Ontario reports 2,998 new COVID-19 cases; 100 new deaths in part due to investigation in London

January 15, 2021

Ontario reported 2,998 new COVID-19 cases and 100 new deaths on Friday, including 46 fatalities that occurred earlier in the pandemic but were just confirmed in the London-Middlesex area. “Locally, there are 800 new cases in Toronto, 618 in Peel, 250 in York Region, 161 in Waterloo and 153 in Niagara,” Health Minister Christine Elliott wrote on Twitter. The province reported 3,326 new cases on Thursday, 2,961 on Wednesday and 3,338 on Monday.

https://www.cp24.com/news/ontario-reports-2-998-new-covid-19-cases-100-new-deaths-in-part-due-to-investigation-in-london-1.5268197

Ontario to Vaccinate up to 8.5 Million People in Phase Two

January 14, 2021

The Ontario government is preparing to immunize up to 8.5 million people before the end of Phase Two of the government’s vaccine implementation plan, which aims to receive, store and administer COVID-19 vaccines to Ontarians as soon as supply is available.

https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/59934/ontario-to-vaccinate-up-to-85-million-people-in-phase-two

Elders at Indigenous retirement home in Toronto receive COVID-19 vaccine

January 15, 2021

Earlier this week, residents and community members of Wigwamen Terrace, an Indigenous retirement home in Toronto, received COVID-19 vaccinations.  “It was an amazing day; to us it was like history in the making,” said Harvey Manning, director of programs and services at Anishnawbe Health Toronto.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/indigenous-elders-covid-19-vaccine-toronto-1.5873762

County supports Bay of Quinte Mohawks’ effort to reclaim Forester’s Island

January 15, 2021

After 15 years of waiting for answers, the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte may be one step closer to re-claiming Forester’s Island. In November, Tyendinaga Chief R. Don Maracle sought discussion with council to bring Foresters Island back to the Mohawk Territory.

https://www.countylive.ca/county-supports-bay-of-quinte-mohawks-effort-to-reclaim-foresters-island/

NAN Supports Families’ Position that Police Video must be Admitted in Mamakwa-McKay Inquest

January 14, 2021

The Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Executive Council supports the families and Aboriginal Legal Services who argued today that a police video depicting the racist and degrading treatment of an Indigenous inmate by Thunder Bay Police must be allowed to be admitted as evidence at an upcoming inquest to assist a jury to shape recommendations and address how racism, bias and stereotyping may have been a factor in the deaths of two First Nation inmates while in the custody of the Thunder Bay Police.

https://www.nan.ca/news/nan-supports-families-position-that-police-video-must-be-admitted-in-mamakwa-mckay-inquest/

Ontario is celebrating Mike Harris, even as the greatest stain on his legacy persists

January 14, 2021

The new year has begun with the pandemic wearing on, white supremacists running amok over the U.S. Capitol – and an insult to First Nations people. On Jan. 1, the Crown’s representative and chancellor of the Order, Elizabeth Dowdeswell, granted the highest provincial honour to former premier Mike Harris for “exceptional achievements” that left a “lasting legacy.”

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-ontario-is-celebrating-mike-harris-even-as-the-greatest-stain-on-his/

Motion to exclude video of police dragging Whitesand First Nation man from upcoming inquest concludes

January 14, 2021

The presiding coroner for the upcoming inquest into the deaths of two First Nations men who died while in police custody must decide if a cell block video depicting one of the men being dragged by a Thunder Bay Police officer should be excluded as evidence from a pending coroner’s inquest.

https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/motion-to-exclude-video-of-police-dragging-whitesand-first-nation-man-from-upcoming-inquest-concludes/

Aamjiwnaang First Nation goes digital as it launches new language app

January 15, 2021

Learners of all ages in Aamjiwnaang First Nation are harnessing the power of modern technology to learn their ancestral language.

https://anishinabeknews.ca/2021/01/15/aamjiwnaang-first-nation-goes-digital-as-it-launches-new-language-app/

Supreme Court to examine limits on conditional sentencing

January 14, 2021

The Supreme Court of Canada will examine the constitutionality of a law that prevented a judge from allowing an offender to avoid jail by imposing a conditional sentence for certain crimes. The top court has agreed to review an Ontario Court of Appeal ruling that found the Criminal Code provisions violated the charter because of their effect on Indigenous offenders.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/supreme-court-conditional-sentencing-1.5873442

Winter roads construction secures $6M from province

January 14, 2021

The provincial government has announced $6 million to help build and maintain 3,170 kilometres of winter roads for the 2020-2021 season. It’s part of a three-year funding commitment to help 31 remote Indigenous communities and the Town of Moosonee connect to the provincial highway system during the winter months.

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/industry-news/design-build/winter-roads-construction-secures-6m-from-province-3261324

Fundraising campaign has commenced for new Wiikwemkoong long-term care facility

January 14, 2021

A major fundraising campaign to build a new long-term care facility on Manitoulin Island has begun. Officials with the Wiikewemkoong Nursing Home (WNH) have known for some time now that their current facility in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory does not meet current design standards, regulations and space requirements.

https://anishinabeknews.ca/2021/01/14/fundraising-campaign-has-commenced-for-new-wiikwemkoong-long-term-care-facility/

 

The sad, long fight to get justice for survivors of St. Anne’s

January 14, 2021

Evelyn Korkmaz says sounds and smells aren’t the only things that trigger memories of severe abuse she suffered at the former St. Anne’s Indian Residential School that closed in 1976. Often when Korkmaz tries to speak she is also reminded.

https://www.aptnnews.ca/nation-to-nation/the-sad-long-fight-to-get-justice-for-survivors-of-st-annes/

Socializing after the vaccine: Experts say shot won’t offer ‘free pass’ right away

January 14, 2021

The arrival of COVID vaccines have stirred excitement and optimism for a swift end to the global pandemic, with some seeing the shot as a “free pass” to soon gather and socialize as they did pre-2020. Not so fast, experts say.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/socializing-after-the-vaccine-experts-say-shot-won-t-offer-free-pass-right-away-1.5266456

Kitigan Zibi chief frustrated by lack of vaccine commitment

January 15, 2021

The chief of Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg says it’s good news that 30 vaccine doses are on their way to the western Quebec reserve this weekend, but it’s not nearly enough to safeguard the community’s elders.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/kitigan-zibi-chief-frustrated-lack-090000486.html

 

‘We need laughter’: Kahkewistahaw First Nation check stop dancing goes viral as part of #RezSecurityChallenge

January 15, 2021

On a January night at the COVID-19 security check stop on the edge of Kahkewistahaw First Nation, Mike Bitternose donned his red basketball shorts, an orange safety vest and his granddaughters’ sunglasses and started to dance.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/kahkewistahaw-first-nation-check-stop-dancing-rezsecuritychallenge-1.5873161

Indigenous survivors of sexual violence on P.E.I. to get new, culturally appropriate healing

January 14, 2021

The P.E.I. Rape and Sexual Assault Centre is offering a new program for Indigenous survivors of sexual violence called Braiding Sweetgrass.  The organization says the program’s goal is to build its relationship with First Nations communities and provide healing for Indigenous women, those who identify as women and those with non-conforming gender identities.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-indigenous-sexual-violence-therapist-program-1.5873984

Surrey’s rejection of Indigenous land acknowledgement enforces systemic racism, BCAFN says

January 14, 2021

The City of Surrey’s commitment to reconciliation is being questioned by the B.C. Assembly of First Nations after councillors voted down a motion to begin meetings with an Indigenous land acknowledgement.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/surrey-council-indigenous-land-acknowledgement-1.5874240

$500k Investment in PLATO Testing by Raven Indigenous Capital Partners Will Increase Training and Employment Opportunities in Canada’s Tech Sector for Indigenous People

January 13, 2021

PLATO Testing, Canada’s only Indigenous-led and staffed software testing company, is celebrating the new year with a significant investment of $500,000 from investment firm Raven Indigenous Capital Partners. The funding will support the training and employment of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students as software testers, boosting the Indigenous economy and creating jobs from coast to coast.

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/-500k-investment-in-plato-testing-by-raven-indigenous-capital-partners-will-increase-training-and-employment-opportunities-in-canada-s-tech-sector-for-indigenous-people-862680333.html

Dr. Bonnie Henry condemns B.C. businesses for refusing entry to Indigenous people due to COVID-19 fears

January 14, 2021

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has added her voice to those condemning businesses for denying Indigenous people entry due to COVID-19 fears, calling it racism.  But the businesses — which include a restaurant, dentist’s office and grocery store — claimed they were trying to stop COVID-19 from spreading from nearby Indigenous communities.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bonnie-henry-calls-out-racism-among-businesses-1.5873345

60 B.C. First Nations can expect to receive COVID-19 vaccines by end of next week

January 14, 2021

Doses of COVID-19 vaccine are expected to reach close to 60 First Nations in British Columbia by the end of next week. There have been significant increases in the number of COVID-19 cases in Indigenous communities in the last two weeks, said Dr. Shannon McDonald, the acting chief medical officer for the First Nations Health Authority.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-first-nations-covid-vaccines-1.5873718

Is the vaccine safe, and is N.W.T. on track for herd immunity? Doctors answer COVID-19 questions

January 15, 2021

With vaccination against COVID-19 beginning in N.W.T. communities, the territory’s top doctors are combating misinformation and answering questions about who can get it, and whether herd immunity is on the horizon.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/health/medical/is-the-vaccine-safe-and-is-nwt-on-track-for-herd-immunity-doctors-answer-covid-19-questions/ar-BB1cL6GN

Arviat woman whose husband died urges Nunavummiut to get COVID-19 vaccine

January 14, 2021

The territory heard an emotional message about vaccines today from one Arviat resident who lost her husband to COVID-19.   An audio recording of Diane Sammurtok’s urgent call for vaccination in Nunavut, originally shared on Arviat’s local radio station, was replayed Thursday during a government COVID-19 press conference at the Legislative Assembly.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/nunavut-government-gives-update-on-covid-19-1.5872840

Nunavut Mayor Says $2,000 Draw Is Working To Get Residents Vaccinated

January 14, 2021

The mayor of a small Nunavut community hit hard by the novel coronavirus breathed a sigh of relief when hundreds of doses of the Moderna vaccine were delivered Wednesday.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/nunavut-cash-draw-vaccine-202429971.html

Yukon, Kwanlin Dün governments launch Fish Lake planning process

January 15, 2021

A local area plan is in the works for a 460-square-kilometre regions near Łu Zil Män—known in English as Fish Lake—west of Whitehorse. Much of the area is comprised of Kwanlin Dun First Nation settlement lands. The First Nation and the Yukon government are partnering to come up with a vision meant to designate certain uses for certain lands, and identify areas for growth.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/yukon-kdfn-launch-fish-lake-planning-1.5874166

The U.S. Capitol’s double standard: Comparing the 2014 Lakota song to the 2021 insurrection

January 14, 2021

Greg Grey Cloud never rushed the U.S. Capitol. The Crow Creek Sioux Tribe citizen never damaged any building property, or trespassed onto the House or Senate floor for a selfie. But he still got arrested and removed from the Capitol for peacefully demonstrating his approval of a Senate vote six years ago.

https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/the-u-s-capitols-double-standard-comparing-the-2014-lakota-song-to-the-2021-insurrection/

UPCOMING EVENTS

Save the Date: Chiefs of Ontario 15th Annual Health Forum

The Chiefs of Ontario 15th Annual Health Forum will take place on February 23-25, 2021. This year’s theme is Sharing Stories: The True Test of Resilience Amidst Pandemic. Click learn more for additional information.

For more information, please visit: https://www.chiefsmeeting.com/coo-health-forum

Save the Date: Chiefs of Ontario Special Chiefs Assembly

Please see the attached save the date notice for the next Special Chiefs Assembly held online on February 3-4th, 2020. More information will be shared at www.chiefsmeeting.com in the coming weeks.

Annex 9 Climate Change Modelling Experts Workshop, March 22, 2021

As a follow up from the 2019 Climate Change Modelling Experts Workshop hosted in Ann Arbor, Annex 9 is working with GLISA to host another virtual workshop in March.

For more information, please contact Chris Hoyos at Chris.Hoyos@coo.org.

2021 Great Lakes Day, March 1, 2021

The annual Great Lakes Day features dialogue on Great Lakes priorities by regional leaders and members of Congress who play a critical role in shaping Great Lakes policies.

For more information, click here: https://bit.ly/3sjaa10

International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) Annual Meeting, May 17-21, 2021

Hosted by Michigan Technological University, the virtual conference will feature four days of scientific sessions and speakers focusing on our theme Bridging: Knowledge, Seven Generations, Land-to-Lake.

For more information and registration, click here: https://bit.ly/3nI8gUh

State of Lake Ontario Conference, March 9-11, 2021

Hosted by the International Association for Great Lakes Research, the conference will feature concurrent sessions, plenaries, and discussions.

For more information, click here: https://bit.ly/35FP4jX.

Great Lakes Executive Committee Meeting, June 29, 2021

For more information, please click here: https://bit.ly/2KhikG8

Request for Proposals: Early Learning and Child Care Asset Mapping Report Consultant and Economist Team

You are invited to submit a proposal for a project by the Chiefs of Ontario (COO) to utilize your research expertise and economic expertise to create an Early Learning and Child Care Report that analyzes the existing landscape of early learning and child care programming and services in Ontario for First Nations children 0-6 years old.

https://chiefs-of-ontario.org/request-for-proposals-early-learning-and-child-care-asset-mapping-report-consultant-and-economist-team/

Contract Opportunity: Research and Knowledge Translation Specialist

The Chiefs of Ontario (COO) is inviting applications for a contract position: Research and Knowledge Translation Specialist

https://chiefs-of-ontario.org/contract-opportunity-research-and-knowledge-translation-specialist/

Chiefs of Ontario Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates

Find Our Latest Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates Here. This website provides information on emergency planning and preparedness, as well as on the unique programs and services that are available to First Nations in Ontario during times of emergency.

https://www.coo-covid19.com/

Issue 8 of The Official Chiefs of Ontario Magazine, The Advocate is now online! To view, please click here: https://www.mediaedgemagazines.com/the-chiefs-of-ontario-coo/oo20/