Eagle Lake filmmaker Victoria Anderson-Gardner, one of five recipients of $2,000 grants from Inconvenient Indian director Michelle Latimer and three producers, recalls looking at Neskantaga’s water crisis in 2018 for the CBC documentary In Search of a Perfect World.
Canadian Ranger Master Cpl. Pamela Chookomoolin began her service with the Canadian Armed Forces by doing basic training with the Reserves in Timmins after participating in a military co-op in high school.
“I tried the Reservists portion for a bit but then I came home — the only thing available here was the Canadian Rangers,” Chookomoolin says. “I had finished high school and I did my basic training (in Meaford, Ont.), but I came home in the fall and I’ve been here ever since.”
Ontario Superior Court Justice Helen M. Pierce is scheduled to deliver her decision in the Brayden Bushby manslaughter trial over the death of the late Barbara Kentner on Dec. 14.
Bushby, 21, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault and not guilty of manslaughter. His judge-only trial was held Nov. 2-5 in Thunder Bay at the Courthouse Hotel, formerly known as the Superior Court of Justice Building from 1924-2014, due to the closure of the Thunder Bay Courthouse over damage from an electrical fire.
The lobster fishery in Nova Scotia, the evacuation of Neskantaga and the racist treatment of an Atikamekw Nation citizen in a Quebec hospital were highlighted at the Nishnawbe Aski Nation Chiefs Virtual Fall Assembly.
Deputy Grand Chief Derek Fox focused on COVID-19 concerns, the Neskantaga evacuation and his education, justice and youth portfolios during his WRN (Wawatay Radio Network) Update.
Deputy Grand Chief Jason Smallboy focused on COVID-19 cases in Nishnawbe Aski Nation, NAN Hope, seasonal flu shots and Treaties Recognition Week during his WRN (Wawatay Radio Network) Update.
“Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority was notified that a person from outside the community tested positive for COVID-19,” Smallboy says. “This individual travelled to KI (Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug) and Wapekeka on Oct. 23 and the individual tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 31.”
Neskantaga citizens Lawrence Sakanee and Alex Moonias began their sit-in at the Ontario Legislature with a virtual press conference with Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa on Nov. 3 about the water crisis in their community.
Neskantaga Chief Chris Moonias and citizens Renita Moonias and Marilyn Waswa joined the virtual press conference from Thunder Bay to speak about how the long-term lack of clean drinking water has impacted their lives.
The First Nations Health Managers Association (FNHMA) is planning a three-hour virtual celebration for health workers and 2020 Certified First Nations Health Manager (CFNHM) graduates on Nov. 4.
Oshki-Pimache-O-Win The Wenjack Education Institute is launching a new Bachelor of Social Work degree program in partnership with Algoma University with a scheduled start date of January 2021.
“This is an accelerated opportunity for students who already have a college diploma to jump in midway into a typical Bachelor of Social Work degree program,” says Kim Falcigno, director of academics at Oshki. “It takes one year less than normal so they would do it with us at Oshki in three years instead of four years in the regular delivery at Algoma University.”
Northern Nishnawbe Education Council (NNEC) was pleased to see its grade on the Year Four Report Card on the Implementation of Recommendations from the First Nations Youth Inquest in Thunder Bay remained at an A+. The First Nations Youth Inquest was held over nine months from October 2015 to June 2016 to look into the deaths of seven First Nations youth from NAN communities who died while pursuing their high school studies in Thunder Bay.
Blogs & Columns
I have never really been that political and I don’t think most Indigenous people are. We come from a very natural history in terms of living, communicating...
I am sitting here listening to the birds outside and I can hear a squirrel or chipmunk scrambling around a few feet away on a tree. The wind is sweeping up...