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The Indigenous Peoples and Justice Programs annual lecture series at the UofS welcomes speaker Penelope C. Sanz, who will lecture on, "Mining a Sacred Mountain. Protecting the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. A Human Rights Impact Assessment - Philippine Report."
The lecture takes place Wednesday, March 31, 2010 from 12:00pm - 1:00pm in the Arts Building room 208.
Wednesday March 31, 2010 is the 50th anniversary of amendments to the Canada Elections Act by then Prime Minister John Diefenbaker to extend voting rights to First Nations Canadians. Studies have determined that voting rates for on-reserve elections for chief and band council are sharply higher than turnout rates for those living off reserve. Studies have also noted that in the last 50 years there have been only eight First Nations people elected to the House of Commons.
The lineup for this year's Back To Batoche has been unveiled. The event is a week-long event that celebrates Métis history and pays homage to Métis leaders such as Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont. Singer Michelle Wright will highlight this year's celebration along with other Canadian Métis performers such as Donny Parenteau, Andrea Menard and The Métis Fiddler Quartet.
Members of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band (LLRIB) attended the completion celebrations for a pilot project, the Aboriginal Housing Demonstration Project, held at the Riverbend Institution in Prince Albert recently. The project is the first phase in developing a sustainable partnership with a purpose of providing federal offenders with meaningful employment experience and training while assisting Aboriginal communities in addressing their priority of providing adequate housing, according to the Corrections Service of Canada.
"Run," a full length film written and directed by Saskatoon high school teacher Tom Simes, is premiering at the Roxy Theater in Saskatoon on April 14-17 @ 7p.m. The story is about a sixteen year old Metis teenager who spends a month of her summer holidays with her grandparents on the family farm.
To view the trailer, press articles and reviews click here.
The Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians, the Minister of Municipal Affairs, the Regions and the Land Occupancy of the Territory, Laurent Lessard, and the Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs, Pierre Corbeil, have announced the renewal of an agreement between the Government of Canada, the Government of Quebec and the Inuit of Nunavik that will translate into construction of around 340 housing units in Nunavik.
This multipartite agreement will come into effect on April 1, 2010 and will conclude in 2015.
The Saskatoon StarPhoenix, on Thursday March 25th, published a personal viewpoint by Gary Merasty on the First Nations University of Canada (FNUC). He was Grand Chief of the Prince Albert Grand Council for six years and also served as MP for Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River riding in northern Saskatchewan.
Some of Alberta's six women's emergency shelters on various First Nations are facing federal funding cuts. The Ermineskin shelter and two others, the Bigstone Cree Nation and Sucker Creek shelters, have been notified by federal officials that funding they have relied on for the past three years will be cut.
To mark National Aboriginal Languages Day on March 31, 2010 there will be a gathering at the Aboriginal Education Center from 12:00 to 9:00PM at 90 Croatia St., Toronto, Ontario.
A group of residents of the Mistawasis First Nation, located about 125 kilometres north of Saskatoon, have united in order to address the issues that accompany drugs and alcohol. The group is called the Mistawasis Comprehensive Strategic Planning for (on-reserve) Illegal Drug Elimination.
Nominations for the SaskTel Aboriginal Youth Awards of Excellence are being accepted until April 16, 2010. The awards are open for Aboriginal youth between 13 and 19 years of age. Award categories include Outstanding Achievement (Male and Female), Leadership, Education, Community Service, Culture, Sports and Recreation, Fine Arts/Performing Arts, Technology/Science and Spirit.
Nomination forms are available here.
On Tuesday, March 23rd, the Northwest Territories legislature is to begin a special session to vote on taking over the $180 million Deh Cho Bridge from the public-private partnership that started it. After cost overruns, redesigns and contractors being replaced the scheduled opening is now set for November 2011, one year behind the original schedule.
Stewart Baptiste is the new chief of Red Pheasant First Nation, which is located south of The Battlefords. Baptiste, at age 30, is one of the youngest Chiefs ever to be elected at Red Pheasant.
A blog supporting the FNUC contains up-to-date information regarding current issues and the future of the University. There was a rally on Monday, March 22, from 11:30a.m. - 1:00p.m. at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Regina for the future of Aboriginal post-secondary education in Saskatchewan. Supporters are encouraged to write a letter expressing their opinions and fax, mail or e-mail it to various government members.
Also, check out a youtube video created by FNUC students advocating for the future of the university.
The Government of Saskatchewan has released the first new cultural policy update in more than 25 years. The document, in listing the guiding principles, highlighted:
Honour First Nations and Métis perspectives - a Saskatchewan cultural policy must consider treaties and the historical and contemporary contributions of Saskatchewan's First Nations and Métis people. They are constitutionally-recognized peoples with unique cultural identities.
There are 10,000 Inuit that live above the 55th parallel in the Nunavik region of Quebec, and they include 14 villages that dot the coast from Hudson Bay to Ungava Bay. What is noticeable is that the shift from a nomadic life to a sedentary existence has not been matched with the resources needed to accommodate everyone. Houses with three bedrooms can become home for as many as 20 people. Sometimes two or three families live under the same roof. Situations like this can lead to health problems, including the spread of tuberculosis.
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, Status Indians are 31 times more likely to get tuberculosis and Canadian Inuit are 186 times more likely to have tuberculosis than Canadian-born non-aboriginals. The report comes at a time when Prime Minister Stephen Harper is preparing to lead a G8 initiative to improve the health of women and infants in the developing world. Critics have pointed out that there is plenty of work for the Canadian government to do in its own backyard to improve health outcomes and the TB findings underline that very point.
The College of Dentistry at the University of Saskatchewan and the National School of Dental Therapy have been participating in a clinic pilot project that places dentistry students in rural and remote settings. The project aims to enhance the students clinical experiences by providing them with clinical and cultural competencies outside of the urban dental clinic setting, and at the same time providing Aboriginal communities access to oral health care.
The four northern sites include, Sandy Bay and Cumberland House in northern Saskatchewan, Rankin Inlet in Nunavut, and Rae-Edzo in the Northwest Territories.
The Macdonald-Laurier Institute has released a proposal to overhaul the current education grant system, of funding aboriginal post-secondary education, and recommends replacing it with an account-based system, to be established for each Aboriginal child at birth. Co-author Calvin Helin, a First Nation entrepreneur says, "The current system is rife with nepotism, corruption, and favouritism.
Michael French from Shell Canada is presenting an informational luncheon titled, "Employment & Internship Opportunities," in the Aboriginal Students' Centre at the University of Saskatchewan on Monday, March 22, 2010 from 11:30-1:00p.m.
Pizza will be provided at the presentation for those signed up for the session.
Treaty Indians in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have been cleared to sell farm products produced on a reserve, according to an order issued by the federal government on Feb. 3. The rules harken to an era when all elements of Indian life were strictly controlled by government agents. The government believes the rule, prohibiting trade in farm products, has not been enforced for several decades.
A new facility called the Gordon Oakes-Red Bear Student Centre will provide expanded space for the Aboriginal Student Centre currently located in Marquis Hall at the University of Saskatchewan. In 2006, a preliminary approval of $5.5 million did not meet the construction costs to build the facility, but a recent multi-million dollar donation from K.W Nasser will aid the construction project go ahead, perhaps this year at a projected cost of $15 million.
The Aboriginal, Rural, and Remote Health Group (ARRHG) presents a monologue by Charlene Hellson titled, 'Unpacking the Backpack." The monologue was written for non-Aboriginal health care providers attending a conference on mental health and diversity, and is meant to educate people about the impact of colonization upon Aboriginals.
The event will take place March 16, 2010 at 7p.m. in the SaskTel Theatre at the Royal University Hospital.
The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) news release states that the FSIN, UofR, and FNU board have worked hard to reach an agreement regarding a new funding formula that ensures accountability. The Saskatchewan government suggests that the only piece missing is a reinstatement of the $7.2 million in funding from the federal government.
The fate of the University will directly affect the futures of many First Nations University students and their dreams of post-secondary education.
After Chief Willie Charlie was shot in the face with a pellet gun, by an enraged sport fisherman, a new era of peaceful relations has emerged between the two groups. Last week as part of an initiative promoting understanding between Aboriginal and sport fisherman, a video crew was recreating the incident as part of a film about how to share the river. RCMP commented that it's remarkable to see the two sides collaborating after years of tension surrounding the fishery.
David Ahenakew, former Chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) died this past weekend in Shellbrook Hospital, he was 76. He helped create the Saskatchewan Indian Cultural College (Centre) in 1972 and was one of the first board members of the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College, now known as the First Nations University of Canada (FNUC), when it was established in 1976. Lawyer Doug Christie said he will remember him as an intelligent man who worked hard to improve the lives of Aboriginal people.
The Canada Revenue Agency has established a web site to provide information on the tax benefits and requirements that apply to Aboriginal peoples. Also included is information on eligibility for Northern residents deductions.
The Government of Saskatchewan has entered into agreements with several First Nations that will permit them to levy their own on-reserve liquor fees. Six more FIrst Nations have joined the Whitecap Dakota First Nation, which was involved in a pilot project regarding liquor taxes. Finance Minister Rod Gantofoer says, "The ministry has experienced a high level of success with the pilot project involving Whitecap Dakota First Nation, our ministry is certainly willing to sit down and discuss this issue with other interested First Nations."
The Globe and Mail's Patrick White, recently conducted an interview with the Chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN), Guy Lonechild, on the topic of the First Nations University of Canada (FNUC).
The Aboriginal Arts & Culture Leadership (AACL) Grant aims to support Aboriginal arts and culture leaders, and it does so by working in partnership with cultural organizations to deliver programs that engage individuals, groups and communities. Application deadline is April 15, 2010.
Saskatchewan writer, Sylvia McAdam, has co-authored a book that provides the reader with a look into First Nations' culture, heritage, ceremonial etiquette, structure of the powwow and much more. The book, Cultural Teachings: First Nations Protocols and Methodologies, will help to pass on First Nations' knowledge and teachings to First Nations peoples and others.
Statistics Canada has posted the Aboriginal Population Profiles for selected cities and communities in Ontario and Quebec and the Atlantic provinces. The profiles are based on the 2006 Census and the 2006 Aboriginal Peoples Survey.
The University Council, at the University of Saskatchewan, which is responsible for overseeing and directing the academic affairs of the University, is considering the establishment of a committee dedicated to considering aboriginal issues and affairs.
March 5, 2010 the Aboriginal Healing Foundation (AHF) sent out a media release acknowledging Canada’s decision not to provide funds to the AHF in the 2010 Federal Budget. The AHF Board of Directors further understands that this action means that a nation-wide network of one hundred and thirty-four community-based healing initiatives will no longer have AHF support after March 31, 2010, when current funds run out.
Rob Norris, Advanced Education Minister in Saskatchewan, has asked the Ministry of Justice to investigate the use of nearly $400,000, which was taken from the scholarship fund at the First Nations University of Canada. During times of low cash flow, money was used from the scholarship fund for general operations, with the fund later replenished from future influxes of funding. Whether any of the money used in the last year actually made it to students is unknown, according to the Minister.
FNUC (First Nations University of Canada) has been surrounded by questions of transparency and accountability related to its governance structure as well as allegations of financial impropriety, which were made by a former chief financial officer.
The Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of Canada is pleased to announce the 2010 recipients of the AFOA/Xerox Excellence in Aboriginal Leadership awards at the 10th Anniversary Annual AFOA national conference in Ottawa. The recipients for the 7th year of the award are Deanna Hamilton, President and Chief Executive Officer, First Nation Finance Authority located in Westbank First Nation in British Columbia and Lynn Anne Knockwood, Director of Common Services, Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq in Truro Nova, Scotia.
Brett Fairbairn, University of Saskatchewan Provost and Vice-President Academic, intends to start a conversation on the institutional imperative of aboriginal engagement across campus. This year, his priority is the three imperatives woven throughout the university’s second integrated plan – innovation in programming, internationalization and aboriginal engagement. “It’s the provost’s job to figure out what to do about those, and to ensure that they get the attention they deserve.”
The 2010 Aboriginal Essay Competition celebrates the achievements of Aboriginal Peoples in the international arena. The competition is open to Aboriginal students currently studying for an undergraduate degree or a graduate degree at a Canadian institution.
The deadline for essay submissions is April 7, 2010.
For more information about essay requirements and how to enter see the poster.
The Government of Saskatchewan, in partnership with Public Safety Canada and the File Hills Tribal Council, today announced a pilot project that will introduce peacekeepers to the File Hills Tribal Council. File Hills First Nations Police Service is currently the only First Nations self administered police service in Saskatchewan.
Canadian Architect, Douglas Cardinal, commissioned by the Independent First Nations of Saskatchewan, has designed a spectacular domed stadium that would include a 500 room Las Vegas-style hotel and casino and would be located in downtown Regina, Saskatchewan. The design of the stadium was derived from nature and inspired by the Prairie landscape.
Ontario Natural Resources Minister Linda Jeffrey's motion to convert Ipperwash Provincial Park to Crown land was approved on Monday March 1, 2010. This paves the way for the land to be transferred to the federal government which then has the power to add it to the existing reserve.
Wednesday's Throne Speech, that pledged to take action on the "disturbing number of unsolved cases" involving missing and slain aboriginal women, is promising, aboriginal advocates say. Shawn Atleo, the head of the Assembly of First Nations, said he wants to see funding for the project in Thursday’s federal budget.
The Saskatoon Public Library is offering a genealogy session, to be held on March 22, 2010, with the focus being on Métis ancestry (see page 31). 2010 has been declared the Year of the Métis. To register for this event please call 975-7539.
The Miawpukek First Nation (Conne River) will benefit from close to $180,000 in stimulus funds through the Recreational Infrastructure Fund (RInC) and the Community Adjustment Fund (CAF). The federal support will assist the community in building a 2,500 square foot sports chalet and a multipurpose recreation facility.
The Certificate in Aboriginal Language Revitalization, in partnership with the University of Victoria and the En'owkin Centre, is seeking expressions of interest from qualified instructors who specialize in Indigenous language teaching, linguistic structures, and language curriculum development and programming.
The course will begin September 2010 and expressions of interest should be sent by April 1st, 2010.
The 32nd First Nations University of Canada Pow Wow will take place March 27th & 28th, 2010, at the Brandt Centre in Regina Saskatchewan.
Admission is $7 daily, or $10 for the weekend, and children 5 and under are free.
The Grand Entry starts at 12:00p.m. & 7:00p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
