Aboriginal Engineering awarded contract for remediation work at Port Radium mine site
Stephen Kakfwi releases 2nd music CD
Northern communities may be hurt by boom but devolution may have answers
Feds invest over $2 million in tourism and community access projects in Nunavut
Judges approve class action settlement for Aboriginal residential school victims
Bringing northerners together in celebration of socio-culture and economic unity
What’s up across the country
WHITECOURT, AB
Aboriginal leaders in north central Alberta are betting a $63 million casino will help make their community a winner. Chief Cameron Alexis of the Alexis Whitecourt reserve says the planned casino, hotel and truck stop will provide plenty of jobs. The Eagle River Casino and Travel Plaza is to open in January 2008 at the junctions of highways 43 and 32.
More than 900 Alexis band members live in the area northeast of Edmonton. Unemployment estimates range from 70 to 95 per cent on the reserve.
The band is partnering with Las Vegas-based Paragon Gaming to build the casino complex.
MOUNT CURRIE, BC
The BC government and the Lil'wat First Nation have signed a deal allowing for the widening of the Sea-to-Sky Highway through part of the First Nation's territory. The highway links Vancouver with Whistler and is being upgraded in advance of the 2010 Winter Olympics. In return BC will transfer 240 hectares of Crown land valued at $9.5 million to the Lil'wat. The Lil'wat will receive $1 million toward employment training and advice on joint ventures to help increase economic opportunities. Lil'wat Chief Leonard Andrew says the deal will allow band members to pursue jobs, receive training and take advantage of greater economic opportunities.
SIKSIKA, AB
Hybrid Fuels, Inc. has announced that a formal agreement has been signed between its wholly-owned subsidiary Hybrid Fuels (Canada) Inc. and the A4 Bar Cattle Company Ltd., covering the equal-share joint venture between the two companies, known as the 'Siksika A4 Bar Farm Operations Project.' The site of the project is located approximately 60 miles east of Calgary, AB on the land of the Siksika First Nations. The Project will initially consist of the construction of two (2) facilities designed to produce a combined daily volume of up to 3,300 litres of ethanol, generate up to 2 megawatts of power, finish up to 2,400 head of cattle annually, and provide up to 10 full time jobs. This type of project may expand to include other First Nations across Canada and the United States.
PRINCE ALBERT, SK
Another Aboriginal community in northern Saskatchewan is cracking down on the problem of stray dogs. The Wahpeton Dakota First Nation near Prince Albert is offering 15 dollars for each stray dog shot on the reserve. Band councillor Cy Standing says women on the reserve walk with sticks to fight off threatening animals. But resident Carla Omani suggests some young people could be shooting people's pets to get the money. Animal welfare groups say if people see animals being dumped, they should write down license plate numbers and call police.
In December, the Lac La Ronge Indian Band promised to catch and destroy stray dogs roaming the reserve.
A five-year-old boy from the North Tallcree First Nation in northern Alberta was mauled to death by a pack of roaming dogs in November.
SASKATOON, SK
Aboriginal high school grads interested in health care will be able to get some basic training in a new Saskatoon pilot project. The new training program for prospective employees will teach them basic hospital skills such as first aid, how to keep things sterile and safe food handling. The health region is trying to find more Aboriginal workers as the native population in Saskatchewan grows and retiring baby boomers create job vacancies. An $80,000 grant from the Department of Advanced Education will pay for the training program.
IQALUIT, NU
Nunavut's land claims organization says it's going to sue Ottawa for failing to live up to its obligations under the land claims implementation deal.
Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. president Paul Kaludjak says after five years of trying to work with the federal government on implementation issues, there is still no commitment.
"I hope we can come to an agreement with the government that the implementation has to happen," Kaludjak said recently. "There has to be a real commitment that the claim long-awaited by the Inuit of Nunavut can begin."
The $1-billion lawsuit, which NTI plans to file with the Nunavut Court of Justice in Iqaluit may also prompt Ottawa to appoint an implementation plan negotiator, he said.
The Inuit of Nunavut signed their land claims agreement in 1993.
BURRITT’S RAPIDS, ON
A plan to convert a mothballed eastern Ontario jail into a residential drug treatment centre for youth has been shelved because of an Aboriginal land claim. Plans to start a long-term addictions centre for children aged 12 to 16 at the former Rideau Correctional Centre building near Burritt's Rapids has hit a roadblock. City officials learned from the province's Ontario Realty Corporation that the 344-hectare property was part of a massive land claim made by the Algonquins of Eastern Ontario.
Last June, then-Mayor Bob Chiarelli announced plans to buy the Burritt's Rapids lands for $1.3 million. The residential centre was expected to fill what Chiarelli called a “critical” gap in youth addiction services in the city.
EASTMAIN, PQ
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has announced that Canada’s New Government has completed its review of the report of the Federal Environmental Assessment Panel on the proposed Eastmain 1-A Hydroelectric Project and Rupert River Diversion. The Government agrees with the Panel’s conclusion that this project can and should proceed.
“This project is important for First Nations, the Province of Quebec and for Canada.” the Prime Minister stated. “As our economy grows, so too must our supply of clean renewable energy.”
It is expected that this massive hydro electric project will create some 5,500 jobs and have enormous economic benefits that could reach more than $4 billion.
“My government looks forward to working with First Nations communities, industry stakeholders and the Quebec government as we finalize the regulatory process,” the Prime Minister said.
Aboriginal Engineering awarded contract for remediation work at Port Radium mine site
A contract worth approximately $6.8 million for remediation work at the former Port Radium mine site was awarded December 20th to Aboriginal Engineering Limited (AEL) of Yellowknife, NWT.
The Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians and the Honourable Michael M Fortier, Minister of Public Works and Government Services made the announcement.
“I’m pleased that AEL has been awarded such a significant project in the NWT,” said Minister Prentice. “The work to be completed represents this government’s long-term commitment to the $3.5 billion to address contaminated sites under federal responsibility through the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP).
The multi-year contract covers remediation work at the site, including the covering of areas of elevated radiation levels, the stabilization of tailings areas, demolition, hazardous waste disposal and camp provisions and support. Following a competitive tender by PWGSC, the contract was awarded to AEL, which submitted the best technical proposal at the lowest overall cost, and included a mandatory Aboriginal benefits package to maximize employment and contracting opportunities in the First Nation community of Déline.
“As we continue to protect the health and safety of Northerners and the environment by cleaning up contaminated sites, it is important to note that through this contract we are also supporting northern and Aboriginal economic development. We have seen through other contaminated sites projects that it is very important to involve local residents in the work being done on these sites,” said Minister Prentice. “This contract provides local community members with both the opportunity to be actively involved in the project, and to gain valuable work skills that may be used on other sites in the future.”
“The remediation of northern contaminated sites is a priority for my department,” Minister Fortier said. “That is why we work closely with other federal departments to ensure that our business is conducted in an efficient manner, is effective in its use of public funds, and is ecologically and environmentally friendly.”
AEL is a private-sector company in operation in the NWT since 1995, and brings extensive technical, professional and logistical expertise to the Port Radium remediation project. AEL typically maintains 85% Aboriginal employment during project work, and provides on-the-job training through Aboriginal and northern training programs that incorporate traditional knowledge.
The remediation plan for the site was developed in partnership with the Déline First Nation, as part of the recommendations outlined in the Canada-Déline Uranium Table (CDUT) Final Report Concerning Health and Environmental Issues Related to Port Radium, a former mine. The report was the result of five years of extensive health and environmental studies carried out with regards to the Port Radium mine.
The former Port Radium mine site is located on a peninsula along the eastern shore of Great Bear Lake in the Northwest Territories, 440 kilometres north of Yellowknife and 265 kilometres east of the Dene community of Déline. Déline has a population of approximately 550 people.
Attribution d’un contrat at a Aboriginal Engineering pour la restauration du site minier de Port Radium
Le 20 décembre 2006 – Un contrat d’une valeur d’environ 6,8 millions de dollars a été attribué aujourd’hui à Aboriginal Engineering Limited (AEL), de Yellowknife (Territoires du Nord-Ouest), pour des travaux de restauration du site minier de Port Radium.
L’honorable Jim Prentice, ministre des Affaires indiennes et du Nord canadien et interlocuteur fédéral auprès des Métis et des Indiens non inscrits, et l’honorable Michael M Fortier, ministre de Travaux publics et Services gouvernementaux Canada, ont annoncé aujourd’hui l’attribution du contrat.
« Je suis heureux que AEL se soit vue attribuer le contrat de ce grand projet dans les Territoires du Nord?Ouest, a déclaré le ministre Prentice. Les travaux à effectuer témoignent de l’engagement du gouvernement à consacrer, par l’entremise de son Plan d’action sur les sites fédéraux contaminés (PASFC), un financement à long terme de 3,5 milliards de dollars en vue de traiter les sites contaminés qui sont de responsabilité fédérale. »
Le contrat pluriannuel porte sur les travaux de restauration du site, y compris le recouvrement de zones aux taux de radiation élevés, la stabilisation des aires de résidus miniers, la démolition, l’élimination des déchets dangereux, ainsi que les services d’approvisionnement et de soutien du camp. À la suite d’un processus d’appel d’offres, Travaux publics et Services gouvernementaux Canada a attribué le contrat à AEL, qui présentait la meilleure proposition technique au coût global le plus bas, et qui offrait aux Autochtones un ensemble obligatoire d’avantages permettant de maximiser les possibilités d’emploi et de passation de contrats dans la collectivité de Première nation de Déline.
« Tandis que nous continuons de protéger la santé et la sécurité des résidants du Nord et l’environnement en nettoyant les sites contaminés, il est important de souligner que l’attribution de ce contrat permet également d’appuyer le développement économique du Nord et des Autochtones. Nous savons d’expérience qu’il est très important de faire participer les résidants locaux aux travaux effectués dans ce type de site, a déclaré le ministre Prentice. Ce contrat offre aux membres de la collectivité locale l’occasion de participer activement au projet, mais aussi d’acquérir des compétences de travail utiles qui pourront servir plus tard dans d’autres sites. »
« La restauration des sites contaminés dans le Nord est une priorité de mon ministère, a déclaré le ministre Fortier. C’est pourquoi nous travaillons en étroite collaboration avec d’autres ministères fédéraux à faire en sorte que nos activités soient menées avec efficacité, qu’elles utilisent les fonds publics de façon avantageuse et qu’elles soient respectueuses de l’écologie et de l’environnement. »
AEL est une entreprise privée qui exerce ses activités dans les Territoires du Nord?Ouest depuis 1995. Elle apporte au projet de restauration de Port Radium une vaste expertise technique, professionnelle et logistique. D’ordinaire, AEL emploie un personnel composé à 85 p. 100 d’Autochtones pour effectuer les travaux de restauration et elle fournit une formation en milieu de travail grâce à la mise en oeuvre de programmes qui intègrent le savoir traditionnel et qui sont destinés aux Autochtones et aux résidants du Nord.
Le plan de restauration du site a été élaboré en partenariat avec la Première nation de Déline, conformément aux recommandations du Rapport final de la Table Canada-Déline sur l’uranium concernant les questions de santé et d’environnement liées à Port Radium, une ancienne mine. Le rapport est le résultat de cinq années d’études exhaustives sur les questions de santé et d’environnement relatives à la mine de Port Radium.
L’ancien site minier de Port Radium est situé sur une péninsule, sur la rive est du Grand lac de l’Ours dans les Territoires du Nord-Ouest, à 440 km au nord de Yellowknife et à 265 km à l’est de la collectivité dénée de Déline, qui compte environ 550 habitants.
Stephen Kakfwi releases 2nd music CD
By Dene Skylar
Stephen Kakfwi was born into the Dene culture in a time of rapid change. He experienced life on the land and waters of the Dene where his ancestors lived, harvested and thrived in Denendeh. He also witnessed the incredible social change caused by a clash between dominant Euro-centic colonial values being imposed upon Dene cultural values. Despite the social dislocation Kakfwi experienced, he earned a formal education and rose to be an influential leader. Kakfwi’s leadership started in the community and took him to becoming Premier of the Northwest Territories. Stephen Kakfwi retired from politics then swiftly went into his other great joy… writing and singing about his beloved northern homeland.
(Left to right) Willam Greenland of CKLB Radio, Stephen Kakfwi &
Native Journal writer Dene Skylar.
Native Journal was fortunate to attend the official CD release launch of Stephen Kakfwi’s second CD in December 2006. The CD is called, Last Chance Hotel: a collection of original Northern songs.
Stephen Kakfwi provided a wonderful presentation of his music to a capacity crowd at the Javorama Coffee House in Yellowknife, NT.
Stephen credits Métis violin player Cole Crook with inspiring him to play by telling the audience, “Cole played in Ft. Good Hope and he talked to my older brother. He said if you have even a little bit of talent, music or whatever – use it because it is a gift from the Creator… later that day we lost Cole in a plane crash. His message really impacted my life. I was just starting to play guitar. I played my first song at Cole’s wake. I’m still learning to play guitar and a bit of harmonica.”
Speaking of his latest CD, Kakfwi told the audience, “Last Chance Hotel was a little hotel in Fort Good Hope where people gathered. Across the hall was the dance hall where people danced, drank, fought and other things! That was the Last Chance Hotel!” Of course the hotel had another name but to Kakfwi it was the Last Chance Hotel.
Kakfwi continued his presentation by saying, “We included my father in the CD. He passed away in 1973. I never got to really know him well because of my time in the Residential School. So I wrote a song called Dance Again. It’s a very important song to me. It’s the first track on the CD. It’s about Noel Kakfwi’s love song to his wife Georgina… back in the 1950s and 1960s it was not uncommon for people to be gone for several years in hospital. Our father had to cook, clean, cut wood along with all other household chores plus work and raise us children while our mother was away in the hospital. There were many other men in Ft. Good Hope whose wives were gone to hospitals in Edmonton or Aklavik. The church used to record messages to send to the wives. My dad would speak into a microphone in front of everyone in the hall and sing a Dene Love Song to his wife who was in the hospital in Edmonton.”
Every song on the CD has a unique northern flavor that tells a tale of northern history or northern experience. Kakfwi states, “A Great Big Lie is about Treaty 8 and it is a great blatant lie that’s why I call it that. Elders in the 1960s would say they didn’t care about Treaties because they said they never gave up our land.” About another song Kakfwi states, “I was at the Gold Range one night and a person asked me, ‘Steve, take me to the Dirty Bird.’ I didn’t know what that meant so I asked – they said it was the Raven’s Pub… so I worked on this song called, Take Me To the Dirty Bird.”
Stephen Kakfwi performed and shared the stories of his music with a captured audience. Kakfwi’s songs are inspirational and invite the listener into a world of Dene life rich in change, excitement and community spirit. Kakfwi is definitely an excellent raw talent with a Dene overtone that embodies a mix of Martin Luther King, Cardinal and Dylan. Watch for more from Stephen Kakfwi in years to come. He was a 2006 Nominee for the Male Artist of the Year Award at the Canada Aboriginal Music Awards. Watch and listen as Stephen Kakfwi continues to encourage and inspire through his unique Dene style of beautiful
music. Contact Stephen at www.stephenkakfwi.ca. Native Journal salutes all Aboriginal Artists like Stephen Kakfwi for inspiring all of us to become what we can and share our Aboriginal cultural experiences.
Northern communities may be hurt by boom but devolution may have answers
By Dene Skylar
Carleton University professor Frances Abele has done extensive research on aboriginal communities over the past few decades. It was, therefore, no surprise when Professor Abele recently stated that large scale developments such as the proposed Mackenzie Gas Pipeline while bringing employment opportunities and wealth to the North, might also cause hurt to smaller northern communities.
Professor Abele told a panel discussion group in Ottawa in December that, “Low high school attainment, high suicide rates, other symptoms of social disorder – these are a legacy of colonialism and of the rapid pace of development.” Professor Abele started a $1.75 million dollar research project in September 2006 to study how northern communities respond to large corporations and governments. Abele pointed out some negative factors related to large scale development projects such as: the potential for local labour force leaving smaller communities for higher paying jobs causing labor shortages in the smaller communities; workers might spend their earnings in larger centers taking money away from smaller communities; and increasing challenges will be had when the development stops and jobs are gone.” Professor Abele is no slouch when it comes to uncovering research to back up empirical evidence related to socio-economic dislocation.
Professor Abele engaged in the panel discussion with other northern leaders at the economic forum held in Ottawa. Able told these northern leaders to remain accountable for their actions. This was in response to some panel members from the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut who talked about developing their mining, cultural and tourism industries and Nunavut and NWT leaders who spoke about their government’s desire to obtain land and resource devolution powers from the federal government.
Many people are optimistic that the proposed multi-billion dollar Mackenzie Gas Pipeline Project will be approved in late 2007 or early 2008. The former federal Liberal government initiated a $500 million dollar Mackenzie Gas Project Impact Fund to assist in mitigating any negative affects arising from the project but the funds are contingent upon the project getting approved and under construction. This will definitely help but the main way for northerners to gain responsible control over their own future will be for them to gain more responsibility over their future through the devolution of authority and power over administering their own lands and resources.
- Recently the north experienced a change in direction at the Devolution and Resource Revenue Negotiations process when the government of the Northwest Territories and the Gwich’in Tribal Council released a joint news release stating their commitment to “work together, and in cooperation with the elected leaders of land claimant organizations throughout the Northwest Territories, to pursue the negotiation of a devolution and resource revenue sharing agreement-in-principle that:
- Ensures the transfer of the administration and control of lands, water and natural resources to the Northwest Territories; and
- Ensures northerners are the primary beneficiaries of the resource revenues derived from the development of northern resources in keeping with the commitment of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Minister Jim Prentice.”
This is a significant change from the Aboriginal Summit approach which included all willing Aboriginal groups whether they had a negotiated land claim or not. It remains to be seen if the Devolution of Resource Revenue Sharing will follow the regional approach to resolving issues in the NWT. This regional approach started due to the failed Dene-Métis Land Claim Agreement of 1990. Regionalism might work for those ahead of the pack but it may mean reduced power and play into the divide and conquer hands that stall progressive change. The real win may come from the tiny NWT population of just over 40,000 people finding a leadership vision that unites everyone under one force to deal with the giant federal government in Ottawa. The federal government while committed to the Devolution process has spoken of it in words such as “province-like powers,” suggesting that they are not likely to budge on giving up too much control over the vast land and resource wealth of the NWT.
Many negotiators have made a good living during the long-standing Devolution negotiations, but people are getting tired of this and wish to see a resolution that is fair and equitable – soon! Canada has a real opportunity to define a new sharing federal relationship as it continues down the worn path of Devolution with the NWT. Stay tuned as some socio-cultural and economic development answers are definitely in the Devolution basket. But there will definitely be a need for fresh ideas as worn out leadership retires with their pensions and hopefully new leaders arise with relationship building skills that foster unity amongst all Aboriginal groups, northerners and southern Canadians. The resource pie is growing as the north develops and if Canadian unity can be diplomatically danced out, everyone will enjoy an equitable share of the pie.
Feds invest over $2 million in tourism and community access projects in Nunavut
The Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians announced December 2nd the Government of Canada's investment of $2.189 million for tourism and community Internet access projects in Nunavut.
“Staying connected is a common theme with this investment – both within Nunavut through the community access projects and with the rest of the world through tourism funding,” said Minister Prentice. “In particular, the tourism industry is a pillar in Nunavut's economy, and these projects will give local tourism operators the tools needed to compete in the global tourism market.”
“The Government of Nunavut recognizes the tourism industry as one of the most important sectors for the development of our economy. This is reflected in the annual financial support we provide the industry association, Nunavut Tourism, and the programs and services that keep tourism businesses operating in Nunavut,” said Olayuk Akesuk, Minister of Economic Development & Transportation. “I am very pleased to have Indian and Northern Affairs Canada as a partner in this endeavour.”
“The provision of these funds is a huge boost to the tourism industry within Nunavut,” said Paul Lewis, CEO of Nunavut Tourism. “In order for our industry to truly flourish, we need to develop products locally and promote them internationally. This new funding will allow us to do both.”
Nunavut Tourism will receive $1.11 million over three years (2006-2009) to expand domestic and international tourism in the territory. Projects include a Nunavut tourism advertising campaign, new marketing publications, and targeted participation at trade and consumer shows. The territorial government will also receive $249,405 to complete the second phase of a visitor exit survey gathering valuable baseline data from tourists after they have visited Nunavut.
In addition, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada will contribute $655,000 to the territorial government over the three years to further develop community Internet access sites. The Nunavut Community Access Program (N-CAP) will use the funds to establish two new CAP sites annually, determine the need for new and upgraded equipment, improve training opportunities, and test various delivery methods of distance education. The CAP sites will also host a pilot project to launch Nunavut's first locally-developed bilingual (Inuktitut, English) distance learning course.
“Now that broadband is widespread across Nunavut, this funding couldn't have come at a better time,” said Darlene Thompson, Secretary/Treasurer of the Nunavut Community Access Program (N-CAP). "It is our goal to have a CAP site in every community in Nunavut; thus allowing all Nunavummiut the resources to train and apply for jobs, start or expand businesses, and generally stay connected both to other communities and to the world.”
These projects are all funded under Indian and Northern Affairs Canada's Strategic Investments in Northern Economic Development initiative. Indian and Northern Affairs Canada works with the Government of Nunavut and the Nunavut Economic Forum to identify investments in priority areas to help generate important economic opportunities for Northerners, and their businesses and communities.
Judges approve class action settlement for Aboriginal residential school victims
By Tobi Cohen
A landmark court victory that will see thousands of former Aboriginal residential school students fairly compensated for abuse is cause for celebration, but Canada's Aboriginal community still wants an official apology from Ottawa.
“Oh, my gosh, this has been so many years in the making,” Phil Fontaine, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, said after most of the country's courts gave the settlement their stamp of approval.
While receiving a compensation check will be a highly symbolic acknowledgment of the shame, embarrassment and hurt that so many children suffered, “it's not just about the money,” Fontaine told a news conference in Ottawa.
Fontaine, who was one of the first national figures to go public in 1990 with his own story of sexual and physical abuse at the Fort Alexander School in Manitoba, said his next task will be to seek an official apology from the prime minister.
Former Indian affairs minister Jane Stewart offered a “statement of reconciliation” in 1998, but many survivors say it didn't go far enough.
Jim Prentice, Canada's current minister, couldn't be reached for comment.
Dubbed the largest and most complicated class-action settlement in Canadian history, the legal dispute between the federal government and the victims has dragged on for more than a decade.
Judges in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Yukon, Quebec and Ontario – which also ruled on behalf of Atlantic Canada – approved the settlement, leaving Nunavut and the Northwest Territories as the only jurisdictions left to rubber-stamp the deal.
“I think that people are very happy that the courts have unanimously endorsed the settlement as fair and reasonable,” said Jon Faulds, an Alberta lawyer who's part of a national consortium of lawyers representing the victims.
“It's the first time in Canadian history that so many courts have been involved in the approval of a class-action settlement. It's an enormous challenge and I think, apart from anything else, it should be hats off to the courts for having found a way to make this work.”
Nova Scotia-based lawyer John McKiggan said the rulings are “enormous” and of “tremendous importance.”
“It is rare that a court gets to render an opinion on an issue of national and historic importance,” he said.
“This case deals with a matter of historic shame, a matter of national importance both in the scope of the number of people that it will assist and in the amount of money involved, it's probably the largest class-action in Canadian history.”
While there are about 10,500 individual cases currently before the courts and some 3,000 more in a government alternative dispute resolution program, there's estimated to be more than 80,000 people in total who are entitled to benefits.
The settlement includes a “common experience” average payment of $24,000 which will be available to all former students who were ripped away from their families and sent to various institutions across the country.
The estimated 12,000 to 20,000 people who suffered physical and sexual abuse will be eligible for an additional $5,000 to $275,000 each and could get even more if they can show a loss of income.
Descendants of former students who died after May 31, 2005 can also apply for compensation. With victims dying at the rate of about 1,000 a year, fast-track payments of $8,000 have already been made to about 10,000 survivors over the age of 65.
While all the judges approved the basic provisions of the settlement, some identified a variety of “administrative wrinkles” that will need to be ironed out before the cash begins to flow.
“They are mostly about making sure the court has adequate powers to supervise the settlement as it's being implemented,” Faulds said. “The courts want to make sure that adequate resources are devoted to the process to make sure that all of the claims are processed very quickly.”
As with any class-action lawsuit, there's a two-month window for named parties to opt out of the settlement and appeal the court judgment. Toronto lawyer Craig Brown, however, said none are expected.
“We believe that compensation for the wrongs committed in the Indian residential school system will start to flow in the middle of next year,” Brown said. “And that's great, great news for everybody.”
Brown said judges in the territories need a bit more time to write up their decisions because of the travelling they're required to do in their daily work. They're likely to complete their judgments over the holidays and submit them to the court in early January.
The deal also includes $125 million for the Aboriginal healing fund, $60 million for a truth and reconciliation process to document the history and legacy of government-run Indian residential schools and $20 million for commemorative projects.
The most controversial aspect of the settlement is an estimated $100 million set aside for legal fees.
When all is said and done, it's expected the federal government will have forked over as much as $5 billion in restitution.
The Aboriginal residential schools began operating in the late 1800s and it wasn't until the late 1970s that all the schools were shut down.
Bringing northerners together in celebration
of socio-culture and economic unity
By Dene Skylar
The Tulita Unity Accord Event scheduled for the week of February 10-18, 2007 in Tulita, Northwest Territories will be an event that celebrates socio-cultural and economic unity in the north. The event will bring northern leaders, artists, writers, business people, Elders, youth, entertainers, musicians and a wide variety of exciting cultural events together in the spirit of northern cooperation and unity.
Aerial view of Tulita, NT
Sahtu Dene Council Grand Chief Frank Andrew and Fort Norman Métis Land Corporation President Rocky Norwegian are key leaders who have supported unity and wish to see this reflected in an event that involves people from their community and across the north. These leaders are committed to unity and, more specifically, actions that demonstrate unity.
In a combined statement, Grand Chief Frank Andrew, Ft. Norman Métis Land Corporation, President Rocky Norwegian and Tulita Dene Band Council Sub-Chief Arsene Menacho stated, “The main signing event for the Tulita Unity Accord is scheduled to take place on Saturday, February 17, 2007.
“The Tulita Unity Accord will build on past historical relationship foundation tools such as Treaty 11, Sahtu Dene & Métis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement, Charter of Rights & Freedoms and other significant instruments that have firmly committed Canadian citizens to a united vision that will assist us, northerners and Canadians in our efforts to continue to build a lasting productive relationship.
“The community public government, Tulita Dene government and Tulita Métis government leaders will join together in signing the Tulita Unity Accord as a symbol of their unity. The event will also honor and pay respect to the visionary leaders who were instrumental in the progressive development of the North.
“Other people invited to the Tulita Unity Accord Celebrations Event include: former Canadian Government Leaders; Federal Government Leaders; Territorial Government Leaders; Aboriginal Government Leaders; Aboriginal Business Leaders; Aboriginal Elders; and, Special Guests from across Canada.”
Leading up to the Tulita Unity Accord signing event will be many exciting activities. Elders and Youth will join together in events scheduled to take place throughout the community. Elders will share Dene legends, Aboriginal history, culture and language skills with youth and guests. A Dene Hand Games Tournament will bring together Dene from all corners of Denendeh. Métis and Dene entertainers, artists, story tellers and musicians will provide activities all week long.
Aboriginal singer and rising star Leanne Goose will return to her roots in Tulita to perform for youth, Elders and the community. Her father, the well known and well loved, Louie Goose, will also return to the heart of the Sahtu to perform.
Dr James Battle, PhD, President of the Self-Esteem Institute of Canada is scheduled to speak on Self-Esteem as it relates to achievement. Chief Clarence Louie of the Osoyoos Indian Band has also been invited to speak on economic development.
The Casa Comedy Kings have also been invited to spread their inspirational messages to youth through sports and recreation.
Dene-Métis feasts, dances and cultural activities are sure to make the Tulita Unity Accord Event an event that everyone will enjoy. You can get to Tulita by air or ice road to participate in this event that promotes Unity.
For more information please visit www.tulitaunity.com.