Aboriginal women are involved and will be heard
B.C. government covers travel costs for Hartley Bay heroes to attend dinner
Vancouver, BC – The heroes of Hartley Bay, B.C., won't have to pay their own way to attend a dinner in Victoria to honour their rescue efforts during the sinking of the ferry Queen of the North.
Members of the First Nations band took to their boats early March 22 to bring 99 survivors to shore after the ship struck Gil Island and sank south of Prince Rupert.
After media reports about the $25,000 in travel and accommodation costs for the 21 rescuers, Solicitor General John Les announced September 25th the government will pick up the tab.
He said the Natives ``dropped everything and got out there on a cold, wet night,'' and their actions are nothing less than heroic.
North Coast MLA Gary Coons said he thinks a travel voucher should have been part of the original offer to attend the September 30th dinner at Government House.
The New Democrat also said he'd like to see the remote village of 180 become a full-trained rescue centre.
Standoff costing $55 million Conservatives say
Toronto, ON – Conservative Leader John Tory said September 26th the ongoing Aboriginal occupation in Caledonia, Ont. has cost taxpayers at least $55 million.
Tory put the figure to Premier Dalton McGuinty in the Ontario legislature, asking him to give a final tally on the cost of the occupation in the town just outside of Hamilton.
McGuinty didn't respond with a total figure, saying the province is intent on reaching an agreement with Six Nations protesters at the negotiating table.
Six Nations protesters say they will stay on the site – bought by the province and being held in trust – until it is returned to them.
Manitoba First Nations want input into old military base
WINNIPEG – An Aboriginal leader says the federal government must include input from First Nations before deciding what to do with a former military base in Winnipeg.
Ottawa sold Kapyong Barracks in May 2005 to Canada Lands Corp., a federally owned development agency.
The site was abandoned when the Princess Patricia Light Infantry unit was moved to Canadian Forces Base Shilo in 2004.
Roseau River Chief Terrance Nelson said Ottawa has failed to live up to its obligations in the Treaty One region, which mainly includes Winnipeg. He said the band will go to court to ensure they are part of the process. Two other First Nations, Swan Lake and Long Plain, also fall under Treaty One.
Among the proposals for the land have been a sports campus for elite athletes, recreation, commercial and retail space, and extensive green space.
Advocates for the homeless have also been eyeing the site, as has the City of Winnipeg.
Aboriginal women are involved and will be heard
September 29th marked the official launch of Canada wide consultations to find solutions to the issue of Matrimonial Real Property on reserve. The Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) will be conducting consultations across Canada to hear the ideas and opinions from Aboriginal women on the best possible solution(s) to facilitate meaningful access to matrimonial real property protections for women and the children living on reserve. NWAC's process is intended to ensure the unique needs and interests of Aboriginal women are reflected throughout the entire consultation process. NWAC will work towards a respectful balance between the collective and individual human rights of Aboriginal women and the communities they belong to.
NWAC has long recognized that the lack of a legislative regime regarding matrimonial property on reserve (house on reserve while married) has had negative consequences for Aboriginal woman and children. Since 1995, NWAC has actively lobbied the federal government for resources to study and consult on the solutions to this inequality. "We believe it is essential to hear the solutions from Aboriginal women and their children who have survived the conditions imposed on them from not having access to their home. Since 1985, there has been no legal recourse for Aboriginal women and their children to gain access to their home on reserve after a separation or divorce," said NWAC President Beverley Jacobs.
On June 20, 2006, Canada's announced its intention to address the question of Matrimonial Real Property (MRP) on reserves. Minister of Indian Affairs Jim Prentice recognized that any solution to matrimonial real property should involve the participation of those most affected. NWAC and the Assembly of First Nations have received equal funding to conduct these consultations. The federal government has recognized the importance of NWAC's role in keeping this issue on a national agenda for the past 20 years and acknowledged the distinctive expertise of NWAC in this area.
NWAC consultations will be held to ensure that Aboriginal women can have meaningful input on the development of solutions to the issue of MRP on reserve. The first public consultation will be held in Alberta on October 8, 2006. Dates and times of future sessions will be announced throughout the process and posted on NWAC's website: http://www.nwac-hq.org.