The Toronto Catholic District School Board is piloting a program to help students of First Nation, Métis or Inuit background feel safe in self-identifying with their Aboriginal heritage while developing an awareness of their culture among all students. The program fosters positive role-models and helps to dispel stereotypes. Aboriginal graduate and undergraduate students from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education work as peer mentors with the students.

Legal Aid Ontario funding will bring two new community-based services to members of Grand Council Treaty #3. The group is providing $200,000 to hire, train and manage two Gladue caseworkers for one year. These caseworkers will write Gladue reports for Treaty #3 members in Kenora, Fort Frances, Dryden and Sioux Lookout. The reports will be available to accused people facing 90 or more days of incarceration, either at the bail or sentencing stage. Legal Aid Ontario will also provide $200,000 to finance an Aboriginal alternative dispute resolution worker for two years.

Alexander Hebert, 9, designer of the LEGO “Treaty of Niagara” wampum belt, was part of the launch by the province and the Union of Ontario Indians of a new education resource. “We are all Treaty people” is designed to help children learn about the treaty relationship in Ontario at an early age.

Prime Minister announces new funding for child advocacy centres

On April 24 Prime Minister Stephen Harper was joined by his wife Laureen, and MP for Saint-Boniface Shelly Glover for a roundtable meeting with victims’ advocates at the Winakwa Community Centre in Winnipeg, where he announced the government’s intention to provide new funding for Child Advocacy Centres to help support young victims of crime.

Shoal Lake lifts state of emergency

Whether fighting in the trenches of the First World War or fighting in the political arena for full rights for his people, First Nations soldier Sergeant Francis Pegahmagabow is a true Canadian hero.

The Ojibwe soldier from Wasauksing First Nation near Parry Sound, Ont. was not only one of the most effective snipers and scouts in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF), but of the Aboriginal peoples who participated in the First World War, he is the most decorated.

The MacKenzie Art Gallery swept the Saskatchewan Book Awards this year, taking home all three publishing awards for 7: Professional Native Indian Artists Inc., curated by Michelle LaVallee. It received the First Nations’ University of Canada Aboriginal Peoples’ Publishing Award, the University of Regina Faculty of Education and Campion College Award for Publishing in Education, and the Ministry of Parks, Culture, and Sport Publishing Award.

There could be a fifth urban First Nations reserve within the boundaries of Regina. Nekaneet First Nation wants to build a gas station and convenience store on the land located on the north edge of the city. The band will have to apply to Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Canada to convert the property into reserve land as well as sign an agreement with the city to pay the equivalent of property taxes in exchange for police, fire and other services. The band will also pay fees for water, sewer and garbage removal. The proposal goes to Regina City Council on May 25.

The construction of a 10-bed seniors lodge will begin towards the end of May on the Flying Dust First Nation. The lodge, to be located near Meadow Lake, is a joint venture between the First Nation and Habitat for Humanity. This marks the first time that the national organization has made a commitment to an on-reserve development project. “I think this came about because we were tired of having to tell people that we didn’t have the money to build this project. We had to come up with a solution to this,” said former Chief Robert Merasty, who was instrumental in setting up the partnership.

The two-week inquest into the death of Lee Bonneau, 6, has resulted in 19 recommendations to the Ministry of Social Services, the Yorkton Tribal Council Child and Family Services, and the RCMP. The Saskatchewan government has released a plan designed to improve the child welfare system and supports for vulnerable families and children. The new plan follows not only the inquest, but also a 2014 report on the same case by the Advocate for Children and Youth. That report contained 23 findings and 18 recommendations.

Specific Claims Tribunal decision could see multi-million payment.