National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo recently noted the Nov. 12 anniversary of Canada’s endorsement of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples falls next to Remembrance Day.
Fort Albany’s David Sutherland wants to see more First Nations people involved in running marathons and other races.
“I’m sure if we ever fielded good athletes in any sport, we would fare very well,” said the 60-year-old marathon runner who completed the Nov. 6 Hamilton Marathon in 3:40:17. “If our own athletes could be seen nationally, the young Aboriginals would look up to them.”
Although Sutherland had not run a marathon for about a year before participating in the Hamilton Marathon, he usually runs marathons every six months and competes in shorter runs in between.
A group of First Nation high school students learned about future career options at the Aboriginal Workforce Resource conference, held Nov. 9 in Thunder Bay.
“I’m learning how to prepare myself for future careers,” said Shayleen Wilson-King, a Grade 10 student from Gull Bay. “I’m really interested in nursing and helping others. My dad did it, so I’m really inspired by him.”
Wilson-King, who is also considering modelling as a career option, enjoyed the daylong conference at the Victoria Inn.
“It was really fun,” Wilson-King said. “I wish we could do this more often.”
Faith City Church pastor Roma Fisher is planning a trip to his home community of Long Lake #58 to help people in their battle against prescription drug abuse.
“We’re trying to help them in any way we can ... in the way they want to be served,” Fisher said. “I’m acting more as a resource, connecting them with other services.”
Cliffs Natural Resources hosted an open house Nov. 14 to discuss its mining project and its implications to northern Ontario.
“It’s very exciting,” said John Susin, a Pic Mobert band member employed with Opportunity Thunder Bay. “I know there are some people who are up in arms over the environmental aspects of a ferrochrome processor, let alone the open pit mine, but I put my support 100 per cent behind the First Nation communities who want a Joint Review Panel.”
Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence was surprised when the federal government recently imposed a “modern day Indian agent” on her James Bay community.
“It is incredible that the Harper government’s decision is that instead of offering aide and assistance to Canada’s First People, their solution is to blame the victim, and that the community is guilty and deserving of their fate,” Spence said Dec. 1 in a prepared statement.
Resource development in the Ring of Fire mineral exploration area in the James Bay lowlands was the major topic of discussion during a special chiefs assembly Nov. 22-24 in Thunder Bay.
“There were a number of concerns – number one was to make sure the environment was protected as much as possible,” Beardy said. “Two is the chiefs want to know exactly how they can support each other but also the relationship that needs to exist around economic participation in the projects.”
Kashechewan Chief Jonathan Solomon said policies for medical travel are causing havoc for his community members.
“It is a nightmare,” Solomon said during the Nov. 22-24 Nishnawbe Aski Nation special chiefs assembly.
He said community members from Kashechewan are travelling to Kingston for medical trips by plane, train and bus. Travel times can take up to 16 to 18 hours.
“And they come back the same way, (even) if they had a major surgery, that’s how they come back,” he said.
Fort William’s Christian Chapman described the humour in his work during the Nov. 17 opening of his latest exhibition at the Thunderbird Aboriginal Arts, Culture and Entrepreneur Centre in Toronto.
“I like to incorporate humour into my work,” Chapman said, noting his work, The Seven Fire Prophets, is based on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. “There was definitely a lot of humour in the work I showed.”
Chapman produced the work during an artist-in-residency program in Finland in April.
When I was a boy growing up in my home community of Attawapiskat on the James Bay coast, I was deathly afraid of looking at the full moon.
I grew up...
I’m happy to see the ongoing support and assistance in our northern remote communities to help our people cope with so many lifelong and generational issues...