JANUARY 2015
Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee was honoured for being a formal Regional Chief by Chiefs of Ontario on November 24.
Youth interim representative, Quinn Meawasige, participated in the Toronto event as well.
– Photo courtesy of Chiefs of Ontario
Madahbee update on Anishinabek priorities
By Anishinabek Nation Grand
Council Chief Patrick Madahbee
Over the past few months the
Anishinabek Nation political office has been busy with a number of
priorities. While we continue with
our daily duties, the majority of our
activities have centered around jurisdiction, treaties, education and
child welfare.
In the area of treaties, Lake Huron Regional Chief Day has been instrumental in leading the discussion
through resolutions and meetings.
Recently, First Nation leadership
was invited to participate in round
table discussions with various cabinet ministers from the Government
of Ontario. From an Anishinabek
perspective we continued to focus
on the Anishinabek Action Plan that
includes education, child welfare,
economies and jurisdiction.
Ontario has promoted the idea
that they are in partnership with
First Nations and we have sought to
define what their intention is around
the idea of a “partnership”. At the
basis of any partnership with First
Nations is a treaty relationship, and
we have consistently advocated for
treaty implementation. Jurisdiction
also continues to be a contentious
issue as both levels of government
(federal and provincial) have made
significant moves to assert their jurisdiction over tobacco.
Throughout the months of September and October the Anishinabek Nation has advocated on behalf
of Anishinabek First Nations in the
area of jurisdiction. We submitted
our opposition on Bill C-10 (contraband tobacco) in a federal senate
committee hearing, and also made
a verbal presentation in the same
hearing. At the Ontario level we
are on record to opposing Ontario’s
Raw Leaf Tobacco policies based
on Anishinabek jurisdiction.
In Child Welfare we continue
to participate in discussions for an
Ontario-wide change in policy and
funding, but at the same time we
are also advancing the Anishinabek
Child Welfare law.
JANUARY 2015
Pic Mobert connects constitution development
with economic and community success
By Faye Sabourin
THUNDER BAY – Citizens of Pic
Mobert First Nation living off-reserve met with Chief and Council
in Sault Ste. Marie on December
6, 2014 and Thunder Bay on December 13, 2014 to discuss the
connection between community
development and a First Nation
Constitution. Pic Mobert began
drafting their constitution during
constitution development workshops offered by the Restoration
of Jurisdiction department of the
Union of Ontario Indians in 2008
and 2013.
“I am very proud of all Pic
Mobert’s accomplishments over
the last few years. We achieved
many milestones and I would like
to thank the community members
for trusting the process,” said Chief
Johanna Desmoulin.
Chief Desmoulin spoke about
the importance of constitution development and conducting community engagement sessions with off
reserve citizens in addition to the
on reserve citizens, to keep all citizens informed and engaged in the
process.
Over the last five years, economic and community successes
in Pic Mobert included the creation
of a new business relationship with
Regional Power on the Gitchi-Animkii Hydro-Electric project, the
expansion of White Lake Limited
Partnership, the successful ratification of the land and larger land base
agreement and, more recently, the
approval for the water treatment
project. These milestones have
increased employment by 115%
since April 2013.
“It is an honour to be a part of
the success, and it is all because of
community patience and support
that we were able to accomplish a
lot within the last few years. Consistency is one of the main keys to
our success,” said Councillor John
Kwissiwa.
A constitution will reinforce
Pic Mobert’s law-making process
and powers. For example, when Pic
‘We don’t
all learn
the same’
By Rick Garrick
Wikwemikong Elder Josephine
Pelletier (nee Webkamigad) credits
summer studies at the University
of Ottawa, innovation and fun activities in the classroom for her successful 34-year teaching career.
“The second year I taught I went
to summer school,” says Pelletier,
one of 20 Ontarians recognized on
Oct. 30 with Senior Achievement
Awards for outstanding contributions to their community through
voluntary or professional activities
after the age of 65. “I was going
to go to London for the summer
school, but then (my friend) said:
‘Why don’t you come to Ottawa,
that’s where I’m going.’ So I went
there for three summers in a row.”
Pelletier, who received her B.A.
from Laurentian University, says
her commitment to learning more
about teaching paid off with a pay
raise and a promotion.
“After those three years, the de-
Wikwemikong Elder Josephine
Pelletier recently received a
Senior Achievement Award from
the provincial government for
outstanding contributions to her
community through voluntary or
professional activities after the age
of 65.
partment sent me a letter saying I
was on the second level, “Pelletier
says. “So that was an incentive to
keep up to date with what is going
on in education.”
Pelletier says it was important to find new ways to keep her
students interested in their studies
throughout the school year.
“You try to find ways to get
whatever you are trying to teach
across to them,” Pelletier says. “We
don’t all learn the same way, so we
have to innovate or find different
ways to show them how to (do their
Page 2
Mobert ratifies its land code, land
laws may need to be developed and
a Pic Mobert First Nation Constitution will support and add force to
these laws, eliminating any uncertainty community members may
have as well as providing reassurance for third parties when conducting business.
A constitution can guarantee
fairness to citizens whether a citizen is living on or off reserve. A
constitution also supports the separation of politics from administration, which in itself contributes to
stronger governance.
It is very difficult for a First Nation to consistently make progress
because of the Indian Act’s short
election terms. More and more
communities are making their own
rules and policies including election codes or election laws with
longer terms. Supported by a First
Nation Constitution, First Nation
laws allow a community to maintain consistency and ensure stability. Pic Mobert’s elections are currently governed by the Indian Act.
Chief Johanna Desmoulin recognizes the importance and benefits of constitution development
and plans to use the constitutionbuilding sessions as a means to
move forward and to gather input
from the off reserve citizens.
For information on First Nation
Constitution Development, please
call Faye Sabourin – Special Project Coordinator at 1-877-702-5200.
school work), whether it’s in spelling or math.”
Pelletier says students also need
to have some fun at school to keep
them motivated in their studies.
“It’s not just all work, there has
to be some play involved,” Pelletier says, noting she would screen
movies for the students every once
in a while. “To get them to pay attention, I would get them to write
a story about what they saw in the
movie. Whatever was available at
the school, I tried to use for a little
bit extra, something other than just
books.”
Pelletier says education was
“in the genes” for her, noting she
always had good marks at St. Joseph’s Girls School in Spanish and
at high school in Pembroke.
“I did Grade 1-10 in eight
years,” Pelletier says. “Then a few
of us went to Pembroke to finish
our high school. That’s where I
graduated in 1951 from Grade 13.”
Pelletier began her teaching
career in 1952 in Heron Bay (Pic
River) after graduating from teachers college in North Bay. She also
worked in Pic Mobert and at a residential school in Lebret, Saskatchewan before returning to teach in
M’Chigeeng and her own community in the early 60's.
“I taught (in M’Chigeeng) for
five years, from 1962-1967,” Pelletier says. “In 1967 I finally got
hired on in my own reserve and I
stayed there for 15 years.”
After retiring from teaching,
Pelletier began doing Anishinaabemowin translation work for
the Ojibway Cultural Foundation
with the goal of keeping her language and culture alive. She also
translated three Robert Munsch
books for Sault College.
“That was fun work,” Pelletier says about translating the wellknown children author’s books.
“One of my friends, Dawna Leblanc, was teaching Kindergarten,
and she had computers so she did
the typing part of the job for me.
And she also knew the language, so
she helped once in a while by offering suggestions like: ‘I think this
would sound a little better’.”
Pelletier also performed with
Debajehmujig Theatre Group’s
Elders Gone AWOL production in
2011.
Pelletier is currently involved
with the Wikwemikong Board of
Education’s
Anishinaabemowin
Curriculum Department and has
served on the board of the Amikook
Seniors Centre and Rainbow
Lodge, a substance abuse centre.
Pic Mobert Councillor Wayne
Sabourin.
JANUARY 2015
Language book with
audio option available
By Sharon Weatherall
Aaniin niijkiwe (Hello friend) ..Gdi Anishinaabem na (Do you speak Ojibwe)?
Beausoleil First Nation teacher B. Jeff Monague (Myiingan) has written a book introducing basic Ojibwe, the first in a series he will be working
on and publishing through Bear Spirit Press. ‘Ahaw,
Anishinaabem’ (Ok, Speak Ojibwe)’ – a phrase book
for beginners, has been released in perfect timing for Jeff Monague
Christmas and would make a great stocking stuffer for
people who are interested in learning their native language.
“It gives me a great sense of satisfaction to be able to offer this to
people,” said Monague who has been teaching the language since 2000
to Kindergarten through Grade 12 and is currently a language instructor
at Georgian College.
“Our community of Christian Island in Ontario Canada is nearing extinction of our beautiful Ojibwe language – a language that I was fortunate to have grown up speaking.”
Ahaw, Anishinaabem’ (Ok, Speak Ojibwe) assists in the return and
preservation of Anishinaabemowin. It reflects a local dialect which is a
mixture of Odawa, Pottawatami and Southern Ojibwe due to the historical amalgamation of the displaced Ojibwe peoples and dialects to Christian Island in 1856.
Ahaw, Anishinaabem’ (Ok, Speak Ojibwe) is unique in that it has an
audio link so that people can go on-line and listen to the sound of the
words and phrases as they read. Audio can be accessed by contacting
Monague through his email: [email protected] and providing
proof of purchase to gain access to the link.
“People think it’s a great idea especially because of the audio link –
you can pull it up anywhere even at a coffee shop on your phone,” said
Monague.
“To get a copy now books are available through me at $20 each. I
can be reached through my email [email protected]. Everything
is being done through internet transactions through the bank, Pay Pal or
Google Wallet – you set up an account and make the transaction, it’s easy.
I will send the book or deliver it.”
“Ahaw, Anishinaabem” (Ok, Speak Ojibwe) is the phrase Monague’s
father used with him as a boy to encourage speaking the language at
home. In starting this project he is hoping to do his part to bring back the
language loss.
“At this point it becomes a duty to pass this language along otherwise
it’s gone within 20 years – in some communities it is gone already. The
book includes slang as well as the proper way to say something because
some people now use slang,” said Monague.
For more information email: [email protected] or check out
the Facebook page for ‘Ahaw, Anishinaabem’ (Ok, Speak Ojibwe)’ or
check out Bear Spirit Press online.
Page 3
Sisters host ‘Toxic
Tours’ in Aamjiwnaang
By Rick Garrick
Two Aamjiwnaang sisters — former Green Teens — are hosting toxic tours of Canada’s Chemical Valley, which includes 63 petrochemical
plants located adjacent to their home community.
“We host these walks through Chemical Valley (for people) to experience the front line,” says Vanessa Gray, a 22-year-old grassroots organizer and Trent University indigenous environmental studies student.
“Let’s show you what our reality is like, let’s lie our tobacco down for the
water and for the land together and let’s pray in ceremony and let’s set up
a sacred fire and let’s talk about solutions.”
A number of studies have found that about 40 per cent of Aamjiwnaang’s residents use inhalers, 17 per cent of adults and 22 per cent of
children have asthma and about 35 per cent of births between 1999-2003
were male compared to about 65 per cent female in the Upper Canada
Treaties Area 2 community.
“Living in Chemical Valley, you don’t realize the effects that it
causes,” says Lindsay Gray, Vanessa’s 19-year-old sister who studies
general arts at Seneca College. “We lose so many loved ones, family
members and community members … from illness and we also have a lot
of sad statistics, like two girls for every boy in our community.”
Vanessa says many Chemical Valley companies, such as Suncor Energy, Shell Canada and Imperial Oil, are within walking distance from
Aamjiwnaang’s homes.
“For us (community members), it is very normal to be that close to
these multi-national oil companies,” Vanessa says. “But for many people
this is not their reality and it’s a big shock to see how obviously violent
this is to our health and land.”
Lindsay says the toxic tour participants often find it hard to breathe at
some points during the tour, noting the community is exposed to a wide
range of smells such as plastic, burning rubber and sulphur and she has
been evacuated from her home on more than one occasion due to dangerous spills.
“Some people call it the Sarnia nose, where we’re so immune to those
smells,” Lindsay says. “We were told once that our noses have been a little bit desensitized because we are constantly smelling different things.”
The toxic tours are organized as part of the Aamjiwnaang and Sarnia
Against Pipelines protests against Enbridge Inc.’s 639-kilometre reversed
Line 9 pipeline between Sarnia and Montreal.
“We bring people from all around … on a tour of Chemical Valley,”
Lindsay says. “One thing I really like to show people is how much pollution affects us — there’s noise pollution, there’s the breathing in of
pollution.”
Vanessa and Lindsay Gray give ‘Toxic Tours’ in their home community
of Aamjiwnaang.