30 Remote First Nation Communities A Beautiful Territory, Rich in - - PDF document

1

A Beautiful Territory, Rich in Resources …

30 Remote First Nation Communities

AREA SERVED

Mamow Sha-way-gi-kay-win serves a large area from north of Thunder Bay, to Hudson’s Bay and the Manitoba border

5

OUR COMMUNITIES

6

2

Mamow Sha-way-gi-kay-win “Giving a Blessing Without Expectations” Giving a Blessing Without Expectations

8

OUR VISION

A future where children, youth and families in the remote First Nation communities have their basic needs met and opportunities to achieve their full potential while embracing their culture and heritage as Aboriginal people.

“Believe us when we say,

if we had the resources to make life better for our children, we would seek to realize our dreams for

• them. A poor life can lead

to desolation, hopelessness, crime, loss of culture, loss of identity, and in many cases, suicide.”

Noah Chapman, Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug, June 2006 Extreme Poverty High Cost of Living Inadequate Housing Inadequate Housing Poor Infrastructure Low Education Lack of Employment Gas Sniffing Alcohol, Violence and Abuse Despair and Suicide

Desperate Poverty

3

Travelling in our communities Gas Station in Sandy Lake

Going Shopping

Going Shopping

4 Exorbitantly High Costs of Living

• The Cost of Groceries Up North Can Be More

Than Double the Cost of the Same Supplies in Southern Ontario

Toronto Sioux Lookout Sandy Lake KI Webequie 1 doz. Eggs 2.29 2.49 3.69 5.29 3.75 5 kg. Flour 4.69 5.89 11.99 14.99 19.39 Lettuce .99 1.59 3.49 4.89 4.99 1 litre Homo Milk 1.99 1.79 3.19 4.69 3.49 1 kg. Carrots 2.49 2.99 3.99 4.99 4.09 9.50 7.99 14.69 10.12 9.95 19.99 26.29 23.29

126.00 176.00 240.00 224.00

1 kg. Ground Beef 6.57 3.4 kg Laundry Detergent 8.99

100.00 TOTAL GROCERY BASKET

Smoking Moose Meat

Children’s Treatment Services Developmental Services Voluntary Agencies

Lack of Services

Food Banks Women’s Shelters Prevention and Early

Intervention

Community Development Municipal Sports & Recreation Programs Pediatric Health Services Child Care and Early Childhood Programs

Partnership Structure:

Northern Partners Southern Partners Governance Circle Working Groups

30 Remote First Nations Communities

5

The Provincial Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health at Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario creates the ability to form teams of partners, both from the North and South, who participate with the community in the ‘searching together’ process. They also provided funds for “Heal the Healer” projects. The Atkinson Charitable Foundation provides funds on an annual basis which directly allows teams to travel to communities and allows First

25

Nation Partners the ability to travel south to participate in Partnership activities and meetings. Ontario Trillium Foundation allows the Partnership the ability to continue the process of relationship building, Mamow Ki-ken-da-ma-win and sustainable resource development. FTC Canada provides warehouse space and delivers Partnership donations on behalf of the Partnership. Wasaya Airways provides a much needed service by transporting our donated items to the remote communities. Wasaya Airlines also donates warehouse space in Pickle Lake to house our donations until deliveries can be made.

Southern Member Partners

• Centre of Excellence for Children

&Youth Mental Health

• Ontario Libraries

Association

• Christian Horizons
• Family and Children's Services of

Guelph & Wellington County

• Feed the Children Canada
• Kinark Child & Family Services
• Laidlaw Foundation
• Office of the Provincial Advocate

for Children and Youth

• OACAS
• Rotary District 7040
• Ryerson University
• Save the Children
• UNICEF
• Voices for Children
• Atkinson Foundation
• Senator Landon Pearson
• Centre of Excellence for

Youth Engagement

• Many others

Governance Governance Circle

Governance Circle

Chief Donny Morris

• Dr. Judy Finlay

Co-Chair Co-Chair Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug Professor, Ryerson University Chief Connie Gray-McKay Honourable Landon Pearson Secretary Landon Pearson Resource y Mishkeegogamang First Nation Centre for The Study of Childhood and Children's Rights Chief Adam Fiddler Sandy Lake First Nation Lisa Wolf UNICEF Canada Harvey Kakegamic Sandy Lake First Nation Keith Zehr Treasurer

Chief Gordon Anderson

Creighton Youth Services

Kasabonika Lake First Nation

Marty Molengraaf

Felicia Sagutch Duff’s Presbyterian Church

Eabametoong First Nation

28

ANNUAL CHIEFS ASSEMBLY - Sandy Lake First Nation – August 18-20, 2009

29 Sandy Lake Housing NAN Grand Chief Stan Beardy Children singing at Chiefs Assembly Chiefs & Delegates Chiefs & Delegates Elders Translators

Staffing Structure

• Executive Director
• Executive Assistant
• Youth Engagement Coordinator
• Project Manager, Housing and Capacity Building
• Communications Officer

** Core staffing funded by The Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Laidlaw Foundation

30

6

Guiding Principles

• Awareness
• Long Term Commitment

Long Term Commitment

• Non Partisan Approach

Priority #1

Capacity p y Building

Two community assessment were completed in Mishkeegogamang and Webequie First Nations in January 2007. Several themes were identified from the consultations of community members, including:

• Livelihoods (including economic development)
• Livelihoods (including economic development)
• Infrastructure (food/water/sanitation/housing)
• Community participation (including culture and traditions)
• Education and recreation
• Children and parents (including safety and security)
• Physical and mental health

** “Searching Together” reports are available on our website

33 Pikangikum (2008) Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug Kasabonika Lake Bearskin Lake 34

Four additional First Nations communities participated in Partnership assessments in 2009: Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug, North Spirit Lake, Kasabonika Lake, Bearskin Lake First Nations. ** “Searching Together” reports are available on our website

Searching Together Team

All Searching Together projects were funded by the Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health at CHEO

36

7

An Epidemic of Suicide

Tragedy and Death Up North

305 Suicides since 1986 Hangings Gunshots Overdose Overdose Fire 67 Suicides in Pikangikum

(This Would Compare to 6,500 Suicides in Guelph and Wellington County in 20 years)

Suicides and Tragedy Affect Us All Very Deeply

Families are Devastated Communities are Immobilized We Are All Related to One Another Together We Feel Each Others Pain

Pikangikum Youth Survey

“How Do You Feel About Yourself?” Pikangikum School Fire - June 8, 2006

8

Priority #2

Housing, Infrastructure & Economic Development

9

Home To Several Families

10

This is Home for Grandparents, Three Children and Five Grandchildren in North Spirit Lake

Mamow Ki-ken-da-ma-win

(Searching Together)

Ryerson University University of Toronto Lakehead University University of Western Ontario SSHRC-CURA GRANT

• Mamow Ki- ken- da- ma -win: Enhancing social determinants of health

through a partnership-based approach to child, family and community wellness in First Nations in northern Ontario.

• Five Year Project
• Pilot Study: Sandy Lake First Nation
• 12 community assessments (searching together)
• Ethics of Indigenous Research
• Ongoing Evaluation and Capacity Building

Social Determinants of Health: Conceptual Framework

• Aboriginal status
• Early life
• Education
• Employment and working conditions
• Food security
• Health care services
• Colonialization
• Globalization
• Migration
• Cultural continuity
• Housing
• Income and its distribution
• Social safety net
• Social exclusion
• Unemployment and employment

security

• Communications
• Cost of goods
• Access
• Territory
• Poverty
• Self-determination

11

Our Children Deserve Hope

Chi Meegwetch!

For more information visit http://www.northsouthpartnership.com/