Wawatay News MAY 17, 2012
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ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ
Top nurse wants changes to nursing system Grant Keesic
Wawatay News
Grant Keesic/Wawatay News
From left: Ann Cleland, nurse with SLFNHA; Kathleen Fitzgerald, Region 12 board representative with RNAO; Doris Grinspun, CEO with RNAO; and Paddy Dasno, nurse with SLFNHA.
BIWAASE’AA program funding cut Rick Garrick
Wawatay News
Thunder Bay’s BIWAASE’AA program for urban Aboriginal children and others in need is closing down at the end of June due to a lack of funding. “Our programming currently supports close to 500 children a day in seven local schools,” said Tammy Bobyk, executive director of Shkoday Abinojiiwak Obimiwedoon, which has operated BIWAASE’AA for the past eight years. “Without this funding, we are forced to discontinue the program and leave these children in a vulnerable position. We are deeply saddened that it has come to this and particularly because these children depend on us but we feel that we will have no other option.” Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada informed the organization at the end of March that it would no longer fund BIWAASE’AA. Although Shkoday Abinojiiwak Obimiwedoon established partnerships with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal organizations, businesses, local school boards and federal, provincial and municipal organizations to keep BIWAASE’AA operating since the end of March, they were not able to identify longterm, sustainable funding for the program. “The BIWAASE’AA program
has proven to be enormously successful over the years,” said Paul Francis, program manager. “We have the research to prove it, as well as testimonials from many local families who have been helped. This is a positive program that really makes a difference in people’s lives and positively impacts the entire community. By investing in our community’s children, we have been investing in our future. There is no reason why this program should not be funded moving forward.” BIWAASE’AA requires $700,000 to provide its services to the children and families in need, at a cost of $15 per child per day for the full program and $5 per child per day for the afterschool program. Shkoday Abinojiiwak Obimiwedoon has applied to potential funders for the program, including the province of Ontario, and unsolicited donations have been arriving on a regular basis. “It seems a heavy burden to put on the shoulders of the province to ask them to largely fund the program when the federal government has completely withdrawn its support,” Bobyk said. “The unsolicited donations from the community are both generous and encouraging, but without some significant funders coming forward, we have no other choice but to end the program.”
Doris Grinspun, CEO of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO), visited Sioux Lookout May 9 and 10 as part of a tour of northwestern Ontario communities. Grinspun’s main message was about the removal of roadblocks to nursing in rural and remote communities. “Registered nurses are able to do way more than what they are unable to do now, including physical exams, working the clinics, counseling, et cetera,” said Grinspun. The funding structures currently in place in Ontario often do not allow for that full scope of practice in some situations in community health care, Grins-
Wawatay News
Neskantaga Chief Peter Moonias has informed the provincial government that his community will use every lawful means to oppose the Cliffs Natural Resources chromite mine project in the Ring of Fire. “We are going to police the (Attawapiskat) river system,” Moonias said. “They are going to have to cross the Attawapiskat River, but they’re not crossing — that’s what we’re saying. We’ll use every means, if we have any legal rights in the legal system that I can use, I will do that, at the First Nations cost.” Moonias sent a letter to Rick Bartolucci, minister of Northern Development and Mines, on May 11 stating his community was deeply disappointed to learn through a May 9 media announcement that the province had decided to support the Cliffs project and the proposed north-
south all-season road to the Ring of Fire. Moonias said the province made the decisions without adequate consultation with the community, noting the decisions will have significant adverse impacts on his community’s lands, environment and way of life. “There is no such thing as after the fact in consultation,” Moonias said. “Consultation happens before you go into somebody’s back yard. It wouldn’t be lawful for me to go and start digging in your back yard without letting you know first, and tell you, ‘I’ll talk to you after.’” Moonias said it is the government’s duty to consult. “The government is breaking the law, and all I’m saying is stop breaking the law,” Moonias said. “If they continue to break the law, I am going to be in the way and I am going to go as far as I can to stop that.” Moonias said he is willing to give up his life to defend his com-
the (healthcare) needs of all people.” The second issue Grinspun wants addressed is in terms of staff turnover. “The staff come and go. They leave for school and don’t come back,” Grinspun said. “There are many opportunities that I don’t think are always well known. For example we have in Ontario, the only jurisdiction in Canada that offers this program, what we call the one to one tuition reimbursement for nurses.” If a nurse leaves a community to study in school and returns to the same community, that nurse would be eligible to get up to four years of his or her tuition reimbursed, explained Grinspun. “That’s very big, and should be used as a magnet to attract
back the people to the area … and First Nation communities.” Grinspun also said she would like to encourage more men and women from First Nation communities to enter nursing as a way of bringing solutions to First Nations healthcare. “It always goes good from a health perspective. It helps to have people who understand the uniqueness better,” said Grinspun. “I would love to contribute to that in a significant way.” Grinspun visited the Health Canada-First Nations and Inuit Branch’s Sioux Lookout Zone Nursing Office, the William “Bill” George Extended Care and toured the Meno-YaWin Health Centre, which she described as one of the most beautiful hospitals she has seen.
Stan Beardy announces candidacy for Ontario regional chief
Lenny Carpenter/Wawatay News
NAN Grand Chief Stan Beardy announced on May 13 he will be running for Ontario regional chief, becoming to the only challenger so far to incumbent Angus Toulouse. The election takes place June 26.
Lenny Carpenter Wawatay News
Grand Chief Stan Beardy has thrown his hat into the ring for the Ontario regional chief position, becoming the only challenger so far to incumbent Angus Toulouse. Beardy made the announcement on May 13, noting he had been thinking about it for some time after serving four terms as Nishnawbe Aski Nation grand
Neskantaga chief opposes Cliffs project Rick Garrick
pun added. “We are saying let the 4,800 nurses working in primary care work to their full capacity, (then) the people in this province, the people in Sioux Lookout will have immediate access to primary care as a result,” she said. Grinspun attended a dinner for Nurses Week at the MenoYa-Win Health Centre and made a presentation to local nurses that discussed nursing in remote communities. “From the point of view of nursing, there are several challenges,” Grinspun said. “(In Sioux Lookout) specifically … a nurse doesn’t specialize only in cancer care, only in cardiology, heart care… they need to know a lot about everything because the hospitals are smaller, they need to be able to respond to
munity’s interests on the land, both environmentally and for their livelihood. “That’s all I got left to do,” Moonias said. “I’m willing to lose my life over it. I’m going to defend it (the land) as far as I can.” Moonias said the Cliffs project will open up development in the north in a way that threatens his community’s culture and way of life, noting the proposed north-south road will cross the Attawapiskat River in the heart of the community’s territory and the airport and project site are within the community’s traditional lands. Bartolucci said the provincial government is committed to ensuring their duty to consult is met throughout the Ring of Fire development. “We have had several discussions with First Nations communities for some time now, and are committed to an ongoing dialogue.”
chief. “I’ve been very lucky, very blessed to have that kind of support from my chiefs,” Beardy said. “I just feel that it’s time to look for new opportunities.” Beardy said his 12 years as grand chief and more than 10 years as chief of Muskrat Dam First Nation gives him ample experience for the Ontario regional chief position. If elected, Beardy said his main priority would be ensur-
ing economic participation for First Nations in Ontario. He said when he reviewed the provincial and federal budgets this year, there was “very little” for First Nations people. “That tells me we have to have a different vision, different approach to maintain sustainability for my people in terms of our needs,” Beardy said. By being closer to Toronto and Ottawa should he be elected, Beardy said he wants to
raise the profile of First Nations people at the provincial and federal level. In a media release, Beardy noted his past achievements as grand chief, which included partnering with the lieutenantgovernor of Ontario to establish First Nation literacy programs; initiating Project Beyshick; creating the NAN youth, Elders and women’s councils; enhancing the Junior Rangers program; and reaching out to the Ontario, Canadian and international communities. Beardy said he will continue on as grand chief at least until the Chiefs of Ontario election, which is expected to take place on the first day of the threeday All Ontario Chiefs Conference June 26-28. The Ontario regional chief is elected through the traditional method of each community chief standing behind the candidate they support. The announcement came just as Beardy was about to head off to the NAN chiefs meeting in Cochrane, Ont., where Beardy said he would receive clarity in his role as grand chief before the election. Beardy would not comment on his plans should he not be elected, saying he is focusing on his campaign.
ᐊᓯᓂᑫᐃᐧᐣ ᑲᑦᐸᓂ ᐠᓫᐃᑊᐢ ᒋᔑᐦᐃᐁᐧᒪᑲᐣ ᑲᑭᐅᓀᐣᑕᐠ ᒋᑕᔑᐅᔑᐦᐃᑕᐧ ᐊᓯᓂᐠ ᐁᐧᑎ ᔕᐊᐧᓄᐠ ᓴᐟᐯᕑᐃ : ᐊᐧᐳᐢ ᐃᒪ ᐅᒋ ᐸᑭᑭᓂᑲᓂᐠ 1 ᑲᑭᓇ ᐃᒪ ᑲᐅᐣᒋ ᐸᐸᒥᓯᐊᐧᐨ ᑲᐧᔭᐠ ᒋᑲᑫᐧ ᐃᐧᒋᑲᐸᐃᐧᑕᑎᐊᐧᐨ ᑲᐃᐧᔭᓄᔑ ᐱᒪᓄᑕᒧᐊᐧᐨ ᐅᑕᓄᑭᐃᐧᓂᐊᐧ. ᑲᐧᔭᐠ ᒋᑲᑫᐧ ᐃᐧᒋᑲᐸᐃᐧᑕᑎᐊᐧᐨ ᑲᐃᐧᔭᓄᔑ ᐱᒪᓄᑕᒧᐊᐧᐨ ᐅᑕᓄᑭᐃᐧᓂᐊᐧ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᒥᓇ ᑭᐃᑭᑐᐊᐧᐠ ᐁᐧᐱᑫᐧ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐊᐧᐠ ᒥᐱᑯ ᑫᐃᔑᐱᒥ ᐃᐧᒋᑕᐧᐊᐧᐨ ᐊᔕ ᑲᑭᐱᔑ ᐃᐧᑕᓄᑭᒥᑯᐊᐧᐸᐣ ᐅᑭᒪᐣ ᒥᓇ ᑲᑦᐸᓂᐣ ᑲᐃᐧᒥᑲᓇᑲᑌᐠ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐊᐧᐠ ᒋᑭᐅᐣᒋ ᑌᐱᓇᒧᐊᐧᐨ ᐊᓄᑭᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᐁᐧᑎ ᔕᐊᐧᓄᐠ. ᔕᑯᐨ ᐊᑯᑭ ᐅᑭᒪᑲᐣ ᐃᓫᐊᔾ ᒧᓂᔭᐢ ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᐊᐧᐁᐧ ᑲᑦᐸᓂ ᑲᑭᐃᔑ ᐅᓀᐣᑕᐠ ᐅᑭᐃᔑᐊᐧᐸᐣᑕᐣ ᑲᑭᑯᑕᒧᐊᐧᐸᐣ ᐅᑕᓂᔑᓂᓂᒪᐣ, ᑭᐡᐱᐣ ᑲᐃᐧᐃᓇᒧᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᐱᐊᐧᐱᑯᑲᓂᐠ ᐁᑲ ᐃᐧᐣ ᐃᒪ ᐊᑯᑭᐠ ᒋᐅᑎᑕᒧᒋᑲᑌᐠ. “ᑲ ᑦ ᐸ ᓂ ᐅᐃᐧᑐᑕᐣ ᐁᐃᐧᐃᓇᒧᒋᑫᐨ ᐃᒪ ᒪᔭᑦ ᑯᑕᑭᔭᐠ ᐸᑲᐣ ᑲᑦᐸᓂ ᑲᑭᓇᓇᑲᒋᑐᐊᐧᐸᐣ ᐁᐃᐧᐅᔑᑐᐊᐧᐨ ᐃᐡᑯᑌᐃᐧᑕᐸᓂ ᒥᑲᓇᓂ,” ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᒧᓂᔭᐢ. “ᓇᐣᑕ
ᐱᑯ ᓂᔭᓄᒥᑕᓇ ᑕᓱᑎᐸᐦᐊᑲᐣ ᓂᑲᑌ ᐣᑲᐊᐱᓴᐧᐸᑕᒥᐣ ᐃᒪ ᑫᐃᔑᐱᒪᒧᒋᑲᑌᐠ. ᑲᐃᐧᐣ ᑕᐡ ᑲᓇᑫ ᓂᓇᐃᐧᐟ ᐣᑲᑭᔭᐸᒋᑐᒥᐣ.” ᒧᓂᔭᐢ ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᐊᒥ ᑲᑭᐃᓀᑕᒥᓂᐸᐣ ᐅᑕᓂᔑᓂᓂᒪᐣ ᑭᐡᐱᐣ ᐅᑎᑕᒧᒋᑲᑌᓂᑭᐸᐣ ᐁᐧᑎ ᐠᕑᐃᐣᐢᑐᐣ ᒥᓇ ᑯᑕᑭᔭᐣ ᐃᐡᑯᓂᑲᓇᐣ, ᒥᐦᐃᒪ ᑫᑭᐅᐣᒋ ᐊᔭᔓᐡᑲᐊᐧᐸᐣ. “ᐃ ᐧ ᓀ ᑕ ᐱ ᑯ ᑲ ᐃ ᓀ ᐣ ᑕ ᐣ ᐅᑐᑕᐣ ᐊᐧᐁᐧ ᑲᑦᐸᓂ,” ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᒧ ᓂ ᔭ ᐢ . “ᑲ ᐃ ᐧ ᐣ ᐊ ᐃ ᐧ ᔭ ᐣ ᐅ ᐃ ᐧ ᐃᐧᒋᐦᐊᐊᐧᓯᐣ, ᑭᐡᐱᐣ ᐁᑲ ᐁᑲ ᓇᐣᑕ ᐃᔑᒣᑎᓂᑫᐦᐃᑯᐊᐧᐨ. ᐅᐣᑌᕑᐃᔪ ᐅᑭᒪ ᑫᐃᐧᐣ ᑲᐃᐧᐣ ᓇᐣᑕ ᐅᑎᓇᓯᐣ. ᐊᓂᐡ ᑫᐃᐧᐣ ᐅᑲᑫᐧᑌᐱᓇᐣ ᐊᐧᐁᐧ ᑲᑦᐸᓂ ᑲᑲᑫᐧ ᑲᐡᑭᑕᒪᓱᐨ.” ᒧᓂᔭᐢ ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᐅᑲᒪᐊᐧᒋᐦᐊᐣ ᐅᑕᓂᔑᓂᓂᒪᐣ ᐃᒪ ᐅᑎᐡᑯᓂᑲᓂᐠ ᒋᑲᑫᐧᒋᒪᐨ ᑭᐡᐱᐣ ᑭᔭᐱᐨ ᐃᓀᐣᑕᒧᐊᐧᑫᐧᐣ ᒋᐃᐧᒋᑲᐸᐃᐧᑕᒧᐊᐧᐨ ᐅᐁᐧᓂ ᐱᐊᐧᐱᑯᑫᐃᐧ ᐃᔑᒋᑫᐃᐧᓂ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᐃᐧᐣ ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᐊᐧᐳᐢ, ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐃᐧ ᓂᑲᓂᑕᒪᑫᐠ ᐱᓇᒪ ᒋᑭᐊᔐᑲᐸᐃᐧᐊᐧᐸᐣ ᐁᑲᐧ ᒋᑭ ᓇᓇᑲᒋᑐᐊᐧᐸᐣ ᐃᐁᐧᓂ ᑲᑭᑐᑕᒥᓂᐨ ᑲᑦᐸᓂᐊᐧᐣ ᐊᓂᐣ ᐊᐱᐣ ᑫᐃᔑᓇᑲᐧᓄᑫᐧᐣ
ᐊᓄᑭᐃᐧᐣ ᐁᐧᑎ ᐊᓂᓂᑲᐣ ᑲ ᑭ ᐃ ᑭ ᑐ ᓇ ᓂ ᐊ ᐧ ᑭ ᐸ ᐣ ᒋᐃᐧᑕᓄᑭᒥᑐᐊᐧᐨ ᐅᐣᑌᕑᐃᔪ ᐅᑭᒪᐃᐧᐣ, ᑲᑦᐸᓂ ᒥᓇ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐊᐧᐠ. ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᐅᓄᐁᐧᓂᐊᐧᐣ ᑲᐱᒥᐊᓂᒧᒋᑲᑌᑭᐣ ᑫᑯᓇᐣ ᒥᐢᑕᐦᐃ ᐃᔑᓇᑲᐧᐣ ᐊᐱᐨ ᐃᐧᐣ ᑲᑦᐸᓂ ᐅᑕᓄᑭᐃᐧᐣ, ᒥᓇ ᐅᐣᒋ ᐸᑭᑌᐡᑲᑫᒪᑲᓄᐣ ᑲᐊᓂᒥᓇᑲᐧᑭᐣ ᐃᓯᓭᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᐊᓄᑭᐃᐧᓇᐣ ᑲᐱᑲᑫᐧ ᒪᒋᒋᑲᑌᑭᐣ ᐅᐁᐧᑎ ᑭᐁᐧᑎᓄᐠ. “ᑭ ᒋ ᓀ ᐣ ᑕ ᑲ ᐧ ᐣ ᒋᑭᑲᑫᐧ ᓂᓯᑕᐃᐧᓇᒪᑭᐸᐣ ᑯᑕᑭᔭᐣ ᑭᒋᑫᑯᓇᐣ ᑐᑲᐣ ᐊᓂᐣ ᐊᓄᑭᐃᐧᐣ ᑲᐊᓂᔑ ᒪᒋᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᑭᐁᐧᑎᓄᐠ,” ᑭ ᐃ ᑭ ᑐ ᐊ ᐧ ᐳ ᐢ . “ᒋ ᐊ ᓂ ᒧ ᑕ ᒪ ᐠ ᒪᒪᐤ ᑫᐅᐣᒋ ᒥᓄᓭᐊᐧᑫᔭᐠ ᑲᒪᓂᔓᓂᔭᐊᐧᑌᐠ ᐊᐦᑭ. ᓇᑕᐁᐧᐣᑕᑲᐧᐣ ᒋᐊᓂᒧᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᑫᑭᐅᐣᒋᓂᓯᑕᐃᐧᓂᑲᑌᐠ ᑲᐃᑯᑎᐯᐣᒋᑫᔭᐠ ᑭᑕᑭᒥᓇᐣ. ᑭᓇᐃᐧᐟ ᐃᐁᐧ ᑭᑕᑭᒥᓇᐣ ᐁᑲᐧ ᑕᐡ ᑭᓇᐃᐧᐟ ᑭᑕᐅᓀᐣᑕᒥᐣ ᐊᓂᐣ ᑫᑐᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᑭᑕᑭᒥᓇᐣ, ᑲᐧᐃᐣ ᑕᐡ ᐃᓯᓭᐸᐣ ᐊᐧᐃᔭ ᐁᐧᑎ ᑐᕑᐊᐣᑐ ᑲᐅᐣᒋᐨ ᒋᒪᒥᓇᐨ ᐊᓄᑭᐃᐧ ᒪᓯᓇᐦᐃᑲᓀᓴᐣ ᐃᓂᐁᐧᓂᐊᐧᐣ ᑲᑦᐸᓂᐊᐧᐣ ᐁᑲ ᐱᓇᒪ ᑭᓇᐃᐧᐟ ᐁᑭᐅᐣᒋ ᑲᑫᐧᒋᒥᑯᔭᐠ ᒥᓇ ᐸᑭᑕᔓᐊᐧᑕᒪᐠ ᒋᐱᔭᓄᑭᐊᐧᐨ.”