June 2008

CBC news reports that exclusive Aboriginal fisheries is not a charter violation.

The case is no. 31603 John Michael Kapp et al. v. Her Majesty the Queen.

Posted at 08:26 AM | Permalink

Kris was a talented auto-body repairman in Peterborough, Ontario in 1989, that was until his arms went numb and curled, due to damaged nerves and tendons. With an arm brace on, he refused to give up on his hands and so taped a chisel into place and began to carve wood. Today he uses themes and images from his Ojibwa heritage to carve using wood or soapstone.

Posted at 08:05 AM | Permalink

Osoyoos Indian Band, with entrepreneurial Chief Clarence Louie at the lead, is making huge strides in providing employment and ensuring futures for all members. In fact there are more jobs than band members. Some of the nine businesses developed over the last decade include: Nk’Mip Wine Cellars, Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre, and Spirit Ridge Vineyard Resort and Spa.

Posted at 08:26 AM | Permalink

There are many food items that were created by the ingenuity of the American Aboriginals."The people of the Americas had an exciting variety of cultivated crops which included: Beans, squash, corn, cassava, pineapples, strawberries, avocados, peppers, cocoa beans, sunflower seeds, peanuts, tomatoes and vanilla. Other non-food crops included, tobacco, rubber and cotton."Doug Cuthand elaborates further on this subject in his newspaper article.

Posted at 08:25 AM | Permalink

"A Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) official says progress has been made in discussions with senior administrators of the First Nations University of Canada (FNUC)." A meeting by CAUT in November will further discuss issues surrounding FNUC.

Posted at 08:33 AM | Permalink

Sue Bailey of the Winnipeg Sun reports that there will be better tracking, and audits, of how Indian Affairs spends money.

Indian Affairs has announced the release of the: Report of the Forensic Audit of Funding Under Contribution Agreements with the Mohawk Council of Kanesatake... but there is no specific mention of new accounting upgrade in the news releases.

Posted at 01:43 PM | Permalink

Government of Saskatchewan and the Metis Nation of Saskatchewan officials are negotiating hunting and fishing rights."MNS chief executive officer Brian Kembel said in an interview Thursday this represents a huge, positive shift in the provincial government's policy and attitude toward the Metis."

Posted at 10:16 AM | Permalink

The annual Treaty Days being held at Friendship Park in Saskatoon are a symbol that all Canadians have benefited from treaties. Because of the large number of urban Aboriginals, Treaty Days now make their rounds of Saskatchewan's cities as well as the reserves. Treaty Days in Saskatoon are June 19-20 and in Regina June 24-25.

Posted at 08:42 AM | Permalink

The Kingston Whig-Standard is reporting that negotiations have been halted in the Culbertson Tract land claim.

Indian and Northern Affairs policy has been unacceptable to the Mohawk nation.

Posted at 08:17 AM | Permalink

The findings of the 2004 Commission of Inquiry into the death of Neil Stonechild was upheld by the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal. Two former Saskatoon police officers, Larry Hartwig and Brad Senger, had asked the Court to quash earlier findings that placed the 17-year-old in their custody the last night he was seen alive. This recent 44-page decision released Thursday by a three-member panel of judges found that Mr. Justice David Henry Wright:

“operated within the limits of his terms of reference and in compliance with the relevant constitutional constraints. In addition, his findings of fact were reasonable, and hence cannot be overturned."

Posted at 08:12 AM | Permalink

Indian Affairs and Northern Development has announced that the Specific Claims Tribunal Act has received royal assent and now has binding powers to resolve specific claims.

Posted at 09:44 AM | Permalink

Toxic mine tailings need to stored somewhere and water is the safest place to do this, according to the federal fisheries minister. The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Loyola Hearn defended bureaucrats plan to reclassify 16 lakes as toxic dump sites. The 16 Canadian lakes are prime fish habitat from B.C. to Newfoundland and Labrador. James Dennis, a 76-year old elder of the Tahltan in northwest British Columbia says “we want it stopped, once they do the mine, they’re going to leave, and we're the people who are going to live with that. Not me, but my grandchildren, the small little kids like this. That's who's going to live with the pollution.”

Posted at 08:49 AM | Permalink

Nexen has donated One Million dollars toward the establishment of the Nexen Chair in Aboriginal Leadership. The goal is to work with Aboriginal communities to identify research needs and to conduct case studies of successful organizations, businesses, and leaders in Canada. The focus will be to pinpoint critical success factors, share the findings, and then incorporate them into the Banff Centre's Aboriginal Leadership and Management programs.

Posted at 02:00 PM | Permalink

Indian Affairs and Northern Development has announced that amendments have been introduced in the House of Commons to change the Indian Oil and Gas Act .

Posted at 08:50 AM | Permalink

Yet another First Nation man has been shot and killed by the RCMP. Police were called to attend a domestic dispute on June 14 on the White Bear First Nation, officers encountered a suspect armed with a knife and deadly force was used."A statement read Saturday by Chief Brian Standingready - and based on details relayed to band members by RCMP - further stated the 21-year-old 'was pursued by two members of the RCMP and the member closest to the young man discharged his weapon.'"

Posted at 11:55 AM | Permalink

Aboriginal women in Saskatchewan are increasingly participating in politics. These amazing women are viewed as strong leaders as well as traditional home keepers by their communities. FSIN Chief Lawrence Joseph says "the exciting part is that each year more and more women are doing both.' Joseph believes it's important to have women involved in decision-making because they bring new ideas and a different voice, which has been missing for far too long."

Posted at 11:11 AM | Permalink

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is pleased to announce a series of conferences, institutes and workshops to support Aboriginal cultural preservation in the United States.

• Listing of conferences from the National Institutes for Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums
  
• Funding for these conferences comes from the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
  

Posted at 02:14 PM | Permalink

National Aboriginal Day is a day for all Canadians to celebrate the contributions of Aboriginal peoples, and events are held in every region across the country. In advance of your local celebrations, we would like to invite you to the launch of new website that helps Canadians learn more about Aboriginal peoples.

The University of Saskatchewan Archives and our six partner institutions have just completed a new website with over 4,000 descriptions and over 50,000 digitized items of archival and published material relating to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples. This sites makes accessible materials about Aboriginal peoples which previously were difficult to discover or only available locally. Please join us for a webcast launch of:

"Our Legacy" Website ( http://scaa.sk.ca/ourlegacy/ )

June 17, 2008 4 p.m. CST (6 pm EDT)

This demonstration will include:
* Videoconference link from La Ronge, Ile-a-la-Crosse and Saskatoon sites
* Content overview: archival and published, artifacts, media
* Demonstration of faceted navigation
* Special features: exhibits, maps, and slideshows

We welcome your comments and feedback and are interested in exploring how your organization might use this site for research and teaching. We are planning to expand this site and would welcome your participation and new partnerships from across the country.

Webcast Directions

In the spirit of trying new things, being risk takers, and learning together, we will be piloting the streaming of the videoconference to the web via two different webcast options.

1.. For information about connecting the webcast, please see http://scaa.sk.ca/ourlegacy/demo
2.. IMPORTANT: Please be sure to test out your connection at least 24 hours in advance.
3.. Participation is limited so please RSVP to Darlene.Fichter@usask.ca

If you are unable to attend the webcast for [whatever reason J] on June 17, we will be posting an archived version for later viewing on the "Our Legacy" site.

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge funding from the Department of Heritage, Library and Archives Canada, the Canadian Council of Archives, and the Saskatchewan Provincial Library (Ministry of Education) which enabled this project.
Please feel free to forward this invitation to anyone you think would be interested in this new resource.

Posted at 09:38 AM | Permalink

Statues depicting Chief Whitecap and John Lake's meeting in 1882 that resulted in Saskatoon's founding, were erected today in the Third Avenue South roundabout. The double life-sized bronze sculptures were sculpted by Hans Holkamp, 60 of Montana, "you put a lot of yourself into it, blood, sweat and tears. You're emotionally involved in creating the sculpture. Now that it's the end it's like saying goodbye to two good buddies" he said.

Posted at 02:18 PM | Permalink

The 2005 National Film Board award-winning video The Gift of Diabetes is written, features and is narrated by O. Brion Whitford, a diabetic himself. It depicts the healing journey this Ojibway man from Winnipeg dealt with regarding his diabetes including depression and a loss of identity. Copies of the video are available at the Saskatoon Public Library (975-7558) or can be purchased from the National Film Board of Canada.

Posted at 10:59 AM | Permalink

University of Saskatchewan history Professor James R. Miller has been awarded $1.4 million from the federal Canada Research Chair (CRC) for residential school research.

Professor Miller is known for his books, Shingwauk's vision : a history of native residential schools, Skyscrapers hide the heavens : a history of Indian-white relations in Canada, Lethal legacy : current native controversies in Canada and many others.

Posted at 03:40 PM | Permalink

The historic apology given in the Commons by Prime Minister Stephen Harper yesterday signals 'new dawn' in Canada, says Chief Fontaine. First Nations leaders in the House of Commons called for a new era in Aboriginal relations in Canada."The attempts to erase our identities hurt us deeply. But it also hurt all Canadians and impoverished the character of this nation. We must not falter in our duty now. Emboldened by this spectacle of history, it is possible to end our racial nightmare together" Chief Phil Fontaine had also said.

To veiw the apology in its entirety, go to the APTN website at http://www.aptn.ca/

Posted at 09:47 AM | Permalink

Posted at 11:41 AM | Permalink

The Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples (ACIP) would like a national summit to discuss the issue of unpaid clergy.

Posted at 03:53 PM | Permalink

Three Saulteaux First Nations have formed a working group in hopes of building a culturally specific centre, a centre that could include counselling for residential school victims as well as addictions.

Posted at 03:28 PM | Permalink

Four Saskatchewan First Nations have been offered compensation in a long standing land claim dispute by the federal and provincial governments. Muscowpetung, Pasqua, Sakimay and Cowessess First Nations are studying the offer made by the federal government on May 29th. The dispute is over the operation of water-control structures along the Qu'Appelle Valley River basin.

Posted at 11:27 AM | Permalink

Brazilian authorities have discovered an 'uncontacted' tribe of Indigenous peoples in the Amazonian rain forest on the Peruvian border. Survival International say that the tribe is in danger because of illegal logging in the area. Officials in Brazil believe this isolated group to be one of the last Indigenous peoples to have face to face contact with the outside world.

Posted at 10:46 AM | Permalink

The theft of Bill Reid art from the University of B.C.'s Museum of Anthropology created fear that the gold pieces of artwork would be melted down by the thieves. A weekend raid by Vancouver police has recovered some of the late Haida artist's work intact.

Posted at 09:07 AM | Permalink

CBC news has announced a broadcast calendar of radio and TV coverage of the Aboriginal Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Posted at 08:10 AM | Permalink

Purich Publishing has released a new book: For Future Generations: Reconciling Gitxsan and Canadian Law which is about the Delgamuukw v. British Columbia Supreme Court Case and Aboriginal Title.

"Dr. Mills received her PhD in Native Law, History and Anthropology through the Individual Interdisciplinary Graduate Programme at the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Law. Her research includes the intersection of First Nations and Canadian state property rights, especially in the area of mineral, oil and gas development. She has worked for a number of First Nations communities advising on the impact of potential resource development, including the Gitxsan. She holds an Adjunct position at the Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada."

Posted at 02:57 PM | Permalink

First Nations, Metis, business and provincial leaders attended an historic round-table discussion. The idea of revenue-sharing was discussed, along with defining "duty to consult."

Posted at 02:19 PM | Permalink

Saskatchewan has a duty to consult and accommodate First Nations' Chief expresses concerns, prior to any permission given to oilsand companies to proceed with work. What is happening out on the land is his concern and not the money.

Posted at 10:05 AM | Permalink

Four Correctional Service of Canada employees were fired and are facing criminal charges after the death of 19-year-old Ashley Smith. Another four employees were suspended without pay. Ashley Smith, who suffered from a mental illness, and was in a segregation cell, died October 19 at Kitchener's Grand Valley Institution. Staff allegedly viewed on a video monitoring system the late Miss Smith with a ligature around her neck, but did not intervene.

Posted at 08:46 AM | Permalink

The Canadian Press reports that the Chipewyan Prairie First Nation wants the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench to block the approval of phase three of MEG Energy Corp.'s Christina Lake project near Fort McMurray until the Province agrees to consultation.

Posted at 08:42 AM | Permalink

Saskatchewan First Nations Circle of Honour Awards to pay tribute to First Nations peoples who demonstrate tremendous achievements, discipline, vision, and excellence begins tonight.

Posted at 01:30 PM | Permalink

Phil Fontaine believes position of Minister of Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl to oppose the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples has tarnished the international reputation of Canada and branded Canada as unreliable and uncooperative when it comes to international human rights. He called the stance regressive, with serious long term implications. September 13, 2007 the UN General Assembly adopted a Declaration, which upholds the human, political, spiritual, land and resources rights of the world's Indigenous peoples. Only Canada, New Zealand, and the United States voted against it.

Posted at 01:13 PM | Permalink

Inquest into the November 13, 2006 shooting death of Delbert Kenneth Pelletier, 44 years old, of Muskowekwan First Nation, presided over by Coroner Alma Wiebe, has an all-Aboriginal jury of six. The parties have applied to call and cross-examine witnesses. The inquest will not assess blame, it will explore circumstances and cause, and provide recommendations to prevent similar deaths.

Posted at 11:37 AM | Permalink

The TRC began work June 1st, 2008, examining the legacy of Indian residential schools. Their purpose is not to assign blame, but to understand how Aboriginal people were affected by the residential school experience.

The commission is comprised of three individuals, chaired by Justice Harry LaForme, an Aboriginal from Ontario. The approach to be used by the TRC is a form of restorative justice as opposed to the normal adversarial or retributive which aim to find guilt and punish. "The process allows for acknowledgement, appropriate public mourning, forgiveness and healing."

Posted at 10:00 AM | Permalink

Dan Lett has written to the CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal stating that children are going without medical and social services, at Norway House Cree Nation, in a violation of Jordan's principle.

Posted at 09:44 AM | Permalink

Maria Canton of The Sun Times reports that the Saugeen and Chippewas of Nawash First Nations have signed an agreement with Bruce Power that will allow participation in the process of restarting the Bruce A nuclear power plant.

"We've made it quite clear that we have to be involved in these projects from beginning to end in terms of the assessment, the various regulatory process and making sure we have the capacity and the expertise we need to make informed decisions," said Chief Randall Kahgee of the Saugeen First Nation.

Posted at 09:25 AM | Permalink

The National Aboriginal Trades Symposium will hold a sumposium on Building a Skilled and Untapped Apprenticeship Resource on June 10-11, 2008 in Victoria, B.C.

Main page | Sessions | Registration

Posted at 09:01 AM | Permalink