Ontario Moves Schools to Remote Learning Following Spring Break
April 12, 2021
The Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, has made the difficult decision to move elementary and secondary schools to remote learning following the April break. This move has been made in response to the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases, the increasing risks posed to the public by COVID-19 variants, and the massive spike in hospital admissions.
Ontario sees 3,670 new COVID-19 cases as hospitalizations, ICU admissions hit all-time high
April 13, 2021
Ontario reported another 3,670 cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, as the test positivity topped 10 per cent and total hospitalizations climbed to a new pandemic high. According to the Ministry of Health, there are 1,822 people with COVID-19 in Ontario’s hospitals. Of those, 626 are being treated in intensive care units for COVID-related illnesses and 422 require a ventilator.
Local First Nations keeping COVID-19 at bay
April 12, 2021
There are no active COVID-19 cases on the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, and virtually all adult band members who want to be vaccinated have received at least their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Have a vaccine hesitant friend or family member? Experts offer tips on addressing concerns
April 13, 2021
Anger and frustration can take over when people hear rumblings of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy coming from their friends and relatives.
https://globalnews.ca/news/7754561/vaccine-hesitancy-family-friends-expert-tips/
Pharmacies encourage eligible Thunder Bay residents to book vaccine appointments, as more shipments en route
April 12, 2021
As COVID-19 cases continue to come down in Thunder Bay, Ont., the three pharmacies offering the Astra-Zeneca vaccine are encouraging residents aged 55 years and older to book their appointment. All three — Dawson Heights on Regina Avenue, Oak Medical on Arthur Street, and Shoppers Drug Mart on Red River Road — said the first week of vaccine roll-out has gone well.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/thundery-bay-pharmacies-vaccination-astrazeneca-1.5984501
Hamilton’s COVID-19 vaccination program update for Indigenous populations
April 12, 2021
In an effort to offer protection to the Indigenous population from COVID-19, effective immediately, all Indigenous adults in Hamilton are eligible to receive their second doses of COVID-19 vaccination on product monograph (21-28 days).
https://ihtoday.ca/hamiltons-covid-19-vaccination-program-update-for-indigenous-populations/
COVID-19 variant found in Sioux Lookout
April 12, 2021
A Variant of Concern of the COVID-19 virus has been found in the Sioux Lookout area, as staff with the Northwestern Health Unit warn of an increased risk in the area.
https://www.drydennow.com/articles/covid-19-variant-found-in-sioux-lookout-
Indigenous leaders urge province to negotiate annuities case
April 12, 2021
The provincial government should negotiate, not litigate, the annual annuity that is to be paid as part of the 1850 Robinson-Huron treaty, Indigenous leaders in northeastern Ontario say. “How many rulings does it take?” Dean Sayers, chief of the Batchewana First Nation, near Sault Ste. Marie, told a virtual press conference Monday. “We have the first stage (ruling). We have the second stage (ruling). There will be another ruling with this appeal … It’s a tactic. A delay tactic.
Nurses return full-time to Pikangikum First Nation after agreement reached with feds on Saturday
April 13, 2021
Three weeks after nursing staff were pulled out of Pikangikum First Nation by Indigenous Services Canada, full-time health services have been restored to the northwestern Ontario First Nation located 200 kilometres north of Kenora.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/pikangikum-nurses-return-1.5984626
Ontario promised to get to the bottom of alleged mercury dumps upstream from Grassy Narrows. Instead, the province allowed a surge in mining claims on the Indigenous territory
April 12, 2021
Years after the Ontario government vowed to get to the bottom of two alleged mercury dumps upstream from Grassy Narrows First Nation, neither has been excavated. In the meantime, the province has allowed a surge in gold mining claims throughout the Indigenous territory, with one company eager to start exploratory drilling in its northern forests.
Broken Promises and Devastating Cuts for Laurentian University Students
April 12, 2021
The Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario, representing 350,000 students across the province, is shocked by the devastating news for students, staff and faculty coming out of Laurentian University on April 12, 2021. While Laurentian is a bilingual institution, its mandate is tricultural and, in particular, offering a hub for Indigenous learning and research. The program cuts will also have severe and negative impacts on Indigenous learning and Indigenous language degrees.
Canada Supports Rapid Housing Projects in Southwestern Ontario
April 13, 2021
Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. The COVID-19 crisis has made it clear that affordable housing is key to Canada’s recovery as regions across the country, including those in southwestern Ontario, are dealing with the devastating impacts of rising levels of homelessness and housing need.
How digital literacy can help close the digital divide
April 13, 2021
Everything from education and work to health care, social services, food and grocery orders, and social connection have had to change to deliver more services online in response to COVID-19. Even front-line organizations like emergency shelters and community centres that did not previously prioritize online access had to rapidly build capacity to offer virtual resources and supports. This pandemic pivot poses challenges for people who have little to no access to the internet.
Powassan council wants price gouging investigation into lumber prices
April 13, 2021
Powassan deputy mayor Randy Hall believes somewhere along the supply chain in the wood industry, COVID-related price gouging is going on. And Hall wants Nipissing-Timiskaming MP Anthony Rota and Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli to investigate what’s happening to the cost of building materials.
First Nations cigar seller told to pay $12-million in tax
April 12, 2021
Tobacconist Hill Distributors, of the Grand River First Nation at Ohsweken, Ont. southwest of Toronto, reported sales of $38 million worth of cigars in two years. Cigars are taxed at 57 percent in Ontario. Owner Barbara Hill refused to cough up $12 million in annual wholesalers’ tax, citing the Indian Act exemption for tobacco sold on reserve for “exclusive use” of residents.
https://westernstandardonline.com/2021/04/first-nations-cigar-seller-told-to-pay-12-million-in-tax/
New film reveals how Indigenous contemporary dance producer Sandra Laronde is shifting the narrative of Canada
April 12, 2021
Red Sky Performance executive and artistic director Sandra Laronde seized upon the idea for one of her landmark shows while staring at the night sky. As a member of the Teme-Augama Anishinabai (People of the Deep Water) in northern Ontario, she was well aware of how important the cosmos is to her people.
University of Windsor introducing new scholarship for Indigenous law students
April 13, 2021
The University of Windsor Faculty of Law has announced a new scholarship for Indigenous law students, starting this fall, in memory of alumnus Fred Bartley, the Crown Attorney who was instrumental in establishing Gladue courts in Toronto.
CJF-CBC Indigenous Journalism Fellowship winners announced
April 12, 2021
This year’s recipients of the CJF-CBC Indigenous Journalism Fellowships will explore challenges facing two-spirit and LGBT Indigenous people and mental health issues impacting Indigenous youth.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/cjf-cbc-indigenous-journalism-fellowship-1.5984712
Sweet success for young First Nations cake artist
April 13, 2021
A 25-year-old baker from Deer Lake First Nation in northwestern Ontario is turning heads, and filling plenty of orders for her beautifully decorated sweet treats. Alyssa Meekis is the owner of Indigenous Sweets, a business she began building when she was a teenager.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/indigenous-sweets-alyssa-meekis-1.5983897
Police seek missing teen
April 14, 2021
The Thunder Bay Police Service is requesting the public’s assistance in locating missing person Lacoya Oombash, 14 years of age.
https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/police-seek-missing-teen-3626997
Police in Thunder Bay start using body cameras, in car cameras to come
April 12, 2021
Police officers in Thunder Bay, Ont., are wearing body cameras starting today. The force says the devices will eventually be worn by all front-line officers and those in the traffic unit.
https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/body-cameras-thunder-bay-police-ontario/
Clarence Iron explains what kind of impact hockey can have on a First Nation
April 12, 2021
Lots of people excited for Elsipogtog’s Kraft Hockeyville win. Including Rogers Hometown Hockey in Cree play-by-play personality himself, Clarence Iron. He joins APTN National News to explain what kind of impact this can have on a First Nation.
Northern Quebec school board staff set for 1-day walkouts
April 13, 2021
The unions representing teachers, school professional and support staff in northern Quebec Cree and Inuit communities say the provincial government is failing Indigenous students by not addressing chronic staffing and service shortages.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/cree-inuit-quebec-education-strike-1.5984548
Canada’s Troubled Health-Care Relationship With Its Indigenous
April 13, 2021
When the Cree Nation of Mistissini, a small town in the province of Quebec, started vaccinating its members against COVID-19 in January, a former Assembly of First Nations national chief expressed his dismay. “The Cree Leadership seems to think they know what is best for us,” Matthew Coon Come wrote on social media. “Mistissini is now the experimental rats of this experimental vaccine.”
Opinion: Bill C-15 is chance ‘to actually break with the colonial status quo’
April 12, 2021
Changing the relationship between Indigenous Peoples and Canadians has fallen backwards once again, as Canada slips back into the comfortable, foggy colonial amnesia of its genocidal history.
N.B. First Nation wins historic $145M land claim settlement after decades-long battle
April 13, 2021
The federal government will pay out $145 million to the Madawaska Maliseet First Nation in northwestern New Brunswick in what is now the largest federal land claim settlement in Maritime history.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/madawaska-land-claim-patricia-bernard-1.5984019
Questions remain as civilian-led team probing police-involved deaths in Sask. set to launch in fall
April 13, 2021
Saskatchewan’s new team for investigating deaths and other serious police-involved incidents will launch this fall, but questions remain about its future cost, makeup and the degree to which it will address longstanding concerns about police investigating police.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/saskatchewan-serious-incident-response-team-1.5981380
Group working to preserve the cultural and environmental aspects of Kinookimaw
April 13, 2021
A group of concerned citizens want to preserve the cultural and environmental significance of Kinookimaw, approximately 1,100 acres of land located West of Regina Beach.
Tribal chief vaunts housing program, asks Saskatoon for more funding
April 12, 2021
Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC) Chief Mark Arcand told a Saskatoon city committee on Monday that Saweyihtotan, a “By Indigenous, for Indigenous” outreach program, has been a success in helping at-risk people, especially with securing housing and providing access to services.
https://globalnews.ca/news/7754125/mark-arcand-saweyihtotan-outreach-program-funding/
Canada supports the nation rebuilding efforts of Indigenous groups in Saskatchewan to advance self-determination and reconciliation
April 12, 2021
The Government of Canada is rebuilding the nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown and government-to-government relationship with Indigenous peoples through supporting their right to self-determination. A key part of this work is through the Nation Rebuilding Program.
Researchers test role of drones in delivering pandemic supplies to remote Indigenous communities
April 12, 2021
A team of professionals from the University of Calgary, the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and the Stoney Nakoda Nation have been testing the use of drones into help remote communities cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wait times for status cards an example of systemic racism, says petition
April 12, 2021
Vivian Hermansen is collecting signatures for a new petition calling on the federal government to decrease the processing time for Secure Certificate of Indian Status (SCIS), known as status cards.
We’koqma’q First Nation rapper nominated for two East Coast Music Awards
April 12, 2021
Todd Googoo, better known as “ShiFT from tha 902” in the music world, is hoping to be the first musician from his community to win an East Coast Music Award, and on May 6 he’ll have two chances to make that happen.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/wekoqmaq-first-nation-rapper-nominated-012426360.html
The Confederacy of Treaty No. 6 Chiefs voice their support to Treaty 7 First Nations court challenge to Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) over its ‘Play Alberta’ website’
April 12, 2021
The Confederacy of Treaty No. 6 Chiefs iterate their support for the Tsuu T’ina and Stoney Nakoda First Nations to legally challenge Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) for launching the online gaming website Play Alberta. The Confederacy of Treaty No. 6 Chiefs reminds the provincial government that the AGLC’s role is to regulate the gaming industry and not actively participate in it, thus the launch of Play Alberta places the AGLC in a conflict of interest.
First Nations proposing new energy corridor in Western Canada
April 12, 2021
First Nations leaders in Western Canada are proposing a corridor for transporting commodities from the region and — possibly — to the West Coast. The goal is to establish a route for pipelines or rail lines to ship oil and other materials.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/bakx-corridor-treaty-8-1.5981922
Health coordinator leads ‘wellness kit’ project for more than 200 Coast Salish youth
April 12, 2021
A project to create wellness kits for Indigenous youth across Vancouver Island began as a way to show love and pass along the gift of self-care, according to the youth worker leading the project.
Yukon Arts Centre vault opens up to fill government buildings
April 12, 2021
Visit any public or government building in the Yukon and you’ll probably spot some art work by a noteworthy local First Nations artists – but ever wonder where does it come from? That’s where the storage vault at the Yukon Arts Centre (YAC) comes in.
https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/yukon-arts-centre-vault-opens-up-to-fill-government-buildings/
We know we are being censored’: Uvagut TV will not rebroadcast Baffinland hearings
April 12, 2021
In Inuktitut-language television station will not rebroadcast public hearings that took place earlier this year about a controversial proposal to expand operations at a Nunavut mine. The Nunavut Independent Television Network’s (NITV) board agreed Friday not to rebroadcast the Nunavut Impact Review Board’s (NIRB) January and February hearings on its channel, Uvagut TV, after the NIRB denied its rebroadcast request last week.
Dakota Access Pipeline resistance founder passes away
April 12, 2021
One of the founders of the resistance against the Dakota Access Pipeline has passed away. LaDonna Brave Bull Allard was a Dakota and Lakota historian and activist who hosted the first camp to protest the pipeline on her property in Standing Rock.
https://www.aptnnews.ca/videos/dakota-access-pipeline-resistance-founder-passes-away/
UPCOMING EVENTS
Call for Proposals: Capacity-building funding for An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families for fiscal year 2021-2022
A call for proposals is now open to support capacity-building in relation to An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families for fiscal year 2021-2022. Funding is available to Indigenous Peoples, communities, and groups as they begin work to develop their own legislation and explore Indigenous-led models for child and family services.
Learn more: https://bit.ly/31P9GUe
Call for artist interpretations/artwork for the Assembly of First Nations 2021 Annual General Assembly
The Chiefs of Ontario Host Committee will be hosting the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) 42nd Annual General Assembly in Toronto in July 2021 and is currently accepting original Indigenous artwork to be submitted. Artwork will be used for materials by the Chiefs of Ontario Host Committee and the AFN in promoting the Assembly. We are seeking artwork that supports and promotes First Nations culture in Ontario.
Save the Date: Chiefs of Ontario 47th All Ontario Chiefs Conference 2021
The Chiefs of Ontario and Grand Council Treaty #3 will be hosting the 47th All Ontario Chiefs Conference 2021 on June 15-17, 2021. For the Chiefs of Ontario All Ontario Chiefs Conference (AOCC), please find the 1st Call for Resolutions attached. Deadline for Resolutions is Wednesday, May 26, 2021. For more information, please visit https://www.chiefsmeeting.com/aocc-2021.
Issue 9 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/oo21c/.
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.
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.
