The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) responded to the federal Fiscal Update delivered by Finance Minister Joe Oliver Nov. 13 that projects five years of budget surpluses starting in the 2014-15 fiscal year. The chiefs organization wants urgent investment in First Nations families and communities to address years of under-funding and reallocation of funds for First Nations.

Darlene Ritchie of Atlohsa Native Family Healing Services in London has received the John Robinson Lifetime Contribution Award for her work ending women abuse. The ceremony was held at the London Music Club on Nov. 13. The London Coordinating Committee to End Woman Abuse created the John Robinson award in 1988. Robinson was a London police inspector. The award recognizes an individual or group who has promoted substantial change in the area of woman abuse.

Pull Together, a grassroots campaign to raise funds for six First Nations to challenge Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline, has been so successful organizers are increasing their goal from $250,000 to $300,000 by December 31. As of Nov. 17, the fund had grown to $218,000. “The Pull Together campaign is driven by people who care and are politically astute,” said kil tlaats ‘gaa Peter Lantin, president of the Haida Nation.

A New Brunswick First Nation says it needs $500,000  to repair roads, but the province isn’t listening, saying the problem is a federal responsibility. Chief David Peter-Paul of the Pabineau First Nation says he has spoken with provincial officials many times and has shown them the conditions of the road, but the province isn’t offering up any money. “Anyone who has travelled through the Pabineau First Nation community can attest to the fact that the conditions of the roadways are horrific, to say the least,” said Peter-Paul.

A woman from eastern Ontario was in court on Oct. 20 challenging the federal government after being denied Indian status in 1995 because she doesn’t know the identity of one of her grandfathers. Lynn Gehl’s grandmother and father have status, but she was denied. “They made the assumption that this unknown grandfather was a non-Indian man, and through the process of that assumption I was denied Indian status registration.” Without status Gehl (Algonquin-Anishinaabe) cannot live on the reserve nor have a say in the decisions of her community.

MADD Canada and Eskasoni First Nation dedicate a white cross Nov. 17 in memory of a young community member who was killed by an impaired driver. On Oct. 9, 1999, Noreen Michelle Paul was walking home with a friend when she was hit and killed by an impaired driver. The 19-year-old was within sight of her house when she was struck. A white cross bearing Noreen’s name is dedicated as both a tribute to the young woman who lost her life, and as a reminder to all of the deadly consequences of impaired driving.

The Assembly of First Nations is commending police in Winnipeg on the handling of the brutal sexual assault of 16-year-old Rinelle Harper of Garden Hill First Nation. Regional Chief for Alberta, Cameron Alexis, offered his thoughts and prayers to the girl and her family. Alexis leads the AFN’s work in addressing and ending violence against Indigenous women and girls. “Your strength at this difficult time is a testament to the resilience of our peoples,” he told the family.

Test results published by Indian Affairs Canada shows First Nations students on reserves in Ontario, Manitoba, Atlantic Canada and Alberta are struggling with reading, writing and math. In Ontario, only 21 per cent of boys and 32 per cent of girls are meeting requirements in reading and writing. In Alberta, 28 per cent of boys and 36 per cent of girls are meeting the standard. In Ontario, 18 per cent of boys and 20 per cent of girls are making the grade in numeracy, with similar results showing in Alberta. Yet not all schools did the standardized tests.

Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee has heaped praise on the Durham Regional Police, saying he is impressed with the respect shown during a dig for three murdered boys at a farm north of Toronto in Anishinabek Nation territory.

The Mikisew Cree and Athabasca Chipewyan First Nations have launched a legal challenge of the Site C dam project. Both are located in Alberta and have joined with nations in the northeastern part of B.C. in their opposition to the dam which will be built by BC Hydro on the Peace River. Treaty 8 First Nations in B.C. filed a judicial review of Site C, saying the ministry of the Environment didn’t fully consider the effect of Site C on treaty rights. A report released in May by a Joint Review Panel said Site C would have impacts on treaty rights that could not be mitigated.