Shawn Bell - Wawatay News

The tragedies of multiple suicides in Neskantaga, and the First Nation’s declaration of a state of emergency, should be a wakeup call for everyone involved in trying to push the Ring of Fire ahead.
If there ever is a time for people working in government and in the mining industry to step back and look at the big picture, this is it. Seven tragic deaths have shaken the community of 420 people over the past year. Another 20 people tried to end their own life but failed. Everyone is exhausted, emotionally and physically.

Team Ontario male started the National Aboriginal Hockey Championship with three straight losses. The team was discouraged and disappointed. But their coaches knew that they were a talented group of players – they just needed to put it all together.
In the playoff round, that is exactly what happened. Team Ontario first played Quebec’s Eastern Door and the North in the qualifying game, the same team that had beaten them in game two of the round robin. But this time the result was different, as Ontario got its first win of the tournament with a big upset.

A Gull Bay Elder has been forced out of his home for the past two months due to a sewage backup that has made the house unlivable.
Norman Bouchard Sr., 87, has been living with his son Roderick Bouchard in Thunder Bay for the past eight weeks, as efforts to have his Gull Bay house cleaned up and repaired continue to get passed between federal departments and the Gull Bay band council.
Complicating the situation, Bouchard Sr. suffers from diabetes that limits his mobility, and his son’s house in Thunder Bay has a steep flight of stairs he is unable to navigate.

Fort William First Nation declared a state of emergency due to flooding on May 20.
Chief Georgann Morriseau declared the emergency when it was determined that 40 to 60 homes were at risk of flooding.
About 30 families were evacuated into Thunder Bay on May 20, as either their homes were at risk of flooding or they would have been cut off from washed out roads.
The First Nation also closed down all businesses on the reserve and advised residents to limit water use until assessments of the water system and lagoon could be completed.

Five years ago, Lhoosk’uz Dene Nation in northeastern British Columbia had similar food security problems as many remote First Nations across the country. The community is located 400 kilometers from the closest grocery store, so fresh food was nearly impossible to get.
Sugary and boxed foods were the norm; diabetes in Elders and obesity in children was rampant.
When Lana Koldeweihe looks back at how the community was, she is amazed at how far Lhoosk’uz has come in taking control of its food security.