Today’s coronavirus news: Ontario is reporting another 1,249 new cases Tuesday; Poll shows growing number of Canadians plan on getting COVID-19 vaccine
November 17, 2020
Ontario is reporting another 1,249 new cases Tuesday and 12 new deaths. The seven-day average is down 20 to 1,423 cases/day or 68 cases weekly per 100,000. Locally, there are 569 new cases in Toronto, 256 in Peel and 94 in York Region.
Kinship keeps COVID-19 at bay in Henvey Inlet First Nation: official
November 17, 2020
The director of health for the Henvey Inlet First Nation says that it’s been the kinship and family spirit that has helped keep the COVID-19 virus off the territory. Edward Panamick Sr. said that there have been no COVID-19 cases diagnosed on the territory since the global pandemic began.
Tree of Hope ceremony honours MMIWG
November 17, 2020
Two trees were illuminated with thousands of lights Sunday in a ceremony honouring Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), held at the Thunder Bay Police Service headquarters on Balmoral Street. That the Tree of Hope ceremony went forward in its second year under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic was a testament to the determination of participants to keep the issue front and centre, organizers said.
https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/tree-of-hope-ceremony-honours-mmiwg-2881766
Additional rapid access to specialized addiction services in a healing environment available in Thunder Bay
November 17, 2020
Dilico Anishinabek Family Care and Fort William opened a new Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM) Clinic on Nov. 2 in Fort William to tackle elevated rates of opioid and alcohol use and support overdose prevention.
More than 200 new COVID-19 cases identified among Manitoba’s First Nations people
November 17, 2020
The Manitoba First Nations COVID-19 Pandemic Response Coordination Team (PRCT) is reporting 213 new COVID-19 cases among the province’s First Nations people. The response team announced its latest numbers on Nov. 16, noting they include totals from Nov. 13 to 15.
Work with Indigenous communities on honouring residential school survivors: Miller
November 16, 2020
Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller says the federal government must work with Indigenous communities to figure out the best way to highlight the “painful heritage” of residential schools in Canada and honour their victims and survivors.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/indigenous-communities-honouring-residential-school-233300681.html
COVID-19 vaccine: what’s next
November 17, 2020
Nearly one year after the first case of COVID-19 was spotted in the world, we’re much closer to finding a vaccine. Dr. Barry Pakes, Program Director in Public Health and Preventive Medicine at U of T, explains what this means for Canada.
https://toronto.citynews.ca/video/2020/11/17/covid-19-vaccine-whats-next/
Residential-school survivors call on Ottawa and provinces for monuments
November 16, 2020
Ottawa and provincial and territorial governments must build monuments in capital cities across Canada to honour residential-school survivors and their families, says the director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
NWO man reunites with the tikanagan he slept in as a baby
November 17, 2020
A man from Constance Lake First Nation says he’s thrilled that the tikanagan his mother carried him in as a baby has made its way home to his family – after his mother had believed for decades it was gone for good. A man from Illinois reached out to Darius Ferris on Facebook on Oct. 6 wanting to return the traditional First Nations-style cradleboard to its rightful owner.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/darius-ferris-reunited-with-tikanagan-1.5804219
How an Indigenous land-based learning approach to STEM could help students across Canada
November 16, 2020
Bringing learning outdoors, while connecting students to STEM through traditional Indigenous teachings is the idea behind Actua’s Indigenous Youth in STEM program. And now, it’s working to bring its program to school boards across Canada.
COVID-19 mortality rate higher in neighbourhoods with more visible minorities, says StatsCan
November 17, 2020
Residents of communities home to more visible minorities had a higher likelihood of dying from COVID-19 in Canada’s three largest provinces, according to Statistics Canada, in a trend health experts say underscores the need for provinces such as B.C. and Quebec to improve their data collection on race and mortality.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/covid19-minorities-health-bc-canada-1.5801777
Ontario Launching New Agency to Centralize Government Procurement
November 16, 2020
The Ontario government announced the establishment of Supply Ontario, a new centralized procurement agency that will enable a whole-of-government approach to purchasing goods and services, saving taxpayers money. Supply Ontario will ensure that schools, hospitals, and the entire public sector always have the critical supplies and equipment they need to keep individuals and families safe, while supporting job creation and economic growth.
Canadian Civil Liberties Association welcomes special advisor on Indigenous affairs
November 16, 2020
Canadian Civil Liberties Association announced that Verna George has joined as special advisor on Indigenous affairs, effective Oct. 28. Called to the Ontario bar in 2007, George has articled for the Community Legal Clinic of Niagara South and has served as director of negotiations for the Chippewas of Kettle & Stony Point First Nation.
Here Comes the Sweet Grass Patrol
November 16, 2020
An Indigenous organization in the Downtown Eastside has started an outreach effort to connect homeless people to housing and other resources and fill the gaps that have been made worse by the pandemic.
https://thetyee.ca/News/2020/11/17/Sweet-Grass-Patrol/
Dan Levy’s incredible gesture to University of Alberta’s Native Studies faculty
November 16, 2020
Dan Levy wants to ensure more people learn about Indigenous issues and history (and histories!) after he took a course he’s called “nothing short of transformational.” “I’m urging all of you to donate if you can,” Dan said in a video he tweeted on Nov. 15 after finishing the course. He added he would match all donations up to a maximum of $25,000. “So, that is a lot of money we can raise for an incredibly deserving faculty.”
Up-and-coming Canadian Indigenous creatives you should know
November 16, 2020
Many Indigenous peoples tell incredible stories through their artwork. Here are seven artists from different communities whom you should check out.
https://thevarsity.ca/2020/11/15/up-and-coming-canadian-indigenous-creatives-you-should-know/
Newly formed Skoden Entertainment lands Disney Channel in new deal
November 16, 2020
Jacob Pratt only launched his company Skoden Entertainment in September, but already he landed a pretty big client. “We just recently started the company and landed our very first client who is the Disney Channel who hired us to come on board and start producing some content for them for a series called Use Your Voice.”
Indigenous content ready for new prime-time role
November 16, 2020
The reviews are in, and CBC’s new TV series Trickster is a hit. Based on Haisla and Heiltsuk writer Eden Robinson’s bestselling trilogy of novels about an Indigenous teenager with supernatural powers dealing with racism and politics, Trickster has joined the pantheon of popular Canadian shows such as Corner Gas, Schitt’s Creek, Due South, Degrassi: the Next Generation, and Kim’s Convenience. (The CW network has picked up its U.S.-rights.)
Atikamekw leaders want Quebec, Ottawa to tackle systemic racism with Joyce’s Principle
November 16, 2020
Atikamekw leaders in Quebec say it’s time for the provincial and federal governments to take a stand when it comes to systemic racism against Indigenous people, and have devised a set of principles they want to see adopted. Joyce’s Principle, a document created by the council of the Atikamekw Nation and the Atikamekw Council of Manawan, will be delivered to both levels of government on Monday.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/joyces-principle-quebec-indigenous-health-care-1.5803416
Montreal’s New Reconciliation Plan is not Enough
November 16, 2020
On November 4, 2020, the City of Montreal released its five-year strategy for “reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.” The plan was created in consultation with over thirty organizations that work with Indigenous communities in and around Montreal, including the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke and the Montreal Indigenous Community Network, and it was overseen by Montreal’s Indigenous Affairs Commissioner, Marie-Ève Bordeleau, a member of the Cree nation.
https://www.mcgilldaily.com/2020/11/montreals-new-reconciliation-plan-is-not-enough/
Mother of boys found dead in Wendake, Que., says family’s concerns weren’t addressed
November 16, 2020
The mother of two deceased boys whose father is accused of murder says the province’s youth protection services failed her family. Emilie Arsenault says she had signalled her concerns to the agency but wasn’t taken seriously.
Minister blasts province’s preparation for second wave
November 16, 2020
The minister mobilizing federal help for Manitoba’s northern First Nations suggested Monday the province dropped the ball on preparing for the second wave. Ottawa is sending support to Opaskwayak Cree Nation after all the residents of a personal care home in the community tested positive for COVID-19. Over the weekend, an outbreak was declared at Rod McGillivary Care Home after 28 residents and 17 workers tested positive for the virus. One resident has died.
Enoch Cree Nation Settles $91-Million Claim Over Federal Bombing Range
November 16, 2020
After more than a decade of negotiations, Enoch Cree Nation is getting a $91-million payout from the Canadian government to compensate for the remnants of a World War II practice-bombing range, according to Chief Billy Morin. He said the timing of the deal is welcomed amid tough economic times due to the pandemic.
Higgs agenda to be unveiled with first throne speech of majority government
November 17, 2020
The New Brunswick Legislature begins a new session Tuesday that could finally reveal how far Premier Blaine Higgs wants to go in transforming the province. Higgs’s government, which won its first majority in September’s election, will lay out its agenda when Lt.-Gov. Brenda Murphy delivers the speech from the throne shortly after 1 p.m.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/higgs-throne-speech-majority-1.5804094
Indigenous leader Max Gros-Louis dead at 89
November 16, 2020
Tributes have poured in after the death of former Grand Chief Max Gros-Louis, known as a champion of Indigenous rights. Gros-Louis led the Huron-Wendat First Nation in the province of Quebec for a total of 33 years. He died at the age of 89 after a long illness.
https://www.rcinet.ca/en/2020/11/16/indigenous-leader-max-gros-louis-dead-at-89/
Chief Mike Sack: Nova Scotia Seafood Alliance statement an insult
November 17, 2020
Countless criminal actions took place against our people during the launch of our fishery and in the weeks since. The recent suggestion by the Nova Scotia Seafood Alliance that Mi’kmaq people have not acted in good faith and that people who committed crimes against us not be held accountable is an insult to the people of Sipekne’katik, Nova Scotians and all Canadians.
Seafood buyers say DFO doesn’t let them buy moderate livelihood catch
November 17, 2020
Nova Scotia seafood buyers say a threatened lawsuit against them from the Sipekne’katik First Nation is “misinformed and misdirected.” The band is frustrated it cannot find a buyer for lobster harvested under a self-declared and regulated moderate livelihood fishery.
Highway blocked to raise awareness of endangered fish
November 16, 2020
A group made up of dozens of activists, Mi’kmaq rights holders and their supporters stepped out onto Highway 101 Monday afternoon near Exit 6 to block traffic and raise awareness about the lack of free-flowing water from the Avon River through the Windsor causeway.
https://globalnews.ca/news/7466145/highway-blocked-awareness-endangered-fish/
Civilian review of RCMP handling of Elsipogtog resistance ‘doesn’t go far enough’ says prof
November 16, 2020
The RCMP watchdog’s final report on the 2013 police crackdown on Mi’kmaw-led resistance to shale gas exploration in New Brunswick, though critical in some respects, fails to address key questions of systemic racism and also raises concerns around the independent oversight body’s effectiveness, experts say.
Acclaimed performer from Opaskwayak Cree Nation offers healing through music as community cases soar
November 16, 2020
An award-winning opera singer from a Manitoba First Nation hopes music can offer solace to her community as it faces an onslaught of COVID-19 cases and an outbreak at its personal care home. “Music is medicine and it’s healing. That’s exactly what we need right now in Opaskwayak — and not only here,” said Rhonda Head, a mezzo-soprano performer from Opaskwayak Cree Nation.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/opaskwayak-cree-nation-rhonda-head-covid-19-1.5804385
Majority of Manitobans support establishing Indigenous Protected Areas: Probe poll
November 17, 2020
A new poll has found that many Manitobans support establishing Indigenous Protected Areas to conserve natural areas and to create sustainable jobs. According to a Probe Research poll, 73% of Manitobans support creating Indigenous Protected Areas to conserve forests, wildlife, water and other special places.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/majority-manitobans-support-establishing-indigenous-190823410.html
Workforce rotation to resume at Keeyask Dam amid COVID-19 outbreak
November 16, 2020
Manitoba Hydro is bringing workers back to the Keeyask Generating Station construction site, where the province declared an outbreak at the end of October. A second round of testing for all workers, done Nov. 12-14, found one more confirmed positive case and four presumptive cases, Manitoba Hydro said in a news release Sunday.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/keeyask-covid-19-workforce-resuming-1.5803211
‘Maps are stories made visual’: Indigenous mapping in Sask. part of international virtual workshop
November 16, 2020
A virtual workshop featuring more than 40 speakers and hundreds of participants from around the world will include a presentation on Indigenous mapping in Saskatchewan.The Indigenous Mapping Workshop is taking place online from Nov. 16 to 18. It’s being hosted by the Vancouver-based Firelight Group, along with the First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv) and other Indigenous organizations.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/indigenous-mapping-in-sask-1.5803460
Driftpile Cree Nation lifts boycott on Slave Lake, Alta., after councillor’s apology for homeless comments
November 16, 2020
A northern Alberta First Nation has lifted a boycott on a neighbouring community after a town councillor apologized for comments she made about the local Indigenous homeless population. Chief and council for Driftpile Cree Nation lifted its boycott after discussions with the mayor and council of Slave Lake, a town about 200 kilometres north of Edmonton and 70 kilometres east of the First Nation.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/driftpile-cree-nation-slave-lake-joy-mcgregor-1.5804238
How one Indigenous farmer in the north is improving food security in his community
November 17, 2020
Jacob Beaton wouldn’t be a farmer without lettuce. Lots of lettuce. It was among the first vegetables he grew using agro-ecological techniques on the small farm near Kitwanga, B.C., that he co-owns with his partner, Tea Creek Farm.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/one-indigenous-farmer-north-improving-171141851.html
Nunavut woman says she called 911 from Ottawa hospital after being denied water
November 16, 2020
An Inuk woman from Pangnirtung, Nunavut, says she was mistreated by nurses at a hospital in Ottawa, who refused to give her water and change her diaper. Leesee Qaqasiq told CBC News she was medevaced to the Civic Campus of the Ottawa Hospital after fracturing her pelvis in mid-October.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/nunavut-woman-ottawa-hospital-mistreatment-1.5801844
What could implementing UNDRIP look like in the NWT?
November 16, 2020
First adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2007, the declaration (UNDRIP for short) affirmed an array of legal, political, social, and economic rights for Indigenous peoples. Among those rights: self-determination and self-government, freedom from discrimination, and the right to “free, prior, and informed consent” regarding development projects on traditional territories.
https://cabinradio.ca/49599/news/politics/what-could-implementing-undrip-look-like-in-the-nwt/
‘Mining at any cost’: Yukoners say territory needs major mineral development overhaul
November 16, 2020
Outdated mining legislation, “token” consultation with First Nations, violence against Indigenous women at mine sites and a reclamation system that falls flat — these are just a few concerns that Yukoners raised during a public engagement process about the territory’s mining regime.
Nunavut orders shutdown of schools, non-essential businesses as COVID-19 cases jump to 26
November 16, 2020
Nunavut’s chief public health officer has ordered a two-week shutdown, starting Wednesday, of school and non-essential in the territory due to the spread of COVID-19. Dr. Michael Patterson said Monday all health centres will close except for emergency services and all visits to long-term care centres will be restricted.
Nunavut judge slams Crown for devaluing Inuit victims of crime
November 16, 2020
Nunavut judge Paul Bychok has accused Crown prosecutors—and the Nunavut justice system—of devaluing the lives of Inuit women who suffer intimate partner violence. He did it in a blistering written judgment released Wednesday, Nov. 11, saying the Nunavut court endorses too many lenient plea-bargained sentences that fail to recognize the severity of intimate partner violence against vulnerable Inuit women in Nunavut.
A ‘conversation we have to have’: Northerners give reconciliation advice in new podcast
November 16, 2020
Two people with connections to the North are launching a podcast about everyday acts of reconciliation. Former N.W.T. MLA Michael Miltenberger and lawyer Merrell-Ann Phare are the co-hosts of the Porcupine podcast — a show that explores what reconciliation means for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
‘I’m happy they complied:’ Yellowknives Dene chief says agreement reached with houseboaters
November 17, 2020
The Yellowknives Dene First Nation says it has reached an agreement with several houseboaters who anchored on the nation’s side of Yellowknife Bay without its permission.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/yellowknives-dene-houseboaters-agreement-1.5804214
UPCOMING EVENTS
Notice: 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 atwww.chiefsmeeting.com in the coming weeks.
Chiefs of Ontario Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates
November 13, 2020
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/
