Lack of cooperation from the federal government, both in providing court-ordered documents and participating in residential school survivors events, was a concern recently raised by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Murray Sinclair, chair of the TRC, said that the lack of both an inventory of documents available as well as documents themselves from both the federal government and the four churches, which are party to the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement, has forced the TRC to ask the judges monitoring the agreement for direction.

One of the most powerful speakers of the two-day Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings held in Port Alberni March 12 and 13 was Yanny Barney, who never went to residential school but who is a survivor nonetheless.

The intergenerational effects of the residential school system grew vivid in the minds of all in attendance with her public statement.

INDIGENOUS NATIONHOOD BLOGGER

The Tseshaht First Nation had the unfortunate experience of having a residential school operate on its territory for many years.

Alberni Indian Residential School was one of the most notorious in the country and is the place from which grew today’s Indian Residential School Settlements Agreement, the indirect result of a handful of AIRS survivors who banded together to take government and the churches to court to hold them accountable for the abuses that were perpetrated in the facility.

It’s more than a little bit disturbing that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is complaining about the lack of federal involvement in their statement gathering hearings. Does Prime Minister Stephen Harper believe that the 2008 apology for the residential school system is enough to absolve Canada’s Government of its responsibility on this issue? It’s not.

Activist still inspires

Five years have passed since environmental activist Harriet Nahanee died, but her friend and fellow protester Betty Krawczyk, now 83, still gets e-mails sent to her praising the elder’s courage.

In January 2007, Nahanee, 71, was sentenced by Judge Brenda J. Brown to two weeks in jail for criminal contempt of court for her part in the Sea-to-Sky Highway expansion protest at Eagleridge Bluffs near Vancouver.

Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company (SNTC) performed their annual "Rez Sisters" Christmas Play this year, a revamped version of a play from the beginning of what has become an annual tradition for many.

The Western Hockey League's Saskatoon Blades are once again providing a mentorship program for Aboriginal youth in their city.
This marks the sixth straight season the Blades are taking part in the program with youngsters from the White Buffalo Youth Lodge, a Saskatoon-based inner-city community centre.
The mentoring program allows the Aboriginal youth a chance to learn about hockey and teamwork from some role models (members of the Blades) in their community.
Other program goals include increasing the youngsters' self-esteem and their communication abilities.

The Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) recently won a bid with the federal government that will infuse some 2.5 million into the northern Saskatchewan economy.
Ben Voss, Chief Executive Officer of MLTC Resource Development Inc. said the tribal council applied, under the government's Economic Action Plan Community Adjustment Fund (CAF), for a project related to computer technology and information services, and the proposal was accepted.

On behalf of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations(FSIN) and the 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan it represents, Vice Chief Delbert Wapass is calling for a separate school division for First Nation students in the urban setting.
"The Province has had decade after decade to close the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, but has not been able to succeed in doing so," noted Wapass during a press conference at the FSIN office in Saskatoon.