Award-winning actor Carmen Moore gets direction from Ron E. Scott, creator of Blackstone. The series about life on the fictional reserve completed a successful five-season run last December. (Photo: Dan Power)

June 7, 2016.

It isn’t enough that about a year ago a number of hereditary and elected chiefs in British Columbia picked up a commitment stick to live violence-free and to stop violence against women.

It isn’t enough that chiefs across the country have signed the Assembly of First Nations’ pledge to end violence. It isn’t enough that chiefs have had their communities pledge non-violent behaviour. Chiefs have to take action.

Two very important things happened in 1962, scientist Faisal Moola told the crowd gathered at Queen’s Park on June 2 to support Grassy Narrows First Nation.

The first was the publishing of “Silent Spring”, a book by biologist Rachel Carson that was the inspiration for the modern environmental movement.  “Silent Spring essentially woke up the world to the consequences of environmental toxins in the environment.”

“But something else happened in 1962,” said Moola, who is with the David Suzuki Foundation and is a professor at both York University and the University of Toronto.

June 6, 2016.

Recent moves by both the federal and provincial governments to address affordable housing are “something for the toolbox” in the battle against homelessness.

But affordable housing is only one element in the incredibly complex challenge that leaves too many people homeless, says Susan McGee, executive director with Homeward Trust Edmonton.

“Homelessness is the result of a lot of factors. Everybody who experiences homelessness has their own journey,” said McGee. 

The talking has to end. It’s time for the British Columbia government to listen to the changes First Nations want to make for child welfare and it’s time for those changes to be implemented.

“I believe that the First Nations people have the answers, have the solutions on how we can improve and support our children and families in our communities. We have the answers. We just need to be listened to,” said Debra Foxcroft, president of Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council.

June 1, 2016.

Métis have a proud heritage in Waterways and Dan Stuckless wants that tradition to continue as Fort McMurray rebuilds.

“The Métis people should be front and centre when this rebuilding effort is going on because it was the Métis people that really built up the community of Waterways before the city of Fort McMurray back in the early days,” said Stuckless, who serves as general manager of the McMurray Métis Local 1935.

Respect that the Elders taught Sophia Rabliauskas for the land drove the Poplar River First Nation’s member to take an active role in getting Pimachiowin Aki nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

“The responsibility of looking after what’s around me, my environment, my community, the land, was taught to me by my parents, my father and grandfather especially, because it reminded us that each generation had its own responsibility to continue to look after that land and what’s on that land.

“I would say 100 per cent of our people are poisoned by mercury,” said grandmother Judy Da Silva speaking about her community of Grassy Narrows First Nation. “Some of our people don’t even understand that they are being poisoned by mercury when they have all these different ailments,” she said.

Photo: (eft to right) Craig Benjamin of Amnesty International, Chief Simon
Fobister of Grassy Narrows First Nation, and Ontario Regional Chief Isadore
Day in Toronto, May 31.

The Urbane Indian

Not long ago my partner was attending an Aboriginal healing function when she found out there was going to be a women’s ceremony included, one that she had not been told about in advance.