Nunavut takes over community internet access funding
[excerpt]
"...The money will come from the Department of Education.
Premier Eva Aariak said the benefits for the more than 20 CAP site
projects in Nunavut outweigh the cost.
"Everything learned during these projects contribute to building
employability skills, which is so very important," she said.
"It is our goal to help Nunavummiut communicate and learn using
information technology so they can participate in the growing digital
society."..."
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/story/2012/05/26/north-cap-funding-nunavut.html
Nunavut May 25, 2012 - 2:13 pm
Nunavut steps in to save free public internet sites
"It is very important to provide that service to our communities"
[excerpt]
"...This past April, N-CAP, the Nunavut organization that received and
administered money from the federal Community Access Program, learned the
Harper government had eliminated the program in its budget this past
March.
The volunteers who run CAP sites across Nunavut, most of which operate out
of libraries or schools, feared numerous lower income residents would lose
access to the internet.
"Even if people have their own computers, the cost of internet here is
such that most families cannot afford it," Kim Crockatt, director of the
Nunavut Literacy Council, told Nunatsiaq News this past April.
Many residents use CAP sites to update and print resumés, look for jobs
and search for information...."
http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674nunavut_steps_in_to_save_free_public_internet_sites/
Items of interest from around the Circumpolar region.
Saturday, 26 May 2012
Friday, 25 May 2012
test
GEORGE LESSARD
Information, Communications and Media Specialist
Spécialiste en l'information, communications et media
451 Norseman Dr.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
X1A 2J1, Canada
Yellowknife Cell # (867) 445-9193
E-mail: mediamentorATgmailDOTcom
GST# 837068543RT0001
Website mediamentor.ca
Twitter Feed on Northern & First Nations Issues
Twitter Feed on Journalism & Media Issues
Twitter Feed on Community Radio Worldwide
Member:
Canadian Association of Journalists
Canadian Artists Representation / le Front des artistes canadiens
Canadian Artists Representation Copyright Collective
Information, Communications and Media Specialist
Spécialiste en l'information, communications et media
451 Norseman Dr.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
X1A 2J1, Canada
Yellowknife Cell # (867) 445-9193
E-mail: mediamentorATgmailDOTcom
GST# 837068543RT0001
Website mediamentor.ca
Twitter Feed on Northern & First Nations Issues
Twitter Feed on Journalism & Media Issues
Twitter Feed on Community Radio Worldwide
Member:
Canadian Association of Journalists
Canadian Artists Representation / le Front des artistes canadiens
Canadian Artists Representation Copyright Collective
LinkedIn 
Facebook 
Flickr 
YouTube 
WordPress 
Blogger 
Scribd 
VimeoChat
themediamentor
 | The MediaMentor's Wordpress Blog:30 minute limit on video capture could end if WTO group gets its way … |   |
Effective northern #mental #health strategy must include #housing @northernpa #NWTpoli #NWT @leonaaglukkaq #CDNpoli
[@northernpa excerpt]
http://www.northernpublicaffairs.ca/index/christensen-an-effective-northern-mental-health-strategy-must-include-housing/
"...
The recent release of a national mental health strategy by the federal government was largely praised in the Canadian North, where mental health is highlighted by health care practitioners, front line workers, and NGOs alike as an urgent, and fundamental, area of concern that is inextricably tied to social cohesion and community wellbeing.
In the Northwest Territories (NWT), we now wait with baited breath for the announcement of a territorial mental health strategy, something that GNWT Health Minister Tom Beaulieu has promised will be tabled in the next legislative sitting. Beaulieu has hinted that the new plan will address key gaps in services to small communities as well as the lack of a treatment facility geared specifically towards promoting mental health. These same gaps have been illustrated in several recent studies on northern health services, as well as in my own research on homelessness and northern housing insecurity. While Beaulieu has mentioned some important gaps that the strategy will aim to address, housing must also feature front and centre in his Department's vision for promoting mental health in the territory.
In 2007, I began a four-year doctoral research project on homelessness in two northern urban centres: Inuvik and Yellowknife. The project, and resulting thesis, is titled Homeless in a homeland: housing insecurity and homelessness in Inuvik and Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
While the initial focus was to understand the factors contributing to visible homelessness in those two communities, this study also shed significant light upon what is taking place in other northern communities, the reason being that many (the majority, in fact) of homeless men and women in both locales call other, smaller northern communities 'home'. Not only did this study illustrate the rural-urban geographies of northern homelessness, it also exposed a common relationship between collective and personal traumas and homelessness in individual experiences. Overwhelmingly, homeless men and women linked their experiences with homelessness to residential school and its intergenerational impacts, apprehension by the child welfare system, or domestic violence....."
RT @northern_clips: Effective northern mental health strategy must include housing http://t.co/NMVSuytv
http://www.northernpublicaffairs.ca/index/christensen-an-effective-northern-mental-health-strategy-must-include-housing/
"...
Christensen: An effective northern mental health strategy must include housing
Guest contributor Julia Christensen on why housing should be a priority if Canada's national mental health strategy is to be effective.
The recent release of a national mental health strategy by the federal government was largely praised in the Canadian North, where mental health is highlighted by health care practitioners, front line workers, and NGOs alike as an urgent, and fundamental, area of concern that is inextricably tied to social cohesion and community wellbeing.
In the Northwest Territories (NWT), we now wait with baited breath for the announcement of a territorial mental health strategy, something that GNWT Health Minister Tom Beaulieu has promised will be tabled in the next legislative sitting. Beaulieu has hinted that the new plan will address key gaps in services to small communities as well as the lack of a treatment facility geared specifically towards promoting mental health. These same gaps have been illustrated in several recent studies on northern health services, as well as in my own research on homelessness and northern housing insecurity. While Beaulieu has mentioned some important gaps that the strategy will aim to address, housing must also feature front and centre in his Department's vision for promoting mental health in the territory.
In 2007, I began a four-year doctoral research project on homelessness in two northern urban centres: Inuvik and Yellowknife. The project, and resulting thesis, is titled Homeless in a homeland: housing insecurity and homelessness in Inuvik and Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
While the initial focus was to understand the factors contributing to visible homelessness in those two communities, this study also shed significant light upon what is taking place in other northern communities, the reason being that many (the majority, in fact) of homeless men and women in both locales call other, smaller northern communities 'home'. Not only did this study illustrate the rural-urban geographies of northern homelessness, it also exposed a common relationship between collective and personal traumas and homelessness in individual experiences. Overwhelmingly, homeless men and women linked their experiences with homelessness to residential school and its intergenerational impacts, apprehension by the child welfare system, or domestic violence....."
RT @northern_clips: Effective northern mental health strategy must include housing http://t.co/NMVSuytv
Thursday, 24 May 2012
"First Nation" stories on the web
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| Klahoose First Nation and Alterra Power Sign Agreement for Upper Toba Project Sacramento Bee (TSX: AXY) and the Klahoose First Nation are pleased to announce that they have signed a Resource Development Agreement (RDA), establishing the framework under which Alterra and the Klahoose will work together to advance the Upper Toba run-of-river ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| New First Nations doctors going rural The Province Dayna Briemon is proud to be graduating as a medical doctor, along with 11 other First Nation students this year from the University of British Columbia. Briemon's class includes the largest number of First Nations graduates in the history of the UBC ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| ASIRT to probe shooting on Alexis First Nation CBC.ca The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) is investigating the shooting of a suspect on the Alexis First Nation early Wednesday morning. RCMP arrived at the residence around 12:11 am hoping to find two suspects wanted in a series of armed home ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Ontario First Nations group calls for broader inquest into seven youth deaths Hamilton Spectator Nishnawbe Aski Nation, or NAN, is a political territorial organization representing 49 First Nation communities in northern Ontario. The group has been pushing for a joint inquest into the deaths for months and made a formal request for one in court ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| FSIN upset over Harper's massive budget bill News Talk 980 CJME "This bill will have implications to First Nation's treaty rights to hunt, fish, trap and gather," said Cameron. "Most Canadians would be up in arms if the government attempted to diminish their constitutional and legal right, yet it seems common ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| ||
| Dark horse Istanbul looks to repeat Rio's Olympics success Yahoo! Sports Four years ago, Rio, in a major upset, became the first nation in South America to secure the Games, despite a technical score well below rivals Tokyo and Chicago going into the final vote. Istanbul ranked near the bottom in the International Olympic ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Canadian research stops US whale hunt review Vancouver Sun The US government's long running review of a Washington-based first nation's contentious bid to hunt grey whales off the Pacific Coast has been halted after a team of Canadian scientists discovered a genetically distinct group of 200 whales living ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| UN report highlights Canadian, local food security issues Nanaimo News Bulletin By Toby Gorman - Nanaimo News Bulletin And many of the topics Olivier De Schutter, the UN's special rapporteur for food, touched on during his 11-day visit to Canada, which included time spent in inner cities and on First Nation reserves, ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Minister Tony Clement Announces Funding to Honour Veterans in Three Northern ... Marketwire (press release) "Our Government applauds Belvedere Heights, the Sheshegwaning First Nation and the Town of Hearst for taking the initiative to build these memorials to preserve the memory of our Veterans and Canadian Forces members." Through the Community War Memorial ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Notebook: Royal tour marked a number of firsts in Regina Regina Leader-Post Chief Mike Star of the Starblanket First Nation (L) Vice Chief Simon Bird of the FSIN (2nd Left) shows Britain's Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall a treaty medal used for education purposes at the First Nations University of Canada ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| LLRIB's ICFS takes on larger role in child welfare La Ronge Northerner "This is a result of the Child Welfare Review Panel … that was one of the recommendations, that Social Services needed to work differently with First Nation and Metis people, so this is why we are partnering and providing services non-First Nation and ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| ||
| Alexco Commemorates Over Five Years at Keno Hill MarketWatch (press release) More than 50 per cent of Alexco's employees are Yukon residents and over 15 per cent of these employees are First Nation citizens. The company's payroll for its Keno Hill operations exceeds $22 million per year. Through concerted efforts to continually ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Royal couple fascinated by aboriginal traditions Regina Leader-Post By Emma Graney, Leader-Post May 23, 2012 Britain's Prince Charles (2nd L) and Camilla (2nd R), Duchess of Cornwall walk with Chief of the Starblanket First Nation Mike Starr and Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Vice Chief Simon Bird (L) after ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Enbridge gets 'mic checked' at Line 9 public hearings rabble.ca By Steve Cornwell Public hearings in London, Ontario for Enbridge's proposed reversal of the Line 9 pipeline had barely begun Wednesday when more than a dozen protesters, including members of the Haudenosaunee First Nation, quickly shut down the ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Alterra Power signs agreement for Canadian hydropower project Utility Products (SeeNews Renewables) - May 24, 2012 - Canadian renewable energy company Alterra Power Corp (TSE:AXY) and the Klahoose First Nation government announced on Wednesday the signing of an agreement, laying the foundations for the co-operation on the ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Ontario First Nations want wider inquest into death of teens APTN National News An inquest into the death of a 15 year-old First Nation boy in Ontario is on hold once again. Reggie Bushie was attending school in Thundery Bay when his body was discovered in a local river. The Nishnawbe Aski Nation wants to expand the inquest to ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| First Nation Airways Recruitment Information Nigeria First Nation Airways Nigeria Ltd: We have raised the standard of passenger Airlines experience within nigeria. We have now even set for ourselves higher standards and require talented and gifted people to join us as a result of expansion. See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Mistawasis manslaughter trial's second day News Talk 980 CJME RCMP Cst. Donovan Kajner was the first person to take the stand Wednesday and told the court that he was stationed on the Mistawasis First Nation in April of 2001. On the date in question, he was directed to pick up Dwayne Badger and bring him to the ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Missing boater's body found Winnipeg Free Press Dillon Beaulieu, 22, of Sandy Bay First Nation was boating with Rambo Roulette, 25, on Lake Manitoba when heavy winds created large waves and capsized their small fishing boat east of Langruth. Roulette was able to get to shore, but Beaulieu wasn't. See all stories on this topic » | ||
| ||
| Hearing closed to protesters The Sudbury Star Board members fled the room as members of the Aamjiwnaang First Nation decried what they called an intrusion on their lands and treaty rights. "We're fed up with this," said one native woman. She said her name is Yagotala and that she's part of the ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| ||
| Pair's cross-Canada walk aims to raise political awareness of aboriginal issues Calgary Herald Growing up on the Lac Des Mille Lacs First Nation in northwestern Ontario, Leo Baskatawang was oblivious to the problems around him. Alcoholism. Substance abuse. Poverty. Disease. Unemployment. "I just thought that's the way it's supposed to be," said ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| AFN national chief race shaping up APTN National News Nominations for candidates seeking to run for national chief of the Assembly of First Nation are now open. Nominations close at midnight Eastern Standard Time on June 12. Some possible candidates have already shown interest alongside Shawn Atleo, ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Rough road forces James Smith school to close 650 CKOM News Talk Radio There are no classes Thursday and Friday on the James Smith First Nation near Kinistino because of poor road conditions caused by recent rain. The band decided to close Bernard Constant School because it had become too dangerous for busses. See all stories on this topic » | ||
| A cultural experience: living and teaching the dream Meadow Lake Progress By Jennifer Carbert Brightly coloured costumes and drumming, singing and dancing are all traditional, competitive and spiritual in the First Nations culture Dale Chief from Island Lake First Nation explained to the kids at Lakeview Elementary school on ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Man injured during arrest Edmonton Journal RCMP visited a home on the Alexis First Nation, 70 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, just after midnight looking for two men in relation to a string of violent home invasions. They arrived to find an armed man. The 35 year-old man was wounded and taken ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Body of man missing on Lake Manitoba found CTV.ca Both men were from Sandy Bay First Nation. The boat was discovered on May 16 near Delta Beach by the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association and later recovered by the Ebb and Flow Fire Department, said police. See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Business Hall of Fame: Moving worlds TheChronicleHerald.ca Chief Terrance Paul of Membertou First Nation and Halifax engineer-developer Ben McCrea of Armour Group are being inducted into the Junior Achievement Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame. Both have remarkably transformed the worlds in which they live. See all stories on this topic » | ||
| OPP investigate Maki Lake Road grass fire SooToday.com One occurred on May 22, 2012 at approximately 11 pm on Old Garden River Road on the Batchewana First Nation. A vehicle being driven on private property caught fire and became fully engulfed in flames. The Sault Ste. Marie Fire Department attended and ... See all stories on this topic » |
| ||
| Minister Ramsay's Welcoming Address – 2012 PNWER Arctic ... By presssecretary I would like to introduce Ms. Annie Smith, a member of the Kwanlin Dun First Nation to perform a prayer. Colleagues, in my capacity as your Chair, I would like to call this formal part of our Arctic Caucus meeting here in Whitehorse to order. Office of The Executive | ||
| Man, 22, found dead on Lake Manitoba | Manitoba | News ... First posted: Thursday, May 24, 2012 08:18 AM CDT. Dillon Beaulieu, 22, went missing May 14, 2012, when his boat capsized in rough winds on Lake Manitoba. The Sandy Bay First Nation man was a community DJ. (FACEBOOK.COM) ... Top News stories | ||
| JOB OPPORTUNITY: Community Health Nurse By sarah Experience in working with First Nations would be an asset. Salary dependent on education & experience but is comparable to BCNU scale. Please submit your resume with references to: Submit resume and references to: Splatsin First Nation ... Splatsin | ||
| Ontario Trails: Ontario Trails News - Hike, Paddle, Climb or Ride ... By noreply@blogger.com (Ontario Trails) including Edmond Jack, Shanice Desrosiers, and Jolene Hookimawillillene of Asubpeeschoseewagong, Grassy Narrows First Nation, are almost half way through a 2000 kilometre walk from their remote community in Northwest Ontario all the ... Ontario Trails | ||
| Local pastor seeks spot on council | MyMcMurray Portal By TheNewsGirl Northern Gateway deal under fire in B.C. · NORTHERN GATEWAY. Members of a northwest BC First Nation are protesting a chief's decision to support the Northern Gateway oil sands pipeline. Read more > ... MyMcMurray Portal | ||
| Aboriginal youth soar at Eagle Spirit High Performance Camp ... By James Hynes Jessica Barudin from Kwakwaka'wakw, Namgis First Nation, is a McGill Physical Therapy graduate student. She served as a counsellor at the 6th Annual Eagle Spirit High Performance Camp organized by McGill's First Peoples' House. McGill Reporter |
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| Klahoose First Nation and Alterra Power Sign Agreement for Upper ... TSX : AXY. VANCOUVER, May 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Alterra Power Corp. ( TSX: AXY) and the Klahoose First Nation are pleased to announce that they have ... www.prnewswire.com/.../klahoose-first-nation-and-alterra-po... | ||
| Split Lake protest decries First Nation living conditions | Warrior ... Split Lake reserve in northern Manitoba, home of the Tataskweyak Cree, protest the band council, May 2012. Protesters on the Tataskweyak Cree Nation in Split ... warriorpublications.wordpress.com/.../split-lake-protest-decries... | ||
| First Nations Leaders Reaffirm the Crown-First Nation ... - CNW Group TORONTO, May 22, 2012 /CNW/ - Today, Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo and a delegation of Chiefs met with His Royal ... www.newswire.ca/.../first-nations-leaders-reaffirm-the-crown-f... | ||
| Nishnawbe Aski Nation - Missanabie Cree First Nation Missanabie Cree First Nation Order for Advance Costs CALGARY, AB - The Missanabie Cree First Nation has achieved a major leap forward in its attempt to ... www.nan.on.ca/article/missanabie-cree-first-nation-654.asp | ||
| British Columbia: Sechelt (shíshálh) First Nation To Pursue Legal ... The Sechelt (shíshálh) First Nation will pursue legal proceedings over Aboriginal Title litigation. indigenouspeoplesissues.com/index.php?... | ||
| Sagkeeng First Nation | Regina Leader-Post Sagkeeng's Finest, a trio of cloogers and tappers from Sagkeeng First Nation, captured the crown. It's not that I don't like them, … Continue reading → ... blogs.leaderpost.com/tag/sagkeeng-first-nation/ | ||
| PA writer on First Nation Communities Read shortlist By Sarah Rolles paNOW staff The First Nation Communities Read programme encourages family literacy and intergenerational storytelling of aboriginal voices ... www.panow.com/node/210646 |
Tuesday, 15 May 2012
All Canadians Have a Right to Food
All Canadians Have a Right to Food
[excerpt]
It's a big week for food security in Canada -- not only did Food Banks Canada launch their annual Hunger Awareness Week, but the United Nations Special Rapporteur http://www.srfood.org/ on the Right to Food arrived as well. Both events highlight the growing problem of hunger in Canada and help draw attention to the root cause of food insecurity: lack of income.
Hunger Awareness Week http://hungerawarenessweek.ca/home asked Canadians to "Give it Up" for hunger, reminding us that almost 900,000 people http://foodbankscanada.ca/getmedia/dc2aa860-4c33-4929-ac36-fb5d40f0b7e7/HungerCount-2011.pdf.aspx use food banks monthly -- a number that has grown since the beginning of the recession in 2008. While this number is shockingly high, the total only reflects the one in four http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/opinion/its-time-to-close-canadas-food-banks/article2106989/ Canadians that use this service. As people challenge themselves to 'give up' a food item they enjoy, they should think beyond food banks and consider the reason people go hungry: they can't afford food.
People living with low-income -- whether from paid employment, social assistance or both -- are forced to do more with less money. The majority of people living in poverty are employed, with 25 per cent of Canadians working low wage jobs and earning less than about $13 an hour http://www.campaign2000.ca/reportCards/national/2011EnglishRreportCard.pdf . This is a rate that will barely keep individuals out of poverty, and it highlights the fact that this is not about accessing food, but rather having the means to purchase it.
Even Food Banks Canada http://foodbankscanada.ca (FBC) has acknowledged this issue in their 2011 Hunger Count http://www.foodbankscanada.ca/getmedia/34ebd534-14db-4bed-96d2-4fcadd5d9a33/HungerCount-2011-web-print-friendly.pdf.aspx?ext=.pdf report stating, "Low income, whether in the short or long term, is at the root of the persistent need for charitable food assistance in Canada." Food banks had never been seen in Canada before the 1980s and when introduced in 1981http://edmontonsfoodbank.com/about/history/ were intended as an emergency measure only, and certainly not as a long-term solution to address hunger. The Canadian Association of Food Banks (the precursor to FBC) had a three year mandate when they were first established, but continued when it was clear hunger in Canada was not going away.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/megan-yarema/food-is-a-human-right_b_1510206.html
More Indigenous language and culture needed on Canada's airwaves
More Indigenous language and culture needed on Canada's airwaves
[excerpt]
http://rabble.ca/news/2012/05/canada-needs-more-indigenous-culture-radio
"If Canada wants to reconcile with First Nations people in regards to the residential school area, it should be law to include First Nations programs from whichever territory radio stations are broadcasting in," O'Sullivan says.
O'Sullivan first became involved with the National Campus and Community Radio Association (NCRA) http://www.ncra.ca/ at its annual conference in 2008. As she was meeting with aboriginal community radio programmers from around Canada for the first time, Prime Minister Stephen Harper stood in the House of Commons and apologized for the profound abuses of the Government of Canada's residential school system http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2008/06/11/aboriginal-apology.html , which he stated "aimed to kill the Indian in the child."
"They knew without language and culture, they would be breaking our spirits and we wouldn't know really where we came from," explains O'Sullivan, herself a former residential school student, of the system's architects.
[...]
She calls it healing. "History is attached to language and culture," O'Sullivan says. "Stories that are told tell us about where we came from."
Since the mid-1990s, O'Sullivan has helped launch two more radio programs at Co-op -- both including language revitalization in their mandates, and especially focused on three dialects of the Salish language. Children are regularly involved in her programming, and she interviews aboriginal guests from near and far. O'Sullivan draws particular attention to her former co-host of the ongoing show Sne'waylh, Chief Ian Campbell, a local, young and popular hereditary chief.
"The reason I'm [advocating for mandated inclusion] is because I've recognized how the programming has enabled our own community here in Vancouver," O'Sullivan says. After being involved in First Nations programming at Coop Radio, she adds, people have gone back to their communities and other places to spread the language. "They've continued the work, even though they're not on the air."
"I think it has a lot of merit," says Jean LaRose, CEO of Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) http://www.aptn.ca/ , when asked about O'Sullivan's initiative. He notes there are 52 aboriginal languages in Canada http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/languages-of-native-people -- not including dialects -- and it's impossible for APTN to sustain and grow the languages on its own. "An initiative like this would help supplement what we're doing."
LaRose explains that O'Sullivan's idea, if adopted, would help grow the base of journalists working in First Nations languages, and actually help grow and evolve the vocabularies of traditional languages. As an example, he says APTN's journalists covering the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver came up with new language to describe sports like snowboarding, where the existing base of language was limited.
Lorna Roth is a professor in the Communication Studies department at Concordia University and has a a background in indigenous television and media history. She says there's no question there's of a lack of indigenous programming on the airwaves in Canada, and despite her strong doubts the CRTC or the Conservative government is willing to work on a policy that would have indigenous language inclusion mandated, Roth says she thinks O'Sullivan is promoting a great idea.
[...]
"It will restore a sense of pride that we don't have. Right now there's a lot of shame in our communities because of the residential schools," says O'Sullivan. "I think language and culture will give us a sense of empowerment, a sense of well-being. It will fill that void that we're feeling in our bloods and our guts."
Canada's Broadcasting Act allows for policy directives from Cabinet, which can effectively direct the CRTC to mandate indigenous language and cultural programming.
Joanne Penhale is a freelance writer, community organizer, innkeeper, artist, gardener and fledgling beekeeper. She lives in Montreal with her husband and two cats. She has a BA in Communication from Simon Fraser University and completed a post-graduate journalism program at Langara College in Vancouver, B.C.
[excerpt]
http://rabble.ca/news/2012/05/canada-needs-more-indigenous-culture-radio
"If Canada wants to reconcile with First Nations people in regards to the residential school area, it should be law to include First Nations programs from whichever territory radio stations are broadcasting in," O'Sullivan says.
O'Sullivan first became involved with the National Campus and Community Radio Association (NCRA) http://www.ncra.ca/ at its annual conference in 2008. As she was meeting with aboriginal community radio programmers from around Canada for the first time, Prime Minister Stephen Harper stood in the House of Commons and apologized for the profound abuses of the Government of Canada's residential school system http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2008/06/11/aboriginal-apology.html , which he stated "aimed to kill the Indian in the child."
"They knew without language and culture, they would be breaking our spirits and we wouldn't know really where we came from," explains O'Sullivan, herself a former residential school student, of the system's architects.
[...]
She calls it healing. "History is attached to language and culture," O'Sullivan says. "Stories that are told tell us about where we came from."
Since the mid-1990s, O'Sullivan has helped launch two more radio programs at Co-op -- both including language revitalization in their mandates, and especially focused on three dialects of the Salish language. Children are regularly involved in her programming, and she interviews aboriginal guests from near and far. O'Sullivan draws particular attention to her former co-host of the ongoing show Sne'waylh, Chief Ian Campbell, a local, young and popular hereditary chief.
"The reason I'm [advocating for mandated inclusion] is because I've recognized how the programming has enabled our own community here in Vancouver," O'Sullivan says. After being involved in First Nations programming at Coop Radio, she adds, people have gone back to their communities and other places to spread the language. "They've continued the work, even though they're not on the air."
"I think it has a lot of merit," says Jean LaRose, CEO of Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) http://www.aptn.ca/ , when asked about O'Sullivan's initiative. He notes there are 52 aboriginal languages in Canada http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/languages-of-native-people -- not including dialects -- and it's impossible for APTN to sustain and grow the languages on its own. "An initiative like this would help supplement what we're doing."
LaRose explains that O'Sullivan's idea, if adopted, would help grow the base of journalists working in First Nations languages, and actually help grow and evolve the vocabularies of traditional languages. As an example, he says APTN's journalists covering the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver came up with new language to describe sports like snowboarding, where the existing base of language was limited.
Lorna Roth is a professor in the Communication Studies department at Concordia University and has a a background in indigenous television and media history. She says there's no question there's of a lack of indigenous programming on the airwaves in Canada, and despite her strong doubts the CRTC or the Conservative government is willing to work on a policy that would have indigenous language inclusion mandated, Roth says she thinks O'Sullivan is promoting a great idea.
[...]
"It will restore a sense of pride that we don't have. Right now there's a lot of shame in our communities because of the residential schools," says O'Sullivan. "I think language and culture will give us a sense of empowerment, a sense of well-being. It will fill that void that we're feeling in our bloods and our guts."
Canada's Broadcasting Act allows for policy directives from Cabinet, which can effectively direct the CRTC to mandate indigenous language and cultural programming.
Joanne Penhale is a freelance writer, community organizer, innkeeper, artist, gardener and fledgling beekeeper. She lives in Montreal with her husband and two cats. She has a BA in Communication from Simon Fraser University and completed a post-graduate journalism program at Langara College in Vancouver, B.C.
Thursday, 10 May 2012
Igloolik Nunavut community radio call-in show kicks off - human rights assessment of Mary River Mine
May 10, 2012 - 8:49 am
Igloolik call-in show kicks off human rights assessment of Mary River Mine
Lawyer Lloyd Lipsett takes calls from listeners
JANE GEORGE
http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674igloolik_call-in_radio_show_kicks_off_human_rights_assessment_on_the_m/
[excerpt]
"...No matter where you are, you can now listen to call-in radio shows, featuring a human rights lawyer from southern Canada who is visiting Igloolik to work on a "human rights assessment" of the proposed Mary River iron mine.
To start his assessment, Canadian human rights lawyer Lloyd Lipsett fielded comments and questions from listeners during a May 9 call-in show on the Igloolik-based Nipivut Nunatinnii Our Voice at Home radio network.
Lipsett introduced himself on the show, which aired in Igloolik and online, from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., asking for feedback on the huge iron mine that Baffinland Iron Mines Corp. wants to build in north Baffin.
"I'm here to listen to people on the radio, and in the community," said Lipsett, an independent consultant, who has previously undertaken human rights assessments of mining operations in North America and Guatemala.
[---]
A couple of callers said they support the project that is heading to final hearings in July, but others worried about whether Baffinland would respect its Inuit workers and what the impact of increased shipping from the project would be.
One caller spoke about the importance of training and education, while another expressed worries about the trade-off between jobs and the environment: "I want my voice to be heard, from my own point of view, [that] the jobs won't stay here forever. Our land will be gone… what is going to happen with our land?"
To that, Lipsett responded that it's right to ask questions at the beginning of a development, both about the life of the mine and what happens at the end.
And if jobs are what people want to see flow from this development, it's important to follow with links with training, he said.
On May 10, another call-in show with Lipsett is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. online,
http://www.isuma.tv/hi/en/did/radio/igloolik
as part of the project descried as "acquiring knowledge, speaking your mind, talking it over and deciding together" (Tusaumatitauniq, Uqalaqatauniq, Uqqamajaqatiginiq, Angiqatigingniq).
On the website for the digital project,
http://www.isuma.tv/did
you can also listen to a taped interview with Zach Kunuk, the acclaimed filmmaker and recently-elected QIA board member...."
Igloolik call-in show kicks off human rights assessment of Mary River Mine
Lawyer Lloyd Lipsett takes calls from listeners
JANE GEORGE
http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674igloolik_call-in_radio_show_kicks_off_human_rights_assessment_on_the_m/
[excerpt]
"...No matter where you are, you can now listen to call-in radio shows, featuring a human rights lawyer from southern Canada who is visiting Igloolik to work on a "human rights assessment" of the proposed Mary River iron mine.
To start his assessment, Canadian human rights lawyer Lloyd Lipsett fielded comments and questions from listeners during a May 9 call-in show on the Igloolik-based Nipivut Nunatinnii Our Voice at Home radio network.
Lipsett introduced himself on the show, which aired in Igloolik and online, from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., asking for feedback on the huge iron mine that Baffinland Iron Mines Corp. wants to build in north Baffin.
"I'm here to listen to people on the radio, and in the community," said Lipsett, an independent consultant, who has previously undertaken human rights assessments of mining operations in North America and Guatemala.
[---]
A couple of callers said they support the project that is heading to final hearings in July, but others worried about whether Baffinland would respect its Inuit workers and what the impact of increased shipping from the project would be.
One caller spoke about the importance of training and education, while another expressed worries about the trade-off between jobs and the environment: "I want my voice to be heard, from my own point of view, [that] the jobs won't stay here forever. Our land will be gone… what is going to happen with our land?"
To that, Lipsett responded that it's right to ask questions at the beginning of a development, both about the life of the mine and what happens at the end.
And if jobs are what people want to see flow from this development, it's important to follow with links with training, he said.
On May 10, another call-in show with Lipsett is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. online,
http://www.isuma.tv/hi/en/did/radio/igloolik
as part of the project descried as "acquiring knowledge, speaking your mind, talking it over and deciding together" (Tusaumatitauniq, Uqalaqatauniq, Uqqamajaqatiginiq, Angiqatigingniq).
On the website for the digital project,
http://www.isuma.tv/did
you can also listen to a taped interview with Zach Kunuk, the acclaimed filmmaker and recently-elected QIA board member...."
Monday, 7 May 2012
Northern Aboriginal Broadcasting - Aboriginal Peoples’ Program, Canada
Northern Aboriginal Broadcasting - Aboriginal Peoples' Program
- - - - - - - -
Northern Native Broadcast Access Program (NNBAP) & Northern Distribution Program (NDP) Evaluation Final Report
Executive Summary Study Background & Purpose
For 20 years, Aboriginal broadcasters have provided audiences in remote, rural and Arctic communities across Canada a unique native-language public radio and television service.
The Northern Native Broadcast Access Program (NNBAP) has been in operation since March 1983, with the purpose of supporting the production and distribution of relevant Aboriginal programming to Northern Native people. The program funds 13 Aboriginal communications societies, which serve over 250,000 Aboriginal people (status/non-status Indian, Inuit and Métis) living in northern regions of Canada.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/92703608/Northern-Native-Broadcast-Access-Program-NNBAP-Northern-Distribution-Program-NDP-Evaluation-Final-Report
- - - - - - -
History of the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation
http://www.inuitbroadcasting.ca/history_e.htm
[excerpt]
http://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1267292195109/1305899286067
- Objectives
- Eligible Recipients
- Eligible Activities
- Eligible Expenditures
- Ineligible Expenditures
- Additional Application Requirements
Funding may be provided for network production activities if they are judged to contribute to the protection and enhancement of Aboriginal languages and cultures, and facilitate Northern Native participation in activities and developments related to the North.
The NAB supports Aboriginal broadcasting societies to produce and distribute radio and television programming in the north. The NAB was established as part of the federal government's Northern Native Broadcasting Policy. The Policy set out five policy principles:
- Northern residents should be offered access to a range of programming choices through the exploitation of technological opportunities;
- Northern Native people should have the opportunity to participate actively in the determination by the CRTC of the character, quantity and priority of programming broadcast in predominantly Native communities;
- Northern Native people should have fair access to Northern broadcasting distribution systems to maintain and develop their cultures and languages;
- Programming relevant to Native concerns, including content originated by Native people, should be produced for distribution wherever Native people form a significant proportion of the population in the service area; and
- Northern Native representatives should be consulted regularly by government agencies engaged in establishing broadcasting policies that would affect their cultures. ..."
- - - - - - - -
Northern Native Broadcast Access Program (NNBAP) & Northern Distribution Program (NDP) Evaluation Final Report
Executive Summary Study Background & Purpose
For 20 years, Aboriginal broadcasters have provided audiences in remote, rural and Arctic communities across Canada a unique native-language public radio and television service.
The Northern Native Broadcast Access Program (NNBAP) has been in operation since March 1983, with the purpose of supporting the production and distribution of relevant Aboriginal programming to Northern Native people. The program funds 13 Aboriginal communications societies, which serve over 250,000 Aboriginal people (status/non-status Indian, Inuit and Métis) living in northern regions of Canada.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/92703608/Northern-Native-Broadcast-Access-Program-NNBAP-Northern-Distribution-Program-NDP-Evaluation-Final-Report
- - - - - - -
History of the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation
http://www.inuitbroadcasting.ca/history_e.htm
[excerpt]
"... It was clear to the Inuit leadership that television, with its capacity to flood every living room in the arctic with images from the consumer-driven south, represented a unique and potentially devastating threat to a culture already reeling from the impact of trade, education and religion. When CBC introduced its Accelerated Coverage Plan (ACP) in 1975, reaction from the Inuit community was swift and sharp. The ACP proposed to provide CBC television programming to all communities in Canada with populations of over 500. Since the objective of ACP was to make "Canadian" programming…that is, a mixture of southern Canadian and American…available to all, no consideration was given to local access, to programming in aboriginal languages, or to a community's right to control the local airwaves.
It is difficult to describe how shocking the invasion of television to an Arctic community could be. An Inuit woman once described her feelings upon watching "All in the Family" for the first time.
"…There was the father, obviously a stupid man, screaming at his children and his wife. He seemed to hate them. They were lying to him, they were treating with contempt, they were screaming back at him…and then in the last five minutes everyone kissed and made up…We were always taught to treat our elders with respect. I was embarrassed for those people on TV. I thought, I always knew white people were weird. I wondered if that was really what people were like in the South…"
Programming depicting southern attitudes, values and behaviors proliferated in the North throughout the mid-seventies. Inuit and community leaders were quick to realize that this electronic tidal wave of alien images and information would lead to the deterioration of Inuit language and culture, and could disrupt the fragile structures of traditional community life.
Inuit have successfully adapted to technological innovation several times throughout their history. Neither firearms nor snowmobiles are indigenous to the North, but both have become central elements of contemporary Inuit hunting culture. It was clear that television in the North was not going to go away; the challenge for Inuit was to find a way of adapting to this technology to their own ends, using television as a vehicle for the protection of their language, rather than as an agent of its destruction.
[...]
FUNDING
In 1984, the Nielson Task Force on Federal Programs reviewed the Northern Native Broadcast Access Program (NNBAP) and the Native Communications Program. The Task Force concluded that both programs were achieving their goals, and that no realistic alternative to the programs existed.
In 1986, both programs were evaluated by an independent firm, and were judged highly successful. In 1987, both programs were renewed and given permanent status.
In February 1990, with no warning or consultation, the federal budget eliminated the Native Communications Program,..."Friday, 4 May 2012
Northern Public Affairs, a new public policy magazine for Northern Canada!
Northern Public Affairs!
Welcome to Northern Public Affairs, a new public policy magazine for Northern Canada!
Our mission is to provide insightful commentary, spark debate, and to keep northerners informed about the policy issues affecting them. In the months between our print issues, we'll keep you up-to-date through our website and blog. We'll bring you ongoing features, articles, and editorials by our team of writers spanning both Northern and Southern Canada.
In the coming weeks, look forward to political commentary by Jack Hicks in Iqaluit, Nunavut and Stephanie Irlbacher-Fox in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Zoe Todd and the residents of Paulatuk, NWT will share their views on current policy issues–we're calling it "Paulatuuqmiut on Policy". We'll also have a weekly Northern Newsstand digest to keep you up-to-date on the week's policy stories. Stay tuned, there's more to come.
—The Editors
Thursday, 3 May 2012
Yellowknife International #Film #Festival- Open for Submissions #YZF #NWT #WAMP
Yellowknife International Film Festival- Open for Submissions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Yellowknife, May 3, 2012 - Western Arctic Moving Pictures is proud to officially announce that the 6th annual Yellowknife International Film Festival is open for submissions. YKIFF is a strong supporter of NWT film and media arts talent, not only for works produced in the NWT, but of NWT residents who work outside of the Territory in the industry. We invite all NWT residents producing works in the media arts, film and television industry to submit works. Other targeted submissions for festival selection include documentary and narrative films from the circumpolar region, as well as Canadian and Aboriginal produced films.
To submit films to YKIFF please go to the Western Arctic Moving Pictures website and follow the guidelines.
WAMP festival submissions page:
http://wamp.ca/events/film-festival/2012
Submissions can be mailed in with a completed submissions form, or delivered online through the Withoutabox program, available at the link above.
It has been an exceptional year for highlighting the NWT through film and television, and YKIFF intends to celebrate our success with the biggest and best festival yet. The festival will run during the last week of September, from the 27th-30th.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Yellowknife, May 3, 2012 - Western Arctic Moving Pictures is proud to officially announce that the 6th annual Yellowknife International Film Festival is open for submissions. YKIFF is a strong supporter of NWT film and media arts talent, not only for works produced in the NWT, but of NWT residents who work outside of the Territory in the industry. We invite all NWT residents producing works in the media arts, film and television industry to submit works. Other targeted submissions for festival selection include documentary and narrative films from the circumpolar region, as well as Canadian and Aboriginal produced films.
To submit films to YKIFF please go to the Western Arctic Moving Pictures website and follow the guidelines.
WAMP festival submissions page:
http://wamp.ca/events/film-festival/2012
Submissions can be mailed in with a completed submissions form, or delivered online through the Withoutabox program, available at the link above.
It has been an exceptional year for highlighting the NWT through film and television, and YKIFF intends to celebrate our success with the biggest and best festival yet. The festival will run during the last week of September, from the 27th-30th.
Canada to be probed by the UN's Special Rapporteur on the right to food.
"....Canada has the dubious distinction of being the first wealthy nation in the world to face a probe by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to food. The 11-day mission begins Saturday, and will take Olivier De Schutter to Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg and Edmonton, as well as remote aboriginal communities in Manitoba and Alberta. Until now, the independent expert appointed by the UN's Human Rights Council has been dispatched to countries such as South Africa, Cuba and Lebanon to probe those nations' records on ensuring people have access to food.....
http://www.canada.com/business/Canada+first+wealthy+nation+probed+food+monitor/6554582/story.html
[...]
In addition to examining the challenges facing aboriginal people, De Schutter, a professor of law based in Belgium, will probe food supply chains in Canada and government policies and programs that affect the right to food. He will be meeting with aboriginal leaders and non-governmental organizations, as well as federal officials at Health Canada and in the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development. While in Ottawa, he will also meet with NDP leader Thomas Mulcair.
http://www.canada.com/business/Canada+first+wealthy+nation+probed+food+monitor/6554582/story.html
[...]
In addition to examining the challenges facing aboriginal people, De Schutter, a professor of law based in Belgium, will probe food supply chains in Canada and government policies and programs that affect the right to food. He will be meeting with aboriginal leaders and non-governmental organizations, as well as federal officials at Health Canada and in the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development. While in Ottawa, he will also meet with NDP leader Thomas Mulcair.
"What we can say about Canada is that our food system is broken," said Diana Bronson, executive director of Food Secure Canada, a non-profit that lobbies for better public access to nutritious and sustainably-produced food.
"There are two million Canadians in this country who regularly lack access to sufficient food. People who are living on government assistance often have to choose between paying the rent and paying for food, and that means they often can't make healthy food choices."..."
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