Government of Canada COVID-19 Update for Indigenous Peoples and communities
December 31, 2020
Indigenous Services Canada is closely monitoring the number of COVID-19 cases reported in First Nations communities across the country. The Department has recently observed a reduction in the number of newly reported cases of COVID-19 in First Nations communities with 600 new cases reported during the week of December 20-26 down from 1,219 new cases reported during the week of December 6-12.
Ontario reports 3,270 new COVID-19 cases as hospitalizations near 1,200
January 4, 2020
Ontario reported another 3,270 cases of COVID-19 on Monday, as the seven-day average of daily cases approaches 3,000 for the first time. The new cases include 917 in Toronto, 581 in Peel Region, 389 in York Region, 246 in Windsor-Essex, 131 in Ottawa, 126 in Waterloo Region and 122 in Durham Region.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/covid-19-ontario-january-4-2021-update-1.5860482
Vaccine rollout picks up speed in First Nations across Canada
January 3, 2021
The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine has begun to arrive in First Nations across the country as the pandemic’s second wave continues to batter many remote Indigenous communities.
https://globalnews.ca/news/7552690/vaccine-rollout-picks-up-speed-in-first-nations-across-canada/
Phase one of COVID-19 vaccine rollout to include First Nations communities
December 29, 2021
As the province continues to roll out the COVID-19 vaccine, First Nation communities in Northern Ontario will be among the priorities for phase one of the three phase roll out.
Ontario Releases Ethical Framework for COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution
December 30, 2020
The Ontario government has released an Ethical Framework for COVID-19 vaccine distribution which was developed in partnership with the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force to guide further vaccine prioritization and distribution across the province.
How Canadians will know when it’s their turn to get vaccinated
December 30, 2020
With the recent announcement that Health Canada has approved Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, the second being made available to the public, Canadians are likely wondering when it will be their turn to get inoculated.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canadians-vaccinated-covid-19-1.5854325
Neskantaga evacuees relieved to be home, but distrust about water quality lingers
December 21, 2020
More than 250 members of a remote northern Ontario First Nation are back home for the holidays after spending two months in a Thunder Bay hotel following a water emergency. As they stepped onto the tarmac at Neskantaga, about 450 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, some jumped and cheered in excitement.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/neskantaga-2020-repatriation-water-emergency-1.5849643
Ontario should stop playing ‘jurisdictional ping pong’ with First Nations’ water crisis, says NDP MPP
December 22, 2020
The NDP MPP for the region with the longest-running boil water advisories of any First Nations in Canada is demanding the Ontario government become part of the solution. Sol Mamakwa, who represents the riding of Kiiwetinoong in northwestern Ontario, said the provincial government could do more to help alleviate the suffering of communities on long-term drinking water advisories.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/sol-mamakwa-ontario-government-neskantaga-1.5849929
‘You are not forgotten’: Outpouring of support for Neskantaga First Nation
December 23, 2020
When Dawnie Codina Langschmidt heard the stories of children in a remote northern Ontario First Nation pleading for clean running water, she said she had to do something to make sure they knew they were heard.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/neskantaga-water-crisis-support-1.5851514
Announcement naming Mike Harris to the Order of Ontario ‘an insult’
January 2, 2021
Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Glen Hare says that the announcement of former premier Mike Harris being appointed to the 2020 Order of Ontario yesterday was an insult to First Nations people across Ontario.
AFN Heats up as National Chief Role Opens Up
January 3, 2021
One can’t always say that, especially in recent years. For decades, the organization has been criticized for making status quo decisions and electing national chiefs too staunch (see: Matthew Coon Come), too distant (Shawn Atleo), or too cozy (Phil Fontaine) when dealing with the federal government.
http://www.netnewsledger.com/2021/01/03/afn-heats-up-as-national-chief-role-opens-up/
Indigenous rights bill weak, but necessary
January 4, 2021
The case for passing Bill C-15, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, was crystallized last week with Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole’s ignominious remarks sanitizing the residential schools.
Wabaseemoong Independent Nations will have Anishinaabe law on child welfare start in new year
January 1, 2021
After years of community consultations and hard work, Wabaseemoong Independent Nations in Treaty 3 will see its own child welfare law take effect in the new year. The customary care code, which was confirmed at a special meeting of the First Nation in 2017, will have the force of federal law, as set out in the landmark Bill C-92 regarding Indigenous child welfare authorities.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/wabaseemoong-child-welfare-law-1.5854482
Thunder Bay group raises more than $7K for hotel rooms for homeless
January 4, 2020
A working group that advocates for homeless and marginalized people in Thunder Bay, Ont., has raised more than $7,500 to cover the cost of emergency hotel stays for people in need of shelter. The city and social services have worked hard to make sure everyone has a place to sleep this winter, but people are still falling through the cracks, said Cassie Thornton, a spokesperson for the group Warm Places for Winter
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/thunder-bay-shelter-fundraiser-1.5858986
Fort William First Nation maintains COVID-19 precautions
January 4, 2021
Despite seeing no new COVID-19 cases since November, Fort William First Nation is keeping precautions including checkpoints in place – at least for a few more days.
COVID-19 case prompts lockdown in Fort Albany First Nation
January 3, 2021
Fort Albany First Nation has launched a two-week lockdown after a case of COVID-19 was confirmed in the remote community. The First Nation, located on the Albany River off the James Bay, was notified Saturday of the positive case, it said in a release issued the same day.
Nipissing University creates new Indigenous student awards with $75,000 CIBC donation
January 2, 2020
Nipissing University has created new student awards for Indigenous students made possible by a $75,000 donation from CIBC over three years.
Aaniish Naa Gegii app receives positive response from Indigenous communities and organizations
January 1, 2020
The Naandwechige-Gamig Wikwemikong Health Centre and Evaluating Children’s Health Outcome Research Centre at Laurentian University recently launched the Aaniish Naa Gegii: the Children’s Health and Well-being Measure (ACHWM) app for Indigenous children.
New program forges bond between local Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth
January 2, 2021
An innovative program designed to create better understanding between local Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth was going really strong. That is until the pandemic hit.
Twenty Indigenous stories that shaped 2020 — a year of racism and fear, of fighting and hope
December 31, 2020
It was a staggering year, as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold of the world and disrupted our ways of life. Along with the chaos spawned by the virus came rising conflicts between the settler nation and Indigenous Peoples.
In a year of tense Indigenous protests, all eyes turn to federal government
December 31, 2020
As 2020 began, last winter, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled on the case of two Innu First Nations who opposed a mining project that straddles the Quebec border with Newfoundland and Labrador.
Canada: A Year In Review – An Act Respecting First Nation, Inuit And Metis Children, Youth And Families
December 31, 2020
In the previous article on the Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families (“Bill C-92”) the formation, foundations, and overall structure of Bill C-92 was discussed as it related to the legal aspects of child and family services in Canada.
Northern vaccination clinics not likely until spring – Hillier
December 31, 2020
While some First Nations communities in Northern Ontario can expect to receive COVID-19 vaccines in the first three months of the new year, it will likely be April, May or June before most citizens of northeastern Ontario can expect to see vaccination clinics in their communities.
Ontario gives $3.3 million to Ottawa Inuit org to help survivors of human trafficking
December 31, 2020
Tungasuvvingat Inuit (TI), the counselling and resource centre for Inuit in Ottawa, is receiving $3.3 million from the province of Ontario’s human trafficking strategy. The funding will go towards the TI Alluriarniq program that helps survivors of human trafficking and current and past sex workers.
Toponymy, an effective tool to recall the past of the First Nations
January 4, 2021
The movement to give Aboriginal names to geographic locations or streets is growing in Canada. Its supporters hope in this way to partly erase the colonialism of which they were victims.
https://www.inspiredtraveler.ca/toponymy-an-effective-tool-to-recall-the-past-of-the-first-nations/
Wiikwemkoong launches LTC fundraising push
December 23, 2020
Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territories (WUT) has launched the Wiikwemkoong Long-Term Care Home (WLTCH) campaign to raise millions of dollars to build a new facility before its current licence expires in 2025.
https://www.manitoulin.com/wiikwemkoong-launches-ltc-fundraising-push/
Kengewin Teg offers practical nurse training
December 23, 2020
Fleming College is pleased to partner with Kenjgewin Teg to offer practical nursing training to learners on Manitoulin Island. The two institutions recently signed a five-year agreement to offer Fleming’s practical nursing program through Kenjgewin Teg, an educational institute on Manitoulin that provides Indigenous culturally relevant learning.
https://www.manitoulin.com/kengewin-teg-offers-practical-nurse-training/
Sports Series: Former pro hockey player keen to resume motivational talks in Indigenous communities
January 4, 2020
Though it has been about a decade since he played his last professional hockey game, Jason Simon is hoping for a quick return to normality so he can get back to what he loves doing.
Sports Series: McCormick would welcome Buffalo-area coaching gig
December 31, 2020
Cody McCormick would welcome another opportunity to be more involved in a sport he was forced to abruptly end as a professional. But McCormick, a member of the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation in southwestern Ontario, is not thrilled at the prospect of moving in order to land a coaching job.
Rod Phillips out as Ontario finance minister after Caribbean vacation
December 31, 2020
Rod Phillips resigned as Ontario’s finance minister on Thursday after facing criticism over a vacation to the Caribbean amid the coronavirus pandemic.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/rod-phillips-ontario-finance-minister-231156142.html
COVID-19 shows the cracks in public education – here’s how to repair them
January 3, 2020
Does Canada need vigorous leadership in elementary and secondary education, particularly through the COVID-19 pandemic? Absolutely. Are the provinces and territories providing this leadership in an effective and satisfactory way? In some cases, no.
Despite promise of reconciliation, Trudeau spent nearly $100M fighting First Nations in court during first years in power
December 18, 2020
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) spent $58 million on legal services this last fiscal year, two times more than the RCMP or Defence Department respectively and more than any federal department other than the Canada Revenue Agency, according to public records.
‘I can’t breathe, I know there’s something wrong’: Family says Anishinaabe woman denied treatment after surgery
December 27, 2020
Rhonda Gardner was four hours away when her daughter Cheynna called from the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. “She called me, and she was crying uncontrollably and she said she was in such real bad pain and was having a really difficult time to breathe,” Rhonda told APTN News in a phone interview.
Adding civilian services could defund Toronto police by 25 per cent, report finds
January 4, 2021
Ending over policing of Black and Indigenous residents, sending civilians to respond to homelessness, drug use and mental health crises and triaging 911 calls so that only serious ones meet a police response could lead to lower overall social costs and reduce Toronto police spending by 25 per cent, according to a new report.
Canadian military leaves Shamattawa First Nation after providing COVID-19 support
January 2, 2021
The military has left Shamattawa First Nation nearly three weeks after they were called in to help the northern Manitoba community get control of its COVID-19 cases. The military arrived in full force Dec. 13 to help Shamattawa set up and run its isolation centre, and do testing, contact tracing and wellness checks.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/canadian-military-leaves-shamattawa-1.5859639
5,300 Moderna vaccines will go to First Nations communities starting this week
December 31, 2020
Thousands of doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine will be shipped to First Nations communities around Manitoba, starting as soon as this week, the provincial government announced Thursday.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-first-nations-moderna-vaccine-1.5858653
Vaccinating Indigenous people will free up hospital beds, First Nations leaders say
December 29, 2020
Northern First Nations are pushing the province to make Indigenous Manitobans more of a priority for COVID-19 vaccines. “We’re out here making sure that our Indigenous people in the north are considered, and that they are prioritized, because of the vulnerability and the risk that they have,” said Garrison Settee, grand chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-first-nations-covid-19-vaccine-priority-1.5856907
First Nations people with COVID-19 urged to quarantine off reserve in isolation facilities
December 18, 2020
First Nations people in Manitoba who need to self-isolate are being encouraged to leave their reserves to quarantine in alternative isolation facilities, including hotels. Nearly half of the patients who are fighting COVID-19 in Manitoba intensive care units are First Nations people, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs said in a Friday afternoon live update on their Facebook page.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/first-nations-urged-to-leave-reserve-to-isolate-1.5847569
Indigenous health unit at Maniwaki Hospital building trust, community says
January 3, 2021
A health unit at the hospital in Maniwaki, Que., has been supporting the region’s Indigenous population by making those patients feel more secure in the health-care system — something community members say is desperately needed following the death last year of Joyce Echaquan.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/maniwaki-indigenous-health-unit-1.5858830
Kahnawake Native Renewable Centre works on solution to fatal house fires
January 2, 2020
When Montreal resident Gillian Ward heard people in remote Indigenous communities are 10 times more likely to die in a structural fire than anyone else in the country, she decided she needed to do something about it.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/kahnawake-native-renewable-centre-works-110000188.html
Why a cross-country ski program is a ‘northern light’ for Sask. First Nation
January 2, 2021
Sean Lessard didn’t grow up on his home reserve of Montreal Lake Cree Nation, but as the community’s student success co-ordinator, he makes it there often. Montreal Lake is about 160 kilometres north of Saskatoon and like many remote Indigenous communities, mental and physical health for the youth is a concern.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/spirit-north-montreal-lake-cross-country-skiing-1.5819660
What the Mikisew Cree First Nation chief wants to see happen in Wood Buffalo National Park
January 2, 2020
The chief of the Mikisew Cree First Nation wants his people to play a bigger role in managing Wood Buffalo National Park, a world heritage site that straddles the Alberta-N.W.T. border and is at risk of losing its status.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/mikisew-cree-first-nation-wood-buffalo-national-park-1.5857619
Siksika Nation receives its first shipment of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine
December 31, 2020
Siksika First Nation in southern Alberta has received its first shipment of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, and will begin immunizations on New Year’s Day, Siksika Health Services (SHS) announced in a press release on Thursday.
RCMP charge man in death of a woman on First Nation in east-central Alberta
December 31, 2020
RCMP say they have arrested a man in the death of a 29-year-old woman in east-central Alberta. Police say the body of Louanne Martha Cardinal of Saddle Lake First Nation was discovered Saturday outside on the Frog Lake First Nation.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/rcmp-charge-man-death-woman-000911697.html
Former residential school in Lower Post slated for demolition, says B.C. premier
January 4, 2021
A building where locals pick up their mail, look for work and seek government help is a place of pain and fear for those who remember it as a residential school. Some of the 175 or so residents in the Indigenous village of Lower Post, B.C. near the B.C.-Yukon boundary avoid stepping inside, while others have described feelings of lingering tension at having to enter the building.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/lower-post-residential-school-demolition-1.5860223
Atlantic First Nations building geothermal greenhouses to address food insecurity
December 30, 2020
The Potlotek First Nation in Cape Breton is one of several Indigenous communities in Atlantic Canada that is launching a project to address food insecurity using a geothermal greenhouse that can grow produce year-round.
https://globalnews.ca/news/7547612/potlotek-first-nation-geothermal-greenhouses/
Body of First Nation elder recovered on beach north of Tofino, B.C., by his granddaughter
January 2, 2021
After two days of searching, the body of Hesquiaht First Nation elder Harry Lucas was recovered on a beach north of Tofino, B.C., on Saturday by his granddaughter. Kayla Lucas said her 80-year-old grandfather was last seen filling and securing his jerrycans at Ahousaht General Store on Thursday at around 3 p.m. PT, heading for Hot Springs Cove on the west coast of Vancouver Island in his 22-foot boat.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-elder-search-tofino-1.5859390
‘They are jeopardizing our lives’: Okanagan chief calls for change after clashes with B.C. conservation officers
December 30, 2020
The chief of the Okanagan Indian Band says it’s time for B.C. conservation officers to stop harassing his people after several videos and stories have been recently shared on social media of B.C. conservation officers asking members and other Syilx People to show their status cards both on and off reserve.
Inuit medical boarding home adapts through pandemic
December 31, 2020
Casey Adlem spends much of her workday in meetings on the phone managing the delivery of services for the Northwest Territories Inuit medical boarding home. “Things have changed rapidly since March, so we have to stay on top. When they have a new procedure or a new directive, we must change our operations here,” Adlem said.
https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/inuit-medical-boarding-home-adapts-through-pandemic/
Proposed $22B railroad through part of Yukon raising environmental concerns
December 30, 2020
Environmental advocates in the Yukon are criticizing a proposed $22 billion-dollar freight rail project that claims to be a state-of-the-art, low carbon rail line.
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 – Chiefs Forum on Justice
The Chiefs of Ontario will be hosting a Chiefs Forum to discuss the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the provincial engagement on the Commission Safety and Policing Act on January 12, 2021.
For more information, please visit: www.ChiefsMeeting.com/chiefsforum
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 atwww.chiefsmeeting.com in the coming weeks.
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/
