Manitoba Pipestone - February, 2016

Province’s plan on education not working

A 50-page report from Auditor General Norm Ricard says that despite years of effort, the provincial government still has not identified the barriers Aboriginal students face in finishing Grade 12.

The high-school graduation gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in Manitoba has worsened, despite new government programs and spending. About 55 per cent of Indigenous students are completing high school compared with 96 per cent of non-Aboriginals, which is a slightly wider gap than in 2010, when 57 per cent of Aboriginal students were finishing high school.

The report said while the government has aimed to improve Aboriginal education outcomes since 2004, its plan—including two grants to school divisions targeted specifically at helping Aboriginal students—has been vague and poorly thought out. The report contains 19 recommendations, most of which focus on clearly defining the responsibilities of school divisions and government departments that are involved in Aboriginal education. The government says it accepts the findings of the report and is working on improvements.

Mathias Colomb intent to by Omnitrax

The Mathias Colomb Cree Nation is looking for federal and provincial support in its bid to buy the Hudson Bay Railway and the Port of Churchill. Mathias Colomb Cree Nation and Denver-based Omnitrax announced in January they had entered into negotiations for the transfer of Omnitrax’s two properties.

“The reality is, we all need to make an investment. We all need to ensure the success of this route,” said Mathias Colomb Cree Nation Chief Arlen Dumas. The rail line is the only land link to four communities in the region and Churchill is Canada’s only deep-water northern port.

Omnitrax has faced difficulties in running the facilities. The rail line crosses hundreds of kilometres of bog and permafrost, and has been plagued by derailments and delays. The port relies heavily on grain shipments, which were down by more than 50 per cent last year from the normal 500,000 tonnes.

Omnitrax has indicated it might discontinue the rail service if no buyer is found. Mathias Colomb and other First Nation communities in the north already run the Keewatin Railway Company, a shorter rail line purchased in 2006 with more than $6 million from the federal and Manitoba governments.

Southern child care authority back under First Nation rule

A new governing board of directors is now administering Southern First Nations Network of Care. The province lifted its order of administration on the southern authority on Jan. 12. The Southern First Nations Network of Care oversees one of the largest child welfare systems in Manitoba with 10 frontline agencies supporting 36 predominantly Ojibway and Dakota First Nations, with about 4,500 children in care.

The authority has been under provincial control for more than three years, sparked by a dispute between the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and the organization over whether chiefs could sit on its board. No chiefs sit on the new board, but chiefs must approve the appointments. The province is also nearing agreements that will allow it to lift the administration order on the northern authority, which the province took over more than a year ago.

Services expanded for victims

The Manitoba government has committed funding to new services for victims of crime, including expanding programming at Ka Ni Kanichihk. Those new programs will see supports through Heart Medicine, a place specifically for Indigenous women who are victims of sexual violence, and Medicine Bear, a culturally-based healing program for Indigenous men and boys when a family member is missing or murdered.

“This funding will support new and expanded initiatives for Indigenous people affected by violence,” said Ka Ni Kanichihk’s executive director Leslie Spillett. As well, additional funding for Sage House will allow the hiring of a new outreach street worker to increase supports based on Indigenous teachings for people exploited through sex work.

An investment of $120,000 for new services will be provided with $90,000 coming from the Victims of Crime fund.

Kinew’s work among finalist for Taylor prize

Wab Kinew is among five finalists for the 2016 RBC Taylor Prize. Kinew’s book, The Reason You Walk, published by Viking Canada. “Brutally honest, original, funny, uncomfortable, and compelling, Wab Kinew’s memoir explores the personal reconciliation of a father and son and that of a country searching for healing and a way forward,” the jury selection committee has described the book. “When Wab Kinew’s father was diagnosed with cancer, he decided to reconnect and, in so doing, learned about his dad’s terrifying childhood at residential schools. The reader is transported into an extraordinary world of truth and reconciliation. As he explains: ‘during our time on earth, we ought to love one another, and that when our hearts are broken, we ought to work hard to make them whole again’.” The jury evaluated 120 books written by Canadian authors and submitted by 39 Canadian and international publishers. The RBC Taylor Prize recognizes excellence in Canadian non-fiction writing and emphasizes the development of the careers of the authors it celebrates. All finalists will be supported with extensive publicity and promotional opportunities over the next two months.