August 2011

The Dzawada'enuxw First Nation, located along Kingcome Inlet in British Columbia, is recovering from a ravaging flood that took place in late September, 2010. With the flood season coming early, the Kingcome River has already burst the banks once this year. Local residents are very concerned and are attempting to move anything they can to higher ground.

A fundraiser feast for Kingcome Inlet flood relief will be held September 17th at the Christ Church Cathedral on Quadra Street. For more information call 250-383-2714.

Posted at 09:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan will be the location of an event on November 18th-21st, 2011 where young Indigenous women from across Canada can learn, share and have fun with each other. The event will be sponsored by the Native Youth Sexual Health Network and Girls Action Foundation. Young indigenous women between the ages of 16 and 25 are invited to participate in the 4-day event where Elders and traditional leaders will be present to discuss leadership, empowerment, building solidarity and stopping violence.

Registration is free, and the deadline is September 9th, 2011.

Information and registration are available in Inuktitut.

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Prime Minister Stephen Harper was joined by Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health and Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor), Floyd K. Roland, Premier of the Northwest Territories, Eva Aariak, Premier of Nunavut, and Darrel Pasloski, Premier of Yukon, when a two year extension on the Territorial Health System Sustainability Initiative (THSSI) was announced. Northerners face many challenges when it comes to healthcare, including costs to obtain medicine, the availability of medical professionals, costly equipment, and higher prevalences for some diseases.

Posted at 08:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tony Merchant, a Regina lawyer, has 57 plaintiffs from across Canada who have joined together to file a lawsuit against the federal government for the AIM (Adopt Indian Metis) Program that took Aboriginal children out of their families and communities in the 1960's. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for cultural suppression, loss of sense of family, physical and emotional trauma, susceptibility to addictions and other factors. The government has 30 days to file a response.

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Lisa Charleyboy, an Urban Native girl originally from the Alexis Creek Indian Band in British Columbia, was vacationing in Italy when she chanced upon a nurse who serviced on her home reserve at the time her father was Chief.

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The Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards has been set to take place on November 4th, 2011 with the list of awards to include: Aboriginal Female Entertainer of the Year, Aboriginal Male Entertainer of the Year, Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year, Best Aboriginal Music Radio Station/Program, Best Album Cover Design, Best Country CD, Best Duo or Group, Best Fiddle CD, Best Flute CD, Best Folk/Acoustic CD, Best Hand Drum CD, Best Instrumental CD, Best Music Video, Best New Artist, and many more.

Awards and Nominees
Artists

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The City of Saskatoon has partnered with the Gabriel Dumont Institute(GDI), Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC), and the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technology (SIIT), to create a program designed to train Aboriginal people to prepare them for employment opportunities in the labour market. Students in the 2011 Aboriginal Heavy Equipment Operator and 1A License Pre-employment Training Program graduate today, Friday August 26th.

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Deborah Young, University of Manitoba's first executive lead for aboriginal achievement, believes in spreading the message about the University of Manitoba's success in aboriginal education. A University of Manitoba graduate with a B.A. and M.A. in Social Work, Young touts the university's aboriginal courses and hopes to encourage aboriginal youth to complete their education.

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The 2011 edition of the International Metisfest will take place August 26th-28th, 2011 at the International Peace Gardens, located along the Manitoba/North Dakota border. This event showcases Metis talent with concerts being held Friday, August 26th and Saturday, August 27th. For further information, see the poster.

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A Summer Family Gathering will take place at the Dr. Jessie Saulteaux Resource Centre, located east of Beausejour, Manitoba on August 25th-28th, 2011. Teachers, healers, medicine people and friends will gather at this drug & alcohol free gathering to learn and share with Elders.

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Mike Holmes, the television handyman is bringing his expertise to an Edmonton inner city housing project. Holmes and his housing company, The Holmes Group, are partnering with Metis Capital Housing Corp. to build a 90 unit, senior-friendly and barrier-free housing complex. The project, which will have shared heat and power systems to reduce energy costs, is expected to be completed in early 2013.

Posted at 09:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The 2011 Big Idea Contest is available to any person or organization developing a product or service aimed at the Aboriginal marketplace. National auditions start on August 17 in Thunder Bay, ON and conclude on September 30 in Iqaluit, NU. This contest is being presented by the The Dreamcatcher Charitable Foundation with the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers. For more information refer to the registration form and contest rules.

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The Aboriginal Canada Portal is offering back to school resources for teachers and students plus university programs and services offered by provinces and territories.

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The Common Experience Payment (CEP) application deadline for Residential School attendees is September 19, 2011. The CEP (Common Experience Payment) recognizes the experience of residing at an Indian Residential School and the impacts.

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Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, announced on August 16, 2011 that $98,201 has been granted to the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Economic Development Commission (FNQLEDC) to establish First Nations young entrepreneur clubs. The contribution from the Government of Canada comes from the Community Diversification program.

Posted at 07:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Saskatchewan First Nations Chiefs have declined to participate in the education panel that is reviewing First Nation education. The National Panel, jointly created by the Government of Canada and the Assembly of First Nations, is planning to hold consultations on options to improve outcomes for First Nations students in Canada.

Posted at 07:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General made an announcement last Thursday, August 11th, appointing former Supreme Court Justice Frank Iacobucci to lead a review into why First Nations members are underrepresented on Ontario juries. Iacobucci is expected to produce a report within a year.

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Doug Cuthand, columnist with the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, in his August 12, 2011 piece describes some of the issues that he feels have led to the "FSIN leadership struggle" involving Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nation Chief Guy Lonechild. He asserts that the drunk driving charge is not a valid reason for expelling a political leader, citing other similar recent situations such as former B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell drunk driving conviction in Hawaii.

Posted at 07:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lax Kw’alaams, a B.C. north coast native band, opened up a trade office in Beijing in 2009. This year the band's forestry company expects to do close to 40 million dollars in sales, including nine shiploads of logs.
Trying to emulate this success, the B.C. First Nations Summit and the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada are now pursuing a province-wide initiative regarding trade with China.

Posted at 08:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Quebec Premier Jean Charest visited northern Quebec to offer compensation to the Inuit for the slaughter of more than 1,000 sled dogs during the 1950s and '60s. The move comes as a response to a 2010 report by Jean-Jacques Croteau, a retired Quebec judge who investigated the allegations regarding the sled dog killings, that found that the federal and Quebec governments owed an apology and compensation to the Inuit of Nunavik.

Posted at 08:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The 2011 Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) Adult Fastball Championships is taking place Friday, August 12th to Sunday, August 14th at the Whitecap Sports Centre, located 26 kms. south of Saskatoon, on Highway 219. All proceeds go to First Nation Youth Development.

Posted at 10:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Saskatchewan is the home of the Canada's only burial ground that accommodates many different tribal affiliations. Fourteen years ago the Saskatchewan government set aside four hectares, along the South Saskatchewan River, to house bones that were lying on museum and university shelves or unearthed due to construction or erosion. Elders from eight different linguistics groups gather to say prayers and hold burial ceremonies for the bodies to rest in peace.

Posted at 08:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Up and Down the Coast, a project initiated by the General Council Archives of the United Church of Canada, makes collections about Indigenous history more accessible to First Nations communities and researchers in British Columbia. Materials included in the site date from approximately 1850 to 1975, and include general mission work, residential and day schools, medical missions and marine missions. Items are searchable by keyword and most photographs can be sorted by specific First Nations communities.

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The Metis Nation of Alberta will hold their Annual General Assembly in Grande Prairie on August 11-14, 2011 at the Grande Prairie Inn. There will be talent shows, assemblies, business discussions and much more.

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The Department of Linguistics, at the University of Victoria, is inviting applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Indigenous Language Revitalization. The University hopes to have the successful candidate in the position by July 1, 2012. Applicants are expected to have a PhD in Linguistics, or equivalent, and the deadline for applications is October 20th, 2011.

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The International Day of Indigenous People is held every year on August 9. It marks the day of the first United Nations meeting on Indigenous Populations. The theme for this year is "Indigenous designs: Celebrating stories and cultures, crafting our own future."

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Ontario's top court decided on July 29, 2011 to hear arguments about whether the makeup of jury panels is unfair to accused Aboriginals. In an unusual decision, the Appeal Court took the step of putting an appeal ruling on hold despite having decided a jury was reasonable to have convicted a man of manslaughter in 2008.

Posted at 08:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Anish Corporation and Service Canada have organized a presentation to explain the Common Experience Payment application process and assist survivors or family members complete the application form. This event runs August 9 & 10 in Brandon, Manitoba. Anish Corporation is an Aboriginal organization that provides health support services to Indian Residential School Survivors and their families.

Posted at 08:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Round one of online voting for the 2011 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards has begun. Be sure to cast your vote for your favourite artists before August 18 at 11:59 PM.

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Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) Chief Guy Lonechild has been suspended from his duties with pay. The Indian Government Commission (IGC) looking into calls for a motion of non-confidence in Lonechild’s leadership ordered his suspension late Thursday, several hours after Lonechild removed himself from a hearing at the Dakota Dunes Casino

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Thousands of First Nation youth will be in the spotlight from August 6 to 11, as Thunderchild First Nation hosts the 2011 SIGA Saskatchewan First Nation Summer Games.
Approximately 4,500 Aboriginal athletes aged 10 to 17 years, 1,500 chaperons, 200 mission staff, 400 volunteers, 80 officials and dignitaries and several thousand proud parents will be in attendance at the SIGA Saskatchewan First Nation Summer Games, making it one of the largest aboriginal events in Saskatchewan's history.

Posted at 08:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The International Indigenous Development Research Conference to be held 27th – 30th June 2012 in Auckland, New Zealand will highlight indigeneity and the multidisciplinary approach used for Indigenous development. The deadline for abstracts to be submitted is December 1, 2011.

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The National Panel on First Nation Elementary and Secondary Education has been created by the Government of Canada, in collaboration with the Assembly of First Nations, to lead an engagement process on how to improve the education of First Nation children who live on reserve. We have been asked to explore ideas and provide advice on the development of options, including legislation.

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The 21st edition of the Montreal First Peoples' Festival will take place from August 2, 2011 to August 9, 2011. There will be conferences, exhibitions and concerts held throughout the city.

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The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that First Nations are exempt from taxes on revenues earned on investments made outside native reserves. The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that First Nations are exempt from taxes on revenues earned on investments made outside native reserves.

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