Lenny Carpenter — Wawatay News

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) says poor weather conditions and pilot inexperience caused the fatal plane crash near North Spirit Lake First Nation last year.
In its investigation report released on Nov. 21, TSB says the crash was caused by weather that led to ice buildups, and the pilot’s relative inexperience with flying the type of aircraft, flying commercial flights to remote airports, and flying in winter operations with icing conditions.

Survivors of St. Anne’s Indian Residential School hope the Ontario Superior Court will allow the release of police documents that support their claims of abuse suffered while attending the school.
A group of survivors, along with leaders and supporters, attended the first day of a two-day court proceeding on Dec. 17 to have their case be heard.
The survivors have been trying to access the documents so they may be used in their Independent Assessment Process (IAP) compensation claim as part of the Indian Residential School settlement.

A group of Attawapiskat residents have started a walk to Ottawa, calling on First Nations people to “be awakened and take action on matters that affects our existence.”
On Jan. 4, Danny Metatawabin, Brian Okimaw and Paul Mattinas began their journey from Attawapiskat First Nation, walking along the James Bay winter road.
Dubbed “Reclaiming Our Steps Past, Present and Future,” the spiritual journey calls on First Nations to take action and for the federal and provincial governments to honour the treaties.

As he continues a legal battle with the federal and provincial governments, and a personal battle with cancer, Mushkegowuk Grand Chief Stan Louttit is Wawatay’s Male Newsmaker of the Year.
Louttit’s battle with cancer was already public when 2013 rolled around, but he continued to update readers and community members throughout the year on his health status.
In February, Louttit told Wawatay News he had begun chemotherapy treatment in Kingston, and that he would receive the treatment every two weeks.

The First Nation leaders’ united rejection of the Proposal for a Bill on First Nations Education is Wawatay’s runner up for News Story of the Year.
The Assembly of First Nations passed a resolution in December 2012 to reject the federal government’s consultation process for the First Nations Education Act on the grounds that it was not based on a true partnership with First Nations.
So in April, the Chiefs of Ontario organized a rally in Thunder Bay, where the Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development of Canada (AANDC) were conducting those consultations.