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Aboriginal and Inuit Non-Mining Issues

History comes back to haunt in New Brunswick – by Devon Black (iPolitics Insight – October 21, 2013)

http://www.ipolitics.ca/

Hey, Canada. We need to talk. Specifically, we need to talk history – because too many of us don’t know about important parts of it. Without that history, it’s impossible to understand exactly what happened when the RCMP stormed First Nations protestors in Rexton, New Brunswick, last week.

First of all, let’s review what happened. In March 2010, SWN Resources Canada — a subsidiary of a Texas energy company — was granted a license to search one million hectares in New Brunswick. Since this summer, protesters — including members of the Elsipogtog (ell-see-book-toq) First Nation — have been fighting SWN’s plans to search for shale gas. To do that, they blocked access to SWN equipment.

SWN went to court to obtain an injunction against the protestors earlier this month. On Oct. 12, that injunction was extended to Oct. 21; hearings were due to be held on Oct. 18 on the possibility of extending the injunction further.

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All-weather roads under consideration: chiefs – by Rick Garrick (Wawatay News – October 15, 2013)

http://wawataynews.ca/

Discussions about all-weather roads and winter roads are ramping up across Nishnawbe Aski Nation territory.

“We’ve had tons of resolutions regarding winter roads over the years, 20-30 years,” said NAN Deputy Grand Chief Les Louttit during the Sept. 27 Winter Roads and All-Weather Roads First Nations Forum in Thunder Bay. “But recently, in the past three or four years, First Nations are now starting to talk all-weather roads because of the difficulties they are encountering due to shorter seasons caused by climate change, warmer weather and thinner ice.”

Louttit said the changing conditions are putting winter-road workers’ lives at risk as well as increasing costs for construction.

“We had two deaths last year in northwestern Ontario,” Louttit said. “It’s hard to predict the weather, but in order for the winter roads to be viable, we need cold weather and thicker ice.”

Louttit said NAN is looking at developing a NAN-wide strategy on the transportation issue, noting the changing weather conditions and upcoming resource industry transportation requirements need to be considered.

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[Saskatchewan’s Premier] Wall can use history lesson – Saskatoon StarPhoenix (October 7, 2013)

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/index.html

Today marks the 250th anniversary of the Royal Proclamation.

Except for a symposium taking place at the soon-to-berenamed Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa, this landmark anniversary has received very little attention from a federal government that spent millions celebrating the War of 1812.

While that war provided Canada with a sense of identity, no other single event did more for the creation of both Canada and the United States and delineated their respective histories than did King George III’s proclamation on how Britain would deal with the indigenous people of its new empire.

As former Supreme Court justice Emmett Hall observed in a ruling, the proclamation’s force as a statute stands with that of the Magna Carta as being foundational to British law throughout the empire.

To be sure, as Ken Coates of the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Saskatchewan wrote recently, Canada’s commitment to the treaties it signed has often faltered in implementation, but governments and courts lately have moved grudgingly toward ensuring the nation’s formal obligations are met.

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Renewable energy key for First Nations, towns – by Robert Daniel (Bob) Nault – Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal Editorial (September 7, 2013)

Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal is the daily newspaper of Northwestern Ontario.

THERE are over 630 First Nations governments across Canada serving a population of over 700,000 people. A good number of these communities, which are located in northern and remote locations, are off the grid and rely on environmentally-unfriendly diesel generators for their electrical needs which are a source of air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to smog formation which can affect community health.

Not only is diesel power bad for the environment, it is also expensive and unreliable. These communities pay, both directly and indirectly, more for their power than anywhere else in North America, even with government subsidies and programs.

As former Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, I saw firsthand how First Nations communities sought to reduce greenhouse gases and understood the importance of sustainable development. Some First Nations communities have initiated solar and wind power and mini hydroelectric initiatives but more needs to be done to ensure that all remote communities have access to clean and affordable energy.

It’ s time for private enterprise and government to collaborate with First Nations and other remote communities to make clean affordable renewable energy available.

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A failure of compensation [Mercury Poisoning-Grassy Narrows and Whitedog] (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – August 27, 2013)

Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal is the daily newspaper of Northwestern Ontario.

THE LONG, sad tale of mercury poisoning among people at two First Nations on the English-Wabigoon River system continued this week with a demonstration at the home of Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne. Ironically, Wynne was canoeing on a river somewhere in Ontario but protesters say they still intend to remind her that she’s promised to address their concerns.

Ontarians who remember the issue when it arose more than 40 years ago may wonder why it remains an issue, given that two, small communities received more than $20 million in compensation. The answer may lie in interpretation of the details of the settlement. It is also apparent that the amounts distributed to victims of mercury poisoning are small compared with those awarded victims of the world’s first identified cases.

The Northwest issue arose back in 1970 when federal officials notified commercial fishermen and tourist lodge owners that the two rivers were contaminated with methylmercury, a highly toxic form of mercury that renders fish unsafe to eat. The contamination was traced to the former Reed paper mill in Dryden which had dumped more than 20,000 pounds of untreated mercury wastewater into the Wabigoon River between 1962 and 1970. It drifted 250 kilometres downstream.

A tourist lodge was forced out of business. Commercial fishers at Grassy Narrows and Whitedog and those who had been employed as sport fishing guides were forced onto welfare.

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Attawapiskat election under shadow of controversy – by Teresa Smith (Ottawa Citizen – August 26, 2013)

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/index.html

Off-reserve members unable to cast ballots unless they make long, expensive trip north

OTTAWA — With band council elections for the Attawapiskat First Nation set for Tuesday, some off-reserve members are still hoping the chief and council will postpone the vote to deal with widespread concerns the band’s electoral process is unfair.

The current band council and Chief Theresa Spence, who gained national attention for fasting on Victoria Island during the height of the Idle No More protests, are requiring ballots to be cast in person on the reserve Tuesday, making it difficult for band members who live outside the remote northern Cree community to have a say in Attawapiskat’s leadership. Of the First Nation’s 3,351 members, just 1,862 live on the reserve, according to July 2013 numbers from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada.

“I can’t afford to go all the way there,” said Jocelyn Iahtail, who lives in Ottawa with her daughter. She left the reserve so her son could get the constant medical care he needs for a traumatic brain injury suffered during surgery. “They, of all people, should understand poverty and make it possible for off-reserve members to have a voice.”

On Monday, a return flight from Timmins to Attawapiskat was selling for $1,200. A return from Ottawa was more than $2,000.

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Mushkegowuk launches lawsuit on treaty promises – by Lenny Carpenter (Wawatay News – August 7, 2013)

http://wawataynews.ca/

During a conference on Treaty 9 held in Kashechewan First Nation in 1987, respected Elder James Wesley of Attawapiskat recalled words of a man who was present when treaty commissioners met with First Nations in 1905.

“Henry Reuben says he was sitting there and saw them writing the important things,” Wesley is quoted as saying at the time. “There was someone there that did the writing. So this is what is lost. Maybe one day it will show up.”

Eight years later, the diaries of the three commissioners were discovered and, according to Mushkegowuk Council, verify what Elders have been saying all along: the commissioners made oral promises that are not reflected in the treaty. The diaries serve as the key piece of evidence in a lawsuit being launched by Mushkegowuk against the Ontario and Canadian government.

A statement of claim sent to the Ontario Superior Court on July 4 by Mushkegowuk Council asserts that the governments of Ontario and Canada have “no power or right under Treaty 9 to unilaterally restrict or extinguish” the harvesting rights of the Mushkegowuk people by authorizing resource companies to develop on their traditional territory.

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Native communities embrace summer literacy camps – by Simona Chiose (Globe and Mail – July 20, 2013)

The Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper with the second largest broadsheet circulation in the country. It has enormous influence on Canada’s political and business elite.

FORT HOPE, Ont. — From the shore of Eabamet Lake in Fort Hope, Ont., Ardelle Sagutcheway surveys the land, the water, the tall white birches she’ll miss when she goes to study nursing in the fall at Lakehead University.

“This is where we belong, this is where we come from,” she says.

About 2,500 members of the Eabametoong First Nation live away from the town, but Ms. Sagutcheway won’t be one of them. Degree in hand, she will come back to serve this community 300 kilometres north of Thunder Bay. Ms. Sagutcheway tells a story about her last name – which means “coming around the hill”: At the turn of the last century, when the band signed a treaty with the government, a many-times-over great-grandfather was late to the signing – he was just coming around the hill.

This summer, Ms. Sagutcheway is a counsellor at the Lieutenant-Governor’s Summer Aboriginal Literacy Camps. Since the camps were initiated by former Ontario lieutenant-governor James Bartleman eight years ago, they’ve grown to 80 locations in remote native communities across the country, with half in Ontario. This year, the beginning of discussions about the Ring of Fire natural resource development in the north of the province is lending a new urgency to the camps. The need for educated labour in the region is projected to grow exponentially, but if native literacy rates do not increase, Ontario could see a repeat of the Alberta experience, where labour shortages have not closed the gap between provincial and aboriginal employment rates.

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ONTC divestment could be costly for communities – by Lenny Carpenter (Wawatay News – July 18, 2013)

http://wawataynews.ca/

The Ontario government’s plans to sell off services of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC) could lead to higher costs for members of the James Bay communities, according to Mushkegowuk Deputy Grand Chief Leo Friday.

Last year, the province announced it would be divesting the government-owned transportation commission after citing stagnant ridership and increasing costs to its bus and train services that operate mostly in northeastern Ontario.

One of those services in the Polar Bear Express train, which runs between Moosonee and Cochrane and serves as a vital link between the James Bay coast and the rest of Ontario.

Since 2003, the province increased funding by 274 per cent to subsidize the Polar Bear Express, a subsidy that averages to about $400 per passenger. If the province continues with its divestment plan to sell the train services to a private corporation, Friday believes the people of James Bay will face the most financial impact.

“The minute the other company operates that train, they will jack up the rates and it’s not going to run every day – maybe once or twice a week because of the cutbacks,” Friday said.

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Matawa community members to get more training – by Rick Garrick (Wawatay News – July 10, 2013)

http://wawataynews.ca/

Kiikenomaga Kikenjigewen Employment and Training Services (KKETS) has partnered with Aecon Group Inc. to expand training and development programs for First Nations in the Ring of Fire area.

“In the past, First Nations did not have the same participation in the labour market, but through the process of developing and maintaining relationships with key employers, potential employment opportunities have been recognized,” said Morris Wapoose, KKETS’ program manager. “We want to thank Aecon for stepping forward and we look forward to building this positive relationship.”

Aecon and KKETS have agreed to work collaboratively to develop remote training centres, which will be operated by First Nations in a socially and culturally relevant environment to provide local access to community-based education, trades and apprenticeship training. The remote training centres will employ state of the art computerized technology systems and high-speed satellite broadband Internet to connect the communities.

“Our relationship with the Matawa First Nations and KKETS is an important component of Aecon’s strategic approach to community engagement and skilled labour development,” said Teri McKibbon, Aecon’s president and chief operating officer in a press release. “Education and training is a priority for Aecon. Programs such as the remote training centres are an innovative response to the future demand for labour in remote areas, and will make positive contributions to surrounding communities.”

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Diverse careers ahead for KKETS grads – by Rick Garrick (Wawatay News – July 4, 2013)

http://www.wawataynews.ca/

Eabametoong’s Ricky Yellowhead is looking at a career in the Ring of Fire after graduating from KKETS’ Aboriginal Skills Advancement Pilot Program (ASAPP) with a GED.

“I applied for forest management and environmental technician (at college this fall),” Yellowhead said during Kiikenomaga Kikenjigewen Employment and Training Services’ June 28 graduation ceremony at the Prince Arthur Hotel in Thunder Bay. “With the mine that’s going to be opening up, I know there’s going to be a lot of opportunities and I want to be a front-line worker. I just want to work in the mines. I like working in the outdoors.”

Yellowhead and about 28 other adult learners graduated from ASAPP with GEDs (General Education Development Diplomas), Ontario Secondary School Diplomas (OSSD) or a variety of certificates.

“The KKETS’ ASAPP program has been set up to help our community members get the skills and training they need to improve their lives in the new economy that is emerging due to resource development,” said David Paul Achneepineskum, CEO of Matawa First Nation Management.

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Idle No More: Canada Escalates War on First Nations – by Winona LaDuke and Frank Jr. Molley (Indian Country: Today Media Network.com – June 26, 2013)

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/ A weekly U.S. newsmagazine that is a national news source for Natives, American Indians, and Tribes in the U.S. and Alaska.

Mi’kmaq and Maliseet reserves in Atlantic Canada are the sites of a new major battle between First Nation activists and the Canadian government that represents the next stage of the Idle No More movement. The flash point came when the Conservative government threw down the gauntlet with what some call sign-or-starve consent agreements presented to First Nations right across the country.

Facing increasingly strong opposition to both its extractive industries and its federal policies, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government has adopted a hard-line strategy seemingly designed to eliminate First Nations’ negotiating power and rights. Harper’s cudgels are annual contribution agreements between the government and the First Nations that have new, questionable appendices that are forcing some of the poorest communities to take it or leave it, or worse, face third-party management, which would essentially mean having the Canadian government manage their finances and governmental affairs. At stake here is title over Indian lands and minerals, as well as a host of choices on the future direction of Canada.

The government seems to be focused on getting de facto termination of many constitutionally and treaty protected rights of First Nations. Its first thrust in this battle was this past fall’s Bill C-45, which gutted most of Canada’s environmental laws and was the spur for last year’s Idle No More movement.

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Peat Fuel for Ring of Fire and Aboriginal Communities: Economic and Environmental Benefits – by Stan Sudol (June 27, 2013)

One of the biggest issues with the Ring of Fire development and the surrounding Aboriginal communities is the lack of competitively priced electricity and the enormously high cost – about one billion dollars – of connecting the region to Ontario’s power grid.

Currently, isolated First Nations depend on very expensive diesel fuel that must be supplied by trucks on winter roads or flown in. The proposed mining operations are projected to need about 30 megawatts (MW) of power.

Amazingly, most of the swampy lowlands and many parts of the Canadian Shield throughout northern Ontario contain a source of energy that has been used for centuries in Europe – peat fuel.

This slowly renewing bio-mass energy source – distinct from fossil fuel – is formed from the partial decomposition of plants under very wet and acidic conditions. It is usually made up of two separate layers, the top being lighter in colour, less decomposed and used primarily for horticultural applications while the dark dense lower layers are excellent for fuel. Peatlands can be described as a wet spongy “floating carpet” of land and are often known as bogs, fens, mires, moors, or in Canada, muskeg.

Peat can be processed into fuel-grade material with energy values equivalent to coal but with only ten per cent of the black rock’s sulphur content, virtually no mercury and produces less ash waste and dust emissions. Canada has the world’s largest area of peat lands, estimated to be 41 per cent of the world’s total, half of which is located in northern Ontario.

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Neskantaga First Nation finds hope after suicide crisis – by Jody Porter (CBC News Thunder Bay – May 17, 2013)

http://www.cbc.ca/thunderbay/

North-South Partnership helps Neskantaga youth express themselves through art

Artwork created by young people in Neskantaga First Nation will soon be on display in Toronto as part of an effort to help the community recover from a suicide crisis.

The fly-in community, located about 480 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, declared a state of emergency April 17 after two young men killed themselves in less than a week. “In our community it was very devastating. It still is,” said First Nation counsellor Kelvin Moonias. “The tremendous loss we had.”

Moonias said he had felt overwhelmed by the grief in the tiny First Nation, home to about 300 people, and was grateful to see a team of helpers arrive from Toronto. “After seeing first-hand what these people can do and that they truly care, it really touched my heart,” he said.

The North-South Partnership for Children sent 17 people into the community, partly in response to the crisis. The agency brings together philanthropists in southern Ontario with northern First Nations. When the southerners arrived, young people in Neskantaga asked them to help organize an art and music festival.

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The duty to consult [in Ring of Fire] needs support – by Shawn Bell (Wawatay News – April 25, 2013)

http://wawataynews.ca/

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.

Meanwhile, as councilor Roy Moonias said, Neskantaga is under “overwhelming pressure” from mining companies and governments who want to negotiate with the community on the Ring of Fire mining development.

The situation taking place now is a repeat of what happened in December. At that time Neskantaga was also dealing with youth suicides. A crisis intervention team was in the community. Meanwhile the deadline to respond to the terms of reference on Cliffs’ Natural Resources environmental assessment was coming up quick.

At that time Neskantaga’s only option, if it wanted to respond to an environmental assessment on a project that could profoundly change northern Ontario, was to ask for an extension in light of “exceptional circumstances”.

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