Relationship Among Education, Community Development, And Community Economic Development.

This essay will examine how education is a necessary relationship to community development and economic development of Aboriginals. Education has always been the objective of Aboriginals to build community development through economic development ventures. Education, in my view, is the basis of a strong community that leads people to help themselves through employment or business enterprises that leads to economic development. The examples provided illustrate why education is a requirement that produces employment and capacity building. Education therefore becomes a prerequisite for Aboriginals to bring themselves out of social crisis, dependency, and welfare state mentality and will lead to good work ethics and desire to change their situations to employment. Education must include life skills and personal development to provide a strong basis for education and training leading to employment.

            Education builds capacity, and a healthy, capable Aboriginal population is in the best interest of Canada. Economically, it will cost less to educate Aboriginal people now rather than pay out social services in the long run. “According to a Census done in 2001, Winnipeg has the largest Aboriginal population in Canada and in ten years, one in five, upwards to one in three people entering the work force will be Aboriginal. These numbers indicate that Aboriginal education is crucial to the future of Winnipeg”[1]. Aboriginal students do not complete high school at the same rate as non-aboriginals. These numbers are higher rurally than in urban centre’s. Reasons go back to the thinking that creating the residential school system, to assimilate First Nations people, the current school system still works to assimilate them because First Nations contributions to Canada are not taught enough in the current school system (Silver, 2008). Speaking for myself, I did not learn anything about treaties in high school. Before I went to Red River College, I did not have a good understanding of our history and what brought us to this point that we are at now. I would estimate 90% of Aboriginals do not know their own history.

            Some of the problems with high school education today that Aboriginal people are facing are that they feel excluded by a system that does not consider or respect their values, perspectives, worldview, and different culture (Silver, 2008), but rather focuses on the dominant European/American global cultural influence.“The regular school system has not yet made the changes needed to reflect aboriginal cultural needs”[2]. History is written from non-aboriginal writers, and Aboriginal teachers and curricula are scarce.  Due to many overwhelming social ills, Aboriginal students are not graduating at the same rate as other Canadians.

In Winnipeg there are two high schools that educate youth about culture and support them when faced with problems. For urban youth, Children of the Earth (COTE) high school is unique by incorporating Aboriginal cultural components and values while sticking to the Manitoba curriculum. According to their website they have teachings about seasonal feasts, women’s and full moon teaching, and also pipe and sweat lodge ceremonies. The school also strives to preserve the language with Cree or Ojibwa courses as graduation requirements. COTE school was also named one of Canada’s top ten high schools by MacLean’s magazine. South East Collegiate, which serves students from the remote areas along the east side of Lake Winnipeg, has a program called, “Mino Bimaadiziwin,” or the “Good Life.” It encourages and supports students to live a drug and alcohol free life in order to achieve true happiness and success, which is not possible while carrying the burdens of an addiction (COTE, SE Collegiate Website, 2011).

Adult Learning Centers have been very successful at providing a second chance to Aboriginals moving many from social assistance to employment. The Aboriginal Learning Centre (ALC) is part of Louis Riel Institute (LRI), and instructor Stephanie Miller says that teaching the individual is instead of the classroom is why the ALC is such a success. “We try to accommodate the students as much as possible, there’s a lot of flexibility in our program. There are no set schedules or classes, each student is taught in a different way to meet their needs. We work at the students pace.[3]” ALC work because many students are more mature with children, jobs and other responsibilities.

According to the Aboriginal Organizations in Manitoba, there are 38 education outlets for Aboriginals looking to improve their situation (Aboriginal Organizations in Manitoba website, 2011)."This is a very spatially segregated city," Eleanor Thompson said. "Those tracks are a big barrier, and people in the North End are not as mobile as you think.[4]" Urban Circle has made great steps in bridging the education gap, partnering with Red River College, the University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba to name a few programs, despite the success and turnover of graduates, there is constantly a struggle to receive and maintain funding. Jim Silver, head of the U of W's urban and inner-city studies program said “We've proven that it works, that it can turn lives around. Despite that, there isn't enough money.[5]" By the Adult Learning Centre’s Act, programs are required to function as a non-profit (Silver, 2008).

            Further reasons why adult learning centers have been working well for Aboriginal students are the support students get from instructors who go beyond what is required. This includes picking up students who do not have a ride to acting as a counselor. Instructors realize that the problems students face are just as complex as the academic problems. Aboriginal people want to learn but not give up their culture and identity. Students want to learn about whom they are (Silver, 2008), “they have a right to learn about their cultures and attempts to eliminate them, and to come to terms with who they are as people and how they came to be where they are today[6].” This addresses the identity crisis amongst students and helps to locate their personal situation in the context of colonization by developing critical reflection (Silver 2008). Education is a decolonization process and, through education, “capacity building occurs. The result is transformative, at both the personal and collective levels. This is community development at its best[7]”.

This essay has provided evidence that education is necessary to empower the people and to develop the work ethics for employment. Community development is the ability to help people to help themselves. It is important that people are willing, capable, able, and have a strong desire to change their situations. Without people’s willingness, participation, and a sense of ownership to education leading to employment, there will be no positive community development. The true sense of community development is restoring the people’s ability to help them self. Education provides positive relationships to community development and economic development.

References

1. www.policyalternatives.ca , Aboriginal Education for Winnipeg’s Future, January 23^rd, 2009. 

2. Silver, J. In Their Own Voices: Building Urban Aboriginal Communities. 2008. Fernwood Publishing, Halifax.

3. Rajotte, P.(2011, June 14^th) Adult Learning Centre’s flexible schedule gets positive results. Grassroots News, p34.

4. Aboriginal organizations in Manitoba. www.Edu.gov.mb.ca, 2011.

5. Winnipeg Free Press, Putting folks on the right track, Learning Centres Offer a Future, Dan   Lett. June 13/2011.

 

Some reasons for diet changes (cutting back and switching to organic dairy).

My little family and I are slowly transitioning to a healthier diet while baby is in the womb to cut back on anti-biotics and growth harmones. We are not going completely vegan, but getting protiens from wild meats, nuts, soybeans. We are very fortunate to live in this part of the world to have access to local vegetables and wild meat. Most dairy is part of a billion dollar industry, so we are willing to spend a few extra dollars for organic dairy, not from the steriod cows.

1. Reduced saturated fats. Dairy products and meats contain a large amount of saturated fats. By reducing the amount of saturated fats from your diet, you’ll improve your health tremendously, especially when it comes to cardiovascular health.
2. Protein. That protein is good for your body is no surprise. It may be a surprise to learn that most Americans eat too much protein and in forms such as red meat that are not healthy ways of getting protein. Beans, nuts, peas, lentils, and soy products are all great ways to get the right amount of protein in a vegan diet.
3. Cardiovascular disease. Eating nuts and whole grains, while eliminating dairy products and meat, will improve your cardiovascular health. A British study indicates that a vegan diet reduces the risk for heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Vegan diets go far in preventing heart attack and stroke.
4. Body Mass Index. Several population studies show that a diet without meat leads to lower BMIs–usually an indicator of a healthy weight and lack of fat on the body. (The biggest reason for me to try this diet change, I work out, but still carry alot of extra weight).
5. Animal proteins. The average American eats twice as much protein as necessary for a healthy diet and much of that is from red meat. Getting protein from beans and grains is much healthier and reduces the risk for osteoporosis (see above).
6. Cow’s milk dairy. The human body is not designed to digest cow milk and cow milk dairy products, yet the idea of milk being healthy is pushed through advertising. As many as 75% of people in the world may be lactose intolerant and many people suffer from undiagnosed milk allergies or sensitivities. By eliminating cow’s milk from your diet, you are improving your overall health.
7. Animals. Many people begin a vegan diet out of concern for animals. Whether opposed to the conditions of animals intended for food or eating animals in general, going vegan will help your conscience rest easily.
8. Hormone consumption. Eating animals that have been given hormones to speed growth (a common practice in the meat industry) means those hormones go into your body. Not only can this disrupt the natural balance of your hormones, but some of the hormones given to animals have shown to cause tumor growth in humans.
9. Antibiotics. Antibiotics are frequently given to feed animals, which can lead to bacterial resistance. Many of the antibiotics used to treat human infections are also used in feed animals.

Source; http://www.nursingdegree.net/blog/19/57-health-benefits-of-going-vegan/

Moving Towards Nationhood. (RRC History Paper)

When we look at the current political situation and the coming election, it is important to look at what brought us up to this point. Prior to contact First Nations, on this continent were many nations, governing themselves with trade networks, culture, language, a way of doing things, and respect for others. There were no form of taxes or caste systems which made people feel inferior to others, people had a different concept of land tenure. In 200 years, the first people of this continent went from taking pity on explorers and welcoming immigrants, to establishing the first currency and economy, making treaty and alliances to open this land up to resource sharing and settlement, to the poorest people in North America living in communities with multi-entrenched problems that are the direct result of government policies in this democratic continent. In the 2011 elections, First Nations are making headlines, but for all the wrong reasons.

This country’s political history comes from an imported European system called feudalism which can be defined as a, "graduated system based on land tenure in which every lord judged, taxed, and commanded the class next below him. Feudalism represents the progressive development of European organization during seven centuries. Its roots go back into the social conditions of primitive peoples, and its branches stretch out through military, political, and judicial evolution to our own day”[1]. Canada uses British Common Law, a House of Commons, and House of Senate in its government, “but their government system was also adopted from other European models”[2], “influenced by the Roman Empire. The Church also had its place in the feudal system, it was granted territorial fiefs, became a vassal, and possessed immunities from taxes because of its role to convert people to Christians”. [3] In Canada, the church was instrumental in the government’s policy during the colonization period that followed treaties.         

The history of the Roman Catholic Church in Canada is the shame of the nation. Children were forcibly removed from their homes for generations to get civilized in the eyes of the government of that time. There are stories from survivors of nuns terrorizing children and priests fathering children in residential school. In many communities today, the church and First Nation traditional beliefs clash, dividing communities. These are not the teaching of the bible; the seven teachings of First Nations are all in the bible. This is not ancient history either; many First Nations people today are residential school survivors. The Conservative government, under Prime Minister Stephan Harper, paid out survivors and issued an apology to those affected. Many believe this was just for show and to save money down the road, because soon after, “funding got cut for programs to help survivors. At a Truth and Reconciliation Commission gathering here at the Winnipeg at the Forks this past summer, Health Canada employees stayed at the Inn at the Forks, had all their expenses covered, while the survivors had to pay their own way in for counseling”[4]. There are a lot of people happy to make their living off the suffering of First Nations; it is commonly referred to as the Indian industry.

In northern First Nations, the conditions are at their worst. Mary Jane McCallum who is a First Nation’s dentist, called this suffering “a crisis and supervised neglect”[5]. Many people working in these positions up north come across as racist and are only up there for the money. I spoke with an Aboriginal nurse who said, “Nurses act like they are doing First Nations people a favor when they are attending to them, treating First Nation nurses like a tax payers burdens, asking why they have to pay taxes and they don’t on plane rides to these remote communities”[6]. RCMP and city police officers relations with First Nations people are fractured, most First Nations people fear and don’t trust police and RCMP because of constant headlines of First Nations people not getting fair treatment, to getting killed.

The mainstream population perception of First Nation’s people is that we are a tax payer’s burden; non-aboriginals will write articles stating Canadian taxpayers are spending 9 billion in taxpayers’ money on First Nations. They are asking where this money is going. Beneficiaries of these billions of dollars go toward provincial education, health, justice systems, and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, and only a percentage makes it way to First Nation communities. These writers forget to mention that the majority of First Nation’s people now live off reserve, and do pay taxes. “It is estimated that urban Indians pay roughly 13 billion in tax dollars, whose tax payer’s dollars are we spending? If these articles were true, and First Nations were receiving all this money, that means that Keeseekoowenin with its population of just over 1000 would be getting 16 million annually. During my father’s time as chief, the band received 5 million”[7]. Furthermore, the public also has this belief that First Nation’s politicians have a higher salary than the Prime Minister, stating that, “reserves are poor because the chiefs take all the money”[8].  I had this argument with someone who owns a business on Main Street. It is not their fault though; mainstream media is constantly attacking First Nations across the country in all media outlets. “The tax watchdog group has released a second round of documents outlining the levels of pay chiefs and band councilors receive across the country. The documents show that 82 band chiefs and councilors made more money than the prime minister’s $317,574 salary in 2008-2009”.[9] Even our own Aboriginal instructors and journalists seem to read these articles and fail to take the full story into context. They come to their own conclusion, writing and teaching about this misinformation putting down their own people. “These reports are distorted to fuel the mainstream opinion of First Nations. The Assembly of First Nations analysis also concluded that the average salary for reserve politicians fell at about $36,845, below the $46, 345 national averages in Canada. ‘Alarmist’ tax watchdog ‘intentionally’ distorted First Nation’s politico salaries”[10]. They forget to mention points that, “chiefs have more on their plate than non-aboriginal politicians, juggling provincial, federal, and reserve issues”[11]. There is also no pension like other provincial and federal politicians for chief and council, and most importantly, leaving out non-aboriginals politicians’ travel and other expenses. If the expenses were calculated, the numbers would be a more fair comparison.  “A Saskatchewan Conservative MP recently tabled a private members’ bill to make all chief and band councilor salaries public”[12]. If Kelly Blocks’ bill should pass; it will reflect how underfunded First Nations really are. “Keeseekoowenin gets 5-6 million annually in contribution agreements; the only flexible money is band support funding. The question of federal funding to First Nations is what the general public does not understand. The public thinks that when federal funding is transferred to First Nations, they can spend it anyway they please, this simply is not true. Programs like welfare, have strict guidelines, who gets welfare and how much. Every cent in the welfare budget has to be spent according to the treasury board guidelines; this also includes all capital projects like housing, road maintenance, education, and health programs. Every dollar has to be spent accordingly.  That is the reason why First Nations need to do their audits. As mentioned, the chiefs have total authority over band support funding. Keeseekoowenin has 400,000 dollars to use at their discretion. This band support funding is for salaries, travel, and support staff salaries.  This money also covers administrative costs, like telephone, hydro... Writers misinform the public when they say that chiefs can spend any way they want. All money that comes to First Nations has to be accounted for through audits to ensure money has been spent in accordance to treasury board guidelines. Some people though, you just can’t convince, no matter what kind of facts you have, they are just biased, critics should put it in writing and sign it. Their solutions to fix reserves can be presented to the chief, but they better have a lawyer. Non-aboriginal writers avoid lawsuits by using generalized wording”[13].

In Canada, “the Gross Domestic Product of goods, services, resources and minerals is in excess of 1.4 trillion dollars annually. First Nations in Canada make up 3% of the Canadian population and receive 9 billion annually. Now all one has to do is knock off a few zeros and do the math to see that First Nations get less than 1% of Canada’s riches. Canada also spends in excess of 19 billion on immigrants and programs to help their adjustment to Canadian society annually[14]”. First Nations should be getting a share of resources; this was the spirit and intent of treaties. “Canada spends an average of 25 dollars of taxpayers’ money on non First Nation Canadians and 15 dollars for a First Nation’s citizen”[15]. As we move towards a May 2^nd election, First Nations are making headlines, but for all the wrong reasons, “Andre Forbes was booted out of the Liberal campaign for calling aboriginal people ‘featherheads’. Bloc candidate Yvon Levesque said Quebecer's wouldn't vote for NDP candidate Romeo Saganash, in his words, "some constituents will no longer vote for the New Democrats since they have decided to run an aboriginal candidate"[16]. Basically saying, doesn't matter the James Bay Cree is a well known lawyer, he's still just an Indian.  

While mainstream Canada complains about how corrupt First Nations politics are, we are on the verge of electing in a Conservative Prime Minister who is the only Prime Minister is history to found in contempt. Once for failing to reveal the cost of a number of initiatives and secondly, when an aide to Prime Minister Stephan Harper was caught using his contacts to lobby for contracts. Voters should remember, in 2004, the breakthrough Kelowna Accord was introduced by the Liberals; that included 5 billion dollars to bring Canada’s First Nations programs and services up to par with the rest of Canada, was crushed under Harper and the Conservatives as soon as they got in. The Liberals are promising the same this election, whereas Harper only mention of the north is to complete the Dempster Highway. APTN journalism is credited for bringing about this most recent election by exposing the Bruce Carson story. Carson was one of PM Stephan Harper’s closest advisors and was working on securing contracts between Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and a water company his 22 year old fiancé had shares in. This deal would have made her millions.

Despite everything, “Conservative Leader Stephan Harper currently enjoys a lead among decided voters, ahead of the Liberals, and NDP”[17]. Assembly of First Nations National Chief of Canada, Shawn Atleo has voiced his concerns, “Education is a second critical component of our agenda. Every year, funding for our students is subject to cutbacks and realignment. On average, a child going to school on a reserve is funded at $2,000 less per year than students in public schools. In some regions this inequity climbs to over $7,000 less per child. This is fundamentally unfair and unacceptable. If we abandon another generation to poverty and despair we will only serve to increase social costs and lost potential”[18]. Feedback in the comments section has people saying Atleo should start his own political party, is this reasonable? In Manitoba, First Nations do not go out and vote for our own candidate’s here in Winnipeg; when we had Kevin Chief and Shaneen Robinson running for city positions, the Aboriginal turnout was minimal. Better relations and change of attitude from both First Nations and non First Nations is required.

“Northern First Nations leaders are demanding an inquiry into health services because they claim no mention was made about Aboriginal health issues in Tuesday's Manitoba budget. ‘The budget is a total disregard for northern Manitoba,’ Manitoba Keewatinowi Okamakanak Grand Chief David Harper said today. ‘The province is responsible for primary health care for all of Manitoba including First Nations. The province receives federal transfer payments for all Manitobans. We are not happy with the current state. ‘Harper said Aboriginal people are dying or being misdiagnosed by overworked and under supported nurses in northern aboriginal communities. The New Democratic Party government's budget calls for a 5.1 per cent increase — $262 million — in annual health spending for a total of $5 billion”[19].

A failure in the economic sector of Manitoba comes from provincial MP, Winnipeg South Conservative Rod Bruinooge, “who had nothing to say when Harper’s Conservatives failed to match Manitoba’s 3.5 million dollar commitment to host the inaugural 2012 World Indigenous Games here in Winnipeg, thus cancelling the event which would have generated an estimated 50 million dollars to the local economy.  A consensus feeling is that Bruinooge may have been intimidated by Harper to speak up for the city and Aboriginal youth here in Manitoba, whose agenda seems to be on jets and jails. The games would have been a much needed positive example for youth, and highlighted aboriginal sport and culture in a city plagued by social problems”[20]. Overall, the Progressive Conservatives contradict themselves when they did not support Manitoba’s commitment to host the World Indigenous Games when they say they support business development, free enterprise and economic development. Those 3.5 million dollars would have been a good investment generating 50 million dollars in the local economy. It will be interesting to see if a reason for this decision will follow through in better water and plumbing in northern communities. First Nations need to take it upon themselves to get more training in running the administration of these services when they do come to certainty. “If First Nations had a share in natural resources like logging, mining, fishing, gas, oil, all these natural resources, the current affairs of First Nations would be equal among other Canadians.  This is why the Natural Resources Transfer Act (NRTA) is critical to be renegotiated. The federal government breached treaty by transferring the land to provinces before they settled all treaty issues that include Treaty Land Entitlement. In today’s terms the words, consultation and accommodation would challenge the spirit and intent of the NRTA. First Nations were not consulted and their land entitlement was not honored therefore the land transfers between the federal government and provincial government is almost certainly illegal, that is the reason First Nations and the three prairie provinces are currently undergoing comprehensive research in their preparation to challenge the legal status of the NRTA. That concept of addressing NRTA to include First Nations would address nationhood of First Nations. Some leaders still believe that treaties are about natural resources and that they could benefit from all natural resources to seek their livelihood and their form of self government. The current funding arrangements for programs and services to First Nations is not a treaty right as all Canadians are entitled to health education and welfare, not only treaty First Nations. To understand the concept of nationhood, it is required to understand the federal state of Canada which has an obligation to share resources with the provinces but because of the treaties it is also required to share with First Nations”[21].

Not all Canadians are influenced by negative headlines, in the APTN comments one reader wrote, “History is full of mistakes and consequences. It is also full of great stories. Let's help the First Nation's people find a way to turn this into a great story. They can teach us important lessons if we are willing to learn. For example, the “white man’s” culture has been damaging and destructing the earth at an alarming pace since the Industrial Revolution. If we could change our perspective maybe we could learn some important lessons from the First Nation's culture on how to have a better relationship with our shared planet. New Canadians should be required to take a part in the understanding and evolution of this story. It is time for us to stop focusing on the unfortunate negative stereotypes and damage done to this culture”[22]. Only Jack Layton briefly addressed First Nations concerns in an electoral debate leading up to the current elections. Harper spoke of completing the Dempster highway in his plans for northern Canada.

It is up to our own Aboriginal scholars, journalists, and politicians to educate and communicate to the mainstream public in a fair and equitable manner. History has not been good to First Nations. The public opinion of First Nations is still negative and views them as a nation of grievance. “It is up to Chiefs to stabilize First Nation’s governance with common day elections like other provincial and federal elections. Only First Nations have scattered elections”[23]. “The basic problem for good governance at the reserve level is the nature of elections; chief and council are always in election mode. They cannot make major decisions because the terms are too short”[24]. First Nations youth need to take in upon themselves to obtain and complete training to be capable to contribute. Addressing these issues will help First Nations pull themselves out of this lateral violence which is creating disarray, to be taken more seriously by the Canadian government and public, and move forward to our own vision of nationhood. In conclusion, for First Nations to achieve good self government, we need a share in land and natural resources, to utilize human, economical, and technological resources. Have capable leadership and administration capacity, be legally recognized and get adequate financial funding from the federal government.

---

[1] Canadian Encyclopedia, website.

[2] D. Meeches, Red River College, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 10 April 2011.

[3] Canadian Encyclopedia, website.

[4] Truth and Reconciliation Commission, discussions, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2010.

[5] M. J. McCallum, Red River College, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2011.

[6] First Nations Nurse, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2011.

[7] H. Bone, former Chief of Keeseekoowenin First Nation, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2011.

[8] Business Owner, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2011.

[9]  News, < www.APTN.ca>, (April, 2011).

[10] APTN News, (April, 2011).

[11] M.J. McCallum, [12] APTN News, (April, 2011).

[13] H. Bone, former Chief of Keeseekoowenin First Nation, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2011.

[14] D. Beaudin, Red River College, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2011.

[15] Professor, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2011.

[16] APTN News, 2011.

[17] Winnipeg Sun, April, 2011.

[18] APTN News,2011.

[19] Winnipeg Sun, April, 2011.

[20] Facebook Post, J. Sinclair, April, 2011.

[21] H. Bone, former Chief of Keeseekoowenin First Nation, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2011.

[22] Comments section, APTN News, April, 2011.

[23] D. Meeches, Red River College, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 10 April 2011.

[24] H. Bone, former Chief of Keeseekoowenin First Nation, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2011.

Economic Development in Winnipeg Essay. (U of W rough copy)

To understand the current state of the economy, one should take into account the capitalist effect on the world. Globalization has made trade easy, and changes in technology have eliminated many jobs that once supported a family. In Winnipeg, downtown is empty after  six pm. Selkirk Avenue used to be a nice area in the 1960’s, today First Nations have a culture of dependency that everyone can see, which is why non-profit organizations, pharmacies, and money marts now occupy the north end. First Nations people need develop the skills and capacity to pull themselves out of the many social ills plaguing them. Downtown is slowly revitalizing with the University of Winnipeg, MTS Center, and new developments leading the way.

Today, “most of the world’s economic activity is organized in a capitalist fashion: based on the profit motive.” Some impoverished neighbourhoods or communities with many social ills such as a high unemployment rate, could benefit from becoming a manufacturing outlet to something like the federal army, making clothes or shoes. However, everything seems to be made in Mexico and China. This is known as, “globalization, the drive to expand that is intrinsic to capitalism. Trade between nations, and investment and flows of money across national borders, have increased dramatically. Companies are choosing to locate wherever they are most likely to be able to maximize profits, usually where government regulations are weakest and wages are lowest. This trend has been accelerated by an international trade agreement by the Nort American Free Trade Agreement(NAFTA), reduces the capacity of elected governments to regulate the profit seeking activities"

“By the mid 1970s, the impact of computers, in both factories and offices- has often resulted in massive job losses.  These jobs have relocated elsewhere or have been eliminated by technology, only to be replaced by low-wage and often part time work in the service sector”. “Some have argued that development has become the new colonialism. Disadvantaged groups, in northern countries have been the target of development strategies.” Enter alternative development frameworks, adult education has had a lot of success for First Nations where other institutions have failed. Community Economic development focuses on, “capacity building, building upon existing local resources, including people, to generate broadly based economic and social well-being.Without government support, the capacity of CED to effect significant change is limited: in an economy that is capitalist-dominated, the result is that poverty inevitable grows".

“In Winnipeg, a rush to the suburbs in the 1970s gutted the inner city and crippled downtown retail. Heritage buildings that would be hot commodities elsewhere have sat unoccupied for years. Mr. Katz hopes to bring about at least 3,000 people into the downtown core over the next few years. It may not sound like a lot, but it requires a change of mindset as well as changing laws. According to Mr. Katz, this bylaw prevented the building of mixed-use developments, like the condos that have become ubiquitous in other city centres.“You go to any other major downtown, Chicago, Boston, you will see retail on the main floors and then mixed-use residential above.” We want to have a situation where you don’t have a massive population downtown between nine and five and then all of a sudden it’s six o’clock and it’s empty,” says Mayor Sam Katz. “But what people don’t realize is that you can’t correct the mistakes of the past in just a year or two.” Lloyd axeworthy, president of the University of Winnipeg, has been tapping into the city’s business community as part of his development of the school’s downtown real estate holdings. 

 “Before the arrival of Europeans to North America, First Nations people were able to survive and sustain their livelihood. This livelihood is equivalent of economic development. To sustain this livelihood, First Nations people worked as a team, they had their own leaders for different aspects of their tribes. There was one leader for war and defence, one for spirituality, one for medicine, one for law and order, all people had a role to maintain life and sustain livelihood. This was necessary for their well being and survival as people.

Traditionally First Nations did not establish permanent communities like there is today, mobility was one of the requirements to sustain livelihood. This meant following game like buffalo. They also had summer and winter temporary communities, in the winters there were closer to the forest and waters like lakes and rivers for fishing.

In Winnipeg forty years ago, Selkirk Avenue was a lively part of the city, because the people there were all working people. The message is simply if people earn for themselves they can make a good community, but if people are given handouts like welfare, they don’t have a sense of ownership and therefore the community suffers. The first thing you have to do is develop the people first. Restore their sense of pride and history.  On the reserve, they believe they are not good enough, they been poisoned with handouts. If someone has a broken window or door knob, they blame the band office. You have to kill the culture of dependency. Before treaties, people worked together.

In this period of traditional community development, it is the people that will make it happen. First Nations believe for any community development, and any community economic development, it is the spirit of the people and the capacity of their skills to achieve their way of life. It is this vision of people development to be the base for community development, leading to any community economic development. If the people are neither are willing nor have the capacity skills, community development or economic development is not possible. One can have all the structures, policies, laws, organizations, money, technology, and still it is not possible if people are not able to implement these visions.

In urban Winnipeg, First Nations must be able and willing to participate and feel a sense of purpose and ownership that community development will be possible. It doesn’t matter how many good consultants, and how much money is put into the community, if people are not part of the process this is not possible. Community development is fundamentally to help people to help themselves”.

The Health of Lake Winnipeg

I watched a video about the health of Lake Winnipeg on cbc.ca recently because I was wondering about the causes in the rise of phospherous levels. According to the documentary, the hydro damns are the reason for the rise in the levels of algea blooms, not solely run-off from the hog farms as it seemed to be portrayed in the media. Lake Winnipegs water level flucuates in the spring naterally, which has a big effect on the lake through the marshs. The marshs act as the kidneys to the lake, and with the damn stabalizing the water levels, the plant life in them are not germanating in the spring. This also affects the wildlife, they ducks have left the marshs since the damns were built in the 70s. The damns also keep the algea blooms locked into the lake and not releasing them down the river stream and into the Arctic Ocean. Lake Winnipeg is reported to be at levels Lake Erie was at when it was declared a dead lake. The fish population is expected to crash soon, as the lake dies from the bottom up. This viseo is available to view on cbc's website.
I read in the paper yesterday(WPG SUNeditorial), a Manitoba Hydro employee defending his employer saying that MB Hydro does not control the damns, specifically Fairford Damn.

Old Poem

Growing up my parents gave me everything, and encouraged me to pursue my dreams.

I saw the world, played in all leagues on some of the best teams.

I was a spoiled kid; there was no limit to the things for me that they did.

But they hid the trauma of residential schools, and how they had been affected

 To succeed, they gave me all the tools, the wrongs of their past, corrected

For years others I have protected, my own happiness I neglected.

I made my own living, determined to succeed, I was driven

I was going to be a champion and the soul of a warrior, knew no give in,

But my career was cut short, body and mind hard ridden

Now in my own life, I still can’t get things right,

I want to come home to a wife, I don’t want to fight.

I want a girl that is all mine, although it feels like I’m chasing a dream I will never find.

I feel like I am not good enough, I never knew life after hockey would be so tough.

Problems arise, I just force a smile and say things are ok, head out the door and get on with the day.

Where am I going, I have no direction.

I thought things would be different, we had a good connection.

She better not play any fucken games,

I will fuck right off, she'll be another failed relationship memory, lost in a list of names.

Thinking I can’t wait till this schooling is done, and give my career one more run.

I can live alone; I don’t want to resort to fighting with her and bring pain.

I need to figure things out; this isn’t what I dreamed my life would be about.

I feel like a prisoner, trying to break a cycle,

Trying to move forward, and not feel like a fucken psycho.

Conservative gov't cut $127 million from FN reserve housing since '08

APTN National NewsOTTAWA–The Conservative government has cut $127 million from First Nations reserve housing since 2008, the Liberals charged in the House of Commons Tuesday.
Toronto Liberal MP and Aboriginal affairs critic Carolyn Bennett said the latest government numbers show that money invested for First Nations reserve housing is hundreds of millions of dollars below 2008 levels.
“How can the minister defend that yesterday’s budget cuts funding to Aboriginal housing by $127 million below budget 2008, before the(Economic Action Plan),” said Bennett, referring to the government’s stimulus program. “Where is the concerted action?”
Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan appeared to have been caught off guard by the question and had no specific response.
“Our government is building on its impressive record in major investments and unprecedented collaboration with Aboriginals to increase educational outcomes for First Nations children and to address priority areas such as water and waste water infrastructure,” said Duncan.
Former Liberal leader and Quebec Liberal MP Stephane Dion then discarded his planned question and pounced on Duncan, demanding an answer.
“Could the minister respond to the question?” said Dion.
Duncan simply repeated some of the highlights in the budget, including funding to help First Nations bands manage reserve lands, deal with the division of on-reserve assets following divorces or deaths, and investments to complete the last leg of the Dempster Highway in the Northwest Territories.
“It got good reviews from the national Aboriginal leaders and that’s good for Canadians,” said Duncan.
Duncan’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comments on the Liberal’s claim.
Bennett said in a separate interview that the cut is based on Public Accounts numbers from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation for spending on-reserve housing.
The numbers showed that CMHC spent $282.325 million in 2008-2009, and $156.340 million in 2011-2012.
Bennett said the spending may have gone up during the government’s Economic Action Plan stimulus spending, but the latest numbers show that on-reserve housing has been hit with a cut.
She said it was surprising Duncan couldn’t respond to the claim.
“He has to defend what he thinks is more important than housing on-reserve and why money got stolen from there and moved somewhere else,” said Bennett. “I hope they understand that we are serious and if he can explain it, great.”