Edmonton News Briefs for June, 2015

Aboriginal artists connected to funders

Channeling Connections was hosted by the Edmonton Arts Council as a means to bring together Indigenous artists, prairie art organizations and funding bodies. The three-day event drew on representatives from visuals arts, theatre, dance, film, customary arts and new media to expand artistic frontiers and understanding of contemporary Indigenous arts practices. “The Edmonton Arts Council is committed to better serving Edmonton’s diverse communities,” said Christine Sokaymoh Frederick, chair of the Edmonton Arts Council Aboriginal Initiatives Committee. “We understand that practices must be adapted to resonate with Edmonton’s Indigenous arts communities, and to correspond with the vision proposed by our community Elders and working committees.” The goal of the gathering was to ensure that Indigenous arts communities are vibrant, supported and connected with the broader arts and civic community, and to explore how arts funders can help to promote inclusion and engagement.

City Hall, U of A host live webcast of TRC

 Edmonton residents were able to gather in two locations to watch livestreaming of the Truth and Reconciliation’s closing event. On June 2, the day the TRC releases its final report, the University of Alberta and City Hall Chamber were open to the public for viewing of the morning events taking place in Ottawa. In March 2014, Edmonton was host to the last national event and as a former host had committed to “working with the TRC and its local partners to support the Commission’s closing events and the release of its final report on Indian Residential Schools,” said Miranda Jimmy, projects coordinator, Aboriginal and multicultural relations for the city. As well, the city will be conducting informal consultations with concerned stakeholders to get feedback on how to commemorate the TRC’s national event in Edmonton. Possibilities include public art or a monument.

Aboriginal youth instrumental in winning social justice award

The Youth Action Project on Poverty, John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights was one of two recipients of this year’s Edmonton Social Planning Council’s Award of Merit for Advocacy of Social Justice. The work undertaken by the Youth Action Project on Poverty was led by two Aboriginal youth, Stephenie White and Brandon Gladeau, who have struggled with poverty, criminalization and discrimination. They facilitated sessions, developed project outcomes and became significant role models for other participants. Their work focused on issues such as justice, security, freedom and dignity, and created a series of recommendations presented to the Mayor’s Task Force for the Elimination of Poverty. The work of the project will build on these recommendations throughout the coming year. Also winning was the City of Edmonton Youth Council, which advocated for students to be allowed to form Gay-Straight Alliances in schools.

Deline leader to receive U of A honour

Danny Gaudet, Deline’s chief negotiator, received his honorary doctor of laws degree from the University of Alberta on June 4. The degree recognized Gaudet for working “tirelessly” for his community. His work includes negotiating the Deline Final Self-Government Agreement, which passed in the Northwest Territories legislature earlier this year and will go before parliament. The bill will amalgamate certain aspects of municipal, territorial and First Nation governments, making Deline, pop. 559, the NWT’s first self-governing community. Gaudet also developed local adult education programs, chaired a group that sought recommendations for injuries caused by the Port Radium Mine located nearby on Great Bear Lake, and created hockey training programs.

Revitalized Quarters Downtown to include new park

A revitalization plan for the Quarters Downtown includes giving the name of Kinistin‚w Park to a planned green space along 96 street or the Armature between 102A and 103A avenues. The name means “us three” in Plains Cree and echoes the historical name of 96 street, which was Kinistino Avenue. At one and a half city blocks wide, Kinistin‚w Park will connect to Louise McKinney Park and the river valley. Construction is expected to start in 2017, with design plans wrapping up next year.

Conference provides fuller story on homelessness

Indigenous understanding of home and community was one of the themes presented at the Right to Housing conference held June 5-6. Russell Auger, who is a service provider in the inner city, spoke on the topic. It was important to examine that aspect of homelessness, said conference organizer Jim Gurnett, as Aboriginal people are over-represented in the homeless population. Headlining the event was Michael Shapcott, one of Canada’s leading housing policy experts and advocates. Jay Freeman, the City of Edmonton’s executive director of housing and homelessness, presented a session looking at how Edmonton’s activity around housing has ebbed and flowed over recent decades. Other conference sessions featured presentations on a range of the challenges to housing security such as youth homelessness and NIMBYism, and some of the success stories, including Ambrose Place and McCauley Apartment.†The conference was presented by Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness, an organization involved in housing education and advocacy for nearly 30 years.

Photo Caption: Angela Gladue, a descendant of the Papaschase First Nation, performed a fancy shawl dance as part of the entertainment at the kick-off of the Edmonton Arts Council-hosted event on May 27. Gladue has been dancing fancy shawl for 24 years, and has been doing hip hop and break dancing for 12 years.