Shawn Bell - Wawatay News

Respected Elder Peter Barkman of Sachigo Lake passed away on Jan. 31.
Barkman was serving as an Elder member of the Wawatay Board of Directors as well as a member of the Elders Council for the Sioux Lookout Health Centre at the time of his passing.
Throughout his life Barkman provided guidance, direction, support and advocacy to various First Nations organizations in Nishnawbe Aski Nation territory.

In light of what it calls a growing mistrust of Thunder Bay police amongst First Nations people, NAN Legal Services has stepped up as an intermediary between NAN residents living in the city and the Thunder Bay police.
Two weeks ago NAN Legal started a public education campaign aimed at educating First Nations youth on their rights when dealing with police. The organization is also offering to help First Nation victims and witnesses get their statements heard by the appropriate authorities, whether police, human rights tribunals or other outlets.

Tim Fontaine, a reporter with APTN’s Halifax bureau, was born and raised in Winnipeg and spent a number of years living in Ottawa before moving to the east coast. He has been covering the Idle No Movement since its early days, and offers his perspective on the movement itself and where it may go from here.
Wawatay News (WWT): To go back to the beginning, in December when Idle No More first got going, what were your thoughts on how much momentum it might have?

The families of seven Nishnawbe Aski Nation youth who died while attending school in Thunder Bay gathered last week to begin preparations for the joint inquest into the deaths.
A three-day meeting was held from Feb. 12-14 to allow families to meet each other, educate themselves on the process of the inquest and offer suggestions as to elements that should be included.

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has determined there was no criminal offence in the death of 23-year-old Lena Anderson of Kasabonika Lake First Nation.
On Feb. 14, OPP announced it had concluded its investigation into Anderson’s Feb. 1 death.
“Investigators determined that when the Nishnawbe Aski Police Services (NAPS) officer determined Ms. Anderson was unresponsive, he immediately took her to the local Nursing Station for medical attention,” the OPP wrote in a press release. “Shortly after their arrival at the Nursing Station, she was pronounced deceased.”