Sweetgrass and CFWE news briefs - Nov. 19, 2015

Bennett says victims’ families to play key role in MMIW inquiry

November 19, 2015. In an interview with the Guardian, Indigenous and northern affairs minister Carolyn Bennett said that victims’ families will play a key role in the inquiry into murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls, which could also include elements of Aboriginal ceremony and culture. Bennett said the head of the inquiry will need to “be able to be creative and innovative in the way this commission takes place.” RCMP have indicated that 1,181 Indigenous women and girls have been murdered or disappeared in suspicious circumstances over the past 30 years. Liberal leader Justin Trudeau made a national inquiry a priority in his campaign. The government is expected to launch a pre-consultation on the inquiry in the coming weeks and hopes to launch the full inquiry by the summer of 2016.

Survey of First Nations employment, labour conditions

November 19, 2015.
The First Nations Information Governance Centre will be undertaking a national survey that will take an unprecedented look at First Nations employment and labour conditions. The survey, which will be a combined effort by FNIGC and its regional partners, will mark the first wide-scale survey effort to examine employment and labour conditions in First Nations communities across Canada. The survey, which will be supported by Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, in partnership with Employment and Social Development Canada and Health Canada, will be developed over the next year with a scheduled data release in 2020.

ACWB to look at unique art, cultural situation

November 19,
2015. Arts Council Wood Buffalo is conducting the
first-ever arts survey of the area. Anyone who has shown art, created art, performed, taught, photographed, or played music on a short term basis in Wood Buffalo, is asked to participate. These insights combined with responses from local artists will assist ACWB in growing a vibrant and thriving arts community in the region. ACWB is a non-profit organization that champions investment in the arts in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. It was established to raise the profile of the arts in our region and to provide support to all facets of the arts community. The survey closes on Dec. 4.

Nation-to-nation rebuilding still a priority

November 18, 2015. A post-election
survey conducted by the federal NDP indicates that building a nation-to-nation relationship with First Nations, Inuit and Metis people continues to be a top priority for respondents. Other areas of priority included jobs, childcare, electoral reform and the environment. With more than 24,000 people taking part in the survey, 97 per cent said health care remained the top issue. “On the key question of how you’d like to see Tom Mulcair and the NDP work with this new government, 78 per cent asked us to work with the government on issues we agree on, but hold them to account as the progressive opposition,” said Rebecca Blaikie, president of Canada’s New Democrat in the emailed survey results. In the October federal election, the NDP dropped from 103 seats to 44 seats. The Liberals, under Justin Trudeau, formed the majority government capturing 184 seats having previously held 34 seats.