Posts By: First Nations Drum

Premier Joe Savikataaq today released the following statement

“On behalf of Nunavummiut, I want to offer congratulations to Natan Obed on his reelection
as President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. His work over the last three years has put the culture, challenges and priorities of Inuit on the national and international stages.

I look forward to continuing our strong working relationship, advocating for Nunavut Inuit. We are stronger together. I’m confident we can use our common voice to ensure fair recognition and representation of Inuit in initiatives like suicide prevention, the Indigenous Rights’ Framework, the Arctic Policy Framework, and improvements to the Nutrition North program.

Thank you for your work so far, and all the best as you move onto your second term.”

News release

The Government of Canada is making major investments in housing in Indigenous communities to reduce overcrowding, improve building quality, and address housing shortages. At the same time, it is looking for ways to accelerate change by providing opportunities to test new ideas, build partnerships, expand financing options, and invest in the well-being of Indigenous peoples.

Today the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Indigenous Services, and the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, announced the creation of the Indigenous Homes Innovation Challenge, to be launched in fall 2018. This follows up on a commitment by the federal government to engage with Indigenous communities to design a challenge specific to their needs and led by Indigenous community leaders.

The Ministers announced that the Government of Canada will award a total of $30 million in prize money for new builds over three rounds. The Challenge will fund creative approaches for the design and construction of Indigenous-led home and community innovation projects for First Nation, Inuit and Métis peoples living in rural and urban communities.

It builds on the successful launch of the Smart Cities Challenge in fall 2017, which attracted 20 applications representing Indigenous communities or focusing on Indigenous peoples.

From start to finish the Indigenous Homes Innovation Challenge will be led by an Indigenous Steering Committee, composed of seven First Nations, Métis, Inuit and urban Indigenous experts.

Each year, a select number of applicants with proposals that require further development will be recommended by the Indigenous Steering Committee to receive support through an Innovation Lab so they can advance their proposals and compete in a later round of prizes.

All proposals must be led by Indigenous communities or organizations and focus on improving Indigenous community well-being. Emphasis will be placed on designs that can be replicated in other communities, among other criteria. The Challenge will be launched in fall 2018 and the call for proposals will be open until winter 2019.

More information is available here: Indigenous Homes Innovation Challenge.

(Ottawa, ON) – The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) has been granted intervenor status in the B.C. government’s reference case at the B.C. Court of Appeal regarding the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project.

“The AFN has a long history of participating in judicial proceedings where our peoples, their rights and traditional territories are concerned. Any decision in this reference case could have far-reaching impacts for First Nations across the country and the AFN is uniquely positioned to provide a national perspective on these potential impacts,” said AFN National Chief Bellegarde. “It is essential we be there and it’s positive that the court recognizes our unique role.”

In April, the B.C. government provided draft legislation to the provincial Court of Appeal asking it to rule whether the province has the authority to regulate and place restrictions on companies that move diluted bitumen through the province. The province is specifically asking if the proposed law is within B.C.’s jurisdiction; if it can apply to substances transported from another province; and if any existing federal law invalidates the regulations.

“The AFN will insist the court consider First Nations’ perspectives on their relationship to the lands and natural environment, and the way these relationships are uniquely and inextricably connected to First Nations health, well-being and our cultural, social and economic vitality,” National Chief Bellegarde added. “The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and free, prior and informed consent must be front and centre in any laws, policies and regulations that impact First Nations.”

The AFN has participated and intervened in many judicial proceedings that raise issues of Indigenous and Treaty rights and other constitutional issues facing First Nations. The AFN, for example, was an intervenor in the court case that led to the landmark Tsilhqot’in decision. The AFN utilizes all avenues to ensure rights, justice and fairness for First Nations are upheld. The AFN pursued for more than a decade its complaint against Canada at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal for the federal government’s unfair treatment of First Nations children in the child welfare system.

The B.C. reference case – Proposed Amendments to the Environmental Act – is expected to begin in March, 2019. The AFN received notice of its intervenor status in June of this year.

The Assembly of First Nations is the national organization representing First Nations citizens in Canada. Follow AFN on Twitter @AFN_Comms, @AFN_Updates

August 10, 2018 | Iqaluit, Nunavut – Investing in local infrastructure supports the unique needs of northern communities. The governments of Canada and Nunavut are investing in modern public infrastructure that will help create jobs, while improving Northern Canadians’ quality of life and contributing to stronger communities.

The Government of Canada delivered the first of two $8.25-million annual installments of the federal Gas Tax Fund (GTF) to Nunavut. In total, the territory will be provided with over $16.5 million this year through the fund.

The GTF is a long-term, indexed source of funding that supports local infrastructure projects across the Territory each year. The City of Iqaluit is planning to put its share into rehabilitating and upgrading roadways and drainage systems to improve road safety and protect the environment. In the Hamlet of Kimmirut, residents will enjoy higher quality drinking water thanks to an improved water treatment system. In Coral Harbour, the funding will go towards replacing the original lighting on the arena with solar panels to reduce energy dependency and carbon dioxide emissions.

Roads, drinking water and community energy systems are only three of the 18 project categories eligible for funding under the program. This wide range demonstrates the flexibility of the GTF in allowing communities to direct their allocations to their most pressing local needs.

Courtesy of Infrastructure Canada

NATUASHISH, NL – Labrador Innu leaders issued an Open Letter today to University of Toronto Associate Professor Deborah Cowen in which Innu Nation asserts that Cowen made false and misleading statements in a letter issued July 31st, 2108, requesting Prime Minister Trudeau and the Government of Canada call a temporary halt to the Muskrat Falls Project in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Gregory Rich, Grand Chief of the Innu Nation said “Not only are Associate Professor Cowen’s statements in relation to Innu false, Innu Nation and our membership are astonished that Associate Professor Cowen has the gall to talk about Indigenous Rights yet she deliberately did not consult with us”. “Her actions are nothing short of disrespectful and arrogant and we want an explanation,” continued Grand Chief Rich.

“Innu Nation respects and values academic freedom of opinion”, said Deputy Grand Chief Etienne Rich. “However, it is clear that Associate Professor Cowen does not have the same respect for Innu and our right to equal consultation or regard for the truth for that matter and she and those who signed the letter could have done better.”

In addition to the absence of consultation with Innu, Innu Nation also said that the statement that the Independent Experts Advisory Committee (IEAC) seconded the 2016 Harvard Study in its recommendation to the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador is also untrue.

And that furthermore, Innu Nation undertook independent scientific review of the measures proposed for soil and vegetation removal and voted to oppose the IEAC’s recommendation based on research that indicates that disturbing the vegetation and soil will likely lead to an increase in methylmercury beyond what is predicted from flooding alone. Innu Nation is extremely concerned that the extensive measures proposed by the IEAC are unproven, having never been done elsewhere in the world.

The probability of increased environmental damage is not acceptable to Innu Nation and Innu leadership say that as their research is equal to that of what has become known as the Harvard Study (Schartup, et al) that they will not risk the health of their people and their lands to test a theory of the magnitude proposed for Muskrat Falls by the IEAC.

The Muskrat Falls Project is in the heart of Innu Nation territory. Innu Nation has been in intensive Land Claims Negotiations for 30 years and in 2011, finalized the Tshash Petapen (New Dawn Agreement) following extensive consultation with Innu community members. The Tshash Petapen Agreement resulted in a Land Claims Agreement-in-Principle, Redress for Upper Churchill development on Innu land and an Impacts and Benefits Agreement (IBA) for the Muskrat Falls Project.

“We never agreed with the recommendations of the political “Make Muskrat Right” campaign,” stated Grand Chief Gregory Rich. “And we did not endorse formation of the IEAC simply to validate the political or academic aspirations of other groups, we expected recommendations based on science and we didn’t get that so we exercised our right to reject the IEAC’s recommendation – as did four of six leading experts on methylmercury and human health – the two scientists who voted for it were previously involved in research that supports the Harvard study so their position comes as no surprise to us.” added Grand Chief Rich.

Innu Nation is asking Associate Professor Deborah Cowen to take responsibility within her academic circles for her ill-informed statements to the media and that she and others who signed onto the Open Letter to Prime Minister Trudeau apologize to the Innu Nation for the lack of consultation and misstatement of facts.

(Ottawa, ON) – The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) has been granted intervenor status in the B.C. government’s reference case at the B.C. Court of Appeal regarding the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project.

“The AFN has a long history of participating in judicial proceedings where our peoples, their rights and traditional territories are concerned. Any decision in this reference case could have far-reaching impacts for First Nations across the country and the AFN is uniquely positioned to provide a national perspective on these potential impacts,” said AFN National Chief Bellegarde. “It is essential we be there and it’s positive that the court recognizes our unique role.”

In April, the B.C. government provided draft legislation to the provincial Court of Appeal asking it to rule whether the province has the authority to regulate and place restrictions on companies that move diluted bitumen through the province. The province is specifically asking if the proposed law is within B.C.’s jurisdiction; if it can apply to substances transported from another province; and if any existing federal law invalidates the regulations.

“The AFN will insist the court consider First Nations’ perspectives on their relationship to the lands and natural environment, and the way these relationships are uniquely and inextricably connected to First Nations health, well-being and our cultural, social and economic vitality,” National Chief Bellegarde added. “The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and free, prior and informed consent must be front and centre in any laws, policies and regulations that impact First Nations.”

The AFN has participated and intervened in many judicial proceedings that raise issues of Indigenous and Treaty rights and other constitutional issues facing First Nations. The AFN, for example, was an intervenor in the court case that led to the landmark Tsilhqot’in decision. The AFN utilizes all avenues to ensure rights, justice and fairness for First Nations are upheld. The AFN pursued for more than a decade its complaint against Canada at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal for the federal government’s unfair treatment of First Nations children in the child welfare system.

The B.C. reference case – Proposed Amendments to the Environmental Act – is expected to begin in March, 2019. The AFN received notice of its intervenor status in June of this year.

The AFN is the national organization representing First Nations citizens in Canada.  Follow AFN on Twitter @AFN_Updates.

Anacla – August 2, 2018 – The Sarita River Watershed is the heart of Huu-ay-aht First Nations and is the most important of the 35 streams and rivers in the nations’ traditional territory.

Huu-ay-aht’s ḥahuułi includes the eastern part of Barkley Sound, a small portion of Alberni Inlet, and the Sarita River watershed, which extends over approximately 190 square kilometers. For generations, the Sarita has served as a source of food, transportation, and cultural value to Huu-ay-aht people.

Surrounded by giant cedar and hemlock, the Sarita River was one of the most productive salmon rivers in Barkley Sound and, since time immemorial, the Sarita and surrounding watersheds have sustained Huu-ay-aht. However, after decades of commercial fishing and extensive forestry, the rivers and watershed in the ḥahuułi have been severely degraded.

By 1997, 62 per cent of the Sarita watershed had been logged, including 97 per cent of the flood plain. As a result, the river is twice as wide as it once was in the lower river sections.

“We have always taken care of the resources in our ḥahuułi, especially the Sarita River because it is the heart of our people,” explains Tayii Ḥawił ƛiišin (Derek Peters). “We can’t forget about its importance just because we don’t live along its shores anymore.”

Huu-ay-aht hired LGL Limited in 2017 to develop a strategy for a Sarita and Pachena Watershed Renewal Program. The goal for the renewal program is to revitalize the Sarita and Pachena watershed ecosystems and, eventually, other watersheds within the ḥahuułi. This may take generations.

“When we logged years ago, a lot of the side channels were affected and, with that, a lot of our salmon habitat was destroyed,” explains Huu-ay-aht Chief Councillor Robert J. Dennis Sr. “Now if you go around touring our land you will see our own people out working on these streams, restoring and renewing that habitat so that our salmon come back – so that they have a place in our rivers.”

He says without the help of Steelhead LNG the Nation would not be able to fund this project, which entered its second year in 2018. Through the co-management of the Kwispaa LNG project, Huu-ay-aht has resources for renewal in its ḥahuułi. He said, in the past, the nation received grant money for some of this work, but much more is necessary.

“We are really kicking in a big effort over the next few years, because I’ve been told we have to do $150-million worth of renewal to bring our salmon back,” Dennis says. “This is an important project for our Nation. It is getting our people working, and it is bringing back our salmon, which is so important to our way of life.”

ƛiišin stresses the importance of using the tools the ancestors taught to guide the Nation in this new world.

“We have to remember our principles and that what we take from our land must be returned from the land,” he says. “This is something we are doing with our own money and by our people.”

Start Date: August 2, 2018 End Date: August 31, 2018 Nunavut-wide 60 sec

The Department of Family Services is accepting applications for community-based projects that promote women’s empowerment in Nunavut.

Projects must take place between October 15, 2018 and March 31, 2019. Community- based, non-profit organizations, municipal corporations or individuals can apply to receive funding under the following categories:

• Leadership skills.
• Employment.
• Economic self-sufficiency.
• Wellness.
• Self-reliance.
• Traditional knowledge.

Please contact Jordanne Amos, Family Violence Project Officer at 867-975-5236 or email JAmos@gov.nu.ca, for copies of the application and guidelines, if you have any questions, or would like help completing your application.

Applicants must provide proof of current standing with Nunavut Legal Registries, if applicable. The deadline to apply is August 31, 2018 at 5 p.m. EST.