September 2010

It makes more sense for governments to invest in First Nations' economic development than in social programs for Canada's aboriginal population, a well-known First Nations chief said Monday.
The country's indigenous people have a better chance of achieving self-sufficiency through economic means than social handouts, Chief Clarence Louie of British Columbia's Osoyoos Indian Band said at the Aboriginal Business Development Forum in Saskatoon.

Louie knows first-hand the benefits of successful First Nation economic development. Nearly 75 per cent of the Osoyoos Indian Band's 460-person population live on-reserve thanks to the jobs created by the band, which runs several businesses including a golf course, winery, spa, cultural centre, construction company and several retail stores.

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On September 28, 2010 the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, and Ray Boughen, Member of Parliament (Palliser), announced funding for Prairie Spirit Connections.

This investment will support Phase II of the Mending the Family Circle project, which provides low-income Aboriginal women affected by domestic violence with programming to help them and their families rebuild their lives. Some of the activities offered include sharing/healing circles, as well as family dynamic and self-care workshops.

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Kellyann Meloche, a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician with the Kahnawake Fire Brigade in Quebec, has been nominated as one of Canada's top firefighters in an article in the October 2010 Readers Digest.

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National Aboriginal Tax, Governance and Economic Development Forum will be held October 6-7, 2010 in Ottawa, ON at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel. The Pacific Business & Law Institute is offering this two day practical forum to address the most pressing questions and issues in Aboriginal tax, governance and economic development across Canada today.

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Funding problems have stalled a University of Saskatchewan project that aims to centralize aboriginal student services and resources into a prominent building designed by one of Canada's foremost architects. The Gordon Oakes-Red Bear Student Centre, designed by renowned architect Douglas Cardinal, was approved by the U of S board of governors in 2006, but donors have been slow to support the project.

About $5 million of the estimated $15 million price tag has been raised to date and possibly $2 million could be added from the $12 million U of S alumus Karim Nasser and his family donated to the university in February, University of Saskatchewan President Peter MacKinnon said.

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On September 21, 2010, the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Status of Women Canada, recognized the leadership being shown among Nunavut's women community leaders, who are making a difference in the lives women and girls across the region. The Minister also had the opportunity to meet with leaders at the Arnait Nipingit Women's Leadership Summit.

Minister Ambrose had the opportunity to attend a community event held at Nakasuk Elementary School in Iqaluit. She also joined the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health and Member of Parliament for Nunavut, to announce $624,000 in federal funding for the Nunavut Arts and Crafts Association, which over the next three years will help support Nunavut's artists in showcasing their work in new markets.

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The Ontario government’s Far North Act (Bill 191) passed third reading in the provincial legislature on September 23, 2010, despite strong opposition from aboriginal groups who live in the region where the bill proposes to create a 225,000 sq. kilometre protected area.

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The Government of Saskatchewan announced the approval of two projects totaling more than $3.1 million for the communities of Big River First Nation and Green Lake under the Community Development Trust Fund (CDTF). Big River First Nation will receive $1.66 million in funding for construction of a Centre of Excellence that will serve as a central location for the incubation of small businesses. The Centre will also offer skill development, job training and counseling for job opportunities.

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Lorne Cardinal, former star of the hit series Corner Gas, will resume his regular hosting duties of the fifth annual Aboriginal People's Choice Music Awards which will be held in Winnipeg at the MTS Centre on November 5, 2010. In a new marketing wrinkle, online voters can choose a character for Cardinal to be: a country singer, a hip-hop star or a hard rock hero.

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Art Napoleon, an Aboriginal musician, seeks to entertain with classical pop tunes translated into Cree. His work, however, also has a serious side. He acts and performs stand-up comedy and makes music. His latest release is a remarkable collection featuring covers of familiar songs by the likes of Smokey Robinson and Hank Williams. The tunes are familiar, though, for most, the lyrics are indecipherable. On the disc, titled Creeland Covers, he sings almost exclusively in Cree.

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The Department of Philosophy and Political Science at the University of Fraser Valley is seeking to fill a faculty position in contemporary metaphysics and/or epistemology. The candidate will be expected to teach an undergraduate course in symbolic logic.

Candidates of Indigenous heritage with an ability to teach Indigenous ways of knowing are especially encouraged to apply.

Applications will be reviewed on November 5, 2010.

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The Women's Midlife Health Centre of Saskatchewan is initiating a Diabetes Prevention Project aimed at helping women reduce their risk of getting Diabetes and Heart Disease.

The program offers women the chance to: set goals with help from the team, have support from the team and other women, learn about healthy foods and nutrition, and learn various ways to be active.

Interested Saskatoon First Nations and Metis women should contact Sharon Clarke at diabetesprevention@sasktel.net

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Recent evidence suggests that several native dialects in Saskatchewan are threatened as fewer young people learn their ancestral tongues. Native language experts question Statistics Canada figures that state one in five aboriginal children under the age of five can understand an aboriginal language.

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The University of Saskatchewan Departments of Native Studies and English present, Curating Beyond The Chief, by Robert Warrior on Monday, Sept. 27, at 7:00 p.m. Professor Warrior is the Director of American Indian Studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and professor of American Indian Studies, English, and History. An enrolled member of the Osage Nation, he is the author of The People and the Word: Reading Native Nonfiction, American Indian Literary Nationalism (with Craig Womack and Jace Weaver), Like a Hurricane: The Indian Movement from Alcatraz to Wounded Knee (with Paul Chaat Smith) and Tribal Secrets: Recovering American Indian Intellectual Traditions. He is currently serving as President of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association.

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The Aboriginal Education Research Centre (AERC) at the UofS is seeking a doctoral student to join a research project entitled Animating Mi'kmaw Humanities in Atlantic Canada based at the UofS.

The research project is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and is expected to run from 2010 to 2013, with a potential for it to extend into 2014 if necessary.

The application deadline is September 30, 2010.

For a description of the job and details on responsibilities, skills, and qualifications click here.

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The Aboriginal Education Research Centre (AERC) at the UofS is seeking to hire an undergraduate student to join the Canadian Prevention Science Cluster (CPSC) as a Research Assistant.

The CPSC provides students with educational and professional experience, and offers mentorship from other graduate students, researchers, and educators across Canada.

The application deadline is September 30, 2010.

For a description of the job and details on responsibilities, skills, and qualifications click here.

Posted at 08:34 AM | Permalink

Health Minister, Don McMorris, announced the appointment of Kenneth Thomas Iron, of Canoe Narrows, to the Keewatin Yatthé Regional Health Authority. Keewatin Yatthé Health Region serves a large area in northwest Saskatchewan, administering health care service for northern villages and towns.

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Shawn Atleo, the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), is feeling optimistic the Conservative government is ready to tackle the deep-rooted problems in native education.
Mr. Atleo, who is also chancellor of Vancouver Island University, was elected national chief in the summer of 2009 partly on a platform to improve First Nation education. He and others from the Assembly of First Nations are in Ottawa this week to push for a new approach to education.

Posted at 08:10 AM | Permalink

A new agreement under the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership (ASEP) program is set to create 104 long-term, sustainable employment opportunities in Saskatchewan and Alberta's agriculture industry.

The Inroads to Agriculture Institute is a $5.09 million partnership between the Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan, One Earth Farms Corporation, and First Nations and training institutes. Under the program, First Nations and Métis learners will receive vital training, certification and job placement support in order to advance in the agriculture and agri-services sectors.

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Wanuskewin Heritage Park to host the Canadian Conservation Institute Workshop: "Archaeological Conservation Field Techniques", November 20th - 21st, 2010. For more details view here!

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Tuesday, September 21st through to Friday, September 24th, 2010 there will be an Aboriginal book sale which will include books for youth (preschool to grade 12), new titles, and best sellers, almost exclusively from Canadian publishers.

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Warren Snowdon has been reappointed as Australia's Indigenous Health Minister and the hope is that, with this reappointment, the push to improve the health and services for Indigenous peoples will also continue.

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You are to invited you to attend Building Bridges for Success—Aboriginal Business Development Forum on Monday, September 27, 2010 at TCU Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Topics to be covered include an overview of First Nation land holdings and urban reserves within the City of Saskatoon & RM of Corman; key differences for business development in a First Nation community; networking opportunities with the Saskatoon business community; and a Saskatchewan Aboriginal business success story.

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Tom Engel, an Edmonton Lawyer, is challenging the Alberta jury selection process. His contention is that exclusion of reserve residents from the pool of possible jurors violates the rights of Aboriginal People.

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The Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (CANDO) is holding its 17th Annual National Conference & Annual General Meeting (AGM) on September 27-30, 2010 in Niagara Falls, Ontario. This year's conference will be hosted by the Six Nations of the Grand River.

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The 22nd International Two Spirit Gathering: A Gathering of Medicine Stones was held in Manitoba at the Dr. Jesse Saulteaux Centre near Beausejour on September 3-6. The event was hosted by the The Two Spirit Persons of Manitoba and Kani Kanichik Inc.

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The National Aboriginal Opportunities Business Conference will take place on September 14-15, 2010 in Osoyoos, British Columbia. Join host, Chief Clarence Louie, and over 200 other key Aboriginal and private sector business leaders as they meet for 2 days of dialogue about the future landscape of business in Canada.

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Peter Goldring, Member of Parliament (Edmonton East), on September 9, 2010 announced funding for the Ben Calf Robe Society.
This funding will support the Amiskos project, which will provide urban Aboriginal youth, aged 10 to 24, with year-round after-school cultural activities. Amiskos will provide more than 100 young Aboriginal people with opportunities to learn about their culture through arts and crafts, dancing and drumming, teachings from elders, and learning the basics of the Cree language.

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The Government of Canada will invest to enable the Inuit in Nunavut to participate in resource development projects in their territory, thereby providing greater opportunities for Inuit businesses and their communities. The Nunavut Resources Corporation will receive support from the federal government to develop Phase II of their strategic plan, which will identify resource development projects that will directly benefit the Inuit living in Nunavut.
The Honourable John Duncan, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians and Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor), announced on September 7, 2010 that the federal government will invest $979,000 in this project, worth a total of more than $1.2 million. The remaining funding of $262,050 will be contributed by the Kitikmeot Inuit Association (KIA).

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The Akwesasne International Powwow is being held this weekend, September 11 & 12, 2010 at the A'nowara'ko:wa Arena on Cornwall Island, Ontario. The gates open to the public at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday and the festivities start with a spectacular grand entry at 12 noon with all the beautifully dressed dancers. Admission: Under 5 & 65+ Free, Ages 6-12 $5.00, General Admission: $8.00.

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Assembly of First Nations National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo strongly supports the call by the Tsilhqot’in Nation Government and First Nation leaders from across British Columbia to prevent a mining project that would destroy the pristine Teztan Biny (Fish Lake), a traditional First Nations fishery and sacred ceremonial site
near Williams Lake, B.C.
The plan for the proposed gold and copper Prosperity Mine involves draining the Teztan Biny completely to create a tailings pond that will collect toxic effluent from the mining activities. This would destroy millions of cultural artifacts in the region of the lake, devastate the surrounding environment and permanently threaten the rich heritage of the
territories of the Tsilhqot’in Nation.

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On behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, and the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health and Minister Responsible for the North, on September 7, 2010, Canada announced $12 million in funding to the Contaminates Remediation Training Organization of Canada (CRTOC) for its Caring for the Land project. Based out of Calgary, Alberta, this project will provide training opportunities for Aboriginal people, primarily in the North. The project is funded by the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership program, which is supported under Canada's Economic Action Plan.

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Deborah Chatsis, who is 48 years old and a member of the Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation, has been named Canada's Ambassador to Vietnam. Deborah received a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering and bachelor of law degree at the University of Saskatchewan, as well as a master of law degree from the University of Ottawa and an international law degree from Harvard University.

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The Indigenous Peoples Resource Management Program (IPRMP), offered through the College of Agriculture and Bioresources at the University of Saskatchewan, is designed to train land managers to examine basic environmental, legal, and economic aspects of land and resource management. They are looking for Teaching Assistants for the next module. The posting for the positions, and the applications deadline, is Wednesday September 15 at 12 noon. These postings are restricted to current U of S graduate students and so a NSID(Network Services ID) and password are required to access the information.

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The Saskatchewan Aboriginal Literacy Network Inc. is hosting an openhouse on Wednesday, September 29th from 1-5pm to promote and support Aboriginal literacy.

The openhouse will be held at 2401 Thayer Avenue in Saskatoon.

For more information about the SALN click here.

Posted at 08:53 AM | Permalink

In May 2009, W5(W-Five) aired a two part series that looked at the growing number of gangs. In particular W5 investigated the gangs within the North Central area in the City of Regina, including the Native Syndicate. At the time of the W5 airing, Saskatchewan had the largest concentration of gang members in the country, with Regina having the highest membership.
Part 1: Discusses Regina gangs, violence and death, and what is needed to change the growing gang membership.
Part 2: Discussion with Kevin Kowalski, a former gang member who is speaking out against the gang lifestyle and Pat Fiacco, Regina City Mayor.

On September 2nd, in Saskatoon Brad Peequaquat, a founding member of Saskatchewan's Indian Posse, talked about his life and his struggles with cancer. He wants to do the right thing, get his message out in order to help others avoid joining street gangs.

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Building Homes Together, One Step at a Time, a regional symposium hosted by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), will be held September 21-23, 2010 in Regina, SK. The symposium will benefit anyone involved in creating, managing, improving, and facilitating housing for First Nations people.

For more information on the symposium click here.

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Social Justice and Anti-racist Anti-oppressive Forum on Education (SAFE) is presenting a conference titled, Social Justice in Education: How Far Will You Go? The conference will be held on October 22nd and 23rd, 2010 in the College of Education Building at the UofS Campus.

Dr. Verna St. Denis will give the keynote address.

Click here for more information about the conference and SAFE

Click here for the conference registration form.

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The province of Saskatchewan, the city of Regina and the Piapot First Nation are celebrating the 135th Anniversary of Treaty 4. Celebrations began Wednesday, September 1st, on the reserve. Thursday, September 2nd, celebrations took place in the courtyard at Regina City Hall, with Gordon Barnhart (Saskatchewan's Lt.-Governor) unveiling a statue, performance by Buffy Sainte-Marie and the Canadian Forces jets doing a fly-by salute. Today, Friday September 3rd, the event concludes with the specially commissioned multimedia symphony Oscana at the Conexus Arts Centre at 7:00p.m. Tickets for the symphony Oscana are $51.50 for adults and $26.50 for students, seniors and children.

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A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed by the Prince Edward Island government that commits to working in partnership, with the aboriginal community, in an attempt to improve the performance of Island Mi'kmaq students. One part of the agreement may see the Mi'kmaq language taught to students in the school system as an effort to preserve the culture.

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The Province of Manitoba and the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation have agreed to the co-management of land, in the Whiteshell Provincial Park, which contains sacred aboriginal sites. The blockade threat originally came after four parcels of land, that the First Nation selected as compensation under the Treaty Land Entitlement process, were rejected by the province.

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