrich) to discuss possible partnership opportunities.

Lily Menominee-Batise is the Chiefs of Ontario's First Nations and Inuit Regional Health Information Systems Coordinator, who is tasked with developing Ontario's e-health delivery strategy.

Lily travelled to Balmertown on Monday, Nov 20 to meet with Donna Williams and her telehealth team to learn and share information concerning the telehealth work that is taking place across the region.

On Thursday, Lily travelled to Sioux Lookout to learn about the IT network side of operation and the developments that are taking place affecting getting all First Nation health facilities and organizations across Ontario onto a broadband connection with video conferencing capabilities.

At last week's Chiefs of Ontario assembly, resolutions supporting the development and delivery of telehealth services and the necessary broadband connections to support telehealth applications were passed. These resolutions moved forward by two chiefs from Keewaytinook Okimakanak and supported by the chiefs in assembly.

The two resolutions are:

• CHIEFS OF ONTARIO SUPPORT FOR TELEHEALTH SERVICES
  • MOVED BY: Chief Royal Meekis, Deer Lake First Nation
  • SECONDED BY: Chief Tom Bressette, Kettle & Stoney Point First Nation
     
• CHIEFS OF ONTARIO SUPPORT FOR THE KUHKENAH NETWORK PARTNERSHIP WITH SMART SYSTEMS FOR HEALTH AGENCY
  • MOVED BY: Chief Joe Meekis, Keewaywin First Nation
  • SECONDED BY: Chief Arthur Moore, Constance Lake First Nation

Click here for copies of these two resolutions (PDF document) as they were presented to the chiefs for their consideration.

The Keewaytinook Okimakanak team hosted the first in a series of live video conferenced and online Business and Economic Development information sessions on Thursday, Nov 16. For more information about these sessions visit http://meeting.knet.ca and join the online discussions (found under Public Works -> Economic Development Workshops)

The first session, Proposal Writing Tips, included participants from Attawapiskat, Keewayin, North Spirit Lake, Thunder Bay and Balmertown. Click here to watch the archived session (uses windows media).

Three days of meetings and visits provided visitors from Industry Canada with a good overview about the importance of broadband connectivity for the people across northwestern Ontario. The visitors included:

• Carl Seibel, Telecom Officer with FedNor in Thunder Bay,
• Joe Poirier, First Nations SchoolNet Project Officer in Ottawa
• Dan Winters, Broadband Program Technical Advisor in Ottawa

The visit agenda included a whirlwind visit to Slate Falls and North Caribou Lake First Nation on Wednesday to meet with the folks at the band offices, health centres and schools in each of these First Nations. Both communities were gracious hosts, providing us with clear directions to further develop opportunities for their local development of infrastructure and bandwidth. Click here to check out some of the pictures from this trip.

A four minute video of this trip, called "Learning about Broadband Uses in Slate Falls and Weagamow First Nations" was produced by Cal Kenny, K-Net's Multimedia Producer. This video can be viewed at http://streaming.knet.ca/learning_about_broadband.wmv

Meetings and tours were also held with

• the Youth Workers who were attending their training workshop in Sioux Lookout
• the Atlantic Regional Management Organization to discuss the development and importance of the First Nation regional networks and their role in supporting the communities
• the Sioux Lookout local infrastructure of the Kuhkenah Network and all the staff members
• Pelican Falls First Nations High School
• Keewaytinook Internet High School
• Wahsa Distance Education Centre

Thanks to one and all who supported the KO team in helping to welcome our visits to this special part of northern Ontario!

Youth workers from 25 different First Nations across northern Ontario came together this week in Sioux Lookout to further develop their IT skills. Lead by Angus Miles (Fort Severn) and Jesse Fiddler (Sandy Lake) this week's training workshop provided everyone with the opportunity to meet each other and share their stories and experiences.

Click here to check out the pictures from this gathering.

Click here to visit the Youth Workers online training and sharing meeting space. (requires registration)

The IT Youth Worker employment project is coordinated by Keewaytinook Okimakanak's K-Net Services with funding support from Industry Canada's First Nations SchoolNet program and HRSDC. Marie Carson, Darlene Rae and Jeannie Carpenter are working together to support the Youth Workers and the training coordinators from across Ontario.

Participants in this week's training workshop include:

• Attawapiskat Nation - Jean Okimaw
• Bearskin Lake First Nation - Yvonne Kamenawatamin
• Constance Lake - Norman J Sutherland
• Deer Lake First Nation - Curtis Rae
• Fort Severn First Nation - Lyle Thomas
• Garden River First Nation - Lisabeth Boissoneau
• Iskatewizaagegan #39 Independent First Nation (Shoal Lake No 39) - Kelly Blackhorse
• Kasabonika Lake First Nation - Allison Anderson
• Keewaywin First Nation - Jason Kakegamic
• Kingfisher Lake First Nation - Terry Mamakwa
• Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation (Big Trout Lake) - Robinson Hudson
• Lac Seul First Nation - Adam Gordon
• M'Chigeeng First Nation (West Bay FN) - Richard Debassige
• New Slate Falls Nation - Desmond Roundhead
• North Caribou Lake Nation (Weagamow Lake) - Derek Kanate
• North Spirit Lake First Nation - Corey Rae
• Ojibways of Onigaming First Nation - Shawn Kelly
• Pikangikum First Nation  - Gavin Turtle
• Poplar Hill First Nation - Zachariah Suggashie
• Sachigo Lake First Nation - Angus Miles - Trainer
• Sachigo Lake First Nation - Maria Mckay
• Sandy Lake First Nation -  Curtis Drake
• Sandy Lake First Nation - Jesse Fiddler - Trainer
• Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation - Tim Gardner
• Webequie First Nation - Leah Wabasse

NAN's Education Committee lead by Deputy Chief Terry Waboose and Education Advisor Dobi-Dawn Frenette, hosted a meeting with INAC's Regional Education team on Thursday, Nov 9 in Thunder Bay. INAC representatives attending this meeting included:

• Katherine Knott; Director, Education; (519) 751-2243
• Connie Charlie; A/Junior Program Officer; (807) 624-1566
• Cheryl Kylander; Sr Education Officer; (807) 624-1522

Topics discussed during this day long meeting included:

• Education Priorities: Nishnawbe Aski Nation
• Education Priorities: Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
• 06/07 Funding
• 07/08 Funding
• Education Authorities
• National Working Groups
• Education Policy Framework/Systems and Jurisdiction
• Special Education
• Provincial/Federal Relations
• Intergovernmental Relations
• Post-secondary (including ISSP)
• Data sharing
• Nishnawbe Aski Nation Education meeting
• Moving Forward

Other issues:

• Ojibway Cree Cultural Centre
• Northern Nishnawbe Education Council
• Keewaytinook Internet High School, presentation
• Information Technology & Broadband Connections (First Nation SchoolNet Program)

Jim Teskey, KO Education Advisor and Brian Beaton, K-Net Coordinator attended this meeting and did presentations about KiHS and the First Nations SchoolNet initiatives.

Keewaytinook Okimakanak's Research Institute is working with the KO Public Works department to facilitate the first series of five online workshops regarding economic
& business development.

The workshops will occur every Thursday morning (9:30-10:30AM, EST) starting November 16 and ending on December 14, 2006.  

Everyone interested in the topics being discussed can participate in the actual session via video conference. As well, there is an online discussion forum and video streaming component for those who need to watch the session online. Please visit the website for: online discussions, workshop schedule, feedback form, links, etc.

http://meeting.knet.ca/moodle/course/view.php?id=66

Presenters include NADF award winner for Youth Entrepreneur and Partnership (2005) and recent Business Plan award,  Darcy & Susan's Gas.

Please contact the KORI office at the number below to book your site for the video conference sessions. 

The first workshop topic - Tips for Proposal Writing, will occur on November 16, 2006 9:30-10:30 AM (EST)

KORI Contact: Terry Moreau
Phone: 877.737.5638 X 1266 Email: tmoreau@knet.ca  

Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, chair of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, wants to open a dialogue with the Chiefs of Keewaytinook Okimakanak ... To see new photos from Rome, click here...

Tauli-Corpuz is an Indigenous person from the Phillippines who is participating at the World Congress on Communication for Development... She praised KO for its achievements in telecommunications during the forum on Indigenous Form... Other news from Rome... Indigenous peoples in Central America would like to broadcast the "Turning the Corner" video on their community television network along with other videos created by K-Net's Cal Kenny such as "Paddling to Wahaso."  They would like to get them translated into Spainish but are willing to show them in English to encourage First Nations youth in Central America to tell their stories using video...

People attending the World Congress from Africa, Asia, and Central America are impressed with www.knet.ca  At least one delegate has already signed up to participate in the e-learning platform on digital education, a project between KORI and the Faculty of Education at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay...

Members of the Indigenous Forum want to keep the dialogue going after the World Congress closes its final session on Friday... They are exploring a variety of ways to keep the ideas flowing...

KORI's Brian Walmark is attending the World Congress in Rome...

KO's Turning the Corner video was selected for screening at the World Congress on Communication for Development this week in Rome, Italy. 

Videos selected include short subjects and public service announcements produced throughout the Third World.

KO's Brian Walmark is a speaker at a World Bank / FAO forum on Indiginous Peoples and Communication Policy. During a forum on health and communications, he spoke about KO Telehealth and the role of Community Telehealth Coordinators (CTCs) and the crucial role that they play in the promotion of telehealth at the local level.

He was invited to join a team of people from Africa, Central America and South East Asia to draft a resolution on supporting Indiginous Peoples and Telecommunications. To see photos of this event, click here.

Click here to watch the Turning the Corner - Effective Use of Broadband video at http://streaming.knet.ca/turning_the_corner_high.wmv  

To find more online reference material including video resources about this work, visit the June 2005 KNEWS story at http://knews.knet.ca/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1426