windspeaker october 2014 final

P a g e [ 1 ]October 2014

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Former premierinspired to do

even morePage 9

Sto:lo Business Matchcoming inOctober1

Totem represents fightagainst further oil sands

developmentPage 8

Photo

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Aboriginal Peoples ChoiceMusic AwardsInez Jasper performs at the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Awards held onSept. 12 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg.

Inform. Impact. Inspire. Independent. Indigenous.

October 2014P a g e [ 2 ]


ADVERTISINGThe advertising deadline for the

November 2014 issue ofWindspeaker is October 16, 2014.Call toll free at: 1-800-661-5469

for more information.We acknowledge the financial support of the

Government of Canada through the Canada PeriodicalFund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Departments

FeaturesTotem represents fight against further oilsands development 8

“Our actions are for everybody, unlike thisgovernment of Canada,” said Rueben George, toa small but passionate crowd gathered on thesteps of the Alberta Legislature on Sept. 5.

[ contents ]

Windspeaker is published by the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society (AMMSA)Canada's largest publisher of Aboriginal news and information.

AMMSA's other publications include:

Alberta Sweetgrass — The Aboriginal Newspaper of Alberta

Saskatchewan Sage — The Aboriginal Newspaper of Saskatchewan

Business Quarterly — Canada's Aboriginal Business Magazine

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Code talker Chester Nez’s Navajo (Diné) tonguehelped pave the way to an allied win in the SecondWorld War. Though unmistakably proud of hisability to serve the United States in such a uniqueway, he was cognizant of the irony in what hiswartime work involved.

[ rants and raves ] 5

[ drew hayden taylor - column ] 6

[ windspeaker briefs ] 9

[ provincial news ] 12 - 17

[ health ] 18

[ sports ] 19

[ education ] 20

[ careers ] 21

[ footprints ] Chester Nez 22

Former premier inspired to do even more 9Former Northwest Territories Premier StephenKakfwi was “moved by the energy” of Idle NoMore; quietly worked behind the scenes askingformer prime ministers Joe Clark and PaulMartin, and former Nunavut premier Paul Okalikto visit Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spenceduring her hunger strike; and asked by hischildren to do something more.

PublisherBert Crowfoot

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AMMSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PresidentNoel McNaughton

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TreasurerDr. Chester Cunningham

DirectorsJennie CardinalLeona Shandruk

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Two-time Hall of Famer contemplating a returnto lacrosse 10

David General is getting inducted into theCanadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame. General, wholives in the Six Nations community of Ohswekenand has Oneida/Mohawk ancestry, was inductedinto the hall via the team category back in 2008.He had served as a coach for the Six NationsChiefs, who won three consecutive Mann Cupchampionships from 1994 to 1996. The MannCup is annually awarded to the Canadian seniormen’s lacrosse champs.

Sto:lo Business Match coming in October 11Sto:lo Community Futures (SCF), an Aboriginalnon-profit organization in British Columbia, hasset its sights on becoming the leading centre ofAboriginal business in British Columbia.

Aboriginal students seeking higher educationin greater numbers 20

An increase in Aboriginal attendance at post-secondary schools across the country is reasonto celebrate, but the challenge to hold on to thosestudents still remains.


Check out our currentonline career listings...

• Food Service Manager• Canada Research Chair• Family Resilience Worker• Child and Youth Worker

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• Project Coordinator and Liaison• Long haul trucker

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[ rants and raves ]Bill will bring tanker talk to the House Chatter

The Toronto Star reports that a committee tasked withgetting more First Nations people on the rolls for jurydutyis set to recommend that volunteers from the Aboriginalcommunity become part of a list to hear inquests. Thesolution is meant to address the lack of Aboriginal people inthe make-up of juries within Ontario, though it doesn’taddress the imbalance on juries in civil and criminalproceedings. Former Supreme Court justice Frank Iacobucciwrote in his report First Nations Representation on OntarioJuries that Aboriginal people are reluctant to sit on juriesbecause of a lack of trust in the justice system. But, the wayinquest juries work, asking questions and providingrecommendations, would be a good fit, from a traditionalperspective. “My experience in speaking with First Nationsindividuals was that, while they expressed reluctance toengage in the ‘judging’ involved in being on a criminal jury,they were interested to learn about how the coroner’s juryprocess works and expressed interest in becoming involved,’’the former chief justice said.

The federal government has ignored proposalssubmitted by the Assembly of First Nations to address theissues surrounding murdered and missing aboriginal womenand girls, says interim National Chief Ghislain Picard, andhe’s frustrated. “We are representing over 600 communitiesacross the country, and certainly one of our mandates is tofind a way to engage the government, whatever governmentwe have in Ottawa, and that’s what we’ve been attemptingto do. If we can’t do that on an issue such as this, of courseit’s frustrating,” Picard said, reports CBC News.

A government plan to tackle violence against aboriginalwomen and girls was tabled by the Conservatives in mid-September. The government budgeted $25 million over fiveyears to support the development of community safety plans,“to break intergenerational cycles of violence and abuse,”to work with Aboriginal communities and stakeholders, aswell as Aboriginal men and boys, to denounce and preventviolence against Aboriginal women, to help victims and theirfamilies through the Victims Fund and the Policy Centre forVictim Issues.

“I feel kind of saddened that all of the proposals andsuggestions that we made were just tossed aside andCanada has decided to go on its own,” said Picard. “This isalmost a repeat of the kind of relationship we’ve had overtime, and it’s sad, but now that the action plan is out, andintentions seem to be clear, hopefully we will be part of theprocess as First Nations.”

Alberta’s newly-minted premier, Jim Prentice, saysthere is strong support of pipeline construction by FirstNations. Getting oil and gas out of province is critical andFirst Nations, who are heavily invested in the industry, areamong “the strongest allies” and “passionate about achievingWest Coast access. Prentice wants to show progress onpipelines and will use his position as premier and as ministerfor Aboriginal Affairs and international and intergovernmentalrelations, to advocate for construction.

A communications officer with the Museum of Civilizationin Quebec City said there was no damage to First Nationsartifacts after a fire Sept. 15. It took 40 firefighters hours tocontain the fire. The artifacts are out of the exhibit and arebeing examined, said the spokesperson. Staff had time tocover the artifacts in a recent exhibit with a tarp before leavingthe burning building. There is smoke and water damage tothe museum, however. The museum was undergoingrenovations, and the fire broke out during repairs to theexterior. About 200 employees were in the building whenfire broke out, but the museum was closed to the public atthe time.

A Vuntut Gwitchin man has been fined for huntingwithout permission outside his nation’s traditional territory.He has been ordered to learn about the rights of First Nationshunters, and their responsibilities. The hunter had toldconservation officers he had permission from theChampagne Aishihik First Nation to hunt moose or bison,the latter of which requires a permit. But the hunter didn’thave a permit and he did not receive the permission of theChampagne Aishihik, which supported the prosecution ofthe 49-year-old man. It is the first time Yukon has enforcedrules that govern hunting in the territory of another FirstNation. The hunter was fined $1,000 and is barred for twoyears from licenced hunting. Further, he must take thegovernment’s hunter education course before being issueda permit.

Hat’s off to Nathan Cullen, Member ofParliament for Skeena-Bulkley Valley, who hastabled a private members bill in the House ofCommons called An Act to Defend the PacificNorthwest. It’s a piece of proposed legislationthat will ban supertankers from transporting oilacross the North Coast of British Columbia, arugged and infinitely beautiful part of the worldthat could be left dripping in bitumen andchemicals if even one of these transports burstsa seam, runs ashore or afoul of the jaggedrocks in a storm.

The act will “fully and finally stop theEnbridge Northern Gateway pipeline in itstracks,” reads a backgrounder provided by theMP. No sense running 1,100 km of pipe fromAlberta’s oil sands to the coast, if you can’t shipit off to foreign buyers by tanker.

The pipeline will be built through rivers andstreams and sensitive rainforest. It will carry, ifbuilt, 525,000 barrels of bitumen per day. Theact would legislate protection of the BC NorthCoast from oil tanker traffic and, from what wehave been reading, Cullen seems to have awidely diverse group of supporters for it.

“This region is one of the mostenvironmentally, culturally and historicallyimportant areas in our country – and some ofthe most difficult waters in the world, with wavesup to 26 metres high and winds up to 185km/h.” Once the pipeline reaches its end point,11,000 supertankers will collect the product andcarry it through B.C.’s waters for export.

A declaration signed by 130 First Nationsstates opposition to this pipeline/supertankermix. Municipalities along the coast have alsobeen opposed. “Thousands of people wroteletters and testified before the NorthernGateway joint review panel, municipalities andthe province of British Columbia formallydeclared their opposition.” Cullen says 60 percent of all British Columbians are opposed toNorthern Gateway, and all their voices havebeen ignored by the Harper Conservatives intheir push to open new markets for the oilsands.

“By shutting out and insulting First Nationsand BC communities, the Conservatives havemade a complete mess of this process,” saidCullen. “They’re failing to look at the long-termeconomic and environmental impact ofNorthern Gateway, and that’s what this bill aimsto finally fix.”

The people of this region are no stranger tothe long-term impact of oil spills, having toclean up their shorelines after the ExxonValdez spilled 257,000 barrels of oil when itstruck Prince William Sound’s Bligh Reef in1989. “Big globs of oil–they call them patties–arrived on our beaches,” reads one accountfrom a clean-up crew more than 1,700 kmaway from the spill. “We had to use shovelsand had to pick some of them up by hand.”The patties were put into special bags andairlifted out of the community by helicopter.That’s the thing about oil spills. They tend tospread widely when the response time is notimmediate.

In August, 400 plywood drift cards stampedwith “This could be oil” were thrown into theFraser River to demonstrate how far oil mighttravel if it spilled out of Kinder Morgan’s TransMountain pipeline, and within 50 minutes thecards had travelled three and a half kilometresdownstream. Last October, a drift card,dropped along an oil tanker route that runs fromBurrard Inlet at Vancouver as part of similarexercise, was picked up in Haida Gwaii, morethan 1,000 km from where it was dropped.

The remote location of the Exxon Valdezspill made response complicated. And thingshaven’t changed for this part of the world.

During meetings of municipalities on thewest coast a year or so ago, delegates weretold that there were just 13 people in theprovince trained to respond to oil spills, andthe response time to an oil spill in the north(think Hecate Strait between Haida Gwaii andmainland BC) would be 72 hours from whenthe spill was detected. There were no detailsgiven as to what that response would be.

Beginning mid-October, Cullen will betravelling B.C. on a “Take Back Our Coast” tour.A pipeline spill or tanker accident would bedisastrous, with 45,000 fisheries and tourismjobs in British Columbia affected “or wiped outforever,” reads Cullen’s web material for thetour.

This tour will allow people to have a say onthe private members Bill “and the future of ourcoast and country.”

This is what an election issue looks likefolks. And with this Bill, Cullen is standing MPsup to record which side of history they will beon. Clever Mr. Cullen.

Windspeaker

Do you have a rant or a rave?Criticism or praise?

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[ strictly speaking ]

How did their skin get so red?Just recently, several

sportscasters in the United Stateshave voluntarily opted to stopusing the name of the NationalFootball League’s Washingtonteam in their broadcasts.

Of all the Aboriginally-namedteams that populate theAmerican sports pantheon—theBraves, the Indians, Blackhawksetc. —few have been moreproblematic then the Redskins.It seems only the team owner stillthinks it’s a great and fabulousname.

Instead, broadcasters PhilSimms from CBS and NBC’sTony Dungy will probably justrefer to it as Washington, ratherthan its more problematicnickname. This is a good thing,for those not versed ininstitutionalized racism. Otherannouncers however say it’s nottheir job to make a stance.

This is an old argument. Foryears now there have beennumerous complaints about thename of the WashingtonRedskins. In June, the U.S.Trademark and Patent officecancelled the team’s trademark,which signalled the beginning ofthe end.

Last October, during a game’shalftime, NBC sports personalityBob Costas said in an essay“Think for a moment about theterm ‘Redskins,’ and how it trulydiffers from all the others. Askyourself what the equivalentwould be, if directed towardAfrican-Americans, Hispanics,

Asians, or members of any otherethnic group. When consideredthat way, ‘Redskins’ can’t possiblyhonor a heritage, or noblecharacter trait, nor can it possiblybe considered a neutral term. It’san insult, a slur, no matter howbenign the present-day intent.”

But still, its billionaire owner,Daniel Snyder, refuses to budgeon the issue. The man believesin tradition. But there’s traditionand there’s tradition. Forexample, it seems to be a traditionin America for white billionaireowners of sports teams to get intotrouble regarding racist issues.

Donald Stirling was the ownerof the basketball team, the L.A.Clippers, who told his thengirlfriend, who was black, thatshe should stop associating withblack men. The following outcryresulted in him being bannedfrom participating in the sportand being forced to sell his team.

And some time back there wasMarge Shott, the one-time owner

of the Cincinnati Reds baseballfranchise who once ran intotrouble for comments about theJapanese, Jews and AfricanAmericans. Canadian sports, bycomparison, almost seemsboring.

However here in Canada, wedo have our own fights to dealwith. The Edmonton Eskimosstill seem perfectly happy beingcalled ‘eaters of raw meat,’ whichis the literal Cree translation ofthe now considered pejorativeword.

Perhaps the CFL players are bigfans of sushi or tartar. Or maybeits those Eskimo pies. DonCherry probably doesn’t evenknow there’s a nation of peopleonce called the Eskimos, or morelikely, they were probably namedafter the football team.

In the town near my reserve,there is a junior C hockey teamcalled the Lakefield Chiefs, whichI don’t think was a consciousdecision to honour local Police or

Fire Chiefs, seeing as their logois that of an Indian head wearinga feathered war bonnet.

Let’s not forget the plethora ofBraves, Warriors, Indians andother such team names thatpopulate arenas and rinks acrossthe country. I remember thecontroversy over the famousAtlanta Braves Tomahawk chop,which should not to be confusedwith an old fashion First Nationskick to the crotch.

Perhaps this is one of thoseissues that if it doesn’t affect youpersonally, the average citizenmight not care. After all, howmany redskins could therepossibly be in Washingtonanyways?

I’ve been there a couple times.Didn’t really see many, outsidethe National Museum of theAmerican Indian, of course. AndI don’t know how manyCanadian fans there are ofAmerican football. Again, wehave our own problems withderogatory names up here.

In these politically correcttimes, there has been an effectivemovement to rename thesurprisingly popular geographicname of Squaw, as in SquawRiver or Squaw Creek.Coincidently, I don’t rememberseeing any White BitchMountain or White Slut Valleyon googlemaps.

The usual refrain you hearfrom people on the other side ofthis issue is “it’s just a name.” Itonly hurts if you let it hurt. True,

I suppose. It’s just a sport wherebig men dress up in funny outfitsand spend several hours chasingan oddly shaped ball around amassive field where lots of peoplepay obscene amounts of moneyto watch.

A fellow playwright namedShakespeare once wrote “A roseby any other name would stillsmell as sweet.” So these twobroadcasters won’t call the teamRedskins any more, but the teamwill still probably smell the same.

It should also be noted thatsome descriptive words arefrequently viewed as being passÈ,obsolete and rightfully have gonethe way of the dodo. Obscureand forgotten terms likemongoloid, mulatto, crippled orprogressive conservative.

There is one theory of thoughtthat says the term ‘redskins’ camefrom Newfoundland’s Beothuks.They used to cover their bodieswith a red pigment, giving riseto the name. Pretty soon thename spread to mean all Nativepeople across the continent. Andin 1932, it was chosen as thename of an American footballteam.

For a nation mired in theconcept of manifest destinytowards it Indigenouspopulation, it seems like an oddchoice for a team that wanted tobe victorious and supreme.

Still, things could be worse.They could have been called theSenators. These days, who’d wantto be called that?

THE URBANE INDIAN

Drew Hayden Taylor

The Countess of Wessex,Sophie Rhys Jones, daughter-in-law of Queen Elizabeth II, hasbecome a royal rock star in someFirst Nations communities acrossCanada. She charmed people inlittle remote communities on theWest Coast of Canada andendeared herself completely tothe people ofK i t c h e n u h m a y k o o s i bInninuwug (KI) in an isolatedpart of northern Ontario whereshe spent two days.

She was the first member of theBritish Royal family to visit thecommunity since its treaty withthe Crown was signed in 1929.She was accompanied by OntarioPremier Kathleen Wynne,Lieutenant Governor-designateElizabeth Dowdeswell, Ruth AnnOnley, wife of outgoingLieutenant Governor DavidOnley, and Vicki Heyman, wifeof the U.S. ambassador toCanada.

It was a tight squeeze for thedelegation, with the countesstaking one of only two rooms inthe only inn in KI, and the othersbunking with communitymembers. A fairly ordinaryoccurrence when visitors travelinto such communities, but forthe royals, a fairly unusualsituation.

She had breakfast with the

Canadian Rangers, who madeher an honorary member of thegroup. The Rangers are acomponent of the CanadianArmed Forces Reserve operatingin northern, coastal and isolatedareas of Canada providing patrolsand national security and publicsafety missions.

The youth of the communitywere filled with hope anddreaming of the next possibilitiesfor their community and schoolafter the royal visit, said AndreeCazabon, filmmaker of 3rdWorld Canada. The film followsthe community of KI over twoyears and reveals the many factorsthat lead to the marginalizationof First Nations people in hopesof closing gaps in livingconditions.

“Now that they pulled off thisRoyal visit, they feel that they canpull their efforts together andmake change happen within KI,”Cazabon said. The youth want totravel south to share their storyand love for community andbuild bridges.

And 13-year-old RavenChapman says she misses theCountess and hopes she will seeher again.

Later, the delegation attendedNipissing University in NorthBay and the First NationsEducation Symposium where the

Countess addressed 400 people,and talked of the importance ofsaving Aboriginal languages andculture.

“Language is what oftendefines us as a people. It is partof our history and who we are.And especially withincommunities where language isnot being documented, butpassed from generation togeneration verbally, it is vital thatwe ensure survival of thesedialects. This is not a move tocreate division between peoplebut a celebration of differenceand a way of enriching all thepeople of Canada and itsheritage.”

Countess of Wessex earns affection of First Nationson Canadian tour

After cutting the ribbon to the new library at Ditidaht, theCountess of Wessex, read to some of the children.

Countess of Wessex, Sophie Rhys Jones, paddles with the Ditidaht Paddle Club on NitinatLake, B.C.

(Continued on page 18.)


[ news ]

By David P. BallWindspeaker Contributor

A First Nation has promised acourt battle if B.C. approvesplans to flood a swathe of itsterritories for the province’s long-sought-for 1,100-megawatt SiteC hydroelectric dam.

West Moberly First NationChief Roland Willsonannounced the threat to applyfor a judicial review in theprovince’s courts at a briefing onSept. 9 in Vancouver, less thantwo months before a provincialdecision is expected on grantinga green-light to the project.

The band worries about theimpacts of submergingtraditional territories, butIndigenous leaders also raised thespectre of another dam wallfailure on the scale of the massiveMount Polley tailings pondcollapse in August. Both damsfeature an earthen design.

“If we have to, we will litigate,”the chief said. “If they get anEnvironmental Assessmentcertification, we will file for ajudicial review on it immediately.

“We will go to court, and ifcourt doesn’t work, we’ll do otherthings. This is a ridiculousproposal. In light of everythingelse that’s out there right now, weshouldn’t even be contemplatingsomething like this.”

BC Hydro’s proposal to flood

West Moberly nation vows lawsuit over Site C dam

PHOTO: DAVID P. BALL

West Moberly First Nation Chief Roland Willson speaks at a Vancouver press briefing on Sept. 9 alongside Union of BC IndianChiefs president, Grand Chief Stewart Phillip and municipal leaders.

10,000 hectares of land in thePeace River district — more than40 per cent of it classified as

farmland — comes three decadesafter an earlier version of the planwas rejected by a provincial

regulator, the B.C. UtilitiesCommission (BCUC), as beingunnecessary.

Now, however, the provincesays the dam is needed to powerthe hoped-for boom in liquifiednatural gas (LNG). BC Hydroboasts on its website that the dam“would be a source of clean,renewable and cost-effectiveelectricity for more than 100years.”

“The decision to propose SiteC was made after carefulconsideration of all availableoptions to meet future electricityneeds,” wrote the Crowncorporation’s president CharlesReid in defence his project.

“BC Hydro’s conclusion is thatSite C provides the bestcombination of financial,technical, environmental andeconomic developmentattributes, compared toalternatives. Site C would have arelatively small footprint for theamount of electricity it wouldgenerate.”

In May, a Joint Review Panelmade up of federal and provincialreviewers granted its blessing tothe nearly $8-billion dam as longas it satisfied 50recommendations to mitigate itsimpacts. If the province followsthe usual six-month timelinefollowing a JRP ruling to approvethe project’s environmentalassessment certificate, that wouldmean a decision is forthcomingby Oct. 22.

Municipal and regional district

elected officials, at the same pressbriefing in a posh Vancouverhotel, issued a call for theprovince to instead push thedecision to the BCUC, as it didin the 1980s.

“If you have any kind ofreview, you have to make surethat whatever it’s called andunder whatever jurisdiction it is… it has to be transparent,” saidGwen Johansson, mayor of thenearby District of Hudson’sHope. “It has to be accountable,it has to be independent.

“The current process that wejust went through, BC Hydrowrote the environmentalassessment statement, it [went]then to the province, which thePremier at one point describedthe government as a proponentfor Site C … The process has justbeen simply very flawed.”

Willson, whose band is asignatory to Treaty 8, disagreedwith that suggestion.

“The Joint Review Panel wasvery clear that the impacts of SiteC cannot be mitigated on FirstNations rights,” he said. “…Because of that, you have to stopthis process.

“It should not go to the BCUCat all. It should be stopped deadin its tracks just on the fact thatthey cannot mitigate the impactson First Nations of Treaty 8.From the First Nations point ofview, Site C is not an option atall.”

( Continued onpage 9.)

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[ news ]

By Shari NarineWindspeaker Contributor

EDMONTON

“Our actions are foreverybody, unlike thisgovernment of Canada,” saidRueben George, to a small butpassionate crowd gathered onthe steps of the AlbertaLegislature on Sept. 5.

George, of the Tsleil WaututhNation, is head of the KinderMorgan Sacred Trust, which isleading the battle against the oilcompany’s proposed TransMountain pipeline expansion.

Members of the TsleilWaututh Nation accompaniedLummi Nation Elder and mastercarver Jewell James on his tripfrom Washington State to BeaverLake Cree Nation, where a totempole carved by James was erectedas a symbol of solidarity in thecommunity’s struggle against oilsands development.

The group’s stop in Edmontoncame one day after the NationalEnergy Board concluded its firstAboriginal oral traditionalevidence gathering in its hearingsto make recommendations onthe Trans Mountain pipelineexpansion.

Oral presentations were madebetween Aug. 27 and Sept. 4 bythe Samson Cree, O’Chiese,Sunchild, and Michel FirstNations, along with the GunnMetis Settlement. NEB heardthat the proposed pipelineconstruction in the Albertaportion would occur close toAboriginal homes, as well ascross waterways, ceremonialgrounds, and possible burialsites.

Presenters also made it clearthat boundaries, which markedtheir lands and reserves, wereartificial. They talked about howthey once gathered medicines,hunted, fished, and camped inareas that are no longer availableto them because the lands havebeen impacted by industry ornow sit as private property.

They talked about how theirpeople were buried where theydied and there was concern thatconstruction could unearthgraves. They talked about theirspiritual connection to the landand about advocating for the fishand the wildlife, about leavingsomething good to pass on to thenext generation.

The $5.4-billion TransMountain Expansion projectwould roughly triple the capacityof an existing oil pipelinebetween Strathcona County inAlberta, and a Burnaby, B.C.,marine terminal to 890,000

barrels per day.Approximately 994 km of new

pipeline will be built and 193 kmof pipeline reactivated. Twentynew tanks will be added toexisting storage terminals. Theproposed new pipeline will carryheavier oils. The Trans Mountainpipeline first began operating in1953 and since then has seen anumber of expansions.

The protest on the steps of theLegislature also singled outEnbridge and Keystone.Enbridge’s $6.5 millionNorthern Gateway Pipeline,which will see crude oiltransported from Bruderheim, inAlberta, to an expanded terminalin Kitimat, BC, was approvedbut subject to over 200

conditions.TransCanada’s Keystone XL

Pipeline will cover a 1,897 kmroute from Hardisty, AB, westand south to the Gulf Coast andis awaiting U.S. approval.TransCanada is also seekingregulatory approval for its $12billion Energy East oil pipeline,which is expected to transport1.1 million barrels a day of crudeoil from Alberta to the Irving Oilrefinery in Saint John.

“These owners of the pipelinesand this government are toodysfunctional, something iswrong with their mind. Theycan’t even see the spirit … thatwe’re carrying in the totem poleor in the water or in the land.They can’t see it. They’re too

dysfunctional because what theysee is money, what they see isgreed, what they see is power …they can’t even make goodchoices for their own children,for their own baby,” said George.“Because they’re toodysfunctional to do it for (theirown children), we will. We willstand up. We will do it together.We will commit together.”

The totem pole, which hastravelled nearly 8,000 km, is asymbol of that commitment.The pole was hauled by flatbedtruck through northwesternWashington to Alberta via Idaho,Montana, South Dakota andBC.

“The people here, how we allcome here together, is a reminder

Totem represents fight against further oil sandsdevelopment

that the work that we do hasnever been about theenvironment or the economy.When people make it about thatthen they too are part of theproblem,” said Crystal Lamemanof the Beaver Lake Cree Nation.“It has and always will be aboutthe health and longevity ofMother Earth, the integrity ofour people, our right to asovereign nation, our right tofree, prior and informedconsent.”

The NEB is scheduled to hearmore Aboriginal oral traditionalevidence in BC, with hearingsscheduled in Chilliwack (Oct. 16to Oct. 24), Kamloops (Nov. 13to Nov. 20), and Victoria (Nov.24 to Nov. 28).

PHOTOS: SHARI NARINE

Laying hands on the totem pole carved by Lummi Nation Elder Jewell James, which travelled from Washington State on aflatbed truck and stopped in front of the Alberta Legislature.

The totem pole, a symbol of solidarity, was erected on the Beaver Lake Cree Nation.

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[ news ]

Windspeaker News Briefs

The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nationssays a national plan to address family violence and violentcrimes against Aboriginal women and girls is not beingimplemented quickly enough and will lead to more untimelydeaths. The federal government has announced the NationalAction Plan will not be implemented for another six-and-a-half months.

“According to current statistics where an average ofapproximately 38 Indigenous women and girls have beenmurdered or gone missing annually, that is potentially another20 Indigenous women and girls that will be murdered ormissing before this action plan is implemented and that isnot acceptable,” said Vice Chief Kim Jonathan. “The questionremains how many more Indigenous women will fall victim toviolence before governments implement a full nationalinquiry.”The FSIN, which represents 74 First Nations inSaskatchewan, has continued to call for a national inquiry toaddress the issues around missing and murdered Indigenouswomen. The action plan, the organization reports, falls shorton addressing the sociological factors that lead to racialized,sexualized violence against Indigenous women in Canada,especially on-reserve. The action plan does not propose toaddress nor examine institutionalized racism in the justicesystem, for example.

The FSIN has much cause to worry. Ten RCMPdetachment areas across Canada are identified as havingthe highest risk for violence against women, and six are inSaskatchewan, though RCMP are not identifying thecommunities to avoid “stigmatizing” them. “They know (aboutthe violence), we know it, and we’re having discussions nowwith respect to the challenges within their communities,” saidSupt. Tyler Bates, the RCMP’s director of national Aboriginalpolicing and crime prevention services.

FSIN Grand Chief Perry Bellegarde said he’s gladCanada is acknowledging the national crisis of violenceagainst Aboriginal women, but says “actions need to beimmediate.” He said having six out of the top 10 communitiesat risk in the province says First Nations have been“marginalized in the economy” and “living in poverty for fartoo long.” Bellegarde said “It is alarming and we’ve got tostart working collectively together because there’s high socialcosts to poverty,” Bellegarde said.

Frog Lake First Nation, led by the grandmothersof the community, held a march Sept. 19 to shine the spotlighton drug and alcohol use. Each participant, about 200 in all,was provided with a purple light bulb that would illuminateoutside their homes to signal the household would not toleratedrug and alcohol use in their homes, said Lourraine Hosack.“It’s marking your house as a place of safety.” Organizerschose family allowance cheque day to hold their march toencourage people to be responsible when spending themoney. Elders are concerned with the choices younger peopleare making and want to stand up for the changes they wishto see.

RCMP is investigating an online comment from one of theirofficers in a northern SaskatchewanFirst Nations community. It was a Facebook post about anincident at Sucker River reserve. Allegedly, the post byConstable Anthony Setlack said “all drunk uneducatedanimals shooting at each other” in response to a report ofshots fired at the reserve. RCMP spokesperson Craig Clearysaid the force is looking into the comment. But the damageis done, said a retired First Nations police officer. “If you aregetting that feeling that the people in your areas are animals,you need to leave it,” said Ernie Louttit. “If you are a frontlineofficer and you begin to hate the people you police, you needto move because that’s not why you signed up,” added Louttit,reads a report on News Talk 980. Cleary said the RCMP hasa policy that governs the use of social media and conduct.“The RCMP itself is held to a higher standard by the publicthat we serve, and the use of the Internet for social networkingand social media applications must align with those samestandards. Our policy covers members’ conduct both on andoff duty.”

Cliffs Natural Resources, the largest company hoping todevelop mining in the Ring of Fire in Ontario, says it intendes to divest itself of its $3.3-billion project.Marten Falls First Nation was sent a letter by the company,under the economic pressures of high debt and lowcommodity prices, to say it is seeking “strategic alternatives,”including the sale of the Black Thor chromite project. The5,000 square kilometres known as the Ring of Fire is believedto contain $50 billion in mineral deposits.

Former premier inspired todo even moreBy Shari NarineWindspeaker Contributor

YELLOWKNIFE

Former Northwest TerritoriesPremier Stephen Kakfwi was“moved by the energy” of Idle NoMore; quietly worked behind thescenes asking former primeministers Joe Clark and PaulMartin, and former Nunavutpremier Paul Okalik to visitAttawapiskat Chief TheresaSpence during her hunger strike;and asked by his children to dosomething more.

Kakfwi responded.“I’m 63 and I spent my whole

life doing this and I feel like I cando more,” he said. “I can’t changethe past, but I can start freshtoday.”

Kakfwi is the guiding forcebehind Canadians for a NewPartnership, a group of well-established and well-known menand women, who want to forge astrong relationship between non-Aboriginal and Aboriginalpeoples. He says putting togetherthe group took a year-and-a-halfof phone calls.

“What will make this work isthe personal commitment fromeach (member) to try andovercome the diverse views wehave to work together. To lead byexample, to show Canada andCanadians it is really possible andstill a Canadian thing to do, itfits in with Indigenousgovernance to seek consensus,respect differences and try to doa good few things together,” saidKakfwi.

The group includes Martinand Clark; former GovernorGeneral Michaelle Jean; andformer heads of Aboriginalorganizations, Mary Simon ofInuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and PhilFontaine and Ovide Mercredi ofthe Assembly of First Nations.

“It’s hard not to be excitedbecause of the level of people who

are involved in it. It’s quite abroad selection of Canadian andAboriginal elite,” said TrentUniversity Professor DavidNewhouse, who lectures onIndigenous politics andAboriginal governance.

Newhouse points out thatmany of the non-Aboriginalpeople involved have alreadydemonstrated their commitmentto furthering Aboriginal causes,with Clark and Jean honourarywitnesses for the Truth andReconciliation Commissionestablished through the IndianResidential School SettlementAgreement. Martin’s foundation,the Martin Aboriginal EducationInitiative, works in the schools toimprove educational outcomesfor Aboriginal students. In herposition, former auditor generalof Canada Sheila Frasercontinually criticized theconditions on First Nationsreserves.

“It’s a very powerful group. It’shard to ignore people like this,”said Newhouse, who wassurprised not to see Wab Kinew,University of Winnipeg directorof Indigenous Inclusion, as oneof the younger voices in thepartnership, which includesMétis writer and teacher ChelseaVowel, K’asho Got’ine FirstNation and University of Victorialaw student Daniel T’seleie, andGwich’in Nation member NinaLarsson, who serves as executiveassistant to the Speaker of theLegislative Assembly of theNorthwest Territories.

Kinew said it was a “questionof timing” and he is talking toKakfwi.

“It is in line with my vision andmy message for people,” saidKinew, who has also expressedinterest in becoming the newAFN National Chief. However,Kinew has not decided yetwhether he will run to replaceShawn Atleo.

Kinew, who has also been a

supporter of the grassroots IdleNo More movement, does notsee Canadians for a NewPartnership, which has beendescribed as an “educated andelite group of people,” runningcounterproductive to INM.

“This is an evolution,” he said.“It’s one part of what’s come outof those previous movements andprocesses. This is how formerpoliticians, public servants andsome younger people … aregoing to work together.”

Newhouse sees Canadians fora New Partnership as anotheravenue to move Aboriginalconcerns forward.

“I think the issues are socomplex and so longstanding, itneeds a very broad-based set ofapproaches,” he said. “A grouplike this tries to mobilize theCanadian elite.”

Kakfwi plans to grow the youthinvolvement in Canadians for aNew Partnership “so they canlead and give direction to thisgroup” and increase the spiritualleadership, which includes ElderDave Courchene, as well.

“It’s my view that withoutceremony, without seekingguidance from our Elders andspiritual leaders, this is just goingto be another mechanicalexercise,” he said.

Kakfwi speaks from personalexperience, recognizing the valuespiritual leadership and guidancefrom Elders played in his journeyin healing from the sexual abusehe suffered after seven and a halfyears in residential school.

Kakfwi has been homeless, anaddict, violently angry and was amilitant presence against theN.W.T. government in the late1970s. Finally he, and a numberof others, listened to the wisdomof the chiefs and were elected togovernment.

“I’ve lived it and I’m trying toprovide that kind of hope andleadership to this group,” saidKakfwi.

Arguing against the dam,Grand Chief Stewart Phillip ofthe Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs(UBCIC) pointed to June’slandmark Supreme Court ofCanada ruling in favour of theTsilhqot’in.

In that groundbreaking case,judges declared that agovernment must gainAboriginal consent for infringingon their lands — unless it candemonstrate “both a compellingand substantial governmentalobjective” that is not“outweighed by adverse effectson the Aboriginal interest.”

For Phillip, the case represents

a total shift in how IndigenousPeoples will assert their rightsover their traditional lands,particularly in B.C. where themajority of the province wasnever ceded through treaties.The political and legal landscape,he said, “has been dramaticallyaltered” by the court victory.

“We are moving from aparadigm of consultation toconsent,” the long-time UBCICpresident said. “The collectiveFirst Nations leadership in theprovince of B.C. stands insolidarity with Treaty 8 and thegood people of the Peace RiverValley, as does our nationalorganization the Assembly of

First Nations.“Clearly, we’ve heard that

there’s no good reason to proceedwith this ill-considered, ill-conceived project, that theeconomics are suspect, that theprovincial government has notestablished any good reason forthis proposal to move forward.”

In the wake of B.C. passing itsClean Energy Act four years ago— legislation which encouragesBC Hydro to pursuehydroelectric projects over fossilfuel ventures — the provincialmines and energy ministrygranted the proposed dam anexemption from going to theBCUC for a green-light.

West Moberly nation vowslawsuit over Site C dam

( Continued from page 7.)

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General had first beennominated (as an individual) asa potential inductee into thenational hall about a decade ago.

“I was too young to beinducted back then,” he joked.

Nominees who do not getinducted right away have theirnames placed on a list duringwhich they are considered againin future years. Hall officialsdeemed General worthy ofinduction this year.

Prior to his accolades with theChiefs, General also had his shareof other coaching successes.

His first majoraccomplishment was coaching aSix Nations’ Peewee team to aprovincial championship in1983.

“It scares the hell out of youwhen you think if these kids wona provincial title when they are12 what the heck is in store forthem as you move up throughthe different levels as a team,”General said.

As it turned out, there wasplenty more success in store.

Two years after winning anOntario championship with theSix Nations Peewee squad, heguided a Bantam team from thecommunity to a national title.And in 1987 he led a Six Nations’Midget club to an Ontariocrown.

Powless then spent the nextfive years coaching at the JuniorA level. For starters he guided theBay Area Bengals, primarilycomprised of Hamilton andBurlington players, for two years.And then he made the switchover to the Arrows.

During his third and finalseason with the Arrows, in 1992,the club won the Minto Cup.

Six Nations then opted toenter a Senior team, the Chiefs,into the Ontario LacrosseAssociation and General movedup to coach at that level.

After a respectable inauguralcampaign, in season two theChiefs won their first of threenational titles.

“We were very fortunate at thetime to accommodate theinterest of playing who werecoming to Six Nations,” Generalsaid, adding many of the game’stop stars at the time were keenon suiting up for the Chiefs.

Though he hasn’t coachedsince the Chiefs’ successes in themid ‘90s, General iscontemplating a return to thesport.

“I wonder with grandchildrencoming up through the differentlevels now of getting back intoit,” he said. “I might want to justgo to some practices. I mightwant to be involved in somecapacity just to be a teacher.”

General has eightgrandchildren (two of whichhave started playing lacrosse) andtwo great-grandchildren.

The Six Nations Arrows, 1992 Minto Cup champions.

Two-time Hall of Famer contemplating a return to lacrosse

Photo is from the 1985 Bantam Nationals held in Kitchener, Ont. Pictured is Dave General,Arlie Laforme and Cap Bomberry.

By Sam LaskarisWindspeaker Contributor

OHSWEKEN

David General is gettinginducted into the CanadianLacrosse Hall of Fame.

Again.General, who lives in the Six

Nations community ofOhsweken and has Oneida/Mohawk ancestry, was inductedinto the hall via the team categoryback in 2008. He had served as acoach for the Six Nations Chiefs,who won three consecutiveMann Cup championships from1994 to 1996. The Mann Cup isannually awarded to theCanadian senior men’s lacrossechamps.

Anybody that was a member ofthe Chiefs’ teams during any ofthose three years was inductedinto the hall in 2008.

As for this year, General, 64,will be inducted into the hall, viathe builder category, for hisextensive coachingaccomplishments.

The induction ceremony willbe staged on Nov. 8 in NewWestminster, B.C. The hall offame is relocating to the AnvilCentre, a four-floor, multi-purpose facility which opens thismonth in New Westminster.

“Being recognized as anindividual is an honour,” Generalsaid. “But because lacrosse is ateam concept, I think it meansmore to me being inducted as ateam.”

General, however, is stillanxiously anticipating this year’sinduction ceremony. He isplanning to fly out west for thegala along with his wife Mary.

General’s son Miles, who wasa member of the Chiefs’championship squads in the ‘90sand is thus a hall of famerhimself, is thrilled his father isgetting some additionalrecognition.

“This is something that is longoverdue,” he said. “Six Nationsis the most successful lacrossecommunity around these daysand he’s one of the main reasonsfor that.”

Three Six Nations teamscaptured nationalchampionships in 2014.

The Chiefs won their secondconsecutive Mann Cup. Also, theSix Nations Arrows won theMinto Cup, awarded annually tothe top Canadian Junior Alacrosse side. And the Six NationsRebels captured the FoundersCup, the national Junior Bcrown.

Also, the Six NationsRivermen were finalists for thePresidents’ Cup, the CanadianSenior B title.

“I think we’ve reached thatpoint as a community we alwayswanted to be at,” General said.

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CHILLIWACK, B.C.

Sto:lo Community Futures(SCF), an Aboriginal non-profitorganization in BritishColumbia, has set its sights onbecoming the leading centre ofAboriginal business in BritishColumbia.

The organization has beenaround since the early 1990s, butthis year launched a new five-yearplan to a new board, said SCFspokesperson Francine Douglas,who is also the tourism co-ordinator for Sto:lo Tourism, oneof the businesses in the territory.

SCF provides support incommunity economicdevelopment and businessgrowth to Sto:lo people. TheSto:lo territory stretches fromLangley to Hope and currentlyhas about 6,000 Sto:lo peoplethat live in 24 communities in theFraser Valley.

Right now there are more than200 Sto:lo and Aboriginalbusinesses in the territory andseveral of them are garnering

national and internationalattention.

Douglas is hoping the SCF andits plan gains more tractionduring the Sto:lo BusinessMatch, which is scheduled forOct. 28 and Oct. 29 at theRamada Plaza Hotel andConference Centre inAbbotsford.

This event is modelled after thesuccessful Aboriginal BusinessMatch. It was held twice in 2014,in Saskatoon and in Penticton,B.C.

The tradeshow aims to connectAboriginal communities with theprivate sector in order to createbusiness opportunities.

“It is based on the speed-datingidea,” Douglas said of theupcoming Sto:lo Business Match.“You have 20 appointments andthey are 20-minutes each.”

Business owners make the samepresentation to groups that theycan possibly work together toenhance their companies.

“We are expecting over 200individual delegates,” Douglassaid of the Abbotsford event.

The SCF offers businesscounselling and loans for

Aboriginal businesses, rangingfrom small to medium-sized, thatare just getting off the ground or

are looking to maintain or evenexpand their business.

Douglas said the SCF has madesome significant strides since itsfive-year plan was launched thispast spring.

“I know they have bigger plansthan this though,” she said.

Though some Aboriginalbusiness owners believe they aredoing just fine on their own,Douglas said an increasingamount of owners are discoveringthe numerous benefits ofworking with others to maketheir companies prosper.

“We have several strongcapable leaders,” she said. “Theyhave gone to business schools anduniversities and they want to takethe next steps (in helping to growAboriginal companies).”

Douglas herself is included in

Sto:lo Business Match coming in October

Seven Generations Environmental Services is pictured outside of the Sto:lo Resource Centre.SGES provides environmental and monitoring services.

Singer Inez Jasper was commissioned by Sto:lo CommunityFutures for the song Go Sto:lo, which speaks about the risingspirit of entrepreneurship in the territory.

PHOTO: STO:LO COMMUNITY FUTURES

this group. The 36-year-old, amember of the Chehalis FirstNation who lives in Chilliwack,owns four businesses.

“A lot of the (Sto:lo) owners areoperating one or morebusinesses,” she said.

Among those who are receivingsignificant attention are Lyn KayPeters, who is a fashion designer.She has staged shows in NewYork and also signed a recentcontract to do a bridal displaywith Luxe Magazine.

Seven GenerationsEnvironmental Services is alsoreceiving national exposure. TheChilliwack-based company iskeen to become one of theleading Aboriginal-ownedproviders of environmentalmonitoring and related siterestoration services in B.C.

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The Okanagan Nation Allianceand the Arrow Lakes Tribeof the Confederated Tribes ofthe Colville reservation inWashington took responsibilityfor the reburial of 10,000-year-old bones considered to beremains of an ancestor to theSinixt people, consideredextinct in Canada. First Nationsgathered on the banks of theKootenay River for the burial.The remains were found inFebruary and sent by police tothe coroner in Burnaby andthen to the BC Archeologicalbranch. The site of the reburialwas blessed with sage andtobacco. The remains of thewoman were placed in a boxand wrapped in a blanket. Aprocession of drummers andsingers led the way down aforest path to the site of thereburial. Canada hasconsidered the Sinixt extinctsince 1956, but locally there area few who claim to bedescendants. The Nelson Dailynewspaper said the groupwatched the reburial from adistance.

Westbank First Nations willco-manage the new BlackMoun ta i n /Sn tsk ’ i l ’ n tYn

Regional Parkwith the Regional District ofCentral Okanagan. The 1,260-acre park runs from TowerRanch through to Highway 33.Sntsk’il’ntYn is a syilx/Okanagan word thatmeans†“the place wherearrowheads/flint rock is found”.The area was important to FirstNations for gathering tools. Ithas four sensitive ecosystems,including species that are eitherendangered or threatened. “Ithink it’s going to offer a lothaving Westbank First Nationson the actual title and havingthe co-management as aresponsibility,” said ChiefRobert Louie. “Anytime an areawithin our traditional territory isprotected, we are pleased,”said Louie. The park will remainclosed to the public until amanagement plan is created,and signage is developed.

RCMP Const. Andrew Curtissays an important historicalmask was stolenfrom a shed in Alert Bay onCormorant Island off thenorthern tip of VancouverIsland. The piece depicts thesupernatural bird Huxhukw, andis one of three bird masks used

by the Kwakwaka’wakwpeoples during winterceremonies. RCMP areconcerned that the thief willattempt to sell the mask to aprivate collector or gallery andare urging anyone withinformation to contact them. Itis a brightly painted piece witha beak five feet long.

Kinder Morgan may have achange of heart on the routeof its pipelineif Burnaby City Council delayssurvey work on BurnabyMountain. The city is seekingan injunction to stop the surveywork in the conservation area.The company wants theNational Energy Board to forcethe city to allow the work. “Thiswork is planned and necessaryin order to meet the deadlinesfrom the National EnergyBoard,” said Kinder Morganspokesperson Ali Hounsell.“We have to have theinformation from the studies, tofind out if this route is feasibleby Dec. 1. If they continue todelay the work, we’ll have toconsider whether we abandonthe option of going throughBurnaby Mountain, which, asyou know, we believe is a less

disruptive route.” KinderMorgan will drill throughBurnaby Mountain to connect atank farm with the WestridgeMarine Terminal. The plan wasnot in the company’s originalapplication to the NEB, so thecompany was given thedeadline to complete anassessment of the proposal.When Kinder Morgan cut treesin the city-owned conservationarea, Burnaby issued a stop-work order. The city ticketed thecompany for damaging a citypark. The city also asked theB.C. Supreme Court for aninjunction to deal with thequestion of jurisdiction: Doesthe federal government or thecity control the mountain?

The Canadian Association ofPetroleum Producerscancelled meetingswith the Terrace City Counciland the Terrace Chamber ofCommerce, because therepresentatives the companyhad sent for the meetingswouldn’t be able to answerquestions from people who hadplanned protests. “We havebeen focused most recently onLNG and the natural gas valuechain. That’s what we were

prepared to speak to today,”said Geoff Morrison, the BCManager for CAPP. “And weunderstand that we probablyshould have come with a widerscale of skill sets available toanswer the wider questionspeople may be having.”Northwest Watch co-chair AnneHill said she was disappointedby the choice to back out of themeetings and avoid theprotesters. “They’re claimingthey want to speak to the public,but, in fact, they only want totalk to certain people, a certainselect group. They don’t wantto hear any opposition,” saidHill.

Hupacasath First Nation isshocked and disappointedthat the federal government hasratified the foreign investmenttreaty with China, consideringthe matter is still before aCanadian court to decide ifgovernment should haveconsulted on the controversial31-year agreement with thenation first. The Canada-ChinaFIPA will come into effect onOct. 1. “The Canada-ChinaFIPA will help ensure thatCanadian companies doing

( Continued on page 13.)


It was described as a historicmeeting of First Nations leaders,the Premier of British Columbia,Christy Clark, and her Cabinet,who gathered Sept. 11 to“dialogue” on transforming theFirst Nations-Crown relationship.

The meeting was spurred on bythe new legal landscape facing theprovince since the Supreme Courtof Canada decision in theTsilhqot’in case whichrecognized, for the first time inCanada, that Aboriginal Titleexists beyond the reserve. It’s agame-changer, First Nationsleaders believe, because much ofBritish Columbia is uncededterritory.

Unfortunately, that’s about allthat was accomplished at this“first political meeting on thesefundamental political and legalquestions”—a dialogue.

They couldn’t even come upwith a joint communique on themeeting.

In a statement from the FirstNations Leadership Council,which hosted the gathering, theorganization said it wasdisappointed that the provincedeclined to commit on any of thefour key foundations set out bythe First Nations for the workthey see ahead.

1. Acknowledgement that allour relationships are based onrecognition and implementationof the existence of Indigenouspeoples’ inherent title and rights,and pre-confederation, historicand modern treaties, throughoutBritish Columbia.

2. Acknowledgement thatIndigenous systems ofgovernance and laws are essentialto the regulation of lands andresources throughout BritishColumbia.

3. Acknowledgment of themutual responsibility that all ofour government systems shallshift to relationships,negotiations and agreementsbased on recognition.

4. We immediately must move

to consent based decision-making and title based fiscalrelations, including revenuesharing, in our relationships,negotiations and agreements.

“This work is too important todelay, and the First NationsLeadership Council and FirstNations in BC await and lookforward to a timely responseregarding the foundations of ourwork together,” wrote thecouncil.

In the statement from B.C., thegovernment “acknowledges” theTsilhqot’in decision is an“opportunity to work together to

GC Stewart Phillip (UBCIC), GC Ed John (FNS) and RC Jody Wilson-Raybould looking on as Premier of British Columbia, ChristyClark speaks on transforming the First Nations-Crown relationship.

Premier, BC Cabinet meets with BC First Nation leaders

PHOTO: GOVERNMENT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

build a new path for recognitionand reconciliation in theprovince.”

BC said it is without questionand dispute that Aboriginal titlein the province exists.

“The challenge andopportunity is how to implementtitle across British Columbiagiven that a diversity of viewsexist on how best to achieve thisin the most collaborative andtimely way.”

The government has“acknowledged” the fourfoundational principles set out bythe BC First Nations, and has

committed to an annualgathering and ongoing“government-to-government”engagement.

The Leadership Council says“First Nations remain resolute inexercising our respective title andrights, and treaty rights accordingto these foundations for thebenefit of the current and futuregenerations.

“We will steward our lands andensure that they are responsiblymanaged and work towardbuilding strong First Nationsgovernments, communities andeconomies.”

business in China are treatedfairly and benefit from a morepredictable and transparentbusiness environment,” saidEd Fast, minister ofinternational trade. “But themove caught the tiny

Vancouver Island Nation offguard, as they were expectinga decision from the courts inlate September or earlyOctober. “I’m shocked that thegovernment would do this. Weweren’t expecting this at all,”said Brenda Sayers,

representing Hupacasath.“Stephen Harper took it uponhimself to make this decisioninstead of leaving it for thecourt to decide. This decisionis an injustice and shows norespect for the judicialprocess.”

Raven's Eye Briefs( Continued from page 12.)


Formal agreement betweenTreaty 4, Parkland College

Treaty 4 Student SuccessProgram Inc Executive DirectorLori Whiteman (left) signed theMOU with Parkland CollegePresident Dr. Fay Myersestablishing a formalrelationship to improvepathways to post-secondaryeducation for First Nationsstudents in the Parkland Region.T4SSP is an educationalorganization that serves 11 FirstNations in east-central andsoutheast Saskatchewan:Fishing Lake, Cote,Keeseekoose, Sakimay, OceanMan, Kahkewistahaw,Ochapowace, Cowessess,White Bear, Muskowekwan, andKawacatoose First Nations.Parkland College has longpartnered with First Nationsbands and tribal councils in theregion to develop and delivereducation and training programson-reserve.

Implementation underway onrecommendation on youth-on-youth death

Saskatchewan SocialServices and the Yorkton TribalCouncil Child and FamilyServices are reporting progress

on 18 recommendations madeafter a 10-year-old boy killed asix-year-old boy in August 2013.The boy’s body was found in awooded area not far from theKahkewistahaw First Nationcommunity centre. Therecommendations came in Mayfrom the province’s children’sadvocate Bob Pringle, whofound there were significantgaps in aid provided to the 10-year-old by the tribal council.Pringle’s first recommendationis “That the Government ofSaskatchewan develop andimplement well-resourced earlychildhood development andpoverty reduction strategies toadvance the goals of its Childand Family Agenda.” Pringlenoted that the 10-year-old boyhad behavioural issues and saidhe probably should not havebeen in the communityunsupervised. Among the stepstaken by Social Servicesincludes joint training sessionwith First Nations child andfamily services on safety plans,and yearly program reviews onFirst Nations child welfareagencies rather than the formerpractice of every three years.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED BY PARKLAND COLLEGE


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INM organizer calls forwomen to lead inquiry

Alex Wilson, an Idle NoMore organizer as well as anassociate professor in theDepartment of EducationalFoundations and the AcademicDirector of the AboriginalEducation Research Centre atthe University ofSaskatchewan, recently toldCBC News that not only is anational inquiry needed into theissue of missing and murderedAboriginal women, but that itmust be led by Indigenouswomen. “I think Indigenouswomen should direct and leadand every step of the way be apart of any kind of academicresearch community orotherwise inquiry investigation,or commission, that examinesthis issue,” Wilson said. She

explained that any investigationinto the murders anddisappearances must befocused around the inclusion ofinput and direction from thevictims’ families.

Specific Claims Tribunalhears arguments fromBeardy’s & Okemasis

The Specific ClaimsTribunal heard the finalarguments in the Beardy’s &Okemasis claim regarding thewrongful withholding ofannuities by the federalgovernment. “Finally, after 14years of waiting since we firstfiled our claim, our position thatthe Government of Canadawas clearly in breach of itsduties by punishing selectedFirst Nations through thewithholding of funds owed will

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be heard by the Tribunal. Weare very confident of ourposition on this issue and weare of the view that the decisionon the Beardy’s & Okemasisclaim will impact the claims ofthe other 13 First Nations whoalso had annuities withheld,”said Chief Rick Gamble.Following the 1885 RielRebellion, Canada institutedseveral measures to controland punish 14 First Nationslabelled as “rebel bands”. Oneof those measures was towithhold Treaty annuities fromevery man, woman and child inthe band from 1885 to 1889even though, in some cases,only a few, or perhaps none, ofthose band members mayhave actually participated inRiel Rebellion activities. In2000, Beardy’s & Okemasis

First Nation filed SpecificClaims with the Canadaalleging the governmentbreached its lawful obligations.In 2008, the Specific ClaimsTribunal was formed with thepower to make bindingdecisions on Specific Claims,which cannot be settledthrough negotiations.

Support for ILMI at U of STD Bank of Canada has

provided a gift of $500,000 tothe University of Saskatchewanfor the Indigenous LandManagement Institute insupport of education,scholarships and research inthe area of Indigenouseconomic development. Thefunding will support the work ofthe ILMI with half of the moneygoing directly toward

internships that support studentwork and research inSaskatchewan. “Today’sdonation continues to supportthe research being done at theILMI and ensures our centreremains a leader in Indigenousland and resourcemanagement, both nationallyand internationally,” said DavidNatcher, director of the ILMI.Since opening in 2008, theinstitute’s researchers haveworked on projects thatexamine food security,investigate sustainedeconomic growth forSaskatchewan First Nationsand work to create moremeaningful and informedAboriginal engagement withlarge-scale development inNorthern Saskatchewan.

Compiled by Shari Narine


Manitoba Pipestone: Special Section providing news from ManitobaGroup works to dredge RedRiver

Sparked by the discovery of15-year-old Tina Fontaine’sbody in August in the Red River,a group, which includesBernadette Smith, whose sisterClaudette Osborne wentmissing six years ago, hasorganized the dredging of theriver’s bottom. The group iscalled Drag the Red and hasvolunteer crews, who will useboats to pull metal bars withdragging hooks along thebottom of the river to pick upanything, including bodies. Apipe ceremony was held onSept. 14, with 100 people inattendance, many of whomhave missing family members.Dredging began a few dayslater. There are approximatelytwo dozen volunteers on theboats, which include Aboriginalpeople with experiencedragging Manitoba lakes forremains, said Smith. The Dragthe Red has 700 members onFacebook. While the WinnipegPolice Service has done dives,and recently had the EdmontonPolice Service’s MissingPersons Unit conduct a searchof the shoreline through visualobservation, there has been nodredging. Critics say dredgingwill only pull up garbage.

APCA takes on political flavourThe Aboriginal People’s

Choice Awards quickly becameabout more than honouringAboriginal talent Sept. 12.Rappers Winnipeg Boyzopened the show in Winnipegwearing t-shirts that read“Where are our women?” It wasin reference to the more than1,100 missing and murderedIndigenous women in Canada.Indigenous rapper andUniversity of Winnipeg directorof Indigenous Inclusion WabKinew talked about the longhistory of misogyny in rap music.“I would like to challenge all ofthe hip hop and rap artists in ourcommunity to stop makingmusic with language that’sdisrespectful and demeaning toIndigenous women.” An openletter from activist ClaytonThomas-Muller questioned therole of corporate sponsorship forthe awards. Thomas-Mullerpointed out that much of “theAPCA show was sponsored bysome of the biggest violators ofIndigenous/Treaty Rights in thiscountry…” Thomas-Mullerchallenged the night’s recipientsto post on Facebook theirthoughts about the operations ofthe companies that sponsoredthe APCA.

Threat curtails Aboriginalhunting in western Manitoba

In mid-August, the provinceextended a ban on feeding deer,elk and moose in westernManitoba to Aboriginal huntersto better control the threat ofchronic wasting disease.Officials say the ban wasenacted after consultation. Thenew regulation recognizesAboriginal hunting rights havenow been taken intoconsideration. “Thecommunities we talked to, thehunters we talked to, the’’re verymuch in favour of the work we’redoing to prevent the spread ofthe disease,” said Manitoba BigGame Health Program managerRichard Davis. He saidsubsistence hunting is notwidely practised in westernManitoba. CWD is a fataldisease of the central nervoussystem of deer and elk. Thetheory behind a ban on feedingis infected animals probablytransmit the disease throughanimal-to-animal contact and/orcontamination of feed or watersources with saliva or bodilywaste material, possibilities thatincrease greatly when animalsgather at a single source ofsupplied food. The newregulation comes about twomonths after the province made

amendments to the Wildlife Act’sgeneral hunting regulation.

Protest moves into hands ofyouth

In early September, a groupof youth took over a protestcamp in Winnipeg that’s callingfor a national inquiry into missingand murdered Aboriginalwomen. The original camp inMemorial Park since late Augustfolded its tents because it sawthe call by Canadian premiersto hold a roundtable on the issueas a positive first step. “Ourbiggest complaint right now is‘cause all the missing andmurdered Indigenous women,they’re mostly young people andwe want to get action taken onto why people aren’t listening tothe youth and why they’re lettingthis happen,” Corey Bruce of theyouth camp told CTV News. Thegroup says they plan to campfor 12 days before making a tripto Ottawa.

Second annual Burt Award tobe handed out

Winners of the secondedition of the Burt Award for FirstNations, Metis and InuitLiterature will be announced onSept. 27 at the ManitobaTheatre for Young People inWinnipeg. Nominated are The

Girl Who Grew A Galaxy byCherie Dimaline (published byTheytus Books); TheInconvenient Indian: A CuriousAccount of Native People inNorth America by Thomas King(published by DoubledayCanada); They Called MeNumber One by Bev Sellars(published by Talon Books);and, Tilly, a Story of Hope andResilience by Monique GraySmith (published by Sono NisPress). In 2013, more than7,500 copies of the first threewinning titles were distributed to980 locations in all provincesand territories. The reactionfrom community workers andeducators who received thebooks to use as part of theircurriculum or programming withFirst Nations, Metis and Inuityouth was overwhelminglypositive. Prizes of $12,000,$8,000 and $5,000 will beawarded to first through thirdplacing authors. In addition,publishers of the winning titleswill be awarded a guaranteedpurchase of a minimum of 2,500copies, which will ensure thatFirst Nations, Metis and Inuityouth across Canada will haveaccess to the books throughtheir community’s schools,libraries, or friendship centres.



10 First Nations with decade-long boil water advisories inplace

Nearly half of the 133 FirstNations in Ontario currentlyhave boil water advisories, andit has been more than 10 yearssince 10 First Nations innorthwestern Ontario had cleandrinking water. In an emailresponse to a CBC interview, aspokesperson for HealthCanada said, in part, “Inaddition to the measuresregarding water qualitysampling, monitoring andsurveillance programs... HealthCanada Environmental HealthOfficers (EHOs) regularly visitFirst Nations communities toconduct public health programactivities and provide trainingas necessary.” NeskantagaFirst Nation is one of the FirstNations that has had a boilwater advisory in place for more

than 10 years. Chief PeterMoonias said he has beenapproached by charities andprivate companies offeringhelp, but “we don’t want to leavethe government off thehook...when they have theobligation to do that. Thegovernment is responsible toprovide that service.”

Legal action taken to upholdRobinson-Huron Treaty

Chiefs from the Robinson-Huron Treaty territory, acting onbehalf of 30,000 beneficiariesof the 1850 Robinson-HuronTreaty, filed a Statement ofClaim Sept. 9 naming Canadaand Ontario in the longstandingfailure of the Crown to raiseannuities as agreed under theTreaty. “Our people haveexhausted their patiencewaiting for the Crown to acthonourably, they want their fair

share and they want the Crownto honour its promises,” saidspokesman Chief Dean Sayers.He said the Robinson-HuronTreaty “anticipates andprovides economic benefits forus in perpetuity. The annuitywas intended to be our revenuestream, our share of the wealthgenerated by revenues fromour territory, yet many of thebeneficiaries live in poverty.This is not what our ancestorsand the Crown agreed to.”

Wabauskang asks Court ofAppeal to clarify lower courtdecision

Wabauskang First Nationhas asked the Ontario Court ofAppeal to hear its challenge ofthe recent decision dismissingWabauskang’s lawsuit againstthe Ontario government over itsapproval of Rubicon Minerals’proposed Phoenix Gold Minenear Red Lake. “Our Treatyrights and our relationship andresponsibilities with our landsand territory must berespected,” said WabauskangChief Martine Petiquan. “Thelower court’s decision ignoresfundamental aspects of ourTreaty relationship andOntario’s constitutionalobligations to our First Nation.We’re ready to take this fight tothe Court of Appeal to makesure that Ontario honours our

Treaty the way it is supposedto.” Wabauskang filed thelawsuit in 2012 opposingRubicon’s proposed PhoenixGold Mine in Treaty 3 territory.Wabauskang asked the Courtto cancel Ontario’s approval ofa closure plan, which allows themine to go into production,because Ontario delegatedconsultation to Rubicon. In adecision released on Aug. 28,the Court sided with Rubiconand Ontario and upheld theclosure plan.

Senate Committee hears fromSpence and other chiefs

Attawapiskat First NationChief Theresa Spence wasamong those First Nationsleaders to appear before theSenate Committee onAboriginal Peoples, which isconducting a study onchallenges relating to FirstNations infrastructure onreserves. In October 2011,Spence declared a state ofemergency in Attawapiskat inresponse to droppingtemperatures and the healthrisk presented by inadequatehousing. It was the thirddeclared state of emergency inas many years. Thegovernment responded, in part,by saying they were unawareof the crisis and by puttingAttawapiskat First Nation underthird party management.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED BY CAMBRIAN COLLEGEGraduates celebrate success, jobsThe Indigenous Line Crew Ground Support graduates were honoured in a ceremony Sept. 12, after completing 15 weeksof training through the Wabnode Centre for Aboriginal Services and Cambrian College. Eighty per cent of the graduateshave secured employment.

Spence went on a six-weekhunger strike and her actionshelped fuel the Idle No Moremovement. Other chiefs topresent to the SenateCommittee included Les Louttit,Deputy Grand Chief forNishnawbe Aski Nation, andChief Gordon Beardy of theMuskrat Dam First Nation.Senate hearings took placeSept. 15 in Thunder Bay.

Carleton continues to forgestrong relationship

Carleton will be the firstuniversity in Canada to offer anAboriginal research ethicsprogram in 2015. Organizersrecently conducted a two-daypilot that brought Aboriginalcommunity members,researchers andrepresentatives of grantingorganizations together. Theresult will be a 10-day instituteto help academics and othersimplement ethical practiceswhen working with Aboriginalcommunities. As well, Carletonrecently established theAboriginal Education Council.With more than 40 faculty atCarleton directly involved inIndigenous research and anadministrative StrategicIntegrated Plan that supportsAboriginal communities,Carleton is on its way topositioning itself as a universityof choice for Aboriginalstudents.

New poverty fundingprograms in place

Ontario’s new PovertyReduction Strategy is focusedon ending homelessness andproviding a stable foundation tohelp people rise out of poverty.The strategy will invest ininitiatives that are evidence-based and measurable, so thatOntario can track its progressand get the best possibleresults for people. RealizingOur Potential recommits toreducing child poverty by 25 percent. It will also help inaccessing jobs, education andtraining opportunities, whilecontinuing to maintain incomesecurity for vulnerableOntarians. Through theCommunity HomelessnessPrevention Initiative, $42 millionwill be invested to enable localgovernments to developprograms tailored to theircommunity’s unique needs,bringing the investment to atotal of almost $294 million peryear.



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Health WatchNunavut suicide rate well above Canadian rate

In 2013, there were 45 suicides in Nunavut, almost entirelyamong the Inuit population of 27,000. That’s a new statistical peaksince the founding of the territory in 1999. That rate comes to 166per hundred thousand. The suicide rate in Nunavut is almost fivetimes the world’s highest national rate of 35 per hundred thousandin Lithuania. There, many of the suicides derive from financialproblems among older and working-age people. But amongCanada’s Indian and Inuit, the incidence is concentrated amongmale youth, with one suicide, in 2013, of a boy of 11 in RepulseBay. The overall suicide rate in Canada has been holding fairlysteady at about 12 per hundred thousand, with the Nunavut raterunning 14 times the national average. Food insecurity,malnutrition, poor health and overall deprivation of children are aserious problem in these communities, as well as lack of educationand employment.

Métis baseline cancer report outlines challengesA new report measures baseline data for cancer control in the

Métis population. It shows patients, their families and caregiversface common issues in cancer care. They include challenges inaccess to care for rural and remote communities in relation totreatment centres; financial burden; lack of trust and confidencein the cancer care system; the need for emotional support for thepatient and their family; and the need for preventative health andcancer awareness education at the community level.

“In order to reduce the overall burden of cancer amongstCanada’s Métis population, we first need to understand what thecancer landscape looks like: where the greatest risk factors are,how we can mitigate them, and where we can improve theexperience for cancer patients, their caregivers and their families,”said Pam Tobin, director, Strategy Implementation, First Nations,Inuit and Métis Cancer Control at the Canadian Partnership AgainstCancer.

The report also found that Métis patients could benefit from agreater blend of western and traditional approaches to cancermanagement. The report spotlights some promising paths forward,including greater use of telehealth to keep patients in their homecommunities; mining health insurance client registries for dataspecific to the Métis community; greater use of mobile screeningprograms; employing Aboriginal patient navigation liaisons; andimproving discharge planning.

In March, with partners from across First Nations, Inuit andMétis organizations and the health sector, the CanadianPartnership Against Cancer launched a $10.2 million, 3.5 yearinitiative to improve the quality of the cancer journey for Aboriginalpeoples residing in remote and isolated communities in the Yukon,the Northwest Territories, BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba,Québec, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Thisreport offers a baseline of data to measure progress andimprovement.

Anti-poverty projects move ahead in N.W.T.The Government of the Northwest Territories’ Anti-Poverty

Action Plan has received $500,000 and will provide for projectsand initiatives to help reduce poverty at the community, regionaland territorial levels. “The successful proposals demonstratedingenuity and respect for culture and tradition. The GNWT is proudto assist these 14 organizations in realizing the objectives theyhave outlined in their proposals and to ultimately improve the livesof people in the territory,” said Minister of Health and SocialServices Glen Abernethy. The range of initiatives covers everypart of the territory and addresses a variety of aspects of poverty.The initiatives are partnership between the GNWT, Aboriginal andcommunity governments, Band Councils, NGOs and other groups.

Food insecurity connected to slow growth ratesA paper published in the Journal of the Canadian Public Health

Association says the height discrepancy in Arctic Quebec impliesthat food insecurity is a long-running problem and not somethingthat happens occasionally. “The observed association betweenfood insecurity and linear growth suggests that the diet qualityand quantity of children from food-insecure households had beencompromised for a long time,” the paper said. The study byresearchers affiliated with Laval University is believed to be thefirst to look into the physical consequences. They examined 294children between the ages of eight and 14 from several villages inNunavik. About half of those children came from homes consideredfood-insecure. They found a high correlation between slow growthrates and food insecurity.

Funding for proactive Healthy Kids approachThe Ontario government will be putting money into a Healthy

Kids Community Challenge, which will provide support over thenext four years for training, community kitchens and gardens, andphysical activity and recreational programs. Receiving funds are45 communities across Ontario, of which there are four AboriginalHealth Access Centres and two Aboriginal Community HealthCentres, which will be funded directly to provide this program totheir Aboriginal communities. The selected AHACs centres areDe dwa da dehs nye>s Aboriginal Health Centre, Noojmowin TegHealth Centre, Shkagamik-Kwe Health Centre and Wabano Centrefor Aboriginal Health. Centre de santé communautaire CHIGAMIKCommunity Health Centre and Misiway MilopemahtesewinCommunity Health Centre are the selected Aboriginal CHCs.

[ health ]

Reprinted with permissionfrom the First NationsHealth Authority

Ready to Quit?First Nation’s Health Benefits

covers three treatment coursesfor Nicotine ReplacementTherapy of 12 weeks each withina 12-month period. Thisincludes two courses of NRTpatches and one course of otherNRT products such as gums,lozenges, and inhalers, used onan as-needed basis.

For coverage of these productsunder Health Benefits, aprescription from a physician ornurse practitioner is required.Individuals should consult witha health professional to discussand choose the best treatmentoption for them.

No matter how long you havebeen smoking or chewingtobacco, your health will start toimprove when you quit.

When someone wants to quittheir non-traditional tobacco use(smoking or chewing tobacco),these three things need to beaddressed:• physical addiction of nicotine• habit• emotional dependence

Why Do People Smoke?One of the main reasons

people smoke – and why it is sohard to stop – is the addictionto nicotine. This drug has acalming effect and it may relieveboredom, anxiety and irritability.Nicotine also has a stimulanteffect, increasing alertness andconcentration.

Reasons to QuitFirst Nations people have a

long history of using tobacco inceremonies, rituals and prayer.When tobacco is used in atraditional way, it benefits thespirit and strengthens the ties toone’s culture. However, whentobacco is used in a non-traditional manner, like smokingcigarettes or chewing tobacco/snuff, it causes lung diseasesincluding lung cancer, heartdisease, cancers of the upperrespiratory tract, and pregnancyrisks.

Never Give UpIt generally takes at least three

serious attempts at quittingbefore a person becomes alifetime non-smoker, and formany people it takes six or moretries. If you are not successful thefirst time you try to quit, don’tgive up. Learn from theexperience and get back on trackright away.

YouthSince 85 per cent of smokers

start before their 16th birthday,if you do not start smoking by19 you are more likely to neverbecome a regular tobacco user.However, if you are a youngperson looking to quit and youwant youth-friendly material,the following websites haveinformation on tobaccoaddiction, quitting tips andsupport from others sharingtheir stories: www.quit4life.comand www.quittersunite.com

“Traditional tobacco has beenused by many Aboriginal peoplein ceremonies, rituals and prayerfor thousands of years,” saidElder Leonard Ward of Stellat’enFirst Nation, Fraser Lake, BC.“Using tobacco in non-traditional ways like smokingcigarettes or chewing tobacco orsnuff is abuse of its traditionalpurpose.”

“For me, I had a hard timehealth wise. I used to be able torun no problem. The challengeI faced was a lot of negativeenergy that came whenever Ismoke. My father was atraditional healer and he said togive up smoking to the Creatorfor the purpose of healing. WhenI started my fast I put four[cigarettes] on the sacred mountin front of the sweat lodge andwhen I came out I didn’t feel likesmoking after that.”

Non-traditional Tobacco Usein BC

British Columbians havemade tremendous strides indecreasing smoking trends overthe years. BC now has the lowestper capita rate of tobacco use at14 per cent, however, because ofthe larger population in the

Keep Tobacco Sacredprovince, it has the fourthhighest number of smokers at550,000 people, with 59 percent of First Nations adultssmokers, which is three timeshigher than the national average.

Most alarming is amongAboriginal youth with currentrates for 15 to 19 years oldsranging from 47 per cent to 82per cent in some areas, accordingto the Canadian PediatricSociety.

Smoking is a rimary risk factorfor the top three causes of deathin Canada—respiratory disease,cardiovascular disease, andcancer. Also, smoking isassociated with adverseoutcomes for infants andchildren.

Traditional tobacco use createspositive energy and non-traditional tobacco use createsnegative energy.

Ready to put smoking behindyou?

Get support from thosearound you. When you have agood support network of nonsmokers or others that are tryingto quit, you are more likely tosucceed. Set a quit date and tellyour family and friends so thatthey can encourage you alongthe way. For those that are notsmokers, think about your lovedones that smoke and make a planfor helping them to quit in apositive way.

Keep a tally sheet on yoursmoking behaviour to gain abetter understanding of patterns,moods, and triggers for cravings

Control cravings using the 4D’s – Delay by waiting fiveminutes and seeing if the cravingpasses. Use deep breathing – inthrough your mouth and outthrough your nose for sevenseconds. Drink a glass of waterslowly. And finally, distractyourself by participating inanother healthy behaviour.

Calculate the amount ofmoney you will save by quittingusing of non-traditional tobacco.For example, after one month ofquitting, you could saveapproximately $200. Whatcould you do with an extra$200?

The Countess of Wessex alsospoke about the need to help healthe wounds and “painfulmemories” of the residentialschool era.

“We need to ask about whatcan done to ease their suffering,”she said.

The Earl and Countess ofWessex, Prince Edward and hiswife Sophie, don’t garner thesame attention as the luminariesthat are Prince William and

Princess Kate, for example, butEdward’s and Sophie’s visit toCanada Sept. 12 to Sept. 19 wasa triumph in their work ofreconciliation and repair of thetattered relationship between theBritish Royals and First Nationspeople.

On Vancouver Island in BritishColumbia the couple opened asmall library as part of the Writeto Read program initiated byformer Lieutenant GovernorSteven Point, a member of the

Sto:lo Nation.They were very down-to-earth

people, said elected Chief JackThompson. They had time foreverybody and didn’t leaveanybody out, he added.

Sophie even got into atraditional canoe with youthfrom the local paddle club andtook a spin round the lake. Laterthat day the couple was inMangis at Laert Bay for anevening display of cultural songand dance.

(Continued from page 6.)

Countess of Wessex earnsaffection of First Nations

Find more of everything online: www.ammsa.com


[ sports ]


OSHWEKEN

The Six Nations Chiefs arenow the two-time defendingMann Cup champions. TheChiefs captured their secondconsecutive national senior men’slacrosse crown on Sept. 12.

The Six Nations side hostedthis year’s Canadian finals. TheChiefs wrapped up the best-of-seven national championshipwith a 9-4 victory over theVictoria Shamrocks in Game 6.

Six Nations also defeated theShamrocks in the 2013 MannCup final, which was staged inVictoria and also lasted six games.

Chiefs’ assistant coach DuaneJacobs, who also doubles as theteam’s general manager, said thisyear’s national championship wasperhaps a bit more significant.

“I guess it’s a bit more specialwinning in your owncommunity,” he said.

Early on it appeared it mightbe the Shamrocks who would becelebrating at the conclusion ofthe series.

Though the Chiefs did win theseries opener, the Victoria siderebounded to win the next twocontests.

For starters, the Shamrocksregistered a 6-5 double overtimevictory in Game 2. Victoria theneked out a 12-11 overtime winin the following match.

“As coaches we were a little bitworried,” Jacobs said. “(TheShamrocks) played hard. Andthey played pretty good defence.”

The Six Nations side, however,was able to rack up three straightwins to claim the series. Thisincluded a pair of lopsided wins,12-6 in Game 4 and the seriesclincher (9-4).

“I just think we were the betterteam,” Jacobs said. “I think ourgoaltending was better. And I

think our offence was better.”Chiefs’ goaltender Brandon

Miller, who played all of theMann Cup games, was selectedas the event’s most valuableplayer.

And offensively the Six Nationsside was led by Cody Jamieson,the 2013 Mann Cup MVP.Jamieson led all tournamentscorers this year by racking up 26points (12 goals, 14 assists).

The Chiefs have now capturedfive Mann Cup championshipsduring their franchise history.They had won three straightnational titles from 1994-96.

The club’s current head coach,Rich Kilgour, and Jacobs are theonly two individuals who havebeen part of all five Mann Cupwinning teams. Kilgour andJacobs played for the Six Nationschampionship teams during the‘90s.

Earlier this year it appeared theChiefs would not be defendingtheir national crown. The clubhad its share of struggles duringregular season action and onlyhad a 9-9 mark.

Six Nations placed fourth inthe standings of its six-teamOntario-based circuit calledMajor Series Lacrosse (MSL).

“We always believed inourselves,” Jacobs said. “Wedidn’t have the regular season wewanted. But we looked at ourlineup on paper and asked ‘howcan we can better.’ We felt wedidn’t need to.”

Jacobs added the team’smediocre regular season recordcan be attributed to the fact theclub had some injury troublesand also to the fact 12 of itsplayers missed some action asthey were participating at theworld field lacrossechampionships, which were heldin July in Denver.

The Chiefs got their acttogether in the post-season. Theystarted off by upsetting the top-

Sports BriefsBy Sam Laskaris

Defenceman accepts university scholarshipThough he will have to cross the Canada/U.S. border, Owen

Headrick will not be travelling that far to continue his hockeycareer. Headrick, who is from the Garden River First Nationnear Sault Ste. Marie in northern Ontario, recently accepted ascholarship offer from Lake Superior State University.

Headrick, a highly-touted 17-year-old defenceman, iscurrently in his sophomore season with the Sault Ste. MarieThunderbirds, members of the Northern Ontario Junior HockeyLeague. Headrick will continue to play for the Thunderbirdsthis season before heading off to join the Lake Superior Statesquad, located in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, starting with the2015-16 season. He is 5-foot-11 and weighs 190 pounds andhad an immediate impact with the Thunderbirds during hisrookie season.

He appeared in 53 regular season matches and collected31 points (eight goals, 23 assists). His efforts resulted in himwinning the NOJHL’s rookie-of-the-year award. Headrick wasalso a force in the post-season, averaging close to a point pergame, with 13 points in 15 contests.

The Lake Superior State Lakers are an NCAA Division 1squad. They compete in the Western Collegiate HockeyAssociation. Headrick had also been chosen by thePennsylvania-based Erie Otters in the 2013 Ontario HockeyLeague’s Priority Selections draft.

He opted not to sign with the Otters in order to retain hisNCAA eligibility. Those that play in the OHL, or any other MajorJunior league, are not eligible for scholarships from Americanschools afterwards.

MVP goalie makes move to WHLGoaltender Rylan Parenteau has made the jump to the

Western Hockey League this season. The 17-year-old, whohas Metis ancestry, is one of two netminders that cracked theopening day roster for the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders.

Parenteau will battle Nick McBride for some playing timewith the Raiders. McBride, who is also 17, also suited up forthe Prince Albert squad last season, appearing in 27 matches.

Parenteau had spent the past season in the Junior A rankstoiling with the Weyburn Red Wings, who compete in theSaskatchewan Junior Hockey League, a step below the WHL.

Despite being a rookie with the Red Wings, Parenteaubecame the team’s Number 1 puckstopper. He appeared in 41games last season and had an impressive 2.72 goals-againstaverage and a somewhat respectable 16-22-2 record.

Parenteau, who is from Saskatoon, also competed at theNational Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC), held thispast spring in Kahnawake, Que. He backstoppedSaskatchewan to the gold medal in the eight-team boys’ divisionat the national event. Parenteau was selected as the topgoaltender at the NAHC. Parenteau, who turns 18 on Nov. 16,is eligible to be selected in the 2015 National Hockey LeagueEntry Draft.

New sports TV seriesA new series for youth about Aboriginal sports is now airing

on the Aboriginal People’s Television Network (APTN). The13-episode series, which began airing on Sept. 6, is calledWarrior Games. The 30-minute episodes are broadcast onSaturday afternoons. The series follows host and producerSteve Sxwithul’txw, who travels to various parts of Canadaand the United States to explore how Aboriginal youth embraceboth traditional and modern sports.

During the episodes Sxwithul’txw trains with local athletes.He also talks to Elders about the cultural and historicalsignificance of the sport. The host also plays the sport withlocal athletes. Viewers also learn about various youngAboriginal athletes who are training for local and internationalcompetitions in their sport. And they also get to learn aboutsome sporting activities that their ancestors participated in butare no longer widely recognized. Sxwithul’txw currently livesin Victoria, B.C., but he is a member of the Penelakut tribe ofthe Coast Salish Nation.

He is a former tribal police officer and liquor inspector. Lateron he worked as both a reporter and producer for varioustelevision networks. In 2009 he founded his own company,Kwassen Productions. Sxwithul’txw also works as an Aboriginalemployment co-ordinator for the Vancouver Island HealthAuthority.

Halifax to host NationalsHalifax will be hosting next year’s National Aboriginal Hockey

Championships (NAHC). The 2015 tournament will begin onApril 27 and continue until May 2.

The NAHC, which has been held annually since 2001,features elite Aboriginal Bantam and Midget players from acrossthe country. The tournament features both girls’ and boys’divisions. The NAHC was held in Kahnawake, Que. in each ofthe past two years.

Saskatchewan won both the girls’ and boys’ categories atthis year’s nationals.

ranked Brooklin Redmen in fivegames in a MSL best-of-sevensemi-final series.

Then they earned the right tohost the Mann Cup by edging thePeterborough Lakers 4-3 in theirleague championship series.

The Chiefs were not the onlySix Nations lacrosse team toenjoy their share of success thisyear.

Two others also captured theirnational championships. The SixNations Arrows won the MintoCup, awarded annually to the topCanadian Junior A lacrosse side.And the Six Nations Rebelscaptured the Founders Cup, thenational Junior B crown.

The Arrows won their MintoCup on Aug. 23 in Langley, B.C.They defeated the hostCoquitlam Adanacs 4-2 in theirbest-of-seven national final.

The Arrows were led by captainJohnny Powless, the tournamentMVP who earned 29 points,including eight goals, in sixmatches.

Afterwards, Powless joined theChiefs and helped them win theMann Cup.

Powless, who is 21, had anunbelievable lacrosse year. Healso won a National LacrosseLeague championship earlier thisyear with the RochesterKnighthawks.

As for the Rebels, they wontheir seven-team Founders Cuptournament, which was staged inHalifax. They defeated the SenecaWar Chiefs 14-7 in the gold-medal game, staged Aug. 24.

Meanwhile, another SixNations team, the Senior BRivermen, just missed out onwinning a nationalchampionship. The Rivermenwere downed 9-7 by theOnondaga Redhawks in thechampionship final of their seven-team Presidents’ Cuptournament, which ended Aug.31 in Coquitlam.

Second consecutive MannCup for Six Nations Chiefs

PHOTO: SUPPLIEDSix Nations Chiefs are now the two-time defending Mann Cup champions


[ education ]Aboriginal studentsseeking highereducation in greaternumbers

By Shari NarineWindspeaker Contributor

WINNIPEG

An increase in Aboriginalattendance at post-secondaryschools across the country is reasonto celebrate, but the challenge tohold on to those students stillremains.

Figures released by both theUniversity of Winnipeg andUniversity of Saskatchewan showan increase of more than 10 percent for first-year enrolment forstudents who have identifiedthemselves as Aboriginal. Part ofthat increase can be attributed to alarger number of students self-declaring, and the universitiesdoing a better job of tracking theirAboriginal students, as well as to agrowth in that particulardemographic.

But other reasons for the increaseare both more specific anddeliberate.

“We’ve done a lot to reach outto Indigenous students directly interms of access programs,” saidWab Kinew, University ofWinnipeg director of Indigenous

Inclusion. He notes the increasedenrolment of just over 10 per centis consistent with the last few years.

The U of W has a wide varietyof bursaries and scholarships,including a number which arespecific to Indigenous students.The university also waives thetuition fee for children of the childwelfare system, covering those costsinternally.

U of W offers a high school oncampus, which helps with thetransition into university, as well asa site off campus on the north endof Winnipeg, making universityaccess easier.

Work on the ground iscomplemented by workundertaken at the governing level,which includes Indigenous peoplein senior executive roles and anIndigenous Advisory Circle, whichconsiders policies and decisionsthat affect Aboriginal people.

“That combined with a lot ofother work on campus has createda more inclusive environment andthat has encouraged more peopleto consider the University ofWinnipeg,” said Kinew

PHOTO: SHARI NARINE

Wab Kinew, University of Winnipeg director of IndigenousInclusion, says post-secondary education means being able togive back to the community.

( Continued on page 21.)


[ careers & training ]Aboriginal students seekinghigher education

( Continued from page 20.)The University of Saskatchewan

can also brag of a more inclusivecampus, said Graeme Joseph, teamleader of First Nations, Métis andInuit Success.

“The university is making greatstrides in supporting Aboriginalstudents and providing lots ofinteresting programs for them toenroll into,” he said.

The Aboriginal Students Centre“creates a sense of community,”says Joseph, offering social, culturaland academic supports, includingElder services, pipe ceremonies andsweats. There is also soup andbannock Wednesdays, whichinclude both off and on-campusservice presentations.

But as excited as Joseph is aboutthe increased first-year enrollmentfor Aboriginal students, he saysholding on to those students is achallenge.

“Retention is the bigger piece,”he said. “It is an issue and that’ssomething we have to workthrough.”

Aboriginal students have beenhistorically under-represented inpost-secondary institutions, saysJoseph, for a variety of reasonsincluding social, cultural,academic, housing, childcare andfinancial.

“So when universities arethinking about encouraging and

supporting Aboriginal students andgoing on to pursue a degree at theirinstitution, they have to developspecific types of approaches in orderto support them, ones that meetthose specific challenges,” he said.

Joseph, who has only been in hisposition for four months, said he isworking with the different serviceson the university to develop anintegrative approach to provideproactive measures to address theissues facing Aboriginal studentsfrom the time they are recruited tothe time they graduate.

“The big focus of my work is toaddress these systemic issues at theroot so that when students do comehere they have a really goodexperience and they have supportsthat are there to catch them beforethey fall,” he said.

While it doesn’t fall within his jobdescription, Kinew says there aretimes he will “physically just sitdown with a student,” who is readyto leave and hammer out a solution.He notes that the attrition rate forAboriginal students is higher thanother students. “It is a challenge wewant to improve on, but it’s not acrisis. It’s a fairly narrow gap.”

Considering the burgeoningnumber of young Aboriginals inCanada, post-secondary education,whether university or trade school,is an important step.

“It’s increased prosperity,” said

Kinew. “The other thing we knowis that university grads are morelikely to have children who go touniversity and be successful. Itbecomes a multiplier effect.”

Higher education meansincreased earnings over a lifetimewhich translates to an increase inthe quality of life.

“The reason that’s important tome in the community isn’t just sowe help people have a good qualityof living,” said Kinew. “Oncepeople are financiallyindependent… then they’re free topursue the things I think are reallyimportant to Indigenous Nations,like language revitalization, culturalresurgence, volunteerism in theircommunity, helping out those whoare less fortunate than them. Onceyou have a good income you canafford to spend time giving back.”

Joseph says today’s post-secondary education leads toempowerment.

“We need more leaders incommunity to have this higher levelof education, not only withintraditional areas like education,social work and law, but also withinthe sciences so that whenopportunities arise and issuesarise…people within communitycan speak to them at many differentlevels and represent themselves,their communities and theirNations,” he said.

Find more career listings online:www.ammsa.com


fought war of words

[ footprints ] Chester NezLast of codetalkers

Code talker Chester Nez’sNavajo (Diné) tongue helpedpave the way to an allied win inthe Second World War. Thoughunmistakably proud of hisability to serve the United Statesin such a unique way, he wascognizant of the irony in whathis wartime work involved.

“All those years, telling younot to speak Navajo, and thenasking for help with that samelanguage … it still kind ofbothers me,” he told USA Todayin 2002.

Nez’s parents were barelyconsidered citizens bymainstream society when hewas born in 1921. Their sheepwere slaughtered in the 1930sby a government that deemedNavajo herds were overgrazingthe region. He recalled in CodeTalker, a 2011 memoir writtenby Judy Avila, his family wasreduced to subsistence farmingand stretches of days when theyhad no food.

Nez’s mother died when hewas three, and at nine he enteredthe first of a series of boardingschools where students hadtheir language beaten out ofthem. Assigned the Englishname Chester, after PresidentChester A. Arthur, his DinÈname was lost over time.

He was intrigued by armyrecruiters who visited his highschool in 1942. They werelooking to recruit young menbilingual in English and hisforbidden DinÈ. He left forbasic training later that year,becoming one of 29 Navajosassembled for a specialassignment – devising a codebased on their mother tongue.

In the months after theJapanese attack on PearlHarbour in 1941, Americanmilitary planners faced enemyinterception of radiotransmissions. Elaborate codeswhich took more and moreprecious time to decode, werebeing cracked.

The plan to use Navajo wasthe brainchild of First World

By Dianne Meili

Chester Nez

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War veteran Philip Johnston,who had grown up amongst theDinÈ as a missionaries’ son andspoke the language fluently.

Nez recalled in a New YorkTimes article “being put in aroom and told to make up acode from our language relatedto military equipment. Theofficer left the room and wecould hear the click behind himwhen he locked the door.”

At first, the task seemedinsurmountable “because evenamongst ourselves, we didn’tagree on all the right Navajowords,” Nez said.

But over 13 weeks, they cameup with words that representedthe letters of the alphabet.“Wol-la-chee”, the Navajoword for “ant”, represented A;“na-hash-chid”, the word for“badger”, was B, and so on.They also invented words forthe most frequently usedmilitary terms, and in a strokeof brilliance, used poeticcircumlocutions for some ofthem: America, for instance,became “our mother”; asubmarine was an iron fish; agrenade, a potato; a battleship,a whale. Adolph Hitler became“Moustache Smeller”, whileMussolini was “Big GourdChin”.

The result was a system thatsounded nothing like DinÈ, yetcould be employed with ease bythose trained in its use. Thecrew memorized their code andpracticed sending and receivingmessages to each other.

When the Marines found thatthe Navajo needed only 20seconds to send messageswhich had taken a codingmachine 30 minutes to do,reservation recruitment wentwild. Eventually, about 400Navajo followed Nez’s groupinto war.

Amongst the items Nez tookwith him when he entered battlewere medicinal herbs, abearskin and corn pollen withwhich to bless himself. He wasin some of the most brutal

engagements in the SouthPacific, like Guadalcanal andGuam.

“When bombs dropped,generally we code talkerscouldn’t just curl up in ashelter,” he recalled. “We werealmost always needed totransmit information, to ask forsupplies and ammunition, andto communicate strategies. Andafter each transmission, to avoidJapanese fire, we had to move.”

Not permitted to take leave,the Navajo were considered“hardened by the rigours ofreservation life – we oftenoutperformed our white peers.In basic training, Marinesergeants bragged about theprowess of Platoon 382, theNavajo recruits,” Nez said inCode Talker.

Because the army kept theplatoon secret, they were oftentaken for Japanese by theirfellow American servicemen.Once held captive at gunpointfor two hours, Nez said his skincolour and black hair identified

him as the enemy, until guardswere assigned to protect hiscrew from American riflemen.

Participating in every Marineassault in the Pacific between1942 and 1945, the CodeTalkers were given credit for theAmericans taking Iwo Jima.

Nez came home to anunfriendly America and littleglory. Sworn to secrecy in casethe code was needed for anotherwar, he wasn’t able to speak ofhis service. Even after theNavajo operation wasdeclassified in 1968, he andothers weren’t recognized fortheir work until 60 years later,when in 2001, the original 29Code Talkers receivedcongressional gold medals.

Nez was unable to vote andwhen he went in uniform toregister for his Indian Identitycard, he was reminded by aCaucasian civil servant that hewasn’t a full citizen of theUnited States.

And then there were thenightmares. Plagued by

disturbing dreams, he spentfive months in a militaryhospital.

“My condition was so severeI went psycho. I lost mymind,” he said in a 2005lecture, noting some otherreturned code talkers turned todrinking or “just gave up.” Hisfather came to his rescue,explaining he was beinghaunted by the spirits of deadJapanese. He underwent atraditional healing ceremonyand the dreams largely ceased.

After working as amaintenance man in a hospital,Nez turned to art. He studiedat the University of Kansas,later finding work as a painterand muralist at what is now theVeterans Affairs hospital inAlbuquerque, New Mexico.

He married, and had sixchildren, four of whom diedbefore him. His wife, EthelPearl Catron, passed away in1984.

Nez passed away on June 4,2014 and was 93 years old.

windspeaker october 2014 final

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