Rick Garrick — Wawatay News

A call has been raised for Prime Minister Stephen Harper to unconditionally endorse the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
In the March throne speech, Harper said Canada would endorse the declaration, but only according to it’s own constitution and laws. Aboriginal groups are opposed to Harper’s condition because they think it will limit the scope of the declaration.
Ellen Gabriel, president of Quebec Native Women Inc., expressed concerns about the federal government’s announcement.

Pikangikum’s Sheldon Keesickquayash is helping young gas sniffers overcome their addiction.
“There are more youth that sniff gas – they are little kids,” said the solvent abuse worker during the Ka-Na-Chi-Hih Solvent Abuse Conference.
He said he works with more than 100 youth at the community’s solvent abuse healing camp to identify what the youth need to build a better future.
“We try to encourage them not to sniff.”

Family connections are branching up around Sandy Lake as members trace their lineage through family trees.
“We were trying to come up with something from as far back as we can,” said former chief Ennis Fiddler during the annual Nishnawbe Aski Nation Keewaywin Conference.
Fiddler originally began working on his own family tree about a year and a half ago and helped with the research and development of the community’s family trees over the past five months.

ᑎᐯᐣᒋᑫᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᑲᐊᐧᐅᐣᑕᑲᓀᓯᐊᐧᐨ ᐊᔕ ᐅᑕᓂ ᒪᒥᑲᓇᐊᐧ ᓀᐣᑲᐃᐧᓴᑲᐦᐃᑲᓂᐃᐧᓂᐊᐧᐠ. ᐁᐧᐢᑲᐨ ᓂᑐᐣᒋ ᓇᓇᐣᑕᐃᐧᑭᑫᐣᑕᒥᐣ ᐅᐁᐧ ᑲᑐᑕᒪᐠ ᑲᓇᓇᐣᑕᐃᐧᑭᑫᐣᑕᒪᐠ ᐁᐧᐢᑲᐨ ᑲᑭ ᐱᒪᑎᓯᐊᐧᐨ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐊᐧᐨ, ᐃᑭᑐ ᑲᔭᐢ ᐅᑭᒪᑲᐣ ᐁᓂᐢ ᐱᐟᓫᐃᕑ ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᐊᐢᑭ ᑭᐁᐧᐃᐧᐣ ᑭᒋᒪᐊᐧᒋᐦᐃᑎᐃᐧᐣ ᑲᑭᔭᑭᐸᐣ. ᐱᐟᓫᐃᕑ ᓂᐢᑕᑦ ᐅᑭ ᒪᑕᓄᑲᑕᓇᐸᐣ ᐃᐧᓀᐦᑕ ᐊᐣᑎ ᑲᐅᐣᑕᑲᓀᓯᐨ ᐯᔑᑯᐊᐦᑭ ᒥᓇ ᐊᐦᐱᑕ ᐅᑕᓇᐠ ᒥᓇ ᑲᔦ ᐁᑭᐃᐧᒋᑕᐧᐨ ᐃᒪ ᐅᑕᔑᑫᐃᐧᓂᐠ ᑫᐃᐧᓂᐊᐧ ᑲᓇᓇᐣᑕᐃᐧ ᑭᑫᐣᑕᒧᐊᐧᐨ ᐊᐣᑎ ᑲᐅᐣᑕᑲᓀᓯᐊᐧᐨ ᓂᔭᓄᐱᓯᑦ ᐊᔕ ᐅᑐᐣᒋ ᓄᒋᑐᓇᐊᐧ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᑕᐢ ᐊᐦᐸᐣ, ᓂᑭ ᐊᓂᑭᑫᐣᑕᒥᐣ ᐊᐊᐧᓀᐣ ᐃᑫᐧᓂᐊᐧᐣ ᑲᑭ ᐅᓂᒐᓂᔑᐨ ᒥᓇ ᑲᐊᓂ ᐊᓂᑫ ᐅᓂᒐᔑᓂᐊᐧᐨ, ᐱᐟᓫᐸᕑ ᐃᑭᑐ. ᐊᐧᔑᒣ ᑕᐢ ᐣᑲᓇᓇᐣᑕᐃᐧᑭᑫᐣᑕᒪᐣ ᐅᑕᓇᐠ ᑲᑭ ᐱ ᐱᒪᑎᓯᐊᐧᐨ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐊᐧᐠ, ᐊᐊᐧᔑᒣ ᒥᔑᐣ ᑫᑯᓇᐣ ᑭᑕ ᐅᐣᒋ ᑭᑫᐣᑕᓇᐣ.

Sandy Lake Elder Jonas Fiddler remembers how his father, former chief Thomas Fiddler, and former MPP Leo Bernier brought modern transportation and communications to his community.
“Leo (Bernier was) one of the few people that understood the needs of the people on both sides of the culture he was selected to represent,” Fiddler said, explaining his father, who was chief for about 25 years, and Bernier were about the same size with booming and commanding voices.