In Manitoba, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection is working with 10 families that have children who have been missing for more than six months. Eight of those families are First Nations.
While Christy Dzikowicz, director of MissingKids.ca, with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, doesn’t have exact figures, she does know that Manitoba’s numbers are a reflection of what is happening across the country.

“It’s a sad but accepted fact that we know that First Nations adults as well as children are going missing at a disproportionate rate,” said Dzikowicz.

Métis Learning Day celebrated at U of M

When grassroots First Nations people were pushing Harper for answers, the Assembly of First Nations gave the Prime Minister a way out.

“I’m not putting a value judgement on that,” said Wab Kinew, director of Indigenous Inclusion at the University of Winnipeg.
Kinew was referring to the thousands of mainly Indigenous people who gathered throughout the months of December and January to protest omnibus Bills C-38 and C-45, which brought in changes to legislation on how First Nations business is conducted and to legislation controlling development that impacts the environment.

Interview by David P. Ball for Windspeaker with UBC First Nations Studies professor Glen Coulthard of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation.

Windspeaker: Where do you see the Idle No More movement heading next?

The Toronto Aboriginal community has not been idle. In the week leading up to the Jan. 11 meeting with the Prime Minister, many people were hard at work organizing events.

On Jan. 8, one of the two Toronto Idle No More groups held the first of scheduled weekly teach-ins at Toronto Council Fire. About 100 participants showed up and they reflected the diversity of Toronto’s multicultural population, as well as the diversity of the Aboriginal community in the city.

WOLF SONGS AND FIRE CHATS

As a career journalist going on 34 years now, I’m endlessly fascinated by how the media handles Native stories. While I am primarily an author of books now, I’m still in newspapers and on the radio every week somewhere in Canada. Freelancing is a privilege that comes with name recognition. After three decades and a handful of awards I’m afforded the luxury of picking and choosing my spots. But I’m still a working journalist.

THE URBANE INDIAN

It’s a well-known fact that Native people prefer to wage war in the summer; rarely the winter. After all, they’re not stupid.  I refer you, for example, to Little Bighorn, which happened on a hot and sweltering June day. The Battle of Batoche occurred during a warmish May. Kahnasatake and Ipperwash were also summer engagements.

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By Adam Martin

Re: Nekaneet Powwow

"Platinum Sponsor: Trans Canada Pipeline".

http://www.ahki.ca/thunderinghillspowwownekaneetfirstnation.php

The Departments of Health and Social Services and the Sahtu Health and Social Services Authority have responded to an increased rate of skin infections in Colville Lake, N.W.T. These infections can be caused by common skin bacteria that enter under the skin through minor cuts or breaks that result from other common conditions such as eczema, insect bites, diaper rashes or scabies. The Office of the Chief Public Health Officer is monitoring the infections and will continue to provide additional support as and when required.

De Beers, the diamond mine located near Attawapiskat, believed it was being “held hostage” by a blockade of the winter road leading to the Victor mine by First Nation members, to “exert pressure” on the company “to succumb to their demands of, among other things, compensation, employment and housing,” said court documents filed in Superior Court in February. The company filed a “notice of motion” seeking an injunction against six protesters that were blocking the road, and $130 million in damages.