Ontario sees 3,510 new COVID-19 cases, 605 patients on ventilators
April 26, 2021
Ontario reported another 3,510 cases of COVID-19 on Monday, while the number of patients with the illness who need a ventilator to breathe topped 600. According to the Ministry of Health, 877 people with COVID-19 are being treated in intensive care units across the province, twice as many as there were at the beginning of April.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/ontario-sees-3-510-covid-141430297.html
Deaths, hospitalizations dropping among oldest Canadians as COVID-19 vaccinations ramp up
April 26, 2021
After a sluggish start, Canada’s vaccination efforts are starting to pay off, with COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths among the oldest Canadians now dropping at a faster rate than in younger adults who are less likely to be vaccinated yet, according to a CBC News analysis.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/vaccines-impact-covid-data-analysis-1.6000007
Federal budget fell short on infrastructure, Indigenous leaders say
April 26, 2021
National Indigenous leaders say the federal budget doesn’t do enough to fulfil the government’s 2030 promise to close infrastructure gaps in their communities. The budget proposes to spend more than $18 billion over the next five years to improve quality of life for First Nations, Inuit and Métis people.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/federal-budget-2021-indigenous-infrastructure-funding-1.5996871
James Bay communities will wait out spring flooding on the land
April 24, 2021
Residents in two James Bay area First Nations will spend about a month at traditional hunting camps again this year to escape spring flooding risk, rather than face potential evacuation to Northern Ontario cities.
Government of Canada supports Kashechewan and Fort Albany First Nations’ plans to protect members from possible flooding
April 23, 2021
Some remote First Nations in Northern Ontario experience an increased risk of flooding each year during the spring. The Government of Canada is working in close partnership with the Mushkegowuk Council Emergency Services Manager to support the First Nations communities of Kashechewan and Fort Albany in protecting their members from possible flooding caused by the spring ice break-up of the Albany River.
Sol Mamakwa: Local Businesses Need More Financial Help
April 24, 2021
The MPP for Kiiwetinoong is calling for additional assistance for businesses impacted by the stay-at-home order. Sol Mamakwa says it was clear the government wanted to invest and support small businesses before the shutdown.
https://www.ckdr.net/2021/04/24/sol-mamakwa-local-businesses-need-more-financial-help/
Wataynikaneyap Power Project named Clean50 Top Project
April 24, 2021
Wataynikaneyap Power is pleased to announce that the Wataynikaneyap Power Transmission Project has been chosen as a 2021 Clean50 Top Project award winner. Clean50 Top Projects are chosen annually based on their innovation, their ability to inform and inspire other Canadians.
https://anishinabeknews.ca/2021/04/24/wataynikaneyap-power-project-named-clean50-top-project/
Proposed mining threatens Grassy Narrows First Nation’s long struggle for environmental justice
April 24, 2021
Indigenous peoples have been stewarding their lands and waters for millennia, and there is increasing legal recognition that Indigenous and treaty rights must be a fundamental consideration in how such lands are governed. Yet, under Ontario’s online prospecting system, anyone can register a mining claim on Indigenous territories for a paltry $50 per parcel — without ever visiting the territory, let alone having obtained the consent of the Indigenous people who live there.
Engineered Timber Helps Indigenous Architecture in North America to Emphasize Resilience
April 26, 2021
For Brian Porter, principal of Two Row Architect in Ohsweken, Ontario, mass timber compels architects to relearn the art of making the most out of natural materials. “Where I come from, Six Nations of the Grand River, where we were longhouse people,” Porter said, “most of the longhouses are made out of, maximum, four- or six-inch-diameter wood poles that were bent to form structural arches.”
Learning Ojibwe at Parry Sound, Almaguin schools
April 26, 2021
There are approximately 1,000 self-identified Indigenous students in the Near North District School Board. Johna Hupfield has been teaching Ojibwe language classes at Parry Sound High School for the last 13 years, and said seeing more recognition of Anishinaabemowin in the schools is a way of further Indigenizing space so people understand the act of reconciliation is being honoured.
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/04/26/learning-ojibwe-at-parry-sound-almaguin-schools.html
Scugog First Nation committed to supporting their community
April 26, 2021
Since its opening more than 24 year ago, the Great Blue Heron Casino has undergone a number of significant changes while one thing has remained the same — the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation’s commitment to giving back to surrounding communities and their citizens.
‘A big hole in our heart’: Attawapiskat church fire rocks Ontario First Nation
April 24, 2021
It’s been an emotional last few days for people in the James Bay community of Attawapiskat. Dozens on the Ontario First Nation watched Wednesday night as St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church burned to the ground. Services haven’t been held at the church since the fall of 2019, when it was condemned.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/attawapiskat-church-fire-community-reaction-1.5999917
Images of security, city staff photographing 2 men sleeping on Thunder Bay, Ont., bench spark outrage
April 26, 2021
Tatjana Shawanamash-Ignace took the photos Thursday evening after she and her seven-year-old son paid their transit fares and were waiting on the bus to go home. From the window, they watched as a transit operator walked over to two men who appeared to be Indigenous and were asleep on the bench. “That’s when my son told me, ‘Mom, he’s taking pictures.'”
‘A pow wow to remember’ series: Reverend Peggy Petahtegoose
April 26, 2021
In a continued effort to lift everyone’s spirit during this time where we are all staying home, the Anishinabek News did a call out to the Anishinabek Nation to submit their fondest pow wow memory. The spring series is called: A pow wow to remember.
https://anishinabeknews.ca/2021/04/26/a-pow-wow-to-remember-series-reverend-peggy-petahtegoose/
Tungasuvvingat Inuit holds COVID-19 pop-up vaccination clinic for urban Indigenous
April 24, 2021
A successful two-day “pop-up” vaccination clinic to protect urban Indigenous against the COVID-19 infection was held on April 15 and 17. The clinic was held at the main offices of Tungasuvvingat Inuit (TI) in Ottawa in partnership with Ottawa Public Health and the Wabano Centre.
AFN national chief Perry Bellegarde addresses U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
April 23, 2021
AFN national chief Perry Bellegarde addressed the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, where he gave an update on the progress of Canada’s Bill C-15 – a proposed bill to make sure the laws of Canada comply with the principles of UNDRIP.
Media Advisory – Minister Miller and Minister Vandal will hold a media availability on Budget 2021 funding for housing in the North
April 26, 2021
Please be advised that the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Indigenous Services, and the Honourable Daniel Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, will hold a media availability on Budget 2021 funding for housing in the North. Date: April 26, 2021 – Time: 3:00 PM (ET)
Indigenous women say Canadian police aren’t taking their Nygard allegations seriously
April 23, 2021
Alleged victims of Peter Nygard who are Indigenous and live in Canada say their police complaints are being under-investigated and they are concerned that Canadian authorities are not looking at their allegations with as much interest as law enforcement in the United States.
https://www.aptnnews.ca/investigates/indigenous-women-allegations-peter-nygard-police/
Why have Indigenous communities been hit harder by the pandemic than the population at large?
April 25, 2021
First Nations make up only around 10 per cent of Manitoba’s population but, as of February, accounted for almost 70 per cent of that province’s COVID-19 cases. In the same month, the Guardian reported that Native Americans are dying of the disease at twice the rate of white Americans – the highest mortality of any racial group in the United States.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/apocalypse-then-indigenous-covid-1.5997774
First Nations leaders urge people to stay home, get vaccinated as coronavirus variants spread in Manitoba
April 24, 2021
Nearly three in every four people on Pimicikamak in northern Manitoba have already gotten their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, but with more infectious variants on the rise, the First Nation’s chief says he’s still worried about the illness spreading.
Some Nunatsiavut beneficiaries living outside of Labrador feel ‘abandoned.’ Here’s why
April 26, 2021
When the Nunatsiavut government distributed frozen caribou and muskox in its settlement area in northern Labrador last month, Sarah Anala and Danny Pottle felt left out — like they often do when it comes to cultural and language programs and services offered by the government.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/nunatsiavut-beneficiaries-left-out-1.5987096
Treaty 5 chiefs say Manitoba is failing to live up to its duty to consult on resource projects
April 24, 2021
When Black River Chief Sheldon Kent went to gather traditional heart and anxiety medicines near Lac du Bonnet, he discovered a cottage on a spot where he learned to pick plants with his grandfather as a child.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/treaty5-chiefs-ask-for-meaningful-consults-1.6000558
Petition Launched Asking Consultations be Held Regarding Renaming of Red Indian Lake
April 26, 2021
A petition has been launched asking that consultations be held regarding changing the name of Red Indian Lake. People living in the region are expressing surprise with the decision to change the name of the lake to Wantaqo’ti Qospem, a Mi’kmaq term meaning “peaceful lake.”
https://vocm.com/2021/04/26/128306/
First Nations could have been better consulted on scrapped tax deals, says minister
April 24, 2021
New Brunswick’s aboriginal affairs minister says she thinks her own government could have better consulted First Nations leaders prior to its announcement it would end a tax-sharing agreement that generated millions of dollars in revenue for some communities.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/first-nation-tax-new-brunswick-1.5996573
Search team locates wreckage of Tyhawk fishing vessel
April 25, 2021
Members of a community-led search team have spotted the wreckage of the fishing vessel Tyhawk that capsized off the Nova Scotia coast at the start of snow crab season earlier this month.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/tyhawk-fishing-vessel-located-1.6001799
How ‘rez ball skills’ and family love took Olympic athlete Brigette Lacquette to the top
April 24, 2021
While some kids were throwing snowballs at each other or cozying up by a fire during long, harsh Manitoba winters, five year-old Brigette Lacquette was chasing her dad around, begging him to put her into hockey.
As Sask. faces growing COVID-19 cases, Indigenous communities have charted a different path
April 23, 2021
As cases of COVID-19 have climbed in Saskatchewan in 2021, the case counts among the province’s Indigenous communities have dramatically decreased. Data obtained from the federal and provincial governments shows that throughout last year the general population of the province and the province’s Indigenous communities were in lockstep with each other and developing cases at roughly the same time.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/sask-covid-19-indigenous-communities-1.5996026
First Nations chief calls for police-worn body cameras as he awaits answers on his arrest caught on video
April 26, 2021
More than a year after his violent arrest by RCMP officers in northern Alberta was caught on video, there has been no resolution for Chief Allan Adam. The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation chief was arrested in the early morning hours of March 10, 2020, after a Wood Buffalo RCMP officer in Fort McMurray, Alta., pinned him to the ground and beat him, leaving his face bloodied.
How casino closures are draining the resources of Alberta charities and First Nations
April 26, 2021
The closure of casinos in Alberta is affecting not just the operators’ bottom lines but also hundreds of charities and First Nations that depend on gaming revenue. During casino events, volunteers from sports teams, veterans’ groups, non-profits and community leagues exchange their labour for a portion of casino revenues. In 2019, that revenue share amounted to $168 million.
Indigenous artist Joshua Watts uses traditional art form to connect to contemporary times
April 25, 2021
Like his ancestors and mentors, Ha’wilh Way’anis’ (Joshua Watts) artistic practice carries messages, stories, and lessons through time. Watts, Nuu-Chah-Nulth and Coast Salish from Port Alberni, Lake Cowichan and Squamish, says his work comes from thousands of years of practice, history and knowledge.
Pair of First Nations barbers looking forward to good hair days ahead in their own shops
April 24, 2021
With clients ranging from professional athletes to kids back home on the rez, two barbers in Winnipeg are cutting the latest trends and are ready to create their own path as business owners.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/barbers-winnipeg-mcleod-mccorrister-choken-1.5997866
Little Red River Cree Nation trappers in Alberta worry that Wood Bison herd may disappear
April 24, 2021
What used to be a common sight near the Little Red River Cree Nation is now almost a myth. In years past, hunters and trappers would commonly see Wood Bison roaming the lands. The bison were used for ceremonies and sustenance for the people. Now, some trappers have gone years without a single bison sighting. There is no more hunting.
Indigenous leaders worry how a year of lost cultural gatherings impacts their communities
April 22, 2021
Indigenous leaders worry about how losing cultural gatherings this past year is impacting the mental health of their communities, as well as opportunities to celebrate their culture.
First Nations leaders urge B.C. Housing to investigate Indigenous deaths at supportive housing
April 24, 2021
First Nation leaders are urging the province to investigate the deaths of six Indigenous residents that happened over the past 12 months at a northwestern B.C. supportive housing complex. In its press release Friday, the B.C. Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres (BCAAFC) said B.C. Housing should conduct an inquiry into the deaths at Goodacre Place in Smithers — about 350 kilometres east of Prince Rupert — because they mark what the organization believes is the highest number of residents to die at a single supportive housing facility in one year.
Northern B.C. school districts collaborate to create for-credit Indigenous language curriculum
April 24, 2021
Three school districts in northern B.C. are working together to add an endangered Indigenous language to the provincial curriculum as a way for students to earn credits toward graduation. The Dakelh language is spoken by members of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation in Prince George and by other First Nation communities in north central and northwest B.C.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/dekelh-language-curriculum-pg-1.5989336
‘A landmark decision’: Sinixt First Nation react to Supreme Court ruling confirming existence
April 23, 2021
“We’re not going back to the museum and standing next to the dinosaurs.” That’s how Richard Desautel of the Sinixt Nation reacted Friday morning after Canada’s highest court upended the federal government’s 65-year-old claim that his Indigenous nation from southeastern British Columbia was extinct.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/sinixt-first-nation-reaction-1.6000401
Tupa’s Joint goes mobile as B.C. tries to shut down Indigenous pot shop
April 25, 2021
Cory Brewer says the B.C. government’s successive attempts to shut down his cannabis dispensary and cultural wellness centre have inspired him to get creative — rather than close up shop, he’s moving and evolving.
N.W.T. finance minister, premier pleased with federal budget
April 25, 2021
Northwest Territories politicians are still looking at what the 700-page, proposed budget offers the territory’s communities, and the premier says so far, she’s glad to see federal money going toward social and economic pandemic recovery.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/nwt-finance-minister-premier-pleased-federal-budget-1.5996150
‘We’ll meet again someday’: Friends remember N.W.T.’s Sonny MacDonald
April 24, 2021
Friends are remembering the impact that Sonny MacDonald, an artist from Fort Chipewyan, N.W.T. had on them and the North. “It’s a big loss … we spent a lot of time together,” long-time friend George Tuccaro said of MacDonald. He met Sonny when he was a young boy and MacDonald was a teenager.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/sonny-macdonald-remembered-1.6000068
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
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.
