Lenny Carpenter — Wawatay News

Rather than proceed with Attawapiskat’s proposal to send displaced community members to southern communities for the winter, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development of Canada (AANDC) says it will fund the repair of a trailer complex that was previously condemned due to mould.
Attawapiskat Acting Chief Christine Kataquapit said AANDC told the First Nation that the plan to send residents to municipalities like Moosonee, Timmins and Kapuskasing for the winter season would cost “too much” for the federal department.

A Canadian flag was suspended upside down by Idle No More participants outside the Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development of Canada (AANDC) office in Fort William First Nation on Dec. 10.
“In Canada, an upside down flag signifies distress,” Erin Bottle, a Mishkeegogamang First Nation member, told the crowd of about 50 people assembled outside the office “We declare that we Anishnawbes are under distress by the Canadian government.”

Students at the Ogden Community School in Thunder Bay experienced their first powwow on Dec. 14.
Biwaase’aa program manager Paul Francis said the powwow is part of the program’s mandate to to help address child poverty issues by increasing life skills of children, youth and their families through strategies of cultural awareness, academic improvement, structured activities and health nutritional supplementation.

The teenage duo of Emily and Julia Mogus of Oakville, Ont. have sent over 2,000 books to 24 communities in northern Ontario just in time for the holidays.
The sisters said they received donations of new books from First Book Canada while Harper Collins donated five boxes of new books that will be sent in February. They added that a company, approved by the Ontario regional chief’s office, offered to pay the FedEx shipping fees to send the books north.

Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence said she is willing to go the distance as she prepared for a hunger strike in Ottawa that began on Dec. 11.
“I’m willing to go – willing to die for it,” she said.
Spence said she will end the hunger strike once the federal government and a representative of Queen Elizabeth II agrees to meet with First Nations leaders and involve them in the legislative process that affects First Nations across Canada.