For the past 20 years in Ontario, there has been an ongoing land claim with the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan and the Algonquins of Ontario. This claim is rather large and takes in the City of Ottawa.

We have seen some of the issues ongoing like the development of the Chaudiere Falls and the Windfarm, yet the land claim is not even settled yet.

Within this land claim, there are many concerns, with the main one being the non-status Algonquins with set up communities of non-status people.

All of the information is here; http://www.tanakiwin.com/

What I don't understand in this is the governments currently do not accept non-status people in the constitution and refuse to identify them as Indians and actually are fighting this in court, yet 80% of the people getting a vote in this current land claim are non-status. I am status, so is my daughter, yet we do not get a vote as we did not know we had to register with the Algonquins of Ontario and the set up office in Pembroke. Not only us, but many of the status people from the reserve don't get a vote because they were not aware they had to register.

If that is not bad enough, these non-status communities are well funded to negotiate this claim as well as conduct elections and call themselves Chiefs and Councillors, yet when they sign any documents for the land claim, they are NOT allowed to sign them as Chief.

When this is all said and done, their root ancestor that qualifies them for this Ontario claim, comes from Quebec where they were part of the Jesuits mission at Oka.

One thing that seems to be happening, is that the beneficiary criteria for this claim has not been established yet, which could mean that they will not be accepted at that time, so are they just being used for a vote?

There is something seriously wrong here. I currently have an open file questioning these matters with the Ontario Ombudsman, time will tell on that one too.

One of the reasons I have been fighting this land claim is that these people who are CLAIMING to be First Nations people, are out there conducting ceremonies, powwows, teachings and even using fake status cards known as community membership cards for point of sale tax free shopping too.

Now, while this letter may seem that I am against non-status people, I am not. UNTIL the time comes when we are separated from the Indian Act and can control our selves via a true self governed body and control our own memberships 100%, this is the way it is. I didn't make the rules for qualifying people as Indians, but I certainly have the right to ask questions.

There are also very HUGE concerns in this claim going unnoticed. Is this or should this be an Algonquin ONLY land claim? when we know of other court cases that have proven beyond any reasonable doubt the Mohawk, Nippissing. Chippawa and others also have evidence proving their connections to these same lands? Then we also know that the Quebec Algonquins are being left out too even though some of their families are involved in the Ontario claim.

Everyday I ask the Creator to guide people to a better position in this claim, but it seems everyone is either afraid to do something about it for fear they will get cut out of the claim or worse. Either way, its a mess, but it also has cost millions of dollars so far, and promises to cost millions more when its settled.

No politician will get involved because they don't want to cause problems or make it look like they are taking sides....I think its mostly because they don't know our First Nations correct history. Time will tell, but what I certainly don't appreciate is the cultural genocide that goes on because of this claim.

Over 100 local kindergarten students along with youngsters from the local community took part in the eighth annual Strawberry Moon festival at St. James Major Catholic School on June 17.

The event was in celebration of National Aboriginal Day (on June 21) and it also marked the wrap up of “First You Plant the Seed”, an Aboriginal educational program for kindergarten students based on the Algonquin full moons, which is run through Northern Frontenac Community Services and aims to bring First Nations culture to youngsters in local schools.

Marcie Asselstine, who headed up the festival, also ran the program this school year, and throughout the year she visited various junior and senior kindergarten classrooms at four local area schools, including Clarendon Central in Plevna, Land O'Lakes in Mountain Grove, and St. James Major and Granite Ridge in Sharbot Lake.

Those students attended the festival, as did other youngsters involved in other early learning programs that are offered at the Child Centre in Sharbot Lake. At the event, the children visited four areas, including a craft table where Lily Davis showed students how to make their own totem poles using recycled materials.

Just outside in a traditional tee pee typically used by First Nations people from the plains, Grandmother Danka Brewer, local member of the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation, told the children the story of the race between the fox and the frog, as a way to teach them about peer support and cooperation.

Also outside, a men's drumming circle headed up by Josh St. Pierre, Leslie St. Pierre and Joe Wilson with the help of the Kokumis Women's Drum group, taught the children numerous songs, and traditional dancers Alesha Mercier and Madison and Logan St. Pierre wore their traditional regalia and demonstrated traditional dancing.

Lastly, Bonnie Murphy assisted the children at a traditional foods section where the youngsters made their own edible strawberry treat and enjoyed traditional bannock.

The Strawberry Moon Festival is based on the Algonquin peoples naming the June full moon as the strawberry moon and the festival is funded through the Limestone School Board, the Community Foundation for Kingston and Area, and the Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board (ALCDSB).

Shawn McDonald, assignment teacher for Aboriginal education with the ALCDSB, was present at the event and explained that it signifies a coming together and celebration of all the traditional knowledge and learning that has been taking place at the schools throughout the year. “This is a perfect time to celebrate the traditional learning that has been taking place in the classrooms with these younger students and it is also a wonderful learning experience for their teachers as well. By bringing in a number of local Aboriginal people who know first hand about traditional Aboriginal culture, everyone here today is learning and sharing and that is what makes this event so exciting and worthwhile.”

On June 10, NAEC was fortunate to welcome Tammy and Bernard Nelson to teach workshops. The workshops were attended by Mrs. Pelow’s Grade 6 class, Mr. Hill’s Grade 8 class, Mr. Pelow’s Restart class, Ms. Cuddy’s Grade 2 class, and Mr. Rewbotham’s Grade 5 class.

Prior to the workshops, Tammy and Bernard set up a sacred altar, with a buffalo rug, decorated buffalo skull, and various other sacred objects, including different coloured squares of material. Each workshop started with an opening prayer done in the Oji-Cree language. Bernard then explained the sacred pipe, and translated his prayer. Tammy explained the four clan animals Bernard works with, the four sacred medicines and their purpose, and the four directions.

Each student made a prayer tie. This consisted of a red square of felt, into which sacred tobacco was put, and the square was tied off with red wool, to create a little, sealed bag. Students were told to think of family members or friends for whom they would like prayers for healing or other concerns, while making the tie. Bernard and Tammy collected the prayer ties, and will take them to the Sundance Ceremony they are attending this summer to include them in the prayers that will be offered.

The Nelsons also provided drum teaching and finished the workshop with the students drumming, which was an activity the students clearly enjoyed, and then students were given the opportunity to ask questions.

Students and staff said they really enjoyed the workshops. The Grade 6 class was very engaged. Olivia Douglas said, “Something that I learned was that they pray for animals they kill, and that’s good.” Edison McGarvey agreed, saying, “I enjoyed learning about how they kill animals. First they pray and then they put tobacco on the ground and ask to take an animal’s life.” Diana Weichenthal remarked, “It was very interesting and I thought they did a good job describing their culture. It was a fun and very informative morning.” Jaydin Reid added, “I would love to do it again!” Grade 8 students were equally enthusiastic. “It was cool because the guy was a survivor of residential schools,” commented Alex McInnis. Kayla Newman said, “It was interesting to learn about their culture.”

As well as travelling the province, teaching people about First Nations culture, Tammy and Bernard host sweat lodges at their home in Inverary, and are traditional sundancers. Bernard is also an Elder at RMC, acting as a mentor for First Nations and Metis people at the college.

Eight walkers from the Moose Cree First nation are walking from Cochrane, Ont. to Ottawa, and the group stopped in Sharbot Lake on the evening of Monday, May 25 where they were offered hospitality from Chief Doreen Davis of the Shabot Obaadjiwan First
Nation and Father George Kwari, Incumbent of the Parishes of Maberly-Lanark and Parham-Sharbot Lake St. Andrew's Anglican Church.
The walkers were also joined by numerous members of the St. Andrew's church congregation and shared conversations over dinner before spending the night at the Sharbot Lake Country Inn.

The group met again for breakfast the next day prior to leaving the village to continue their walk to Ottawa where they expect to arrive on May 30. One of the walkers, Patrick Etherington Senior of Fort Albany ON, is a survivor of the St. Anne's residential school of Fort Albany. He spent six years there in the 1960's from the age of six years old until 11, and said “the truth happened". He suffered multiple types of abuse and neglect, which have been fully documented in Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission
(TRC). Patrick feels strongly that documenting the truth in the TRC is not enough and also wants to ensure that when the TRC's national events finish in Ottawa this June, that the awareness and education about Canada's Indian residential schools continues on.

“Through this walk we wanted to access what is going on in a more descriptive manner and to educate the public. Now we have the
truth, yes, but how we begin to visit the process of reconciliation is the question.”

He said that along the way he and his group have been approached and supported by many church groups who helped them with accommodations on their journey. In the process has had many conversations about the facts and issues about the Indian residential schools, and added that the feelings and questions that have arisen have made a first start in the process towards reconciliation

Patrick Jr. said, “walking is the easy part of what we are doing. We go through and can get through the physical pain of walking but sometimes we are faced with issues of racism which can be hard. I'm trying to look at things more now from both sides and on a positive note we also get a lot of support and people often stop and talk and ask us what we are doing and when they find out what it is, that really changes things."

He said the walk has made him listen more to other people, with less anger. He said that at one point on the walk he spoke to one older RCMP officer whose role was to take children away to the residential schools and how “that is something that he will have to live with. But by talking with him I saw that most people are good but had to do some bad things and that now they are left having to get past their guilt.” The dialogue continued in Sharbot Lake. Father Kwari of St. Andrews said, “the Moose Cree First Nation and the Muskegowuk Walkers are special to us because, in assisting them with meals and accommodation in Sharbot Lake, we are living up to the Church’s commitment of reconciliation with First Nations people. We get to meet the real people as we share a meal with them, and this shows our readiness to listen to the stories of the Indian Residential School (IRS) survivors and their families, who still suffer from the consequences of the misguided operation of the residential schools. In so doing, we continue the journey of truth-telling and truthlistening towards eventual healing and reconciliation across our church communities and among the citizens of Canada.”

Chief Doreen Davis was also happy and honoured to offer support to the group and at the dinner table at the Sharbot Lake Country Inn, where a diverse group was gathered. She said, “this is where reconciliation can really begin.”

The Cochrane to Ottawa walk is the third for Patrick Sr and for some of the other walkers in the group who included Patrick Senior's two sons Edmond and Patrick Jr, Remi Nakogee, Darren Hughie, Maurice Wesley and John Fox Jr.

The walkers were also being supported along the way by Sean Lee-Popham and his partner who are helping with the logistics and arranging for accommodations. The first walk took place in 2010 from Cochrane to Winnipeg and the second from Cochrane to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Patrick Sr's partner Frances Whiskeychan, also one of the eight walkers said the aim of the walk “is to give awareness as a ceremonial process (journey) from Cochrane to Ottawa. This walk is regarding residential school issues and the impact on the school survivors, their children and grandchildren."

The High Land Water Métis Council held an information and nomination meeting on January 31 at the Northbrook Lions hall, which was attended by close to 30 people. The meeting’s dual purpose was to attract new members and to nominate representatives for positions on the council.

The High Land Waters Métis Council, which has been in existence for just seven years, is one of Ontario’s 29 Métis community councils. Its members represent part of region six, one section of the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) that stretches east to Perth, west to Peterborough, south to Kingston and north to Bancroft. The 29 councils together make up the Métis Nation of Ontario, which is the organization officially recognized by the provincial and federal governments, and which through the Provisional Council of Métis of Ontario (PCMO) works with the Ontario government to discuss current issues and to implement their objectives.

Representatives on the council strive to bring Métis awareness to their communities and to let members know what services are available to them. Currently there are 500 card-holding members of the MNO in region 6.

Present at the meeting were Amanda Cox and Tracey Dale, both staff from the MNO's Bancroft office, and respectively, from its employment and health branches. Each spoke about the various services that are offered to members of the MNO but that are also made available to anyone in need. These services cover a wide range of health, employment and training programs through the MNO.

Also present at the meeting was Hank Rowlinson, manager of Community Relations with the MNO, who gave an overview of current issues facing the MNO at the provincial and national levels. Rowlinson also stressed the importance of community involvement. “This community has been working hard for the last seven years to create their own charter and what we are trying to do now is help them to sustain that charter. The best way to do that is to get more people involved,” he said. “Having a community here that is visible and practicing their culture is the best way to spread community pride.”

Rowlinson said that one of the major issues currently facing the Métis involves an upcoming 2015 hearing at the Supreme Court of Canda concerning the Daniels vs Canada case. The MNO will be seeking intervener status during the hearings in that case in the hopes of upholding a decision made previously by the Federal Court of Canada, which asserted that the Métis are the responsibility of the federal government and should be defined as “Indians” under the Canadian Constitution, thereby receiving the same rights and benefits.

Deirdre Thompson, current president of the High Land Waters Council, who lives in Northbrook, said that she hopes to see membership numbers increase as a direct result of the recent meeting in Northbrook. She said that for a long time Métis people struggled with an identity that considered them “too white to be native and too native to be white.” “We are trying to let people know that we exist and that we have rights as Aboriginal people.”

Thompson said that the long-term goal of council is to spread awareness that the Métis are a distinct Aboriginal group. “We want to have the same recognition as other native peoples.”

Included on the Métis Nation of Ontario’s website is an in depth history of the Métis in Canada, outlining their origins, which began in the late 17th and early 18th century with the establishment of the fur trade in this country. This unique group of people formed when male European settlers and Aboriginal women began forming relationships and having children. Soon after, these populations and communities began to self-identify as their own distinct communities.

The MNO website highlights the struggles the Métis went through and which continue as they try to protect their lands. It explains how they began to formally mobilize and in 1869 how the Métis National Committee was formed. Louis Riel, best known for leading the Northwest Rebellion in the mid-1880s, for which he was tried and hung, is a celebrated hero for the Métis people and his history is well documented on the site. Also highlighted are the current accomplishments and victories that the Métis people have made, many in the courts and many in the last 30 years and that include their inclusion in the charter as one of the three distinct Aboriginal peoples of Canada.

The formal nominations for the new council for 2015 wrapped up Saturday’s meeting in Northbrook. Secretary/treasurer Candace Lloyd, and youth representative Gwendalyn Lloyd were acclaimed. The councilors nominated and elected by acclamation were Terry Conners, Gertrude Conners and Thomas W. Thompson. Nominated for president were Scott Lloyd and Catherine Thompson and nominated for the position of chair were Marlon Lloyd and Benjamin Saulnier. The position for women’s representative is still open. The elections will take place at the Northbrook Lions hall on Sunday, March 8 from 9am-5pm. Voters must have their Métis Nation of Ontario citizenship card in order to cast a ballot.

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Danielle Pollard and her young daughter live in a subsidised rental house in Kaladar that is provided by Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services, an agency that is based in Sault Ste. Marie, and has rental properties throughout the province.

That is, she lived in the house until late September when she found that the air in the house had taken on a sour, moldy smell, and found that some of the walls of the house, all her furniture and other possessions were covered in a light grey mold. She is now staying with her mother and ailing father at their small home in Northbrook.

When I met her at the house last week, it appeared spotlessly clean inside because much of the mold had been washed off, but it persisted on the beds and some other spots. However, the smell of mold was immediately apparent as soon as I entered the house.

“Part of my frustration comes from the fact that I moved to this house because I had to leave the previous Aboriginal Services house that I lived in in Northbrook, because the mold in the basement was so bad it made the house unliveable and ruined half of my furniture,” Pollard said. “So I moved in here, and they told me the house was mold free but it isn't anymore.”

“What I want to know is whether the house is safe to live in and whether I can clean some of my furniture or does it all have to go,” she said.

Matt Doyle of the Kingston Frontenac Public Health Unit did an inspection of the house and in his letter of opinion he said any materials in the house that are porous and can not go through a washing machine, need to be replaced.

That would include the couch and chairs and almost all of the furniture, which is made of wood.

Pollard said that repeated requests for service to Aboriginal Housing Services have only resulted in inspections, but the results of those inspections have not been shared with her and no commitment to a remedy has been made.

“I've now been out of the house for almost a month, and I don't see that changing,” said Pollard, “and if I do have to replace all my furniture - how I am going to replace it?” she said.

An air quality test was ordered by Aboriginal Housing and was done early last week at the house, and last weekend an inspection was done by the Ministry of Housing Inspection and Enforcement Board on Pollard's request.

Results of those tests should have been delivered to the regional office of Aboriginal Housing in Peterborough, but calls from Pollard and a subsequent call on Tuesday by the Frontenac News have not been answered.

This is not the first time mold has been an issue in the house. According to Mike Powley, the Kaladar waste site attendant, the furniture and other possessions of the previous tenant in the building ended up in landfill because “they were covered in grey mold.”

Ontario Aboriginal Housing operates nine units in Addington Highlands, 13 in North Frontenac, 19 in Central Frontenac, four in South Frontenac, nine in Stone Mills, and 13 in Lanark Highlands.

Although organizers of the traditional Silver Lake Pow Wow did not mark this year’s event with any special 20-year anniversary tributes, they were pleased with the turnout.

Organizer Trudy Knapp said the ongoing aim of the Pow Wow is to honour the native identity of off-reserve Aboriginals in the community and it is an opportunity for them to embrace their roots. The event continues to attract natives from all over Ontario and Quebec from as far away as Manawaki, Curve Lake near Peterborough, Toronto, North Bay, and Ottawa.

Over 400 people arrived early on the first day of the Pow Wow and Knapp said organizers were expecting roughly 2500 over the entire weekend. One major attraction is the grand entry that occurs at noon on both days at the main arbor. It introduces all the different types of native dancers, and also includes raising the flags and eagle staffs and awakening the drum that calls the spirits into the grounds.

This year Leslie St. Pierre was head male dancer; Christina Kennedy, head female dancer; Sharpe Dopler, head veteran; Larry McDermott, elder; arena director was Paul Carl; Danka Brewer, emcee; Jeremy Davies, host drum and Chris Westbury and Alex Brewer, fire keepers.

I attended the grand entry on Saturday where head veteran Sharpe Dopler spoke of the significance of what it means when an eagle feather is dropped during the dancing at the grand entry. “Eagle feathers are very special and it is a great honour to be gifted one and given the responsibility of caring for it. When an eagle feather drops off of someone’s regalia, for us it is a symbol of a warrior passing because commonly in the past eagle feathers were given to warriors for feats of bravery. So when a feather drops there is a ceremony we have to perform when we pick it up. We offer it some tobacco and a prayer and we pick it up with an eagle fan to take it off the earth. Then the head veteran decides what happens with the feather. In this instance I chose to give it back to the person who dropped it.”

At one point during the grand entry non-native members of the community were invited into the circle to join the dancers, and many who attended did so.

Sharpe said that the Silver Lake Pow Wow is one of her favorites and said it is one that is known for being very open, warm and accepting, which she said is “something that you do not find everywhere.” This year’s Pow Wow included 17 vendors selling all kinds of native arts and crafts, and a canteen, plus the numerous traditional dances and other ceremonies. For natives and non-natives alike the event offers up a great opportunity to observe and partake in the beauty of a traditional Pow Wow on the shores of Silver Lake.

This year’s Silver Lake Pow Wow, a traditional, non-competitive pow wow that will take place on Sat. & Sun. August 23 & 24 at Silver Lake Provincial Park, will mark the 20-year anniversary of the event.

Trudi Knapp, one of the organizers, said that this year’s event will include as usual the grand entries at noon on both days, plus traditional dancing, drumming and singing that celebrate native rituals of the past and present. The event attracts Aboriginal dancers from all over the province and last year Aztec dancers from Mexico also attended and performed at the event. Non-Aboriginals are welcome and many tourists have attended the event, which in the past has attracted over 1200 visitors. The gorgeous lakeside site includes a traditional cedar arbor where the drummers and singers gather and a covered canteen area where meals are provided to participants and guests over the weekend. It is expected that over 20 vendors will be set up on site this year, offering up a wide variety of Aboriginal food, arts and crafts, instruments, and clothing. Many local residents will be heading up this year’s Pow Wow. Head dancers are Mitchell Shewell and Christine Kennedy; Danka Brewer will be the emcee and James Sayeau will be the fire keeper, with Larry McDermott as elder. Once again Willie Bruce will be this year’s head veteran.

On May 3 organizers held a fundraiser at St. James Major Catholic Church hall for the Pow Wow, which relies totally on fundraising dollars and donations. Vendors sold jewelry and other crafts. Kingston author, Robert P. Wells, also attended with written and audio recorded copies of his book “Wawahte”, which were for sale, with some of the proceeds being donated to the event. The book, whose title is the Cree name for the Northern Lights, tells the stories of three survivors of Canadian residential schools: Ester Love, Stanley Stephens and Bunnie Gavin, all long-time friends of Wells. In his words, “Their childhood was much the same as those of more than 150,000 First Nations children who, between 1883 and 1996, were forced to attend one of 130 residential schools and equally demeaning day schools in Canada.”

Written in two parts, Wawahte also “mines the history of how the opinion of a handful of people became widely accepted by a nation, giving rise to official programs that were publicly touted as beneficial, but which actually discriminated against entire ethnic groups.” Wells' audio book was made into a 15-part radio series by Queen's University CFRC campus radio and is currently being broadcast on 40 campus radio stations across Canada. The book took Wells 14 months to research and complete and Wells said he was inspired to write after a childhood friend, Moochum-Joe, recognized Wells’ special spirit at that young age and asked him to “draw words on paper to tell your kind how bad Indian people are treated.” Wells said that it was through the personal experiences of these three life-long friends of his that he was entrusted with their stories about their experiences in residential schools.

Wells grew up in an Aboriginal environment west of Thunder Bay and strongly believes that the only hope for natives and non-natives to come to an understanding of their past and make peace with it is to shine a light on the personal experiences of those who experienced residential schools first hand. Wells donated 1000 copies of his book to Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which have been given out to the many attendees of the conferences that have taken place across the country.

Those who missed the fundraising event for the Silver Lake Pow Wow can still make donations by contacting Trudi Knapp at 613-375-6356. For more information about “Wawahte” visit http://ncra.ca/resonating/documentaries/wawahte