Rick Garrick — Wawatay News

Research in Aboriginal communities was the focus Feb. 18 at Lakehead University’s Aboriginal Research and Innovation Day.
“As you know, the relationship between First Nations and researchers has been a shaky one in the past,” said Carol Audet, Nishnawbe Aski Nation’s director of lands and resources, during her presentation on Bridging the Aboriginal Community/Researcher Divide: Forging a Mutually Beneficial Relationship.
Audet has been working with Peggy Smith, an assistant professor in Lakehead’s Faculty of Natural Resources Management, on the project since October 2010.

Although nobody has missed their court appearance yet, Lac Seul Chief Clifford Bull is concerned about the recent move of the community’s court to Sioux Lookout.
“It has been challenging for people who have no means of travel, especially people who are on welfare,” Bull said. “They don’t have money to pay for a taxi ride. It’s challenging.”

Editor's Note: See latest story on the Marten Fall's blockade
Citing rapidly moving development and inadequate involvement for Marten Falls, the community launched its second blockade of the Ring of Fire.
After taking part in a traditional ceremony March 3 at the community’s blockade site on Koper Lake in the James Bay lowlands, Marten Falls Chief Eli Moonias spoke with local and national media about his community’s concerns in the Ring of Fire mineral exploration area. Koper Lake is located about 128 kilometres north of Marten Falls in its traditional territory.

The federal government has listened to concerns about changing the Food Mail Program to the Nutrition North Canada program.
Although the government had earlier announced certain foods would no longer be eligible for subsidies, Indian and Northern Affairs Minister John Duncan and Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq announced adjustments March 9 to ensure people living across Canada’s north would continue to have subsidies for those foods.

Muskrat Dam’s Roy Morris has both the brush stroke and J-stroke down pat.
Morris is painting images depicting the traditional uses of the canoe on a 12-foot canoe for the Thunder Bay Art Gallery Art on the Water raffle.
In addition to the images of two water animals, the beaver and the muskrat, Morris has also painted an image of the loon on the canoe, which was donated by Thunder Bay-Superior North MP Bruce Hyer and Margaret Wanlin, operators of Wildwaters Kayaks & Canoes.