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Top News - May - 2003
Published May 12, 2003
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Programs get Centennial funds
Saskatchewan men's team brings home National gold
First Nations take first step toward self-management of landsThis is only a partial listing of the stories featured in the May 2003 issue of Saskatchewan Sage. If you are not receiving your own copy of Sage, then you have missed out on a lot.
Programs get Centennial funds
Cheryl Petten, Sage Writer, ReginaAboriginal people across Saskatchewan should soon be enjoying greater access to sport, recreation and cultural programs, thanks to $5.5 million from the province's centennial funds.
The money will be used for the Aboriginal Participation Initiative (API), which will build on programs already in place aimed at breaking down the barriers that keep Aboriginal people from taking part in sport, recreation and cultural programs. The initiative will promote healthier living through physical activity, build youth leadership and a volunteer base, and promote and protect cultural heritage, and will involve Aboriginal people in developing the programs to be offered.
The initiative is being funded through the province's Community Initiatives Fund (CIF) and is part of the $20 million committed to projects that will create lasting legacies to mark Saskatchewan's centennial in 2005.
Among the organizations partnering with the province on the API are the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan, the Northern Recreation Co-ordinating Committee, SaskCulture Inc, the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association Inc., and Sask Sport Inc.
Glenn Pratt is the manager of Aboriginal sport development for Sask Sport. He said he was pleased with the funding announcement, and explained that the new dollars will help build upon work Sask Sport began about a year ago to improve Aboriginal access to sport, recreation and culture programs within the province's urban centres.
"We had our own Saskatchewan Lotteries dollars that we implemented a program we call the Urban Aboriginal Community Grant Program. The community grant program is an amount of dollars that's given to every community regardless of their size for sport, culture and recreation development within that community. And it's not a huge amount of money. It's basically what I would call seed money. And then all of a sudden, the province had some new dollars that they were looking at from their CIF fund and they wanted to partner with us because they thought the program was a good program, and it looked at the whole issue of urban Aboriginal people, that there seemed to be a major funding gap. There was funding for on-reserve, there was funding for provincial initiatives, there was funding from INAC (Indian and Northern Affairs Canada) and from different corporations, but there didn't really seem to be a lot of funding for urban Aboriginal people to get involved in sport, culture and recreation," he said.
The new Aboriginal Participation Initiative is divided into three components, one for programs in the far North, one for programs for Aboriginal people living in urban areas, and one for programs with a focus that is province wide.
The northern programs will see expansion of the existing Northern Community School Co-ordinator Program. Nineteen new community school recreation co-ordinators will be hired and trained, and will be responsible for co-ordinating sport, recreation and cultural programs for the entire community. A new Northern Leadership Initiative will also be launched, designed to increase the leadership skills and capacity of volunteers, youth, culture, sport and recreation staff, and organizations to develop and offer programs and services in the north.
The province-wide programs that will be funded will include the Provincial Initiatives Program, which will support the development and provision of Aboriginal programs in sports, culture or recreation on a provincial level, as well as programs that promote Aboriginal heritage and culture. An Aboriginal Arts and Culture Leadership Program will also be funded to increase the leadership capacity of individuals, groups and communities to work with and support arts and cultural programming.
The third component, the one aimed at urban Aboriginal populations, is the one Sask Sport is involved in, building on the groundwork already set.
Thanks to the API, the budget for the Urban Aboriginal Community Grant Program has more than tripled for the next three years, growing from $200,000 to almost $700,000 annually. Fourteen communities will be targeted by the newly expanded program, including the larger urban centres, as well as some of the province's smaller urban communities, which Glenn Pratt explained don't usually have the same access to funding for Aboriginal initiatives as the larger centres.
"So it was good to give those smaller urban centres the same opportunity. And the challenge of course being that some of these communities don't have organized Aboriginal people, meaning, you know, friendship centres, tribal councils, Métis offices, things like that. So then it gives them an opportunity to begin working and understanding the Aboriginal people that live in their community, and empowering them to be on the adjudication committee to help distribute the funds," he said.
"The whole idea of this program was not only to provide the dollars for programming, but the dollars for actual barriers. An example of barriers are single Aboriginal women with three or four kids, don't have a car, don't have a job, so how can their kids participate in a program? Well, this program can address issues of childcare, of transportation, registration fees, and other things like that, so that some of those barriers are dealt with so that the actual participation of the children and the families can happen."
Saskatchewan men's team brings home National gold
Sam Laskaris, Sage Writer, Akwesasne OntarioThe Saskatchewan men's team was golden in Akwesasne, claiming top spot in the National Aboriginal Hockey Championship held April 27 through May 3.
A year ago, it was the Saskatchewan women's team that won the bronze medal at the inaugural national tourney, also held in Akwesasne. This year the team placed fifth in the six-team women's division.
Saskatchewan, which had not entered a men's club last year, was one of eight entrants at this season's event.
Saskatchewan defeated Manitoba 3-2 in overtime in the gold-medal match, which featured a rather unusual play late in the third period.
The Manitoba club thought it was heading for victory as it led 2-1 in the dying seconds of the match. With about four seconds remaining in the game Manitoba's Donald Melnyk picked up the puck near his own blueline after it became apparent Saskatchewan would not get off one last rush. With the puck in hand, Melnyk headed towards his own goaltender Julian Guimond to begin celebrating.
The Manitoba celebrations though were short-lived as referee John Lortie stopped the play with 2.2 seconds showing on the game clock. His call? A penalty shot was awarded to Saskatchewan for Melnyk's intentional delay of the game.
Though Melnyk did not pick up the puck in his own crease, a penalty shot was awarded as a rule stipulates any delay of game incident in the final minute of the third period is an automatic penalty shot.
Saskatchewan's assistant captain Travis Gardipy scored on the penalty shot. The team's other assistant captain, Justin Magnuson, then scored on a breakaway at the 6:10 mark of overtime to give his side the victory.
"I am just so happy for my teammates," Magnuson said shortly after scoring the winner. "We gave it 100 per cent for seven days here. I think it just came down to the fact that we deserved it more."
Manitoba team members obviously thought otherwise. In fact, Manitoba head coach Derek Fontaine was so infuriated with how things transpired late in the match that he ordered his club immediately off the ice. And he refused to allow them back on to participate in the post-game medal presentations.
"In all my hockey coaching and playing days, I have never, ever witnessed what I've seen today," Fontaine fumed. "It's a total disgrace to the game."
Manitoba had won last year's tournament. But with the way things ended up this year, Fontaine maintained his side would have to review whether it wants to take part in future events.
In his post-game celebrations, Saskatchewan coach Charles Keshane said he was upset the Manitoba squad did not stick around to receive their medals on the ice.
"That just shows no class at all," Keshane said. "We respect them. And they should have enough respect and stay out on the ice for us."
Saskatchewan won all six of its games at the tourney. In round-robin action it beat Nova Scotia 7-0, Eastern Door and the North (EDN), representing Quebec, 4-2 and Ontario South 5-3.
Saskatchewan then edged British Columbia 4-3 in a quarter-final battle and EDN 2-0 in their semi-final matchup.
As for the Saskatchewan women's team, it won just one out of its five round-robin games. It was then credited with a 1-0 victory in the game which decided fifth and sixth place since Team Atlantic opted to forfeit the match.
Saskatchewan coach Gil Ledoux said he was told the Atlantic side would default the game since an Elder who had travelled with the team died during the tournament.
"I would have liked to play that game," Ledoux said.
Ledoux said Saskatchewan team officials probably erred somewhat in selecting their team early on. Clubs were not required to submit their team rosters to organizers until Apr. 11.
But Saskatchewan chose its team members following a training camp this past December.
Ledoux felt about a dozen of those on the 21-player roster were not in shape by the time the event rolled around.
"In every game our (lack of) fitness level was evident," Ledoux said. "We were outmuscled in almost every game. And the girls were tired by the second and third periods."
Ledoux believes provincial officials might consider staging a later training camp in future years.
"A lot of girls would have come in better shape if their spot on the roster was not etched in stone," he said.
Meanwhile, seven players from Saskatchewan were also honored by being selected as tournament all-stars. A total of 17 female and 17 male players were named to their respective all-star teams.
All of the all-stars will also be invited to attend a free Aboriginal high performance training camp, which will be held July 14-20 in Ottawa.
Those who made the grade from the Saskatchewan men's team were goaltender Craig Morningchild and forwards Magnuson, Gardipy and Barry Sparvier.
Saskatchewan defender Dayna King and forwards Danene King and Fallon Head were named to the women's all-star roster.
First Nations take first step toward self-management of lands
Cheryl Petten, Sage Writer, Whitecap Dakota Sioux First NationKinistin First Nation and Whitecap Dakota Sioux First Nation are among the latest group of 19 First Nations to get involved in the First Nations Land Management Initiative.
The initiative has been in place since 1996, when 14 First Nations and the federal government signed the Framework Agreement on First Nations Land Management. That agreement lets First Nations who have signed opt out of the sections of the Indian Act that deal with administration of land, allowing them to set up their own systems for management of their lands and resources.
Muskoday First Nation and Cowessess First Nation were among the original 14 First Nations to sign the Framework Agreement in 1996, and Muskoday is one of five First Nations among the 14 that has begun operating under its own land code.
Following the success many of these First Nations have had since signing the initiative in 1996, the framework agreement was opened up to additional signatories a year ago, and the new First Nations officially came onboard on March 31.
Whitecap Dakota Sioux First Nation Chief Darcy Bear said his First Nation signed on to the framework agreement because it sees the First Nations Land Management Initiative as a means to gain more control over management of First Nations lands. But he is quick to point out that by signing the framework agreement, the First Nation isn't committing itself to signing onto the First Nations Land Management Act itself, but is just committing itself to considering signing.
"I just want to make sure that it's clear that we haven't signed onto the actual agreement. We signed onto the framework, but we haven't implemented the agreement in our community. It still has to go through all the hurdles of the consultation, and at the end of the day, if it looks like it's something that doesn't work for us . . . I guess that's the nice thing about it, you've signed on, but you still have a chance to say you're opting out. If it doesn't work for us, then fine. But if it does work for us, then we'll move forward and sign it. But again, it has to be voted on by the membership, and it's their decision at the end of the day.
"If the vote goes through in our community, then it gives us the flexibility, I guess, to zone areas that would be for economic development, agriculture, residential, or education, recreation, that type of thing. It gives us that type of control," he said.
"Just to give you an example, if we did sign on to the First Nations Land Management Act, and we had the authority to zone certain lands for economic development, it would take less time. Because currently, the process, right now, we're building a golf course in our community. And part of that process, in order to build anything in our community that's economic development related, we had to designate lands, and that process took us about two years. Whereas once you're in this process, the council has the authority to go ahead and zone certain areas of the community for whatever uses that the community needs. So, yes, it does speed up that process. So if you had a big box store or something that wanted to set up in your community, well you'd have the ability to zone a certain area that you want to use for that purpose. It wouldn't take as long. So a lot of times, if there's only a certain window of opportunity to attract a certain business, and it's going to take you two years to get all the approvals in place for designating an area, by that time that business could have gone and went somewhere else. So those are some of the reasons why we're looking at it. It's all about economic development and job creation."
The main concern the membership has about going ahead with a commitment to the land management initiative, the chief explained, is that when Indian and Northern Affairs Canad hands over land management to the First Nations, it also vacates its fiduciary obligations regarding environmental protection of those lands.
"Before we can even have a vote, there has to be a whole environmental inspection or survey done of all the community lands, to make sure there is no outstanding environmental issues . . . because if fiduciary responsibility is vacated, then basically that means we're left on the hook if any environmental issues happen in the future. So does liability insurance actually cover all of that? That's one of the things we're just working our right now. And if that does apply, as far as liability insurance for your community for environmental issues, then who pays for that environmental premium? So those are some of the things we're working on right now. There's still a lot of questions that are still out there," he said.
"So we're not saying for sure, it's a done deal. But we're saying we're certainly willing to explore it. It kind of fits in with all our development right now when it comes to land. And I guess if you look at your options, all you have is the Indian Act or this. So you don't really have any options. This might be the better of the two, I don't know."
Dean Bear is land manager for Muskoday First Nation, which has been operating under its own land code since January 2000. One of the most noticeable differences between operating under the Indian Act and operating under the First Nations Land Management Act, he explained, is the speed at which things get done.
"Ever since the land code came into effect, a lot of stuff gets done a lot quicker when it comes to dealing with any sort of land issue. Because before everything had to have some sort of ministerial approval. And that sometimes could take up to six month," he said.
Another benefit operating under the First Nations Land Management Act has brought to the community is an increased accountability to the members regarding land management decisions.
"I do remember when this was first being bandied about, some people thought that it was going to give the chief and council kind of dictatorial power. Which in fact, it's the total opposite. Because any major land issue has to go before the general public for a vote. So it's not like anything can be forced through by the chief and council. They are more accountable to the people now when it comes to any sort of major land issue." he said.