Ontario Regional Chief RoseAnne Archibald Calls on the Government of Ontario to Defer Award to Mike Harris, Ontario’s Former Premier and Complete the Work Under the Ipperwash Inquiry
January 5, 2021
“This announcement of Mike Harris being appointed to the 2020 Order of Ontario has opened up an unhealed wound for First Nations. During the 1995 Ipperwash crisis, the events that took place revealed the embedded, systemic racism that runs within much of Canada. The Order of Ontario is intended to honour individuals whose exceptional achievements have left a lasting legacy in the province, in Canada, and beyond. This announcement is hurtful to First Nations in Ontario” said Ontario Regional Chief RoseAnne Archibald.
COVID-19 in Indigenous communities: 3,290 active cases on-reserve
January 6, 2021
Over 1,000 new cases of COVID-19 were reported on First Nations reserves over the last week, according to the latest data from Indigenous Services Canada.
As of Jan. 4, the federal department reported 3,290 active cases on-reserve, with 1,138 new cases since last week, occurring primarily in the Prairies. An increase of cases in Quebec communities were also reported.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/indigenous-covid-19-update-1.5861999
Ontario reporting another 3,266 cases, 37 more deaths; Quebec expected to announce strict lockdown across province
January 6, 2021
Ontario is reporting 3,266 new COVID-19 cases, with another 37 deaths.
The seven-day average is up to a record 3,114 cases daily, or 150 weekly per 100,000, the Star’s Ed Tubb reports. The province’s seven-day average for deaths is up to a second wave high of 41.9 daily. The reported 26,064 active cases is a pandemic record.
‘It’s a game-changer’: Indigenous leaders encourage communities to line up for COVID-19 vaccine
January 5, 2021
As Indigenous and northern communities receive some of the first doses of COVID-19 vaccines in Canada, Nunavut’s health minister is encouraging skeptics of the injection to roll up their sleeves to keep others safe.
Clean water for First Nations critical during pandemic: Activists
January 6, 2021
Activists in northeastern Ontario fighting for safe, clean water in First Nations communities across Canada are getting tired of broken promises.
After five years and millions in spending, the Liberal government announced in early December that it would not fulfill its commitment to end all long-term water advisories on reserves by March 2021.
Former Ontario Premier receiving Order of Ontario causes upset
January 5, 2021
Former Ontario Premier Mike Harris is among those recently announced as a recipient of the Order of Ontario. The Association of Iroquois & Allied Indians leadership is among those calling the honour a slap in the face to Indigenous peoples. AIAI Grand Chief Joel Abram joins APTN National News to explain.
https://www.aptnnews.ca/videos/former-ontario-premier-receiving-order-of-ontario-causes-upset/
Seven First Nations petition to rescind Order of Ontario given to Mike Harris
January 5, 2021
Former premier Mike Harris’s appointment to the Order of Ontario drew sharp backlash from Indigenous communities across the region, with the Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians slamming the ex-politician’s record as more befitting the “hall of shame.”
‘A catalyst for a movement’: Hundreds don ribbon skirts after Sask. girl shamed for wearing hers
January 5, 2021
A 10-year-old Saskatchewan girl’s life has been brightened by the colourful ribbon skirts of women across the globe after she was shamed for wearing her own.
Isabella Kulak, a member of Cote First Nation in eastern Saskatchewan, decided to wear her ribbon skirt to her school in Kamsack for a “formal day” in December.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/ribbon-skirt-movement-1.5862052
Supporters of girl criticized at school want to establish national ribbon skirt day
January 5, 2021
People came out to show support for a 10-year-old First Nations girl who felt shamed for wearing her traditional ribbon skirt to formal wear day as she returned to school this week in Kamsack, Sask.
Member of Nawash receives Order of Canada
January 5, 2021
A legal scholar with deep roots in Neyaashiinigmiing just received one of Canada’s highest civilian honours, an appointment to the Order of Canada.
John Borrows, 57, was appointed Officer in the Order of Canada by Gov.-Gen. Julie Payette. She named 61 people to the Order of Canada this year, her office announced Dec. 30.
https://www.woodstocksentinelreview.com/news/local-news/member-of-nawash-receives-order-of-canada-2
Potential high-risk exposure to COVID-19 at local business
January 5, 2021
Nipissing First Nation is advising people of potential high-risk exposure to COVID-19 at a local business. This notice is directed at customers and employees of Kana Leaf located on Osprey Miikan in Nipissing First Nation (NFN).
https://anishinabeknews.ca/2021/01/05/potential-high-risk-exposure-to-covid-19-at-local-business/
Childhood summers in Wiikwemkoong led to a focus on water insecurity and climate change for researcher Rachel Arsenault
January 6, 2021
Rachel Arsenault traces her interest in climate change and water insecurity in First Nations communities to childhood experiences in Wiikwemkoong. While Ms. Arsenault was born and raised in Toronto, her mother was born and raised in Kaboni.
For Marginalized Groups, Being Studied Can Be a Burden
January 6, 2021
Marianna Couchie, former chief of the Nipissing First Nation in Ontario, Canada, has witnessed the burden of over-research within her own community. When the Nipissing started a new fishing program on their reserve, the lead in their fisheries department told Couchie that he was beset by interview requests in which the researchers were asking the same questions over and over again.
https://www.wired.com/story/for-marginalized-groups-being-studied-can-be-a-burden/
Outlook: Indigenous infrastructure equity ownership set to expand in Canada
January 6, 2021
Last year, the First Nations Major Project Coalition (MPC) undertook a worldwide survey to learn how local and Indigenous people in other jurisdictions meaningfully benefited from infrastructure projects in their countries and regions.
https://biv.com/article/2021/01/outlook-indigenous-infrastructure-equity-ownership-set-expand-canada
TikTok gives Cree jingle dress dancer a new outlook on life
January 5, 2021
Hundreds of thousands of followers and millions of likes on a social media app are impressive numbers by any standard.
Even more incredible is the fact, 23-year-old Michelle Chubb has racked up those numbers in just one year.
https://www.aptnnews.ca/featured/tiktok-gives-cree-jingle-dress-dancer-a-new-outlook-on-life/
The Trouble with “Native DNA”
January 5, 2021
From the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003 to the rise of private DNA testing companies like 23 and Me, many people increasingly think of themselves in terms of their genes. As Kim TallBear, a Native American studies scholar and enrolled member of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate tribe, explains, this has mixed consequences for Native Americans and other indigenous people.
https://daily.jstor.org/the-trouble-with-native-dna/
Indigenous arts community mourns loss of emerging storyteller Taran Kootenhayoo
January 5, 2021
The Indigenous arts community is mourning the loss of Vancouver-based Dene actor Taran “Standing Sunrise” Kootenhayoo.
Kootenhayoo was from Cold Lake First Nation and was a registered member of Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation, both in Alberta. He died Dec. 31, 2020, at the age of 27.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/taran-kootenhayoo-vancouver-storyteller-1.5862537
Opinion: Five bold steps toward reconciliation with Indigenous peoples in 2021
January 5, 2021
Non-Indigenous Canadians often reach out to me to ask what they can do to help reconcile the mess we’re in. That is, righting the wrongs — or reconciliation — with Indigenous peoples.
There is no straight answer. Fixing what took hundreds of years to destroy is multi-faceted, uncomfortable and won’t happen instantaneously.
Whitefish River First Nation builds four new homes for community members
January 6, 2021
Anyone undertaking new construction in the later months of the pandemic has run into challenges in acquiring necessary materials, with several construction projects going into hiatus due to shortages—but not Whitefish River First Nation (WRFN).
https://www.manitoulin.com/whitefish-river-first-nation-builds-four-new-homes-for-community-members/
Sports Series: Hitting the links a continued passion for pro golfer Tooshkenig
January 6, 2021
There was a time when Steve Tooshkenig was hoping to be one of the world’s premier golfers.
And though he did become a pro, Tooshkenig, an Anishinaabe golfer with Ojibwe, Delaware and Potawatomi ancestry, is now not envious of those who made it to the lucrative PGA Tour.
Suspended sentences for 16 found guilty of civil contempt during 2016 Muskrat Falls protest
January 5, 2021
A group of protesters who were found guilty of civil contempt of court relating to a protest at the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric site in 2016 have been given suspended sentences for breaching an injunction — marking a bittersweet day for protesters who have spent the last four years in court.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/muskrat-falls-suspended-sentences-1.5862083
Trudeau says he’s disappointed by those flouting pandemic travel advice
January 5, 2021
With Canadian politicians being criticized across the country for traveling during the holidays, the prime minister announced stricter travel restrictions on Monday, while the country’s chief public health officer said officials are keeping an eye on the new strains of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Ontario Enhancing Protection for Species at Risk
January 5, 2021
The Ontario government is investing up to $4.5 million to help protect and recover plants and animals that are in danger of disappearing in the province. The funding will be provided to non-profit organizations, Indigenous communities and other groups through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program for on-the-ground projects that help preserve species at risk and their habitats.
https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/59869/ontario-enhancing-protection-for-species-at-risk
Ontario Accelerates COVID-19 Vaccinations for Long-Term Care Homes in Priority Regions
January 5, 2021
The Ontario government is continuing the rollout of Phase One of its vaccine implementation plan by ensuring that all residents, health care workers and essential caregivers at long-term care homes in the priority regions of Toronto, Peel, York and Windsor-Essex receive a COVID-19 vaccination by January 21, 2021.
Mohawk council ‘gravely concerned’ over rising cases in Kahnawake
January 5, 2021
As cases of COVID-19 climb in Kahnawake, a Mohawk community south of Montreal, the council says it’s “gravely concerned.”
As of Jan. 3, Kahnawake logged 12 active cases in the community of approximately 8,000, including an outbreak in one of Kahnawake’s elder care homes.
Former regional chief Morley Googoo charged with sexual assault
January 5, 2021
Two former Mi’kmaw politicians are now facing sexual assault allegations, including a past regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations.
In December, RCMP charged Morley Googoo, former regional AFN chief for Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, with sexual assault.
Opinion: Where is my buffalo robe?
January 5, 2021
When I see the cultural appropriation and identity theft of Indigenous people — the Latimer situation and others like it — it stirs something ancient in me, that resonates deep like the heartbeat of Mother Earth herself.
Fight against a controversial hydro-electric dam ends in the court room
January 5, 2021
The fight against a controversial hydro-electric dam has ended in a court room in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, as a judge sentenced 16 Labrador land protectors for violating an injunction.
‘It lets us down all over again’ says advocate on delay of working group’s advice on MMIWG inquiry’s Calls for Justice
January 5, 2021
Indigenous families and friends of murdered and missing women and girls will have to wait a little longer for Alberta’s MMIWG joint working group to provide direction to the Jason Kenney government on how the province should move to implement the 231 Calls for Justice in the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
Northerners, Indigenous Communities Fear Work Camps Still a Pandemic Threat
January 5, 2021
It was a quiet Christmas in Witset, a Wet’suwet’en community of 800 people. Church services were held online, relatives were told to stay away from family gatherings and social interactions were limited to phone calls and physically distanced baking exchanges.
https://thetyee.ca/News/2021/01/06/Northerners-Fear-Work-Camps-Pandemic-Threat/
Acho Dene Koe First Nation suspends Fort Nelson deliveries
January 5, 2021
Fort Liard’s Acho Dene Koe First Nation is suspending a pick-up and delivery service connecting members to stores and friends in Fort Nelson, British Columbia.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/acho-dene-koe-first-nation-004536012.html
OKIB member nominated as change-maker for helping others, passing on knowledge
January 5, 2021
2020 was challenging for many, but that hasn’t stopped Okanagan Indian Band member Frank Marchand from being there to help and support community members in need. As part of an ongoing series on community change-makers, IndigiNews asked people to nominate those who are having an impact on their community.
https://globalnews.ca/news/7557483/okib-member-change-maker/
Nunavut NDP MP Mumilaaq Qaqqaq returns from leave after ‘burnout, depression’
January 5, 2021
Nunavut’s sole MP says she is back on the job after several months away from work due to what she described as “extreme burnout, depression and anxiety.”
Mumilaaq Qaqqaq announced in late October that she would be taking eight weeks off on advice from her doctor following a housing tour in Nunavut.
Here’s when N.W.T. communities can expect to receive COVID-19 vaccines
January 5, 2021
The Northwest Territories has presented its strategy for delivering COVID-19 vaccinations across the territory in the coming weeks.
The territory officially began administering Moderna COVID-19 vaccinations last week, with the first doses administered on New Year’s Eve at long term care homes in Behchoko and Yellowknife.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/heres-n-w-t-communities-230157068.html
CERB repayment could leave vulnerable N.W.T. residents at risk, say advocates
January 6, 2021
Advocates in the Northwest Territories and beyond say the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), a federal program meant to keep people above water during COVID-19 shutdowns, is now adding to people’s stress.
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/
