Posts By: Karen

(Ottawa, ON) – Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Perry Bellegarde says immediate and sustained action in coordination with First Nations is essential to fully implement the recommendations and Calls to Justice in the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (National Inquiry) released in Gatineau this morning.

“The final report of the National Inquiry reaffirms what First Nations and families have been saying for many years – we need immediate, sustained and coordinated action to address the long-standing and systemic causes of violence against Indigenous women and girls and those at risk,” said AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde.  “Lives are at stake. We cannot wait any longer for real action and real results to ensure the respect, safety and security of all First Nations at risk, and these efforts must be in coordination with survivors and families. I lift up survivors, family members and all those who shared their experiences. I thank them for their strength and courage in this important truth-telling exercise. We continue to stand with you in your healing journey.”

The final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls was formally presented to federal government officials today at a closing ceremony at the Canadian Museum of History.  The two volume report includes 11 chapters, four overarching findings and more than 200 recommendations.

“There’s no reason we shouldn’t be acting right now and AFN is already working in many of the areas identified for action, including First Nations control of child welfare, the revitalization of Indigenous languages and a new fiscal relationship that will help build healthier and safer First Nations,” said National Chief Bellegarde.

The AFN, together with First Nations, families and other Indigenous organizations, has consistently called for immediate action prior to the Inquiry and during the Inquiry process, and has outlined specific areas where immediate action can be taken to address and end violence.

“I support the call for a strength-based approach that recognizes the deep and abiding love and care that we have for our women and girls,” said AFN Ontario Regional Chief RoseAnne Archibald, who holds the national portfolio for women’s priorities.  “We must always remember that we are talking about people – mothers, daughters, sisters, our children and family members who are loved. These are not just numbers and statistics. I also urge governments to invest funding in Indigenous women for new and innovative programs and services that will create substantive equality for our women so they are strengthened and can live safe and secure lives.”

“We can take action right now while work is underway toward a coordinated implementation plan on the Inquiry’s recommendations,” said AFN BC Regional Chief Terry Teegee, who leads the justice portfolio at AFN.  “We can move on safe spaces and shelters for First Nations women, girls and LGBTQ2S, safe transportation, increased access to day-care and mental health supports for women affected by gender-based violence and all forms of abuse, and improved law enforcement for human trafficking and appropriate supports for those in and out of the sex trade.”

The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls launched in December 2015 with the mandate to look into and report on the systemic causes of all forms of violence against Indigenous women and girls, including sexual violence. The National Inquiry concluded its truth gathering process mid-December 2018. The AFN was a party with standing in the National Inquiry and made its final submission in Calgary in November 2018.

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

SUMMARY: Thanks to the generosity of The Peter Cundill Foundation, VIU is offering three free camps at the University’s Cowichan, Powell River and Nanaimo campuses this summer to encourage high school students to consider post-secondary.

VIU NEWS RELEASE: Thursday, June 6, 2019

NANAIMO, BC: Making the transition to university can be scary, especially if you have never left your community before, or pictured yourself as a university student.

Three free summer camps for Indigenous high school students organized by students in Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) ‘su’luqw’a’ Community Cousins Aboriginal mentorship program aim to change that. The five-day camps, hosted partly at VIU’s campuses in Duncan, Powell River and Nanaimo, will give students that important first introduction to university life and showcase the supports the University offers all students.

“The purpose of these camps is to get students to see themselves at a post-secondary institution, that university or college is an option for them if they choose to pursue it,” says Sheldon Scow, a VIU First Nations Studies student from Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis First Nation and Liidlii Kue First Nation. “We’re showing them it is possible to walk in both worlds – the cultural and the academic. That you don’t need to choose but are able to have the best of both worlds.”

Thuy’she’num Tu Smun’eem: Building a foundation for our Youth summer camps started in 2017 with the goal of increasing the number of Indigenous students moving on to post-secondary. Led by VIU students with help from Elders and faculty members, the camps explore VIU programming and also include Elder teachings, land-based learning, interactive games, beading, drumming and outdoor activities such as swimming, paddling and hiking. Programming follows four themes: the value of post-secondary education; financial literacy and personal budgeting; building a pathway to success; and building a sense of belonging.

The Peter Cundill Foundation has given VIU a grant to run the summer camp program for the past three years. Established in 2012, the Foundation honours the legacy of renowned Canadian investment fund manager and philanthropist Peter Cundill and has an emphasis on promoting the health, education and well-being of young people.

“The Peter Cundill Foundation is delighted to work with the Office of Aboriginal Education and Engagement and VIU students in enhancing the educational opportunities it offers to young Indigenous students,” says David Feather, Foundation Chair. “We hope that participation in these camps will enable them to broaden their horizons and strengthen their communities.”

Amber Crittenden, an Anthropology student of Métis, Danish and French descent who is entering her second year as a camp leader, says the impact on students is powerful.

“A lot of the kids were starting to really consider the opportunities and realize that there’s a world outside of their own community that they can go to – so many of them weren’t even thinking they would graduate from high school when they first entered the camp and by the end, they were asking me about university programs,” she says.

The camps take place in Powell River July 15-19; in Cowichan July 29 to August 2; and in Nanaimo August 12-16. Powell River camp participants will stay at the Powell Lake Outdoor Learning Centre; the Cowichan camp is a day camp only; and in Nanaimo, students will stay at VIU Residences.

Scow says for many of the overnight camp participants, it will be their first experience staying on their own and taking on the responsibility of ensuring they are prepared for each day’s activities, which will make it easier if they decide to return for post-secondary.

New this year is training three participants who have been through the camps over the past two years to take on mentorship roles. Thanks to the Office of Aboriginal Education and Engagement’s exchange agreement with Pitzer College in California, one student and one faculty member take on the duties of camp leader and instructor, respectively.

In addition to funding from The Peter Cundill Foundation, the ‘su’luqw’a’ program has received funding from the Royal Bank of Canada to move forward with the development of shush u’yulh (older brother/sister), an Aboriginal alumni program that aims to keep VIU alumni connected and giving back, completing the circle of mentorship, which also includes the ‘su’luqw’a’ (current VIU students) and squle’eq (younger brother/sister) mentors.

For more information about the camps, email Crystal.Burnip@viu.ca or visit the Facebook page.

Permalink: https://news.viu.ca/viu-hosts-summer-camps-indigenous-high-school-students

Photo Caption: Karlee Drake, left, Sheldon Scow and Amber Crittenden are leading three free camps for Indigenous youth this summer. 

Photo Credit: Vancouver Island University

SHESHATSHIU, NL – Labrador Innu leaders question Mr. Baskut Tuncak, Special Rapporteur on human rights and hazardous substances and wastes for the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner about statements made with respect to the Muskrat Falls Project.

In a report released on Jun 6th, 2019 following Tuncak’s visit to Canada, May 24 – June 6, 2019, Mr. Tuncak directly addressed the Muskrat Falls Project. Mr. Tuncak, however, did not speak with Innu Nation leadership before writing his report – the nation on whose land the project is located.

Gregory Rich, Grand Chief of the Innu Nation, said “We would have expected the Special Rapporteur to inform himself adequately when reporting about human rights impacts of the Muskrat Falls Project on the Indigenous people who are most impacted by the project, the Innu.” “He reports there were concerns that the two First Nations in Labrador were not meaningfully consulted” said Grand Chief Rich, “but he did not even speak with the only First Nation in Labrador.”

Deputy Grand Chief Etienne Rich said, “Mr. Tuncak rightly speaks about the need to consult, yet it is he who has not consulted. Furthermore it appears he has assumed that we did not examine environmental and socio-economic impacts of the project on our people – he is gravely mistaken and his preliminary report must be corrected.” The Innu Nation is the only recognized Indigenous rights holders in the area where the Muskrat Falls Project is constructed.

The Innu Nation negotiated an Impacts and Benefits Agreement with Nalcor Energy for the mega-project following extensive consultation with its membership in both Sheshatshiu and Natuashish. Innu Nation has publicly stated its concern with the recommendation of the Independent Expert Advisory Committee (IEAC) for full soil removal at the Muskrat Falls reservoir. Independent scientific review of the full soil removal option caused 4 out of 6 scientists on the IEAC to not support this recommendation. Its implementation has the potential to cause greater harm to the local environment and local food sources, and it is a risky experiment that might actually result in an increase in methyl mercury levels.

The Innu Nation has written to the Special Rapporteur to seek an acknowledgement that his preliminary report was ill-informed on this matter, as he did not consult with Innu Nation before reporting on other’s concerns and allegations. Nearly 2,000 Innu Nation members (two-thirds of the Innu Nation membership) live near the Muskrat Falls site, a project located on Innu traditional territory.

Kenora, ON — Ogichidaa Francis Kavanaugh, Grand Chief of Grand Council Treaty #3 says now that the Final Report of the MMIWG National Inquiry is complete, the real work begins to start implementing the recommendations to help end a cycle of violence that has claimed untold thousands of Indigenous women.

After three years, hundreds of community meetings and testimonies from over 2,000 Indigenous and nonIndigenous people from across Canada, the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls inquiry delivered its final report to the federal government at a ceremony in Gatineau, Que., today. “The violence against our women and girls does not end because of a report,” said Ogichidaa Francis Kavanaugh. “Real action will occur on the ground, in our communities and with all Canadians when everyone accepts these recommendations as imperative to move forward to protect our women and girls from violence forever.”

Grand Council Treaty#3 acknowledges the work of the MMIWG National Commissioners and all of the families who have shared their touching and often heart-breaking stories with the Commission. There are 231 Calls for Justice and Treaty#3 leadership are supportive of all the Calls and will work with the provincial and federal government, our families, communities and the Anishinaabe Nation in Treaty#3 to implement the Calls for Justice in all areas: justice, culture, media, health and wellness, industry, education, as well as police services.

“It has been a long and painful journey for our families and communities. Treaty#3 families encountered many challenges trying to participate in the Pre-Inquiry and National Inquiry process and were disappointed that an Inquiry hearing was not held within the Territory,” said Ogichidaa Francis Kavanaugh. “We all have an important role in addressing MMIWG and ensuring that the genocide of the past does not continue. This is also a call for our men to take responsibility and action and hold our women in a place of respect. Our children, our youth, our families need us to step up and build a better future; one without violence, one with respect and safety for all.”

Grand Council Treaty#3 wants to extend appreciation to the Treaty#3 Women’s Executive Council in advocating and the hosting of MMIWG Families Gatherings in Wauzhushk Onigum, Migisi Sahgaigan, Mitaanjigamiing and Sagkeeng First Nation. They also hosted the Walking With our Sisters Commemorative Exhibit at the Super 8 in Kenora for two weeks in efforts to raise awareness and advocacy on MMIWG.

Ottawa, ON – The Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) welcomes today’s release of the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), calling it a significant milestone and an important step towards identifying the causes of all forms of violence faced by Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people in Canada.

NWAC wishes to thank the National Inquiry for the release of the report and would also like to honour all the spirits of their stolen sisters and acknowledge the survivors, family members, experts and Knowledge Keepers who shared their stories throughout the Inquiry. Their strength and resiliency reveals a truth we have known for far too long. The truths shared at the hearing tell thousands of stories of acts of genocide against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people that persists to this day.

“We have the right to safety and security. Our women must be treated with respect and dignity. Recognition must go out to the families and survivors who spoke up to make sure this is possible,” said Roseann Martin, Elder at NWAC.

The process of colonization created the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people. The report exposes this crisis that is centuries in the making. It also highlights that discrimination is deeply rooted in policies, practices and laws, denying Indigenous women their basic human rights. This discrimination and systemic violence must end by implementing the National Inquiry’s Calls for Justice.

“The 231 Calls for Justice must be implemented. We must end all forms of violence against our women, girls, gender diverse people and communities,” said Lynne Groulx, CEO at NWAC. “Our families, women, girls and gender diverse people must have their human and Indigenous rights respected.”

As a leading voice on the issue of MMIWG, NWAC is deeply invested in the implementation of the Inquiry’s Calls for Justice. NWAC submitted 61 recommendations alongside implementation procedures to the Inquiry. We appreciate the Inquiry reflecting them in the final report

June 3, 2019 (Toronto) — In June 2009, the House of Commons voted unanimously to declare the month of June to be National Indigenous History Month, an opportunity for Canadians to celebrate not only the historical contributions of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, but also to acknowledge the strength of these communities in present-day Canada.

While the entire month of June represents an opportunity to learn about Indigenous culture and to participate in local events, June 21 – designated in Canada as National Indigenous Peoples Day – is especially important. The date corresponds to the summer solstice and is the time at which many Indigenous Peoples’ groups have celebrated their culture and their heritage.

We encourage Canadians to take time during the month of June to review the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, and to choose, from the list of 94, one item that they can work towards over the next twelve months. Reconciliation is the business of every person who lives in Canada, whether they have just arrived or have lived here for generations.

On June 19, we also invite you to attend our upcoming webinar, Bois Brule and Flower Beadwork People – the Métis experience in Canada, with our featured presenter, Roy Pogorzelski of the University of Lethbridge. Please register for the webinar on the CRRF website.

About the Canadian Race Relations Foundation

The purpose of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation is to facilitate throughout Canada the development, sharing and application of knowledge and expertise in order to contribute to the elimination of racism and all forms of racial discrimination in Canadian society. The work of the Foundation is premised on the desire to create and nurture an inclusive society based on equity, social harmony, mutual respect and human dignity. Its underlying principle in addressing racism and racial discrimination emphasizes positive race relations and the promotion of shared Canadian values of human rights and democratic institutions.

The following statement was issued today by Nunatsiavut President Johannes Lampe upon the release of “Reclaiming Power and Place,” the report on the first National Inquiry into Missing Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada:

“First of all I want to acknowledge Labrador Inuit who participated and spoke during the truth gathering process, particularly those who shared personal accounts of their experiences and those of their loved ones and friends. I commend them for their courage and strength and their determination to try and find a way to heal the wounds caused by this national tragedy so that they can finally move on with their lives.

“Thank you to the Commissioners and staff who spent countless hours throughout this process, listening and learning and compiling this report. The Calls for Justice outlined in the report, if implemented, will help in the healing process and ensure future generations of women, girls and members of the 2SLGBTQQIA community will no longer have to live in fear of violence and persecution. It is incumbent on all of society to stand up and say “enough is enough”.

“To members of the National Family Advisory Circle (NFAC) who provided advice and helped guide the Commissioners and staff, your contributions are greatly appreciated. I want to especially thank NFAC member Charlotte Wolfrey, who is currently the AngajukKâk for Rigolet, for helping to lead the way for Labrador Inuit and for sharing her tragic story.

The final report can be found at: https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/final-report/

Ottawa, June 3, 2019 – In light of the information that was circulated about the final report of the National Inquiry, the AFNQL joins its voice to denounce crimes and physical and sexual violence against First Nations people, and particularly women, girls and people of the 2SLGBTQQIA community. To redress the devastating consequences of colonialism on First Nations, the urgent obligation to act rests first and foremost on the shoulders of the Crown.

Crimes and violence against Indigenous women and girls described in the final report of the National Inquiry are the direct consequences of policies planned and implemented by the Crown throughout history, since the first contacts. The many testimonies on the experiences of family members and survivors of violence are a convincing result. Every crime, every case of violence and every case of sexual or physical abuse against Indigenous women and girls, regardless of where they are in Canada, is unacceptable and one crime too many.

The Chief of the AFNQL, Ghislain Picard, emphasizes that “the Crown must honour its constitutional and fiduciary obligations, and take all necessary and urgent measures to ensure full and complete compensation for the harm inflicted on all First Nations. The debate around the term genocide must not take us away from this priority issue, which lies at the heart of the solution.”

Last May, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights closed the issue by describing the entire colonial experience in Canada, including the large number of children removed from their families, Indian residential schools, missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the correctional system and high suicide rates in Indigenous communities, as genocide, indicating that no other qualifiers were required under these circumstances.

“In itself, the implementation of the National Inquiry represents an admission of failure and powerlessness on the part of the Crown, both Canada and the provinces and territories, to ensure the protection and safety of First Nations people. Let us be clear, although the work of the National Inquiry, including its final report and recommendations, has provided some light and national awareness, it will certainly not be able to resolve, on its own, the vestiges of policies aimed at the extermination of First Nations. The situation requires major changes at all levels, starting with positive and urgent actions. The answer lies with governments, including our own,” said Chief Picard.

The final report indicates a total of 18 “calls to justice” with 231 recommendations, including the creation of a national ombudsman for Indigenous and human rights, as well as the establishment of Indigenous civilian police oversight agencies.

Chief Picard reminds us that every citizen of Canada must feel concerned by the situation and has a duty to do more to eradicate crimes, including sexual violence, myths and stereotypes against First Nations people, and particularly against women, girls and the 2SLGBTQQIA community who are disproportionately affected by all forms of violence.

Despite all the good intentions of the National Inquiry and their “calls for justice”, a huge void and sense of injustice remain for most survivors and their families who are still waiting for answers and concrete actions to move forward on their healing journey.

It should be noted that the AFNQL has made a commitment before several forums to support First Nations women to bring their voices to international bodies, including the committee that oversees the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, so that they can finally obtain justice and respect for their human rights.

About the AFNQL

The Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador is the political organization regrouping 43 Chiefs of the First Nations in Quebec and Labrador. Follow us on Twitter @APNQL

(Ottawa, ON) – Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Perry Bellegarde says immediate and sustained action in coordination with First Nations is essential to fully implement the recommendations and Calls to Justice in the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (National Inquiry) released in Gatineau this morning.

“The final report of the National Inquiry reaffirms what First Nations and families have been saying for many years – we need immediate, sustained and coordinated action to address the long-standing and systemic causes of violence against Indigenous women and girls and those at risk,” said AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde.  “Lives are at stake. We cannot wait any longer for real action and real results to ensure the respect, safety and security of all First Nations at risk, and these efforts must be in coordination with survivors and families. I lift up survivors, family members and all those who shared their experiences. I thank them for their strength and courage in this important truth-telling exercise. We continue to stand with you in your healing journey.”

The final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls was formally presented to federal government officials today at a closing ceremony at the Canadian Museum of History.  The two volume report includes 11 chapters, four overarching findings and more than 200 recommendations.

“There’s no reason we shouldn’t be acting right now and AFN is already working in many of the areas identified for action, including First Nations control of child welfare, the revitalization of Indigenous languages and a new fiscal relationship that will help build healthier and safer First Nations,” said National Chief Bellegarde.

The AFN, together with First Nations, families and other Indigenous organizations, has consistently called for immediate action prior to the Inquiry and during the Inquiry process, and has outlined specific areas where immediate action can be taken to address and end violence.

“I support the call for a strength-based approach that recognizes the deep and abiding love and care that we have for our women and girls,” said AFN Ontario Regional Chief RoseAnne Archibald, who holds the national portfolio for women’s priorities.  “We must always remember that we are talking about people – mothers, daughters, sisters, our children and family members who are loved. These are not just numbers and statistics. I also urge governments to invest funding in Indigenous women for new and innovative programs and services that will create substantive equality for our women so they are strengthened and can live safe and secure lives.”

“We can take action right now while work is underway toward a coordinated implementation plan on the Inquiry’s recommendations,” said AFN BC Regional Chief Terry Teegee, who leads the justice portfolio at AFN.  “We can move on safe spaces and shelters for First Nations women, girls and LGBTQ2S, safe transportation, increased access to day-care and mental health supports for women affected by gender-based violence and all forms of abuse, and improved law enforcement for human trafficking and appropriate supports for those in and out of the sex trade.”

The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls launched in December 2015 with the mandate to look into and report on the systemic causes of all forms of violence against Indigenous women and girls, including sexual violence. The National Inquiry concluded its truth gathering process mid-December 2018. The AFN was a party with standing in the National Inquiry and made its final submission in Calgary in November 2018.

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

June 3, 2019 – Thunder Bay, Ont.

Holly Prince is one of only 20 doctoral students from across Canada and the globe who has received a Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarship, one of the most prestigious awards in Canada in the social sciences and humanities fields. 

Prince is an Indigenous scholar and Anishinaabekwe from the Red Rock Indian Band, Lake Helen Reserve, and currently a doctoral student in the Faculty of Education (Thunder Bay campus), supervised by Dr. Lisa Korteweg, in the Joint PhD in Education program.

For more than a decade, Prince has been working as a researcher and project manager at the Centre for Education and Research on Aging & Health (CERAH), focused on improving the end-of-life care in Indigenous communities with the active collaboration of community members.

Her current PhD work is situated in Indigenous community-based educational research, interdisciplinary in its focus on accessible, culturally relevant, well-being and education services, determined with and controlled by Indigenous people.

Prince has been awarded $180,000 over three years to advance her research into First Nations community-based palliative care education and programs, including funds to promote travel for research and scholarly networking and knowledge dissemination.

“I am extremely excited to have been awarded this honour and to become part of the new doctoral cohort in the Trudeau Foundation scholarly community,” said Prince.

“I feel both humbled and extremely responsible in my role as an Indigenous scholar, to see my own doctoral work as improving the conditions for academic research with Indigenous communities or bringing research back to life or positive repute in communities.”

“The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation (PETF) encourages research that strives to make societal change through academia,” Prince said.

“Being part of such an accomplished and influential academic community will offer great opportunities to move Canadian institutions, like healthcare and education, forward in prioritizing Indigenous peoples, communities and our knowledge systems in research. I look forward to inquiring with fellow PETF scholars and mentors as to how academia can respectfully recognize the importance of Indigenous perspectives in the pursuit of knowledge and ideas.”

Even though Prince’s research is specifically situated in palliative care education in Indigenous communities, she said this kind of work is relevant for all research in Canada, given the “longstanding broken relationships between Indigenous communities and universities and an ongoing inadequate acknowledgement of the value of Indigenous knowledge systems and community-based control.” 

The Trudeau Foundation receives nominations from top PhD candidates in the Social Sciences and Humanities fields from universities across Canada and internationally. About 300 exceptional PhD students are nominated by their home universities, but only 20 in total are chosen after a grueling application process, including flying to Montreal for personal and group interviews.

This is the first time Lakehead University has nominated a graduate student for the PETF scholarship.  

“For Holly to be awarded the renowned Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarship is a phenomenal achievement and a testament to the outstanding quality of her scholarship,” said Dr. Korteweg, Prince’s supervisor.

“It is also a tribute to the pressing need for more Indigenous research by Indigenous scholars and with Indigenous communities. I couldn’t be prouder of Holly and for the national recognition of her Indigenous scholarship,” Dr. Korteweg added.

“For Holly to receive the prestigious Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarship is a wonderful personal achievement and a tribute to her scholarship,” said Dr. Wayne Melville, Acting Dean of Lakehead University’s Faculty of Education.

“As a Faculty we wish her all the best as she pursues her vital research into First Nations community-based palliative care education programs. The award is also a testament to the quality of the Joint PhD in Educational Studies Program here at Lakehead, and the commitment of our faculty members to nurturing the next generation of researchers,” he added.

For more information: