Applications for each program will be accepted on a rolling basis and up to 10 awards in each program will be distributed in 2021.
Bill McLennan Masterpiece Study Program Microgrants The Bill McLennan Masterpiece Study Program now offers Microgrants to BC and Yukon First Nations artists who wish to further their practice through the research/study of BC or Yukon Indigenous art and artifacts currently held in the collection of a YVRAF museum partner. Microgrants are for $500 and support virtual collections visits at our museum partners offering virtual visits or in-person attendance if travel to the museum is not required.
Click here to visit the Bill McLennan Masterpiece Study Program Microgrants page and to apply online.
Aspiring Artist Awards
Aspiring Artist Awards are for BC and Yukon Indigenous youth between the ages of 15 and 20 who reside in BC or the Yukon. Aspiring Artist Awards are $500 each and are awarded on an annual basis to youth to support their self-directed work in the visual arts.
Click hereto visit the Aspiring Artist Awards Program page and to apply online.
Please forward this email to those who are eligible and interested in applying. Contact YVR Art Foundation with any questions at programs@yvraf.com or by phone to 604.276.6261.
WHAT: VIU Trades and Applied Technology Virtual Expo
WHEN: Thursday, May 27, 3 – 7 pm
WHERE: Online/Virtual
NANAIMO, BC: Trades and applied technology programs at Vancouver Island University (VIU) can help students enter rewarding, high-paying careers after as little as nine months of school.
Those interested in learning more about which careers may be a good fit can come to VIU’s first-ever, free Trades and Applied Technology Virtual Expo on May 27. The University has 17 different options to choose from, ranging from carpentry and heavy mechanical trades, to culinary arts and hairdressing, to office administration and information technology.
At the expo, prospective students will be able to connect with faculty in each program – and in some cases students as well – learn about funding opportunities (hint: students may be able to get their training partly or fully paid for!) and find out what it’s like to be a student at VIU. Students can also learn more about how trades programs are delivered at VIU’s Nanaimo, Cowichan and Powell River campuses. The event is hosted via Pheedloop, an online event platform that allows users to scan the different program booths and connect easily with those they want to engage with further, much like walking into an in-person conference room.
The idea for the event has been percolating for a year, after an in-person open house event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We had a lot of interest in the event that was scheduled for last spring, so we wanted to bring it back as soon as we could – which is being made possible this year thanks to some new virtual software,” says Jason Lloyd, Acting Associate Dean of the Faculty of Trades and Applied Technology. “Prospective students can check out all the programs in one place, connect one-on-one with faculty from those programs, view a live presentation, get their questions answered and learn more about VIU as a whole.”
Skilled trades and applied technology workers are expected to continue to be in high demand for at least the next decade. For example, the 2019 BC Labour Market Outlook forecasts more than 106,000 job openings over the next 10 years in trades, transport and equipment operator careers – more than 12% of total job openings and one of the top five areas for new openings.
In many programs, students can get paid as they continue their schooling through apprenticeship opportunities, says Lloyd. There are still seats available for programs starting in Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 and VIU staff will be available to walk people through the application process.
ANISHINABEK NATION HEAD OFFICE (May 6, 2021) – Anishinabek Nation leadership is disappointed with the federal government’s opposition to the closure of Line 5 in Michigan noting that this ignores the long-standing cross-border commitment to protect the Great Lakes via the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.
“It is upsetting to see that the Government of Canada will pick and choose which treaties to uphold based on convenience and profit, rather than in good faith for the health, safety, and well-being of all inhabitants of these lands,” states Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Glen Hare. “The Government of Canada is not upholding the treaties made with the First Nations but will uphold the 1977 treaty for Pipelines.
Michigan State Governor Gretchen Whitmer ordered Enbridge to shut down the Calgary-based Enbridge’s Line 5 by May 12, 2021. Line 5 carries up to 540,000 barrels of crude oil and natural gas liquids across Michigan and under the Great Lakes every day. There are five Great Lakes: Superior, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Erie. Together they comprise the largest body of freshwater making up more than 20 per cent of the world’s freshwater supply, and stretch 750 miles from east to west, bringing drinking water to approximately 40 million people and providing a home to over 4,000 species of plants and wildlife.
Line 5, built in 1953, is part of Enbridge’s mainline system, which carries fuel from the oil sands of Alberta to the Midwestern United States and Eastern Canada. It runs from Superior, Wisconsin to Sarnia, Ontario, for the refineries in those regions which make gas, propane, home-heating oils, and jet fuels.
In August 2020, four Tribes (Bay Mills Indian Community, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, and Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi) had been granted the right to participate on Enbridge’s Line 5 permitting process.
The Straits of Mackinac is Bay Mills Indian Community’s home and they have treaty rights to hunt, fish, and gather. Bay Mills is opposing the existing Line 5 pipeline and the tunnel construction project and is being represented by the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) and Earthjustice in the intervener status and legal proceedings.
Bay Mills continues to oppose the tunnel project and Line 5 concerns include:
∙ Impact to Treaty Rights to hunt, fish and gather; ∙ Impacts to the environment: ecosystems, fish and wildlife ∙ Missing women and children – correlation of Enbridge contractors and the missing
“As First Nations people, we have direct responsibility to protect water and a deep spiritual connection with water. Should anything that’s being transported in these 67-year-old pipelines get into the Great Lakes, it would have devastating effects and irreparable consequences,” says Grand Council Chief Hare. “We stand in solidarity with our relatives on the other side of the Medicine Line who are working relentlessly to protect our Great Lakes.
Those in positions of power who can put an end to this environmental threat need to step up and help us in our efforts to protect our water sources.”
The lack of cooperation on this matter violates several United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples including but not limited to:
Article 19: “States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with the Indigenous People concerned through their own representative institutions in order to obtain their free, prior and informed consent before adopting and implementing legislative or administrative measures that may affect them.”
Article 29: “Indigenous peoples have the right to the conservation and protection of the environment and the productive capacity of their lands or territories and resources. States shall establish and implement assistance programmes for Indigenous peoples for such conservation and protection, without discrimination.”
Enbridge vows to continue operating the pipeline beyond the deadline set out by Governor Whitmer absent a court order.
Relevant Links:
∙ Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States of America Concerning Transit Pipelines ∙ Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement ∙ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
The Anishinabek Nation is a political advocate for 39 member First Nations across Ontario, representing approximately 65,000 citizens. The Anishinabek Nation is the oldest political organization in Ontario and can trace its roots back to the Confederacy of Three Fires, which existed long before European contact
ANISHINABEK NATION HEAD OFFICE (May 6, 2021)— The Anishinabek Nation Education Secretariat and Labour Market Development Department are coming together to host the first virtual Migizii Doodem (Eagle Clan) Forum, an online conference focussed on emerging opportunities in education and employment.
The event is open to the 39 Anishinabek Nation member First Nations, and First Nation leadership, youth, education directors, health and social service providers, educators, youth workers, and partner organizations are encouraged to join.
The Anishinabek Nation is determined to continue providing opportunities for personal and professional development, networking, and news member First Nations. Organizers are thrilled to announce that Canadian astronaut and neurologist Dr. Roberta Bondar will provide the keynote presentation on Thursday, April 13.
“We want to remind our people, our young people, that things may be strange and different now, but there is a future, and we want everyone to be invested in it, in learning, in knowing, in being connected to where we’ve come from and where we can go,” says Polly Bobiwash, Director of Labour Market Development Department. “It’s different, but it’s exciting.”
Honourable Leonard S. Mandamin – Indigenous Justice Dr. Alan Corbiere – Anishinaabemowin, Culture and Treaties
Anishinabek Nation Head Getzit Nmishomis Gordon Waindubence – Migizii Doodem Teachings Joe Pitawanakwat – Land-Based Learning
Dr. Brenda Restoule – Student Mental Health & Well-Being
Laurie Faith, Brittany Burek, and Taisley Isaac – Virtual Learning Supports
Canadian Steamship Lines – Employment Opportunities
WHERE: Hosted via Zoom. Register in advance: https://anishinabek.live/ WHEN: May 11-13, 2021 1 pm to 4:30 pm
Media is invited to attend the Forum to observe presentations and discussion.
Note: Interviews will be coordinated upon request. Media will be required to identify by name and news organization within chat space upon login and remain on mute.
The Anishinabek Nation is a political advocate for 39 member First Nations across Ontario, representing approximately 65,000 citizens. The Anishinabek Nation is the oldest political organization in Ontario and can trace its roots back to the Confederacy of Three Fires, which existed long before European contact.
With a living descendant’s DNA sample, a team of researchers have identified the remains of John Gregory, engineer aboard HMS Erebus
The identity of the skeletal remains of a member of the 1845 Franklin expedition has been confirmed using DNA and genealogical analyses by a team of researchers from the University of Waterloo, Lakehead University, and Trent University. This is the first member of the ill-fated expedition to be positively identified through DNA.
DNA extracted from tooth and bone samples recovered in 2013 were confirmed to be the remains of Warrant Officer John Gregory, engineer aboard HMS Erebus. The results matched a DNA sample obtained from a direct descendant of Gregory.
The remains of the officer were found on King William Island, Nunavut. “We now know that John Gregory was one of three expedition personnel who died at this particular site, located at Erebus Bay on the southwest shore of King William Island,” says Douglas Stenton, adjunct professor of anthropology at Waterloo and co-author of a new paper about the discovery.
“Having John Gregory’s remains being the first to be identified via genetic analysis is an incredible day for our family, as well as all those interested in the ill-fated Franklin expedition,” said Gregory’s great-great-great grandson Jonathan Gregory of Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
“The whole Gregory family is extremely grateful to the entire research team for their dedication and hard work, which is so critical in unlocking pieces of history that have been frozen in time for so long.”
Sir John Franklin’s 1845 Northwest Passage expedition, with 129 sailors on two ships, Erebus and Terror, entered the Arctic in 1845. In April 1848, 105 survivors abandoned their ice-trapped ships in a desperate escape attempt. None would survive. Since the mid-19th century, skeletal remains of dozens of crew members have been found on King William Island, but none had been positively identified.
To date, the DNA of 26 other members of the Franklin expedition have been extracted from remains found in nine archaeological sites situated along the line of the 1848
retreat. “Analysis of these remains has also yielded other important information on these individuals, including their estimated age at death, stature, and health,” says Anne Keenleyside, Trent anthropology professor and co-author of the paper.
“We are extremely grateful to the Gregory family for sharing their family history with us and for providing DNA samples in support of our research. We’d like to encourage other descendants of members of the Franklin expedition to contact our team to see if their DNA can be used to identify the other 26 individuals,” says Stenton.
Genealogical records indicated a direct, five-generation paternal relationship between the living descendant and John Gregory.
“It was fortunate that the samples collected contained well-preserved genetic material,” says Stephen Fratpietro of Lakehead’s Paleo-DNA lab, who is a co-author.
Prior to this DNA match, the last information about his voyage known to Gregory’s family was in a letter he wrote to his wife Hannah from Greenland on 9 July 1845 before the ships entered the Canadian Arctic.
This latest discovery helps to complete the story of the Franklin victims, says Robert Park, Waterloo anthropology professor and co-author. “The identification proves that Gregory survived three years locked in the ice on board HMS Erebus. But he perished 75 kilometers south at Erebus Bay.”
The remains of Gregory and two others were first discovered in 1859 and buried in 1879. The grave was rediscovered in 1993, and in 1997 several bones that had been exposed through disturbance of the grave were placed in a cairn with a commemorative plaque. The grave was then excavated in 2013 and after being analyzed, all the remains were returned to the site in 2014 and placed in a new larger memorial cairn.
DNA identification of a sailor from the 1845 Franklin Northwest Passage Expedition by Stenton, Park, Fratpietro, and Keenleyside was published in the journal Polar Record. The research was funded by the Government of Nunavut, Trent University and the University of Waterloo. Descendants of members of the Franklin expedition can contact Douglas Stenton or Anne Keenleyside.
(Taykwa Tagamou Nation, ON – May 4, 2021) – Ontario Regional Chief (ORC) RoseAnne Archibald would like to congratulate the 16 First Nation communities who were successful in accessing the federal government’s Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) to build homes on First Nation communities across the province of Ontario.
“I am excited for the First Nations involved with this initiative because it will help increase the housing supply on First Nations communities across Ontario,” stated Archibald. “Any addition to the housing supply will help alleviate overcrowding issues and can help reduce the spread of infectious diseases, like COVID-19.”
Seven of the 16 Indigenous communities include Anishinabe of Wauzhushk Onigum Nation, Deer Lake First Nation, Eagle Lake First Nation, Iskatewizaagegan #39 Independent First Nation, Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug, Mishkeegogamang First Nation, and Webequie First Nation. Public details about the other First Nations involved with this project were not currently available.
Delivered by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), under the National Housing Strategy (NHS), RHI provides capital contributions to develop new, permanent affordable housing by covering costs associated with modular multi-unit rental construction; conversion of non-residential to affordable multi-residential homes; and, rehabilitation of buildings in disrepair and/or abandoned to affordable multi-residential homes.
ORC Archibald is happy to see federal and provincial government partners working cooperatively to respond to the urgent need to address overcrowding in First Nation homes by increasing the housing supply as part of their work to fulfill their commitments.
“I am encouraged that all these partners and First Nation communities are working together because housing is a basic human right – home is where we feel safe,” Archibald said. “We hope this imitative will take into account the recent spike in the cost of building supplies like lumber. We look forward to working with our federal and provincial partners on how to mitigate rising construction costs so that we can reach our mutual goal of safe and affordable housing for First Nations peoples on Ontario”
Ninanaskamon!
Wishing you Peace beyond all understanding, Ontario Regional Chief RoseAnne Archibald
Now broadcasted on APTN every Saturday afternoon at 5:00pm EDT – Please check your local listings Read the official release here Series 4 of the COVID-19: A First Nations Health Managers Association Town Hall WATCH LIVE TOMORROW
Speakers: Dr. Suzanne Shoush, Family Physician, Indigenous Health Lead Department of Family and Community Medicine U of T Marcie Auger Planning Section Chief – Operation Remote Immunity; Critical Care Paramedic – Ornge Ottawa Leila Gillis RN MN – A/Director General & Chief Nursing Officer, Office of Primary Health Care, FNIHB, Indigenous Services Canada Hosted & Moderated by Marion Crowe, CEO, FNHMA Watch the LIVE broadcast on Indigenous Health Today every Wednesday Available in French & English Rebroadcasted on APTN Saturday afternoon at 5:00pm EDT French & English translations provided – English: www.ihtoday.ca/townhall French: www.ihtoday.ca/townhall-french
(BIGHORN COUNTY, MONTANA) – Say Her Name, a new documentary film, premieres Wed., May 5 on “Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women(MMIW) Awareness Day.” The film was produced to bring awareness of the 86% of Montana’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous People’s cases that remain unsolved. They are also being ignored by local authorities and not getting the media attention they deserve.The film is directed by Rain who served on President Joe Biden’s Indigenous Policy Committee and recently made recommendations for the President and Vice President Harris on the MMIW crisis. Say Her Name will be available online, free of charge. The trailer can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psUA5jCuOgg
Say Her Name indicates that some of the murders are due to the connection of the methamphetamine trade and human trafficking that is rampant in the region, conducted beneath the dark cape of organized crime. The film explores if it is incompetence or corruption at the heart of regional law enforcement’s silence and ineptitude.
President Biden has said of the MMIW crisis, “What’s happening to Indigenous women on reservations and across the United States is unconscionable and outrageous. And it is devastating that families are conducting their own searches for missing loved ones. It must end.”
President Biden’s statement epitomizes what Say Her Name exposes in Bighorn County, Montana, the epicenter of the MMIW crisis in the United States. Hardin, Montana, the county seat of Bighorn County, has a population of approximately 3,500. Bighorn County has nearly 50 documented Missing and Murdered Indigenous People’s cases – 27 women and girls and approximately 20 men and boys.
“Law enforcement and the Bighorn County Attorney were provided with multiple opportunities to comment and share their perspectives in Say Her Name. They declined,” said Rain.
Most of the perpetrators of these crimes have yet to be apprehended and brought to justice. Because of the remote location, most cases remain unsolved as the country’s national media isn’t focused there though there are an estimated 240-plus more victims and likely many others due to underreporting.
“The victim’s families don’t have any opportunity to bring their loved ones back. At the very least they are owed to be treated with dignity and have thorough and transparent investigations. Shamefully, that does not appear to be happening,” says Rain.
Say Her Name will be premiered during Native News Online’s MMIW Forum on May 5, MMIW Awareness Day. United States Interior Secretary Haaland is scheduled to contribute to the Forum.
The film is hosted by Coushatta Tribal Member Juliet Hayes, the first indigenous woman to present a documentary film on the MMIW crisis. The Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana is the executive producer of Say Her Name.
Hayes said, “The MMIW crisis is gut-wrenching. It’s sickening to me the way the lives of Indigenous women and girls are undervalued as if we don’t matter. My impression of law enforcement while shooting Say Her Name was a complete lack of urgency. There’s a common theme within MMIW cases: law enforcement doesn’t care, they give excuses as to why they can’t do their jobs, and they leave families to do their own investigations when their job is supposed to be to ‘serve and protect.’”
An updated, extended cut of Rain’s groundbreaking MMIW/MMIP documentary, Somebody’s Daughter, premieres this summer and features a contribution from President Joe Biden who continues to emphasize his commitment to ending the MMIW crisis.
The Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana is the executive producer of both films and has taken one of the most proactive stances on addressing the MMIW/MMIP tragedy in the US.
Wendake, May 3, 2021 – Following the awaited unveiling of the report from the Special Commission on the Rights of the Child and Youth Protection (Laurent Commission), the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL) and the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Health and Social Services Commission (FNQLHSSC) would like to thank the commissioners, particularly the President, Régine Laurent, and her Vice-Presidents, André Lebon and Michel Rivard, for their openness to including a chapter dedicated to First Nations and Inuit and recommending changes to Quebec legislation based on the needs expressed during the hearings. However, the time has come for our nations to determine the future and wellness of our families and children through child and family services that are designed and administered by our own governments.
“For a long time, Canada and Quebec have acted as if they knew better than us for what was good for our people. Clearly, they were wrong. For example, data shows that First Nations children are six times more likely than non-Indigenous children to have their security or their development deemed by the youth protection system to be compromised. Thanks to An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families (Bill C-92), we have the opportunity to regain control over our lives, and that’s exactly what we intend to do,” said Derek Montour, President of the FNQLHSSC Board of Directors.
“We welcome the efforts of the Laurent Commission on improving the application of the Quebec Youth Protection Act but our primary focus, as First Nations Chiefs, will be to continue focusing our efforts on supporting First Nations jurisdictions exercising their inherent rights in child and family services, which includes legislative authority in relation to those services and authority to administer and enforce laws made under that legislative authority,” continued Richard O’Bomsawin, Chief of Odanak, political representative of the regional Committee of Experts and member of the Chiefs Committee on Child and Family Services and Self-Determination.
“First Nations have the right to self-determination, including the inherent right to self government, which includes jurisdiction over child and family services. We reiterate that we will never accept that our rights are subordinated to those of another people, especially when it comes to the wellness of our children, youth and families. We believe
that reforming the legislative framework for youth protection in Quebec, in a complementary fashion with and in support of the governance and laws of the First Nations, is a fundamental matter. We are counting on the full cooperation of the Government of Quebec in this regard,” concluded the Chief of the AFNQL, Ghislain Picard.
LEKWUNGEN TERRITORY, Victoria, B.C……The Province of BC’s Clean Coast, Clean Water Initiative has awarded $2M to fund the Salish Sea Indigenous Marine Stewardship Project, a collaboration between Songhees Development Corporation, Salish Sea Industrial Services Ltd (SSIS) and the Dead Boats Disposal Society. The project will see the removal of 100 derelict boats from the coastal waters around southern Vancouver Island over the next nine months.
SSIS (jointly owned by Songhees and Esquimalt Nations and Ralmax Group) and the Dead Boat Disposal Society are proven experts in this specialized field having removed more than 145 abandoned and derelict vessels from Vancouver Island’s southern coastal waters over the past several years. The Songhees Development Corporation is leveraging their success and pursing Songhees Nation’s economic goals through workforce development and investing in marine industry.
Respecting protocol, the Salish Sea Indigenous Marine Stewardship Project will include South Island First Nations in whose territories it operates offering jobs and training opportunities, and engaging local mariners to support the identification and removal of derelict vessels.
Christina Clarke: Corporate Executive Officer, Songhees Development Corporation
“Salish Sea Industrial Services Ltd. was created in 2012 to bring the Lekwungen Nations back to the economy of our waters – the Salish Sea. Through the Salish Sea Indigenous Marine Stewardship Project, we are bringing forward these proven partnerships and expertise, and inviting fellow Nations to join us and build trust around common goals. Working together on sharing job and training opportunities, we will contribute to advancing a skilled Indigenous workforce ready to compete and prosper in the rapidly growing marine economy. The Salish Sea Indigenous Marine Stewardship Project partners gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.”
Salish Sea Indigenous Marine Stewardship Project is reaching out to fellow First Nations to share information on the project and the associated job/training opportunities. Beecher Bay First Nation is the first Nation to sign on.
Chief Russell Chipps, Beecher Bay First Nation
Beecher Bay First Nation is pleased to support this project as it aligns with our Community’s social and economic goals for marine industry and marine conservation. We look forward to working with the Songhees Nation on this project to further develop specialized skills that will strengthen our Nation’s marine economy while advancing our conservation efforts on our shores and in our waters.
For more information, please contact SSIMS Project Director, Christina Clarke CEO, Songhees Development Corporation: christina.clarke@songheesdevco.com 250-915-4095
About Clean Coast Clean Water Initiative
Funding for the Clean Coast, Clean Waters Initiative (the “Fund”) is provided by the British Columbia (BC) government as part of its far-ranging Pandemic Response and Economic Recovery initiative supporting all sectors that have been affected by the COVID-19 crisis.
The Fund will help to create jobs and support coastal communities as they recover from the COVID-19 economic downturn and loss of tourism. The Fund also supports BC’s work on addressing marine debris, as recommended in the 2020 What We Heard on Marine Debris in BC report, and the 2019 CleanBC Plastics Action Plan.
The Fund is directed toward marine coastal Indigenous Nations, Indigenous organizations and local governments in BC, as well as BC non-profits and organizations / individuals that have expertise in shoreline and marine debris clean-up and/or removal of derelict vessels.
About Salish Sea Indigenous Marine Stewardship Project partners
Songhees Development Corporation
Songhees Nation Chief and Council created the Songhees Development Corporation in 2019 to guide the future growth of the Nation’s economic development enterprises. Christina Clarke, former Executive Director for the Nation, is the Corporation’s inaugural Corporate Executive Officer and is currently overseeing the management and growth of Songhees Nation’s 10 active business ventures and business partnerships in the areas of tourism and hospitality, marine industrial services, property development and cannabis retail. The new Songhees Development Corporation is open for business and is operating out of the Innovation Centre at the Songhees Wellness Centre.
Contact: Christina Clarke, Corporate Executive Officer
Launched in 2012, Salish Sea Industrial Services Ltd. (SSIS) is an industrial marine construction business owned jointly by the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations in partnership with The Ralmax Group, the parent company that owns and operates 11 integrated industrial businesses all with a connection to Victoria harbour. A Registered Aboriginal Business, the company was created to develop a sustainable business and a skilled Indigenous workforce enabling the Nations to participate in the burgeoning marine economy. SSIS specializes in the sensitive management and execution of marine construction and deconstruction projects including the removal and responsible disposal of derelict vessels abandoned in the Salish Sea.
Contact: Rob Menzies, Operations Manager robmenzies@salishseaind.com Phone: 250-940-5837 https://salishseaind.com
