Rick Garrick — Wawatay News

After struggling in a provincial high school last year, Neskantaga’s Clyde Moonias found a new path to success at Dennis Franklin Cromarty First Nations High School, where he graduated on May 13 along with 22 other students.
“After my brother’s death, I went towards alcohol as an antidepressant,” Moonias said. “What I did was wrong. As I went more towards alcohol, I (lost) focus on my family and friends. But now I live a clean, sober life, a traditional healthy lifestyle. I am proud to say I am a high school graduate, I’m proud to say that I dance and I drum traditionally.”

Keewaywin’s Barb Monias and Homer Vincent are looking to develop a social enterprise — an Internet cafe — to provide youth with a safe place to socialize.
“We’re trying to get an Internet cafe going right now,” said Monias, who started up Crystals Coffee Shop in Keewaywin about two-and-a-half years ago with Vincent. “We’re trying to make a place where kids will hang out.”
“Everybody’s got iPods and iPhones,” Vincent said.
“Why not make an Internet cafe,” Monias said.
“If we have an Internet cafe, they can sit down and drink coffee and chit chat,” Vincent said.

Lac Seul has joined the neighbouring community of Hudson for a homecoming celebration in late June.
“We’re really close neighbours — we’re just on the other side of the lake,” said Lac Seul Chief Clifford Bull. “So we’re going to be doing a homecoming. All kinds of events are being planned.”
Lac Seul is planning a variety of events on June 25-26 in Kejick Bay, including a Lac Seul Summer Olympics for children on June 25-26 and Treaty Day on June 26.

Wauzhusk Onigum’s John Paul Lavand is looking forward to showing his art at the upcoming Northern Ontario Aboriginal Fine Arts and Crafts Exhibition and Sale in downtown Toronto.
“The first time I did my art show in the West Edmonton Mall, it was great,” Lavand said. “And I expect the same in Toronto, seeing that the population is a lot better and traffic should be a lot better. Seeing that we’re coming from the north, we should be actually exposing new ideas which haven’t really been seen down there.”

Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee is calling the June 12 Liberal majority provincial election victory a potential win-win for First Nations.
“The 60,000 Anishinabek living in Ontario want to congratulate Premier (Kathleen) Wynne on her impressive election victory,” Madahbee said. “Her minority government has listened to our plans to create our own institutions in areas like education and child welfare. A majority government should give them the confidence to support our efforts to make these things happen.”