This past year has been a busy period of activity for First Nation communities in the north. There have been numerous stories of our First Nations taking part in resource development in mining and forestry activities. Throughout the year, there have been regular reports of future developments being planned for the north. There is a boom going on. At the same time, potential projects are moving further north into remote areas of the country that were once inaccessible or too costly to explore. Most of them are in and around the traditional lands of First Nation peoples.

While the potential for economic development is being talked about, our First Nation leaders are looking at ways to take advantage of these opportunities to help their communities. Even as development comes closer to our First Nations, social difficulties are still troubling the lives of our people. Life in the remote north disconnects our people from the conveniences that are taken for granted in the south. Food, gas for transportation and retail merchandise is expensive to purchase. Health care is made difficult because of the fact that a limited amount of services are available and specialized care requires people to be flown to southern city centers for assistance. Education for youth is more challenging for places such as my home community of Attawapiskat. The people in Attawapiskat have had to deal with the loss of an Elementary School building due to years of fuel contamination. Students are forced to attend daily classes inside temporary portable buildings that were set up years ago near the original school grounds.

I am hoping for positive change for our communities in the New Year. I am hopeful that there will be future sustainable developments in the north that will take place in a controlled way where projects are brought online with the consent and participation of our First Nations. These projects also need to include compensation to our communities, to respect our people’s place and traditional rights to these remote lands that our First Nations have inhabited and lived on for generations. Our people are open to taking part in resource development if it can benefit us in a positive way. However, our leaders and our Elders are also careful to balance any development with protection of the environment, the animals and the people. We have lived on this land for thousands of years and we know that any changes to the environment will take generations to mend before it can be brought back to its original state.

I am also hopeful that we will be able to further settle land claim issues with the different levels of government. We are open to economic development but our leaders are burdened down with government restrictions and red tape. We need a framework that everyone can agree on so that land claims can move forward and development on lands can proceed with care for the land and benefits that make sense for everyone.

More and more our communities are becoming better able to provide improved services for our people and I am hopeful that this will continue in 2008. Our people are suffering through the effects of unhealthy lifestyles. Diets in the north are affected by the fact that cheap food is the only way to survive but at the cost of slowly ruining the health of our people. Diabetes, heart disease and cancer are becoming common place and obesity is compounding the situation. However, our First Nation health care workers are aware of these problems and they are working to provide preventative measures, education and promotion of healthier lifestyles.

Social issues such as addictions to alcohol and drugs have plagued our communities for generations but I feel that slowly over time, our situation is getting better. We still have a long way to go but I am hopeful that in this new year, our community health care workers will be provided the support and assistance with the development of addictions awareness programs, support for those who are looking for help and education for our youth to prevent them from falling into the same old traps.

Our people are very resilient to the changes in our world. We have survived as a people in one of the toughest parts of the world, we have lived through the dramatic changes brought about by a European culture and we are living in a modern new world while still holding on to our traditional past. We have many difficulties but little by little our young people are acquiring a higher education and added skills to survive and excel in this new world while at the same time helping our communities. Our will is strong and every year, the lives of our people and our communities improve. I am hopeful that this new year will see more of our young people gaining more knowledge about their world, their lives and the plight of their people to bring us another step forward. I wish you all good health and prosperity for 2008. Happy New Year.  

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