Posts By: First Nations Drum

Indian Relay Catching on with Racing Fans

Posted by on . -- SPORTS

Indian Relay Races have been held south of the border for as long as anyone can remember. Some say the concept started over 500 years ago with the Bannock-Shoshone Tribes in what is now the Southern U.S. States as a way to quickly spread word that an enemy was approaching. 

It became popular at rodeo events in the past but got forgotten for a time until it caught on again in the U.S. in the 70s when it was as an added event designed to put more bums in the seats. It has been successful at that so far. Indian Relay Racing has become such a popular event in Canada that it has been added to the Calgary Stampede’s Rangeland Derby. 

Audiences get pumped up watching our Native brothers ride bareback like the wind and not fall off the horse – most of the time. The race starts with riders mounted on thoroughbred horses that are painted like war horses of the past when going into battle. When the horn blares, they’re off and running. 

The jockey or “warrior” rides the horse for one lap and then leaps off. The “catcher” or “mugger” grabs that horse as the jockey jumps on a different horse that’s being held by the “holder,” and then takes off for another round. This is repeated three times. Due to the sport’s chaotic nature, the field is usually whittled down by a couple of racers in some unfortunate situation that’s hopefully not too painful. 

Siksika’s Blackfoot Warrior Party Horsemanship Film Society is led by Lavina Many Guns. She’s hosted meets at the Strathmore Rodeo grounds for the past seven years as part of a Canada Day event. Judging by the increasing number of fans, the sport is having some success at attracting locals and out-of-towners. 

This year’s happening was another well attended affair. Eight teams competed in three heats over two days of competition. The first day went well with the weather cooperating. Sunday started off sunny with clear skies that lasted until the Lady Warrior Race was finished. Then the wind and rain practically cleared the bleachers just as the Indian Relay Races were about to begin. 

But these are tough, prairie country folks, so the show went on with the Pretty Young Man racing team coming out on top in the relay event’s final race. Special guest Eugene Brave Rock, who played the Chief in the movie Wonder Woman, dressed in warrior regalia for Sunday’s finals. 

The Calgary Stampede hosted the Indian Relay Races for five days after the 9th heat of the Rangeland Derby. The Grandstand show followed the Chuckwagon races, which normally is the time when the crowd takes a bathroom break or goes to get another brewsky. With the Indian Relay Races about to begin, not many people left their seats as the event proved to be too good to miss. 

The warriors had one heat each night to entertain the crowd and ride for day money. The first night’s race was won by Team Old Sun from Siksika Nation, but not without some wild exchanges due to the switching area being too small for the transfer of horses. Monday’s race was won by Team Anatapsi – “cutie” in Siksika language – from the Piikuni Nation in Southern Alberta. I was not able to make it for Tuesday’s performance. Wednesday’s race was won by Young Money. In Thursday’s finals, Siksika’s Team Old Sun, jockeyed by Cody Big Tobacco, led for the final two laps. Despite a late charge by Thunder Beings and Young Money, Cody managed to hang on and win for Team Old Sun by about four horse lengths.

Tyrone Potts of Piikuni is the organiser for the stampede races and was very happy with the team’s performances. Asked if the Indian Relay Races could be expanded to two or three events, Potts said he was hopeful. Though the stampede is already quite a large event, the more exposure Indian Relay Races gets, the better. 

Interest is growing in attending Indian Relay Racing as a stand-alone event. Beside the Strathmore and Calgary events, a meet was organised by June Many Grey Horses and held in Lethbridge on July 16 and 17. Dexter Bruised Head of the Canadian Indian Relay Racing Association produced meets in Maple Creek Saskatchewan on July 18, and Kainai held a two-day event on July 20 and 21. The finals will be held at the Century Downs Race track in Calgary over Labour Day weekend. Hosted by the Canadian Indian Relay Racing Association (CIRRA), it should be a good indicator of the interest level from non-Native racing fans. 

If the sport can survive for approximately the past 80 years in the U.S. and then move north of the border, it has potential to become mainstream in the near future. This should be welcomed good news to the young people of Turtle Island because it give us pride in an event that could be a unifying force amongst our Indigenous communities. Teams that competed in Strathmore and Calgary included names like Morning Rider, Running Wolf, Little Buffalo Stone, Young Money, Sioux Foot, Anatapsi, Thunder Beings, Pretty Young Man Racing, and Team Old Sun. 

I asked riders what motivates them to participate in such a dangerous sport, and they said the sport makes them feel proud of who they are and it is another opportunity to help steer our young people in a positive direction – something that has been missing in our communities for far too long. Horse culture was introduced by Europeans. It is one aspect of European culture that Natives quickly became equal or better at, and that’s something that can never be taken away from us. 

Bringing Trades to the People

Posted by on . -- BUSINESS

Trades programs are coming to Indigenous people in unique ways, from unions and workers associations, to mobile schools and government outreach.

Alternative education to postsecondary institutions can be vital to gaining employment. According to Statistics Canada, Aboriginal people who completed postsecondary education had an employment rate of over 75%, but those with less than high school were at a rate of just over 40%.

The Indigenous population is the fastest growing in Canada – and that translates into more need of representation in the workforce. Over the next decade, of those aged 25-64, the Indigenous labour force will grow four times more than those who aren’t Indigenous.

Skilled trades and apprenticeships are becoming more tailored to Indigenous communities. Some outreach programs are literally coming to their doorsteps.

The Nicola Valley Institute of Technology has two campuses in Merritt and Vancouver, but it offers a third option for learning. Their Bridging to Trades program brings two 53’ mobile trailers around the province for a 12-week, pre-foundational training in one of four trades. 

The idea is to introduce skills in electrical work, plumbing/pipefitting, machining, and welding before a student decides if they want to continue on that path and go to a trade school. 

Dr. John Chenoweth, Associate Vice-President, says the program has been going strong for 10 years. They’ve visited around 45 to 50 communities around the province and complete 60 hours in each trade, plus 60 hours of employment readiness.

“The biggest things we want to achieve out of this, is a lot of these students probably haven’t graduated from high school,” he says. “They probably don’t have a thought in their mind that they have the ability to to those things.”

Chenoweth says the one of the neat things about the program is that some of their instructors also haven’t finished high school, but they have 30 to 40 years in successful careers as tradespeople.

He says even the students who don’t end up going into the trades still come out of the program with skills and a confidence they didn’t have before.

“One of the most positive things we see is students say, yeah, I’ve learned that I don’t want to be a tradesperson, but I didn’t realize I was such a good student at math. Maybe I want to go into business, or get my grade 12 and become a teacher,” he says. “It’s almost like an awakening program for students who feel like, I can do anything. That’s what that program does, ultimately.”

WOMEN ENTER THE WORKFORCE

In 2016, Canadore College in North Bay, Ontario announced its Aboriginal Women in the Trades program. Women will participate for 12 weeks and learn on of four trades: electrical, plumbing, construction, or carpentry. 

The program is unique: tuition is free. The Ontario Poverty Reduction Fund partnered with community members so women receive training, materials, and bus passes to remove any barriers to participating. 

The certificate program has a cultural foundation, using holistic approaches to learning and academic support. 

Judy Manitowabi, Manager of the First Peoples’ Centre at Canadore, said that increasing these women’s capacity for skilled labour lays a positive foundation for growth in Indigenous communities

“This is intended to be an introduction to help women find the path best suited to them,” she said in a school statement. “Upon completion, they will have basic skills to rely upon, but they will also be qualified to further their education in the skilled trades at the postsecondary or apprenticeship level.”

FEDERAL PROGRAMS LEND A HAND 

The Government of Canada has also invested in making trades programs more accessible to Indigenous people. Last month, the government announced funding for Indigenous apprenticeships in New Brunswick. More than one million dollars will be provided to MAP Strategic Workforce Services (MAPSWS) for its First in Trades Program. 

MAPSWS will open up 18 to 20 Indigenous apprenticeships positions within 14 unions of the New Brunswick Building Trades Unions. 

In Alberta, the Flexibility and Innovation in Apprenticeship Technical Training (FIATT) program funded a welding program in partnership with Red Deer College and the Montana First Nation. Starting in 2018, it will teach 50 Indigenous apprentices from rural communities to become certified welders. 

Rhonda Stangeland, Project Coordinator of FIATT at Red Deer College, said the partnership has allowed students to explore new career pathways.

“The project combined the use of a redesigned curriculum delivery model and learning technologies to prepare 50 Aboriginal learners for a career in welding,” she said in a press statement. “Now many of them have completed their technical training and are on their way to finding jobs in their chosen trades.”

Indian Resource Council has large presence and receives strong support at the 51st Annual Global Petroleum Show

Posted by on . -- BUSINESS

The Indian Resource Council (IRC) hosted the Indigenous Energy Pavilion (IEP) at this year’s 51st Annual Global Petroleum Show (GPS) in Calgary, Alberta.  The Global Petroleum Show is North America’s Leading Energy Event with over 51,000 attendees from 115 Countries.  The IEP was the gathering place of over 200+ First Nations represented organizationally and 40+ First Nation companies during the 3 day event.

The IRC held a 3 day conference within the Indigenous Energy Pavilion that featured talks around Traditional Knowledge and History, Engagement with First Nations, Hiring of Indigenous talent, Information sessions on Bill C48 and Bill C69, Upcoming changes to the regulations in the Indian Oil and Gas Act, presentations from IEP participating companies, and more.

Indigenous companies participating in this year’s pavilion included BitCrude, Circle for Aboriginal Relations Society, D Jean Enterprises Inc., Top Notch Oilfield Contracting, Indian Oil and Gas Canada, Indian Resource Council, Ermineskin Resource Development Inc., Heart Lake Group of Companies, Total Containment Inc., Spirit Staffing Inc., Comec Energy Services/Genmec ACL, Cold Lake First Nations, and First Nations Major Projects Coalition.  

The IRC held meetings with numerous trade commissioners during the event who are keen on doing business with First Nations across the country, contact our office for more information.

The IRC was host to the Young GPS program, which provided youth with information on Indigenous communities participation in responsible energy development. IRC demonstrated to multiple groups how its members are making the energy industry more sustainable by applying real world solutions for real world challenges.

The IRC was nominated in the category of Indigenous excellence at the Global Petroleum Show Awards Gala alongside companies such as Innotech Alberta, Tamarack Valley Energy, and Project Reconciliation.  This year’s winner of the Indigenous excellence award was Steel River Group from Calgary, Alberta.

IRC President/CEO Stephen Buffalo presented on a panel at the GPS Strategic conference on First Nations-led Projects: A Path Forward, alongside fellow panelists IRC Board Member Delbert Wapass, Clayton Norris – VP Indigenous Services MNP, and Honourable Greg Rickford Minister of Energy – Northern Development and Mines and Minister of Indigenous Affairs Government of Ontario.  The panel was well received with many follow up discussion on First Nations projects.

For more coverage and highlights, follow #GPS2019 on twitter.  If you would like to be part of the energy for GPS2020, contact the Indian Resource Council / National Energy Business Centre of Excellence Office today at www.irccanada.ca

Honouring Dr. Emily Faries In Light of Her Retirement

Posted by on . -- Education

Dr. Emily Faries

Dr. Faries is an Associate Professor within the University of Sudbury Indigenous Studies Department, and has been at the institution since 1995. She is retiring at the end of June 2019. Her contributions have been numerous over this time period, and her dedication to Indigenous education deserves to be honoured. 

At the University of Sudbury, Dr. Faries was a key player in the James Bay project, which helped bring postsecondary education on site, to some of the James Bay Coast communities. She helped build the community support for the project leading up to the first course offered. She taught many of those on-site courses, despite all the travel involved. Her great dedication could be seen by actions such as providing extra help for students on Sundays and helping them with their bursary applications. She knew how to hold students to a high standard and, as a gifted teacher, helped every student reach new heights.

Dr. Faries is a quiet, undemonstrative person in most of her interactions – but very passionate when it comes to education of Indigenous people. Many students, both in Sudbury and James Bay, have expressed great appreciation for Dr. Faries. She has had a great impact not only within the University of Sudbury community, but on a larger scale, as demonstrated by her Indspire National Aboriginal Achievement Award, to name one of her accomplishments. 

We wholeheartedly thank Dr. Emily Faries for all she has done for University of Sudbury students, and wish her all the very best in the next steps of her journey.

National Inquiry Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Report: Justice Has Been Denied to Indigenous Women

Posted by on . -- NEWS

Under Natural Law, every human being is endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights. These include the Right to Life, Culture, Health, Safety, and Justice. Governments have a moral obligation to protect these Rights yet the historical record of governments is one of failure to live up to its responsibility.

This has been the story for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people in Canada since Colonialism’s arrival on Turtle Island. Its negative effect on Indigenous women has been especially egregious. Based on a recommendation by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the central government in 2016 launched a National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). The final report was released on June 3 – June is National Indigenous History Month.

The Inquiry’s goal was to gather and examine evidence, report on the systemic causes of violence against MMIWG, shine an unfiltered light on the crisis, and offer recommendations on how to end it. The process spanned two years and consisted of cross-country public hearings and evidence gathering with testimony by nearly 2,500 family members, survivors of violence, experts, and Knowledge Keepers.

Findings

The denial of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis women’s Right to live under Natural Law began with the denial of the Right to Culture. Foreigners, under the guise of colonialism, stole Indigenous peoples’ land and resources. Targeting for assimilation though forced participation in inhumane programs like residential schools – “A Theatre of Abuse” – Sixties Scoop, and child welfare systems were government-sanctioned programs all.

In testimony, Robert C. said of genocide, “What else can you call it when you attack and diminish a people based upon their colour of their skin, their language, their traditions, remove them from their lands, target their children, break up the family? And that’s the uncomfortable truth that Canada, I believe, is on the cusp of coming to terms with. And it’s going to take a lot of uncomfortable dialogue to get there.”

Canada has denied Indigenous women their Right to Health through forced relocations, denial of food security, forced sterilization, lack of access to mental health services and addictions treatment, and overall interference with existing Indigenous health systems. A Natural Right to Security has been denied by the lack of opportunity in areas such as education, employment, and the failure to provide a basic standard of living.

Justice has been denied Indigenous women through legislation and law enforcement. Métis scholar and activist Howard Adams testified that First Nations “suffered brutality under the Mounties, who frequently paraded through Native settlements in order to intimidate the people and remind the Natives they had to ‘stay in their place.’” He said Mounties were not “ambassadors of goodwill or uniformed men sent to protect” but the “colonizer’s occupational forces” and “oppressors”

The report found that past abuse of Indigenous women by police continues to permeate modern encounters based on a deep sense of suspicion and distrust. Audrey Siegl testified, “Safety and justice and peace are just words to us. Since its inception, we’ve never been safe in ‘Canada.’ The RCMP was created to quash the Indian rebellions. The police were created to protect and serve the colonial state.”

Calls For Justice

The Inquiry suggested 231 specific Calls for Justice directed at media, social influencers, police, health and wellness providers, attorneys and law societies, educators, child welfare and social workers, extractive and developmental industries, correctional service, and all Canadians.

Non-Indigenous Canadians are urged to decolonize by learning the true history of Canada and Indigenous relations in their local area and then celebrate its history, cultures, pride, and diversity. Acknowledge the land they live on and its importance to local Indigenous communities, both historically and today.

Federal, provincial, and territorial governments are asked to recognize Indigenous self-determination and inherent jurisdiction over child welfare, and let Indigenous communities design and deliver the services.

Police, government, law societies, bar associations, and all who participate in the criminal justice system should be required to undergo mandatory intensive and periodic training in the area of Indigenous cultures and histories.

Police agencies are asked to teach their recruits about the dark history of police oppression and genocide of Indigenous; anti-racism and anti-bias training; and culture and language training. The training must not be pan-Indigenous and instead focus on the land and people being served.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Report: MMIWG-FFADA.ca.

Here’s your degree, what next?

Posted by on . -- Education

Shelly Moore-Frappier
Photos courtesy of Laurentian

Students Encouraged to Utilize Indigenous Resources Post-Graduation

As college students prepare for graduation, the future can often seem uncertain, if not ominous.

Colleges and universities across Canada are trying to subvert those fears by providing employment guidance and preparing them mentally for the transition from dorms to the eight hour workday.

Universities Canada reported in 2017 that within its 96 member schools, 86 per cent provided support systems specifically for Indigenous students. Those included peer mentorships and academic counselling.

Over one-third of the member schools had transition programs for their students.

Shelly Moore-Frappier is director of the Indigenous Sharing and Learning Centre at Laurentian University in Sudbury, which opened in 2017. She says around 1100 students identify as Indigenous at Laurentian, which houses one of the oldest Indigenous Studies programs in the country.

Moore-Frappier says it’s important for students to remember that as they prepare for graduation, the support systems don’t stop. They offer opportunities such as career fairs, resume writing, and one-on-one transition work.

It can be intimidating for students to enter into the workforce after college, and Moore-Frappier says Indigenous students especially have hurdles to overcome as they graduate.

Her advice? It comes down to relationships.

“I think that students who use our center have a strong relationship with many, or sometimes one or two people in the center, which can really help them in finding careers because number one, it’s networking,” she says. “Number two, it’s about that sense of support, that cheerleader on their side.”

Photos courtesy of Laurentian

Provincial and Federal Programs Reach Out To Youth

Indigenous Services Canada provides several programs for youth entering the workforce. They invested around $100 million over three years, starting in 2017, for their First Nations and Inuit Skills Link and Summer Work Experience programs.

The Skills Link Program is available to Indigenous youth, from 15 to 30 years old, enter the labour market, develop “employability skills” such as problem-solving and teamwork, as well as giving wage subsidies for work experience or mentorships.

Many provinces provide direct support for Indigenous peoples.

Manitoba developed employment “action plans” over the years, developed with Indigenous people and educational stakeholders. Their 2008-2011 action plan, titled Bridging Two Worlds, works to educate, train, and employ Indigenous peoples. Their goal was to provide “meaningful participation” in the labour market, increasing the province’s representation in the workforce, with a specific focus on youth employment.

Millennial Skills Put To Work

The computer skills that are inherent in college-aged youth can come in extremely handy.

Employers have recognized the growing demographic of Indigenous youth and create specific digital opportunities.

Job boards such as Aboriginal Job Board and Careers Indigenous Link showcase job opportunities across the country, searchable by trade and location.

Schools also encourage students to stay connected as alumni, even if they’ve found work after graduation. The University of British Columbia provides an entire alumni resource guide on their site, including a LinkedIn group, involvement opportunities, and alumni perks.

Moore-Frappier says her centre often posts to social media for job opportunities. She says it’s important that if students begin to doubt themselves and their abilities, places like Indigenous students centres can help them navigate that mental transition.

“Don’t be afraid to reach out to your student centers, even if you don’t have a relationship with them,” she advises. “You can reach back and say, oh I need help finding a job, or they can tweak their interviewing skills, their resume. All those things we’re here to support and help them be successful.”

2019 BC Indigenous Business Award Program Calls for Nominations

Posted by on . -- Today's News

VANCOUVER – BC Achievement Foundation has launched its 2019 Call for Nominationsfor the eleventh annual Indigenous Business Award program. Nominations are encouraged from throughout the province and will showcase business excellence in the following categories: Young Entrepreneur, Business Partnerships, Community-Owned and Business of the Year awards for one-to-two-people, three-to-10-people, and enterprises with 10-or-more people.
 

As the program enters decade number two, its alumni boasts 76 small, medium and large-size businesses, 32 community owned enterprises, 21 successful young entrepreneurs, 23 partnerships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous businesses along with 13 award of distinction recipients.  An independent jury panel evaluates the nominations guided by the viability, success, and competitiveness of the business. Awardees will be celebrated at a gala presentation ceremony on October 17, 2019 in Vancouver. 
 
2018 Awardee Aunalee Boyd of Ay Lelum House of Fashion believes that winning the award plays a role in their ongoing success and for that, they are very grateful. The Indigenous Business Award program is a key platform for connections and positive change and the theme for the 2019 program is cultivating innovation.  


The award program is made possible thanks to a partnership with the Province of British Columbia and the program’s generous sponsors: New Relationship Trust, TD, Teck, BC Hydro, CN, Enbridge, Encana, FortisBC, Vancity, and Western Forest Products. 
 

For further information, please visit: bcachievement.com and Nominate Nowon line! The deadline for nominations is Friday, June 28, 2019 – BE PART OF IT – .

Courtesy of BC Achievement Foundation.
 

Siksika Nation Enters Cannabis Business

Posted by on . -- BUSINESS

The sky hasn’t fallen and civil society hasn’t collapsed since Canada ended its national cannabis prohibition in October 2018. Contrary to the warnings by drug warriors, cannabis decriminalization and government regulation has resulted in economic opportunity and empowerment and is generating additional revenue needed to better finance important tribal programs.

Siksika Nation is the latest First Nation to stake a claim in the Green Rush. Via a 50/50 partnership with Kelowna BC-based Frozen Penguin Medical Industries, construction is set to begin this fall on a 25,000 sq. ft. cannabis cultivation and processing facility.  Involved with cannabis production since 2013, Frozen Penguin brings invaluable experience to the partnership. Reefer grown at the facility will exclusively help supply Health Canada and none will be diverted for recreational resale at a dispensary.

When complete, the building will be the first purpose-built cannabis production facility constructed on Indigenous land in Canada, according to Siksika Resource Development Ltd. CEO Tom Many Heads. The facility will be located in the same industrial park as SRDL headquarters. Siksika Construction, the construction arm of Siksika Resource Development Ltd. (SRDL), will be given the honour of helping build the infrastructure and erect the structure. No figures are available on the number of construction jobs that will be created, but 50 full-time positions for Siksika Nation members to staff the facilities’ day-to-day cultivation operation will be needed.

The plan is to produce five crop rotations per year that are expected to bring Siksika Nation coffers up to $15 million annually. The band intends to spend the money on social programs like housing and combating the opioid crisis – a catastrophe that is especially hard on Canadian Indigenous communities where many of our young people are succumbing to the deadly outcome of addiction.

The warehouse-type structure will contain a number of grow rooms. Frozen Penguin is working on a new system developed by RotoGro where plants are grown in a barrel-shaped planter and fertilized using a rotating motion. Barrels provide approximately 3.14 times additional grow area when compared to a bed, and this system can increase the yield by as much as twelve times the floor space of a traditional facility. For twelve months, Frozen Penguin has been testing the system at their Kelowna facility, and according to RotoGro CEO Adam Clode, they’re “getting exceptional yields.”

The RotoGro system will help Siksika Nation set the price they need to sell at to stay competitive and turn a profit. That would be good news for Siksika First Nation. According to Roland Bellerose, an advocate for Indigenous participation in the pot business, pricing for recreational sales are quite high and may not be sustainable. “What happens when a country like Columbia starts selling their product at 60 cents a gram?” asks Bellerose.

Siksika Nation’s decision to grow Mary Jane follows that of the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation, who in 2018 retrofitted an 84,000 sq. ft. former bottling plant located on their land and began producing medical and recreational weed. Akwesasne’s pot business is 100 percent band owned and has 75 employees. Business has been good and the band plans to expand to a 100,000 sq. ft. facility in the near future.

Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN), located next to The Pas in Manitoba, is another First Nation community that’s gotten into the weed business. They partnered with National Access Cannabis (NAC), in a 51/49 company ownership split. OCN and NAC focus on the recreational segment of the business and sell their products in NAC’s Meta Cannabis Supply Co. stores. They recently opened a dispensary in the OCN providing jobs for 12 Opaskwayak.

Siksika’s goal is for 100 percent ownership. Though branching out and joining the recreational-use dispensary sector in the future is a possibility, for now they want to learn, develop, and perfect the medicinal cannabis business one step at a time.

Frozen Penguin is in the process of a name change to comply with Health Canada’s strict rules against using animal names to promote products such as cannabis.

Indigenous Groups Contend Over Buying 51% Majority Stake in Trans Mountain

Posted by on . -- Environment

Indigenous groups continue to battle over the contentious issue of investing in the Trans Mountain Pipeline.

Last March, an Indigenous group called Project Reconciliation proposed buying a 51% stake in the Trans Mountain Pipeline. The group, composed of Indigenous communities from B.C., Alberta, and Saskatchewan, said buying a majority stake will help to alleviate poverty and gain control of possible environmental risks of the pipeline.

In an op/ed for The Province, they said neither Indigenous people nor Canadian taxpayers will have to procure the money. They offer to raise the $7.6 billion required through a bond issue underwritten by shipper contracts

They also make assurances that Indigenous people will hold no liability, quoting that the Trans Mountain Pipeline will cover that with their own insurance. The group stresses that buying a majority stake will provide a voice for Indigenous communities in pipeline decisions.

“It is critical that we as Indigenous leaders and communities play a significant role in ensuring that this work is carried out responsibly and sustainably,” the group said in the article. “We are asking Indigenous communities to carefully consider how a majority ownership of, and full participation in, a major Canadian resource development project could improve their people’s current and future prospects.”

In strong opposition is the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs (UBCIC), who critiqued the buyout in a response letter. Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, alongside secretary-treasurer Chief Judy Wilson, argue several points. They write that the pipeline is not as profitable as is promised, the oil economy is unstable, and many First Nations still oppose the pipeline, which can cause more delays and more investment.

“We urge you to … carefully consider the enormous environmental, social, legal, and political ramifications before committing to this project,” they wrote.

Another group led by Chief Michael LeBourdais of the Whispering Pines/Clinton Indian Band wants more First Nations to get on board. His band is one of the 43 First Nations that have signed mutual benefits agreements with Trans Mountain, totalling around $400 million.

He says First Nations have no power or oversight in the current climate.

“The old way of thinking is dependency, looking to Ottawa or somebody else for your livelihood,” he explains of his letter. “I want my own people looking after themselves. I want my children, my grandchildren looking after themselves. That’s who we’re doing this for.”

LeBourdais would like to see the proposal in front of Ottawa by the end of June.

The Squamish Nation has long been a strong and vocal opponent to the pipeline. Khelsilem, elected councillor and spokesperson for the Squamish Nation, says his nation is worried about the potential for Indigenous involvement.


“We continue to have great concerns around the pipeline and its impact to our territory, water, economy, and community, both in terms of safety and long term risk to the environment,” he says.

He says every First Nation should have the self-determining right to control what happens in their own territory.

“We respect the right of other First Nations to make their own decisions and they have to respect ours when we state our opposition,” he says. “They’re possibly entering into a very risky deal, given the future of the industry and the advancement of technology in green industries.”

‘The System Is Broken’ Say Ontario First Nations Firefighters Of Fire Protection In Indigenous Communities

Posted by on . -- NEWS

By Thomas Fitzgerald

Indigenous Fire-Related Deaths ‘Frustrating and Heartbreaking’

Matthew Miller is president of the Ontario Native Firefighters Society and fire chief for the Six Nations of the Grand River. After an early morning fire at Big Trout Lake killed five people, four of them children under the age of 13, Miller said the fact that Indigenous people keep dying in house fires “angers him” and he’s calling out for fundamental change.

“First Nations fire protection in Ontario and right across Canada, the system is broken,” said Miller. “The system requires complete overall reform; that’s the biggest thing that needs to occur.” Miller’s sentiment is backed by a 2010 federal report that found that First Nations residents are 10 times more likely to die in a house fire than the rest of the Canadian population.

Community Chief Donny Morris cited a lack of adequate firefighting equipment and hydrants without sufficient water pressure as factors hampering his crew’s effort to extinguish the May 2 structure fire. The Big Trout Lake fire is not an isolated incident. Numerous Northern Ontario First Nation people have lost their life in a home inferno, including two children and one baby who were among the nine dead from a 2016 house fire in Pikangikum.

Miller says though federal data confirms a higher than average death rate for Indigenous deaths from a house fire, the level of fire protection in a given community, as portrayed by federal statistics, often is not accurate and is at odds with his organization’s fire assessments.

“We would have a list of the First Nation and what they were listed as in the federal database – whether or not they have fire protection – and Big Trout Lake was typical of many of the First Nations we went to…they were listed as having fire protection but when we arrived in the community, they did not have fire protection,” said Miller. “By that I mean…they may have received a fire truck in the past, but unfortunately, an organized fire service was unable to be established.”

Miller says Indigenous communities lack fire protection regulations and legislation, unlike municipalities, which are well governed by specialized risk assessments. “When you treat every First Nation exactly the same way, with a formula, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Every First Nation is unique and they have their own issues,” explained Miller. “A municipality knows their risk because they have a community risk assessment done, they have the data to backup the service level they require for their protection of their community, but none of that exists for First Nations across Canada.”

Miller said First Nation communities located near a large population center generally have adequate protection but the more remote the community, the more likely their fire protection is substandard thus presenting significant risk for loss of life in a fire. “When you’re in a highly populated area…you pretty much have access to every vendor that you would need to do servicing on equipment or access to equipment, or even for training capabilities,” said Miller. “When you get into a remote, fly-in community, the cost alone to have someone come and service your vehicle is exponentially increased.”