January 2018
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W8BANAKI PILASKW ODANAK ABENAKI NEWSPAPER VOLUME 12 - NUMBER 1 JANUARY 2018 THE NDAKINNA OFFICE RECEIVES 2017 RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS AWARD The Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse announces the recipients of the Award dedicated to the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Word from the Chief Kwaï fellow band members, It is with gratitude that I undertake a new term in office representing and leading our community as your Chief. Each term brings new learning and each election gives me a chance to review my role as ambassador, ad - vocate and speaker for our band. Although there are many issues to be addressed in our reconciliation process, we need to name and deal with them as they present themselves. On a first and current order; talks and ne - gotiations with the state to move forward in a long overdue file were a priority in this last year. The fight initiated by our women in 1967, to resolve their exclusions brought about by gender inequalities in the Indian act has finally seen some progress. By the time you read this newspaper yet another step will have been franchised. Our women will finally have acquired some equality in eyes of the state. What comes next is to create a working Geneviève Treyvaud, Yvon Poirier, Suzie O’Bomsawin, David Bernard and Hugo Mailhot-Couture. solution to ensure that our members have im - partial access to services and resources allotted under the act. There is no doubt that The 2017 Rights and Free- The jury members are Vi - W8banakiak people until we know what financial adjustment the doms Award have been pre - viane Michel, President of Que - throughout the territorial government has planned, we must tread lightly sented to eight initiatives that bec Native Women, Béatrice planning process. in the fiscal component of this process. have promoted the recogni - Vaugrante, Executive Director Another order of business will be for us to tion and respect of Indigenous of Amnistie internationale • The Atikamekw Nehirow- look at our membership code and revisit it`s peoples rights throughout Canada francophone, Ghislain isiw Declaration of Sover- structure. Considering that this code was es - Québec, announced today the Picard, Chief of the Assembly eignty seeks to raise tablished to do just what this amendment to Commission des droits de la of First Nations of Quebec and awareness of and ensure the the act addresses it is important that we personne et des droits de la je - Labrador, and Alexandre recognition of Atikamekw make amendments to ensure the survival of unesse. Bacon, cofounder of Cercle Nehirowisiw ancestral rights our People`s culture and customs be addressed The Commission has cho - KISIS. within the general population also. Please participate in this process by at - sen the theme of Indigenous The Award has been pre - of Québec and Canada. This tending general assemblies to ensure your rights to mark the 10th an - sented during a ceremony held declaration has helped to em - voice and thoughts be heard. niversary of the United Na - on December 10 that was phasize Atikamekw presence What we can do at this time is work on the tions Declaration on the streamed live on the Commis - on the territory during tradi - social component of this fight. Welcoming Rights of Indigenous Peoples. sion's YouTube channel. The tional activities and has fos - into our circle the members who have suffered “We congratulate the eight recipients are the following : tered a new respect from this exclusion is our first order of business recipients for their exceptional non-Indigenous users. and within our shared power. If you are a cit - contribution to the recognition • The Ndakinna Office of the izen of our band and you fall under the mem - and advancement of Indige - Grand Conseil de la Nation • The Centre des Premières bers who have been reinstated, I welcome nous rights among their com - Waban-Aki documents tradi - Nations Nikanite de l'Univer- you to take part in community activities ini - munities, their Nations and tional uses and occupation sité du Québec à Chicoutimi tiated by our Family center, Health center, throughout Québec”, has de - of the Ndakinna territory by provides Indigenous UQAC Language class, Grand Council, Environment clared Camil Picard, Acting the W8banakiak people students a welcoming place services and Museum. Keep abreast of the President of the Commission. (Abenakis) in order to ensure that offers the guidance and activities that will help heal and fill the void “These recipients have been se - protection for their ancestral educational support they brought about by the many years that separated lected by an outstanding jury rights. The Office's consulta - need to foster their academic our women`s children from their rightful her - because of their great involve - tions have help build con - success, in keeping with their itage. With this I would like to welcome you! ment. I want to take this oppor - structive dialogue between culture. The Nikanite Centre tunity to thank the jury for promoters, organizations also educates the academic In peace and friendship, contributing to the success of and government ministries community and the general the 2017 Rights and Freedoms in favour of Nation members public about Indigenous real - Chief Rick O'Bomsawin Award” . and to be the voice of the ities and cultures. - CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 - 2 Word from Councilors tioned here was handed over by faint-hearted abstained. Children, the Abenaki people to the French meanwhile, were introduced to in 1699. The first analyzes showed boning and had a lot of fun. They that the beads are connected to were allowed to keep their skull one another using animal and plant and bring it home. Thanks to tendons and that the dye used was Christopher, Luc and Samuel for actually made of cranberry ex - this wonderful day! tract. We also observed the metic - ulous and very precise work of our predecessors. I even briefly had FLORENCE BENEDICT the privilege of touching this Councilor wampum made by our ancestors and I was quite moved. The infor - mation gathered will allow us to Kwaï, compare past and current tech - Commemoration. niques and will eventually be used Because the Île Ronde activity for educational purposes. was cancelled due to low partici - ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclero - pation, we decided to organize a sis). The Fall Pow Wow organizers corn roast with about forty partic - were proud to have donated nearly ipants. People had the opportunity $ 750 to the foundation. Nearly a hundred people marched through - to participate in several activities Workshop on deboning skulls. such as a rabaska ride on the St- out the day! For the occasion, an François River and a treasure hunt. “Abenaki canteen” was available They could also participate in for those present. Bannock, smoked fish and sagamité were I would like to acknowledge the Phillipe O'Bomsawin's fish smok - award presented by the SPVM to ing activity and take part in a fish - available at minimal cost. Thank you Eric G.Nolett, Johanne and the Ms. Mylène Trudeau, police offi - ing contest led by Christopher cer-investigator for the Abenaki Coughlin. We ended the day with a beautiful Charlotte for this great Wampum initiative. Dancers, drummers and Police Force, for her high-level and pot-luck dinner and an Abenaki quality work in investigating alle - bingo hosted by June Palmer. A big singers performed and the event was a great success. gations of a sexual nature against thank you to all the organizers of women in various Aboriginal com - this beautiful day: Caroline Cardin, munities in Abitibi aimed at Sécu - Nathalie Cardin, Raymonde Nolett, rité du Québec officers. Luc G.Nolett, Christopher Cough - Congratulations Mylène! lin, David Plante and Mathieu Laforce. Fall Pow Wow From November 11th to the With my colleague and friend, 19th, I traveled to France to repre - Mr. Stéphane Picard sent the Abenaki Nation, replacing Mathieu O'Bomsawin who unfor - tunately had other commitments. A fishing activity organized by The purpose of this trip was to as - the Environment and Land Office Rabaska ride sist in the research and the unveil - was held at the community centre ing of the first results of the on December 9th. For the occa - “WAMPUM” belt analyzes per - sion, a huge pool filled with trout On October 4th, a march was or - was set up on site. Both young and Award presented by the SPVM to ganized by Quebec Native Women formed using 3D techniques. This Ms. Mylène Trudeau wampum is considered one of the old were able to fish and keep their (QNW) across Canada to support catch. the murdered and missing women many Chartres treasures and is campaign. In Odanak, about 20 treated as such by the Monuments Historiques de France with all the I could not finish this article people, armed with their umbrel - without noting my re-election as las, walked about one kilometre in conventional security measures. This research was conducted councillor for the next two years a heavy downpour to the monu - on the Abenakis of Odanak Coun - ment commemorating the Roger's jointly by the University of Rennes in France and Laval University in cil. I want to thank everyone who Raid in 1759, erected on the contributed! I am very proud to church site. This commemoration Quebec City. I travelled with my colleague and friend, Mr. Stéphane represent you for a second term. is intended to celebrate not the Hoping you had a happy holiday losses that were incurred at that Picard, representative of the Huron-Wendat Nation, who was season. I wish you joy, happiness time, but our Nation's ongoing and health in 2018.