Working with Tribal Cannabis Consultants the Yerington-Paiute Tribe has revitalized
Yerington, NV; March 1, 2021 – According to MJBiz Daily in 2020 cannabis was a $15 billion dollar industry and with the help of Tribal Cannabis Consultants the Yerington-Paiute tribe in Nevada is able to get a piece of that pie.
For six years, Tribal Cannabis Consultants has helped the tribe establish and run its dispensary and cultivation facility. The cannabis businesses are employed 100 percent by members of the community.
“Economic development is tough in our area,” said Albert Carrera, chairman of the Yerington-Paiute Tribe’s cannabis board and chairman of the Inter-tribal Cannabis Commission. “When this came in it was a boon for us.”
According to Carrera, Tribal Cannabis Consultants was instrumental in securing the compact, dealing with regulations and agencies, and offering best practices for the dispensary and grow.
In the beginning, the tribe was apprehensive about an economy centered around cannabis but as the community learned and saw more, that changed.
“They saw how cannabis today isn’t about street deals, but that it’s a legitimate business,” said Carrera. “They realized that cannabis is really medicine. So many of our older residents now use it for pain and other medicinal reasons.”
The dispensary and cultivation facility are positively impacting the tribe’s balance sheet according to Scott Lommori, who is on the tribe’s cannabis board. While initial profits were put back into the businesses, the tribe is now exploring ideas of how to use the revenue to improve the community.
“While we have other businesses in the community, I believe cannabis is going to be the big one,” said Delmar Stevens, a member of the tribal cannabis board. “My big dream is to offer scholarships for college to our young people. With the future revenue, I forsee us able to do fantastic things for the community.
“Over the years the cannabis businesses can generate hundreds of thousands of dollars of tax revenue for a tribe,” said Cassandra Dittus, president of Tribal Cannabis Consultants.
“What we know now about cannabis from what we know at the beginning is huge,” said Lommori. “Tribal Cannabis Consultants has been very instrumental in getting us where we are today.”
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 3, 2021 – Following the recent launch of the Kilala Lelum Mobile Health Clinic powered by TELUS Health, Indigenous Health Today by Nation Talk is pleased to host a Virtual Town Hall on March 9, 2021 at 11:00am, PST to shine light on the importance of Indigenous-centred healthcare in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. .
WHO: Indigenous Health Today by NationTalk in partnership with TELUS Health & Kilala Lelum Health Center
WHAT: A 45 minute virtual town hall moderated by Cassidy Caron with the following panelists: Drew Kostyniuk, Nurse Practitioner, Kilala Lelum; Leah Walker, Kilala Lelum Executive Director; Wendall Williams, Kilala Lelum Knowledge Keeper; and Nimtaz Kanji, TELUS Director of Community Investment and Corporate Citizenship. They will be discussing Vancouver’s Indigenous, underserved residents living in the Downtown Eastside and the innovations enabling Indigenous Elder-led cultural care including the new Kilala Lelum Mobile Health Clinic powered by TELUS Health. This conversation will uncover Kilala Lelum’s unique community healthcare model that bridges traditional Indigenous Elder-led cultural care with trauma-informed, culturally-sensitive primary care
WHEN: March 9, 2021 – 11:00am – 11:45am PST WHERE: www.ihtoday.ca/TELUS-KilalaLelum-Townhall WHY: This Virtual Town Hall will drive a meaningful, community building conversation with representatives from both Kilala Lelum and TELUS on the importance of culturally-sensitive and trauma-informed primary medical care offerings for marginalized Indigenous people living in Vancouver
Backed by a $10 million commitment from TELUS, enabled by technology and fueled with human compassion, the Health for Good program support the operation of 13 Mobile Health Clinics across Canada. The Kílala Lelum Mobile Health Clinic, powered by TELUS Health, is a specially-equipped clinic on wheels that will provide trauma-informed, culturally-sensitive primary medical treatments, Indigenous Elder-led cultural care, mental health services, and addiction support directly to the underserved citizens of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
Sechelt, BC – shíshálh Nation is angered and demanding action to address reported damage to a known shíshálh burial site. The complex site, which was registered in the Provincial heritage conservation system in 2015, includes the ancestral grave sites of at least 80 shíshálh people, and many other irreplaceable artifacts, some as old as 1500 years. In spite of provincial regulations protecting the site, logging activities have occurred and it appears that irreconcilable damage has been done to this significant cultural landscape.
“This is heartbreaking. This is infuriating. This is culture-destroying. This must stop now,” said hiwus (Chief) Warren Paull of the shíshálh Nation. “What other population in this country could have the gravesites of its people destroyed in this way?”
For decades Indigenous peoples across British Columbia have demanded fundamental changes to how Indigenous cultural heritage sites are protected. Change has not come. Section 4 of BC’s Heritage Conservation Act that enables agreements with First Nations about their heritage resources has rarely been used by the Province.
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which was affirmed as applying to the laws of British Columbia in 2019 through the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, upholds the Indigenous right to maintain, control, and protect cultural sites and cultural heritage, as well as the right to human remains.
“Like Indigenous peoples across British Columbia, shíshálh’s basic right to our own cultural heritage is violated every single day that the existing Heritage Conservation Act remains in place. With the passage of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act in 2019, this situation cannot continue any longer. If Section 4 of the Heritage Conservation Act is not available to confirm our role in managing our own cultural heritage resources, then a solution is to use Section 7 of the Declaration Act. The Province enacted Section 7 as the tool to have agreements about free, prior, and informed consent with Indigenous peoples. Creating this tool was a good decision that holds tremendous potential. It is time to begin to use that tool in relation to cultural heritage, and to do so will be of benefit to the work of reconciliation across the Province” said hiwus Paull.
The Province has commenced an investigation about violations of its laws as a result of the logging and damage done to the heritage site. shíshálh will cooperate fully with the investigation to ensure all of the facts of the situation are uncovered, and shíshálh cultural protocols are respected.
Pour beaucoup de Canadiens, les services de garde d’enfants sont une nécessité. Pour les enfants autochtones, des services d’apprentissage et de garde adaptés à la culture sont indispensables au développement de l’enfant. C’est pourquoi le gouvernement du Canada tient résolument à promouvoir les services d’apprentissage et de garde des jeunes enfants dirigés par des autochtones et à faire des investissements dans ce domaine afin de s’assurer que tous les enfants des Premières Nations, les enfants inuits et les enfants métis disposent des bases nécessaires pour réussir dans la vie.
Aujourd’hui, le ministre de la Famille, des Enfants et du Développement social, Ahmed Hussen, a souligné un appel de propositions pour les projets d’amélioration de la qualité des services d’apprentissage et de garde des jeunes enfants autochtones. Cet appel de propositions s’adressent aux organisations, aux gouvernements et aux membres des Premières Nations (dans les réserves et hors des réserves), des Inuits et des Métis. Il permettra de financer de nouvelles approches en matière de gouvernance, de coordination et de prestation par les Autochtones des services d’apprentissage et de garde des jeunes enfants adaptés à leur culture. Les résultats obtenus dans le cadre de ces projets contribueront à créer un bassin de connaissances et d’expertise, y compris des pratiques exemplaires, des modèles et des innovations, pour améliorer les services d’apprentissage et de garde des jeunes enfants offerts aux communautés autochtones.
Le gouvernement du Canada consacrera 9,25 millions de dollars sur deux ans aux projets de recherche et d’innovation dans le cadre de cet appel de propositions, et ce, à partir de 2021-2022.
Des domaines prioritaires ont été établis en collaboration avec des partenaires des Premières Nations et des communautés inuite et métisse. À la lumière de leurs commentaires, les propositions devraient mettre l’accent sur les thèmes clés suivants :
l’élaboration d’une vision ou d’un cadre pour un système d’apprentissage et de garde des jeunes enfants de haute qualité et adapté à la culture;
la mise en œuvre d’activités visant à établir et à renforcer les règles et procédures locales d’agrément pour les services de garde;
la prise de mesures visant à soutenir l’éducation et la formation continues des responsables, de la direction et du personnel des services d’apprentissage et de garde des jeunes enfants;
la conception de nouveaux outils, programmes ou formations pour soutenir le personnel qui travaille auprès d’enfants ayant des besoins spéciaux.
Une attention supplémentaire sera également accordée aux projets qui prévoient des partenariats avec des établissements universitaires ou des organisations autochtones impliqués dans la formation axée sur les compétences et l’emploi. Des initiatives de revitalisation des langues peuvent être incluses dans les projets proposés.
Les communautés, organisations et gouvernements autochtones sont invités à soumettre une proposition avant le 14 avril, à 14 heures, heure avancée de l’Est. Des séances d’information virtuelles dans les deux langues officielles se tiendront le 24 mars pour aider les demandeurs à présenter une demande. Les personnes qui souhaitent participer à ces séances doivent envoyer un courriel à l’adresse EDSC.AGJEA.PAQ-QIP.IELCC.ESDC@servicecanada.gc.ca en indiquant leur langue officielle préférée et toute mesure d’adaptation requise.
For many, child care is a necessity. For Indigenous children, culturally appropriate early learning and child care can be a crucial part of childhood development. That is why the Government of Canada is committed to promoting and investing in Indigenous-led early learning and child care to ensure all First Nations, Inuit and Métis children have the foundation they need to succeed in life.
Today, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Ahmed Hussen, highlighted a call for proposals for the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Quality Improvement Projects. This call for proposals is targeted towards First Nations (on and off reserve), Inuit, and Métis peoples, governments and organizations and will support new approaches to Indigenous governance, coordination and delivery of culturally appropriate early learning and child care. The results achieved through these projects will contribute to a pool of knowledge and expertise, such as best practices, models and innovation, to improve the early learning and child care services available to Indigenous communities.
The Government of Canada is providing $9.25 million over two years in available funding, starting in 2021–22, for research and innovation projects through this call for proposals.
Priority areas were identified through engagement with First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners. Based on their feedback, proposals should focus on the following key themes:
development of a vision or framework for a high-quality, culturally appropriate early learning and child care system;
activities to build and strengthen local child care licensing rules and procedures;
actions to support ongoing education and training for early learning and child care leaders, management and staff; and
new tools, curriculum or training to support staff working with children with special needs.
Additional consideration will also be given to projects that include partnerships with academic institutions or Indigenous organizations involved in skills and employment training. Initiatives for language revitalization may be included as an element of proposed projects.
Indigenous communities, governments and organizations are encouraged to submit a proposal by April 14 at 2:00 p.m. EDT. Virtual information sessions in both official languages will be held on March 24 to help applicants apply. Those interested in participating are invited to send an email to EDSC.AGJEA.PAQ-QIP.IELCC.ESDC@servicecanada.gc.ca with their preferred official language and any request for accommodations.
Julie Shirley didn’t set out to ace the apiary business, but the success of her honey farm proves she’s got what it takes.
Julie is the primary owner and operator of Blue Heron Gardens near Cudworth, Saskatchewan. The farm is dedicated to producing high quality, Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) approved honey, in an environmentally friendly way.
The quarter section Julie and her husband Jeff bought about a decade ago was intended as an escape from the city and a place for Julie to grow a market garden business.
“In the beginning we were both working in the city, but we had a dream to buy some land and change our lifestyle,” explains Julie.
After building a log home on the farm and spending their summers there, in 2014 they quit their city jobs and moved to the farm full-time with Jeff running his own tech business.
When the market garden business proved challenging to earn a living off, the couple saw another opportunity buzzing around their farm.
“We had planted fruit trees out here from the University of Saskatchewan’s fruit culture program,” says Jeff. “There are sour cherries and Haskaps. We originally had two beehives to pollinate them but that turned into 12, 20, 60 and so on.”
Blue Heron Gardens now has 265 hives and produces about 50,000 pounds of honey each year. Julie also sells the beeswax that’s created from making honey to the hobbies and crafts market.
“There’s very little waste in making honey and at the same time the bees are pollinating crops and increasing farmer yields. They will fly about two miles from their hive. Farmers are usually happy to have you put bees on their land,” explains Jeff. “The bees create more food for the supply chain so it’s a very environmentally friendly business where you’re improving it and giving back to the earth.”
Mentorship matters to business success
The science of beekeeping is something Julie is relentless in learning. She and Jeff credit their mentor and fellow beekeeper, Tony Lalonde for giving them the knowledge needed to be successful and recognizing Julie’s talent, encouraging her to focus on that part of the business.
“We were really lucky to have a good mentor with the bees, he’s helped us be successful,” says Julie. “I love to learn. During the mentorship I would take all the notes and try to improve everything.”
“The bees are livestock”, adds Jeff. “No different than having 200 head of cattle we have 20 million head of bees. Julie applies her science training to the husbandry of the bees. She also has very steady hands. You need steady hands and good vision. She’s not scared of them. If you watch her work the bees, she’s in there with no gloves and the bees are crawling all over her.”
Sweat equity
Starting a business is a lot of work, especially a farm business on the wind-swept prairie. With Jeff’s agtech background, they are committed to innovation and technology. Still, the road isn’t easy. In the busy season from April to October, Julie puts in plenty of 16-hour days. All those hours didn’t add up to a profit in the early years so financial help was a must.
Julie received a grant through the Federal government’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Fund. She also worked with Farm Credit Canada (FCC) to finance a new honey plant on their farm.
“We would not have been successful without FCC. We built a brand-new facility which helped streamline everything and it was so much easier this year,” says Julie.
Jeff added, “The new honey plant is creating cash flow in honey for the bee business, it’s allowed Julie to have a wonderful career here at the farm,” says Jeff.
Christa Galaura, FCC Relationship Manager in Saskatoon saw the potential in their plans. “They are in good shape for the honey production they need and there’s room for expansion.”
“They want to create jobs in the local community, they’re very open to mentorship. Not only learning from mentors but starting to mentor others. They keep learning and it delivers results. This year’s crop sold at a premium because their quality was so good.”
Julie has started her own queen cells, which means she doesn’t have to import the queen bees from outside the country. That’s another step along with becoming CFIA registered and approved that supports the premium product customers are looking for.
“Becoming CFIA approved means our honey can be sold in stores and internationally. Means more market and a better quality product and a better price for pound selling it. It’s not a backyard quality, it’s kitchen grade, ready to go to the food supply market,” said Jeff.
While the market garden still holds a special place in her heart, Julie has grown to love beekeeping. “It’s more than just a job, it’s something you are committed to and you love. That’s why you put all your hours into it and all your effort. I’m a nurturer and I like taking care of things so that’s why it’s a good fit for me.”
Photo credit: Julie Shirley, Blue Heron Gardens
FCC is Canada’s leading agriculture and food lender, with a healthy loan portfolio of more than $41 billion. Our employees are dedicated to the future of Canadian agriculture and food. We provide flexible, competitively priced financing, management software, information and knowledge specifically designed for the agriculture and food industry. As a self-sustaining Crown corporation, we provide an appropriate return to our shareholder, and reinvest our profits back into the industry and communities we serve. For more information, visit fcc.ca.
SUMMARY: Thanks to generous support from community, three annual awards will be given out to VIU students in the name of Micah Messent, who passed away in a plane crash in March 2019.
VIU MEDIA RELEASE: Monday, March 8, 2021
NANAIMO, BC: Every year, three Indigenous students will have their financial burdens eased a little in the name of Micah Messent, a Vancouver Island University (VIU) graduate who lost his life in a tragic crash two years ago.
Messent, who graduated from Georges P. Vanier School in Courtenay in 2013 and VIU in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous/Xwulmuxw Studies, was on his way to the United Nations Environmental Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya, on March 10, 2019, when the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 plane he was on crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all passengers aboard. He was 23 years old.
Following his death, friends and family established an endowment fund through the VIU Foundation to support future students and ensure his name and memory live on. Donations continue to come into the fund, which has grown from supporting one annual award per year to three. The endowment will also support an annual event for Indigenous learners at VIU that will encourage them to follow their dreams.
“The ability of this fund to support future students on their paths to success gives our family a level of comfort to know that Micah will continue to inspire others and make a difference for generations to come,” says Suzanne Camp, Messent’s mother. “In life, Micah had looked to the future and talked about the time when he would be able to support other students in reaching their educational goals. The yearly awards will honour his memory and intentions even as we continue to grieve his death.”
After graduating from VIU, Messent, who has Métis heritage on his mother’s side, worked for BC Parks’ Aboriginal Youth Internship Program, travelling to various parks across the province to lead cultural awareness workshops for BC Parks employees. He planned to return to school to pursue a degree in Indigenous law. Camp says it was important to him that people knew the history and treatment of Indigenous peoples in Canada – history he learned more fully while at VIU.
“As well, the friends he made, the Indigenous connections and the feeling of community at VIU supported his experience and added to the success he achieved upon graduation,” remembers Camp.
The three awards honour two of Messent’s passions – education and the environment. The Micah Messent Memorial Geography Award, the Micah Messent Memorial Indigenous Award and Micah Messent Memorial Environment Award will be available annually to Indigenous students attending VIU, with various criteria attached to each one.
REDTalk: Hope Matters with Lee Maracle, and daughters Columpa Bobb and Tania CarterTODAY – Monday, March 8 at 4:00 pm ESTJoin Red Sky in association with Hot Docs as we celebrate International Women’s Day with award-winning writer Lee Maracle and her daughters, Columpa Bobb and Tania Carter for an indelible conversation about the journey of Indigenous people from colonial beginnings to reconciliation.
Lee Maracle’s daughters wrote poetry with their mother as children and dreamed they would one day write a book together. Their book Hope Matters is the result of that dream. Written collaboratively by mother and daughters, the poems in Hope Mattersblend their three voices together into a shared song of hope and reconciliation which is more prescient than ever.CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY WITH INDIGENOUS WOMEN.Lee Maracle is a poet, novelist, storyteller, leader, and activist on issues pertaining to Indigenous people.Columpa Bobb is a photographer, actor, playwright, poet, and teacher.Tania Carter is an actor, playwright and poet.
Nunatsiavut President Johannes Lampe today issued the following statement in recognition of International Women’s Day during a virtual sitting of the Nunatsiavut Assembly:
On this International Women’s Day, it is important to acknowledge the tremendous role Labrador Inuit women play in our society and in our government.
Labrador Inuit women have always played a critical role in decision-making, whether at the political or community level and within family structures. The responsibilities of Inuit women within our culture are equally as important as those of men. That level of respect, I believe, is the reason why, traditionally, so many of our women continue to become actively involved in public life.
Although still outnumbered by their male counterparts, women, at least in Nunatsiavut, are having an impact on our political landscape. Labrador Inuit women are adding new voices to many important issues such as job creation and social and economic growth.
As a point of interest, more and more Labrador Inuit women are pursuing post-secondary educations. Many of these women, because of their higher levels of education and training, will eventually find their way into leadership roles and, quite probably, the political world.
It is important that we encourage, through our statements and actions, more women to take on leadership roles and to provide opportunities that will foster a competitive environment that promotes and supports equality in politics.
In an effort to provide gender equality in the Nunatsiavut Government election process, reasonable steps must be taken by the President to ensure female candidates are nominated in each of our constituencies. In other words, if there are no female candidates in a constituency, I have the ability to approach individuals and ask them if they would consider putting their names on the ballot.
Those of us in elected positions, as I see it, have a responsibility to reach out to others in leadership roles in advocating for more female candidates to offer themselves up for election. The reality is that women still face challenges that men do not, and raising awareness and promoting gender equality in politics is critical.
Inuit women have always been the movers and shakers in their communities. They have been the ties that have bound our social affairs and maintained our cultural values, which is probably why many of our women are more likely to be involved in the educational, social and health sectors.
Over the past several years the Nunatsiavut Government has partnered with various universities for the delivery of various degree programs, including nursing, education, social work as a second degree, as well as the regular social work degree. In all programs, all of the students were women, and many will become future leaders.
In conclusion, Labrador Inuit women have come a long way in a relatively short time, demonstrating the willingness and ability to break down barriers and take on even greater responsibilities aside from our traditional roles within our communities. While there is still a ways to go before we achieve gender equality in politics, I do believe we are on the right track.
Reports of illegal caribou harvesting in southern Labrador is prompting the Nunatsiavut Government to once again call on the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to step up enforcement efforts.
“It is extremely disturbing when you hear reports of hunters willfully harvesting endangered caribou herds,” says Nunatsiavut President Johannes Lampe. “It is equally disturbing when the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador turns a blind eye by allowing such activity to take place and continue.”
The caribou harvested in southern Labrador are likely from the Mealy Mountain herd that migrate into Nunatsiavut. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s unwillingness to take action isn’t surprising, says President Lampe.
“We’ve received multiple reports of individual, including Labrador Inuit, illegally hunting George River caribou, and have called on the provincial government, on numerous occasions, to take action,” says Lands and Natural Resources Minister Greg Flowers. “They tell us it’s illegal to harvest from the George River herd, but they don’t do anything to stop those that do.”
“Caribou is a part of who we are as a people. It has helped to sustain Labrador Inuit as a source of food, clothing and tools,” adds President Lampe. “Caribou herds in Labrador are struggling to survive, and we all have to do our part to help make sure they do.”
President Lampe is again encouraging Beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement to continue adhering to the hunting ban, and is also calling on other Indigenous groups to encourage their members to do the same.
