Alberta Sweetgrass Briefs - July

Cut Rock Walk raises funds for, awareness of cancer

The third annual Cut Rock Walk to raise money for the Alberta Cancer Foundation and to raise the awareness of the prevalence of the disease in Fort Chipewyan took place July 7-8. The walk, organized by Darlene Cardinal, had close to 200 signed up just prior to the event. In the previous two years, walkers have raised $25,000.

Energy company supports Blood Tribe’s Mikai’sto Foundation’s Capital Campaign

Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd. is donating funds to Mikai’sto Foundation’s Capital Campaign for a new Learner’s Resource Centre. Tamarack Valley Energy is a junior oil and gas company based out of Calgary. “I know Mikai’sto Foundation through my dealings with the tribe in the oil and gas industry and I am donating because I can support the Foundation’s vision and objectives,” said Brian Schmidt, the energy company’s president, CEO and director. Mikai’sto Foundation, established in 2007, began its capital campaign with a fundraising gala held in Calgary in November 2009. The goal of the foundation is to “establish, operate and maintain a library or other physical infrastructure necessary to support the educational objectives of the Blood Tribe and house books, periodicals, as well as other spiritual, ceremonial or cultural significant artifacts of the Blood Tribe to allow Blood Tribe members, students, researchers and scholars a place to study and preserve these historical artifacts on furtherance of these educational goals.”

Rainbow Pipeline clean-up continues

After a 10-day delay in mid-May, clean-up at the site of the largest crude oil spill in three decades in Alberta 20 km from Little Buffalo is still underway. As of mid-June 4,824 metres cubed  of spilled fluid (including oil, water and solids) had been recovered from the release site, including 2,167 metres cubed of clean oil (approximately 48 per cent of the original estimated 4,500 metres cubed released) according to regular updates issued by Plains Midstream Canada, the operator of the pipeline. Clean-up was stalled due to raging wildfires east and north of Slave Lake, which forced the evacuation of Plains personnel. Full-scale clean-up operations resumed May 25.

Dene Tha’ open state-of-the-art water treatment plant
In mid-May the Dene Tha’ First Nation held the grand opening of its new water treatment plant. The project was completed ahead of schedule and on budget and was approved under the $12 million invested in Canada’s Economic Action Plan. “This new water treatment plant will provide a lasting benefit for the Dene Tha’ First Nation by supporting them in managing drinking water in their community,” said Chris Warkentin, MP for Peace River, in a news release issued by Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Canada. The water treatment plant uses membrane filtration, an advanced water filtering technology, and ultraviolet technology to ensure the system meets the latest water quality protocols.

NDP presents shadow cabinet

Linda Duncan, re-elected MP for the  New Democratic Party in the federal Edmonton riding, was appointed by Official Opposition leader Jack Layton as Aboriginal affairs and northern development critic opposite Conservative John Duncan. She remains the only non-Conservative elected in Alberta since 2008. “We’re prepared to work with a name change but symbols like name changes just won’t cut it,” said Layton in his speech introducing the NDP shadow cabinet. “It’s just like the apology. The apology is just words. It was accepted in good faith on the floor of the House of Commons but what we have not seen is those words translated into action.”

Blood First Nation part of climate change study

The Blood First Nation will be included in a climate change study that the University of Regina is carrying out. The university recently received $1.25 million from the International Development Research Centre for a study examining how communities (particularly rural areas and First Nations) deal with things like drought and flooding, and how much those disasters are due to global warming. Much of the research will take place in rural areas around Swift Current and into southern Alberta in the Oldman River basin and on the Blood First Nation. “We probably can (blame some recent storms on global warming), but we can’t say for certain. One thing we know is you can’t say a single event is due to climate change,” U of R geography professor Dave Sauchyn, who will lead the study, told the Regina Leader-Post.

Alberta Education Act addresses First Nation service agreement

The proposed Education Act outlines expectations surrounding education services agreements for First Nations students,updates processes for establishing separate school districts, and clarifies definitions of independent and resident students. The act was not passed in the spring legislative session in order to allow further discussion by education stakeholders and other Albertans. If passed, the Education Act will replace the School Act, which is the legislative framework that currently guides the governance of education in Alberta. The last major changes to education legislation were to the School Act in 1988.

RCMP constables recognized for work with youth

Constables Tara St. Denis and Todd DePagie were recognized for their efforts by the Alberta Solicitor General’s office at the 20th annual Crime Prevention Awards ceremony in May. St. Denis works under the Peace River RCMP detachment, but she alone covers the communities of Marten Lake, Simon Lakes and Cadotte Lake. She launched the Woodland Cree Youth Group, where 50 to 60 youth meet weekly to take part in different activities. DePagie, who has been working on the Sunchild and O’Chiese reserves near Rocky Mountain House for the past two and a half years, has been instrumental in starting two Cadet Corps youth groups. Every year people and organizations are recognized for their contributions to public safety in Alberta communities. This year nine different awards were given out. Other recipients were a former TV reporter and six organizations.

First Nations delegations go international

At the end of May, Mikisew Cree First Nation Chief Roxanne Marcel, Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief for the Northwest Territories Bill Erasmus and Canadian environmental leaders were in Washington to meet with senior officials in the Obama administration regarding the proposed Keystone XL pipeline project. In mid-May Lionel Lepine, of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, was part of a small delegation to tour Strasbourg and Paris to meet with investors, French government and European Union government. Both delegations delivered the message that the impact on First Nations and their way of life had to be taken into consideration before any development of the tar sands went ahead.

New regulatory body doesn’t address Aboriginal consultation

The provincial government is considering creating a single regulatory body to oversee development of Alberta’s natural resources. However, the report that introduces the concept of the single regulatory board does not address the issue of First Nation consultation. It is also unclear how this new board would impact the already existing Energy Resources Conservation Board. The plan was tabled by Energy Minister Ron Liepert. The intent, Liepert told the Calgary Herald, is to de-politicize the regulatory process and decrease the red tape. Liepert said the proposal is being supported by the Alberta ministries of Energy, Environment, and Sustainable Resource Development. The new structure contemplates a one-stop shopping approach, with one application and a streamlined process.

Lilly winner of TD Bank post-secondary award

Edson triathlete Jessie Lilly, 18, has been named one of TD Bank’s 20 winners and for four years will receive $10,000 for tuition fees and $7,000 living expenses. Lilly was also a winner of the Tom Longboat Award for Aboriginal Youth. More recently, Lilly was chosen by the non-profit Impossible2Possible organization, which is dedicated to inspiring, educating and equipping young global problem solvers, and was the youngest of four youth ambassadors on an Amazon rainforest trip. Lilly will be studying at MacEwan University and training at the Edmonton Triathlon Academy.

LSAP bursary awarded to Whitecourt woman

Judy Brunet, of Whitecourt, is one of nine recipients of the Legal Studies for Aboriginal People bursaries through the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation. Brunet received $3,500 to complete a two month Legal Studies for Native People program at the University of Saskatchewan. Seven other recipients of the LSAP award will also be studying at the U of S. The eighth recipient will complete two months at Native Law Centre of Canada while the final recipient will complete one month in the pre-law program at The Schulich School of Law. All recipients received $3,500.

Compiled by Shari Narine