First Nations Drum

By Lloyd Dolha

A new agreement will soon provide First Nations students attending schools on reserve in British Columbia with access to quality education programs on par with provincial schools. The Tripartite Educations Framework Agreement (signed in Ottawa on January 27th) promises consistent year-to-year funding for on-reserve schools, plus an additional $15 million annually to help the First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) offer support services to the schools.

First Nations students often move back and forth between First Nations and provincial schools and are the most likely to drop out. Approximately 39% of youth living on-reserve complete high school. Under the agreement, the FNESC has committed to deliver quality education programs and services to on-reserve students meeting standards that will allow First Nations students to transfer to provincial public schools at similar levels of academic achievement without penalty. “Our mandate is to improve First Nations education,” said FNESC president Tyrone McNeil. “This agreement reaffirms our commitment to continue the working relationship based on mutual respect, recognition, collaboration, and clarity of roles and responsibilities for First Nations education.”
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By Lloyd Dolha

Manitoba First Nations chiefs are outraged over a government union’s attempt to challenge an inquiry into the death of five year-old Phoenix Sinclair. On February 3rd, the Manitoba Government Employees Union (MGEU) filed a motion in the Manitoba Court of Appeal questioning the validity of the provincially appointed public inquiry into the tragic death of the child. At a February 6th press conference in Winnipeg, Grand Chief David Nepinak of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) and Grand Chief Morris Swan of the Southern Chiefs Organization (SCO) voiced their dismay at the development. “We have watched as our children have become commodities of exchange in an industry that is more focused on funding arrangements and protecting jobs rather than the rights of and the protection of our children,” said Grand Chief Nepinak. “This latest maneuver by the Manitoba Government Employees Union makes it clear that the union is putting its own interests before the children of Manitoba. With respect to baby Phoenix, justice delayed is justice denied.”

The chiefs say the motion is a delaying tactic by the union representing government social workers designed to prevent the truth surrounding the child’s tragic death from coming out. “As Southern First Nations people, we feel that this is simply a stalling tactic by the MGEU,” said Grand Chief Swan. “The family of Phoenix Sinclair, the First Nations of Manitoba, and the citizens of this province have been patiently waiting for answers as to why this little girl’s disappearance went unnoticed for nine months in a system that was supposed to provide care for her.” Chief Swan said the entire child welfare system is in dire need of review as it has repeatedly failed First Nations children in the province. In Manitoba today, about 80% of the children in care are of Aboriginal decent.
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By Lynn Calf Robe

Skateboarding and photography drives 26-year-old Blaire Russell’s passion. He comes from the Kainai Nation and hopes to become a professional photographer and make a career doing exactly what he loves. His passion for photography inspired his own business: Blair Russell Photography, but he has had an interest in photography since childhood. “I began to see life through a lens,” he says. “I drew a lot of inspiration from different places, mainly my artistic family. I grew to love skateboard photography. My dream job is being a skateboard photographer for Transworld Skateboard magazine.”

Father of two, Russell spends most of his time working not only in the photography business but also in the oil and gas/utility excavation industry. “I work most of the time,” he says. “Unfortunately, photography isn’t my day job.” His recent work includes portraits, which he says he has found “great joy” in creating, and he has aspirations of going back to school to enhance his skills in multimedia and fine arts. His other interests include playing and listening to music. When he is not taking photos, he is probably working or with his kids (one son and one daughter). He currently resides in Calgary.
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By Lynn Calf Robe

Note: Throughout this article Jason uses the term “ndn.” He says, “Some people think its short for Indian, but for me, it means iNDigeNous.”

Jason Eagle Speaker is a self-made graphic novelist, nationally published author and entrepreneur, and self-proclaimed “half buffalo ndn and half salmon ndn” (otherwise known as half Blackfoot and Duwamish) with family ties to the Kainai Nation and Muckleshoot Tribe. He created a business venture that includes www.eaglespeaker.com and a non-profit organization called The Connection. Front and center on his website is the quote, “We’re More Than Just Beads and Feathers,” so I asked what that means to him. “It is a life philosophy I learned when I was 10,” he replies. “It’s also kind of a long story, so I’ll try to break it down. After my grandpa passed away, I was back dancing in front of HUGE crowds at the Calgary Stampede grandstand, just like I had since I was a toddler. This time was different, though. I looked into the audience and wondered, ‘Why do they cheer wildly for me when I am wearing my [powwow] outfit and entertaining them, but ridicule and even laugh at me when I am wearing street clothes?’” He used the phrase as the title of a recently published graphic novella he helped create with McGraw Hill Ryerson, an international education publisher. The book itself is part of an anthology called iLit: Strength & Struggle: Perspectives of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit People.

Eagle Speaker is a natural born businessman, starting his first venture selling Christmas trees and frybread kits as a kid. He also made extra cash collecting bottles at the local powwows. “I’ve been an entrepreneur since I was 7. I was the only kid on the rez running my own Christmas Tree lot every year… the only kid selling frybread kits in ziplock bags. I was also that one kid at the powwow who grabbed the pop can from your hands while you were still drinking it.”
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By Lloyd Dolha

First Nations from across the province voiced their outrage at the Harper government’s open advocacy for the proposed Enbridge Gateway pipeline on the eve of the public federal environmental hearings on the matter—a move First Nations say undermines the integrity of the process by essentially creating a predetermined outcome. “Federal politicians advocating for and promoting the proposed Enbridge project before the environmental review commences puts the entire review process in jeopardy,” said Grand Chief Ed John, a leading member of the First Nations Summit political executive. “We question how the three National Energy Board panelists, who were appointed by the federal government, can fairly review this proposal when the prime minister and minister of natural resources openly promote what they perceive as the necessary outcome?” He added, “In the end, it will be the federal government which decides on the panel’s report, a decision that has apparently already been made.”
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By Frank Larue

“We’re are in a war for our very survival, based on under funding, based on legislative policies of assimilation and legislative policies of the past. We are in a conflict, so clearing the pathways for peace is the proper terminology,” says Gregory Peters, chief of the Association of Iroquois and Allied Indian

On January 23, First Nations Chiefs from across Canada will convene with Prime Minister Stephen Harper in a landmark summit meeting. The Assembly of First Nations has prepared a 71-page document that lists its grievances and demands. “First Nations seek to ‘smash the status quo’ conditions that disadvantage, disempower, and harm First Nations,” states the document. “Moving forward, a shared commitment to full implementation, equity, mutual accountability, and effective joint monitoring and oversight are needed.”
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By Jim West

A Saskatchewan First Nation has launched a $10 billion suit against the Saskatchewan and federal governments claiming it was “cheated out of” billions of dollars of area potash and oil developments. “As a people, we are sick and tired of being cheated out of the wealth that rightly belongs to us under our treaty and Canadian and international law,” said Chief Glen Pratt of the George Gordon First Nation.

The suit alleges that Canada and Saskatchewan denied the First Nation access to billions of dollars worth of potash and oil and gas lands due to government misconduct throughout the First Nation’s lands acquisitions process agreement under Saskatchewan’s Treaty Land Entitlement Settlement Agreement program signed in 2008. The First Nation says that it is still owed land under its treaty obligations before valuable resource lands were disposed to third parties. The lawsuit also brings up the issue of recent development at BHP Billiton Diamond’s underground Jansen mine, located within the George Gordon First Nation’s traditional territory. The Jansen mine project won government approval last year. Both the federal and Saskatchewan governments declined to comment on the case.
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By Jim West

Northern Manitoba First Nations leaders declared a state of emergency on January 11th over delays in the opening of winter roads. The northern chiefs say weeks of unseasonably warm temperatures in early January due to climate change have threatened crucial ice roads used to deliver much-needed supplies such as groceries, fuel, and construction materials. “We declared a state of emergency so that the government of Canada and the province of Manitoba immediately start working with First Nations to develop a contingency plan,” said Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc. (MKO) Grand Chief David Harper. “The governments have to start planning with us today to make sure that housing packages and water and waste-water treatment equipment and other critical supplies are brought into our communities by the spring of 2012.”
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By Lloyd Dolha

The Regina Police Service has been called in to investigate a shooting incident involving an RCMP officer in northern Manitoba. A man identified as 28-year-old Craig Peters was shot by police during a disturbance involving multiple assaults at the Long Plain First Nation near Portage la Prairie early Saturday morning on November 19th. Residents say the officer fired twice and hit the man once in the stomach.

Peters is recovering in a Winnipeg hospital in stable condition. Police said the discharge of a weapon by an RCMP officer automatically triggers a review. RCMP Assistant Commissioner Bill Robinson said that officers from Regina will lead the investigation and no further details about the shooting or injuries suffered by those involved will be released until the Regina officers have begun their work.
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It was a year of extremes, when First Nation entrepreneurs were changing gears and moving to another level, making partnerships with corporations in alternative energy and lumber deals with the Chinese. The support of influential people such as former Premier Paul Martin was pivotal in the founding of Cape, an organization set up to fund Native businesses and encourage Aboriginal entrepreneurs. “We raised $50 million dollars,” said Martin. “Our purpose is to back Aboriginal entrepreneurs.” Some of the recipients of Cape investments this year include One Earth Farms in Manitoba, receiving 4 million dollars, and Coastal ShellFish L.P. from BC and Manitobah Muklaksalso also received investment funding.

The success story of the Lax Kw’alaam Band in BC demonstrates the vision of certain Native entrepreneurs. The band opened an office in Bejing a few years ago, so they could negotiate directly with the Chinese. It seemed a bold move at the time, but this year, the band raked in $40 million in lumber sales. Yuen Paul Woo in charge of public relations for the Asia Pacific Foundation told the Globe and Mail, “There is a lot of ignorance about the role First Nations play in resource development projects. I think we are talking about billions of dollars.”
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