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Wednesday, May 29, 2013
TEKAWENNAKE
Hopes high that overdue waste disintegrator will arrive soon By Stephanie Dearing SIX NATIONS It is four months since the new waste disintegrator was to have been installed at the Six Nations garbage dump, fired up and taking care of the never-ending flow of unwanted garbage, but the incinerator is still in Nova Scotia and still is not ready to be shipped to Six Nations. Elected Chief William Montour vowed he will ensure his friend, inventor John Kearns, delivers on his promise to bring the waste disintegrator to Six Nations soon. “I'm going to get on his ass because I'm sick of waiting around for it,” said Montour in a telephone interview. “That's mainly one of the
reasons why I didn't go to New York City [where the 12th United Nations Indigenous Forum is taking place],” said Chief Montour. “It seems like it's dragging on and on and on, and I want to know why.” In a telephone interview, Montour said he had been advised by Kearns the test burn, which has been delayed for months, at first because snow storms had impeded work on the construction of the disintegrator (which is being built outside), then because parts needed adjusting, re-jigging and re-fitting, would take place this week. “Hopefully by the end of this week, we'll go down to witness the initial burn,” said Chief Montour. “I was told
the fire would be started this week,” explaining the fire had to burn for 30 hours to cure the apparatus before the test burn could take place. “I keep phoning him every other day to find out where we are.” Chief Montour did not think Kearns' financial woes, which were relayed in an email sent to the Chief Counsellor and relayed to Councillor Wray Maracle (District Four), had any impact on the delivery of the disintegrator, saying Elected Council had paid for it last year. Maracle had read the email aloud during the May 21 meeting of council, in Chief Montour's absence, saying Kearns would only communicate with the Chief Councillor after District Six
Councillor Dave Hill had taken Kearns to task during a conference call. In the email Maracle read, Kearns said his “depleted cash flow has cause a reduced work force,” but promised his financial troubles would not affect progress on the construction of the disintegrator. Six Nations will have “a world class facility,” Kearns said. The inventor, who has not been able to sell his invention to anyone else despite years of trying, did not provide a deadline for the longdelayed test burn, only saying it would take place soon. Chief Montour posited that his friend, “an inveterate inventor” was possibly too attached to his creation to let it go. “It's like this thing is his
baby, I don't know if he won't let it leave home or what, but we've got money in it so that damned thing is coming here whether he likes it or not.” Elected Council had paid Kearns $480,000 last summer for the waste disposal unit. “He's got money to truck it,” said Chief Montour. Once the test burn takes place, and assuming representatives from Six Nations are satisfied with the disposal unit, “the next day they'll start dismantling it and send it to Six Nations.” The Chief Counsellor, who had tried to convince a previous sitting of Elected Council to buy a Kearns Waste Disintegrator, is confident the apparatus will work. “I've seen the machine. I know it exists, I know it can work.”
Maracle said Kearns had offered to monitor the operation of the disintegrator for two years after it is up and running at Six Nations. Although Kearns says his apparatus underwent thorough analysis by an independent organization, and his technology does not pollute, the analysis or any emissions testing done on the disintegrator have not been shared with Tekawennake, despite requests for same. A ten-minute promotional video about the technology is available to watch on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=vqQFcx_1a_g). The disintegrator was to be shipped to Six Nations in January.
Study seeks to identify causes of weight gain in Aboriginal children By Stephanie Dearing OHSWEKEN
Master Childrens Hospital. Hill said women interested in participating don't have to be a client of the Birthing Centre. Women begin the study while pregnant (24 to 28 weeks), then the infants are measured at scheduled follow-up appointments. Mothers are asked to provide comprehensive information about their diet while pregnant, as well as provide a blood sample. Those who participate will be compensated with a Walmart gift card, Hill said. “I'm excited to see what happens in the end, what
The Aboriginal Birth Cohort study, which is looking into what causes Aboriginal children to develop adiposity (chubbiness), has started in Six Nations in collaboration with McMaster University. “If we know what the cause is, maybe we can prevent it,” said Trista Hill, who is helping administer the study through the Six Nations birthing centre. “Maybe it's environmental or genetic.”
The study is the first in Canada, and will be trying to identify what causes children to become chubby during their first three years of life. The ultimate goal is to be able to create prevention strategies. Increased adiposity is associated with an increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Researchers are only studying Six Nations women in their efforts to understand pre- and postnatal influences on the development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Hill said researchers
How feasible is it for Six Nations to potentially bid for and win the operation of the Brantford gaming zone, known as SW3? The answer is somewhat of a game changer. If Six Nations can arm itself with some casino operating expertise and successfully navigate through the Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) Procurement process, it is very likely that Six Nations could win the bid to operate the zone, and be running the Brantford Casino by 2014. Tekawennake spoke with OLG spokesperson, Tony Bitonti, who said OLG would absolutely welcome proposals from First Nations. A lack of experience in the management of a casino can be countered by partnering with someone who has that experi-
Trista Hill (rear) is one of the Aboriginal Birth Cohort Study Team, helping to administer the research project, the first of its kind in Canada. Led by Dr. Sonia Anand, the study hopes to identify what causes Aboriginal children to gain excess ence, and First Nations could weight with a view towards preventing diabetes and cardioform a bidding consortium in vascular diseases, which are related to weight gain. Trista order to bid on the operation was providing information and looking for participants in the study during Community Awareness Week. (Photograph by of a casino. Bitonti said OLG has a Stephanie Dearing). two-step process, first inviting people to pre-qualify by are looking to have 1,000 cruited though Six Nations submitting proposals to take women participate for the Family Health Clinics, as over a gaming zone or gam- three years of the research. well as the Brantford Gening bundle; vetting those ap- Those women will be re- eral Hospital and the Mcplicants and selecting a short list of the best three to five proposals. Those short-listed are asked to submit a bid in the second step. OLG has started the procurement process in eastern and northern Ontario and Ottawa, said Bitonti. He said the process will soon be opened up in the Brantford area. OLG will issue press releases, place local advertising and will also post the opportunity on MERX, the on-line procurement website.
Six Nations could win the bid to operate casino
kind of information we can get – and give to the community.” “We're still ironing out some kinks in the study,” Hills said. Part of the study involves taking samples from the placenta, but that idea is “running into resistance,” she said. “The placenta is sacred, it's the tree of life for the baby,” she explained. “It's supposed to give back to Mother Earth.” Information about the study can be found at http:// www.aboriginalbirthcohort. com/Home or by calling 905-525-9140 ext. 22091.
Brant United Way
GIANT Warehouse Sale!
Saturday, June 8 » 8pm to 4pm
80 Morton Avenue East (at rear)
Save up to 80% off retail on personal care products, cleaners, home decor and much more! Proceeds from sale go to the Brant United Way:
Great deals in support of a great cause!
brantunitedway.org
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