Ontario records fewer than 1,800 new COVID-19 cases for first time in weeks as testing drops
January 26, 2021
For the first time since December, Ontario is reporting fewer than 1,800 new cases of COVID-19 as the number of tests performed falls well below provincial lab capacity.
NAN Welcomes First Vaccination Team to Weenusk First Nation Tomorrow
January 25, 2021
Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler, on behalf of the NAN Executive Council, congratulates Weenusk First Nation as they prepare to welcome the first ORNGE led vaccination distribution team tomorrow.
https://www.nan.ca/news/nan-welcomes-first-vaccination-team-to-weenusk-first-nation-tomorrow/
Help Needed for Constance Lake and Ginoogaming in COVID-19 Emergency
January 26, 2021
COVID-19 has broken through the lines of defence set up by First Nations, causing two northern communities to declare a state of emergency.
Ontario Adjusts Vaccination Plan in Response to Pfizer-BioNTech Shipment Delays
January 25, 2021
The Ontario government is accelerating the vaccination of residents in long-term care, high-risk retirement, and First Nations elder care homes by a new target date of February 5, 2021.
Here’s what the Pfizer vaccine shortage means for Ontario
January 25, 2021
The Ontario government has announced new plans for vaccine allocation, as a result of the current delivery shortage of Pfizer-BioNTech doses across the country.
A year later, Indigenous communities are fighting twin crises: COVID-19 and inequality
January 25, 2021
As Canada marks a year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Indigenous communities are battling twin crises – the coronavirus and systemic social and racial inequalities. As of Jan. 21, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) was aware of 14,488 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases on First Nations reserves.
Military to assist with COVID-19 vaccine rollout in NAN
January 26, 2021
Members of the Canadian Armed Forces are expected to assist with distributing the COVID-19 vaccine in Northern Ontario. Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair says Ottawa has approved a request from the Ontario government to assist 32 communities in the Nishnawbe Aski Nation.
https://www.drydennow.com/local/military-to-assist-with-covid-19-vaccine-rollout-in-nan
Nipissing the initial First Nation on Turtle Island to test wastewater for COVID-19
January 26, 2021
Being the initial First Nation in Turtle Island to have wastewater tested for SARS-CoV-2 that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Nipissing First Nation has found the virus in a sample.
Hotel room funding set to end leaving this Indigenous man and others potentially homeless
January 26, 2021
Organizations working with London’s homeless population have been told funding could dry up at the end of March for hotel rooms currently housing dozens of people displaced from shelter spaces due to the pandemic.
Lynn Beyak, who defended ‘good’ of residential schools, retires early from the Senate
January 25, 2021
Ontario Sen. Lynn Beyak is leaving the upper chamber three years before her mandatory retirement and defiantly standing by her views on residential schools on her way out. Named to the Senate on the advice of Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper in 2013, she says she was committed to serving just eight years.
‘Outraged’: Beaver Creek residents upset by couple who flew to Yukon, got vaccinated
January 26, 2021
That’s how some people in Beaver Creek, Yukon, are feeling after learning that a wealthy married couple from the South allegedly flew into their community — breaking the territory’s mandatory 14-day self-isolation rule — lied about where they worked, and got vaccinated against COVID-19.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/outraged-beaver-creek-residents-couple-vaccine-1.5887454
Wahanpitae First Nation residents getting high-speed internet
January 25, 2021
More residents in Wahnapitae First Nation will soon have access to high-speed internet, thanks to a new project being rolled out by Blue Sky Net and Spectrum Group, with funding from the federal government.
Recommendations to improve quality of life for the homelessness in Ontario
January 25, 2021
Adequate housing for the homeless Indigenous population is a country-wide issue. Frontline workers in Ontario have released a status report on homelessness around North Bay.
Indigenous peoples outpacing Canadians in climate action, says co-chair of clean energy social enterprise
January 25, 2021
Kim Scott, a co-chair of the Indigenous Clean Energy Social Enterprise, believes it’s extremely important to get the message out that Indigenous people are among those leading the pack with clean energy initiatives.
NADF is your First Stop for Starting and Growing Indigenous Business
January 25, 2021
When you are looking at Indigenous Business one of the best stops is at Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund. Davey is the NADF Executive Director. NADF delivers programs and services to Aboriginal People and wholly-owned or majority-owned Aboriginal businesses located on or off-reserve in Northern Ontario, which we define as the territories of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation (Treaty 9 and Ontario portion of Treaty 5), Treaty 3 (Ontario portion), and Robinson-Superior 1850.
Multi-award-winning, Indigenous folk artist duo to perform free Facebook concert for Capitol Centre
January 25, 2021
In an effort to help bring something positive to people during this latest pandemic lockdown, the Capitol Centre is pleased to present TWIN FLAMES from Ottawa in a free Facebook Live Stream concert on Thursday, January 28 at 7:30 pm.
Opinion: Economic Development articles – Quarterly summary #1
January 26, 2021
We hope that you are finding the articles on Economic Development informative, thought-provoking, and complementary to other sources of information on the topic. We want to take this opportunity to give a brief overview of the topics that we have covered to date.
https://anishinabeknews.ca/2021/01/26/opinion-economic-development-articles-quarterly-summary-1/
Two fellowships for Indigenous journalists offered
January 25, 2021
Indigenous journalists with between one and 10 years of experience are invited to apply for one of two fellowships offered by The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) and the news department of the public broadcaster, CBC.
https://www.rcinet.ca/en/2021/01/25/two-fellowships-for-indigenous-journalists-offered/
Lac Seul First Nation land-based educators adapt to pandemic, virtual teaching
January 25, 2021
Outdoor and cultural educators with the Lac Seul First Nation Education Authority have had to adjust their teaching strategies over the course of the pandemic, shaking up the way they deliver land-based learning opportunities to students within their communities.
FSIN wants Canada’s next governor general to be from First Nation
January 26, 2021
The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations would like to see Canada’s next governor general come from a First Nation. On Jan. 21, former Governor General Julie Payette stepped down from her position after a workplace review found she presided over a toxic work environment.
This Is Canada’s Chance To Break Away From The British Monarchy For Good
January 25, 2021
Julie Payette’s abrupt resignation after an external review found Rideau Hall was a toxic workplace is an opportunity to transform the role of Canada’s Governor General.
Trudeau government considers legislative changes to make public service more diverse
January 26, 2021
The Trudeau government is eyeing changes to the law governing public service hiring to help make federal departments and agencies more diverse. It is also planning to do further research on the makeup of the federal public service and will try to hire more senior leaders with varied backgrounds.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/public-service-diversity-1.5887722
Opinion: Reconciliation needs more government commitment
January 26, 2021
Five years after the December 2015 release of the final report of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, former chair Murray Sinclair isn’t happy. A few weeks after announcing his retirement from the Senate at the end of January, Sinclair declared that the Canadian government has not followed through on its reconciliation promises.
https://leaderpost.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-reconciliation-needs-more-government-commitment
‘Everybody is impacted’: Missing and murdered Indigenous women focus of book
January 25, 2021
Michael Hankard, associate professor in the Indigenous Studies department at the University of Sudbury and author of a new book, Red Dresses on Bare Trees, was initially apprehensive when he was asked by his publisher to put together a book about missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
Premium Brands, Indigenous groups complete $1-billion bid to buy Clearwater
January 25, 2021
A billion-dollar deal that marks the single biggest investment in Canada’s seafood industry by an Indigenous group was finalized on Monday, with one First Nation’s chief calling it a “significant achievement for the Mi’kmaq.”
‘We’re still in it’; Wet’suwet’en push forward on rights recognition
January 25, 2021
Tensions had reached a boiling point over a natural gas pipeline in northern British Columbia when a Wet’suwet’en hereditary chief said he made a phone call that changed everything.
https://www.cheknews.ca/were-still-in-it-wetsuweten-push-forward-on-rights-recognition-737425/
Indigenous woman left with concussion after RCMP arrest in northern Saskatchewan
January 25, 2021
An RCMP professional responsibility unit is investigating a complaint after an Indigenous woman says she was tackled and hit by officers at a hospital in northern Saskatchewan.
Defund the Mounties? Native peoples call for changes to Canada’s policing
January 25, 2021
It’s hard for Becky Levi to pick a favorite memory of her uncle Rodney.
In the years he lived with her family in northern New Brunswick, Rodney Levi – who they called “Buck” – regularly babysat her two children and acted as a cheerleader after her long days at work with at-risk youth. “He was my biggest supporter,” she says. “You couldn’t meet a nicer guy.”
Manitoba First Nations use perimeter security to try to keep COVID-19 out
January 26, 2021
As COVID-19 cases surge in Manitoba’s north, First Nations are doing their utmost to contain the spread through strict lockdowns — and even setting up perimeter security to ensure nobody with the virus comes in or leaves unless it’s absolutely essential.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-first-nations-covid-19-perimeter-security-1.5887254
Meadow Lake Tribal Council releases Cree and Dene language apps
January 25, 2021
Two phone apps are helping spark Cree and Dene language revitalization in Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) First Nations. Slated for release by the end of January, the apps are part of an MLTC initiative targeted at residents of Clearwater River Dene Nation (CRDN) and Canoe Lake Cree First Nation. More versions of the app will be developed for local language variants in MLTC’s remaining communities by June, a news release said.
Meet Washiiyeh Jeannotte, a 9-year-old hockey player with sharp stickhandling skills
January 25, 2021
Washiiyeh Jeannotte spends a lot of time on the ice and is hoping to inspire other Indigenous youth by providing a glimpse into his backyard rink practices via TikTok. “I’ve been playing hockey since I was four years old and I love taking slap shots,” said the nine-year-old hockey player and member of the Algonquins of Barriere Lake, about 300 kilometres northwest of Montreal.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/washiiyeh-jeannotte-hockey-player-1.5884184
Edmonton takes first step in establishing urban reserve
January 25, 2021
The City of Edmonton will work on a strategy to establish a First Nations reserve within city boundaries, council agreed unanimously at a meeting Monday.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/edmonton-takes-first-step-establishing-021634084.html
‘Nothing should be kept secret’: B.C. First Nation asks court to order release of Site C dam safety documents
January 25, 2021
A Treaty 8 First Nation is going to court seeking the release of all documents related to significant geotechnical problems and safety risks at the troubled Site C dam under construction on B.C.’s Peace River.
https://thenarwhal.ca/site-c-dam-west-moberly-documents-courts/
Indigenous knowledge systems often overlooked in academia
January 25, 2021
Dr. Jeannette Armstrong is the associate professor in Indigenous Studies at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan (UBCO) campus. Armstrong was one of three speakers discussing systemic racism in science in a conversations on Indigenous knowledge in academia.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/indigenous-knowledge-systems-often-overlooked-002900138.html
Anxiety and grief, Nak’azdli Whut’en Chief looks beyond COVID-19
January 25, 2021
Nak’azdli Whut’en is preparing for its annual general meeting (AGM) as Chief Aileen Prince looks toward the future. “I’d first like to express my condolences to all community members who have lost loved ones in these past few months,” Prince said in a Facebook video Friday, Jan. 22.
Tsideldel off-reserve member documents experience of COVID-19
January 25, 2021
The first thing Williams Lake resident Joyce Cooper thought of when she received her positive COVID-19 test results was her grandmother, who was gripped with fear and uncertainty as the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 circulated, ultimately killing her great-grandmother.
Board of Trade calls on Surrey to rethink its stance on Indigenous land acknowledgements
January 26, 2021
Respectfully acknowledge the Indigenous lands on which you gather. That is the message from the head of the Surrey Board of Trade to the city’s mayor and council after they voted down a motion that called on council to perform a “territorial acknowledgement” before each meeting.
More communities receive funding to assess future housing needs
January 26, 2021
The Province is investing nearly $1 million to help another 26 communities assess and report on local housing needs, so governments can ensure they deliver homes for people in B.C. while recognizing the uniqueness of each community.
https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021MUNI0006-000126
Saik’uz First Nation forced to change initial COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan
January 25, 2021
A delivery hold-up to COVID-19 vaccines has impacted Saik’uz First Nation’s roll-out plan to its most vulnerable.
BC NDP, Green Party officials condemn racism against Cowichan Tribes
January 25, 2021
The B.C. government continues to condemn racism directed toward a Vancouver Island First Nation that is grappling with a cluster of COVID-19 cases.
N.W.T. embarks on constitutional reform amid lingering questions about representation
January 26, 2021
The N.W.T. is about to embark on what could become the most significant reform to its democratic process in decades — but many questions about its political system remain unsettled since they were first raised decades ago.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/n-w-t-embarks-constitutional-110000996.html
Nunavut family discovers father’s long-lost story on CBC podcast
January 26, 2021
A family in Nunavut recently discovered their late father’s voice on a CBC North podcast. The podcast, Inuit Unikkaangit, released an episode with an unknown storyteller talking about how to interpret the wind, and the things it can tell you.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/nunavut-family-podcast-inuit-1.5886637
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 and to register, please visit: www.chiefsmeeting.com.
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
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.
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.
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/