Calgary Briefs - March 2012

Richard Wagamese participated in WordFest’s celebration of Freedom to Read Week.

Richard Wagamese presents new novel Indian Horse
Richard Wagamese read from his new novel Indian Horse to a packed house at the Barley Mill Pub on Feb 29. Wagamese said he initially wanted to write a hockey novel, but was encouraged by his publisher into exploring the effects of the residential school system as experienced by his parents and grandparents. When asked if his book was political, Wagamese told the Calgary Herald that his central character, Saul Indian Horse is affected by many other things. “He is affected by religiosity. He’s affected by an over-abiding sense of entitlement on the part of settler folk and settler culture and certainly settler government. He’s affected by the gradual dissolution of is cultural and traditional way. When I was writing it and considering it, I wasn’t thinking it was so much a (political issue) as it was an emotional and a spiritual and a psychic issue.”
Wagamese, who recently received a National Aboriginal Achievement Award for media and communications, was joined by the Herald’s Valerie Fortney in a discussion of censorship. Fortney, who authored Sunray: The Death and Life of Captain Nicola Goddard discussed the use of personal letters Goddard wrote to her husband while in Afghanistan and self-censorship in writing the book.

Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act
Treaty 7 Grand Chief Charles Weaselhead called the recently announced Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act “a good first step,” although he cautioned that the act will require funding for staff and infrastructure to build capacity. For a seven-year period ending in 2013, the government will have invested $2.5 billion in water and wastewater infrastructure and public health support. Currently legally enforceable standards and protocols are non-existent on First Nations lands. The National Assessment of First Nations water and wastewater systems report found that 39 per cent of reserve water systems were high risk and 60 per cent of all risk in reserve water systems resulted from failures in operation and maintenance, operator qualifications and record keeping. “In addition to a number of amendments that have been made to the legislation to address our concerns, most recently Canada added an important clause to limit the impact of the legislation on our Treaty rights,” said Weaselhead. “Treaty No. 7 Chiefs feel this is an important first step and are pleased that Aboriginal and Treaty rights are being respected and recognized. The Chiefs insisted on a true partnership and collaboration in the process that lead to changes to this legislation. The same collaborative approach must continue if regulatory development is to be successful and a long term funding solution is forged.”

Newalta named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers
Calgary’s Newalta Corp., an industrial waste management and environmental service company, has been named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for 2012. “Aboriginal people are very wary of who’s coming from the outside,” said Tom Erasmus, of the Goodfish Lake First Nation, an Aboriginal consultant for Newalta. “When you’re engaged with First Nations, don’t give the message, ‘We’re new, trust us.’ You have to put in the time and have skilled people who know how to engage. That means taking off the corporate hat and having a community spirit. Sometimes that’s hard for business people to do.” Erasmus agrees that training and job opportunities are important, but he believes partnerships with Aboriginal groups in building businesses is critical for them to become part of the larger business world.
“Companies need to move beyond just being the employer,” Erasmus said. “You have to look at the overall development challenges of Aboriginal groups as well as at the culture and past issues that are still on our plate with today’s society.” Also receiving awards were Whitehorse-based Northwestel and Winnipeg’s Boeing Canada Operations Ltd.

Compiled by Darlene Chrapko