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Photo Caption: (From left) Lionel Peterson, residence life programmer and Mardere Birkill, director of teaching and learning, are grateful to receive funds from the Portage Student Association secretary Chastity Sunday and Richard Cloutier, business manager.
Students generosity improves campus life, learning
Money raised by the Students Association at Portage College Lac La Biche and a matching grant from the provincial government will make life easier on campus, both for entertainment and for learning. The SA raised $18,000 which was used to purchase entertainment equipment to encourage more students to be involved in recreational activities. In addition, matching funds from the Alberta government’s Access to the Future Fund, provided another $18,000 to be spent on purchasing “Smart Thinking” online tutoring services, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “The Students’ Association decided on donating the funds to the college, not only to provide more entertainment to students, but to also assist the staff, specific programs and services offered within the college. The new equipment will allow the HUB to be used as a functional and technologically modern presentation space that can hold over 100 people. This could advance the college’s ability to fundraise, promote the college, and attract new students,” said Richard Cloutier, SA business manager.
New chief for Piikani First Nation
Gayle Strikes With A Gun was elected as the first female chief for the Piikani First Nation on Jan. 7. Eleven candidates ran for the position of chief including incumbent Reg Crow Shoe. Strikes With A Gun was the only woman to vie for the position. Fifty-seven people let their names stand for 12 council positions. Three women were elected as councilors. Strikes With A Gun is a long time educator.
Fort McKay band councilor reinstated
Fort McKay band councilor Mike Orr has been reinstated by a federal judge. The CBC reports that Orr was banned from attending council meetings and appealed to the federal court. In court documents, Orr stated he and another councillor asked for a financial review of the band’s companies after hearing about an alleged $250,000 bonus given to a band employee. The other councilor, also barred from council meetings, resigned in December. Orr hasn’t been paid for his position since November. The federal decision in Orr’s favour was delivered Jan. 13.
Oil and gas rights appeal denied
The Alberta Court of Appeal has upheld the decision of a lower court saying that the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation missed a filing date and therefore the right to argue against the provincial government’s decision to issue an oil sands lease to Shell. The Crown said the First Nation challenge was not filed within six months of the decision awarding the lease to Shell. ACFN argued that the deadline to file an appeal was taken from the time the First Nation was notified of the decision. However, the lower court ruled that the deadline kicked in from the time the government made its decision. The Court of Appeal dismissed ACFN’s appeal on Jan. 28.
Impact of oil sands development focus of show
On Jan. 28, and then re-aired on Feb. 5, the impact of oil sands development on and the battle of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nations were the focus of a two-hour television documentary, The Tipping Point: The Age of the Oil Sands. The Nature of Things special presentation was hosted by David Suzuki and directed by Edmonton filmmakers Tom Radford and Niobe Thompson, of Clearwater Media. The special highlighted independent research work undertaken by University of Alberta scientist Dr. David Schindler that proved living downstream of development was having an impact on Fort Chip residents.
Enbridge Northern Gateway project stalled
The federally appointed Joint Review Panel conducting the Environmental and National Energy Board review of the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Project released a decision Jan. 19, indicating that the project application was not yet ready for review. The panel held hearings in Whitecourt and Kitimat and Prince George, B.C. After hearing from dozens of First Nations representatives, environmentalists, fishermen, and citizens concerned about the impacts of the construction of the Northern Gateway tar sands oil pipeline and marine terminal, the panel determined that Enbridge had not provided adequate consideration of the project-specific challenges and risks. Enbridge must provide additional information before assessment of their proposal can go forward. The panel also broadened the scope of its assessment to include further consideration of the environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural impacts of the project. The panel said the impacts needed to be considered in the context of the cumulative impacts of the other related developments.
Oil sands monitoring panel met with skepticism
One member of the provincial government’s newly created oil sands panel, co-chaired by Hal Kvisle, former president and CEO of TransCanada Corp., has resigned. American member Helen Ingram told the Calgary Herald, “I’m concerned that First Nations may think this is yet another snow job by a bunch of experts who speak a lot of technical speak.” The 12-member panel is charged with creating an environmental monitoring, evaluation and reporting system. There are no First Nations members on the panel although Alberta Environment Minister Rob Renner said the panel will act as a co-ordinating body and will consult with Aboriginal or environmental experts when they think it’s appropriate. The panel will report back to Renner by June 2011.
Total mine granted conditional approval
Late last month a joint federal-provincial panel gave conditional approval to Total E&P to proceed with its Joslyn oilsands mine. Total must meet 20 conditions for development. Also noted were 17 recommendations to federal and provincial governments and Alberta’s energy regulator. The panel was appointed in 2008 to review the project, slated to produce 200,000 barrels a day starting in 2017. Total estimated the cost of the mine to be approximately $7 billion to $9 billion. Three First Nations initially raised concerns, but Total reached agreements with all three, Fort McKay, Athabasca Chipewyan and Mikisew.
Crane’s sentence reduced
Christopher Shane Crane, who was sentenced in the drive-by shooting of a toddler in Hobbema, has had his sentence reduced by three years. The Edmonton Journal reports that the Alberta Court of Appeal ruled the judge who sentenced Crane last March erred in handing him a 13-year global sentence. After taking into account Crane’s pre-trial custody time, it was deemed that he had nine years remaining on his sentence; the appeal court found he should be left with seven years to serve. Crane, now 20, admitted that on April 13, 2008, he fired a shot into a house that hit two-year-old Asia Saddleback, who was sitting at the kitchen table. She has since recovered, but the bullet remains in her body. Crane pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, robbery with a firearm, using a firearm while committing an offence and possession of a firearm without a licence. The appeal court found the trial judge should have stayed one of the firearms charges against Crane, and ordered that his sentence on the other firearms charge be served concurrently with his sentences on the other charges.
Date for preliminary hearing set in O’Chiese death
Aug. 2 has been set to begin a month-long murder preliminary hearing in Red Deer provincial court for six people charged in the death of Gordon Marlice Strawberry, 45, of the O’Chiese First Nations. All six accused are also of the O’Chiese First Nations.
Strawberry was found on Sept. 18, 2010, outside a reserve residence following a house party. He had been beaten but RCMP didn’t release further details. Cameron Paul Strawberry, 37, Terrence Andy Beaverbones, 21, Darcy John Lightfoot, 30, Evan Everest Foureyes, 21, Jenny Olivia Beaverbones, 26, and Malvina Jean Beaverbones, 36, are charged with first- and/or second-degree murder. The Red Deer Advocate reports that the hearing will be held in Red Deer because of security concerns with the Rocky Mountain House provincial court as well as space: all the accused have different lawyers.
Online training developed for Aboriginal trustees, community decision-makers
The National Aboriginal Trust Officers Association will be collaborating with the TD Bank Group, Lethbridge College and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada to provide formalized education to Aboriginal trustees and community decision-makers. The training has been developed by Lethbridge College with the support of subject-matter-experts from NATOA and TD Bank Group and will be delivered online. The first intake is targeted to trustee level decision-makers, while a second phase is currently in development for trust managers. The training is designed to accommodate varying educational backgrounds in order to increase participant access.
Once complete, the full program will include trustee training, trust manager training and specialized workshops that will collectively build towards a professional designation in Aboriginal Trust Management through NATOA. “Aboriginal trustees and decision-makers have an important responsibility to maximize trust assets on behalf of their community. This program is intended to give all Aboriginal communities the tools they need for a brighter future for both the short-term and for the seven generations yet unborn,” said NATOA chairperson Wyatt Arcand.
Hiring for Education MOU
The interview process has begun for positions developed through an education memorandum of understanding signed by Treaty 6, 7 and 8 chiefs, the provincial government and the federal government. Interviews were scheduled for early February for the positions of MOU project coordinator and Indigenous Knowledge Wisdom Centre manager. The creation of the wisdom centre was a condition of the MOU signed by the five parties. The MOU project coordinator is to provide administrative support to the First Nations MOU working group.
Compiled by Shari Narine
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