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TWO ROW TIMES
A recent CBC ‘listicle’ calling out the top indigenous news stories in Canada for 2016. While the compilation definitely included the top subject matter about indigenous communities, our indigenous editorial team felt it greatly lacked substance and context. So behold — we present to you — the real top stories indigenous people were talking about in 2016. 1) Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruling. The tribunal found Canada guilty of discriminating funding practices towards First Nations children in care. They were ordered by the tribunal to amend the situation. Chronic underfunding and government squabbles over who is going to pay what has been identified as the source problem to a socioeconomic ripple effect. This leads First Nations children into poor lifetime health outcomes and at a greater risk for things like suicide, drug abuse and alcoholism. 2) Stopping the oil industry. The common theme emerging in 2016 was the call to halt environmentally and socially harmful resource extraction on indigenous territory culminated in a historic internation alliance being signed by community leaders throughout Canada and the U.S. Direct action taken against fracking, pipelines and corporate oil investors have hit major national news stations year long — resulting in further alliances with environmental protection agencies and human rights organizations. 3) Free, Prior and Informed Consent. And the fight for having that respected. Canada announced in early 2016 they now fully support the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. An announcement some say was just international pillow talk to make Canada look good. When you take into consideration the position federal lawyers took in a recent court battle citing the duty to consult only applied to “unconquered” peoples, and you can see why Canada’s pledge to uphold the UNDRIP seems like lip service. 4) Corruption in indigenous ‘leadership’. While this might not appear on national newspapers the real issue of ‘who is doing what on whose behalf’ is a major point of contention in our communities. In B.C., three hereditary chiefs were stripped of their
titles by the people for entering into negotiations with Enbridge. On Six Nations, the Haudenosaunee Development Institute are currently pulled into a class action lawsuit started by Six Nations community members. These are just two examples, but similar issues exist across the country on reserves every-where. 5) Misrepresentation. A matter some are affectionately referring to as ‘pretendians’. That is non-indigenous people claiming they are indigenous. An Ontario artist claiming Metis heritage greatly upset the local indigenous community with her artistic interpretation of MMIWG at a Hamilton gallery. Joseph Boyden is the latest example of someone claiming indigenous heritage with little to no evidence of actual indigenous ancestry. The issues arising here are complex and touchy — but important. Who defines who is indigenous? Who has the authority to speak for the indigenous community? And if one is discovered to have been misrepresenting their ancestry — how can they be held accountable when claiming resources set aside for indigenous people? 6) Sexual Assault/Incest on Reserves. This is the most difficult issue on the list because it is so taboo to talk about in our communities. Preliminary MMIW inquiry research shows a potential relationship between on reserve sex assault/incest and MMIWG statistics. Much respect to the Canadian Press for their investigative series on the issue broaching the issue with respect. 7) Truth and Reconciliation. This has been the word of the year with many cities declaring an official year of reconciliation. But Ottawa is heavily criticized for saying all the right things to get indigenous people on their side and then slyly passing the opposite behind our backs. Chiefs invited for ‘Indigenous participation’ in environmental meetings in B.C. stormed out saying it was not about environmental protections and how First Nations can fully participate in that process but about Canada’s plans to transition to a green economy. A decision, by the way, that will require the free, prior and informed consent of the indigenous people whose lands and resources the country requires to develop its new frontier.
Volume 4, Issue 22 657 Mohawk Road (RR6) Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, Ontario, N0A 1H0 Make all cheques payable to: Garlow Media Printed at Ricter Web, Brantford ON
January 11th, 2017
Keep your letters short, preferably under 300 words and in response to an article in the Two Row Times. We sometimes must edit letters to correct typos, grammar, or shorten. The opinions within letters to the editor are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the Two Row Times.
Fentanyl Epidemic In a series of stories in national and local newspapers we learn that fentanyl, one of the most potent opioids, is being manufactured and sold on the streets today. British Columbia and it's largest city, Vancouver, are in the grip of a fentanyl overdose epidemic that has killed 755 people. There were a reported 128 deaths in November alone with 13 deaths in one day. These deaths prompted the B.C. government to declare a Public Health State of Emergency. Illicit fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid smuggled in from China and often cut into heroin or pressed into fake OxyContin tablets. It is reportedly driving the increase in overdoses and deaths. Municipal mayors across Canada are preparing for the epidemic to hit their cities. In November federal and provincial politicians met in Ottawa to discuss a national fentanyl strategy. A few months back Provincial Minister of Health and Long Term Care Eric Hoskins declared a fentanyl public health emergency and has called on the Federal government to declare a Canada-wide fentanyl public health emergency. The Ministry also developed and has available a document called A Strategy to Prevent Opioid Addiction and Overdose in Ontario. Brantford hasn’t been
untouched by the deadly opioid. According to a recent story in The Spectator, in one day Brantford had four suspected fentanyl overdoses within two hours. Brantford Police Service held a roundtable last summer to discuss the looming crisis after four suspected fentanyl overdoses and one death occurred within 48 hours. The drug fentanyl is 100 times more potent than morphine. Doctors have been prescribing fentanyl since 1976 for acute pain and terminal illness such as cancer. The problem is criminal elements have learned how to produce the drug. Chances are everything a drug dealer sells contains fentanyl. Fentanyl is ingested, snorted, or taken orally in tablet form. What happens is fentanyl depresses brain function so when a person overdoses they lose energy, eventually drifting into a coma their breathing slows until they stop breathing and die. There is a treatment for those overdosing on fentanyl and it’s called naloxone. Naloxone can reverse the deadly effects of fentanyl overdose if administered in time. There is increasing alarm for the health and safety of children. The Spectator’s story reports a baby in Brantford spent hours in a parked car with two unconscious adults who had overdosed on fentanyl. Fentanyl is so potent that if a person or child comes in contact with the drug it can be absorbed through the
skin and get a person high. For children it could be lethal. Recently the Ontario Association of Police Chiefs attended a training session on fentanyl. Ontario’s Chief Coroner Derek Huyer who did the training told the police chiefs their officers have to be trained in the health and public safety of fentanyl. Paramedics need also to be trained to carry and administer the Naloxone treatment kits. The larger cities are opening supervised-injection sites, however controversial, in hopes of curbing the overdoses. These supervised-injection sites provide a sterile environment which allows drug users to bring their own drugs to inject or consume under the watchful eye of health-care workers. If clients overdose workers are there to revive them. So far Vancouver is the only city who has sanctioned supervised-injection sites. Toronto has applied to Health Canada for supervised-injection sites and other cities like Ottawa, Edmonton and London may follow suit. For far too long we have left the burden of dealing with drugs to the police. But addiction to opioids shouldn’t be left to the police and courts to deal with. Addiction is not a crime. Addiction is a disease. Addiction is a health issue. This fentanyl epidemic is already starting to spread and it needs to be dealt with in the same fashion as an outbreak of a deadly disease would be.
CORRECTION: In last week's edition the names and ages for two of Shannon Henry and Shawn VanEvery's children were printed incorrectly. It should have said that their son Vhawn is eight years old and it should have said that their son Quincy is 11 years old. We are very sorry.
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