Rick Garrick — Wawatay News

Zip lining, canoeing, off-road biking, ATV safety training and tug-of-war were all part of this year’s Camp Loon, which was attended by about 141 Junior Canadian Rangers from 15 communities across Nishnawbe Aski Nation. The annual Junior Canadian Ranger camp was held July 12-21 by the 3rd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group at a site north of Geraldton, with about 44 Canadian Rangers from 18 NAN communities, 20 full-time Canadian Forces staff and 14 full-time Canadian Ranger staff from the Canadian Ranger headquarters helping provide training and guidance.

Ontario’s Aboriginal athletes are disappointed after the 2011 North American Indigenous Games were cancelled.
“It’s a big disappointment – it’s very discouraging to our youth,” said Marc Laliberte, the Thunder Bay athlete who helped organize the last Aboriginal Team Ontario to go to the North American Indigenous Games in British Columbia in 2008.
“They are quite upset.”
The youth Laliberte has talked to since the cancellation of the 2011 NAIG, which were to be held July 10-17, 2011 in Milwaukee, Wisc., are now asking what they can do instead of the NAIG.

Former Junior Canadian Ranger Morris Beardy was sworn in as a Canadian Ranger during a special ceremony July 14 at Camp Loon.
“I, Morris Beardy, do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to her majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen of Canada, her heirs and successors according to law so help me God,” Beardy said, during his swearing in ceremony.
Once he was sworn in, Beardy put on his new Canadian Ranger gear, including a red T-shirt, red sweatshirt and red hat, all with the Canadian Ranger logo.

The training exercise may have well been named Camp Zoom as Junior Canadian Rangers rode a zip line between trees.
It was one of the most exciting aspects of Camp Loon 2010, explained Mike Hunter, a Canadian Ranger from Weenusk who was one of the many who enjoyed the ride across the river.
“It’s something that kids just love to do,” Hunter said “It was really awesome, I tell you. We did different things, the first time they just hung on but you can spin around and hang upside down and try to touch the water.”

Canadians are beginning to see First Nations people.
That was the message National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo’s grandmother told him during Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s residential school apology.
“My granny was squeezing my hand and she said ‘they are beginning to see us,’” Atleo said.
Atleo also described a vision his grandmother shared with him on the day of the residential school apology during his May 13 keynote address at the Treaty No. 5 Commemoration Gala.