november 15, 2012

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Lenny Carpenter Wawatay News The legacy of Charlie Hunter will live on through an annual scholar- ship named in his honour. Algoma University and Shin- gwauk Kinoomaage Gamig Centre of Excellence in Anishinaabe Educa- tion announced on Nov. 7 that the Charlie Hunter Scholarship Fund will be awarded annually to a stu- dent who is descended from a fam- ily member that attended residen- tial school. Charlie Hunter was a Weenusk First Nation member who died while attending the St. Anne’s Resi- dential School in Fort Albany. Char- lie, who was 13, drowned while try- ing to save another boy’s life who had fallen through the ice. Claudette Chevrier, a resolu- tion health support worker with the Children of Shingwuak Alumni Association, said the scholarship will ensure the legacy of Charlie lives on. “Charlie’s brave act will never be forgotten,” she said. Charlie’s death left many unan- swered questions and years of grief for the Hunter family. After he died, Charlie was buried in Moosonee, 515 kilometres from home, without the consent of his parents, Mike and Pauline. For 37 years, his family sought answers into the circumstances sur- rounding his death, and wondered why they were never consulted about his burial arrangements. “Over the years, my dad has tried to deal with those issues,” said Joyce Hunter, Charlie’s sister. She said he tried getting answers from the church, Indian Affairs and police as to who was responsible for his death. He even filed an Access to Information request but got nowhere. “Their biggest wish was to have him come home,” Joyce said. In 2010, a frustrated and tired father asked Joyce and her sister Christine to take up the fight. After the sisters faced the same obstacles as their father, the story of Char- lie emerged in national media last year. An account was set up by the National Residential School Survi- vors Society to raise funds to bring Charlie home and donations poured in from people across Canada. Within two weeks, the fam- ily received enough funds to bring Charlie home. In August 2011, the body of Charlie was flown to Peawanuck where he was laid to rest. “I feel like my parents can stop looking south, and feel like a mem- ber of the family is home,” Joyce Hunter said. The donations left a surplus of $4,000, and Chevrier promised the Hunter family to establish a schol- arship named in honour of Charlie. See Charlie Hunter on page 3 3rd World Canada tour gives voice to KI youth PAGES 12-13 Wabigoon Lake has best tasting water PAGE 11 Northern Ontario’s First Nation Voice since 1974 November 15, 2012 9,300 copies distributed $1.50 Vol. 39 No. 38 www.wawataynews.ca www.wawataynews.ca PM#0382659799 Puppets bring stories to life PAGE 14 Reservations: 1.877.492.7292 Charters: 1.866.982.4787 Cargo: 1.807.928.2244 Pickle Lake 1.807.662.1119 Red Lake Connecting Communities 1.877.492.7292 www.wasaya.com Charter, Cargo & Scheduled Passenger Service 100% First Nations Owned Rangers honour First Nations veterans Peter Moon/Canadian Rangers Canadian Rangers observed Aboriginal Veterans Day during a sunrise ceremony Nov. 8 at Rinker Lake, 96 kilometres north of Thunder Bay. The 101 Rangers were joined by 24 other military personnel during the observance. The Rangers are from 21 first nations from across northern Ontario and are at Rinker Lake for a six-day search and rescue exercise. At the conclusion of the parade the Rangers placed their Poppies around the ceremonial fire. See story on the exercise on page 15. Rick Garrick Wawatay News Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service Sgt. Jackie George has embraced her work in the communities by helping to alle- viate NAPS’ ongoing shortage of regu- lar police officers. “It’s very nice to get back out to the front line,” said George, who normally deals with recruitment and media relations with NAPS. “I’m not only helping the community, I’m also help- ing out our frontline officers by being an extra person.” George recently filled in for three days in Eabametoong and four days this past summer in Keewaywin. NAPS officers facing extra pressure from staff shortages ‘It’s going to hurt us real bad,’ chief says of impending loss of 11 more officers NAPS Chief of Police Claude Chum said a schedule has been set up for replacement officers to ensure the communities have two officers on duty most of the time. He said the ongoing shortage is due to officers off on stress leave, sick leave and post-traumatic stress disorder. “It leaves our front line down,” Chum said. “So we’re actually using officers from wherever we can get them from. Jackie George is one of them, our drug unit downstairs — we send these guys up all through the summer into shortages all through the communities to help out, just for the basic coverage.” See NAPS on page 8 Scholarship honours legacy of Charlie Hunter Charlie Hunter, shown here with his father Mike Hunter, died saving a drowning boy while attending residential school in Fort Albany. Now a scholarship has been named after him.

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November 15, 2012 Volume 39 Number 38

TRANSCRIPT

Lenny CarpenterWawatay News

The legacy of Charlie Hunter will live on through an annual scholar-ship named in his honour.

Algoma University and Shin-gwauk Kinoomaage Gamig Centre of Excellence in Anishinaabe Educa-tion announced on Nov. 7 that the Charlie Hunter Scholarship Fund will be awarded annually to a stu-dent who is descended from a fam-ily member that attended residen-tial school.

Charlie Hunter was a Weenusk First Nation member who died while attending the St. Anne’s Resi-dential School in Fort Albany. Char-lie, who was 13, drowned while try-ing to save another boy’s life who had fallen through the ice.

Claudette Chevrier, a resolu-tion health support worker with the Children of Shingwuak Alumni Association, said the scholarship will ensure the legacy of Charlie

lives on.“Charlie’s brave act will never be

forgotten,” she said.Charlie’s death left many unan-

swered questions and years of grief for the Hunter family.

After he died, Charlie was buried in Moosonee, 515 kilometres from home, without the consent of his parents, Mike and Pauline.

For 37 years, his family sought answers into the circumstances sur-rounding his death, and wondered why they were never consulted about his burial arrangements.

“Over the years, my dad has tried to deal with those issues,” said Joyce Hunter, Charlie’s sister. She said he tried getting answers from the church, Indian Affairs and police as to who was responsible for his death. He even filed an Access to Information request but got nowhere.

“Their biggest wish was to have him come home,” Joyce said.

In 2010, a frustrated and tired

father asked Joyce and her sister Christine to take up the fight. After the sisters faced the same obstacles as their father, the story of Char-lie emerged in national media last year.

An account was set up by the National Residential School Survi-vors Society to raise funds to bring Charlie home and donations poured in from people across Canada.

Within two weeks, the fam-ily received enough funds to bring Charlie home. In August 2011, the body of Charlie was f lown to Peawanuck where he was laid to rest.

“I feel like my parents can stop looking south, and feel like a mem-ber of the family is home,” Joyce Hunter said.

The donations left a surplus of $4,000, and Chevrier promised the Hunter family to establish a schol-arship named in honour of Charlie.

See Charlie Hunter on page 3

3rd World Canada tour gives voice to KI youthPAGES 12-13

Wabigoon Lake has best tasting waterPAGE 11

Northern Ontario’s First Nation Voice since 1974

November 15, 2012 9,300 copies distributed $1.50 Vol. 39 No. 38

www.wawataynews.cawww.wawataynews.ca

PM#0382659799

Puppets bring stories to life PAGE 14

Reservations: 1.877.492.7292Charters: 1.866.982.4787

Cargo: 1.807.928.2244 Pickle Lake 1.807.662.1119 Red Lake

Connecting Communities • 1.877.492.7292 • www.wasaya.com

Charter, Cargo & Scheduled Passenger Service100% First Nations Owned

Rangers honour First Nations veterans

Peter Moon/Canadian RangersCanadian Rangers observed Aboriginal Veterans Day during a sunrise ceremony Nov. 8 at Rinker Lake, 96 kilometres north of Thunder Bay. The 101 Rangers were joined by 24 other military personnel during the observance. The Rangers are from 21 first nations from across northern Ontario and are at Rinker Lake for a six-day search and rescue exercise. At the conclusion of the parade the Rangers placed their Poppies around the ceremonial fire. See story on the exercise on page 15.

Rick GarrickWawatay News

Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service Sgt. Jackie George has embraced her work in the communities by helping to alle-viate NAPS’ ongoing shortage of regu-lar police officers.

“It’s very nice to get back out to the front line,” said George, who normally deals with recruitment and media relations with NAPS. “I’m not only helping the community, I’m also help-ing out our frontline officers by being an extra person.”

George recently filled in for three days in Eabametoong and four days this past summer in Keewaywin.

NAPS officers facing extra pressure from staff shortages‘It’s going to hurt us real bad,’ chief says of impending loss of 11 more officers

NAPS Chief of Police Claude Chum said a schedule has been set up for replacement officers to ensure the communities have two officers on duty most of the time. He said the ongoing shortage is due to officers off on stress leave, sick leave and post-traumatic stress disorder.

“It leaves our front line down,” Chum said. “So we’re actually using officers from wherever we can get them from. Jackie George is one of them, our drug unit downstairs — we send these guys up all through the summer into shortages all through the communities to help out, just for the basic coverage.”

See NAPS on page 8

Scholarship honours legacy of Charlie Hunter

Charlie Hunter, shown here with his father Mike Hunter, died saving a drowning boy while attending residential school in Fort Albany. Now a scholarship has been named after him.

2 Wawatay News NOVEMBER 15, 2012 ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

Thank You, Airlines!

Your fast, courteous delivery of Wawatay News to our northern communities is appreciated.

Page 6

Diabetes organization shutting down

The Northern Diabetes Health Network is getting shut down at the end of November.

The network funds and supports 50 adult diabetes programs and 34 youth diabetes programs in communities across northern Ontario.

Ontario says the funding for community programs will now go through existing LHINs, but some programmers worry that they are losing a strong advocate for diabetes programming in the north.

Page 6

Page 9

Laptops for Fort Albany youth

Students in Fort Albany have received laptops as part of the One Laptop Per Child project.

The community held a feast and program launch celebration on Nov. 7, where North of 60 actor Dakota House was on hand to help celebrate.

House said it is important that youth in remote communities have access to technology such as laptops, so that they do not fall behind their peers in more urban places.

He said there is a need for the program to expand to First Nations across Canada.

Page 9

Page 11

Page 10

Timmins friendship centre moving

Staff at the Timmins Native Friendship Centre have started pre-paring to move.

The Friendship Centre is taking over a former elementary school in Timmins with over 30,000 square feet of space, starting in March 2013.

The move will allow the centre to expand its daycare with an infant room and family resource centre.

It will also allow the centre to better serve the growing Aborigi-nal population in Timmins, according to executive director Veronica Nicholson.

Page 10

Page 16

Lac Seul woman hosts medicine pouch teachings

Susan Kakepetum of Lac Seul hosted a medicine pouch teaching workshop in Thunder Bay.

The artist and heritage programmer helped participants learn about medicine pouches and make their own pouch.

She is trying to retain some of the history of being a First Nations person by passing on the knowledge of medicine pouches.

Page 16

Participants (mid left) learn about medicine pouches in Susan Kakepetum’s workshop. Marcel Shabaquay (mid right) receives award for best tasting water in northwestern Ontario. Timmins friendship centre (top) have started preparing to move to allow for expansion. Fort Albany youth (bottom) show off new laptops.

Wabigoon Lake has best tasting water

The best tasting water in northwestern Ontario has been awarded to Wabigoon Lake First Nation.

Water plant operator Marcel Shabaquay received the award on behalf of his community on Oct. 26.

Shabaquay said the water taste challenge trophy is on display at the Wabigoon Lake band office.

He said lots of people are now coming to the water plant to see the processes and different kinds of testing he does.

Page 11

1 Wawatay News NOVEMBER 15, 2012 ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ Wawatay News NOVEMBER 15, 2012 ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ 3

Your journey to healing starts here.

1 855 554 HEALwww.talk4healing.com

Simply call in and find a caring person to talk to in confidence.

Rick GarrickWawatay News

National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo stressed the need for community-based prescription drug abuse recovery programs during Matawa’s Back to Our Roots Gathering III.

“I commend Matawa leader-ship, Elders and frontline work-ers for engaging their peoples in this way, supporting and empowering community-based plans to addressing their chal-lenges,” Atleo said on the first day of the Nov. 6-8 gathering in Neskantaga. “Many tradi-tional healing methods require the health of the lands and riv-ers, so it is essential that eco-nomic interests are not ahead of human interests. Our peoples come first, our Nations come first, this is fundamental. Our communities must be healthy before we can fully thrive.”

A number of land-based pro-grams for community members addicted to prescription drugs were highlighted during the gathering, including the work being done in Neskantaga.

“They kind of lost their cul-ture and traditions,” said Nes-kantaga health director Rhoda Angees about the community members taking part in Nes-kantaga’s land-based program. “They don’t know anything about (their culture and tradi-tions), so those things seem to be helping them more than any other thing that they’ve been doing.”

Angees said Neskantaga is also looking at developing a Suboxone treatment program to treat community members who are addicted to prescrip-

Community-based healing programs featured at Matawa gathering

tion drugs and other opiates, noting that some community members have left the commu-nity for treatment.

“We have to find out how many people are being affected in the community, but we do know a few people that are affected,” Angees said. “In the mean time we are trying to help those people ... with addictions.”

Angees said the commu-nity has a “violent past,” so her goal is to build a healthy team among her own staff so they will be able to help others.

“What they learn, I want them to take to the commu-nity to teach the community,” Angees said. “It’s a long pro-cess; they’re slowly coming along.”

Angees is also looking to develop activities for target groups in the community.

“Next week we are going to start doing some youth activi-ties,” Angees said.

Atleo also discussed Ring of Fire issues with the Matawa chiefs during the gathering and called for the Matawa commu-nities to be fully engaged prior to development in their terri-tory, which includes the Ring of Fire mineral exploration area.

“First Nation lands hold tre-mendous potential, and this potential can only be fully unleashed through adequate recognition and respect of First Nation rights, treaties and the full participation of our peo-ples,” Atleo said. “Meaning-ful consultation and accom-modation, and free, prior and informed consent means engag-ing up front and support for environmental and economic sustainability and self-suffi-

ciency. This also means our fair share of any revenues gener-ated.”

Neskantaga has been engaged in a fight to prevent a bridge being built over the Attawapiskat River and slow down the Ring of Fire develop-ment.

Grand Chief Harvey Yesno also supported Neskantaga’s efforts to protect their lands.

“We stand behind the peo-ple of the community who’ve declared their land first and foremost,” Yesno said. “Treaty 9 states that the government cannot have claim to its land without consent from the First Nations. The Treaty making dis-cussions and subsequent agree-ment was to share the wealth of the lands — not to surrender it.”

L-R: Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Harvey Yesno; Chief Proxy Jerry Echum (Ginoogaming First Nation); David Paul Achneepineskum (MFNM CEO); Chief Roger Wesley (Constance Lake First Nation); Chief Harry Papah (Eabametoong First Nation); Chiefs of Ontario, Ontario Regional Chief Stan Beardy; Chief Johnny Yellowhead (Nibinamik First Nation); Chief Cornelius Wabasse (Webequie First Nation); Council Member Bill Mequa-nawap (Neskantaga First Nation); Chief Allan Towegishig (Long Lake #58 First Nation); Council Member William Moonias (Neskantaga First Nation); Chief Peter Moonias (Neskantaga First Nation); Council Member Chris Moonias (Neskantaga First Nation); Assembly of First Nations National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo; Chief Sonny Gagnon (Aroland First Nation); and Youth Tyler Sakanee (Neskantaga First Nation).

Matawa First Nations Management

Continued from page 1

In February, the Charlie Hunter Scholarship Fund will be awarded to both a male and female full-time student at either Algoma University or Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig. Next year, it will be awarded to a male and female from each university.

In the third year, Chevrier said they hope to include Sault College.

Chevrier said the recipi-

ents will be determined by a committee and will not be academic-based.

“We didn’t pick any direct course of study or highest mark,” she said. “We wanted to keep it more open.”

Chevrier will be inviting the parents of Charlie to the gala in February to present the inaugural award.

Joyce said Charlie’s mem-ory and legacy will move for-ward with the scholarship.

“It will remind people that

the residential school era did happen and Charlie lived and died as part of that era,” she said.

Charlie died saving another person’s life, which is a testament to his charac-ter, Joyce added.

“We really hope the peo-ple that get this scholarship will go on to do great things in the spirit of compassion and kindness in the way that Charlie gave his life,” she said.

Charlie Hunter scholarship to be awarded in February

Fort Albany woman regains access to funds

Lenny CarpenterWawatay News

Agnes Sutherland has regained control of her bank account.

Since 2010, the estate of the 57-year-old Fort Albany First Nation member has been in the care of the Public Guardian and Trustee for Ontario, and she could not directly access the $97,000 she received in residen-tial school compensation.

Last week, she received a let-ter indicating that she is no lon-ger under the care of the trustee

“effective immediately.”The letter came weeks after

her story appeared in local media and her lawyer, Sha-ron Sabourin, had an applica-tion issued at federal court to rescind the trusteeship.

Sutherland was appointed the trustee when she struggled with alcohol addiction and was admitted into a mental health unit in Timmins. A required assessment was conducted and the physician found she did not have the mental capacity to manage her property.

Sutherland recovered from

her alcoholism and was reas-sessed last year but was still under the trustee despite repeated requests to remove it.

Prior to her story appear-ing in media, Sutherland was homeless and only received $85 a week from the trustee.

Sabourin said her office received the letter stating that “due to the recent capacity assessment,” the Public Guard-ian and Trustee for Ontario was closing its file with Sutherland “effective immediately.”

Bank account reopened by feds after media, legal attention

4 Wawatay News NOVEMBER 15, 2012 ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

Health: gossip, a form of jealousy

From the Wawatay archives

Wawatay News archivesOsnaburgh, 1981.

CommentaryBoris Le Mouffette moves into the cottage

16-5th Avenue North P.O. Box 1180 Sioux Lookout, ON P8T 1B7

Serving the First Nations in Northern Ontario since 1974. Wawatay News is a politically independent weekly newspaper

published by Wawatay Native Communications Society.

ᓂᐢᑕᑦ ᑲᑭᒪᑕᓄᑲᑌᐠ 1974 ᐁᐅᒋᐊᓄᑲᑌᑭᐣ ᑭᐧᐁᑎᓄᐠᐅᐣᑌᕑᐃᔪ ᑕᐃᑦᔑᑫᐧᐃᓇᐣ. ᑕᓱᓂᔓᐱᒥᑯᓇᑲ ᐅᔑᒋᑲᑌ ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ

ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐧᐃ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ ᒥᓇ ᑲᐧᐃᐣ ᐅᓇᔓᐧᐁᐧᐃ ᑲᓇᐧᐊᐸᒋᑫᐧᐃᓂᐠ ᒋᐃᔑ ᐸᐸᒥᓯᒪᑲᐠ ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓂᑫᐧᐃᓇᐣ.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER David Neegan

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERDavid [email protected]

EDITORShawn [email protected]

WRITER/PHOTOGRAPHERRick [email protected]

WRITER/PHOTOGRAPHERLenny [email protected]

ART DIRECTORRoxann Shapwaykeesic, [email protected]

GRAPHIC DESIGNERMatthew [email protected]

SALES MANAGERJames [email protected]

CIRCULATIONAdelaide [email protected]

TRANSLATORSVicky [email protected]

CONTRIBUTORSXavier KataquapitDaniel TaitJoyce AtchesonPeter Moon

Guest editorials, columnists and letters to the editor do not necessarily reflect the views of Wawatay News.

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Gossip, idle talk or rumours about another’s private affairs…

Unless gossip rolls like water off a duck’s back, it can destroy self-confidence, erode entire communities, and create major health problems. It comes from jealousy, greed, and envy.

‘There are three things that destroy communities: drugs, alcohol and jealousy,’ said Lloyd Haarala, an Anishinabe man, when he spoke with me before conducting a sweat lodge near Ladysmith, B.C.

How many times have gossip and jealousy ruffled your life; hurt or angered you?

Words of gossip deliberately attempt to humiliate, embarrass, or undercut someone. Gossipers create scandal by telling tales to anyone who will listen.

If their words or ideas find fertile ground in recipients’ ears truth is neglected. Gossip spreads like wildfire.

When I was 23 I worked as a military nurse. I was reasonably attractive, tall, slim, and the thing that made me a target, I was single. At that time being single was a job requirement.

I’d lived in small places, where everyone knew everyone, but I’d never lived in places overrun with jealousy and malice. In days I was the target of rumours.

People claimed to know what I was doing before I did!

It was the only time in my life when I dated three men in one day, informing each of them of my other commitments. I saw places, heard music, and ate good meals with men friends, no strings attached. Men outnum-bered women significantly; they liked my presence.

At a social function one week-end a wife accosted me vehe-mently, in the women’s bathroom where other wives chatted, ‘You leave my husband alone!’

It’s a good thing I knew her name so I knew who her hus-band was. He was a middle-aged accountant with whom I’d spo-ken 10 words -- about my pay cheque.

As shocked as I was, I left the room with my head up, after glancing at her, ‘What makes you think you have such a prize that I want him?’

As the year wore on gossip webs spun through the commu-nity marking me.

Rules prompted talk: only offi-cers are permitted in the officer’s mess unless a public function is held; all female officers must wear uniforms or dresses in the officer’s mess. So husbands were exposed to me, ‘that young,

single woman’. I was hurt. So many lies were

said about me; I was labelled a slut.

I have no idea if male officers, whose advances I’d shunned, were talking about me or if the wives were so mistrustful of their husbands that I was perceived as a threat.

Perhaps when, in innocence or naïveté, I parked a married officer’s car in my driveway over night, while he was in hospital, added to the image. He required hospitalization after drinking and I drove him with his car. He told me to use it to get home and return it when I came to work in the morning.

Innuendo made its mark on my person, but the Creator works in mysterious ways.

Later that year, although I had been tarred and feathered by the wives, they lacked a tall slim woman for their fashion show. I was approached to model. Snickering to myself I asked, ‘Boy that’ll be a quiet night, who will you talk about, if I’m there?’

Gossip haunted me again when I was married. I did not take my husband’s name when we married so assumptions were made. A vice president of the hospital was seen with me. The hospital, another fine place for gossip, fed the rumour. It reached my friend’s ear. She laughed and said, ‘So what! They’re married?’

‘Exactly and they were

together, I saw them having din-ner! They didn’t even notice me.’

‘It’s okay; they’re married -- to each other.’

Once the staff knew we were a couple dynamics changed; they came asking me to take things to management.

‘My lines of communication are the same as yours. I’m no car-rier pigeon,’ I replied.

When I was again single, working for Wawatay, gossip was once more directed at me by a woman who I met at committee meetings where the aim was to improve communications in Sioux Lookout.

It was at a time when we hoped to prompt readers to send news from the communities; we’d extend Wawatay’s outreach. I had the opportunity to move to Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug.

Although the woman from this committee did not know me or know why I was moving, she said I’d do anything to sleep with a man.

Word got back to me through three friends. Hearing the allega-tions I felt pity for the gossipmon-ger as well as amusement when I said, ‘We learned something important about her and why she does things; I’m not sure what we learned about me.’

So back to stopping gossip and jealousy, if you are busy doing the best you can with your life you don’t have time to be jealous about someone else’s.

Joyce Atcheson

GUEST COLUMNIST

I love my wilderness retreat. It is great to be out on the land in the far

north surrounded by tall pine and situated on the side of a pristine esker lake. Much of my time is passed working away at renovations and of course watching the wildlife as they go about their daily chores.

Visitors come and go and I am very familiar now with the local mouse population that scrambles around in the walls, the squirrels and chipmunks that dart here and there all day long hard at gathering supplies for winter and the beavers that spend most of their time cleaning up after me by cutting away at felled trees. There are also the moose that call across the lake, the bears that leave tracks in the sand and the wolves that howl and sing at dusk.

We are careful being this remote in the wilderness but the local animals are not much of a threat. All this said I did not expect to have to deal with Boris.

The first sign of his pres-ence was a scrambling and scratching sound under the old log cottage. That went on for a few days and I began to notice a smell in the air on the property. We realized that a skunk or Sheekak in Cree must have gone by and left his mark. Then, one eve-ning as we were talking to a visiting neighbour, there he was out in full view saunter-ing past us. The plump, black little critter with the white stripe on his back was not at all concerned with our pres-ence. The neighbour pointed out that he had come out from under the cottage.

Our neighbour Serge referred to the skunk in French by calling him a moufette. It occurred to us that the French word for this critter seemed much more kind than the English. Serge explained that this might be the moufette that he and his family referred to as “Le Chat” d’Allain. As a joke they had decided that the wander-ing moufette was probably another neighbour’s pet cat. We all got a laugh out of that.

On a more serious note we realized that somehow we had to evict this moufette from under the cottage. I began the eviction process

by sealing up all the cracks, nooks and crannies that served as entry points for the moufette after watching his daily habits. That night somehow the little guy man-aged to get back under our chalet. He actually moved a concrete block.

It turned out he was noc-turnal which meant he slept all day and then roamed at night. His coming and going in the night awoke us and try as we might by stomping on the floor boards and bang-ing pots and pans nothing bothered him. One night he returned in a big hurry per-haps with some other critter in chase. For some reason he resorted to spraying the side of the cottage and the smell awoke us immediately. It took our breath away and infuriated us.

In a rage I decided to fight fire with fire and I grabbed an almost full can of bear spray. I headed out into the night and sprayed all around the cottage and under the floorboards. There was no sign of the moufette as it had walked off in the dark. We went back into the cot-tage thinking we had won this war when suddenly we found we could not breath and we began to vomit. The bear spray had travelled up into the cottage interior and that forced us to head back out into the chilly autumn night gagging and gasping for breath. There was no sign of the moufette and now we had a much more serious problem on our hands as we dealt with both his stink and the presence of a very strong chemical. We ended up spending the night in the truck. We were not happy.

At about six in the morn-ing we made our way back into the cottage and put on a roaring fire and although a terrible odour was still about we decided to try to get some sleep. Our sleep was uneasy to say the least and then about an hour after heading to bed we were wakened by a terrible sound of screech-ing from under the cottage. The moufette had come back home, disturbed the soil wet with bear spray and was suffering the affects of this terrible and debilitating chemical. However, the crit-ter did not leave and chose instead to race around under the cottage in pain for about an hour. Finally, he seemed to recover and went to sleep as did we. The next day we checked to find his doorway to the cottage and painted a sign with his new name Boris on it.

Xavier Kataquapit

UNDER THE NORTHERN SKY

1 Wawatay News NOVEMBER 15, 2012 ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ Wawatay News NOVEMBER 15, 2012 ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ 5

FindFind

in these communitiesin these communities

ArolandAtikokan

AttawapiskatBalmertownBatchewana

Bearskin LakeBeaverhouse

Big GrassyBig Island

Big Trout LakeBrunswick House

CalstockCat Lake

ChapleauCochrane

CollinsCouchichingCouchiching

Deer LakeDinorwicDrydenEar Falls

EmoFlying PostFort AlbanyFort Frances

Fort HopeFort SevernGeraldton

GinoogamingGrassy Narrows

Gull BayHornepayne

HudsonIskatewizaagegan

Kapuskasing Kasabonika

KashechewanKeewaywin

KenoraKingfisher Lake

KochechingLac La Croix

Lac Seul, Kejick BayLake NipigonLansdowneLong Lake

MattagammiMichipicoten

Migisi SahgaiganMissanabie

MobertMoose Factory

MoosoneeMuskrat Dam

Musselwhite MineNaicatchewenin

NaotikamegwanningNestor Falls

NicikousemenecaningNorth Spirit Lake

Northwest Angle #33Northwest Angle #37

Ochiichagwe’Babigo’ IningOgoki

Pic RiverOsnaburgh

PawitikPays Plat

Peawanuck

Pickle LakePikangikumPoplar HillRainy RiverRed LakeRed RockRocky Bay

Sachigo LakeSandy Lake

SaugeenSault Ste. Marie

Savant LakeSeine RiverShoal Lake

Sioux LookoutSioux Narrows

Slate FallsStanjikoming

StrattonSummer Beaver

Taykwa TagamouTimmins

Thunder BayWabaskangWabigoon

WahgoshingWapekeka

Washaganish Wauzhusk Onigum

WawakapewinWeagamow Lake

WebequieWhitedogWhitesand

Wunnimun Lake

Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service has launched an anonymous NON EMERGENCY Toll Free Number available 24 hrs a day 7

days a week to report:

Community Events and Ac vi es Presenta on Requests NAPS Career ques ons/informa on General Inquiries/Informa on sharing

“Community Policing” Helping us Help You!

IMPORTANT – Please remember this number is not designed for emergency use. If you have an emergency please contact your local detachment or dial

1-888-310-1122.NAPS proudly supports Crime Stoppers. If you have

informa on rela ng to a Crime in your community you could be eligible for a cash reward.

www.facebook.com/NAPSpolice

1-855-847-NAPS

Funerals and burials for military veteransWhen it comes to providing

the last offering of assistance any Canadian Veteran will ever need, that being the financial assistance to cover the costs of their funeral and burial, what is the Canadian government waiting for?

The Legion first identified this issue at its 2008 national Domin-ion Convention. Again in 2010 it was identified to government as a high priority issue. In 2012, The Royal Canadian Legion unanimously passed a resolution at Dominion Convention and presented a statement to the Min-ister of Veterans Affairs calling on the government to take any and all necessary action immediately to increase the Veterans Funeral and Burial Program services.

The Royal Canadian Legion is dismayed by the inaction of this government to bring the long overdue improvements to funeral and burial benefits for Veterans and their families. Instead, it appears the government’s pri-orities are out of sync with the desires of not only Canada’s Vet-erans, but also of the public as a whole. The groundswell of public feedback to the media coverage of this issue over the past two

weeks is clear indication of this. On the 8th of November

Veterans Affairs Canada was proud to announce it is spending $3.5 million on advertising cam-paigns, social media and “cool prizes” to promote Remembrance Day. While it is important to keep the memory of Canada’s military service alive, this spending could not be more misplaced. If the average Canadian funeral costs $10,000.00 VAC’s advertising spend would help 350 Veterans families with proper funeral and burial costs. Let’s not even talk about the $28 million the govern-ment spent on promoting the War of 1812. Canada’s Veterans are crumbling under the weight of disrespect shown to them by the government they served to uphold. There should be no doubt that the issue of adequate funeral and burial support is an urgent issue for World War II and Korean War Veterans. The major-ity of these men and women are in their 90s; approximately 2000 pass on each month.

There are three key issues which need to be resolved:

1. The rate of $3,600 provided by The Last Post Fund is greatly

inadequate and has not been increased since 2001;

2. The eligibility for funeral and burial benefits should be granted to low income Canadian Forces Veterans. These Veterans were prepared to lay their lives on the line for our country and deserve a dignified funeral. It is the last, and most fitting tribute we as Canadians can provide them;

3. The survivor estate exemp-tion was reduced in 1995 from approximately $24,030 to $12,015 as part of Veterans Affairs budget reductions. So this means that a Veteran’s estate if valued at more than $12,000 would not make that person’s surviving spouse eligible for sup-port for a dignified and respectful funeral. This amount is consider-ably less than the poverty level and has not been adjusted since 1995.

This issue has been on the table since 2004 and it was fully analysed in the Veterans Ombudsman’s 2009 Report (Serve with Honour, Depart with Dignity), fully supported by the Parliamentary Standing Com-mittee on Veterans Affairs Report

2011 (Commemoration in the 21st Century), fully supported by 17 Veterans organizations that unanimously endorsed the requirement for immediate improvements in 2011 and 2012; and lastly, supported by the over 330,000 members of The Royal Canadian Legion at our 2008, 2010 and 2012 national conven-tion as a high priority issue.

Veterans Affairs Canada seems to have some very dull scissors when it comes to “cut-ting the red tape” on the issue of providing the greatest, and last, benefit every Veteran deserves – a dignified and respectful funeral and burial. What more does this government need? For the men and women who so proudly, so valiantly, served this country and for those who continue to serve so we can assure them of our everlasting gratitude, The Royal Canadian Legion asks the gov-ernment of Canada, “What are you waiting for?”

Lest We Forget, Gordon Moore Dominion President The Royal Canadian Legion

LETTERS

Re: Properly fund Nishnawbe-Aski Police, MP tells Feds (Wawatay News, Nov. 1)Editor,What gets me about the

whole issue is that here, the non-native police officers are housed, they have heat and hydro and a roof over their head. Everything is covered. The local officers who coach and show them the ropes are left struggling to get by, houses that are cold and drafty and have high hydro bills. Bedding and house hold items are also provided for them. I was once told that this was because these non-native officers have

mortgages to pay. My response was that these officers know what they are getting into when they apply for NAPS. We have been here for 10 years now and have watched so many officers use NAPS as a leg up to get into other police services. If this is going to be done (housing) for some it should be done for all. For those local officers who have built their homes and have their families with them. A subsidy should be applied.

Submitted online

Editor,“Housing” is provided for all

officers regardless of skin color, but in all too many cases that is simply a hotel room. Besides the non-native officers having a mortgage to pay, they also have income tax, and flights home to see their families.

Submitted online

Editor,Maybe the solution is to

find a stronger commitment

from NAPS Board/Managers to ensure that local hiring is a pri-ority so that the life of the non-native officers isn’t disrupted so much and the budget isn’t spent on hotel rooms. And maybe this could allow for more over-time pay to those officers who are left to fill in gaps because even though they may not have mortgages to pay or taxes, there is always a high cost of living on many far northern reserves...

Submitted online

Dear Wawatay:This is Julia and Emma

from Books With No Bounds. We LOVE the article you wrote and we are so grateful for helping us in our efforts.

We just confirmed yest-eday that two school boards (the Halton Catholic School Board and Halton District School Board) are col-laborating with us to raise awareness and organize book drives throughout 150 schools!!!!

We are also going into the schools to talk to the stu-dents to enhance educational experiences with Aboriginal and cultural awareness. We also want students to learn about real heroes, like Shan-nen Koostachin of Attawapis-kat. The education coordina-tor, Julia Candlish, is helping us to connect with the youth co-ordinator of Chiefs Of Ontario.

Wasaya Airways in-flight magazine Sagatay asked us to write a big essay for their Winter Edition of their in-flight magazinew.

We are also sending you one of several photos we were sent in the mail along

with a letter they wrote us also. We think it’s pretty amazing to see the books there on the table that we packed!! We hope one day to visit the schools! We also spoke with a principal at Martin Mckay Memorial School in one of the fly-in communities and he said he LOVED us for sending books and it will go far to help with reading and literacy skills. We asked him what more we can do and he said he needed indoor running shoes for his students who must go barefoot, so Emma and I are doing everything we can to send him 100 pairs of shoes.

Okay we have to go to school because we missed our bus and our mom is com-ing to take us.

Thank you for listening because we wanted you to know.

Yours very truly,Julia and Emma Mogus

Julia and Emma’s efforts can be followed by lik-ing their Facebook page: facebook.com/bookswith-nobounds

Books With No Bounds getting more help

Submitted Photo

6 Wawatay News NOVEMBER 15, 2012 ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

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Shawn BellWawatay News

There are a lot of people running diabetes programs across northern Ontario who do not know what is going to happen when the North-ern Diabetes Health Network (NDHN) closes its doors on Nov. 30.

For 20 years the NDHN has helped set up, fund, support and connect a range of dia-betes programs and services across northern Ontario, from the Manitoba border through to Sudbury.

The organization was built at a time when diabetes was not the epidemic it is today, on a model that had not been seen before. Over the past two decades it has succeeded in cre-ating a network of specialized programs and practitioners across the north for adult and children diabetes programs while raising awareness of a ter-rible disease that affects north-erners at much higher rates than the rest of the province.

And in two weeks time, due to a provincial government decision to cut its funding, NDHN will close its five offices across northern Ontario.

“It was a shock to us when (the government) said our services would no longer be

required,” said Sue Griffis, NDHN’s CEO. “To shut down something that worked well in northern Ontario, with no notice and no transition plan…it is concerning as it took years to build and now we are being asked to take it down in pieces with no clear plan as to where the pieces will be placed if at all.”

Griffis added that she was disappointed with the lack of notice northerners were given about the government’s plan to shut down NDHN, which has been in the works since 2008.

A ministry of health spokes-person assured Wawatay that funding for diabetes programs in communities will continue. The funding is being shifted from NDHN to the local health integrated networks (LHINs) already running health pro-gramming in northwestern and northeastern Ontario, accord-ing to David Jensen, media relations coordinator with the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care.

The government argues its plan will “strengthen oversight of the programs” and help inte-grate diabetes programs with other health services.

“The ministry is commit-ted to addressing the grow-ing prevalence of diabetes in the province,” Jensen wrote in

an e-mail response to Wawa-tay News. “The ministry is introducing a transition plan that will ensure the ongoing

availability of NDHN-funded programs by maintaining their current level of funding and ensuring that Ontarians including adults, children, and Aboriginal and First Nations communities, will continue to access diabetes programs with-out interruption.”

Jensen also said that cost savings associated with the change will be used to “enhance or expand” dia-betes programs in northern Ontario, although he could give no firm estimate of how much those savings are expected to be.

Despite Ontario’s optimism that shutting down NDHN will result in cost savings and even-tually an increase in diabetes programming in communities, people who run diabetes pro-

grams in northern Ontario are not so sure.

A number of program opera-tors told Wawatay that they are

waiting to see what will hap-pen after Nov. 30. Others were more blunt in their criticism of the decision, worried that they will lose a key advocate for northern diabetes program-ming and important networks with similar programs across the north.

“We’ve been funded by NDHN for 15 years, and it has always ensured that we’ve been connected with other pro-fessionals, and other programs and resources, as opposed to being sort of forgotten about because we’re so far away,” said Beth Fox, the coordina-tor of Weeneebayko Diabetes Health Program serving the Mushkegowuk communities of James Bay coast.

Fox added that because the LHINs are split between

northeastern and northwest-ern Ontario, she worries that the Weeneebayko program will lose its connection to simi-lar programs in remote First Nations communities in north-western Ontario.

Minnie Jeffries, a registered nurse and certified diabetes educator with Weeneebayko, expressed another concern with the loss of NDHN – that the valuable Northern Ontario Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative (NOADI) will be lost or altered in the transition.

The Aboriginal diabetes initiative has been operating as a program within NDHN since 2007, focused on diabe-tes prevention education in First Nations and Metis com-munities across northern Ontario. Through NOADI, 350 workshops and community events have been run across the north, focused on diabetes awareness and prevention for a high-risk population.

Weeneebayko, like many community-based diabetes programs, does not have pro-grams geared at prevention of diabetes. The program relies on NOADI to bring in speakers or conduct programs on healthy living in order to educate peo-ple in the communities who are at risk of getting diabetes.

While Jensen said that

funding for NOADI will not be affected by the decision to shut down NDHN, no one seems sure what form the organiza-tion will take once NDHN ends.

Current NOADI staff, employed through NDHN, are expecting to lose their jobs at the end of November, and peo-ple running programs in the communities, such as Jeffries, have not been given any infor-mation as to what the future of the Aboriginal diabetes initia-tive holds.

“We really need prevention programs,” said Jeffries. “Our focus is on educating people with diabetes, so we look to NOADI for prevention (work-shops and programs) for peo-ple who do not have diabetes.”

Jensen said the ministry will work with affected part-ners to “consider all options and put in place a plan that will meet the needs of First Nations and Aboriginal com-munities in the north.”

He said that in the mean-time, the ministry will operate NOADI.

Yet with only two weeks until NDHN closes its doors for good, details of how and when the government expects to cre-ate its plan for NOADI have not yet been released to the public or the community-based pro-gram operators.

Diabetes organization faces government axe after 20 years of serving northProvince says funding being redistributed, but questions abound

“To shut down something that worked well in northern Ontario, with no notice and no transi-tion plan…it is concerning as it took years to build and now we are being asked to take it down in pieces with no clear plan as to where the pieces will be placed if at all.”

-Sue Griffis, Northern Diabetes Health Network CEO

1 Wawatay News NOVEMBER 15, 2012 ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ Wawatay News NOVEMBER 15, 2012 ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ 7

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Physically stabilize the surface to prevent erosion and dust generation Re-vegetate the tailings surface directlyThe tailings dams will remain in place as permanent structures

Waste Rock Pile

Grade the top surface of the waste rock pile to help with storm water runoff and reduce infiltration The waste rock pile is expected to be physically stable and is not expected to generate acidic runoffThe waste rock pile will not need a soil cover or vegetation

Open Pits

Build a safety fence if the pit walls are deemed unstableStop pumping and allow the open pits to slowly fill with water from rain, snow and run off The pits will naturally overflow after about 70 years Create cuts in the rock to direct the pit overflow into the Marmion Reservoir

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Shawn BellWawatay News

A junior mining company that called First Nations “hostile third-party govern-ments” has raised the ire of indigenous leaders across Ontario.

Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN), the Chiefs of Ontario (COO) and Wahgoshig First Nation called on the Ontario government to withdraw its support of “racist and radi-cal” industry representatives during a press conference in Sudbury Nov. 7.

The chiefs targeted Min-ing United, a group of junior exploration companies, and the Ontario Prospectors Association (OPA).

“Representatives of this radical association of junior mining groups has waged a racist media campaign against the Wahgoshig First Nation, who are taking a legal and principled position to defend their Treaty and Aboriginal rights, as well as ensuring that Ontario meets its obligations on ‘the duty to consult’ in good faith,” said NAN Grand Chief Harvey Yesno in a press release. “The Province of Ontario and the Ministry of Northern Devel-opment and Mines continue to send a misguided message to First Nations by support-ing this group.”

At the heart of the con-troversy is the land dis-pute between Solid Gold Resources and Wahgoshig. The dispute has come before the courts since the company started an exploration pro-gram on Wahgoshig’s tradi-tional lands in 2011 without the First Nation’s knowledge or support. While the first judge to hear the case ruled in favour of Wahgoshig, Solid Gold is expected to bring it before an appeals court in

the coming months.Fanning the controversy,

Solid Gold CEO Darryl Stretch issued a press release on Oct. 22 saying that Ontario’s new mining act is handing control of natural resources to “hostile third-party governments” in the form of First Nations.

“It is my opinion that Canadians must do every-thing possible to stop this ill-conceived race-based ini-tiative,” Stretch said in the release.

Stretch predicted that the new mining act will result in an “overf low” of First Nations versus industry conf licts coming before the courts.

“It is plain that Ontario has proven itself incapable of non-biased action to pro-tect Canada’s sovereignty and Solid Gold’s statutory right to access and to explore its recorded mineral claims without interference,” the company’s press release states.

Stretch was expected to present his views to the 2012 Ontario Exploration and Geoscience Symposium in Sudbury November 6 and 7.

Stretch is not the only junior mining executive speaking out against First Nations’ desire for consulta-tion before exploration. A lawyer for Miners United, a group of an estimated 60 junior mining executives, told the Globe and Mail in March that “a revolt is taking place” among mining com-panies fed up with having to pay First Nations to access land.

First Nations leaders also took issue with comments made by Garry Clarke, execu-tive directory of the OPA, who told the Globe and Mail that some people in the industry were “happy” with

Chiefs want province to cut support for ‘racist, radical’ industry groups

Solid Gold’s hard-line stance on consultation.

“I do not believe that reasonable Ontarians and responsible mining industry members support the activi-ties and statements made by these representatives. It just makes it that much more difficult to have a positive working relationship,” said Ontario Regional Chief Stan Beardy in a statement.

The chiefs are calling on

“The Province of Ontario and the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines continue to send a misguided message to First Nations by sup-porting this radical association of junior mining groups.”

-NAN Grand Chief Harvey Yesno

Ontario to withdraw its pub-lic support of the OPA and to remove Clarke as an advisor

to the province’s department of Northern Development and Mines.

8 Wawatay News NOVEMBER 15, 2012 ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

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Continued from page 1

Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus recently raised the issue in a letter to Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, noting that NAPS officers do not receive the same support as municipal police or the Ontario Provincial Police.

“NAPS officers are work-ing under conditions that can only be described as Third World,” Agnus said in the let-ter. “We are seeing upwards of 20 percent of the officers being off at any time because of leave or stress. This is the kind of levels you’d see in combat. We have officers going into violent situations without back up. They are lacking proper housing and many detachments are sub-standard.”

Chum is concerned about the upcoming elimination of 11 positions in March 2013, when the Police Officer Retention Fund ends.

“This is a big issue for us because we’ve come ahead so far with these 11 posi-tions,” Chum said. “We’ve got the K-9, we’ve got our recruitment, our community service, our drug (unit) and we’ve got our front line peo-

Stress leave, sick leave and post tramautic stress has Nishnawbe-Aski Police facing officer shortfall

ple. It’s going to hurt us real bad to lose those 11 posi-tions.”

Chum said NAPS is cur-rently providing police ser-vices through a one-year extension of their tripartite funding agreement with the federal and provincial gov-ernments.

“It comes to an end on March 31, (2013),” Chum said. “We don’t know what direction Canada is going right now in regards to the First Nations Policing Pro-gram in Canada. We haven’t heard direction at all as to what Canada is doing.”

Although the federal and

provincial governments have invested in some NAPS infra-structure after the Kasheche-wan police detachment fire that claimed the lives of two First Nation prisoners, Chum said there are still a num-ber of substandard NAPS detachments that need to be replaced.

Chum also stressed the need for about 30 additional police officers so communi-ties have an officer on duty at all times.

“We have one and two and three-man detachments,” Chum said. “We still need to get more resources in there with these people so there is an officer in the community all the time when they leave on rest days.”

Chum added that NAPS police officers have not had a pay increase since 2009.

“First Nations policing needs some kind of legisla-tion behind it,” Chum said, noting that other police ser-vices operate under provin-cial or federal legislation. “That way we will have stan-dards we will have to meet and governments will have an onus on them to provide proper funding so we can meet those standards.”

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A Public Safety Canada spokesman, Jean Paul Duval, said in an e-mail comment

that the federal government committed during the Oct. 31 meeting of federal, pro-

vincial and territorial min-isters responsible for Justice and Public Safety to provide further information on the future direction and funding of the First Nations Polic-ing Program as soon as it becomes available.

As for the Police Officer Retention Fund, Duval said Ontario was provided with a one-time payment of $156 million in 2008 for the pro-gram, and the withdrawal and distribution of funds for the program is the responsi-bility of each province and territory.

Meanwhile George and other NAPS officers asked to fill in are making the most of their time in the communi-ties.

“I was able to offer my ser-vices to a female victim of a crime in terms of having a female officer take a state-ment from her,” George said about her Oct. 18-20 assign-ment in Eabametoong. “Also, I was able to assist the other officers in the later evening hours in the apprehending of a potentially dangerous per-son. Once we arrested him, I escorted him out of the com-munity.”

NAPS Police Chief Claude Chum says First Nations policing needs “some kind of legislation behind it.”

“We don’t know what direction Canada is going right now in regards to the First Nations Policing Pro-gram in Canada. We haven’t heard direction at all as to what Canada is doing.”-NAPS Police Chief Claude Chum

Rick GarrickWawatay News

Nishnawbe-Aski Police Ser-vice has launched an anony-mous toll-free general inquiry phone number for Nishnawbe Aski Nation community mem-bers.

“The new general informa-tion line — 1-855-847-NAPS — is a general information line for NAN citizens to call for events and activities, presentation requests, NAPS career ques-tions and information and also general inquiries,” said NAPS Const. Chris Carson. “It is not designed to get rid of Crime Stoppers or discourage people from calling Crime Stoppers in any way.”

In emergency situations, community members should still call 1-888-310-1122.

To leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers, call 1-800-222-8477 or leave a web tip at www.thunderbaydistrict-crimestoppers.

“That (Crime Stoppers) number is very effective,” said NAPS Sgt. Jackie George, not-ing the anonymity of people who call Crime Stoppers is protected. “All the police ser-vices in the area have made successful drug and other types of arrests through the tips that Crime Stoppers has received.”

The local Crime Stoppers coordinator, Ontario Provincial

NAPS launches new general inquiry line

Police Const. Jason Disher, said any Crime Stoppers tips pro-vided from the NAPS communi-ties are passed on t0 NAPS for investigation.

“They remain totally anony-mous,” Disher said. “There is no call display and there is no call tracing. For the people that are calling Crime Stoppers, we want them to know that there is no way that anybody is going to find out who they are.”

The new NAPS toll-free gen-

eral inquiry phone number was launched after requests from NAN chiefs for a way for com-munity members to contact NAPS in non-emergency situa-tions.

“They want a number to call for many various reasons,” George said. “So (NAPS Chief of Police Claude Chum) has provided this toll-free number that people can call and leave a voice mail and get more infor-mation.”

Carson said community members can use the new general inquiry line to call for extra police services at community events and activi-ties, such as gatherings, elec-tions or tournaments, to ask NAPS to set up presentations on different topics, such as drug issues, to ask NAPS to provide more information on how to become a NAPS offi-cer and to make other gen-eral inquiries.

NAPS Constable Chris Carson, OPP constable Jason Disher and NAPS Sargeant Jackie George have helped launched a new annonymous inquiry line for NAPS.

Rick Garrick/Wawatay News

1 Wawatay News NOVEMBER 15, 2012 ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ Wawatay News NOVEMBER 15, 2012 ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ 9

Get the news online! www.wawa-taynews.ca

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Shawn BellWawatay News

Actor Dakota House, well known from his time on the TV series North of 60, was in Fort Albany last week helping to launch the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) program in the community.

Fort Albany is one of 14 First Nations across the coun-try involved in the pilot proj-ect testing the OLPC program in Canada. As part of the pro-gram, every student in the community gets their own mini-laptop.

“With the technology going so fast, within six years if these kids aren’t connected and don’t have that education behind this technology, they will be so far behind there will be no chance of them catching up,” House said to Wawatay after his trip to Fort Albany.

“The way that things are going all over the world, it’s all geared towards technol-ogy, computers and being con-nected. So these kids are learn-ing it at a very young age, and that’s imperative.”

Last year Attawapiskat and Eabametoong First Nations joined the OLPC program. The pilot project finishes at the end of this school year, at which time the not-for-profit Belinda Stronach Foundation will have to decide whether to continue

LGP Plows Snow Cats

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North of 60 actor helps bring laptops to Fort Albany

Submitted photo Students in Fort Albany have been provided with personal laptops through the One Laptop Per Child program. The program was launched with a celebration featuring North of 60 actor Dakota House. House said getting youth in First Nations connected to technology is “imperative” in the modern world.

SIOUX LOOKOUT FIRST NATIONS HEALTH AUTHORITYClient Services Department

HOUSEKEEPERFull Time Employment

Internal/External PostingLocation: Sioux Lookout, Ontario

Under the direction of the Team Leader (Housekeeping), the Housekeeper is responsible to keep the Hostel and Administration offi ces at a high standard of cleanliness.

QUALIFICATIONS• Minimum Grade 12 or GED; • Experience in a hospitality fi eld an asset; • Ability to lift 20+ lbs;• Possess excellent verbal and written communication skills;• Possess excellent team building and networking skills;• Familiarity with computers, including databases.

KNOWLEDGE & ABILITY• Ability to communicate in one or more of the First Nations

dialects of the Sioux Lookout Zone will be an asset; • Experience and understanding of Native cultural issues,

the geographic realities and social conditions within remote Northern First Nation communities;

• Innovative problem solving and decision making skills; • Excellent time management and organizational skills, as

well as the ability to work independently;• Must be willing to do shift work;• Must be willing and able to relocate to Sioux Lookout.

Please send cover letter, resume, three most recent employment references and an up-to-date Criminal Reference Check with a Vulnerable Persons Sector Check to:

Human Resource DepartmentSioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority

P.O. Box 1300, 61 Queen StreetSioux Lookout, ON P8T 1B8

Phone: (807) 737-1802Fax: (807) 737-2969

Email: [email protected]

Closing Date: November 23, 2012 at 4:30 p.m.

No resume’s received after that time will be accepted

The Health Authority wishes to thank all applicants in advance. However, only those granted an interview

will be contacted.

For additional information regarding the Health Authority, please visit our Web-site at www.slfnha.com

expanding it across Canada. OLPC was created to provide

computers for children in some of the least developed coun-tries on the planet. Uruguay became the first country to implement the program when its government purchased 100,000 computers in 2007. Since then laptops have been given to students in schools across the world, from Afghan-istan to India, Rwanda to Peru.

Jennifer Martino of the Belinda Stronach Foundation said that having House advo-cate for the program is “invalu-able” in getting attention for OLPC both inside communities and across mainstream Canada.

“It’s incredibly powerful,” Martino said. “Dakota has such a wonderful relationship with each of these communities. When we get off the plane the first thing is hugs all around. So we are really honoured to have him on board as an ambassador.”

In Fort Albany, a commu-nity feast was held on Nov. 7

to launch the program and welcome House. He had previ-

ously been to Fort Albany with his own youth outreach pro-gram, Going Miles, so the feast was somewhat of a reunion for the former actor.

The new laptops were never far from the conversation dur-ing his visit. He said that see-ing how well received the lap-tops are in the school was “just amazing.”

“When we went into the gymnasium and all the kids are sitting around and they’ve got their laptops open and their taking pictures and mak-ing videos, and then you look at some of them and they’re already chatting with each other on the computers,” House said.

“There are so many capabili-ties that these little computers have. It gives (the students) the chance to advance on their math, their spelling and their reading.”

House, who was born in Manning, Alberta and now

One Laptop Per Child pilot program in 14 First Nations

“With the technology going so fast, within six years if these kids aren’t connected and don’t have that education behind this technology, they will be so far behind there will be no chance of them catching up.”

-Dakota House

lives in Edmonton, said he sees a need for this type of program to expand into First Nations across the country.

“In some of our isolated communities we don’t even have computers. The education they are getting right now, if they’re not connected to tech-nology, when they do leave their community to go into mainstream society to further their education, they’re going to be so far behind at that point that it’ll be like going to Mars,” House said.

10 Wawatay News NOVEMBER 15, 2012 ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

“Commerce” resides in every Northwestern Ontario community including the many Aboriginal communities. Critical to our economy’s prosperous development is the awareness by aboriginal enterprises of business opportunities with non-aboriginal partners – and vice-versa. Join us on for a luncheon workshop focused on the concept of aboriginal and private sector partnerships. Learn about mutual opportunities and an overview of partnership structuring.

Opportunity Forum - We will provide any participants who have a partnership opportunity the option to make a 5 minute descriptive presentation inviting interested parties to connect afterwards. Please contact the Innovation Centre in advance to reserve your time slot.

Date: Thursday, November 29th, 2012 Cost: $20 (includes lunch and HST)Time: 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.Location: Travelodge Airlane, Barcelona Room

VISIT WWW.NWOINNOVATION.CA TO REGISTER

Kakiinaa Maajiitawinun ChiwiitanookiimitiiyungKakiinaa Maajiitawinun Chiwiitanookiimitiiyung

Moving Forward Together: Exploring Aboriginal/Non-Aboriginal Business Ventures

Moving Forward Together: Exploring Aboriginal/Non-Aboriginal Business Ventures

Colleen Martin, General Manager of Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund, will discuss the potential, trends and economic impacts of aboriginal/non aboriginal partnerships. She will share NADF’s experience how partnerships are becoming the norm for doing business in the Ontario’s north so it is crucial to become familiar with the concept.

Don Wing, Senior VP Ontario, Dowland Contracting Ltd., will speak from a private sector perspective, on the extensive experience Dowland has had in partnering with aboriginal organizations and communities. He will share the lessons learned in developing successful

Bob Dickson, CEO, Attawapiskat Resources Inc., will represent the aboriginal perspective of what the right partnerships can mean to aboriginal entrepreneurs and the capacity building and economic results that they can provide. Attawpiskat First Nation and some of its community members have successfully partnered with a number of non-aboriginal companies

achieved through their successful partnerships and any pitfalls encountered.

Ted Scollie, Lawyer, Erickson and Partners, will provide an overview of the different types of partnerships structures possible and/or commonly utilized from his perspective as a lawyer specializing in Aboriginal/First Nations Corporate and Commercial Law.

Speakers

Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

Proudly Supported by:

Slate Falls First Nation

48 Lakeview Road Slate Falls, ON P0V 3C0Tel: 807-737-5700

Tel/Fax: 1-888-431-5617

Notice to Slate Falls Nation Members

Slate Falls NationChief and Council Election 2012

Nomination MeetingDate: Friday October 26, 2012Location: Bimaychikamah School GymTime: 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Public Candidate ForumDate: Friday November 23, 2012Location: Bimaychikamah School GymTime: 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Election DayDate: Friday November 30, 2012Location: Slate Falls Band Offi ceTime: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

If you are a member of Slate Falls First Nation, you are entitled to a vote providing you are 18 years of age as of November 30, 2012. If you have any questions regarding the election please call Brenda Roundhead at 807 737-5700

$45.99

Timmins Friendship Centre relocatingLenny CarpenterWawatay News

The Timmins Native Friend-ship Centre (TNFC) will be able to provide all its services under one roof when it moves to a new building in March 2013.

The TNFC is moving to a for-mer elementary school located at the corner of Cedar Street South and Kirby Avenue. The two-storey building will feature a space of 30,000 square feet – 18,000 square feet more than its current two locations com-bined.

TNFC executive director Veronica Nicholson said the centre has always been looking to acquire another location with more space.

“One of the primary reasons

is that we’re at two locations right now and it was either look to be under one roof or open another site,” she said.

The current facility, which opened in 1993, is located on Spruce Street South and has about 10,000 square feet. The organization also has another smaller site – with about 2,000 square feet – where it provides four more programs.

The new site was an elemen-tary school that closed down due to declining enrollment numbers. TNFC submitted a letter of interest to acquire the building. With office space becoming more cramped, Nich-olson said the decision was a no-brainer.

“It wasn’t a question of to do it or not to do it,” she said. “We

had to do it.”The additional space will

allow the expansion of services, including the Oppekehawaso Wekamik Daycare. The day-care was developed in partner-ship with the Cochrane District Social Services Admin Board and opened in 2006.

“With our move, it allows us to expand our daycare with an infant room and fam-ily resource centre,” Nich-olson said.

The location of the new site was also an important factor.

“It’s really going to be cen-trally located and because we are a community-based friend-ship centre and it was impor-tant for community members to be on this side of town because

it’s so accessible,” Nicholson said.

Last year, TNFC served 18,000 clients through its 22 programs in areas such as edu-cation, employment and train-ing, and family and youth sup-

port. While the 2006 Census puts the Tim-mins Aborigi-nal popula-tion at 3,200, the Ontario Federation of Indian Frend-ship Centres puts the figure at 14,000.

Nicholson said the new loca-tion will allow the organiza-tion to better serve the growing Aboriginal population.

“We know that there’s still a lot of gaps to address and if we could be a good partner to address those gaps, this gives us a good opportunity,” she said.

Lenny Carpenter/Wawatay NewsThe Timmins Native Friendship Centre will be moving to a new loca-tion in March 2013. Executive director Veronica Nicholson said the move will allow them to provide all their services under one roof.

“It allows us to expand our daycare with an infant room and family resource centre.”

-Veronica NicholsonExecutive director

1 Wawatay News NOVEMBER 15, 2012 ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ Wawatay News NOVEMBER 15, 2012 ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ 11

POSTPONEMENTNOTICE

To Registered Members of Mishkeegogamang First Nation

The Ratifi cation Vote scheduled for Wednesday, November 14th, 2012 at Mishkeegogamang Missabay

Community School is POSTPONED.

This will enable further community consultation with all Mishkeegogamang

First Nation Community Members on the Settlement Agreement.

Future developments in the process will be provided to all Mishkeegogamang First Nation

Members as it becomes available.

Please contact Elizabeth Redsky, Chief Ratifi cation Offi cer to ensure your updated mailing address is received for your participation.

Phone: 1-807-733-9903Email or comments:

[email protected]

Contacts: Elizabeth Redsky, Chief Ratifi cation Offi cer

Wabigoon Lake has best tasting waterRick GarrickWawatay News

First Nations water is prov-ing to be among the best tasting waters in northwestern Ontario.

Wabigoon Lake won the 18th Annual Water Taste Challenge on Oct. 26 at the 58th Annual Northwestern Ontario Water and Waste-water Conference and Dalles (Ochiichagwe’babigo’ining Ojib-way Nation) won last year.

“I was actually kind of shocked — it took me about two or three seconds — did they just say Wab-igoon Lake,” said Marcel Sha-baquay, Wabigoon Lake’s water plant operator. “It’s definitely nice to know that our water is up there with all these municipali-ties.”

Terrace Bay won the water taste challenge four times since 2003, Thunder Bay twice with Loch Lomond water, and Mara-thon and Vermilion Bay once each.

“(The water) was judged on taste, colour, chlorine residual and clarity of the water,” Sha-baquay said. “Ours was one of the better tasting waters.”

Shabaquay said the water taste challenge trophy is on display at the Wabigoon Lake band office.

“Lots of people keep coming up to me and saying, Marcel, you

guys got the best tasting water in northwestern Ontario,” Sha-baquay said. “It’s a really good feeling. And I’m getting lots of people coming down to the water plant so I can show them the pro-cesses and what kind of testing I do here.”

Shabaquay toured the Bare Point water treatment plant in Thunder Bay during the confer-ence, noting that Bare Point has “a lot of operators” compared to his water plant, which used to have only one operator but now has two.

“They have a very nice water plant compared to my water treatment plant,” Shabaquay said. “It is humungous. They’ve got four or five lift stations.”

Paul Otis, technical services officer with Bimose Tribal Coun-cil, is proud of the two First Nation wins, noting the water taste challenge had previously allowed only municipal water treatment plants to enter until last year.

“Last year, not only did we win with the Dalles First Nation,” Otis said, “we took three of the top five for the first time ever enter-ing the challenge.”

Otis said the water samples are judged using a system where the judges do not know where the different water samples are from.

“It’s always been the finale,” Otis said. “It’s something that everyone takes great pride in.”

Otis said the two wins show that First Nations are able to pro-duce good water with limited infrastructure and resources.

“We’re working with one or two man crews with limited equipment, with limited money, with limited capital infrastruc-ture and assets,” Otis said. “But we are still able to do not too bad, so we’re proud of that.”

Submitted photoMarcel Shabaquay receives prizes on behalf of Wabigoon Lake for finishing first in the 18th annual Water Taste Challenge on Oct. 26. The water plant operator was shocked and honoured to win the challenge during the 58th Annual Northwestern Ontario Water and Wastewater Confer-ence. The water was judged on taste, colour, chlorine residual and clarity of the water.

“I’m getting lots of people coming down to the water plant so I can show them the pro-cesses and what kind of testing I do here.”

-Marcel ShabaquayWabigoon Lake

12 Wawatay News NOVEMBER 15, 2012 ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

Supporting the Success of Aboriginal Business

Executive DirectorNishnawbe Aski Development Fund (NADF) has an exciting opportunity for an Executive Director. Located in Th under Bay and reporting directly to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will be responsible for providing leadership in strategic management and administration for NADF. Working with NADF staff , the Executive Director will oversee and coordinate all areas of management and operation, including budgets, annual processes and work plans, and human and other resources, to ensure the eff ective day-to-day operations of the corporation.

Th e Executive Director is recognized as a strong leader and has demonstrated his/her ability to build the profi le of an organization; has a proven track record of maintaining and fostering strong relationships with all internal and external stakeholders; and is seen as a credible and reliable professional.

Qualifi cations:• A post-secondary degree or diploma in

business or at least 5 years of equivalent management experience.

• Demonstrated excellent leadership and motivational capabilities with a commitment to continuous improvement, frontline leadership and teamwork principles are required.

• Extensive experience in a business or economic development environment serving Aboriginal people.

• Demonstrated skills in program and strategic planning, service delivery and public relations.

• Strong problem identifi cation and problem solving skills.

• Knowledge of and commitment to the mandate of and services provided by NADF.

• Knowledge of the people, culture, and history of Nishnawbe Aski Nation; in-depth knowledge of the economic climate and business development priorities of the First Nations in Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN).

• Excellent customer relations, interpersonal and communication skills (written, verbal, and presentation), and the ability to plan, organize and prioritize and delegate work eff ectively.

• Ability to speak Cree, Oji-Cree, or Ojibway would be an asset.

• Must be willing to travel extensively.

Salary is commensurate with qualifi cations and experience.

To review a complete job description, please visit our website at www.nadf.org.

Qualifi ed applicants may forward their information by 4:30 p.m. on the closing date to:

Mari Bishop, CA, Finance Manager, NADF200 Anemki PlaceFort William First Nation, ON P7J 1L6Fax: (807) 623-3746Email: [email protected]

CLOSING TIME/DATE: 4:30 PM (EDT) Th ursday, November 29, 2012

While all responses will be appreciated and handled in strictest confi dence, only those candidates being considered for an interview will be contacted.

Third World Canada: tales from KI Youth

Elton Beardy (EB): The tour is for a film called 3rd World Canada, and it deals with the issue of suicides in First Nations communities, particularly my community KI, and the issues of one family and how suicide has affected the children and the community.

The tour is about raising awareness of all these issues that First Nations peoples face in our communities, and hoping to create dialogue with Canadians. It is for Aboriginal peoples to talk with non-Aboriginal peoples and educate them to hopefully create change, to be able to work through reconciliation, and work through hope, so that we can create a better future for ourselves.

Wawatay (WWT): At what point did you decide to be involved in this tour, and why did you make that decision?

EB: Initially I didn’t know what the film was. I was just here in Thunder Bay and a friend told me there was going to be a film screening about my community. What drew me to it, it was about a girl that I knew, who I grew up with. She was my cousin. It was my relatives in the film, and of course my com-munity.

That was in September 2010. We went to Lakehead University where the screening was being held, and watched the film. I didn’t know what to expect. It was packed. And the way the community responded to it at the end of the film, through what I saw, the emotions and what people said, as well as what the presenters spoke about, it really sparked a want for change for myself personally, but also for my community. And Andree (the filmmaker) really appreciated that, after I spoke to say why this film matters to me. She had me attend the Ottawa premiere in December, where I participated as a community member along with our drum group over there, and I got to speak at these events. That afternoon we sat around her kitchen table in her apartment in Ottawa and we talked about this tour, about what this tour will be and what we hoped it will do. Initially it was just a fun idea that we talked about over coffee, and I never thought it would take off like it has. So I’m excited, I’m excited to go.

WWT: What did you see in that Ottawa premiere from the audience that convinced you that tour could accomplish what you want it to accomplish?

EB: I saw a lot that evening. It was an amazing experience, a life-changing experience. I feel that week was where things changed for me personally, just through what I saw there. We had about 600 people there, well over what we were expecting. When I looked there out in the audience, you could see how it affected them.

Six youth from Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug are currently on an Ontario tour, showing the film 3rd World Canada about suicide in the community and talking to audiences about living conditions in a remote First Nation.

Elton Beardy is one of the youth on the tour. Before he left for the kickoff event in Toronto, Wawatay sat down with Beardy to talk about the tour and his message for the people of Ontario.

As well for me it was really healing and encouraging to have our drum group there with us, the first drum in over a century. And seeing all of my old friends, some of my family members there, and hearing the positive response we got from our com-munity members about how they feel about the experiences in the film, it really changed me. Looking back I can definitely say that this film could change things for the better, and per-haps act as a catalyst for change in people as well. Not just as nations, but as individuals.

WWT: For you personally, what message are you bringing with you to people in the south?

EB: The message I really want to give them is that there is still hope for change. And that in relations between the First peo-ples with non First Nations, there can still be harmony. That what happened in the past we can move forward from. And no matter where we are at, if we can educate ourselves about each other, about what we face on a daily basis, then we can create dialogue with each other and come to a common understand-ing and a common goal for positive change. Not only for us, but for our children. It’s important that we think about the next generations to come.

A lot of our traditional teachings stress that though we sit in separate pieces of the medicine wheel, we’re all united in that circle. That everyone is welcomed and accepted in that circle. That you have to do everything you can to help each other to walk in a good way. I want these people to know that this way is still there, the way for us is still there. It will take a lot of work, but it is still possible.

WWT: When I was talking to Andree about the tour, she brought up how powerful it was to have the community drum there. You mentioned it earlier. What does it mean to you and to your community to have the drum with you on the tour?

EB: It means a lot more than what we as people can perceive. That drum not only represents the voices of our community members, but it also represents the spirits of our ancestors and the creator. It is important that we let people know it repre-sents a lot more than just a community, but life itself.

For me it was at the drum that I’ve gotten to know myself, that I’ve gotten to know what it’s like to walk in a good way, to speak in a good way, to sing in a good way. And a lot of what our people, our youth in particular, don’t know is what this drum can do for them. Our community is predominantly Christian, and a lot of them don’t understand what this way of life means. So this drum speaks on our behalf, to bring not only other Canadians but its own people in a call to under-stand, in a call for changes in the community. That’s what this drum means coming on the tour with us. It’s a huge step. The weight of responsibility that we have as carriers, as singers, as speakers with this drum with us is a lot more than what we can imagine it to be. That is why we have to do this in a good way.

WWT: I’d like to get your thoughts on the fact that on this tour it is youth voices being brought out. What does that signify to have the youth voices representing the community?

See WE CANNOT AFFORD on page 13

For me it was at the drum that I’ve gotten to know myself, that I’ve gotten to know what it’s like to walk in a good way, to speak in a good way, to sing in a good way.

-Elton Beardy

Submitted photo

1 Wawatay News NOVEMBER 15, 2012 ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ Wawatay News NOVEMBER 15, 2012 ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ 13

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27009_G_R1_SYRMAFEscapeEdge_8.5x11.5.indd 1 11/8/12 2:18 PM

‘We cannot afford to take our children for granted’

EB: It represents a time of change. It represents a new season. It’s an important time for us as nations, as indigenous peo-ples of North America that now our children, our youth will be the ones who take the future of our peoples, the future of our traditions, the future of our culture, our language, our faith forward. And it’s an important time not only for us but for all youth around the world, where we have to choose for ourselves where we go.

A lot of what we do does matter. A lot of what we have to do for each other relies on the strength of our youth, on the strength of our children, so that they are able to learn to live in a good way. Not only for themselves but for all people around the world, for all colours, all nations, all cultures. It is not only for ourselves that we do these things, but it is for others. That is how it is in our traditions. It is for others that we do things. And it must be sustainable for seven generations, for our chil-

dren and their children thereafter.

WWT: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

EB: Speaking as a native person living in an urban environ-ment, it’s important that we teach youth about these tradi-tions. The issue of suicide, when somebody takes their life, it affects the entire community. That pain will be with everybody, not only the family but the entire community. It will always be there. And if we do not bring forward reminders that there is a path for them to heal, they will wander. They will not under-stand. That pain will affect them in more ways than we can realize. And that creates a cycle.

We cannot afford to take our children for granted, to take this opportunity for granted. We cannot to just let them go. As I said before it’s a time to choose where we go, what we do and how our lifetimes will be spent. And what we’ll leave our chil-dren. And this goes for everybody. It’s important. Not only this tour, but what we do afterwards will be the most important. Will we let these sparks fade, or will we let it burn? Will our voices cry out in unison, or will they fade? What I want people to ask themselves is, what do you choose?

From page 12

“Will we let these sparks fade, or will we let it burn? Will our voices cry out in unison, or will they fade?”

14 Wawatay News NOVEMBER 15, 2012 ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

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Rabbit and Bear Paws tour northwestRick GarrickWawatay News

First Nation puppets, accompanied by lots of laughter, were on stage during a recent Rabbit and Bear Paws tour through northwestern Ontario and Manitoba.

“Yesterday I was in Big Grassy doing two different pup-pet shows for them there,” said Chad Solomon, creator of Rab-bit and Bear Paws and a Henvey Inlet band member, after a Nov. 7 performance at Ecole Gron Morgan in Thunder Bay. “Before I set up for the powwow in Win-nipeg, I was at two different schools, one in East Selkirk and one in Grand Beach.”

Solomon usually does a num-

ber of puppet performances dur-ing his tours, including a retell-ing of the Anishinabe creation story featuring his Nanabazhoo and the Animals puppets and an anti-bullying program featuring his Rabbit and Bear Paws pup-pets.

“I get the kids themselves to do improv puppeteering to act out that example of when they had seen someone getting bullied,” Solomon said, noting he usually asks two students from the audience to portray the bully and bullied using his puppets. “And the improvisation of that storytelling is where the humour really comes in.”

While the students are usually nervous at first to

perform with the puppet, Solomon said they are also excited about using the puppets.

“As a kid, my parents always got me the tools to be able to use to become the artist and puppeteer I am today,” Solomon said. “I find it is very important for people to have hands-on experience with the tools themselves to fully learn about the art form and about the issues of bullying.”

Solomon delivered his puppet shows at six elementary schools during a Nov. 7-8 tour in Thunder Bay, including the anti-bullying puppet show he performed at Ecole Gron Morgan.

“I developed the program on

anti-bullying that uses the shar-ing circles and another tradi-

tional tool, the talking stick, for kids to work at the issue of bul-lying using humour and pup-petry,” Solomon said.

Ecole Gron Morgan vice prin-cipal Darren Lentz said the pup-pet show was a “great opportu-

nity for kids” to see a different venue for talking about culture, traditions and bullying.

“Bullying is a serious issue,” Lentz said. “We don’t want to see it in schools, we don’t want to see it in our life and (Solo-mon) has a unique way to pres-ent that to kids, a different way than they’ve seen before, with puppets, which is really cool.”

Lentz was impressed with the way Solomon presented the idea that not all bullies are bigger than their victims by having a student perform with the smaller Rabbit puppet as a bully against another student with the larger Bear Paws puppet.

“I love how he interacts with the kids and gets them working

together with him,” Lentz said. “It’s not just them sitting there and being inactive. I think that’s important, especially for elementary students.”

Solomon credited his family, including his grandfather, Elder Art Solomon, for providing a strong influence in his work.

“My grandparents, my mishomis and my nokomis, gave me a lot of great understanding as a kid of how to live a healthy and positive lifestyle,” Solomon said. “It is because of their teachings and of my family that inspired me to do the work that I do today with the audiences of various ages.”

Solomon’s work is available at www.rabbitandbearpaws.com.

I developed the program on anti-bullying that uses the sharing circles and another traditional tool, the talking stick

– Chad Solomon

Chad Solomon, creator of Rabbit and Bear Paws, during his stop at Thunder Bay’s Ecole Gron Morgan. Rick Garrick/Wawatay News

1 Wawatay News NOVEMBER 15, 2012 ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ Wawatay News NOVEMBER 15, 2012 ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ 15

Peter MoonCanadian Rangers

The largest number of Canadian Rangers ever to gather in northern Ontario have completed a five-day search and rescue training exercise.

“We had a record 101 Cana-dian Rangers from 21 commu-nities participate in Exercise Ranger Tracker,” said Captain Mark Rittwage, officer com-manding the Canadian Rang-ers in northern Ontario. “It was a great collective training exercise. It was highly success-ful.

“It is the largest gather-ing of Rangers we have ever had in northern Ontario. And to the best of my knowledge this is the largest gathering of Rangers for any reason any-where in Canada.”

The exercise took place at the Ontario Ministry of Natu-ral Resources forward fire attack base at Rinker Lake, 96 kilometres north of Thunder Bay. It included instruction in first aid, dealing with mass casualties, setting up a search and rescue command post, warming people who have gone through ice, day and night navigation, and other skills needed by Rangers in emergencies.

A total of 71 Rangers took two days of instruction before completing a written examina-tion and receiving their mili-tary first aid certificates. The other 30 Rangers were already qualified.

A highlight of the exercise was a sunrise ceremony on November 8, Aboriginal Vet-erans Day. The Rangers, with military and community flags flying, paraded at the edge of the lake and formed a giant circle around a fire, where Master Corporal Stanley Ste-phens, a Constance Lake Elder, addressed them. “This is an important day today,” he said. ”We thank our veterans with all our hearts.”

The annual Ranger Tracker exercises are the culmina-tion of a year of training for the Rangers. “They confirm that they have what it takes to respond to an emergency situation,” Rittwage said. “You can see the confidence that exudes from them. They know what they are doing. They feel good going back to their communities. If they get a call for search and res-cue or for just basic first aid they are going to be able to respond in a timely manner and be able to help.”

Sergeant Freeman Ninge-wance, commander of the Lac Seul Ranger patrol, said he will take many new skills back to his patrol members. “It was a good experience for me,” he said. “It was pretty awesome. I learned a lot of new things I didn’t know. I know the area around Lac Seul, but here I had to learn to navigate in an area I didn’t know, using GPS, a map and a compass. I learned how to warm some-one who had gone into cold water and how to recover an ATV from a river.

“People who didn’t come, they missed a lot of activities and a chance to meet a lot of good people for the first time. They missed out big time. It was a huge experience for me.”

The Rangers’ enthusiasm to learn new things impressed Warrant Officer Barry Bor-ton, the exercise’s training coordinator. “The competi-

tion between teams at the end of the exercise was great,” he said. “Rangers from differ-ent communities had to work together. They were tested on 10 sites.

“The night navigation was voluntary but every team par-ticipated. They wanted the extra points that went with it. They all wanted to have their names on that big silver tro-phy for the winning team.

“They had been out in rain and sleet all day and they were soaking wet. But they all volunteered to go out again after supper on the night navigation exercise. The competitive edge they displayed was impressive and the level of leadership was phenomenal.”

The trophy for the best of the 11 teams was won by a 10-member team composed

of Rangers from Neskantaga, Peawanuck, and Constance Lake. It was led by Master Cor-poral Pamela Chookomoolin of Peawanuck.

A number of Rangers received specialized instruc-tion from two Ontario Pro-vincial Police search and rescue experts in how to set up a search command post to enable Rangers and the OPP to work together. “The OPP and the Rangers work together on searches and the OPP have high respect for the Rangers and their abilities,” Borton said. “To have the OPP come out to train the Rang-ers, that’s a big thing.”

(Sergeant Peter Moon is the public affairs ranger for 3rd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group at Canadian Forces Base Borden.)

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The trophy for the best of the 11 teams was won by a 10-member team composed of Rangers from Neskan-taga, Peawanuck, and Constance Lake. It was led by Master Corporal Pamela Chookomoolin of Peawanuck.

Peter Moon/Canadian Rangers

16 Wawatay News NOVEMBER 15, 2012 ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

Aboriginal Artworks Group of Northern Ontario

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PresentsTh e 11th Annual Aboriginal Fine Arts &

Craft s Christ mas Gift Show & Sale

“Th e largest gathering of Aboriginal Artisans of Northern Ontario”

December 4th – December 8th , 2012 at Victoriaville Center, Th under Bay, Ontario

Come one, come all to see Authentic Aboriginal Fine Artworks of our Northern Ontario’s talented Aboriginal people’s creations. Great People, Great gift idea’s, Great prices, over 160 artisans participating.

ON SALETamarack Birds BeadworkOriginal Native Paintings Wood CarvingsNative Apparel Handmade SnowshoesNative Jewellery Christmas OrnamentsLeather Works Birchbark Artworks

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Medicine pouch teachings help keep traditions aliveRick GarrickWawatay News

Lac Seul’s Susan Kakepetum recently shared her medicine pouch teachings with youth and adults at the Lake Superior Art Gallery in Thunder Bay.

“We carry the medicine pouches with us so we can have our medicines close to us,” said the Lac Seul artist and heritage programmer during her Nov. 3 Community Arts and Heritage Education Project workshop. “We try to carry it close to our body so that if in a rush or panic we need to have them, then they are close to us.”

A stone is also carried in the pouch for rubbing, Kakepetum said, as a grounding method.

“Today we use them as first aid kits; the old version was the medicines of the ground,” Kakepetum said, explaining that people used to carry the traditional medicines with them because they were not always readily available wherever they travelled.

“Up north you won’t find cedar, so you bring cedar from this area. And you won’t find sweetgrass way up north, so you bring it from the west.”

Kakepetum showed the

workshop participants how to make the medicine pouches out of moosehide and deerhide.

“The process for making the moosehide and deerhide is to soak the hide and scrape them,” Kakepetum said.

“And then use the brain of the animal on the hide. That makes it soft.”

Kakepetum said the pieces of hide are punched with leather punches and stitched together with strips of sinew.

“Before we would use the bones to poke holes,” Kakepetum said.

Once the pouches are stitched together, feathers and beads are attached as

decorations.Kakepetum said she is

looking to “retain some of our history and some of our methods of carrying our sacred items” by passing on her medicine pouch teachings. She was taught by her mother as a child how to do beadwork and sew clothing and has since been making traditional crafts with her mother over the past 20 years.

CAHEP executive director Pam Cain said the workshop is part of the Grand Others project, which aims to bring together Grand-Others friends, relatives and neighbours to learn more about each other and to create together.

“We’re promoting people partaking in traditional crafts and learning about our local cultures,” Cain said.

“We’ve had good attendance and (the Grand Others project) is sort of developing a following. As we do each one, we get more people involved and more people aware of what is going on.”

The next two CAHEP workshops are both by James Wilkinson, who is presenting song creation workshops on Dec. 1 and 8.

Rick Garrick/Wawatay NewsJayden Krieger and his sister Karissa learn how to make medicine pouches at Susan Kakepetum’s Nov. 3 workshop.

“The process for making the moosehide and deerhide is to soak the hide and scrape them...and then use the brain of the animal on the hide. That makes it soft.”

– Susan Kakepetum