Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach
Annual Report 2009-10
1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 1 2 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 Message | From the Chief
On behalf of Council, I am pleased to present the Annual Report for the 2009-10 fiscal year. Through the collective efforts of Council and many individuals and organizations, we accomplished a great deal in the fiscal year under review. Some of the highlights include: • the signing of the Naskapi-Québec Partnership Agreement; • the expansion of cellular telephone service by Lynx Mobility Inc.; • the continuation of the exercise programme at the Recreation Facility to combat the increasing incidence of diabetes among our members; and • the Healing Canoe Journey and the Uashat Youth Gathering.
Despite our successes and accomplishments, there are challenges that we continue to face: • the payment of rent for housing. Although there are tenants who are up-to-date with their rent payments, many have arrears. This means that Council is essentially subsidizing those tenants who have arrears rather than paying for further housing maintenance and additional house construction. All tenants, including persons living with them, are strongly encouraged to pay rent, including arrears, on a regular basis; and • vandalism to houses and public buildings. A reduction in vandalism will reduce repair costs, and the savings could then be applied to house maintenance and construction or to other community priorities.
Council appeals to all community members to join together and meet these and the other challenges facing our community. We would also like to express our appreciation to everyone who helps to build and enrich our community through their active involvement in boards and committees, and to those individuals who volunteer their time to help implement community initiatives, especially those that benefit our Elders and youths. In closing, I extend condolences on behalf of Council and all Naskapis to those families who have lost loved ones over the past year – we share your loss and our prayers are with you. I offer also congratulations to families who have had the joy of a newborn child – may her or his future be bright!
In peace and friendship, Chief Louis Einish
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 3 4 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 Table of Contents
Message from the Chief 3 List of Contributors 13 List of Acronyms 15 List of Tables 19
CHAPTER One The Community 23 1.1 Demographics 23
CHAPTER Two Organizational Chart 25
CHAPTER Three Governance 27 3.1 Chief and Council 27 3.1.1 Mandates 27 3.1.2 Representation on External Bodies 28 3.1.3 Council Meetings 28 3.1.4 Other Duties 30 3.2 By-laws 30 3.3 Electors! Meetings and Referenda 31 3.4 Elders! Advisory Council 32 3.5 Emergency Preparedness Committee 32
CHAPTER Four Personnel 33 4.1 Office Employees 33 4.2 Municipal Employees 34 4.3 Other Employees 38 4.3.1 Special Projects Employees 38 4.3.2 Student Summer Employees 38 4.4 Personnel Policies 40 4.5 Salaries and Benefits 40 4.6 Personnel Committee 41 4.7 Professional and Institutional Development Initiative 41 4.8 First-aid/CPR Training 41
CHAPTER Five Volunteers 43 5.1 Volunteer Fire Department 43 5.1.1 Mandate 43 5.1.2 Volunteers 43 5.1.3 Rescue Tools 44
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 5 5.1.4 Training 44 5.1.5 Report on Fires 44
CHAPTER Six Infrastructure 45 6.1 NNK Office 45 6.2 Public Buildings 45 6.3 Heavy Equipment and Vehicles 46 6.4 Housing 47 6.4.1 Stock and Ownership 47 6.4.2 Loans 47 6.4.3 Construction 49 6.4.4 Rent 49 6.4.5 Allocation 50 6.4.6 Maintenance 51 6.4.7 New CLSC Personnel Residence 51 6.4.8 Environmental Site Assessment 51 6.4.9 CMHC Housing Initiative Internship 52
CHAPTER Seven Advisors 53 7.1 Principal Advisors 53 7.1.1 Andrew Kozina, architecte; Emond, Kozina, Mulvey, architectes; ékm architecture 53 7.1.2 Atmacinta Inc. 54 7.1.3 Bruser & Associates Inc. 55 7.1.4 Dixie Lee Mitchell, Solution Path 55 7.1.5 Hartel Financial Management Corporation 56 7.1.6 Kenneth Hilt & Associates Ltd 56 7.1.7 Paul F Wilkinson & Associates Inc. 57 7.1.8 Robert A Pratt 57 7.2 Unanticipated Funding 58
CHAPTER Eight Finances 59 8.1 Banking and Financial Administration 59 8.1.1 Fiscal Year 59 8.1.2 Banking 59 8.1.3 Revenue 59 8.1.4 Controlling Expenditures 60 8.1.5 Reporting 60 8.1.6 Borrowing 60 8.1.7 Auditing 61 8.1.8 O&M Funding 62 8.1.9 Capital Funding 62 8.2 Capital Projects 63
6 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 8.3 Class Action to Recover Fuel Tax 64
CHAPTER Nine Subsidiaries and Related Entities 65 9.1 Naskapi Imuun Inc. 65 9.2 Lynx Mobility Inc. 67 9.3 Naskapi Miiywaayimuun Miichiwaahp 68 9.4 Naskapi Catering Inc. 69 9.5 Garage Naskapi Inc. 69 9.6 Kawawachikamach Energy Services Inc. 69 9.7 Tshiuetin Rail Transportation Inc. 69 9.8 LabMag Limited Partnership 70 9.9 Naskapi Caribou Meat Inc. 70 9.10 Naskapi Landholding Corporation 70 9.11 Naskapi Village of Kawawachikamach 70
CHAPTER Ten Regional Networking 71 10.1 NNK/NDC Relations 71 10.2 NNK/GoC Relations 72 10.3 NNK/GoQ Relations 72 10.3.1 Naskapi-Québec Partnership Agreement 72 10.3.2 Plan Nord 72 10.4 NNK/NIMLJ Relations 73 10.5 NNK/Inuit Relations 73 10.6 NNK/Cree Relations 74 10.7 Cree-Naskapi Commission 75 10.8 Conférence régionale des Élus de la Côte-Nord 75 10.9 Regional Commission on Natural Resources and Land 76 10.9.1 North Shore RCNRL 76 10.9.2 Kativik RCNRL 76 10.10 Pacte rural: Regional Selection Committee of Schefferville/ Kawawachikamach/Matimekush-Lac John 76 10.11 Rail Extension to Kuujjuaq 77 10.12 North Shore Regional Discussion Table on Off-road Vehicles 77 10.13 Land Claims Agreements Coalition 78 10.14 Canadian Business Ethics Research Network 78 10.15 Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources 79
CHAPTER Eleven Community and Economic Development 81 11.1 Outreach Officer 81 11.2 Training and Economic Development Officer 82 11.3 Community Economic Development Organization 82 11.3.1 Introduction 82 11.3.2 Composition 82
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 7 11.3.3 Projects 83 11.3.4 Financial Report 84 11.4 Naskapi Local Management Board 85 11.4.1 Introduction 85 11.4.2 Composition 85 11.4.3 Programmes 85 11.4.4 Financial Report 87 11.5 FNIYES – Summer Employment 88 11.6 Cost of Living 88 11.7 Fuel Distribution Partnership 89 11.8 Snowmobile Trail 90 11.9 Schefferville Dump 91 11.10 Cable TV Distribution 91 11.11 Air Transportation 92 11.12 Social Assistance Programme 92
CHAPTER Twelve Mining 93 12.1 Mining Exploration 93 12.1.1 New Millennium Capital Corp. 93 12.1.2 Labrador Iron Mines Limited 95 12.1.3 Adriana Resources Inc. 95 12.1.4 Champion Minerals Inc. 96 12.1.5 Quest Uranium Corporation 96 12.1.6 Areva Quebec 96 12.1.7 Virginia Gold Mines 96 12.1.8 Jasperine Project 96 12.1.9 Kawawachikamach Gold and Other Minerals Inventory Project 97 12.2 Nunavik Mineral Exploration Fund 97 12.3 Minerals Exploration Training Programme 97 12.4 Mining and Northern Development: Towards a Historical Political Ecology 98
CHAPTER Thirteen Concern for the Environment 99 13.1 Protected Areas 99 13.2 Blue Lake Clean-up 100 13.3 Tire-recycling 100 13.4 Paper- and Cardboard-recycling 101 13.5 Wolverine Workshop 101 13.6 Circumarctic Rangifer Monitoring and Assessment Network 102 13.7 Woodland Caribou Recovery 102 13.7.1 Québec Woodland Caribou Recovery Team 102 13.7.2 Canada Recovery Programme for Woodland Caribou 103
8 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 13.8 Institute for Environmental Monitoring and Research 103 13.9 Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Coordinating Committee 104 13.9.1 2010 Caribou Workshop 105 13.10 DSOP Elders! Committee 105 13.11 Lower Churchill Hydroelectric Project 106 13.12 Conservation Officer 106
CHAPTER Fourteen Education 107 14.1 Jimmy Sandy Memorial School 107 14.1.1 Introduction 107 14.1.2 Staff 107 14.1.3 Budget 108 14.1.4 School Calendar 109 14.1.5 Major Accomplishments and Events 110 14.1.6 Graduation 111 14.1.7 Naskapi Education Committee 111 14.1.8 Highlights 112 14.1.9 Concerns 112 14.1.10 Return (of sorts) 112 14.2 Science and Career Fairs 113 14.2.1 Kawawachikamach Career Fair 113 14.2.2 Kawawachikamach Science Fair and Provincial Aboriginal Science Fair 113 14.3 Sachidun ChildCare Centre 114 14.3.1 Introduction 114 14.3.2 Activities 114 14.3.3 Staff 115 14.3.4 Board of Directors 116
CHAPTER Fifteen Leisure and Recreation 117 15.1 Naskapi Recreation Facility 117 15.1.1 Staff 117 15.1.2 Swimming Pool and Exercise Area 118 15.1.3 Other Activities 118 15.1.4 Naskapi Recreation Committee 118 15.2 Naskapi Community Centre 120 15.2.1 Staff 120 15.2.2 Activities 121 15.3 After-School Programme 122 15.4 Summer Day Camp 122 15.5 Circus Camps 123 15.5.1 Summer Circus Camp 123 15.5.2 Winter Circus Camp 123
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 9 15.5.3 Science Camp 124 15.6 Winter Carnival 124 15.7 Sparks, Brownies, Girl Guides, Pathfinders, Boy Scouts and Wolf Cubs 125 15.7.1 Sparks, Brownies, Girl Guides and Pathfinders 125 15.7.2 Boy Scouts and Wolf Cubs 126 15.8 Regional Travel Fund for Sports Finals 126 15.9 Organizing Committee 126
CHAPTER Sixteen Caring and Sharing 127 16.1 Heritage Fund 127 16.2 Air Inuit Ltd – Christmas Hamper Programme 127 16.3 Naskapi Relief Services Inc. 129 16.4 National Child Benefit Reinvestment Strategies 129 16.5 St John!s Church 130 16.6 Feasts 131 16.7 Naskapi Rangers Programme 131 16.8 Iron Arm Road 133 16.9 Public Transportation 133 16.10 Salon des métiers d!arts du Québec 134
CHAPTER Seventeen Culture and Heritage 135 17.1 Aboriginal Languages Initiative 135 17.2 “Voices of the Caribou People” 135 17.3 Hunter Support Programme 136 17.3.1 Mandate 136 17.3.2 HSP Committee 136 17.3.3 Funding and Activities 136
CHAPTER Eighteen Health 139 18.1 Naskapi CLSC 139 18.1.1 Message from the President of the Board of Directors and the Executive Director 139 18.1.2 Board of Directors 141 18.1.3 Programmes and Services 141 18.2 Mental Health and Addictions 142 18.3 National Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy 145 18.3.1 Activities 145 18.3.2 Financial Report 145 18.4 Home and Community Care Programme 146 18.4.1 Objectives 146 18.4.2 Financial Report 146 18.5 Integration of Persons with Disabilities 147
10 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10
18.6 Maternal and Child Health Programme 147 18.6.1 Objectives 147 18.6.2 Financial Report 148 18.7 Prenatal Nutrition Programme 148 18.7.1 Objectives 148 18.7.2 Financial Report 148 18.8 Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative 150 18.8.1 Objectives 150 18.8.2 Financial Report 150 18.9 Mental Health Programme 150 18.9.1 Objectives 150 18.9.2 Financial Report 151 18.10 National Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programme 151 18.10.1 Objectives 151 18.10.2 Financial Report 152 18.11 Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder Programme 152 18.11.1 Objectives 152 18.11.2 Financial Report 153 18.12 Solvent Abuse Programme 153 18.12.1 Objectives 153 18.12.2 Financial Report 153 18.13 Family Violence Programme 154 18.13.1 Objectives 154 18.13.2 Financial Report 154 18.14 Brighter Futures Programme 155 18.14.1 Objectives 155 18.14.2 Activities 155 18.14.3 Financial Report 157 18.15 Québec en forme 158
CHAPTER Nineteen Justice 159 19.1 Naskapi Justice and Healing Committee 159 19.1.1 Mandate 159 19.1.2 Membership 159 19.1.3 NJHC Coordinator 160 19.1.4 Meetings 160 19.1.5 Clients Referred by the Itinerant Court 160 19.1.6 Training 161 19.1.7 Conclusion 161 19.2 Naskapi Police Force 161 19.2.1 Budget 161 19.2.2 Staff 161
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 11 19.2.3 Conferences and Training 163 19.2.4 Vehicles 163 19.2.5 Highlights 164 19.2.6 Community-based Policing 164 19.2.7 Safety- and Maintenance-related Issues 165 19.2.8 Statistics 165 19.2.9 Priorities 165 19.3 Police Committee 168 19.4 Kawawachikamach Crime Prevention Initiative 169 19.5 Correctional Services Caseworker 171
12 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 List of Contributors
B Élisabeth Benoît M John Mameamskum Chantal Boisvert Louise J Mameanskum Sabrina Bonfonti Myna Mameanskum Paul Mameanskum C Nathalie Charland Brigitte Masella Minnie Chemaganish Debra Minchau Theresa Chemaganish Jessica Mitchell Christopher Coggan P Balgovind Pande D Blanche D!Cunha James Pien Edith Dallaire Mireille Pilotte Amanda Di Maio Robert A Pratt Robert Prévost E Jimmy James Einish Jimmy Peter Einish R Paul Renzoni Noat Einish Lindsay Richardson
G Jacynthe Guimond S Lyne Saint-Louis Billy Shecanapish H Louis Harvey Edward Shecanapish Kenneth Hilt Robert Swappie
K Andy Kozina T Curtis Tootoosis
L Paul Labranche V Maria Vincelli Keith Leclaire W Paul F Wilkinson
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 13 14 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 List of Acronyms
A AA Alcoholics Anonymous ADI Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative AFNQL Assembly of First Nations of Québec and Labrador AGM Annual General Meeting AI Atmacinta Inc. AIL Air Inuit Limited AIP-NRG Agreement-in-Principle Concerning the Amalgamation of Certain Public Institutions and Creation of the Nunavik Regional Government
B BFP Brighter Futures Programme
C CARMA Circumarctic Rangifer Monitoring and Assessment CBERN Canadian Business Ethics Research Network CEDO Community Economic Development Organization Cegep Collège d!enseignement général et professionnel CESO Canadian Executive Service Organization CIBC Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce CIER Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources CLD Centre local de développement CLSC Local Community Service Centre CMHC Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation CMI Champion Minerals Inc. CNQA Cree-Naskapi (of Québec) Act CPR Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation CQSB Central Québec School Board CRA Cree Regional Authority CRÉ Conférence régionale des Élus de la Côte-Nord CRF Consolidated Revenue Fund CRF-Y Consolidated Revenue Fund - Youth
D D-G Director-General DEC Diplôme d!études collégiales DPW Department of Public Works DiPW Director of Public Works DSOP Direct-Shipping Ore Project
E EIF Employment Insurance Fund EPC Emergency Preparedness Committee
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 15 F FAS Fetal Alcohol Syndrome FASDP Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Programme FCNQ Fédération des coopératives du Nouveau-Québec FNIYES First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy FNQL First Nations of Québec and Labrador FVP Family Violence Programme
G GNI Garage Naskapi Inc. GNL Government of Newfoundland and Labrador GoC Government of Canada GoQ Government of Québec
H Hartel Hartel Financial Management Corporation HCCP Home and Community Care Programme HFTCC Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Coordinating Committee HRSDC Human Resources and Social Development Canada HSP Hunter Support Programme HSPA high-speed packet access
I IBA Impacts and Benefits Agreement IEMR Institute for Environmental Monitoring and Research Imuun Naskapi Imuun Inc. INAC Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
J JBNQA James Bay and Northern Québec Agreement JSMS Jimmy Sandy Memorial School JWC Joint Working Committee (under the AIP-NRG)
K KESI Kawawachikamach Energy Services Inc. KRG Kativik Regional Government
L LCAC Land Claims Agreements Coalition LIDC Labrador Inuit Development Corporation LIM Labrador Iron Mines Limited LIOP LabMag Iron Ore Project
M MCHP Maternal and Child Health Programme MDDEP Ministère du Développement durable, de l!Environnement et des Parcs MELS Ministère de l!Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport MHP Mental Health Programme MHW Mental Health Worker MoU Memorandum of Understanding
16 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 MRC Municipalité régionale de comté MRNF Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune MSSS Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux MTQ Ministère des Transports du Québec
N NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NCC Naskapi Community Centre NCI Naskapi Catering Inc. NCMI Naskapi Caribou Meat Inc. NCPC National Crime Prevention Centre NDC Naskapi Development Corporation NEC Naskapi Education Committee NEQA Northeastern Québec Agreement NHP Naskapi Housing Programme NIMLJ Nation Innu Matimekush-Lac John NJHC Naskapi Justice and Healing Committee NLC Naskapi Landholding Corporation NLMB Naskapi Local Management Board NMEF Nunavik Mineral Exploration Fund NML New Millennium Capital Corp. NMM Naskapi Miijwaayimuun Miichiwaahp NMSI Naskapi Management Services Inc. NNADAP National Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programme NNK Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach NPF Naskapi Police Force NQPA Naskapi-Québec Partnership Agreement NRF Naskapi Recreation Facility NRSI Naskapi Relief Services Inc. NVK Naskapi Village of Kawawachikamach
O O&M Operations and Maintenance
P PFWA Paul F Wilkinson & Associates Inc. PNP Prenatal Nutrition Programme
Q QPCS Québec Professional Correctional Services
R RAP Robert A Pratt RCNRL Regional Commission on Natural Resources and Land RDT Regional Discussion Table on Off-road Vehicles
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 17 S SAA Secrétariat aux affaires autochtones SAP Social Assistance Programme SCC Sachidun ChildCare Centre
T TEDO Training and Economic Development Officer TSH Tshiuetin Rail Transportation Inc.
U USB universal serial bus
V VdeS Ville de Schefferville VFD Volunteer Fire Department VOIP Voice Over Internet Protocol
Y YWEI Youth Work Experience Initiative
18 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 List of Tables
CHAPTER One The Community TABLE 1 Population Data for Naskapis Living in Kawawachikamach, 31 March 2010 24
CHAPTER Three Governance TABLE 2 Portfolios and Committees with Council Representation, Starting August 2009 27 TABLE 3 Council Meetings, 2009-10 29 TABLE 4 By-laws Adopted by Council, 2009-10 30 TABLE 5 EPC Membership, 2009-10 32
CHAPTER Four Personnel TABLE 6 Office Employees, 2009-10 33 TABLE 7 Municipal Employees, 2009-10 35 TABLE 8 Student Summer Employees, 2009-10 39
CHAPTER Five Volunteers TABLE 9 VFD Membership, 2009-10 43
CHAPTER Six Infrastructure TABLE 10 NNK-owned Buildings, 31 March 2010 45 TABLE 11 Heavy Equipment and Vehicles, 2009-10 46 TABLE 12 Housing Loans, 1983-2009 48 TABLE 13 Indebtedness to NHP, 1 April 1993 – 31 March 2010 49
CHAPTER Seven Advisors TABLE 14 Unanticipated Funding Raised by Advisors, 2009-10 58
CHAPTER Eight Finances TABLE 15 Principal Sources of Income, 2009-10 60 TABLE 16 Disbursements from Capital Budget, 2009-10 63
CHAPTER Eleven Community and Economic Development TABLE 17 CEDO Membership, 2009-10 83 TABLE 18 CEDO Income and Expenditures, 2009-10 84 TABLE 19 NLMB Membership, 2009-10 85 TABLE 20 NLMB Programmes, 2009-10 86 TABLE 21 NLMB Income, 2009-10 88
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 19 CHAPTER Fourteen Education TABLE 22 JSMS Budget, 2009-10 108 TABLE 23 NEC Membership, 2009-10 111 TABLE 24 SCC Staff, 2009-10 116 TABLE 25 SCC Board of Directors, 2009-10 116
CHAPTER Fifteen Leisure and Recreation TABLE 26 NRF Staff, 2009-10 117 TABLE 27 Recreation Committee Budget, 2009-10 120 TABLE 28 NCC Staff, 2009-10 121
CHAPTER Sixteen Caring and Sharing TABLE 29 Heritage Fund/Christmas Hamper Programme Budget, 2009-10 128 TABLE 30 NRSI Board of Directors, 2009-10 129 TABLE 31 Allocation of Funds under National Child Benefit Reinvestment Strategies, 2009-10 130
CHAPTER Seventeen Culture and Heritage TABLE 32 HSP Committee Membership, 2009-10 136
CHAPTER Eighteen Health TABLE 33 National Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy Budget and Expenditures, 2009-10 146 TABLE 34 HCCP Budget and Expenditures, 2009-10 147 TABLE 35 MCHP Budget and Expenditures, 2009-10 148 TABLE 36 PNP Budget and Expenditures, 2009-10 149 TABLE 37 ADI Budget and Expenditures, 2009-10 150 TABLE 38 MHP Budget and Expenditures, 2009-10 151 TABLE 39 NNADAP Budget and Expenditures, 2009-10 152 TABLE 40 FASDP Budget and Expenditures, 2009-10 153 TABLE 41 Solvent Abuse Programme Budget and Expenditures, 2009-10 154 TABLE 42 FVP Budget and Expenditures, 2009-10 155 TABLE 43 BFP Budget and Expenditures, 2009-10 157
CHAPTER Nineteen Justice TABLE 44 NJHC Membership, 2009-10 160 TABLE 45 NPF Staff, 2009-10 162 TABLE 46 Security Guards/Police Helpers, 2009-10 162 TABLE 47 NPF Vehicles, 2009-10 163 TABLE 48 Statistics on Police Interventions 166 TABLE 49 Number of Files Handled by Constables, 2009-10 168 TABLE 50 Police Committee Membership, 2009-10 168 TABLE 51 Naskapi Crime Prevention Board Membership, 2009-10 170
20 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10
In Peace and Friendship
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 21 22 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10
Chapter One | The Community
The Naskapi Band of Québec was created in 1984 by the Cree-Naskapi (of Québec) Act. It replaced the Naskapis de Schefferville Band, which had been created under the Indian Act by Order-in-Council in 1971. The Naskapi Band of Québec and the various Cree bands were the first self-governing bands in Canada. The change in name to Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach took effect on 1 May 1999.
1.1 | Demographics
The members of the NNK numbered 1,056 on 31 March 2009 and 1,111 on 31 March 2010. Of those, 816 lived on Category IA-N land on 31 March 2009 and 830 on 31 March 2010.
The Naskapi population was 458 in 1986. The compounded annual growth rate between 1986 and 2010 has been 3.76%. In comparison, the compounded annual rates of increase of the Québec and Canadian populations over the 1986-2006 period were 0.65% and 1.10% respectively. The high growth rate of the Naskapi population reflects not only the difference between births and deaths, but also the decision by some members of the NIMLJ to exercise their right to be enrolled as beneficiaries under the Northeastern Québec Agreement.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 23 Table 1 provides data on Naskapis living in Kawawachikamach. Population data for Naskapi beneficiaries are maintained in the Registry of Beneficiaries of the MSSS, under the supervision of Mme Chantal Boisvert.
In the years preceding their relocation to Schefferville, the Naskapis experienced many premature deaths as a result of their poor living conditions. Many persons who would have been Elders (let us say 65 years and older) in the 1970s and 1980s died prematurely. As recently as 1986, Naskapis aged 65 years and over constituted only 2.42% of the population. As of 31 March 2010, those age groups formed 5.90% of the population.
The doubling of the percentage of Elders in the years following the relocation to Kawawachikamach presumably reflects in part the improved infrastructure, facilities and services available there. Nevertheless, the population continues to be dominated by young persons: almost 60% of the population is less than 30 years of age.
TABLE 1 | Population Data for Naskapis Living in Kawawachikamach, 31 March 2010 ______
WOMEN MEN TOTAL
Age % Age % Age % Age Group Number Group Number Group Number Group
0-4 21 44.7 26 55.3 47 5.7 5-9 35 50.0 35 50.0 70 8.4 10-14 48 50.0 48 50.0 96 11.6 15-19 59 50.0 59 50.0 118 14.2
20-24 46 47.4 51 52.6 97 11.7 25-29 27 42.9 36 57.1 63 7.6 30-34 19 37.3 32 62.7 51 6.1 35-39 19 38.0 31 62.0 50 6.0
40-44 37 51.4 35 48.6 72 8.7 45-49 29 51.8 27 48.2 56 6.7 50-54 20 57.1 15 42.9 35 4.2 55-59 5 45.5 6 54.5 11 1.3
60-64 10 66.7 5 33.3 15 1.8 65-69 8 53.3 7 46.7 15 1.8 70-74 10 66.7 5 33.3 15 1.8 75+ 9 47.4 10 52.6 19 2.3
Total 402 48.4 428 51.6 830 100 ______
Source: Compiled from data from MSSS
24 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 Chapter Two | Organizational Chart
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 25 26 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10
Chapter Three | Governance
3.1 | Chief and Council
3.1.1 | Mandates
The NNK acts through its Council, which has the following major mandates under the CNQA: • be the local government on the Category IA-N land; • manage those lands and their natural resources; • regulate the use of buildings; • manage the NNK!s finances; • promote community development and charitable works; and • promote and preserve Naskapi culture, values and traditions.
2009 was an election year in Kawawachikamach and a new Chief and Council took office in August. In all, Council members held 10 portfolios and sat on four committees (Table 2).
TABLE 2 | Portfolios and Committees with Council Representation, Starting August 2009 ______Name Position Portfolio Committee Louis Einish Chief Intergovernmental -- Affairs; Health and Social Services Jimmy James Einish Deputy Chief Justice Police Committee Abraham Chemaganish Councillor Emergency Preparedness; Recreation Committee Recreation Mary Guanish Councillor Youth and Women!s Issues Education Committee Silas Nabinicaboo Councillor Economic Development; -- Training Isaac Pien Councillor Environment; Hunter Support Programme HSP Committee ______
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 27 As the CEDO and NLMB meetings are normally held at the same time as Council meetings, Council!s representative on those committees is a person who does not sit on Council, namely Mr Christopher Coggan.
Honoraria in 2009-10 for the Chief, Deputy Chief and Councillors were fixed at $791.89, $606.95 and $422.01 per week respectively. Councillors on leave-of-absence for longer than one month are not entitled to their honoraria. In the 2008-09 fiscal year, Council decided that Councillors who are employed will not forego their salary while attending Council meetings.
3.1.2 | Representation on External Bodies
The NNK was represented on external boards, committees and organizations, as follows: ______
Representative Entity Theresa Chemaganish FNQL Human Resources Development Commission; FNQL Economic Development Commission Annie Chescappio Quebec Native Women Inc. Christopher Coggan CLD de Caniapiscau; Naskapi Catering Trust Jimmy James Einish TSH (until August 2009); Naskapi Tshiuetin Trust; Naskapi LabMag Trust Louis Einish Starting August 2009: AFNQL; KRG; CRÉ; FNQL Health and Social Services Commission; JWC Philip Einish Naskapi LabMag Trust; Naskapi Cellular Trust; Naskapi Catering Trust; until August 2009: AFNQL; KRG; CRÉ; FNQL Health and Social Services Commission; JWC Richard Lodge Cree-Naskapi Pension Plan Committee John Mameamskum Cree-Naskapi Pension Plan Committee; HFTCC; IEMR; NEI; TSH; Naskapi LabMag Trust; Naskapi Tshiuetin Trust; Naskapi Cellular Trust; Naskapi Catering Trust; LabMag GP Inc.; LabMag Services Inc.; JWC starting August 2009 Paul Mameanskum JWC (until August 2009) Balgovind Pande Naskapi Cellular Trust James Pien TSH (starting August 2009) Robert A Pratt Naskapi Tshiuetin Trust; Naskapi LabMag Trust Paul Renzoni JWC ______
3.1.3 | Council Meetings
Council meets on an as-required basis. The Chief acts as Chairperson, and the General Advisor usually acts as the Secretary to Council meetings. The General Advisor also identifies in coordination with Council, advisors and concerned Naskapis, the items to be placed on the
28 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 agenda, coordinates the preparation of the backgrounders for the binder that is made available to each member of Council and ensures that resolutions are duly certified and distributed. The D-G, Mr John Mameamskum, makes copies of minutes available to the population during normal office hours, when requested to do so, and he is the custodian of the minute books.
Council met 13 times in the 2009-10 fiscal year. Table 3 lists the dates of meetings, attendance, the acting Secretary and the duration of each meeting. Council spent at least 81.95 hours in meetings, which lasted between 0.20 and 16.20 hours, the latter being spread over three days. In comparison, the total number of hours spent at Council meetings in the previous fiscal year was 103.15 hours. The Chief and Councillors must also prepare for and attend committee meetings related to their areas of responsibility, and most of them spend many hours working with individual Naskapis and responding to issues raised by special-interest groups.
TABLE 3 | Council Meetings, 2009-10 ______
Previous Meeting Chief Jimmy Paul Isaac Edward Ronald Acting Meeting Council Date Philip James Mameanskum Pien Shecanapish Tooma Secretary Duration Einish Einish (hours) 1 28 Apr 09 Present Present awp Present Present aw/op PR 0.25 2 20 May 09 Present Present awp Present Present aw/op PR 0.20 3 25 May 09 Present awp Present Present Present aw/op PR 11.75 4 28 Jul 09 Present Present Present Present Present awp PR .50 New Chief Jimmy Abraham Isaac Mary Silas Council Louis James Chemaganish Pien Guanish Nabinicaboo Einish Einish 5 24 Aug 09 Present Present Present Present Present Present PR 10.75 6 21 Sep 09 Present Present Present awp awp Present PR 9.50 7 6 Oct 09 Present Present Present Present Present Present PR 3.50 8 22 Oct 09 awp Present Present Present Present Present PR .25 9 29 Oct 09 Present Present Present Present Present Present PR 1.75 10 16 Nov 09 Present awp Present Present Present Present PR 13.75 11 8 Feb 10 Present Present Present Present Present awp PR 16.20 12 1 Mar 10 Present Present Present Present awp awp CC 4.25 13 28 Mar 10 Present Present Present awp Present awp PR 9.30 Total 81.95 Hours Key: awp Absent with permission of Council aw/op Absent without permission of Council CC Christopher Coggan PR Paul Renzoni ______Source: Compiled from minutes of Council meetings
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 29 3.1.4 | Other Duties
The Chief and Councillors act as directors of the following subsidiaries, which are described in Chapter Nine: • Garage Naskapi Inc., which owns and operates the gas bar in Kawawachikamach; • Naskapi Imuun Inc., a wholly-owned internet service provider and VOIP telephone company and an equal partner in Lynx Mobility Inc.; • Naskapi Caribou Meat Inc., a subsidiary created to manage the commercial harvesting of caribou; • Kawawachikamach Energy Services Inc., which operates and maintains the electricity infrastructure in the Schefferville area; and • Naskapi Miiywaayimuun Miichiwaahp, which operates the medical accommodation in Sept-Îles.
The Chief and Councillors also act as the Mayor and Councillors of the Naskapi Village of Kawawachikamach.
Since 1997, the Chief and Councillors have been appointed by the Electors to act as Directors of the Naskapi Landholding Corporation.
3.2 | By-laws
One way in which the NNK meets its legal obligations is by adopting by-laws and, where required by the CNQA, having them approved by the Electors. By-laws are posted in the NNK Office for the information of interested parties, and they are also available on the NNK website.
Twenty-five by-laws were adopted in the 2009-2010 fiscal year (Table 4).
TABLE 4 | By-Laws Adopted by Council, 2009-10 ______
No. Title Date
347 Authorizing a Temporary Increase of $200,000 in Short-Term Borrowing Under a Bank Operating Line of Credit Until 31 July, 2009 20 May 09 348 Being a By-law Respecting a Long-term Loan of $51,973 to be Repaid by the Secrétariat aux affaires autochtones and to be Applied Towards Additional Costs for the Construction of a Baseball Field in Kawawachikamach 25 May 09 349 Respecting a Loan not to Exceed $1,650,000 to Finance on a Long-term Basis Part of the Capital Costs to Construct the Nurses! Residence for the Naskapi CLSC 25 May 09 350 Respecting the Honoraria of Chief Philip Einish 28 July 09 351 Respecting the Honoraria of Councillor Jimmy James Einish 28 July 09
30 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 352 Respecting the Honoraria of Councillor Ronald Tooma 28 July 09 353 Respecting the Honoraria of Isaac Pien 28 July 09 354 Respecting the Honoraria of Edward Shecanapish 28 July 09 355 Respecting the Honoraria of Councillor Paul Mameanskum 28 July 09 356 Respecting the Honoraria of Chief Louis Einish 24 Aug 09 357 Respecting the Honoraria of Councillor Jimmy James Einish 24 Aug 09 358 Respecting the Honoraria of Councillor Silas Nabinicaboo 24 Aug 09 359 Respecting the Honoraria of Councillor Isaac Pien 24 Aug 09 360 Respecting the Honoraria of Councillor Mary Guanish 24 Aug 09 361 Respecting the Honoraria of Councillor Abraham Chemaganish 24 Aug 09 362 Respecting Short-Term Borrowing Under a Bank Operating Line of Credit for $700,000 for the Period 1 August, 2009, to 31 July, 2010 24 Aug 09 363 By-law Respecting a Long-Term Loan of $250,000 for Phase XXVII of the Naskapi Housing Program 8 Feb 10 364 Authorizing a Temporary Increase of $100,000 in Short-Term Borrowing under a Bank Operating Line of Credit until 31 July, 2010 8 Feb 10 365 Respecting the Honoraria of Chief Louis Einish 29 Mar 10 366 Respecting the Honoraria of Deputy Chief Jimmy James Einish 29 Mar 10 367 Respecting the Honoraria of Councillor Silas Nabinicaboo 29 Mar 10 368 Respecting the Honoraria of Councillor Isaac Pien 29 Mar 10 369 Respecting the Honoraria of Councillor Mary Guanish 29 Mar 10 370 Respecting the Honoraria of Councillor Abraham Chemaganish 29 Mar 10 371 Respecting the Annual User Charges Rate for the Fiscal Year 2010/2011 29 Mar 10
______
3.3 | Electors! Meetings and Referenda
Two Electors! meetings were held in the fiscal year under review: one on 26 May 2009 to present the O&M and capital budgets for 2009-10; and another on 23 September 2009 for the AGM, which addressed a number of issues, including the presentation of the audited financial statements and of the 2008-09 Annual Report.
In addition, two referenda were held, at which by-laws concerning long-term borrowing (By-laws 348, 349 and 363) were approved by the Electors on 8-11 June 2009 and 22-25 February 2010 respectively.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 31 3.4 | Elders! Advisory Council
In 2006, Council created the Elders! Advisory Council as a resource on matters relating to culture, land and traditional knowledge. It has an open structure, and its membership is decided by the Elders.
Elders receive $75 for each session that they attend, a session being defined as morning, afternoon or evening.
Throughout the fiscal year under review, the Elders! Advisory Council met several times to discuss a wide range of activities, including Electors! Meetings, mining issues, a potential rail link between Schefferville and Kuujjuaq and research projects, such as those of the CBERN.
3.5 | Emergency Preparedness Committee
In the event of an emergency situation, Mr John Mameamskum provides liaison services on behalf of the NNK, while the EPC members (Table 5) are on stand-by in case further assistance is needed. There were no emergencies in the fiscal year under review.
TABLE 5 | EPC Membership, 2009-10 ______
Name Affiliation John Mameamskum NNK Paul Mameanskum DPW Joe Peastitute DPW Samuel Pien NPF Timothy Pien KESI ______
32 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10
Chapter Four | Personnel
4.1 | Office Employees
The NNK Office employed 26 persons in the fiscal year under review, over 60% of whom were women (Table 6).
TABLE 6 | Office Employees, 2009-10 ______
Name Title Status John Mameamskum Director-General Permanent Louise J Mameanskum Assistant D-G and Payroll Officer Permanent Minnie Chemaganish SAP Administrator Permanent (replaced by Lucy Guanish-Chemaganish at end of fiscal year) Theresa Chemaganish Training/Economic Development Officer Permanent Caroline Einish NJHC Coordinator Permanent Jimmy Peter Einish Frontline Worker Permanent Noat Einish NNADAP Worker Permanent Sampson Einish Outreach Officer Permanent (resigned August 2009; replaced by Minnie Chemaganish) Jimmy Shecanapish Membership Clerk Permanent Maggie Swappie Accounts Payable Clerk Permanent Robert Swappie Housing Officer Permanent Melissa Peastitute Computer and Cellular Services Manager Permanent Barry Einish Computer and Cellular Services Technician Permanent Norman Chescappio Assistant Computer and Cellular Services Probation Technician George Guanish Translator Permanent Mary Mokoush Translator Permanent
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 33 Sabrina Bonfonti Youth Community Animator Contract Martha Joanne Einish Secretary-Receptionist Permanent Alma Guanish Secretary-Receptionist Replacement Stella Pien Secretary-Receptionist Replacement Vanessa Pien Filing Clerk Part-time Annie Nattawappio Cashier/Travel Coordinator* Permanent Joseph Shecanapish Cashier Clerk Part-time Martha Mameanskum Janitor Permanent Martha Sandy Gregoire Janitor Replacement Isaac Einish Editor, Tapachamoon Part-time
______Source: Louise J Mameanskum, Payroll Officer
* The NNK recently created the Cashier/Travel Coordinator position. Responsibilities include receiving and accounting for all cash, cheque and debit card payments for rent, internet and cellular services and making travel and accommodation reservations for travel by NNK employees and Chief and Council.
4.2 | Municipal Employees
From approximately 20 employees in winter, the DPW workforce can swell to over 100 in summer with the building of new houses and the maintenance of the existing housing stock and the NNK infrastructure.
There were roughly 100 Municipal Employees during the fiscal year under review, approximately 16% of whom were women (Table 7).
34 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 TABLE 7 | Municipal Employees, 2009-10 ______Name Title Status Paul Mameanskum Director of Public Works Permanent Naomi Sandy Secretary Permanent James Roderick Pien Site Supervisor Permanent Billy Shecanapish Water/Sewage Maintenance Permanent Aaron Einish Water/Sewage Maintenance Permanent David Sydney Swappie Water/Sewage Maintenance Permanent Patrick Pien Water/Sewage Maintenance Seasonal Nathan Uniam Water/Sewage Maintenance Seasonal Roger Nabinacaboo Welder/Mechanic Permanent Isaac Pien Garbage Truck Driver Permanent Michael Pien Garbage Truck Driver Permanent Gilles Corbeil Heavy Equipment Mechanic Permanent Eugene Bacon Heavy Equipment Operator Permanent Mark Sandy Heavy Equipment Operator Permanent Kevin Pardy Heavy Equipment Operator Seasonal Joseph Peastitute Heavy Equipment Operator Seasonal Donat Pinette Heavy Equipment Operator Seasonal Moses Sandy Heavy Equipment Operator, Garbage Truck Driver Seasonal George Swappie Heavy Equipment Operator, Garbage Truck Driver Seasonal Norma Mokoush Chescappio Janitor Part-time Anne Mokoush Einish Gas Attendant Permanent Angela Tooma Gas Attendant Part-time Judas Tooma Gas Attendant Part-time Lisa Marie Mameanskum Gas Attendant Replacement Kabimbetas Noah Mokoush Gas Attendant Replacement Willie Mameanskum Carpenter Permanent Moses Swappie Carpenter Permanent Michael Foster Specialized Carpenter Seasonal Emilien Girard Specialized Carpenter Seasonal Jacques Lamontagne Specialized Carpenter Seasonal Klaudell Lebreaux Specialized Carpenter Seasonal Manuel Tremblay Specialized Carpenter Seasonal Michael Vincent Specialized Carpenter Seasonal Daniel Boucher Team Leader, Carpenter Seasonal Jimmish Chescappio Team Leader, Carpenter Seasonal Michel Dominique Team Leader, Carpenter Seasonal Donald Pien Team Leader, Carpenter Seasonal Richard Shecanapish Team Leader, Carpenter Seasonal Dennis Chescappio Carpenter Seasonal Yvan Meloatam Carpenter Seasonal
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 35 Abraham Mokoush Carpenter Seasonal Elijah Einish Carpenter Seasonal George Einish Carpenter Seasonal Johnny Einish Carpenter Seasonal Paul Einish Carpenter Seasonal Pierre-Jacques Gabriel Carpenter Seasonal Joseph Paul Guanish Carpenter Seasonal Peter Guanish Carpenter Seasonal Jimmy D Shecanapish Carpenter Seasonal Joseph Tooma Carpenter Seasonal Michael Uniam Carpenter Seasonal Jeffery Shecanapish Carpenter, Plumber Seasonal Ryan Chescappio Carpenter-in-training Seasonal Vernon Coon-Come Carpenter-in-training Seasonal Philippe Dominique Carpenter-in-training Seasonal John Einish #52 Carpenter-in-training Seasonal Lazarus Nattawappio Carpenter-in-training Seasonal Patrick Nattawappio Carpenter-in-training Seasonal Isaac Swappie Carpenter-in-training Seasonal Tshiuetin Vachon Carpenter-in-training Seasonal Maxime Gabriel SAP Carpenter-in-training Seasonal Gaston Sirois Specialized Plumber Seasonal Michael Quiscappio Plumber Seasonal Adam Guanish Team Leader Seasonal Daniel Mokoush Plasterer Seasonal Sandy Swappie Plasterer/Painter Seasonal Jean-Guy Gauthier Snow Removal Worker Seasonal Luke Wesley Einish General Labourer Seasonal Jimmy Derek Gregoire General Labourer Seasonal Jesse Guanish General Labourer Seasonal Anne Jean Mameanskum General Labourer Seasonal Cynthia Sandy Mokoush General Labourer Seasonal Stephen Nabinacaboo General Labourer Seasonal Job Nattawappio General Labourer Seasonal Sandy Robert Pien General Labourer Seasonal Noat Shecanapish General Labourer Seasonal Joshua Tooma General Labourer Seasonal Maverick Vollant General Labourer Seasonal Gordon Dominique SAP General Labourer Seasonal Aben Mokoush SAP General Labourer Seasonal Lee Sandy SAP General Labourer Seasonal Travis Swappie SAP General Labourer Seasonal Steven Noah Mameanskum Snow Removal Worker Seasonal
36 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 Eric Dominique Arena Maintenance Worker Seasonal George Katsimokow Garbage Truck Helper, Arena Maintenance Worker Seasonal Louise Attie Mameanskum Service Truck Driver Seasonal George Shecanapish Service Truck Driver Seasonal Abraham Chemaganish Inventory Clerk Seasonal Sampson Chescappio Nightwatch Seasonal Nicolas Joseph Nightwatch Seasonal Lucien Joseph Mckenzie Nightwatch Seasonal Fernand Meloatam Nightwatch Seasonal John Uniam Nightwatch Seasonal John Ross Uniam Nightwatch Seasonal Edward Chemaganish SAP Painter Seasonal Elizabeth Chemaganish SAP Painter Seasonal Noat Chemaganish SAP Painter Seasonal Mark Einish SAP Painter Seasonal Shirley Ruth Einish SAP Painter Seasonal Elizabeth Mokoush SAP Painter Seasonal Mary Jane Pien SAP Painter Seasonal Genevieve Quiscappio SAP Painter Seasonal Jean-Rock Vollant SAP Painter Seasonal ______Source: Compiled from data provided by Louise J Mameanskum and Hartel
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 37 4.3 | Other Employees
4.3.1 | Special Projects Employees
Many Naskapis found seasonal employment on special projects during the fiscal year under review: ______
Blue Lake Clean-up NML Field Season Natalino André Dan-Elaire Ambroise Raphael André Noel André Marcelyn Gregoire Caroline Fontaine Alex Nabinacaboo Albert Fortin Guy Nabinacaboo Christian Gabriel Joseph Jimmy Peastitute Nelson Guanish Roger Pinette Jean-Philippe Laurent François Scott Marc-André Meloatam Daniel Shecanapish Jr Isabelle Mokoush Ned Tooma James Uniam Richard Sandy Community Clean-up Reginald Dominique Robert Gabriel Pien John André Jordan Mckenzie Peter Paul Mameanskum Chad Mokoush Burthy Therrien-Pinette Rita Nattawappio Kevin Pardy Gold and Other Minerals Inventory Jessica Pien Rodney Einish Joseph Paul Guanish Matthew Mameanskum ______Source: Compiled from data provided by Louise J Mameanskum and AI
4.3.2 | Student Summer Employees
Over the years, much effort has been made to create employment over the summer months for students under 30 years of age. The purpose of the jobs is not only to generate income for the students, but also to improve their employability and to expose them to the realities of the workplace.
In the fiscal year under review, 28 full-time jobs and four replacement positions were created for Naskapi students, divided more or less equally between the two sexes (Table 8). The total cost of their employment, close to $60,000, was covered by the NLMB, the NMEF, the Naskapi Summer Camp budget and the FNIYES (an INAC programme).
38 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 TABLE 8 | Student Summer Employees, 2009-10 ______
Name Position Sponsor Organization
Isabelle Shecanapish Summer Camp Coordinator NNK Yvon Bacon Summer Camp Assistant Coordinator NNK Louise Shecanapish Summer Camp Assistant Coordinator (replacement) NNK
George Sandy Chemaganish Summer Camp Counsellor NNK Pauline Einish Summer Camp Counsellor NNK Steve Einish Summer Camp Counsellor NNK
O!Neil Lizotte Summer Camp Counsellor NNK Michelle Losier Summer Camp Counsellor NNK John Mokoush Summer Camp Counsellor NNK
Donna Marie Sandy Summer Camp Counsellor NNK Alexandra Tooma Summer Camp Counsellor NNK John Chemaganish Summer Camp Counsellor (replacement) NNK
Darren Einish Summer Camp Counsellor (replacement) NNK Kayla Swappie Summer Camp Counsellor (replacement) NNK Michel Bacon Summer Camp Assistant Counsellor NNK
Susan Yonda Einish Summer Camp Assistant Counsellor NNK Joseph Mameanskum Summer Camp Assistant Counsellor NNK Trisha Marie Bacon Shecanapish Summer Camp Assistant Counsellor NNK
Jobena Petonoquot Art Coordinator NNK Katrina Einish NNK Office Assistant NNK Amanda Swappie NNK Office Assistant NNK
Ashley Guanish Assistant Games Room Attendant NNK Cory Mokoush DPW Administrative Assistant DPW Willie Joseph Swappie DPW Administrative Assistant DPW
Jordan Shecanapish Water Technician Assistant DPW Tony Derek Tooma Gas Bar Assistant DPW Isabel Chescappio Medical Accommodation Housekeeper NMM
Cicillia Quiscappio Medical Accommodation Housekeeper NMM Noah Jimmy Einish Operator/Lineman Assistant KESI Margaret Nabinacaboo Dining Car Assistant TSH
Allan Michael Guanish Junior Assistant Geologist NMEF Kabimbetas Noah Mokoush Junior Assistant Geologist NMEF ______
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 39
4.4 | Personnel Policies
Employee benefits, rights and responsibilities have been refined by the NNK over the years and incorporated into its personnel policies. There are separate policies for the Office Employees, the Municipal Employees and the NRF/NCC staff.
Prospective employees must agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of the applicable personnel policy as a condition of their hiring.
4.5 | Salaries and Benefits
Pay day is the Thursday following the week worked.
Rates of pay and benefits are determined by Council. Employees are paid either on an hourly basis or on the basis of a fixed salary. Advances on salary are not permitted.
The benefits enjoyed by permanent employees include: • between two and six weeks of paid vacation, determined by the number of years worked; • a pension plan; • group health insurance; • 14 designated holidays; • maternity/paternity leave, in accordance with Section 204.(1) of the Canada Labour Code; • up to five days of marriage leave; and • 15 days of sick leave with pay per year, of which five days may be classified as personal leave.
40 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 4.6 | Personnel Committee
The mandate of the Personnel Committee is to advise Council from time to time on questions relating to the hiring and firing of NNK employees.
It is is composed of the following: • two male and two female beneficiaries residing on Category IA-N land, who are elected; • the D-G, when Office Employees are discussed; • the DiPW, when Municipal Employees are discussed; and • the NRF/NCC Manager, when NRF/NCC staff are discussed.
The members in the fiscal year under review were: • Mark Einish • George Katsimoko • Ruby Nabinacaboo • Agnes Uniam-Einish, Chairperson.
The Personnel Committee met several times during the 2009-10 fiscal year to interview and to recommend candidates to Council for seasonal and, more rarely, full-time permanent positions.
4.7 | Professional and Institutional Development Initiative
The objective of the Professional and Institutional Development Initiative of INAC is to support the further development of competent, stable, legitimate and accountable First-Nation governments. In the fiscal year under review, the NNK obtained $17,736 from the Initiative, which enabled it to offset the cost of the following activities: • update the NNK Travel Policies and Procedures; • provide training to the NNK Cashier; • update the New Council Member Orientation Manual; • prepare the re-organization of the NNK Office and the DPW; and • provide ongoing support to administrative personnel.
4.8 | First-aid/CPR Training
Ms Jessica Mitchell held first-aid/CPR training for the employees of the Summer Day Camp, the SCC, the JSMS and LIM.
Each group consisted of a maximum of 18 participants. Those who successfully completed the training received a Red Cross certification card, which is valid for two years.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 41 The Healing Canoe Journey participants (see Section 19.4) also received similar training, but in a condensed form, which did not enable them to receive a certification card.
Ms Marina Losier and Ms Annie Vollant were re-certified as Red Cross Water Safety Instructors by Ms Jessica Mitchell in January 2010. This training is done every two years in order to ensure that instructors are up to date.
42 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10
Chapter Five | Volunteers
Many Naskapis volunteer their time for the community. Examples include the members of the SCC Board, the Youth Council, the Organizing Committee and Naskapi Relief Services Inc. These committees are described elsewhere in the Annual Report.
5.1 | Volunteer Fire Department
5.1.1 | Mandate
The VFD operates under the authority of Council and is responsible for providing fire suppression and rescue, fire prevention and public fire safety education.
5.1.2 | Volunteers
The VFD had 11 members and an advisor in the 2009-10 fiscal year (Table 9).
TABLE 9 | VFD Membership, 2009-10 ______
Title Name Fire Chief Moses Swappie (replaced Billy Shecanapish) Deputy Fire Chief Billy Shecanapish Team Captains Sandy Einish Mike Simard Firefighters Joe Peastitute Aaron Einish Jimmy Shecanapish Sandy Shecanapish David Swappie John Tooma Aben Mokoush
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 43 Advisor Keith Leclaire (as a fully trained firefighter with the Kahnawake Fire Department, he provides ongoing support to the VFD) ______
5.1.3 | Rescue Tools
The NNK, in collaboration with the VdeS, accessed funding in the 2009-10 fiscal year from the CRÉ de la Côte-Nord and the MRC de Caniapiscau to offset the cost of the purchase of and training in the use of the rescue tools commonly referred to as the “Jaws of Life”. The rescue tools enable the extrication of injured persons in the event of a car crash.
Their storage is shared with the Schefferville Fire Department, so that personnel from both departments are able to hone their skills in using the tools.
5.1.4 | Training
Fire Chief Moses Swappie attended a meeting of the Aboriginal Firefighters Association (of Québec) in February 2010 in Québec City. The objective of the meeting was to explore the feasibility of formally establishing the Association with a funding request to INAC.
Training on the use of the rescue tools was scheduled for September 2009, but it was cancelled because of the poor attendance. In March 2010, Fire Chief Moses Swappie and Deputy Fire Chief Billy Shecanapish received training from the Kahnawake Fire Brigade on the use of rescue tools. In turn, they provided limited training to the other members of the VFD.
The Fire Chief, Deputy Fire Chief and Team Captains held meetings from time to time discuss urgent matters. There were no other regular in-house training or practice sessions during the 2009-10 fiscal year.
5.1.5 | Report on Fires
A fire broke out in House #139 in the fiscal year under review. Repairs were undertaken by the DPW from the NNK!s O&M budget.
44 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10
Chapter Six | Infrastructure
6.1 | NNK Office
The NNK Office was built in 1986 and renovated in 2001-02. It replaced the band office that was relocated from the Matimekush reserve in 1983. The conference room overlooks lac Matemace and is used for meetings of Council and committees.
Most employees have their own office, the exceptions being those who work together as a team, such as the translators and Imuun!s personnel. Each employee has a networked computer with internet access.
6.2 | Public Buildings
Using its O&M budget, the NNK operates, maintains and insures the buildings that it owns (Table 10).
The NNK relies on the DPW to build and maintain its physical assets. The DPW also repairs and maintains infrastructure that is not owned by the NNK, such as the access road to Schefferville.
The DPW operates out of the Municipal Garage, which has been upgraded over the years to accommodate heavy equipment, vehicles, offices, the radio antennae, the TV satellite dish and the storage of construction material.
TABLE 10 | NNK-owned Buildings, 31 March 2010 ______
Building Comments Municipal Garage Built in 1981; renovated in 1999 Water Pumping Station Built in 1982; renovated/extended in 2006 Sewage Pumping Station Built in 1982 Building for Sewage Lagoons Equipment upgraded in 1992-93
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 45 NNK Office Built in 1986; renovated/extended in 2001-02 Filling Station Built in 1989 Radio Station Built in 1993 Police Station Built in 1995; rebuilt in 2001-02 after fire damage Ice Rink Changing Room Built in 1996 SCC Located in the former dispensary; converted into a childcare centre in 1997; renovated in 2001 Dolly Ridge Tower Purchased in 1998 and adjacent building Jonathon Shecanapish Built in 1999 Memorial Fire Station NRF Completed in 2001 NCC Built in 2002-03 Air Schefferville Hangar Purchased in 2007-08 NMM Purchased in 2008-09; located in Sept-Îles CLSC Personnel Residence Built in 2009-10 ______
6.3 | Heavy Equipment and Vehicles
The NNK!s heavy equipment and vehicles (Table 11) are usually operated and maintained by the Municipal Employees.
TABLE 11 | Heavy Equipment and Vehicles, 2009-10 ______
Year Model Description 1979 Kenworth C-500 Concrete mixer truck 1980 International 1824 Fire truck 1984 Fruehauf FP 9 Trailer 1986 International SS Boom Truck Boom truck 1992 Ford Col 900 Tractor 1996 M & N t5098 Trailer 1998 Yamaha Kodiak 400 4-wheeler 1998 Terex SS636 Telehandler 1999 Ford F450 Dump truck 2001 Dodge Ram SLT Larami Pickup (4X4) 2001 Ford F350 Refuelling truck 2001 Ford F150 Truck 2001 GMC Sierra Truck 2002 John Deere 644H Loader 2002 Ford Escape For Crime Prevention Initiative
46 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 2002 Ford F150 XL Half-ton truck 2003 Ford F150 Pickup (4X4) 2003 International Econo Autopump Fire truck 2004 Ford F150 Truck 2004 John Deere 330C LC Excavator 2005 John Deere 410G Backhoe 2005 John Deere 872D Grader 2005 John Deere 300D 30-ton truck 2005 John Deere 300D 30-ton truck 2005 John Deere 650J Bulldozer 2005 Ford F350 Pickup (4X4) 2005 Ford F250 Pickup 2005 Ford F-150 Pickup 2007 Supervac 2000 Vacuum truck 2007 John Deere 624J Loader 2007 Ford E-150 Van Van 2007 Ford E-350 XLT Recreation van 2008 C5X8S Cargo trailer 2009 Maxi-Roule 63123E Trailer ______
6.4 | Housing
6.4.1 | Stock and Ownership
Housing is the single largest asset owned by the NNK, representing roughly 25% of its total fixed assets by value. The book value of the houses after depreciation is $7,763,365 million out of total fixed assets of approximately $30.9 million after depreciation (the latter figure excludes the medical accommodation in Sept-Îles).
The NNK!s housing stock comprises 158 units, composed of single-family dwellings with between three and six bedrooms, duplexes, apartments, maisonettes and cottages.
Most of the funding for building houses comes from CMHC. The NNK assumes responsibility for maintaining the houses using its O&M budget and funds from CMHC.
6.4.2 | Loans
A loan is taken for each phase of housing (Table 12). There is usually one phase per year. In the first three phases, when the community was being built, 70 units were constructed. Since then, an average of between three and four units have been built annually.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 47 TABLE 12 | Housing Loans, 1983-2009 ______
Phase Number Balance Year of Amortization Monthly Rate of Year of of Units Outstanding Loan Period Payment Interest Final [ $ ] [ years ] [ $ ] [ % ] Payment
I 32 1,391,420 1983 35 18,463 7.19 2018 II 28 1,285,121 1984 35 14,688 5.55 2019 III 10 487,237 1985 35 5,042 6.15 2021 IV 6 371,290 1988 35 3,293 5.85 2023 V 4 156,231 1989 25 2,819 6.05 2015 VI 6 286,965 1991 25 4,052 6.44 2017 VII 4 229,117 1992 24 3,346 7.19 2017 VIII 4 128,982 1993 20 3,013 6.75 2014 IX 4 215,853 1994 22 3,089 6.30 2017 X 4 116,906 1995 20 1,873 6.45 2016 XI 3 156,601 1996 22 1,886 6.65 2019 XII 4 244,556 1997 22 2,787 7.19 2020 XIII 4 253,072 1998 25 1,679 1.81 2024 XIV 2 210,831 1999 24 1,579 4.51 2025 XV 3 203,832 2000 25 1,462 4.51 2026 XVI 3 205,121 2001 25 1,401 4.16 2026 XVII 2 211,701 2002 24 1,321 3.16 2027 XVIII 2 177,853 2003 24 1,091 4.71 2028 XIX 2 187,476 2004 23 1,182 3.84 2028 XX 7 698,712 2007 23 4,348 4.64 2030 XXI* 2 XXII 2 200,571 2009 23 1,013 2.63 2032 XXIII 1 83,694 2008 23 462 3.47 2031 XXIV 1 92,253 2008 23 509 3.47 2031 XXV 4 360,453 2008 23 1,990 3.47 2031 XXVI* 2 XXVII* 1 ______* Information not available because project not completed by 31 December 2009 Total monthly payments in December 2009: before CMHC loan subsidy = $82,388; after CMHC loan subsidy = $17,790. CMHC gives a subsidy for each loan to effectively reduce the interest rate to 2% per annum.
Source: Compiled by Robert A Pratt
48 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 6.4.3 | Construction
Two houses were constructed by the DPW in the fiscal year under review. Their unit cost was not available as of the time of writing.
6.4.4 | Rent
The rent payable by tenants of NNK housing for beneficiaries of the SAP was fixed at $100/month on 1 June 1998. For all other tenants it has remained at $40/week since 1983. Council, as the Lessor, is responsible for fixing rents. Systematic efforts to collect rent were instituted in 1993. The Housing Officer, Mr Robert Swappie, updates records of rents paid and due on a monthly basis, prepares a statement of account and mails it out on a regular basis to all tenants.
Unpaid rent for the fiscal year under review amounted to $195,421.35. The total amount of outstanding rent as of 31 March 2010 was $1,782,020.19. There were 175 tenants who had outstanding rent payments (Table 13).
TABLE 13 | Indebtedness to NHP, 1 April 1993 – 31 March 2010 ______
Amount Tenants [ $ ] [ N ] [ % ] Over 25,000 15 8 19-25,000 18 10 16-19,000 11 6 14-16,000 9 5 10-14,000 15 8 7-10,000 23 12 5-7,000 19 10 3-5,000 17 9 1-3,000 26 14 Under 1,000 22 12 Zero and with credit 13 7 ______
Over 40% of the tenants owe $5,000 or less. That is encouraging. At the other extreme, some 5% of the tenants collectively owe just over $300,000, compared to $278,000, in the previous fiscal year. The overall increase in total arrears from the previous fiscal year was over 12%. Debtors include permanent salaried employees, Elders and beneficiaries of the SAP and the Employment Insurance Programme.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 49 The failure or refusal of many tenants to pay rent means that Council is subsidizing the NHP, as it is obliged to repay the housing loans and to cover the cost of insurance premiums and other expenses.
6.4.5 | Allocation
Housing is allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. The “Backlog of Housing Requests” list is compiled in chronological order starting with the earliest application. Requests are tabled with Council, which instructs the Housing Officer to place the names of new applicants on the list. Applicants are sent an updated copy of the list as acknowledgment of receipt of requests.
At the end of the 2009-10 fiscal year, there were approximately 113 outstanding applications for housing. Applicants include Naskapis who live in Montréal, Lennoxville, Ottawa, New Brunswick, Whapmagoostui, Schefferville and Kawawachikamach. Some applicants are already lessees of NNK housing. The oldest pending application is dated 13 January 1997.
50 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 6.4.6 | Maintenance
The budget for the regular maintenance of the NNK!s housing was $470,692 in the 2009-10 fiscal year. Unaudited expenses were $340,481, yielding an underspend of $130,210, compared to an underspend of $91,577 in the previous fiscal year.
An additional $483,000 was received in June 2009 from the Housing Retrofit Initiative pursuant the GoC!s Economic Action Plan to undertake the following work: • replacement of 160 windows on 14 units; • renovation of 11 bathrooms; and • renovation of 10 kitchens.
An average of eight jobs were created for the duration of the Initiative. A few other jobs were also consolidated.
All of the tasks were completed on time and within budget. A similar request, in an amount of $560,000, was submitted to the CMHC for the 2010-11 fiscal year.
The underspend in the regular maintenance budget resulted from the requirement to spend the whole of the budget pursuant to the Initiative in order not to lose any of it. There were not sufficient workers to spend all of both budgets.
6.4.7 | New CLSC Personnel Residence
The construction of the CLSC Personnel Residence was substantially complete at the end of the 2009-10 fiscal year.
The residence was financed through a long-term loan from the CIBC. Construction costs amounted to $2.2 million, approximately 33% more than initially projected. The overspend was caused by delays during construction; for example, the foundation had to be insulated for winter because it was not possible to finish the frame in time.
A lease was executed between the NNK and the Naskapi CLSC. The rent will cover the costs of construction and O&M.
6.4.8 | Environmental Site Assessment
In June 2005, EEM Inc. completed a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment for the Phase XX and XXI Housing Programmes and the surrounding areas to the south and east of Shecanapish Road, including the new housing sector.
Based on declarations provided by the NNK, the validity of the ESA was extended until the end of 2009. Because extensions based on such declarations are granted for only a limited number of
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 51 years, a new ESA for the housing sector located to the south and east of Shecanapish Road is required for the 2010-11 fiscal year. It is planned for Summer 2010.
6.4.9 | CMHC Housing Initiative Internship
The NNK accessed funding from the CMHC in the fiscal year under review to provide on-the-job training to three housing trainees (one Carpenter-in-Training and two Labourers), two of whom were subsequently hired on a full-time basis by the DPW. The third decided to complete his studies in a related field.
52 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10
Chapter Seven | Advisors
7.1 | Principal Advisors
The NNK!s main advisors and the tasks that they undertook are presented below. The financial information consists of the fees that were charged to the NNK and the fees and disbursements charged to Naskapi Imuun Inc., Kawawachikamach Energy Services Inc., Garage Naskapi Inc. and Naskapi Catering Inc.
7.1.1 | Andrew Kozina, architecte | Emond, Kozina, Mulvey, architectes | ékm architecture
Mr Kozina, a member of the Order of Architects of Québec since 1989, started a Montréal-based practice in 1997. In 1999, Mr Kozina, together with two other architects, Messrs François Émond and Carl Mulvey, formed a partnership called Emond, Kozina, Mulvey, architectes (“ékm architecture”) that employs the following for design and technical support: • Jeremy Aranoff Architectural Graduate • Michel Daigneault Senior Technician • Isabelle Ducret Architectural Graduate • Ellen Gedopt Architectural Graduate • Jean-Roch Marion Architectural Graduate • Véronique Meunier Architectural Graduate • Benoît Picard Architect since 1 April 2010 • Louis Pietrusiak Architect since 1 April 2010 • Franca Totera Architectural Graduate.
Since 1997, Mr Kozina has been responsible for designing all new public buildings in Kawawachikamach. In 2003 and 2004, he designed a new cottage to replace the Model "A! home. In the fiscal year under review, he was involved in contract administration for the construction of the new residence for the Naskapi CLSC personnel.
Hourly fees ranged from $30 to $95. Fees charged under the general operating fund and fees and disbursements charged to the NNK!s subsidiaries, shown in the audited financial statements of
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 53 the NNK under “Architect consultant fees and disbursements” and “Other professional fees”, amounted to $33,652 in 2009-10, compared to $49,296 in 2008-09.
7.1.2 | Atmacinta Inc.
Atmacinta Inc. is a federally-incorporated Montréal-based company that was established in 2001. It has acted as General Advisor since July 2001.
Atmacinta!s principals are Messrs Paul Renzoni and Balgovind Pande. It has five full- and one part-time professionals and three support staff. Those who worked on Naskapi dossiers in the fiscal year under review were: • Zoe Aposolakis (starting February 10) • Amanda Di Maio • Christopher Coggan • Balgovind Pande • Blanche D!Cunha • Paul Renzoni • Dion D!Cunha (until January 10) • Lindsay Richardson (replaced Amy Lanteigne) • Maria Vincelli. • Edith Dallaire
The principals and staff charged an hourly fee of between $37.50 and $110. Fees charged under the general operating fund and fees and disbursements charged to the NNK!s subsidiaries, shown in the audited financial statements of the NNK under “General consultant fees and disbursements”, amounted to $646,457 in 2009-10, compared to $480,213 in 2008-09.
The tasks performed included: • organizing, attending, recording and following up on meetings of Council and its subsidiaries; • coordinating the activities of the NNK!s advisors; • advisory services concerning the administration of the O&M and capital budgets, NNK committees, and personnel matters and policies, and assisting with planning the construction of housing and other infrastructure; • assisting in the administration of the NRF, the SCC and the NNK!s subsidiaries; • overseeing the administration of special projects, such as those under the CEDO, the NLMB and other federally- and provincially-funded programmes; • overseeing the delivery of Imuun!s broadband services; • coordinating the provision of cellular telephone services and overseeing Imuun!s role as an equal partner in Lynx Mobility; and • assisting in the negotiations of impact and benefits and economic development agreements with NML and LIM respectively and five-year O&M and Capital agreements.
54 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 7.1.3 | Bruser & Associates Inc.
Bruser & Associates Inc. is a federally-incorporated company based in Sainte-Foy, which came into operation in May 1996. In the 2009-10 fiscal year Bruser!s team comprised:
Engineers Louis Harvey Mathieu Bonnelly Jean-François Blais Junior Engineers Sonia Poulin Karen Levesque-Cahill Technologists Serge Simard Michel Gingras Vi-Thanh Tu Cost Control/Technician/Field Management Jacques St-Laurent Daniel Headrick Draftspersons for Buildings and Mechanical Vincent Cadoret Karyne Noel Ventilation/Electrical Systems Administration Debbie Minchau.
Hourly fees in 2009-10 ranged from $40 to $95. The services provided to the NNK were: • surveying; • preparing drawings and specifications; • construction project management and quality control; • preparing and monitoring work schedules and cost estimates; • budget control; • feasibility study into the Kawawachikamach lagoons; • renovation cost estimate for the Schefferville Hangar; • day-to-day support to the DiPW and other Municipal Employees; and • support to the Water Technician.
Fees charged under the general operating fund and fees and disbursements charged to the NNK!s subsidiaries, shown in the audited financial statements of the NNK under “Engineering consultant fees and disbursements”, amounted to $646,323 in 2009-10, compared to $480,669 in 2008-09.
7.1.4 | Dixie Lee Mitchell, Solution Path
Ms Dixie Lee Mitchell is based in Fredericton. She is an early childhood consultant, developer and trainer who has worked extensively across Canada. She is responsible for overseeing training and programme development of the SCC Board and staff. She was assisted by Ms Karen Rice during the fiscal year under review. Their hourly rates were $71.43 and $57.00 respectively.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 55 Fees and disbursements are shown in the audited financial statements of the SCC. Including tax, they amounted to $17,699 in 2009-10, compared to $24,443 in 2008-09.
7.1.5 | Hartel Financial Management Corporation
Hartel Financial Management Corporation has acted as Financial Advisor to the NNK since 1987. It is a federally-incorporated company with its office in Ottawa. Hartel has 37 permanent full- and part-time employees, who are accountants, bookkeepers and support staff.
Hartel!s principals who worked on Naskapi dossiers in the fiscal year under review were Messrs Richard Lodge and Jeff Leblanc, who each charged $150 per hour. The other staff who also worked for the NNK in 2009-10 were: • Amy Delacretaz • Carol Oliver • Paul Labranche • Miranda Perry • Lisa Mallet • Lynda Thibodeau. • Matthew Morel
Their hourly fees ranged from $60 to $105.
Fees charged under the general operating fund and fees and disbursements charged to the NNK!s subsidiaries, shown in the audited financial statements of the NNK under “Financial/accounting fees and disbursements”, amounted to $615,099 in 2009-10, compared to $679,560 in 2008-09.
Hartel!s services included: • providing Council with advice on financial matters and assisting in negotiations with bankers, insurance companies and similar entities; • presenting Council with quarterly financial statements for the operations of the NNK and its subsidiaries; • preparing cash flows and budgets; • training and supporting the NNK!s employees in the Accounting Department; • providing the auditors with the documentation and information required to complete the annual audit; • presenting the NNK!s budgets to the Electors; and • collaborating with the NNK!s advisors to implement the NNK!s policies and procedures to meet standards set by the federal and provincial governments and professional bodies.
7.1.6 | Kenneth Hilt & Associates Ltd
Kenneth Hilt & Associates Ltd is a federally-incorporated company established in January 1996. Mr Kenneth Hilt and Mme Micheline Thibodeau Hilt are the principals of this consultancy based in Saint-Hyacinthe. Mr Hilt has 46 years of policing experience.
56 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 Mr Hilt monitors the operations of the NPF and advises it on policies and procedures.
Professional fees charged in the fiscal year under review were $70 per hour. Fees charged under the general operating fund and fees and disbursements charged to the NNK!s subsidiaries, included in the audited financial statements of the NNK under "Other professional fees", amounted to $17,207 in 2009-10, compared to $18,483 in 2008-09.
7.1.7 | Paul F Wilkinson & Associates Inc.
Paul F Wilkinson & Associates Inc. is a federally-incorporated company established in 1975. Its head office is located in Montréal. PFWA became the NNK!s Special Advisor in 2001.
PFWA!s principals are Dr Jean Chapman and Dr Paul F Wilkinson. It has five full-time permanent professionals and employs additional professionals and support staff on contract as required.
PFWA personnel who worked on Naskapi dossiers in the fiscal year under review were: • Élisabeth Benoît • Brigitte Masella • Nathalie Charland • Mireille Pilotte • Jacynthe Guimond • Paul F Wilkinson.
PFWA charges hourly fees ranging between $45 and $135, with a maximum daily charge of 7.5 hours. Fees charged under the general operating fund and fees and disbursements charged to the NNK!s subsidiaries, shown in the audited financial statements of the NNK under “Special consultant fees and disbursements”, amounted to $117,187 in 2009-10, compared to $186,675 in 2008-09.
7.1.8 | Robert A Pratt
Me Robert A (Robin) Pratt has a legal practice based in Montréal. He has acted as the NNK!s Legal Advisor since 1975. The Legal Advisor gives advice, principally of a legal nature, when requested by Council or another advisor. He is involved in a wide variety of dossiers, sometimes as the principal advisor, but most often in a supporting role either directly for Council or assisting the NNK!s advisor having primary responsibility for the file. As a matter of policy and to avoid conflicts of interest, the Legal Advisor does not represent individual Naskapi beneficiaries unless the case in question has implications for the NNK as a whole. The Legal Advisor is paid on an hourly basis for the time he spends working on the NNK!s files.
Me Pratt!s hourly fee in 2009-10 was $223. Fees charged under the general operating fund and fees and disbursements charged to the NNK!s subsidiaries, shown in the audited financial statements of the NNK under “Legal fees”, amounted to $109,756 in 2009-10, compared to to $125,350 in 2008-09.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 57 7.2 | Unanticipated Funding
A task that advisors have undertaken with consistency over the years is to increase funding for the NNK.
Table 14 presents a breakdown of the $1,768,286 of unanticipated funding raised by advisors in the 2009-10 fiscal year. The data do not include base funding accessed for the CEDO, NLMB, MHP, BFP, Solvent Abuse Programme, NNADAP, PNP, HCCP, ADI, FASDP, MCHP, Integration of Persons with Disabilities Programme, FVP, ChildCare Services Initiative, Head Start Programme, Reinvestment Strategies, FNIYES, Summer Day Camp and Women!s Gathering, which amounted to over $1,151,000 in the fiscal year under review.
TABLE 14 | Unanticipated Funding Raised by Advisors, 2009-10 ______
Lead Funding Agency Project Amount Advisor [ $ ] AI/DPW CMHC Housing Retrofit Initiative 483,000 AI/Hartel INAC O&M Funding Adjustment – one-time payment 518,064 AI/Hartel INAC O&M Funding Adjustment – increased annual allocation 170,587 (effective 1 April 2010) AI/SAP Officer SAP Employability Measures 105,750 AI/NDC Quest Uranium Mining exploration 75,000 AI Emploi-Québec Mining exploration 100,000 AI Pacte rural Mining exploration 30,000 AI NMEF Mining exploration 29,000 AI INAC Professional and Institutional Development Initiative 17,736 AI CRÉ Côte-Nord Repairs to culverts on Iron Arm Road 18,340 AI AIL Fuel distribution 15,000 AI FCNQ Fuel distribution 20,000 AI CLD de Caniapiscau Mining Week 3,756 AI FNQL Health and Childcare Services Initiative (additional funding) 13,436 Social Services Commission AI Health Canada National Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy 13,867 AI CMHC Housing Internship Initiative 10,150 AI Pacte rural Winter Circus Camp 10,000 AI Actua Summer Science Camp 21,500 PFWA MTQ Cost of Living 100,000 PFWA Recyc-Québec Tire-recycling 2,400 PFWA Canadian Rangers Snowmobile Trail 10,700 (in-kind) ______Source: Compiled by AI and PFWA
58 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10
Chapter Eight | Finances
8.1 | Banking and Financial Administration
8.1.1 | Fiscal Year
The NNK!s fiscal year is from 1 April to 31 March.
8.1.2 | Banking
The NNK does its banking at the CIBC branch at 265 rue Saint-Jacques in Montréal. The NNK and its subsidiaries and associated organizations have 16 bank accounts: • General Operating Fund, into which the O&M and capital funding and user fees are deposited; • accounts for the HSP, SAP, Imuun, NPF, GNI, KESI, SCC, NHP, Naskapi Housing Subsidy, Housing Replacement Reserve, NLC, NMM, NRSI, NCMI and Naskapi Labmag Trust.
Two signatories are required for each cheque. Signatories are decided by resolution of Council or the relevant Board of Directors immediately following an election.
The First Nations Bank, associated with TD Canada Trust, serves primarily First Nations and related organizations. The NNK opened an account there during the 2006-07 fiscal year, but it has not yet activated it.
8.1.3 | Revenue
External sources of revenue for the fiscal year under review amounted to $16.6 million (Table 15).
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 59 TABLE 15 | Principal Sources of Income, 2009-10 ______
Source Amount [ $ ] O&M grant from INAC 5,980,000 User fees (charges levied against occupants of premises in 454,000 Kawawachikamach to assist in providing for the O&M cost of local services) Capital grant from INAC 1,510,000 SAP 765,000 Rent collected for NNK housing 116,000 Interest on Heritage Fund 24,000 CMHC housing subsidies 769,000 External contributions for special projects 2,400,000 MRNF for the HSP 193,000 Sale of gasoline and fuel 553,000 Generated through KESI 2,300,000 GoC and GoQ for policing 656,000 Imuun sales 407,000 Sales at NRF/NCC 12,000 Health Canada 497,000 ______
8.1.4 | Controlling Expenditures
The NNK uses two major systems to control its expenditures: • the purchase order system, which controls expenditures on purchases; and • the time card system, which controls expenditures on salaries.
Monthly accounts are prepared and compared to budgets.
8.1.5 | Reporting
At Council meetings held in March, July, November and January of each year, the Financial Advisor reports to Council on the state of the NNK!s finances. Copies of the computerized statements, together with explanatory graphs and diagrams, are prepared by the Financial Advisor to assist Council in making its financial decisions.
8.1.6 | Borrowing
The CNQA authorizes the NNK to borrow money under certain conditions. All borrowing must be authorized by by-law. Borrowing is short-term if the money is used for meeting normal operating expenditures, if the loan is to be repaid within one year and if the NNK identifies in advance the
60 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 source of revenue from which the loan will be repaid. All other borrowing is considered to be long- term. Normally, the NNK borrows on a long-term basis only for major capital projects. If money is to be borrowed on a long-term basis, the by-law must be approved by the Electors at a special Electors! meeting or referendum at which at least 20% of the Electors vote.
The by-laws that were adopted in the fiscal year under review for short- and long-term borrowing are presented in Table 4.
8.1.7 | Auditing
The Electors, at the AGM, appoint a duly accredited Auditor and normally request Council to fix or provide for the Auditor!s remuneration. Within four months of the end of the fiscal year, the Auditor must prepare and submit to the NNK, with a copy to the Minister of INAC, a report on the NNK!s financial statements and accounting principles. The NNK is required to present and explain the Auditor!s report to the Electors at an Electors! meeting. That is normally done at the AGM, and the Auditor is usually in attendance. In the last two fiscal years, however, the Auditor did not attend the AGM.
The NNK!s Auditor is Samson Bélair/Deloitte & Touche, S.E.N.C., Sept-Îles. The fee for the audit of the 2009-10 financial statements of the NNK and its subsidiaries was approximately $85,000, as opposed to approximately $60,000 in the previous fiscal year. The increase was attributable to: preparing audits for the Pension Plan and he 2007-08 and 2008-09 house construction programmes; preparing a review engagement for the medical accommodation in Sept-Îles; and preparing an audit for Imuun (as opposed to a Notice to Reader).
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 61 8.1.8 | O&M Funding
Under the Five-year Operations and Maintenance Funding Transfer Payment Agreement, 2005- 10, the NNK!s O&M grant for the 2009-10 fiscal year was $5,978,504, compared to $5,579,415 in the previous fiscal year.
8.1.9 | Capital Funding
Under the Five-year Capital Funding Agreement, 2005-10, the NNK receives an annual base funding of $1,391,800. Further increases were granted for the 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 fiscal years as a result of an increase in capital funding provided by Treasury Board to INAC. The capital grant for 2009-10 was $1,506,948.
62 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 8.2 | Capital Projects
The NNK spent $2,935,938 in capital funds during the fiscal year under review (Table 16).
TABLE 16 | Disbursements from Capital Budget, 2009-10 ______
Prior Year Uncompleted Projects Comments Amount [ $ ] CLSC Personnel Residence Construction costs to be repaid through lease 1,476,507 payments by Naskapi CLSC
Buildings Housebuild 3* $225,000 from INAC grant, $355,000 432,948 from long-term borrowing, $147,052 remains (two houses) to be spent Air Schefferville Hangar $50,000 from INAC grant, of which $25,577 24,423 remains to be spent
Trucks and Heavy Equipment Grader purchase Credit, starting in 2007-08; five-year 74,498 financing plan with John Deere Garbage truck purchase 40,156 Pick-up truck purchase 16,431
Roads, Drainage, Sewage and Other Sewage treatment upgrades: Feasibility study 29,975
Reimbursement to 2007-08 Fiscal Year CLSC Personnel Residence $500,000 Housebuild 1 $230,000 Unallocated Capital $111,000
Total $2,935,938 ______* Since the 2007-08 fiscal year, the house construction programmes are known as “Housebuilds” for project management purposes.
The 2009-10 capital budget was $1,506,948. As mentioned above, the expenditures incurred over that amount were either borrowed on commercial terms by the NNK or accessed from other funding sources.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 63 8.3 | Class Action to Recover Fuel Tax
On 8 May 2007, the Superior Court of Québec rendered a judgment authorizing a class action on behalf of all status Indians (except the Crees) against the GoQ for the recovery of Québec fuel taxes paid for on-reserve purchases (including purchases on Category IA-N land) since 1973, when the Québec fuel tax came into existence.
An appeal by the GoQ against the judgment was rejected by the Québec Court of Appeal. Litigation in the class action was suspended by the Superior Court in 2008 in order to allow for settlement negotiations between the GoQ and the AFNQL. Those negotiations continued in the 2009-10 fiscal year.
64 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10
Chapter Nine | Subsidiaries and Related Entities
9.1 | Naskapi Imuun Inc.
Naskapi Imuun Inc., a wholly-owned Naskapi enterprise, is responsible for connecting Kawawachikamach to the rest of the world technologically.
Imuun completed the third year of its 10-year, $4.7-million agreement with Infrastructure Canada to offset 75% of the cost to purchase satellite bandwidth for the delivery of high-speed internet and other value-added services in the Kawawachikamach/Schefferville region. This agreement enables Imuun to increase the bandwidth for its network every year until 2017.
Imuun continued to work with OmniGlobe Networks as its Satellite Service Provider and its provider for the segment of the network providing connectivity to the end users. In the fiscal year under review, Imuun provided high-speed internet services to approximately 75 customers in the Kawawachikamach/Schefferville region. It also continued to provide high-speed internet and VOIP telephone services at the Menihek Generating Station.
Imuun continues to face competition from Barrett Xplornet!s internet service in Schefferville. The Xplornet service operates in the KA-Band, which is more susceptible to rain and snow than Imuun!s service, which operates in the C-Band.
Imuun submitted funding applications to Industry Canada (Broadband Canada Programme) and INAC (First Nations Infrastructure Fund) to offset the costs to implement a high-speed packet access network in the region for the delivery of broadband internet services. The HSPA network would operate in the cellular frequency and provide connectivity in the same area covered by the cellular service, by means of a portable, plug-and-play USB device. This is expected to significantly reduce the cost to obtain service and eliminate the need for complex installations. Subject to approval of funding, it is envisaged that the HSPA network will be implemented in Summer 2010.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 65 Ms Melissa Peastitute, Computer and Cellular Services Manager, and Mr Barry Einish, Computer and Cellular Services Technician, share responsibility for: • maintaining the computers and computer network at the NNK Office, the DPW, the NCC, the NRF and the JSMS; • receiving requests for internet access and creating and maintaining internet accounts; • providing first-line technical support related to internet access; • billing subscribers and terminating service to those who do not pay; and • recording all computer/internet-related problems.
Imuun is also involved in the provision of cellular telephone services in the Kawawachikamach/ Schefferville region (see Section 9.2). Through Ms Melissa Peastitute and Mr Barry Einish it is responsible for: • selling cellular phones, accessories and prepaid cards and managing the inventory; • activating new subscribers; • creating and maintaining accurate subscriber accounts; • maintaining accurate daily sales journals; • providing first-line cellular telephone network and customer troubleshooting and support; • basic cellular telephone programming; • recording all complaints and cellular network- and handset-related problems or defects; and • activating and deactivating cards and handsets.
Imuun operated at a loss in the 2009-10 fiscal year, for two main reasons: it incurred a high rate of accounts receivable from its internet users; and it continued to invest significantly in the expansion of Lynx Mobility.
66 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 9.2 | Lynx Mobility Inc.
In 2008 Imuun and OmniGlobe Networks launched Lynx Mobility Inc., a joint-venture company providing cellular services to First-Nation communities and to remote and rural Canada.
In January 2009, Lynx Mobility, through Imuun acting as the local partner, launched commercial cellular telephone service in the region. The service provides coverage in Kawawachikamach, Schefferville, Matimekush, Lac John and surrounding areas, including the trail leading to Iron Arm Lake. In the fiscal year under review Imuun provided service to approximately 250 cellular subscribers in the region.
Lynx Mobility also offers cellular telephone services through partners in Whapmagoostui/ Kuujjuaraapik, Kuujjuaq and Churchill Falls. Installations in Québec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Nunavut are planned in the 2010-11 fiscal year.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 67 9.3 | Naskapi Miiywaayimuun Miichiwaahp
In 2008, the NNK incorporated a numbered company with a view to operating a residence for Naskapi patients and their escorts in Sept-Îles for medical purposes. The residence, located across the street from the Sept-Îles Hospital, started operations on 1 April 2009.
In the fiscal year under review, it provided high-quality accommodation services to approximately 250 clients, representing approximately 1,200 person/days of service.
The services provided include: • clean accommodations; • three healthy meals per day; • transportation to and from the residence to the airport, train station and medical appointments other than those at the Sept-Îles Hospital; • free internet, cable TV and long-distance calls across Canada; and • free delivery of medication to the residence.
The employees were as follows: ______
Title Name Period Manager Cathy Shattler Ongoing Assistant Manager Nottie Mameamskum Ongoing Housekeeper Norma Bobbitt April 09 – ongoing Housekeeper Isabel Chescappio Summer Housekeeper Margaret Chittspattio February 10 – ongoing Housekeeper Natasha Guanish January – April 10 Housekeeper Mark McKenzie May – August 10 Housekeeper Cicillia Quiscappio Summer Housekeeper Robin Shecanapish April 09 Housekeeper Kimberly Tooma April – August 09 Nightwatch Jean-Baptiste Pien April 09 – ongoing Nightwatch Adélard Vollant Occasional replacement ______
NMM generated $177,000 worth of sales. The occupation rate was lower than initially projected, but so were the expenses. NMM ended the year with a net income of approximately $40,000 and a total equity of just over $10,000.
68 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 9.4 | Naskapi Catering Inc.
Created in April 2007, Naskapi Catering Inc. is a joint venture between the NNK and East Coast Catering that offers catering and housekeeping services.
Hydro-Québec awarded a contract to NCI for work at the Menihek Generating Station in 2007, creating four jobs for Naskapis. Following the transfer of ownership of the Menihek Generating Station to Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, NCI has been awarded contracts for the summers of 2008, 2009 and 2010, creating two jobs for Naskapis each year.
NCI has been profitable since its first year of operation.
9.5 | Garage Naskapi Inc.
Garage Naskapi Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the NNK, which was incorporated in August 1989 to operate the gas bar beside the Manikin Centre.
Due to intense local competition, the relatively low volume of gas sales in Kawawachikamach and difficulties encountered in changing pump prices following changes in the cost of wholesale fuel purchases, GNI operated at a loss in the fiscal year under review.
9.6 | Kawawachikamach Energy Services Inc.
No report on Kawawachikamach Energy Services Inc. was submitted to the Annual Report Coordinator/Editor for the fiscal year under review.
9.7 | Tshiuetin Rail Transportation Inc.
Tshiuetin Rail Transportation Inc. assumed responsibility for operating passenger and freight service between Emeril and Schefferville on 1 December 2005. Since that date, it has operated two passenger trains and one freight train per week.
Messrs John Mameamskum and James Pien continued as the NNK!s directors during the 2009- 10 fiscal year.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 69 TSH continued to provide modest levels of employment for Naskapis. During the fiscal year under review, it employed the following Naskapis: ______
Position Name Dispatcher/Conductor James Pien Bérubé Foreman/Dispatcher Robert Mameanskum Dispatcher Sharon Shecanapish Track Worker Gerald Chescappio Track Worker John Chescappio Track Worker Glen Gauthier Track Worker Abraham Mokoush ______
9.8 | LabMag Limited Partnership
The NNK and New Millennium Capital Corp. co-own the LabMag Iron Ore Project. The nature of their commercial relationship is described in Section 12.1.1.
9.9 | Naskapi Caribou Meat Inc.
No progress was made during the 2009-10 fiscal year on the possible creation of a partnership between La Maison du Gibier and the NNK for the conduct of a commercial caribou hunt, the main reason being the apparent declining numbers of the George River caribou herd.
9.10 | Naskapi Landholding Corporation
The Naskapi Landholding Corporation was created to own and manage the Category IB-N land and to discharge certain other responsibilities identified in the NEQA. Its Board of Directors did not meet in the fiscal year under review.
9.11 | Naskapi Village of Kawawachikamach
The Naskapi Village of Kawawachikamach, created by Section 8 of the NEQA and a special act of the National Assembly, acts as the municipal government for Category IB-N land. It is also responsible for providing police services on Category IA-N land.
It held nine meetings in the 2009-10 fiscal year.
70 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10
Chapter Ten | Regional Networking
10.1 | NNK/NDC Relations
The relationship between the NNK and NDC was very positive. Its highlights included: • completing the negotiation and signing of the Naskapi-Québec Partnership Agreement (see Section 10.3.1); • completing the repairs to Radio Naskapi!s communications equipment to upgrade and extend the radio signal to Schefferville; and • developing a Minerals Exploration Training Programme with Quest Uranium Corporation (see Section 12.3).
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 71 10.2 | NNK/GoC Relations
Relations between the NNK and the GoC continued to be positive in such areas as: • continued O&M and capital funding, including an O&M adjustment payment within the Five-year O&M Funding Agreement, 2005-2010 (see Section 8.1.8); • the start of negotiations for Five-year O&M and Capital Funding Agreements, 2010-2015. Negotiations will be completed in the 2010-11 fiscal year and any increases will be retroactive to 1 April 2010; • Transport Canada!s continuing financial assistance to TSH; and • the support of Canada!s Economic Action Plan!s Retrofit Initiative for housing repairs (see Section 6.4.6).
10.3 | NNK/GoQ Relations
The relationship between the NNK and the GoQ was excellent. Its highlights included: • the execution of the Naskapi-Québec Partnership Agreement; and • approval of funding for a Minerals Exploration Training Programme.
10.3.1 | Naskapi-Québec Partnership Agreement
The NQPA creates a 25-year community and economic development fund, commits the GoQ to assisting the Naskapis to concluding agreements with mining companies, provides for revenue- sharing for certain types of energy projects, creates a mechanism to address a list of issues important to the Naskapis, including education and the Hunter Support Programme, and targets solutions to problem areas relating to outfitting and culture.
The total monetary value of the NQPA is estimated at between $65 million and $75 million, depending principally on the growth rate of the population.
Pursuant to the funding mechanism in the NQPA, the first payment to the Naskapis, made in February 2010, totalled $796,914.12, with $393,457.06 issued to the NNK and an identical amount issued to NDC. Pursuant to Council!s decision of 8 February 2010, the NNK's share was deposited into a redeemable term deposit until it is decided how best to use it. At its meeting of 29 March 2010, Council appointed Mr John Mameamskum as the NNK's representative on the NQPA's Standing Liaison Committee.
10.3.2 | Plan Nord
The GoQ announced the Plan Nord in December 2008. The NNK, among other First Nations, was invited to participate in its development. The first meeting of the GoQ and the First Nations was held on 6 November 2009.
72 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 During the 2009-10 fiscal year, the NNK participated in the Partners Discussion Table, the Aboriginal Partners Discussion Table and the following Working Groups: • Community Development • Mines • Culture and Identity • Tourism • Education • Transportation • Energy • Wildlife. • Health and Housing
As of 31 March 2010, no specific measures or investments of direct interest to the NNK were announced pursuant to the Plan Nord.
10.4 | NNK/NIMLJ Relations
Relations between the NNK and the NIMLJ continued to be positive, as the two Nations: • pursued their collaboration at the Regional Selection Committee of Schefferville/ Kawawachikamach/Matimekush-Lac John created to administer the funds provided through the Pacte rural (see Section 10.10); • collaborated in a funding application to SAA!s Aboriginal Initiatives Fund for 50% of the cost of the development of a business plan for a fuel distribution partnership with Air Inuit and the Fédération des Coopératives du Nouveau-Québec (see Section 11.7); and • continued to collaborate on the initiation of a study of the cost of living in the Schefferville/ Kawawachikamach/Matimekush-Lac John area, with a view to promoting ideas for measures by the GoQ to reduce the cost of living in the area (see Section 11.6).
10.5 | NNK/Inuit Relations
The relationship between the NNK and the Inuit continued to be positive.
The JWC, created by the AIP-NRG, met once in the fiscal year under review and exchanged correspondence to finalize the administrative details of the agreement reached in the 2008-09 fiscal year to the effect that the NNK will be entitled to participate in the negotiation of any Supplementary Agreement that may flow from the AIP-NRG that may affect the Naskapi Area as defined in Section 6.5.1 of the AIP-NRG and/or the area of common interest for the Inuit and Naskapis as referred to in Section 27 of Schedule 4 of Complementary Agreement No. 1 to the JBNQA.
It is anticipated that the unresolved details will be completed in the 2010-11 fiscal year.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 73 The NNK!s representatives on the JWC were Chief Philip Einish, Councillor Paul Mameanskum and Mr Paul Renzoni until August 2009, at which time Chief Louis Einish and Mr John Mameamskum replaced the former Chief and Councillor.
The NNK and the Inuit also continued to collaborate on the fuel distribution partnership file (see Section 11.7).
10.6 | NNK/Cree Relations
The relationship between the NNK and the Crees continued to be positive.
The 2008 Agreement Concerning a New Relationship Between the Government of Canada and the Cree of Eeyou Istchee contemplated amendments to the CNQA to enable the CRA to assume certain of the GoC!s responsibilities under the JBNQA and to equip the CRA with by-law making powers similar to those of the Cree bands under the CNQA.
Although the amendments do not affect the NNK, both the GoC and the Crees consulted the NNK on them and on the drafting of the bill to amend the CNQA. Bill C-28 received Royal Assent in Parliament on 11 June 2009.
The James Bay Implementation Office agreed to work with the NNK and the Crees following the adoption of Bill C-28 to discuss further amendments to the CNQA that the Crees and the Naskapis desire in view of their respective experience with the CNQA since its adoption in 1984. One such meeting was held in October 2009, and further meetings are anticipated in the 2010-11 fiscal year.
74 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 10.7 | Cree-Naskapi Commission
The fiscal year under review was relatively quiet in terms of the activities of the Cree-Naskapi Commission.
10.8 | Conférence régionale des Élus de la Côte-Nord
The CRÉ is an advisory group composed mainly of elected representatives from the North Shore Administrative Region that acts as the region!s spokesperson to the GoQ. The NNK is represented on the Board of Directors.
Chief Philip Einish attended the board meeting of 2-3 June 2009 at Port Menier, Anticosti Island. Following his election, Chief Louis Einish took part in the board meetings of 8 October 2009 and 25-26 February 2010, both in Sept-Îles.
On 18 September 2009, Chief Louis Einish addressed a letter to the CRÉ Director General, M. Patrick Hamelin, to suggest that a board meeting be held in Kawawachikamach in 2010. That meeting was held early in the 2010-11 fiscal year.
On 8 October 2009, Chief Louis Einish reiterated to the CRÉ the NNK!s opposition to the creation of a road link to Schefferville, explaining that it would lead to the loss of the annual passenger subsidy of TSH (approximately $6 million). He asked that the CRÉ not include this development option in its proposals pursuant to the Plan Nord consultation, but that it propose the upgrading of the rail line between Emeril Junction and Schefferville.
Also on 8 October 2009, the CRÉ issued a first request for proposals to a regional fund for social, economic and cultural initiatives that bring closer the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples of the North Shore Administrative Region. The $100,000 fund supports such projects as a play on collaboration between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples, a legends and tales festival, cultural immersion in an Innu community, a documentary film involving Aboriginal and non- Aboriginal youths and a Québecois-Innu meeting at a book fair. The NNK anticipated submitting a proposal during the 2010-11 fiscal year, but it was advised that the fund was exhausted.
In Summer 2008, the CRÉ established a Partnership and Development Fund for Kawawachikamach, Matimekush-Lac John and Schefferville, the amount of which is $200,000 to be spent over five years. The NNK benefitted from that fund during the 2008-09 fiscal year. In February 2010, it submitted a proposal for the recycling of oversized tires for which the CRÉ had not yet rendered a decision at the end of the fiscal year.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 75 10.9 | Regional Commission on Natural Resources and Land
10.9.1 | North Shore RCNRL
The North Shore RCNRL plays an advisory role to the CRÉ with regard to the duties assigned by the MRNF. Its mission is to propose management strategies for land and natural resources that foster the involvement of local communities/regional authorities and that maximize economic benefits in the region. One of the mandates of the RCNRL is to prepare a Regional Plan for the Integrated Development of Resources and the Territory.
Because of delays in preparing the Regional Plan, the implementation of the agreement of 26 January 2009 to train Mr George Guanish to act as the liaison between Council, the population and the RCNRL was postponed to Spring 2010.
10.9.2 | Kativik RCNRL
On 16 March 2009, KRG submitted to the HFTCC a consultation document respecting the creation of the Kativik RCNLR. By letter of 30 March 2009, the NNK provided the HFTCC with its comments on the consultation document.
On 8 September 2009, representatives of KRG gave a presentation on the Kativik RCNRL in Kawawachikamach, at which four Naskapis and Mme Jacynthe Guimond participated.
On 21 September 2009, Council mandated PFWA to review the final draft of the consultation document on the Kativik RCNRL. PFWA submitted its comments to the NNK, which in turn submitted them to KRG on 30 September 2009.
10.10 | Pacte rural: Regional Selection Committee of Schefferville/ Kawawachikamach/Matimekush-Lac John
The Pacte rural is a programme created in 2002 by the Ministère des Affaires municipales et des Régions pursuant to the Politique nationale de la ruralité. It supports a wide variety of social and economic development initiatives to reinforce the development of rural areas by giving funds to MRCs. MRCs are responsible for managing the budget.
The MRC de Caniapiscau received $1,017,092.50 for the period 2007-14. Local municipalities, Band Councils, non-profit organizations and other organizations can apply to obtain a portion of the fund for the execution of local projects producing economic and/or social effects. The MRC de Caniapiscau set aside 33% of the budget of the Pacte rural for the Schefferville/ Kawawachikamach/Matimekush-Lac John area.
76 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 Proposals from the Schefferville/Kawawachikamach/Matimekush-Lac John area are reviewed by a selection committee composed of representatives from that area, instead of from the Fermont area.
The members of the selection committee are: • Marcella Beaudoin VdeS • Theresa Chemaganish NNK • François Monfette NIMLJ.
During the 2009-10 fiscal year, the selection committee reviewed and approved the funding of two local projects, both proposed by the NNK, for a total amount of $57,093: • the Winter Circus Camp; and • the Training Programme in Mining Exploration.
10.11 | Rail Extension to Kuujjuaq
In early 2010, the MTQ commissioned a pre-feasibility study into a terrestrial link connecting Kuujjuaq to southern Québec. On 1 March 2010, representatives of the MTQ and SNC-Lavalin presented in Kawawachikamach two broad options for purposes of consulting Council and other local organizations.
Council, as well as the Elders Advisory Committee, expressed a clear preference for a rail extension to Kuujjuaq from Schefferville instead of a road link from Caniapiscau, for the following main reasons: • to provide interesting business opportunities for TSH; • to increase the feasibility of mining projects; and • to provide easier access to Category II-N land for hunting, fishing and other cultural activities.
The CRÉ Côte-Nord submitted a letter of support for the NNK!s preference to Minister Boulet. The NNK also presented its position to the Plan Nord Transportation Working Group.
10.12 | North Shore Regional Discussion Table on Off-road Vehicles
The mandate of the North Shore Regional Discussion Table on Off-road Vehicles is to comment on the basic framework of a proposed inter-regional trail network for snowmobiles and quads that is being suggested by the GoQ, and to propose solutions to accommodate residents living near the trails. Most of the trails are located along the fleuve Saint-Laurent, and none of them is anywhere near the Schefferville area.
In 2007, Mme Jacynthe Guimond represented the NNK in a meeting of the RDT, following which Council mandated her to attend one meeting of the RDT annually until 2010 on the condition that
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 77 the RDT cover her travel costs. Given its restricted operating budget, the RDT could not afford to cover her travel costs. Mme Jacynthe Guimond did not, therefore, attend any other meeting of the RDT.
Mme Élisabeth Benoît replaced Mme Jacynthe Guimond on this file at the end of the fiscal year under review. She is kept informed of the RDT!s activities by email.
10.13 | Land Claims Agreements Coalition
The LCAC was created in 2003 as a forum for the signatories of modern (i.e., 1975 and later) land claims agreements in Canada. The NNK is a member of the LCAC by virtue of the NEQA, executed in 1978.
The goal of the LCAC is to ensure that comprehensive land claims and associated self- government agreements are honoured and fully implemented.
In his capacity as the NNK!s representative on the LCAC, Mr John Mameamskum participated in the meetings and telephone conferences sponsored by the LCAC during the 2009-10 fiscal year. In addition, Chief Louis Einish attended the LCAC leaders meeting on 7-9 December 2009 in Ottawa.
10.14 | Canadian Business Ethics Research Network
The CBERN is based at York University, Ontario. It is an interactive network involving scientists, business leaders and government and First-Nation representatives. The NNK was among CBERN!s founding partners. Its participation is designed to enhance the CBERN!s capacity to deal successfully with mining and other types of developers and to provide the NNK with access to information and to resource-persons to assist it to deal with mining companies.
A grant application to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council in November 2008 was not successful. In 2009, however, CBERN received a $20,000 Community/University Research Alliance grant to prepare a formal application to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council for a long-term project focused on northern economic development. The NNK was actively involved in preparing the proposal, and CBERN representatives consulted different groups in Kawawachikamach in June 2009.
Professor Wes Cragg visited Kawawachikamach in August 2009 to follow up on previous visits and to present the draft research proposal entitled “Socially Responsible Development in the Rapidly Evolving Canadian North”. Council agreed to sign the proposal as a partner because the project would contribute valuable knowledge to the NNK in its future dealings with mining companies. It would also strengthen the research capacity of some young Naskapis. The NNK!s
78 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 contribution would be in-kind. Council appointed former Chief Philip Einish as the NNK!s representative in this file.
The NNK also participated in the CBERN!s annual meeting and related conference, which were held in Ottawa in May 2009.
10.15 | Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources
Following the NNK!s acceptance of the CIER!s invitation to take part in the Remote Communities Quality of Life Project, which aims to identify the issues affecting the quality of life of Aboriginal peoples living in remote communities south of the 60th parallel of latitude, two researchers from the CIER visited Kawawachikamach in January 2009 to animate working sessions with leadership, Elders, youths and other interested groups to discuss the quality of life of the community. They were assisted by Mr George Guanish, who acted as the community liaison person.
Mr Guanish participated in the meeting organized by the CIER on 25 March 2010 in Gatineau to discuss the results of the research. Some of the challenges faced by remote communities were as follows: • lack of access by road; • impacts of climate change on travel routes; • impacts on education and language, and the associated cultural threats; • access to health care; and • land issues/reclamation (e.g., rights, use, development).
According to the Aboriginal representatives, the responses to such challenges must include: • consultation and accommodation based on community needs; and • holistic-based, community-focused processes for development that take into account the quality of life.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 79 80 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10
Chapter Eleven | Community and Economic Development
11.1 | Outreach Officer
Mr Sampson Einish resigned as the Outreach Officer in August 2009. Ms Minnie Chemaganish ensured the continuity of the service until her appointment as the Outreach Officer in March 2010.
The role of the Outreach Officer is to assist in improving the employability of the workforce and the potential workforce. The main responsibilities are as follows:
Liaison with Emploi-Québec • assist clients to prepare curricula vitae and complete job applications; and • maintain updated reference materials;
Liaison with HRSDC • assist clients to apply for Employment Insurance, Old Age Security, Spousal Allowances or Pension Plan benefits; • assist clients to obtain Social Insurance numbers; • assist clients with their correspondence, including telecommunications, with HRSDC; and • maintain updated reference materials;
Liaison with other organizations • provide assistance to clients in communicating with Naskapi legal entities, Native and non- Native organizations within and outside Québec, GoQ and GoC departments within and outside Québec, educational/training institutions, advisors to the NNK and youth organizations.
There are no statistics on the number of referrals in the 2009-10 fiscal year to employers, HRSDC and other organizations.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 81 11.2 | Training and Economic Development Officer
Ms Theresa Chemaganish is the TEDO. She has the following responsibilities: • promote entrepreneurship in Kawawachikamach; • in collaboration with the CEDO!s Facilitator, assist potential Naskapi entrepreneurs to identify and access funding from the CEDO, federal, provincial and regional agencies and non- governmental organizations; • assist potential Naskapi entrepreneurs to complete the CEDO!s Application for Business Assistance; • in collaboration with the CEDO!s Facilitator, assist in preparing the agendas and background materials for CEDO meetings and in following up to the meetings; and • communicate with GoQ and GoC departments, the FNQL Economic Development Commission, financial institutions, educational/training institutions and advisors to the NNK.
11.3 | Community Economic Development Organization
11.3.1 | Introduction
The CEDO is mandated by Council to prioritize the business development needs of Naskapis and Naskapi organizations. It administers the funds allocated to the NNK by INAC under the auspices of the CEDO Programme. The CEDO makes recommendations to Council. The TEDO, Ms Theresa Chemaganish, in collaboration with the CEDO Facilitator, Mr Christopher Coggan, manages the CEDO.
The CEDO met five times in the fiscal year under review.
11.3.2 | Composition
The CEDO has representatives from socio-economic, political, educational and cultural organizations and from the community (Table 17).
82 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 TABLE 17 | CEDO Membership, 2009-10 ______
Name Organization Minnie Chemaganish SAP Administrator Theresa Chemaganish TEDO Christopher Coggan NNK (Facilitator) Louis Einish NDC Sampson Einish Outreach Officer (until August 2009; replaced by Minnie Chemaganish) Keith Leclaire Naskapi CLSC Fred Mills JSMS Edward Shecanapish NMSI Melanie Chemaganish Community representative William Einish Community representative Martial Pinette Community representative ______
11.3.3 | Projects
Aboriginal Women for Tomorrow Workshops Ms Theresa Chemaganish, TEDO, coordinated the delivery of the Canadian Executive Service Organization “Aboriginal Women for Tomorrow” workshop series in Kawawachikamach. Four Naskapi women, including Ms Theresa Chemaganish, participated in such workshops as Building Personal Skills, Communication Skills, How to Start Your Own Business, Skill Development for Boards and Budgeting/Financial Management. CESO delivered the workshops for a nominal fee of $100 per workshop in two modules, the first held on 10-13 November 2008 and the other on 1- 3 June 2009. Supplementary costs, such as travel and accommodation, were assumed by CESO. The CEDO contributed $306 towards the June 2009 workshops.
Fuel Distribution Partnership Section 11.7 describes the project. CEDO funding, in an amount of $18,920, will be deferred to 2010-11 to offset approximately 9% of the cost of the business plan.
Cable Television Business Plan Section 11.10 describes the project. The CEDO will cover 100% of the costs to prepare the business plan, of which $3,832 are assigned to the fiscal year under review. The balance of approximately $6,000 will be deferred to the 2010-11 fiscal year.
Gold and Other Minerals Inventory A Gold and Other Minerals Inventory was undertaken on Category IA-N lands for a cost of $35,200, to which the CEDO contributed $3,630. Section 12.1.9 provides further information.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 83 Appliance Maintenance Business The CEDO approved the creation of a fund to assist Mr Abraham Chemaganish in starting up an Appliance Maintenance Business, with both parties contributing $4,250 and $750 respectively. The fund will be activated when the proponent deposits his contribution.
Corner Store Business Plan The CEDO agreed to cover 10%, representing $800, of the total cost of preparing a business plan for a Corner Store in Kawawachikamach for Mr Philip Einish. The business plan will be drafted in 2010-11.
CD Recording Project The CEDO approved $2,500 to offset fees for a CD recording project initiated by Mr Uapush Vollant. He did not ask to make use of the fund during the fiscal year under review.
11.3.4 | Financial Report
The CEDO completed the 2009-10 fiscal year with a surplus (Table 18).
TABLE 18 | CEDO Income and Expenditures, 2009-10 ______
Amount [ $ ] Income Allocation from INAC 55,979 Total Income 55,979 Expenditures Secretariat 31 Aboriginal Women for Tomorrow Workshops 306 Cable Television Business Plan 3,832 Gold and Other Minerals Inventory 3,630 Total Expenditures 7,799 Surplus 48,180 ______
The surplus will be carried over to the 2010-11 fiscal year to fund the aforementioned projects, to offset the costs of the Minerals Exploration Training Programme (see Section 12.3) and to support new initiatives.
84 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 11.4 | Naskapi Local Management Board
11.4.1 | Introduction
The NLMB is mandated by Council to prioritize the employment and training needs of Naskapis and of non-Naskapi Natives residing on Category IA-N land and to develop employment and training programmes. It administers the funds allocated to the NNK by the First Nations Human Resources Development Commission of Québec. The NLMB makes recommendations to Council.
The TEDO, Ms Theresa Chemaganish, in collaboration with the NLMB Secretary, Mr Christopher Coggan, manages the operations of the NLMB.
The NLMB met seven times in the fiscal year under review.
11.4.2 | Composition
The NLMB has representatives from socio-economic, political, educational and cultural organizations and from the community (Table 19).
TABLE 19 | NLMB Membership, 2009-10 ______
Name Organization Minnie Chemaganish SAP Administrator Theresa Chemaganish TEDO Christopher Coggan NNK (Secretary) Louis Einish NDC Sampson Einish Outreach Officer (until August 2009; replaced by Minnie Chemaganish) Keith Leclaire Naskapi CLSC Fred Mills JSMS Edward Shecanapish NMSI Melanie Chemaganish Community representative William Einish Community representative Martial Pinette Community representative ______
11.4.3 | Programmes
The NLMB funded 42 programmes during the fiscal year under review (Table 20).
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 85 TABLE 20 | NLMB Programmes, 2009-10 ______
Programme Fund Sponsor Duration Participants Amount [ $ ] TEDO CRF, EIF NNK Year-round Theresa Chemaganish 53,544 Secretariat EIF NNK Year-round NLMB 207 Outreach Officer EIF NNK Year-round Sampson Einish 9,002 Professional Cooking Training CRF NNK 50 weeks Jason Guanish 11,103 Excavator Operator Training CRF NNK 3 weeks Billy Shecanapish 10,094 Excavator Operator Training EIF NNK 3 weeks Donat Pinette 9,190 Excavator Operator Training CRF NNK 5 weeks Joseph Peastitute 2,133 Loader Operator Training CRF NNK 3 weeks Tshiuetin Vachon 8,946 Loader Operator Training EIF NNK 3 weeks Dennis Chescappio 6,469 DPW Work Initiative (SAP) EIF NNK 6 months Gordon Dominique, Joseph Paul Guanish, Patrick Nattawappio, Tshiueten Vachon 19,089 Painting Work Initiative (SAP) CRF NNK 7 months Elizabeth Chemaganish, Edward Chemaganish, Noat Chemaganish, Mark Einish, Shirley Ruth Einish, Elizabeth Mokoush, Mary Jane Pien, Joshua Tooma, Jean Rock Vollant 40,411 Truck Driver Training CRF NNK 5 weeks George Swappie 4,456 Truck Driver Training CRF NNK 5 weeks Frank Scott 4,516 Auto Mechanics Training CRF NNK 29 weeks Michael Mameanskum 526 Auto Mechanics Training CRF NNK 29 weeks Luke Einish 15,597 Adult Education CRF JSMS School year Charlene Mameanskum, Luke Einish, Gordon Dominique, Steffie Uniam, Vanessa Mckenzie, Mark John Mameanskum, Danny Einish, Roxanne Pien, Elizabeth Mokoush 25,000 Heavy Equipment Mechanics CRF NNK 70 weeks Patrick Dominique 10,302 Loader Operator Training CRF NNK 3 weeks Isaac Swappie 6,475 High-School Upgrading CRF NNK 41 weeks Ronald Shecanapish 1,691 High-School Upgrading CRF NNK 40 weeks Philippe McKenzie 5,917 High-School Upgrading CRF NNK 43 weeks Lydia Chemaganish 5,123 High-School Upgrading CRF NNK 40 weeks Patricia Fontaine 5,720 High School Upgrading CRF NNK 20 weeks Daniel Einish 649 Concierge Training CRF NNK 15 weeks Edward Einish 2,934 Kawawa Sewing Class CRF NNK 8 days [participants not recorded] 2,250 Massage Therapy Training CRF NNK 15 weeks Mary Louise Pien 5,828 Hotel Reception Training Program CRF NNK 18 weeks Tamar Chittspattio 1,128 Secretarial Studies CRF NNK 50 weeks Isabelle McKenzie 2,210 Secretarial Studies EIF NNK 62 weeks Edna Sandy 9,163 Assistance to Patients CRF NNK 34 weeks Edna Sandy 1,787
86 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 CLSC Personnel CRF, CRF-Y NNK 11 months Daniel Boucher, Residence Construction Dennis Chescappio, James Chescappio, Michel Dominique, Pierre Jacques Gabriel, Jimmy Derek Gregoire, Adam Guanish, Klaudel Lebreux, Yvan Meloatam, Daniel Mokoush, George Shecanapish, John Tooma 25,247 French & English Language EIF NNK 40 weeks Ned Paschene 2,200 Security Officer Training EIF NNK 7 weeks Marie-Renee Andre 3,959 Security Officer Training EIF NNK 7 weeks Thomas Einish 4,616 Starting a Business EIF NNK 19 weeks Sampson Einish 496 NNK Summer Career CRF-Y NNK 6 weeks Isabelle Shecanapish, Yvon Bacon, O!Neil Lizotte, George Sandy Chemaganish, Donna Marie Sandy, Steve Einish, Michelle Losier, John Mokoush, Pauline Einish, Alexandra Tooma, Susan Yonda Einish, Joseph Mameanskum, Trisha Marie Bacon Shecanapish, Michel Bacon, Jobena Petonoquot 21,000 NDC Summer Career CRF-Y NNK 6 weeks Lucy Ann Einish, Tamara Einish, Christopher Mameanskum, Mary Louise Shecanapish, Ronald Junior Tooma, Alan Voutour 11,530 Housing Internship CRF-Y NNK 14 weeks Lazarus Nattawappio, Luke Wesley, Maverick Vollant 4,136 Life Guard Training CRF-Y NNK 5 days Esther Tooma, Marina Losier 1,237 Pedagogical Assistants YWEI NNK School year Tiffany Pien, Jessica Chemaganish 14,108 Arena Maintenance Worker YWEI NNK 26 weeks Eric Dominique 6,820 Economic Development CRF NNK Year-round NNK (transfer of funds) 17,591 ______Source: Compiled by AI
11.4.4 | Financial Report
Table 21 provides a breakdown of the NLMB!s income during the fiscal year under review.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 87 TABLE 21 | NLMB Income, 2009-10 ______
Source Funding [ $ ] CRF 221,200 EIF 109,126 CRF-Youth 43,150 YWEI 20,928 CRF-Off Reserve — EIF-Off Reserve — Total 394,404 ______
The budget has two principal components: the CRF and the EIF. The former can be accessed by any person who is eligible to receive funding from the NLMB. The latter can be accessed only by persons who are receiving, or who in the last three years have either received or have been eligible to receive, Employment Insurance benefits. Both are managed by the First Nations Human Resources Development Commission of Québec on behalf of HRSDC. The funds under the Youth Work Experience Initiative are managed by the same entity, but on behalf of INAC.
11.5 | FNIYES – Summer Employment
Table 8 lists the Naskapis who availed of summer employment through the FNIYES.
11.6 | Cost of Living
During the 2008-09 fiscal year, a technical committee with representatives from the VdeS, the MTQ, the NNK and the NIMLJ decided to sponsor a study of the cost of living in the Schefferville region with a view to finding solutions to reduce the cost of living there, with particular reference to subsidizing the cost of rail freight transportation.
The study will be designed to to generate the information required for the authorities of the Schefferville region to table a formal request for some form of assistance to reduce the cost of living. It will contain four components: • create a Consumer Price Index for the Schefferville area (Kawawachikamach, Matimekush-Lac John and Schefferville) and compare it with that for the cities of Sept-Îles and Québec; • assess, if applicable, to what extent the difference is due to the cost of transportation; • identify and characterize the measures being implemented to reduce the cost of living in the Schefferville area; and
88 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 • propose recommendations that can enable the further development of a plan of action to reduce the cost of living in the Schefferville area.
The study will be conducted by M. Gérard Duhaime (Université Laval), who was in charge of the studies on the comparative index of prices in Nunavik conducted on behalf of KRG in 2000 and 2006.
The total cost will be $98,599. As of 31 March 2010, the technical committee had raised $117,539: $17,539 from the Pacte rural programme of the MRC de Caniapiscau; and $100,000 from the Service de la coordination de la recherche et de l!innovation of MTQ. The remaining money will be used for translation purposes as well as contingency.
The study is scheduled to start in Fall 2010.
In 2009-10, the technical committee was composed of: • Marcella Beaudoin VdeS • Daniel Giguère MTQ • Marie-Pierre Ouellon MTQ • Sylvain Vollant NIMLJ • Jacynthe Guimond NNK (replaced by Élisabeth Benoît).
11.7 | Fuel Distribution Partnership
Starting in December 2007, the NNK participated in preliminary discussions with the NIMLJ, AIL and the Fédération des coopératives du Nouveau-Québec with a view to forming a partnership for the distribution of petroleum products in the Schefferville region.
On 15 May 2009, Messrs Paul Renzoni and Christopher Coggan met Chief Réal Mckenzie and Mr Peter Horsman to reactivate the file. It was agreed that the NNK would prepare draft terms of reference for the creation of a partnership between the NNK (1/3 owner), the NIMLJ (1/3 owner), AIL (1/6 owner) and the FCNQ (1/6 owner). The first objective of the partnership would be to prepare a business plan to evaluate various scenarios, such as the purchase of Duberco Inc. and the construction of new facilities.
The projected cost of preparing the business plan was $220,000. An application was submitted by the NNK and the NIMLJ to the SAA for financial assistance through the Aboriginal Initiatives Fund on 31 March 2010.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 89 11.8 | Snowmobile Trail
In an effort to promote tourism and economic development in the Schefferville area, the NNK began planning and developing a snowmobile trail between Kawawachikamach and lac Romanet in 2007.
In January 2008, Naskapi Rangers undertook a first expedition to conduct the brush-cutting and to install 3,500 reflectors. In March 2009, a second expedition was conducted to continue the brush-cutting and to install 125 directional signs. The brush-cutting, installation of delineators and signage and georeferencing of the trail were completed on 15-19 March 2010.
The following persons participated in the third expedition: • Moses Swappie • Ben McKenzie • Richard Sandy • William Porter. • James Uniam
Funding for that expedition was provided by the following: • Canadian Rangers ($10,700); • NNK ($10,000); and • Pacte rural ($9,042 from the $20,000 envelope granted in 2007-08).
The next steps to make the snowmobile trail safe and functional are to build four cabins along it, to renovate a cabin at lac Tait, to produce the final maps of the trail, to establish a system for managing the trail and to organize the tourism promotion thereof.
The NNK will pursue its efforts to raise the funding required to complete those steps. Priority will be given to the construction of the cabins, which is the most urgent and difficult work that remains to be achieved.
90 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 Following a contest amongst the Naskapi Elders, the NNK Council chose Nuuhchimiiyuschiiy Maaskinuw as the official name of the trail, as proposed by Elders Joe Guanish and John Shecanapish.
11.9 | Schefferville Dump
In Fall 2009, Mme Marcella Beaudoin informed the NNK that the NIMLJ was considering not renewing its contract for the maintenance of the Schefferville dump. Should that intention be confirmed, the NNK will submit a proposal to maintain the dump.
11.10 | Cable TV Distribution
On 25 November 2009, Les Entreprises Roger Plourde inc. made a presentation to Messrs Paul Renzoni, Christopher Coggan and Jeff Leblanc on the possible creation of a cable television distribution business in the Kawawachikamach/Schefferville region.
On 26 January 2010, Council approved funding through the CEDO to prepare a business plan for a cable TV business.
A site survey, providing information for the completion of the business plan and an eventual technical plan, was completed in March 2010.
Upon receipt of a business plan in the 2010-11 fiscal year, Council will decide whether to proceed with the venture.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 91 11.11 | Air Transportation
AIL continued to operate scheduled daily air service between Schefferville and Sept-Îles. An AIL aircraft is based in Schefferville to respond to emergencies. AIL also continued to operate a bi- weekly (later tri-weekly) Dash-8 service from Montréal to Salluit via Québec, Schefferville and Kuujjuaq.
The NNK is extremely satisfied with the service operated by AIL, for the following reasons: • it is reliable and on-time; • the aircraft is based in Schefferville and is available for medical evacuations; • Naskapis and Innu are employed as ground staff; • AIL shares the profit generated with the NNK (see Section 16.2); • AIL donated 10 travel passes to the NNK to be used for community-related activities; • the NNK!s employees and consultants benefit from a 25% reduction on the cost of tickets; and • a working committee with representatives from the NNK, the NIMLJ and AIL meets periodically to review the level of service.
11.12 | Social Assistance Programme
The major source of income for many Naskapis continues to be the SAP. Funds from INAC in the fiscal year under review amounted to roughly $765,000, of which approximately $46,000 covered the cost of service delivery. As many as 69 Naskapis received SAP payments each month. The SAP Administrator is Ms Minnie Chemaganish.
92 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10
Chapter Twelve | Mining
12.1 | Mining Exploration
Approximately nine companies were involved in mineral exploration in areas of interest to the NNK during the 2009-10 fiscal year, namely: • New Millennium Capital Corp. • Labrador Iron Mines Limited • Adriana Resources Inc. • Virginia Gold Mines • Azimut Exploration Inc. • Waseco Resources Inc. • Champion Minerals Inc. • Areva Quebec. • Quest Uranium Corporation
The NNK contacted all of them regarding the possibility of employment and contracting and indicating its desire to negotiate IBAs at the appropriate time.
12.1.1 | New Millennium Capital Corp.
The NNK!s relationship with NML started with the LabMag Iron Ore Project. Through the Naskapi LabMag Trust, the NNK owns 20% of the LIOP. Naskapis and Naskapi companies enjoy employment and contracting preferences, a large, 30-year training budget and a contractual commitment to respect the highest environmental standards. The Naskapis also possess a gross overriding royalty of 0.3333% of the value of the annual production of pellets. For political reasons, work on the LIOP was suspended in late 2007.
Pending the outcome of the negotiations with the GNL regarding the LIOP, NML decided to pursue the KéMag Project and the Direct-Shipping Ore Project.
The KéMag Project is an all-Québec variant of the LIOP. NML filed its prefeasibility study of the KéMag Project in March 2009. Commercial production is expected to start in 2014. The NNK is not a part-owner of the KéMag Project, nor does it have employment and contracting preferences or a royalty interest. The exploration of the KéMag deposit in 2007 and 2008 provided contracts and employment for Naskapi companies and individuals. The construction and operation of the KéMag Project would provide numerous jobs and contracting opportunities for Naskapis and Naskapi entities.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 93 NML created a scholarship programme for the NNK and the other First Nations that would be potentially affected by the KéMag Project. Its purpose is to encourage Secondary students who made the biggest efforts and achieved the biggest improvements in their school results. In Summer 2009, NML awarded $6,500 in scholarships to six Naskapi students selected by the JSMS and the NEC.
NML announced the Direct-Shipping Ore Project in late 2007. Essentially, the DSOP would be a continuation of the kind of mining practised in the Schefferville region between 1954 and 1982. Production would start in an area located 10-20 km northwest of Schefferville. The ore, produced by standard open-pit mining techniques, would be crushed and washed to increase its iron content and would be shipped to Sept-Îles by rail, from where it would be transported by ship to customers.
NML decided to pursue the DSOP as a matter of priority, since it could be developed in a shorter timeframe than the LIOP or the KéMag Project and with less capital, thereby potentially producing substantial cash flow as the larger projects are being developed.
The DSOP would be divided into two phases: • Phase 1, lasting two years for construction and three years for operations, would produce some nine million tonnes of ore starting in 2011; and • Phase 2, starting in 2013, would initially produce roughly 33 million tonnes of ore over approximately nine years.
The construction and operations phases of Phase 1 would create approximately 300 and 190 direct jobs respectively. NML has committed to providing 50 jobs at the operations phase for members of the NNK and the NIMLJ.
NML!s strategic partner is Tata Steel Global Minerals Holdings Pte Limited, which purchased approximately 27% of NML!s stock. Tata has an option to acquire, within a specified period, an 80% equity interest in the DSOP in return for a roughly $300 million investment in the capital cost and an undertaking to purchase at world prices the full annual production of iron ore for the life of the DSOP. It also has an exclusivity until 31 December 2010 to negotiate and settle a proposed transaction for the LIOP and/or the KéMag Project. Tata Steel is the world!s eighth largest steel- producer.
NML employed approximately 10 Naskapis and awarded approximately $260,000 in contracts to the NNK and NDC during the fiscal year under review.
The NNK executed a memorandum of understanding with NML on 28 July 2008, and both parties initiated negotiations for an IBA in late March 2009. The NNK!s negotiators were Chief Philip Einish, Councillor Paul Mameanskum and Mr Paul Renzoni until August 2009, after which the team consisted of Chief Louis Einish, Mr John Mameamskum, Mr Paul Renzoni and Mtre Robert A Pratt. The negotiations progressed well in the year under review.
94 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10
12.1.2 | Labrador Iron Mines Limited
LIM wishes to mine deposits of direct-shipping ores in Labrador in the vicinity of Schefferville, starting in 2010. Its activities would be a continuation of the type of mining conducted in the Schefferville area between 1954 and 1982. The ore would be shipped to Sept-Îles by train.
In April 2008, Council signed a memorandum of understanding with LIM confirming the intention of the parties to negotiate an IBA. The MoU requires LIM to take certain measures to employ Naskapis during the pre-production phase of its project and to provide training opportunities to NNK members. The NNK agreed to cooperate in the environmental impact assessment and not to oppose the issuing of any required permits to LIM.
LIM collaborated with NDC concerning the rental of accommodation, the hiring of Naskapis and the purchase of materials from the Manikin Centre.
In December 2008, LIM submitted its environmental impact statement to the GNL. The NNK submitted comments thereon to the Minister of Environment and Conservation in February 2009.
Negotiations for an economic development agreement commenced in late January 2009. The NNK!s negotiators were Chief Philip Einish, Councillor Paul Mameanskum and Mr Paul Renzoni until August 2009, after which the team consisted of Chief Louis Einish, Mr John Mameamskum, Mr Paul Renzoni and Mtre Robert A Pratt. The negotiations progressed well in the year under review.
12.1.3 | Adriana Resources Inc.
Adriana Resources Inc. did not undertake any significant exploration activities on its lac Otelnuk claim during the 2009-10 fiscal year.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 95 12.1.4 | Champion Minerals Inc.
CMI conducted field work at its Attikamegan property in Summer-Fall 2009. It did not hire any Naskapis in 2009.
In June 2009, Mr John Mameamskum met CMI to discuss its plans and activities in the area.
The TEDO has provided CMI with a list of Naskapis working or trained in mining-related trades, and CMI has undertaken to keep the NNK informed of its activities.
12.1.5 | Quest Uranium Corporation
For the last few years, Quest Uranium Corporation has been renting an outfitting camp from NDC for its exploration programme.
In December 2009, Mr Peter Cashin, President, expressed his desire to participate financially in a minerals exploration training programme for Naskapi youths with the promise that Quest would hire a few trainees for its 2010 exploration programme. Section 12.3 provides further information.
12.1.6 | Areva Quebec
Areva Quebec entered into a contract with KESI for the provision of brush-cutting, clearing and general camp work for its uranium exploration activities in the area of lac Minowean, located a few hundred kilometres northwest of Schefferville. Four Naskapis were hired for three months in Summer 2010, and Areva Quebec expressed its satisfaction with the quality of their work.
In December 2009 Areva Quebec informed the NNK that the closure of its camp was imminent, following which the NNK did not receive further news.
12.1.7 | Virginia Gold Mines
Virginia Gold Mines did not undertake any substantial work at its property near Lac Guyot in the fiscal year under review.
12.1.8 | Jasperine Project
In Fall 2005, representatives of Labrador Inuit Development Corporation visited the Schefferville area to view jasperine deposits. LIDC expressed interest in establishing a joint venture with the NNK to extract jasperine, to ship it to Labrador for processing and to sell it.
No work was undertaken on the Jasperine Project during the fiscal year under review. The NNK!s claims to the territory in question were renewed in July 2010.
96 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 12.1.9 | Kawawachikamach Gold and Other Minerals Inventory Project
On 24 August 2009, Council mandated JLC Resources Inc. to conduct geophysical ground surveys on Category IA-N lands to identify the precise source of the gold and other mineral anomalies detected in the 1983-84 Provincial Lake Bottom Sediment Sampling Survey.
The fieldwork took place on 8-17 September 2009. Messrs Jean-Louis Causse, Matthew Mameanskum, Joey Guanish and Rodney Einish participated. Complementary fieldwork over lac Matemace was conducted on 20-25 February 2010 by Messrs Jean-Louis Causse, Matthew Mameanskum and Peter Sandy.
The best anomalous responses/potential zones detected lay mainly under lac Matemace. M. Causse thus recommended that further work be conducted to identify more precisely the location of gold-bearing area(s) in and around lac Matemace. At the end of the fiscal year under review, the NNK asked him to provide a proposal, including a detailed budget and possible funding sources.
12.2 | Nunavik Mineral Exploration Fund
The principal mandate of the NMEF is to establish relationships between mining companies and members of the communities situated in Québec north of the 55th parallel, including the Naskapis. It was established pursuant to an agreement between KRG and the MRNF, pursuant to which KRG receives a subsidy for economic development relating to mining in northern Québec.
Chief Einish represents the NNK on the Board of the NMEF. The NNK was eligible to receive $20,000 for the 2009-10 fiscal year for activities involving training and capacity-building of Naskapis interested in prospecting and mining development.
During the 2009-10 fiscal year, the NNK requested funding for the following projects: • an inventory of gold and other minerals ($6,000) (Section 12.1.9); • the hiring of two students by NML ($4,500); and • minerals exploration training ($9,000) (Section 12.3).
12.3 | Minerals Exploration Training Programme
At a meeting of NDC held in Montréal in December 2009, Mr Jim MacLeod, a Cree from Mistissini who offers mining exploration services, offered to deliver a minerals exploration training programme in Kawawachikamach.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 97 Pursuant to meetings and discussions between the NNK, NDC, Quest Uranium Inc. and J.A. MacLeod Exploration Inc., Council approved several funding requests for purposes of holding a one-year training programme for 12 Naskapi trainees.
The NNK obtained funding from the following organizations: ______
Organization Amount [ $ ] NLMB 120,000 CEDO 20,000 SAP Employability Measures 68,250 Emploi-Québec 100,000 Pacte rural 30,000 Quest Uranium Inc. 75,000 NMEF 29,000
Total 442,250 ______
The training started on 5 April 2010 and will end in March 2011. The Mining Exploration Association of Québec reviewed the training programme and confirmed that the successful trainees will obtain the skills required by mining companies.
12.4 | Mining and Northern Development: Towards a Historical Political Ecology
At the request of two professors at Memorial University in St John!s, Newfoundland, in November 2007, Council provided a letter of support for a research project into the history of mining in northern Canada that would address, among other things, the social and environmental impacts on local communities where mines have been abandoned, including Schefferville.
Council appreciated that such a project could provide it with valuable insights to assist it in deciding how to deal with future mining projects, including participating in environmental impact assessments.
In October 2008, Council provided another letter of support to the researchers to assist them in obtaining more funding. The researchers were awarded an important grant for a three-year period.
Research started in November 2008 and continued in the fiscal year under review. It is anticipated that the final report will be submitted to Council in Fall 2010.
98 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10
Chapter Thirteen | Concern for the Environment
13.1 | Protected Areas
In 2008, Council proposed to the GoQ the following potential protected areas: Fort McKenzie; Eaton Canyon; Cambrian Lake; and parts of the George River. In order to define the boundaries of those areas, GoQ representatives travelled to Kawawachikamach in October 2008 to consult Naskapi Elders. The Elders identified on large-scale maps the areas that they judge important to be protected. There was a general consensus among the Elders that the area between Kawawachikamach and Fort McKenzie should be protected.
By letter of 25 May 2009, the NNK communicated to the MDDEP its understanding that: • the MDDEP has not yet determined whether the reserves for the lac Jeannin and the rivière George protected areas, both of which are located in the Naskapi Sector, will be eventually designated as proposed biodiversity reserves or national parks; • should one or both of those areas be designated as a national park reserve, a working group with local and regional membership will be created to develop a provisional master plan based on such activities as consultation and fieldwork, and a final master plan will be produced following public hearings; and • on 7 October 2008, the GoQ announced the creation of the collines Ondulées national park reserve, also located in the Naskapi Sector, and stated that a working group will be created to develop a provisional master plan therefor.
In its letter, the NNK requested from the outset membership on the working group that will be created for the collines Ondulées national park reserve and on any working groups that might be created for the lac Jeannin and rivière George reserves should they be designated as national park reserves. Concerning the proposed lac Sérigny and rivière Delay biodiversity reserves, both of which are in the Naskapi Sector, the NNK stated its expectation of being part of the formal consultations on and environmental assessments of the proposed permanent conservation plans for them.
At a meeting held between the NNK and KRG in Kawawachikamach on 8 September 2009, Mr Michael Barrett, KRG, explained that, under the Sanarrutik Agreement, KRG became responsible for developing parks and protected areas in Nunavik, subject to final approval by the GoQ. Mr
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 99 Barrett assured that KRG takes the NNK into consideration in its discussions on protected areas, and that KRG had supported the potential protected areas proposed by the NNK in 2008. KRG has three years to consult the concerned communities before submitting to the GoQ its final recommendations concerning protected areas in Nunavik.
Mr Barrett explained that the GoQ rejected the Fort McKenzie proposal because of its potential for hydro-electric development. Mr John Mameamskum replied that the NNK will put pressure on the GoQ to have Fort McKenzie designated as a protected area, emphasizing how important it is the for the Naskapis and noting that a group of Elders was planning to travel to Fort McKenzie in two weeks to visit the graveyard before winter starts.
KRG advised that there was a possibility that the Monts-Pyramides, which are adjacent to the George River, be designated as a priority for park development. Once a decision is made, the NNK will be advised formally. A working group composed of representatives of KRG, the GoQ and the concerned communities would be created. Mr John Mameamskum said that the Naskapis were one of the first peoples to be seen in the Monts-Pyramides area.
13.2 | Blue Lake Clean-up
Blue/Retty Lake, some 68 kilometres east of Kawawachikamach, contained over 1,000 empty barrels, some of them still containing hydrocarbon residues and various chemical products and other debris left by mining exploration activities.
KRG carried out yet another phase of clean-up there for 10 days in October 2009, in partnership with the NNK and the NIMLJ, employing five Naskapis and five Innu.
Approximately 9,000 pounds of metal were cut on-site, transported to the Schefferville vicinity by helicopter and then to Sept-Îles by train. A small pump station was burned in compliance with MDDEP regulations.
Water samples taken from a large quantity of mine tailings revealed to be strongly acidic, having potential effects on Blue/Retty Lake due to the topography. It is recommended that that impact be mitigated.
13.3 | Tire-recycling
The Tire-recycling Project in the Schefferville region was conducted in Summer 2009 for the third year. As in past years, the project involved collaboration between the NNK, the VdeS and the NIMLJ in collecting tires and in the associated planning/logistics.
100 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 Messrs George Katsimoko and Jesse Guanish, who were hired as the Tire-handlers, did excellent work in collecting the tires at Kawawachikamach, preparing them for shipment (washing them and removing the rims) and loading them onto the train. The DPW staff provided them with a great deal of logistical and technical assistance. Mme Jacynthe Guimond coordinated their work.
A total of 440 regular-sized tires were collected in the three communities (compared to 275 in Summer 2008), all of which met Recyc-Québec!s requirements (right diameter, clean, rimlesss) and were transported to a recycling facility in southern Québec.
A special project was developed to recycle oversized tires (i.e., overall diameter #123 cm) abandoned in the fenced area where regular tires are left for recycling. The NNK continues to search for funding to implement it in Spring 2010.
13.4 | Paper- and Cardboard-recycling
The NNK has been exploring the feasibility of a paper- and cardboard-recycling pilot project in the Kawawachikamach/Schefferville region, with a view to reducing the amount of waste sent to the Schefferville landfill.
The project is currently on hold, since the NIMLJ expressed a lack of interest, and the participation of the VdeS is conditional on that of the NIMLJ.
13.5 | Wolverine Workshop
The wolverine population of eastern Canada is classified as “endangered” under Canada!s Species at Risk Act. The NNK has had a growing interest in wolverines in recent years, as some of its members have reported seeing wolverines or their tracks in the Schefferville area, where mining exploration is intensifying.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 101 The NNK, in collaboration with the NIMLJ, hosted a workshop on wolverines on 26-27 March 2009. The goals of the workshop were to allow the participants to share knowledge of wolverines, to raise awareness of the species and to discuss its potential reintroduction into eastern Canada.
A DVD and a detailed activity report of the workshop, containing notes, pictures and a summary brochure were made available in September 2009.
13.6 | Circumarctic Rangifer Monitoring and Assessment Network
The CARMA Network brings together communities, scientists and governments to exchange information on the environment of wild caribou populations across the world!s circumarctic. It serves as a forum to synthesize data arising from community-based monitoring, climate stations, remote sensing, field studies and development activities.
The Aboriginal partners include delegates from Siberia and other parts of Russia, the western Canadian Arctic and Alaska.
The NNK is also one of the Network!s Aboriginal partners. It was represented by Mr John Mameamskum at the annual workshop that took place in Vancouver on 3-6 December 2009. Mr Mameamskum is a member of the CARMA Steering Committee on traditional environmental knowledge and wildlife co-management groups.
Through his participation in the Network and in the HFTCC, Mr Mameamskum has striven to promote dialogue between the two co-management groups at such events as the 12th North American Caribou Workshop and the Caribou Workshop hosted by the HFTCC in Montréal in January 2010.
The Network received funding from the International Polar Year. That funding is now exhausted, and other sources are being explored. If additional funding cannot be found, the Network may scale down its activities.
The NNK!s continued participation in the Network enhances its international image.
13.7 | Woodland Caribou Recovery
13.7.1 | Québec Woodland Caribou Recovery Team
The GoQ has designated the woodland caribou as "threatened" pursuant to the Act respecting threatened or vulnerable species. The NNK is a member of the Québec Woodland Caribou Recovery Team in charge of preparing a recovery plan.
102 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 The Naskapis are not directly affected by the measures proposed in the draft recovery plan, as most of them apply to zones south of the area used by them. The NNK!s involvement in the recovery team is thus limited to participating in bi-annual meetings and in conducting the required follow-up.
In the fiscal year under review, the NNK supported the six priority measures identified on 22-23 October 2009, as follows: • reach a special agreement with the concerned Aboriginal communities to stop hunting woodland caribou; • create protected areas that take into consideration woodland caribou habitat; • approve the Woodland Caribou Habitat Management Strategy; • avoid the development of recreational, commercial and industrial infrastructure in the network of protected areas and in the blocks of forests defined under the Woodland Habitat Management Strategy; • prepare a communication plan to inform the various stakeholders on the content of the recovery plan, including the organization of a forum and the creation of a website; and • complete surveys to determine the current level of populations and the survival rates of calves and females.
13.7.2 | Canada Recovery Programme for Woodland Caribou
As in Québec, woodland caribou are classified as “threatened” under Canada!s Species at Risk Act. Environment Canada has developed a draft National Recovery Strategy for the woodland caribou boreal population, on which it is consulting the stakeholders.
In February 2010, representatives of Environment Canada visited Kawawachikamach as part of the consultation process. Naskapis, including Elders, and GoC representatives shared knowledge via discussions, presentations, radio interviews and meals. The consultation was a success, as Naskapis participated in large numbers. The event was coordinated by Mme Jacynthe Guimond.
13.8 | Institute for Environmental Monitoring and Research
The IEMR was created in December 1995 by the GoC to oversee the environmental monitoring of military flight training activities at 5 Wing Goose Bay over parts of Labrador and northeastern Québec.
The Department of National Defence must file with the GNL an environmental impact statement for its proposal to conduct supersonic flight testing in a part of Labrador near the border with Québec. The IEMR will be responsible for monitoring the effects of the sonic booms created by such flights on wildlife and harvesting activities. During the fiscal year under review, it continued to develop its monitoring programme, which is based on the identification of valued ecosystem components and their associated sensitive periods and the estimation of thresholds in their
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 103 sensitivity to noise. The monitoring model was tested during trial supersonic flights at 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alberta, in August 2009. Mr John Mameamskum, who represents the Naskapis on the Board of Directors, took part in the field tests.
Mr Mameamskum also attended the June 2009 meeting of the Caribou Technical Committee in St John!s and the January 2010 meeting of the Aboriginal Board members in Montréal. Ms Brigitte Masella represented the NNK at the November 2009 general Board meeting in Goose Bay.
The NNK did not conduct the planned trapping in the Schefferville area in Fall 2009 as part of the small-mammal monitoring network of which the IEMR is a part.
13.9 | Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Coordinating Committee
The HFTCC is responsible for the review, management and, in certain cases, supervision and regulation of the Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Regime created by the JBNQA and the NEQA. Its membership is composed of representatives from the CRA, Makivik Corporation, NLC, the GoQ and the GoC. Meetings are held at least quarterly.
The Naskapi members are Messrs John Mameamskum and Jimmy James Einish. Mr George Guanish acts as Mr Mameamskum!s alternate.
They are advised by: • Denise Geoffroy • Robert A Pratt • Brigitte Masella • Paul F Wilkinson.
The topics of interest to the NNK addressed during the 2009-10 fiscal year included: • gifting, exchange, sale and transportation of harvesting products; • migratory and woodland caribou management; • commercial hunting of caribou; • use of crossbows for sport hunting of caribou;
104 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 • increase in wolf population; • hunting of musk oxen; and • Plan Nord.
13.9.1 | 2010 Caribou Workshop
With respect to caribou, the HFTCC has binding decision-making power in establishing the upper limit of kill in the Territory that falls under the purview of the Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Regime.
The HFTCC played a key role in drafting the Northern Québec Caribou Management Plan that expires in 2010. With a view to formulating recommendations to the responsible Québec Minister for a new plan, it organized a workshop on the management of the migratory caribou populations of the Québec-Labrador Peninsula. Held in Montréal on 20-22 January 2010, the workshop brought together interested parties from both Québec and Newfoundland and Labrador, including Native people, wildlife managers from Native and non-Native governments and representatives of the tourism, research and industry sectors. It combined formal presentations and group discussions in such a way as to favour the sharing of knowledge.
The main themes addressed by the workshop included the following: • historical and current knowledge of the caribou populations in question, including their biology and habitats; • socio-economic considerations (e.g., harvesting, impacts of development); • research priorities; and • the integration of Aboriginal Environmental Knowledge into management systems.
Messrs John Mameamskum, Jimmy James Einish, George Guanish and Edward Shecanapish represented the Naskapis in the workshop. Mr Mameamskum delivered two presentations: one summarizing the involvement of the HFTCC in caribou management; and another providing the perspective of the Naskapis on caribou harvesting.
13.10 | DSOP Elders! Committee
In December 2009, the NNK was invited by NML to participate with the NIMLJ on the DSOP Elders! Committee, which is mandated to advise the NML Board of Directors on matters relative to the impacts of the DSOP on the members of the NNK and the NIMLJ with a view to promoting sustainable development. It will focus on identifying, mitigating and monitoring biophysical and social impacts using Aboriginal Environmental Knowledge and Euro-Canadian science.
The NNK accepted NML!s invitation to comment on the terms of reference and to translate them at NML!s expense into Naskapi. Because the NIMLJ did not reply to NML!s invitation, the Elders!
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 105 Committee will be composed only of the NNK and NML until such time as the NIMLJ decides to participate.
13.11 | Lower Churchill Hydroelectric Project
In early 2010, the Joint Review Panel for the Lower Churchill Hydroelectric Generation Project informed the NNK that it had requested further information from Nalcor with respect to Naskapi land- and resource-use in the area of Labrador affected by the project. It also asked the NNK for information about its claimed rights into parts of Labrador.
The NNK provided information about the precise area of its claim to parts of Labrador and a brief history of that claim. It also submitted information regarding a court case that may provide a kind of a precedent for accepting Naskapi rights in parts of Labrador, at least to areas for which Naskapis can illustrate some continued use.
13.12 | Conservation Officer
The Standing Liaison Committee provided for in the NQPA will address the hiring and training of Naskapis to fill two full-time and two seasonal jobs as Wildlife Protection Officers.
106 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10
Chapter Fourteen | Education
14.1 | Jimmy Sandy Memorial School
14.1.1 | Introduction
The JSMS operates under the auspices of the Central Québec School Board. Its mission and vision are to develop autonomous, literate, culturally aware, healthy Naskapi youths who will be positive community members.
14.1.2 | Staff
There were 45 members of staff, including teachers, administrators and support staff in the curriculum department, the office and special education. Most positions were full-time.
New staff members hired for the 2009-10 school year included: ______
Name Grade Amy Careen Secondary I Michael Scholes Secondary II Carol Humber Secondary III B Louise McBride Secondary Generalist Ethan Lipton Secondary Resource René Labbé Secondary Sciences Norma Jean Jancewicz Adult Education ______
During the fiscal year under review, a half-time Post-Secondary Counsellor position was created. A full-time position was also created at the CQSB for oversight of the Naskapi file.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 107 Nine Naskapis worked as pedagogical assistants during the fiscal year under review: • Jessica Chemaganish • Tiffany Pien (through the SAP) (through the SAP) • Gloria Sandy • Rosalind Dunphy • Zachary Tooma/Yvon Bacon • Alma Guanish • Agnes Uniam • Susie Guanish • Shannon Uniam.
14.1.3 | Budget
The budget for 2009-10 was in the order of $6.1M (Table 22). The 2008-09 budget included $1,270,000 for the approved school expansion, which is not included in the present budget. The expansion has been tentatively rescheduled for Summer 2010 because of unforeseen concerns.
TABLE 22 | JSMS Budget, 2009-10 ______
Expenditure Amount [ $ ] Teaching personnel and benefits 2,416,700 Librarian 27,500 Liaison Officer 67,500 Curriculum development 188,500 Guidance 103,500 Adult education 169,300 Building and equipment 674,000 (including janitorial contract/snow removal) General administration (to CQSB) 440,317 School administration 452,300 Bus/public transportation 14,900 Elementary (room and board) 10,260 Secondary (room and board) 68,925 Cegep/college students 983,250 University students 233,320 Summer students 86,192 Scholarships* 6,000 Emergency travel (post-Secondary students) 41,900 Capital funding 81,600 Total 6,065,964 ______* The NML scholarships (Section 12.1.1) were awarded to Yvon Bacon, Ashley Guanish, Cory Mokoush, Donna Marie Sandy, Lucas Thivierge and Stéphanie Vollant, each receiving $1,000. An extra $500 was later awarded to one of them.
108 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 NDC provided a $25,000 grant, which was to be used for cultural, recreational and educational activities. Resources for the school were also purchased through this grant. The grant monies were administered by the JSMS, which placed them into a separate account and provided a quarterly Activity and Financial Report to NDC.
14.1.4 | School Calendar
The school calendar was as follows: ______
Event Date Teachers! first day of work 12 August 09 First day of school for students 17 August 09 Christmas Break 11 December 09 to 4 January 10 March Break 5-15 March 10 Goose Break 23 April to 2 May 10 Last day of school for students 18 June 10 Secondary graduation 19 June 10 Grade 6 graduation 21 June 10 Kindergarten graduation 12 June 10 Teachers! last working day 23 June 10 ______
Teachers are required by law to work 200 days per academic year, of which 20 are pedagogical days. Students are required by law to be in school for 180 days per academic year. The administration, support and professional staff are required to work 260 days minus accumulated holidays.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 109 14.1.5 | Major Accomplishments and Events
The following are some of the extra-curricular activities in which students participated: ______
Event Date Terry Fox Run September 09 Diane!s Day (in memory of Diane Mameanskum) September 09 Halloween Haunted House October 09 Floor Hockey League October 09 to May 10 Book Fair November 09; May 10 Christmas Concert December 09 CQSB Basketball Tournament February 10 Career Fair at JSMS February 10 Aboriginal Science Fair in Gesgapegiag March 10 Winter Carnival Day April 10 Snow Sculpture Day April 10 Hockey Bottine Tournament in Sept-Îles April 10 Bethel Bible Group from Sherbrooke May 10 Community Cook-Out June 10 Breakfast Programme* Year-round ______* The Breakfast Programme enabled the JSMS to provide approximately 120 Elementary and 100 Secondary students with healthy snack bars, fruit and dairy products every school day, starting in October. Teachers reported that students generally showed increased attendance and improved alertness, resulting in better performance and improved attitudes towards learning. Funding was accessed through INAC!s Reinvestment Strategies.
110 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 A student exchange was planned with the Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick, but the event was cancelled and there was not enough time to search for another community; instead, the students went on a weekend local camping trip.
Other events that did not involve the participation of the students included: • implementation of Naskapi curriculum at the Secondary level; • development of Naskapi post-Secondary policy; • visits from MELS and INAC officials on 22 February and 22 June 2010 to discuss the budget; • planning to implement the Work-Oriented Training Programme; and • planning to introduce a second Secondary IV class providing students with the opportunity to gain the required credits to attend vocational programmes as an alternative to dropping out of school.
14.1.6 | Graduation
It is anticipated that four Secondary V students, 16 Grade 6 students and 15 Kindergarten students will graduate in June 2010.
14.1.7 | Naskapi Education Committee
The NEC was created by Section 11 of the Northeastern Québec Agreement. It performs with respect to the JSMS the consultative functions assigned to school committees by the Education Act. In addition, subject to budgetary restrictions, the NEC has such additional duties as developing the content of courses designed to preserve the Naskapi language and culture, participating in hiring staff at the JSMS and initiating projects to develop programmes, text books and teaching materials.
The NEC was composed roughly equally of men and women during the fiscal year under review (Table 23).
TABLE 23 | NEC Membership, 2009-10 ______
Name Title Louis Einish Chairperson (term expires October 10) Mary Guanish Council representative Lynn Einish Member Lucy Guanish Shecanapish Member (term expires October 10) Edward Shecanapish Member Martha Mary Shecanapish Post-Secondary Counsellor Curtis Tootoosis Secretary ______
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 111 Monthly meetings are held to deal with requests and concerns submitted by community members. Emergency meetings are held when an immediate response is required.
Two NEC representatives attend the annual budget meeting between the Principal, the CQSB, the MELS and INAC.
14.1.8 | Highlights
2009-10 was a very good year for the JSMS: • the MELS and the CQSB provided several workshops about the implementation of the GoQ education programme; • there were numerous extra-curricular activities for the students; and • an agreement was reached with the Kativik School Board allowing for the enrolment of two Naskapi students to attend their vocational institute in Inukjuak or Kuujjuaq starting in August 2010.
Parents are encouraged to come and visit the school. By doing so, they become aware of the day-to-day operations and of the programmes offered to their children. 14.1.9 | Concerns
Graffiti remain a concern. The school custodial workers try to keep the walls, doors and windows clear of graffiti. We ask parents to discourage their children from damaging or defacing the school.
Absences and tardiness are also concerns. We cannot teach your children if they are not in school. If they arrive late, they miss the most important part of the lesson: the beginning.
On a positive note, the majority of the students enjoy attending school and act respectfully towards the staff and school. Hopefully, their positive behaviour will spread to all of the other students.
14.1.10 | Return (of sorts)
Ms Joanne Strasser-Einish, a long-time teacher at the JSMS (12 years), was selected as the Administrative Assistant for the Naskapi file at the CQSB. She began her duties in August 2009. She thus retains her ties with the JSMS and the community.
112 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 14.2 | Science and Career Fairs
14.2.1 | Kawawachikamach Career Fair
The fourth annual Kawawachikamach Career Fair took place on 22-26 February 2010. It was held in the form of a Career Week, with a view to promoting education to students of the JSMS and to all community members wishing to pursue post-Secondary education.
There were various keynote speakers, some of whom were community members who had completed their post-Secondary education. The speakers included: • Martha Mary Shecanapish, Naskapi Teacher, Bachelor!s in Education, University of Regina; • Teresa Spyksma, Special Education Coordinator, Central Québec School Board; • Karine Dupont, Kinesiologist for the Naskapi CLSC, Bachelor!s in Kinesiology; and • Frederick Gagnon, Nurse, Naskapi CLSC.
The event was extended to include Elementary students by having daily career-related Question Contests.
Approximately 100 individuals participated daily.
14.2.2 | Kawawachikamach Science Fair and Provincial Aboriginal Science Fair
The Kawawachikamach Science Fair was held at the JSMS on 3 March 2010 for students from Grade 3 to Secondary V inclusive. Prior to the Science Fair, a logo contest was held: Elementary students Celina Einish and Raven Shecanapish won. Their logo was printed on t-shirts and provided to all the Science Fair participants.
This year was an even bigger success than last year with over 60 local projects and over 140 participants.
Ms Oksana Choulik coordinated the Kawawachikamach Science Fair. The winners included: ______
Name Grade Project Mary Quiscappio Secondary IV Environmental Responsibility Trisha Marie Bacon Shecanapish, Secondary II How long can you hold your breath? Heather Einish Destiny Chescappio, Grade 6 Friction Cheryl Mameanskum ______
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 113 Those five students were selected to present their projects at the Provincial Aboriginal Science Fair held in Gesgapegiag on 23-25 March 2010 and geared towards students from Grade 5 to Secondary V. They were chaperoned by Ms Oksana Choulik and Ms Jessica Mitchell.
The Naskapi students were interested in learning from the other projects exhibited and from the presentations by McGill University and NASA. Mary Quiscappio was awarded first prize in the Secondary IV/V category.
It is hoped that such success stories will encourage more students to participate in future fairs and perhaps orient some youths towards studies and careers in science.
Funding for the career and science fairs was provided by the FNIYES and the Aboriginal Provincial Science Fair.
14.3 | Sachidun ChildCare Centre
14.3.1 | Introduction
The SCC provides an important support to families in the community. It offers a wide variety of child development activities that promote self-esteem and self-confidence in children while preparing them for school. Children are empowered to develop friendships with other children. The SCC is open full days from Monday to Friday. It provides hot lunches and snacks for the children. The language of communication is Naskapi.
The SCC operated at its capacity of 24 children in the 2009-10 fiscal year. Two additional “spaces” were provided for emergency childcare situations.
14.3.2 | Activities
Aboriginal Head Start programming is integrated throughout the childcare service. The Aboriginal Head Start On-Reserve Initiative, funded by Health Canada, is designed to prepare young Aboriginal children for school by meeting their emotional, social, health, nutritional and psychological needs. A description of the activities that took place in the fiscal year under review follows.
Nutrition and Health Cooking Workshops Four cooking workshops were held, including a parent breakfast morning, Thanksgiving turkey cooking night for young parents and evening cooking nights. The workshops were well-attended by parents, staff and Elders. Participants learned new recipes and took part in cooking nutritious, well-balanced meals. The workshops were facilitated by Ms Myna Mameanskum with input from the Naskapi CLSC Nutritionist.
114 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 Story Sacs The SCC continued last year!s Story Sacs project. Sacks made of felt and sewn and embroidered with Naskapi symbols by Elders were created with a view to increasing children!s literacy skills, promoting bonding between children and families and enhancing the connection between early learning and childcare centres and the home. Each sack contained a book translated into Naskapi or a Naskapi legend. The preparation of the books was coordinated by Ms Norma Jean Jancewicz in collaboration with numerous Naskapi resource persons and illustrators.
Linking Circles Training Ms Dixie Mitchell delivered the Linking Circles workshops in Kawawachikamach on 8-11 September and 2-6 November 2009. They enabled the delivery of and accreditation in early childhood education training to four Naskapi women.
Mental Health Workshops With a view to encouraging and supporting the well-being of children, individuals and families, Ms Karen Rice delivered a Mental Health and Communication Workshop in Kawawachikamach on 17-22 January 2010. It focused on communicating with and listening to children.
14.3.3 | Staff
The vast majority of the SCC!s staff is composed of women (Table 24).
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 115 TABLE 24 | SCC Staff, 2009-10 ______
Name Title Status Myna Mameanskum Director/Educator Permanent Annie Guanish Educator Permanent Ida Guanish Educator Permanent Mannie Quiscappio Educator Permanent Elizabeth Swappie Educator Permanent Lucy Sandy Joseph Cook, Educator Permanent Sannie Pien Cook, Educator (Floater) Replacement Darcy Chescappio Janitor Permanent Steven André Janitor As required Patricia Einish Educator Substitute Replacement Elizabeth Pien Educator Substitute Replacement ______
In addition, the following persons worked at the SCC on a short-term basis: • Lois Einish • Charlene Mameanskum • Jean-Guy Gauthier • Isabelle Shecanapish • Claudia Guanish • Esther Elizabeth Tooma.
14.3.4 | Board of Directors
The SCC Directors (Table 25) fulfil their responsibilities on a volunteer basis.
TABLE 25 | SCC Board of Directors, 2009-10 ______
Name Title Martha Mary Shecanapish President Gordon Dominique 1st Vice-President Shannon Uniam 2nd Vice-President Theresa Chemaganish Secretary/Treasurer Minnie Chemaganish Director-at-large Jennifer Sandy Director-at-large Edward Shecanapish Director-at-large ______
116 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10
Chapter Fifteen | Leisure and Recreation
15.1 | Naskapi Recreation Facility
15.1.1 | Staff
The NRF is staffed by a manager, lifeguards, assistant lifeguards, a water technician, games room attendants and janitors (Table 26).
TABLE 26 | NRF Staff, 2009-10 ______
Name Title Status Edward Shecanapish NRF/NCC Manager Permanent Marina Losier Lifeguard Permanent Susan Yonda Einish Assistant Lifeguard Replacement Medora Losier Assistant Lifeguard Replacement Alexandra Tooma Assistant Lifeguard Replacement Mary Ann Tooma Janitor Permanent part-time Billy Shecanapish Water Technician Permanent part-time Pauline Einish Games Room Attendant Replacement Ashley Guanish Games Room Attendant Replacement John Tooma Games Room Attendant Replacement Willie Swappie Games Room Attendant Replacement Darcy Chescappio Janitor Replacement Louisa Einish Janitor Replacement Lucy Ann Einish Janitor Replacement Vanna Einish Janitor Replacement Caroline Uniam Janitor Replacement Annie Vollant Lifeguard 2nd year of education leave of absence Peter John Mameanskum Games Room Attendant One-year education leave of absence effective January 10 Esther Tooma Lifeguard-in-training Resigned July 09 ______
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 117 15.1.2 | Swimming Pool and Exercise Area
The NRF is the hot spot for those looking to adopt healthier lifestyles.
Swimming course registrations for children and adults have remained steady. The average weekly use of the swimming pool was roughly 80 girls, 40 boys, 10 adult women and five adult men.
The NRF exercise area is equipped with aerobic- and weight-training equipment. Mme Karine Dupont, a kinesiologist, continued to implement individualized exercise programmes with a view to reducing obesity and the incidence of diabetes. As in the previous fiscal year, some 60 individuals availed of those programmes. Several community members also use the exercise equipment without participating in a personalized programme; their numbers are not tracked by the NRF.
15.1.3 | Other Activities
The Kinesiologist also organized the activities described below during the 2009-10 fiscal year: • Walking Club; • volleyball and soccer; • Family Skate; • psychomotricity activities, organized at the SCC three times weekly, in order to improve the motricity skills and spatial-temporal orientation of children, using such items as balls, ropes, rings and cones; • exercises for special-needs students, organized twice weekly during the school year, which consisted of cardiovascular and muscular training (e.g., treadmill, stationary bicycle, free weights, elastics); and • exercises for Elders, held weekly, in order to allow them to socialize and to exercise their muscles, balance, reflexes and flexibility using various games and materials.
15.1.4 | Naskapi Recreation Committee
Composition The Recreation Committee was composed of the following persons: ______
Name Position Denis Drolet President Jimmy James Einish Recreation Director Mary Guanish Naskapi CLSC and Secretary Abraham Chemaganish Elected Kathleen Tooma Member ______
118 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 Meetings are held on an as-needed basis.
Programmes The Recreation Committee geared its programmes towards Naskapi youths, but it also organized activities for adults.
In the fiscal year under review, it continued to organize such activities as Mother!s Day, the Winter Carnival and the New Year!s Bash.
It also played a lead role in delivering the activities funded under the BFP (see Section 18.14).
Activities were also organized in the JSMS gymnasium several times a week.
Financial Report The Recreation Committee received $150,000 from the NNK. Expenditures consisted of rental of the gymnasium, travel to tournaments, prizes and registration fees (Table 27).
The Committee spends a significant amount of its funding to accommodate the need of Naskapi students to participate in tournaments and sporting activities both in and outside Kawawachikamach. We hope that the parents and guardians of young Naskapis will begin to pay for more activities, so that the Committee will have more funding to pay for programmes.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 119 TABLE 27 | Recreation Committee Budget, 2009-10 ______
Amount [ $ ] Income 150,000 Expenditures Recreation Director (salary & benefits) 48,334 Supplies 5,167 Tournaments and activities 44,950 Van - fuel 5,389 Travel – Naskapi personnel 645 Telecommunications 390 Use of JSMS gym outside school hours 15,465 Total Expenditures 120,340 Surplus 29,660 ______
In Appreciation As shown above, the Recreation Committee is kept busy organizing activities. We wish to thank the Elders, parents, volunteers, other community organizations and members of the Recreation Committee for their support throughout the year. We ask that they continue to support our efforts in the year ahead.
15.2 | Naskapi Community Centre
15.2.1 | Staff
The permanent staff of the NCC consists of the NRF/NCC Manager, the Youth Centre Coordinator, a Youth Animator/On-call Supervisor and the Janitor. The After-School Programme Animators work on a replacement basis (Table 28).
120 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 TABLE 28 | NCC Staff, 2009-10 ______
Name Title Status Edward Shecanapish NRF/NCC Manager Permanent Patrick Bacon Youth Centre Coordinator Permanent William Allan Einish Youth Animator/On-call Supervisor Permanent part-time Yvon Bacon Youth Animator/On-call Supervisor Replacement Gordon Dominique Youth Animator/On-call Supervisor Replacement John Tooma Youth Animator/On-call Supervisor Replacement Louise Attie Mameanskum Janitor Permanent (until September 09) Alex Nabinacaboo Janitor Replacement Louisa Einish Janitor Replacement Mary Selma Janitor Replacement (until September 09) John Chemaganish Youth Animator/On-call Supervisor Replacement After-School Programme Animator April-June 09 Pauline Einish Youth Animator/On-call Supervisor Replacement After-School Programme Animator January-March 10 Medora Losier Youth Animator/On-call Supervisor Replacement After-School Programme Animator April-June 09 Amanda Swappie After-School Programme Animator January-March 10 ______
15.2.2 | Activities
The NCC continued to offer many popular activities: • it was used by the Rangers, Sparks, Brownies and Girl Guides; • community feasts and gatherings, family reunions, dances and such fundraising activities as poker nights, rummage sales and karaoke nights took place there; • such special occasions as the full range of Christmas festivities, Naskapi Nation Day, Valentine!s Day and Easter activities were also held there; and • Mr Balgovind Pande provided occasional self-defence classes, which were attended primarily by youths.
The Multi-Purpose Room, equipped with conference tables, chairs and handcrafted bookshelves, also serves as a community library containing some 1,000 books. It is also used for training sessions, small meetings, conferences, birthday parties and sharing circles.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 121 The Youth Centre, equipped with couches, a pool table, a ping-pong table, a big-screen television, a stereo and board and electronic games, continues to be an excellent meeting spot for youths aged between 11 and 19 years. It is also equipped with two computers that have internet access.
15.3 | After-School Programme
The After-School Programme is popular. Targeted towards Elementary students, it runs from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm, Monday through Friday, at the NCC. On average, 15 to 30 youths attend.
The animators assist the youths with their homework, organize such games and activities as soccer, ball hockey, sliding, movies, colouring, board games and arts and crafts. Several healthy cooking and eating workshops were held in collaboration with the Nutritionist, and healthy snacks were provided.
Funding was provided by INAC!s Reinvestment Strategies, the NCPC and the NCC.
15.4 | Summer Day Camp
The Summer Day Camp took place daily between 29 June and 5 August 2009, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm and 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm.
Activities included swimming, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, baseball, sports in the gym, fun with water guns, flying kites, ping pong tournaments, movie afternoons, musical chairs, tug of war, lunch and sleepovers at the NCC, BBQ and games at Jessica Mitchell!s house, days at the playground in Schefferville, arts and crafts with the Art Coordinator and circus and science camps.
The Camp employed approximately 30 persons, who are listed in Table 8. Assistance from the following volunteer Counsellors-in-training was helpful in organizing and implementing a variety of new, dynamic and entertaining activities: Heather Einish, Ingrid Katsimoko, Cheyenne Swappie and Anna Einish.
The Camp was open to all members of the community between the ages of five and 14 years. Each group was age-specific and under the direct supervision of a Camp Counsellor, with help from the Assistant Camp Counsellors. Approximately 50 youths attended the Camp on a regular basis.
The staff developed leadership skills and such other qualities as patience, commitment, active listening and teamwork. They served as positive role models for Naskapi youths.
122 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 The Counsellors-in-training programme allowed teens the opportunity to become trained as counsellors and to utilize their energy in positive ways. The Camp is supported by many community organizations, which donated the use of facilities, food, time and advice. Funding, totaling $62,000, was provided by the BFP, the FNIYES, the NLMB, the MELS, the National Child Benefit Reinvestment Strategies and the JSMS.
15.5 | Circus and Science Camps
15.5.1 | Summer Circus Camp
A Circus Camp was held for a fourth time during the Summer Day Camp. It was animated by M. Étienne Racine and Ms Amandine Paulina Garrido Gonzalez on 1-13 July 2009. The participants enjoyed such activities as juggling, unicycling, trapeze, diabolo, pyramids and clowning.
A variety show was held on the final day, highlighting the many talents of the participants. Over 50 children participated in the show, an outstanding turn-out!
Funding was provided by the BFP.
15.5.2 | Winter Circus Camp
Given the success of the Summer Circus Camp, a Winter Circus Camp was organized for the first time. It was held on 9-15 March 2010, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at the NCC during the JSMS March break. It was delivered by M. Étienne Racine and Ms Amandine Paulina Garrido Gonzalez.
The Camp consisted of three daily classes, each lasting approximately 90 minutes. Approximately 40 children, ranging from six to 12 years of age, participated throughout the week. The morning classes were devoted to the six- to eight-year olds, while the afternoon sessions targeted and the 9- to 12-year olds.
Activities included diabolo, stilts, rola bola, trapeze, juggling, acrobatics, pyramids, Chinese plate spinning and tightrope walking. The younger children particularly enjoyed practicing tightrope walking, while the older ones took a liking for the harmonic singing.
Close to 25 youths participated in an evening talent show where they displayed their talents to approximately 35 parents and community members.
Funding was provided by the Pacte rural and the NCC.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 123 15.5.3 | Science Camp
A Science Camp, delivered by Actua, was held during the Summer Day Camp on 13-17 June 2009. The animators provided hands-on science workshops. Targeting 7- to 13-year olds, they explored five different themes: space; ecology and weather; health; engineering; and chemistry.
By all accounts, the Science Camp was a success. Its funding was provided by Actua.
15.6 | Winter Carnival
The Winter Carnival occurred on 16-27 March 2010 in Kawawachikamach. It was organized by the Youth Council, the JSMS, the Recreation Committee, the Youth Community Animator and the Assistant Youth Community Animator.
Activities included a parade, ceremonies, competitions, snowshoe races, traditional skills relays, sledding, etc. Spirit awards were presented to youths who voluntarily contributed the most throughout the Winter Carnival, and the best male and female athlete received awards for their achievements.
124 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 15.7 | Sparks, Brownies, Girl Guides, Pathfinders, Boy Scouts and Wolf Cubs
15.7.1 | Sparks, Brownies, Girl Guides and Pathfinders
Approximately 30 girls participated in Sparks, Brownies and Girl Guides. They included: ______
Sparks (5-6 years old) • Stacey André Girl Guides (9-10 years old) • Brianna Chemaganish • Annabelle Chescappio • Diane Philomene • Destiny Chescappio • Nikita Pone • Tamia Chescappio • Elizabeth Sandy • Selena Einish • Aaliayh Shecanapish • Cheryl Mameanskum • Natasha Shecanapish • Josephine Nabinacaboo • Shayna Shecanapish • Jocelyne Pien • Potokuan Tooma • Jobena Robinson • Mary Sunshine Uniam • Raven Shecanapish • Renee Shecanapish Brownies (7-8 years old) • Eustacia Laila Tooma • Ameranda Einish • Veronica Einish • Malika Pien • Sara Angel Pien * Vera Rose Sandy • Sidney Uniam
______
No activites were organized for Pathfinders (11-14 years old) during the fiscal year under review because of a lack of participants.
Meetings for Sparks, Brownies and Girl Guides took place every Tuesday after school at the NCC. They were coordinated by the group leaders, Ms Jessica Mitchell, Ms Oksana Choulik and Ms Norma Jean Jancewicz.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 125
Activities included badge work, arts and crafts, games, community service, movie nights, swimming and such holiday activities as a Valentine!s Day Party and Easter activities.
15.7.2 | Boy Scouts and Wolf Cubs
No activities were organized for the Boy Scouts or the Wolf Cubs in the fiscal year under review.
15.8 | Regional Travel Fund for Sports Finals
The NNK was informed at the start of the 2009-10 fiscal year of the creation of a fund to offset some of the expenses of the participation of Côte-Nord residents in sports finals. It has not yet made use of it.
15.9 | Organizing Committee
The Organizing Committee works on a volunteer basis. In the fiscal year under review, it helped to organize several activities, including Father's Day and Aboriginal Day celebrations.
For Aboriginal Day the Organizing Committee cooked traditional foods and organized games at the former landing strip, including lacrosse, frisbee and the traditional game of throwing a large stick. Prizes were awarded to the best male and female throwers.
Until August 2009, its membership consisted of Paul Mameanskum, Sarah Pien Mameanskum, Melissa Peastitute, Maggie Swappie and Robert Swappie. Following that date, the Recreation Committee took the lead in organizing activities, such as the New Year's Bash and the Winter Carnival.
126 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10
Chapter Sixteen | Caring and Sharing
16.1 | Heritage Fund
In September 1990, the NNK signed An Agreement Respecting the Implementation of the Northeastern Québec Agreement with the GoC. Under that Agreement, Canada made a one-time payment to the NNK of $1,639,840. Approximately $300,000 was paid to NDC for certain expenses that it incurred during the relocation to Kawawachikamach. Council decided that the balance of approximately $1,300,000 should be used as a Heritage Fund.
The Heritage Fund has been used to guarantee the financing of several large community projects. It is also used to provide loans and grants to community organizations. Council tries each year to spend only part of the interest on the Heritage Fund, so that the fund maintains its value for future generations.
Section 16.2 provides information on the budget established for the Heritage Fund in the 2009-10 fiscal year.
16.2 | Air Inuit Ltd – Christmas Hamper Programme
Upon establishing that a route is attaining both service-level and fiscal targets, AIL sponsors a number of programmes aimed at providing benefits to the communities that it serves. One such programme is AIL!s Christmas Hamper Programme, in which funds are granted to a community after a successful year-end.
For accounting and administration reasons, the Heritage Fund and the Christmas Hamper Programme are now administered together.
Based on the anticipated interest for the fiscal year under review, the budget for the Heritage Fund was established at $50,000, and the Christmas Hamper Programme budget was $55,000 (Table 29). Given the low interest rates, the actual income of the Heritage Fund was $24,406. The contribution to the Christmas Hamper Programme, received in December 2009, was $56,442.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 127 TABLE 29 | Heritage Fund/Christmas Hamper Programme Budget, 2009-10 ______
Amount [ $ ] Income Heritage Fund interest 24,406 Christmas Hamper Programme 56,442 Total Income 80,848 Expenditures Subsidy for clergy salary 3,414 Church arrears 20,000 Ste-Anne Pilgrimage 8,825 Iron Arm Lake – Clean-up 15,301 Oil/electricity grant to Elders 6,600 Mistassini Pilgrimage 500 Graduation travel 2,250 Grant NRSI 10,000 Total Expenditures 66,889 Surplus 13,958* ______*In June 2010, $15,000 was issued to St John!s Church to be applied against its arrears.
128 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 16.3 | Naskapi Relief Services Inc.
Naskapi Relief Services Inc. provides assistance to Naskapi beneficiaries in need. It helps families to pay for funerals and to travel to visit seriously ill family members, and it assists Naskapis after fires have damaged their homes.
NRSI raises money to assist Naskapi beneficiaries by holding bingos. It is overseen by a Board of Directors (Table 30). Until March 2010, its activities were coordinated by a Relief Services Coordinator. Ms Sabrina Dominique, who replaced Ms Annie Nattawappio as Coordinator during the fiscal year under review, resigned in March 2010.
TABLE 30 | NRSI Board of Directors, 2009-10 ______
Name Title Nigel Einish President Robert Swappie Vice-President Marianne M Chescappio Secretary/Treasurer Lucy Sandy Joseph Board Member George Katsimoko Board Member ______
During the fiscal year under review, NRSI raised $22,776. Its disbursements to Naskapis in need totalled $76,114, divided roughly equally between funeral expenses and reimbursements for travel costs.
NRSI!s operating expenses were $13,625, leaving a deficit of roughly $74,000, dramatically increasing NRSI!s debt to the NNK.
In Summer 2009, the radio transmitter, which could not reach Schefferville, was replaced by the NNK. Unfortunately, NRSI did not experience an increase in the number of bingo players as it had expected. It is believed that the larger jackpot of the Innu bingo attracted most of the players.
In October 2009, the NNK decided to enforce strict accounting procedures for NRSI.
16.4 | National Child Benefit Reinvestment Strategies
The NNK received $108,984 in the fiscal year under review through the National Child Benefit Reinvestment Strategies to implement projects to prevent and reduce child poverty and to provide incentives to work by ensuring that low-income families with children are always better off as a result of working.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 129 The NNK allocated the funds to several organizations, programmes and activities (Table 31).
TABLE 31 | Allocation of Funds under National Child Benefit Reinvestment Strategies, 2009-10 ______
Object of Allocation Amount [ $ ] Crime Prevention Strategy 28,812 JSMS Breakfast Programme 10,985 JSMS Academic Excellence Programme 1,510 JSMS Pedagogical Assistants 5,778 Subsidy to Youth Council 5,000 Subsidy to NCC 5,000 Subsidy to SCC 20,000 Painter Home-to-Work Incentive 10,000 After-School Programme 4,521 Community Clean-up Project 4,974 General Administration 5,403 ______
16.5 | St John!s Church
The Anglican Church plays an important role in the lives of many Naskapis. Over the years, Council has shown its support for the Church by providing, for example, funding, labour and equipment to build the Church and the Rectory and to cover a part of the salary of the priest and the deacon.
St John!s Church has, however, accumulated a large debt to the Diocese of Québec over the years. As of 31 December 2009, it owed $72,210 for clergy salary and for its “fair share” contribution to the Synod.
Given that the NNK cannot use its own main source of funding, the O&M budget, to make contributions to St John!s Church, it has used some of the interest generated from the Heritage Fund to contribute to the clergy salary.
In the 2009-10 fiscal year, the NNK provided a grant of $20,000 (and $15,000 in June 2010 using 2009-10 surplus income) from the Heritage Fund/Christmas Hamper Programme towards the arrears to the Diocese of Québec. It also contributed $3,414 towards the clergy salary, which enabled Reverend Martha Spence to travel to Kawawachikamach for special church-related ceremonies.
130 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10
16.6 | Feasts
Community and individual rites of passage are celebrated with feasting. Special events in the fiscal year under review included Aboriginal Day, Father!s Day, the AGM, National Aboriginal Addictions Awareness Week, the New Year!s Bash, the community feast with Bishop Bruce Stavert and the Winter Carnival.
An Elders! Christmas Feast was held on 27 December 2009. It was coordinated by the NNADAP and Frontline workers. It afforded an opportunity for a community gathering honouring and celebrating the Elders. In total, 56 community members, including Elders, participated in the feast. Elders received such gifts as sweaters, hats, scarves and gloves.
16.7 | Naskapi Rangers Programme
The Canadian Rangers Programme offers persons in remote communities across Canada a unique opportunity to participate in a variety of entertaining and rewarding activities in a structured setting. The Naskapi Rangers Programme was established in 2002, and there are 30 Rangers.
Under the supervision of the Canadian Rangers, the Junior Canadian Rangers Programme enables youths aged between 12 and 18 years to develop leadership skills and to deepen their knowledge of Rangers, traditional lifestyles and basic skills.
Participation in the Junior Rangers soared from April to June 2009, ranging from 30 to 40 youths taking part in such weekly activities as cooking, crafting, fishing, sports and recreational activities, survival games, marching, shooting and target practice.
Following the summer break, the participation ranged weekly from five to 30 youths, mainly as a result of a change in commanders. Mr William Porter, a Canadian Ranger based in Schefferville, assisted in such monthly activities as rifle training and target practice, cooking nights -- where a Naskapi adult helped with traditional cooking workshops -- and recreational activities in the gym.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 131 The principal activities that occurred during the fiscal year under review were as follows: • in April 2009, 24 Junior Rangers and five chaperones travelled to Labrador City, where they went swimming, skating and walking and practised such military training as marching and lining-up in ranks; • five Junior Rangers attended a summer leadership training in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu from 28 June to 9 July 2009. This was a military training camp designed to promote leadership and develop self-confidence through challenging activities; • a Leadership Group was created in September 2009 for Junior Rangers 14 years of age and older. Fifteen youths joined and registered for the Duke of Edinburgh Award. To receive this award the youths must undertake tasks and activities related to: Community Service; Skills; Physical Recreation; and Adventurous Journey. A national awards ceremony will be held in the 2010-11 fiscal year to honour those individuals who deserve the award; and • a “Journey in Nature” Junior Rangers! survival training camping trip was held on 5-7 March 2010. The trip was restricted to the youths in the Leadership Group. It was led by the military and it consisted of a one-day classroom training and two days in the bush. The trip represents one component of the Duke of Edinburgh Award. It focused on map-reading, compass- orientation, selecting an appropriate and safe camp site, animal safety, etc.
Funding for the Naskapi Rangers comes from the Canadian Rangers Patrol Group, the NNK, the BFP, the NCPC and fundraising activities.
132 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 16.8 | Iron Arm Road
When time and work schedules permitted, the DPW cleared snow from the Iron Arm Road.
Given that said activity is a not local government service for which the NNK is empowered under the CNQA, alternative ways to raise funds to maintain the road are being examined, since the access that the road provides to cabins and to valued hunting, fishing and trapping areas is very important to the well-being of the Naskapis.
In November 2009, the NNK submitted a funding request to the CRÉ Côte-Nord under the auspices of the Programme to Maintain Access to the Territory with a view to undertaking major repairs to three culverts on the road to Iron Arm Lake. A response is expected in May 2010. If it is positive, work is scheduled to be completed in Summer 2010.
16.9 | Public Transportation
The NNK believes that it would be beneficial for the residents of the Schefferville region, particularly those from Kawawachikamach, to have access to a public transportation service that is reliable and subsidized.
Through its “Programme d!aide gouvernementale au transport collectif régional - Volet 1 : Le transport collectif en milieu rural”, the MTQ promotes public transportation in rural areas by making available funding to conduct a feasibility study and to implement a public transportation service. Funding requests must be submitted by MRCs or by municipalities that are not part of an MRC.
In November 2008, the NNK initiated the process of applying for such a grant for the Schefferville region. During the fiscal year under review, the NNK and the MTQ discussed whether the application would be submitted by the KRG or by the MRC de Caniapiscau. It is anticipated that an agreement will be reached during the 2010-11 fiscal year.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 133 16.10 | Salon des métiers d!art du Québec
The Salon des métiers d!art du Québec is a recognized art exhibition at which handicrafts are sold. Naskapi participation could generate favourable exposure for Naskapi handicrafts.
Under the auspices of the Kawawachikamach Crime Prevention Initiative, a Sewing Club was initiated whereby Elders teach proper sewing techniques to young women. It was anticipated that the Sewing Club would make sufficient quantities of handicrafts to be sold at the Salon, but, due to a late start, it was not possible to register and prepare for the December 2009 exhibition. The Sewing Club did, however, participate in the Kawawachikamach Christmas Fair.
It is hoped that the Sewing Club will grow in popularity in order to produce sufficient crafts for the NNK to participate in the Salon des métiers d!art du Québec in 2010 and beyond.
134 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10
Chapter Seventeen | Culture and Heritage
17.1 | Aboriginal Languages Initiative
In the 2008-09 fiscal year, a mobile Naskapi laptop laboratory was created to promote the use of Naskapi in new technologies for students in Secondary I to Secondary III.
The initiative was not pursued in the 2009-10 fiscal year.
17.2 | “Voices of the Caribou People”
The NNK took part in the “Voices of the Caribou People” video project through the CARMA Network. It involves gathering knowledge from caribou-users in the form of short videos and sharing them among other users, scientists, policy-makers and the public. It involved participation from Naskapi hunters and Elders, among others, on their knowledge of the caribou and their changing environment.
An 11-minute video on the Naskapis! knowledge, filmed in Fall 2008, is available through the CARMA Network. It provides the NNK with international exposure relating to the Naskapis! traditional use and knowledge of this important resource.
DVD copies were provided to the Naskapi participants during the fiscal year under review.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 135 17.3 | Hunter Support Programme
17.3.1 | Mandate
Section 19 of the NEQA provides for the creation of the HSP. Its mandate is to provide income, benefits and other incentives for Naskapis who wish to harvest wildlife as a way of life.
17.3.2 | HSP Committee
The HSP Committee is responsible for operating the HSP. It consists of four Naskapi hunters, who are elected, one person appointed by Council and an administrator (Table 32).
TABLE 32 | HSP Committee Membership, 2009-10 ______
Name Title George Guanish Administrator David Swappie Chair George Chemaganish Member Isaac Pien (Councillor) Member Sammy Swappie Member (vacant) James Uniam Member ______
Requests to participate in the HSP must be approved unanimously by the Committee.
The HSP Committee met approximately 14 times in the fiscal year under review. It submitted an activity report on each hunting activity to Council.
17.3.3 | Funding and Activities
Funding for the HSP, provided by the MRNF, amounted to $192,998 in the 2009-10 fiscal year.
The HSP Committee decided to combine the goose hunt and the ice-fishing in May 2009, instead of having the Ice-fishing in November-December 2009. There were over 160 participants. The HSP Committee approved a 10-day goose hunt with income for all of the participants.
The hunters were asked to take only what they needed and to share their kill with the Elders and others in the community who could not harvest for themselves. They were also informed that they could shoot one or two caribou.
The caribou hunt was unsuccessful in August-November 2009 due to the lack of caribou in the Kawawachikamach/Schefferville area, but the March 2010 hunt was successful with a kill of over
136 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 40 caribou some 140 miles northeast of Schefferville. An Air Saguenay bush plane transported the harvest. The HSP supplied the hunters with gas, oil, food and other supplies for the hunt.
The trapping activities normally held in February took place in November 2009.
Several persons of Naskapi origin who are married to Innu, and their children, some of whom are over 18 years old, are now eligible to access funding from the HSP.
Married men, widows and widowers were considered as active hunters and were paid $65 per day, while older women, single mothers and young men and women were paid $55 per day.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 137 138 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10
Chapter Eighteen | Health
18.1 | Naskapi CLSC
18.1.1 | Message from the President of the Board of Directors and the Executive Director
In 2001, the NNK and the GoQ agreed to launch a new era of cooperation with a special emphasis on the structural changes designed to enhance health and social services for the Naskapi community. The Naskapi CLSC was thus created, because of the desire of the Naskapis to exert greater control over their health in harmony with their preferences, culture and identity.
The commitment of the parties was to eliminate the gaps in health care and collective well-being between First Nations and the non-Native community.
We are pleased to present the annual report of the Naskapi CLSC for the 2009-10 fiscal year.
In addition to conducting its regular business, the Board of Directors took on the following challenges: • changes in the Act respecting health and social services; • strengthening the Naskapi CLSC!s relationship with the NMM medical accommodation in Sept- Îles; • consolidating the policy on medical transportation; • collaborating with the NNK on the completion of the CLSC personnel residence in Kawawachikamach; • planning a new building for the Naskapi CLSC; • periodic financial reports and loan requests; and • updating the Beneficiary List.
The H1N1 pandemic struck during the fiscal year under review. Steps were taken to vaccinate as many residents as possible. Special vaccination clinics were held during the first week of November 2009 on a first-come, first-served basis. We immunized 240 of 250 children of school age, most persons with chronic diseases and anyone in the community wishing to be vaccinated. No serious medical complications arise from the vaccination procedures.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 139 A new arrangement was made for the medical transportation needs of the residents of Kawawachikamach: local transportation service for patient, blood work and medication pick-up through the NRF.
The CLSC conducted a three-week trial to sell healthy meals at the NRF in November-December 2009. The success was such that our staff was spending too much time away from their regular work activities that constitute a priority. The sale of healthy meals will be re-evaluated at a later time.
The CLSC began a 90-day trial to redirect services to the elderly. A registered nursing assistant was hired on a short-term contract to try a different team approach to services. The renewal of a short-term contract will be evaluated in the upcoming year.
The CLSC collaborated with other community groups to participate in the Québec en Forme activities in the Côte-Nord area. The objectives were to decrease rates of youth suicide and obesity, provide healthy lifestyle and healthy eating education and empower youths to increase their opportunities to voice opinions and propose healthy alternatives.
The CLSC initiated a review of the non-insured health services offered to the NNK, the intent being to avoid potential duplication between the federal and provincial health insurance programmes and to standardize service levels with those of the Cree and the Inuit of Québec. The review is ongoing.
The above issues are very important for the future of the Naskapis. Detailed information is provided in the minutes of the regular meetings of the Board of Directors, which are public and available.
140 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 The highlights of administrative and financial matters were as follows: • the installation of I/CLSC software to monitor user visits, the services provided and vaccinations; • the project promoting physical exercise and healthy nutrition within families; • the evaluation of all clients in the HCCP; • the evaluation and upgrading of dental services; • the formulation and implementation of operational plans and follow-up for Health Canada!s community programmes; and • negotiations with unions relating to Bill 142.
Furthermore, the Board of Directors and the Executive Director encouraged the staff to take innovative measures to establish a health care and social services model that addresses both the physical health and the social, emotional, spiritual and cultural well-being of the Naskapi community, with the goal of increasing life expectancy and improving the quality of life.
The construction of the new personnel residence for the medical staff continued during the 2009-10 fiscal year.
The Naskapi CLSC thanks the Board members, the volunteers and our staff, who work together to improve the well-being of the Naskapis.
Jimmy James Einish Keith Leclaire President, Board of Directors Executive Director
18.1.2 | Board of Directors
The Naskapi CLSC is managed by a predominantly Naskapi Board of Directors that establishes the services that the CLSC will provide and decides on activities and resources.
At a training session on 14-15 March 2009 for the CLSC Board, the Executive Director was instructed to address as a matter of priority the two major health issues that were identified: diabetes and addictions.
18.1.3 | Programmes and Services
During the fiscal year under review, the CLSC managed the ADI, the FASDP, the HCCP, the PNP and the MCHP. The other health programmes, i.e., NNADAP, the MHP, the Solvent Abuse Programme, the FVP, the BFP, the Integration of Persons with Disabilities Programme and the National Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy, were administered by the NNK.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 141 The services offered by the CLSC encompass emergency and prevention. It supervises a team of three doctors who service the CLSC on a rotational basis, and it receives monthly visits from a dentist.
The CLSC building has rooms for medical and psycho-social consultations, radiology, specialized services (dentistry, ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology, nutrition, psychology and ergotherapy), a sampling and diagnosis laboratory, administration and a counter for prescribed medication. It has only observation beds, so patients needing long-term care are transferred to external health facilities, usually in Sept-Îles.
18.2 | Mental Health and Addictions
The NNADAP, Mental Health and Frontline workers jointly provided counselling and referrals and organized various activities that addressed issues of family violence, mental health and addictions during the 2009-10 fiscal year, as described below.
Women!s Gathering A Women!s Gathering was held in Sept-Îles on 21-28 September 2009. Twenty women, including four Elders, from Kawawachikamach participated. The event allowed for a meeting of First-Nation women and included a series of traditional activities, prayers and cooking.
Elders! Christmas Feast See Section 16.6.
Mother!s Day Activities Activities honouring Mother!s Day were held at the NCC on 10 May 2009 in collaboration with the Recreation Committee. They included prayers, songs and breakfast. Forty persons, including parents, children and Elders, took part in the activities.
AA Meetings and Sharing Circles AA meetings and Sharing Circles were held on a weekly basis throughout the fiscal year under review. Workshops were facilitated by the NNADAP and Frontline workers and featured presentations by persons in recovery.
Domestic Violence Workshop A workshop on domestic violence was held on 1 April 2009. It was facilitated by the NNADAP Worker and attended by 16 participants.
Residential School The NNADAP and Frontline workers led a workshop for residential school survivors on 8 April 2009. There were sixteen participants.
142 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 High-Risk Kids Training The NNADAP and Frontline workers, as well as three Naskapi youths, took part in the High-Risk Kids training held in Montréal on 21-23 April 2009. It included hands-on training through discussion, role-playing, group processes, practical application, videos and personal interaction. It dealt with identifying symptoms of high-risk kids and understanding contributing factors, family dynamics and proactive measures.
Your Kids, Our Kids, My Kids Workshops A series of workshops was developed by the NNADAP and Frontline workers following their participation in the High-Risk Kids training. These parent-oriented workshops were held on 6-7 June 2009 and were attended by eight participants. The themes addressed specifically high-risk kids.
Grief Recovery Training The NNADAP and Frontline workers participated in the Grief Recovery training held in Moncton on 12-15 June 2009. It included discussions on addiction, family violence, suicide and the loss of family and community members.
Holistic Healing Process Workshop The NNADAP and Frontline workers delivered a presentation on healing as part of a series of workshops that were held at the NCC on 11-12 July 2009. Ten participants took part in the activities.
National Aboriginal Addictions Awareness Week National Aboriginal Addictions Awareness Week was held during the week of 16 November 2009. Approximately 60 community members, including police and fire department personnel, took part in the activities. Radio talkshows were held, featuring the participation of five Naskapi Elders. The NNK also welcomed visitors from the Miam Uapunkan Center, who talked about alcohol, drugs and the issues surrounding dysfunctional families. Sixteen community members participated in the sharing circles. Closing ceremonies, including a community feast attended by 21 community members, concluded the week of activities.
Suicide Intervention Crisis Line The Suicide Intervention Crisis Line was established in April 2009 with a view to providing suicide crisis intervention services for Kawawachikamach in Naskapi and English. The crisis line used a cellular telephone line so that services could be provided on a 24-hour basis. Because of the strain on community resource personnel, however, it was discontinued in November 2009. Plans are currently underway with a view to reinstating it in a more manageable manner with the collaboration of the Naskapi CLSC.
Dialogue for Life Conference The Dialogue for Life Conference, held in Montréal from 28 November to 3 December 2009, consisted of a three-day pre-conference workshop for youths followed by a conference for adults.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 143 Seven Naskapi youths particpated in the pre-conference workshop, which aimed to create awareness and to provide coping mechanisms for anger, suicidal thoughts, depression and addictions. The delegation of Naskapi adults consisted of five men, 25 women and the Frontline Worker. The conference, held annually, is organized by the First Nations and Inuit Suicide Prevention Association of Québec and Labrador and features workshops on: family healing and suicide prevention; grieving from suicide in families, couples and youths; suicide and intergenerational transmission of trauma; suicide prevention, intervention and post-intervention workshops; workshop for youths; community strategies concerning suicide and sexual abuse; self-care for caregivers; self-care for the managers; sharing and healing circles.
Uashat Youth Gathering The NNADAP Worker facilitated a traditional healing workshop during the Youth Gathering held in Uashat from 28 July to 3 August 2009. Thirty-six youths and chaperones attended the event. They took part in drumming and carving workshops, listened to legends and storytelling, watched plays and enjoyed traditional music and campfires at night.
144 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 First Nations and Youth Addictions Prevention Training Programme The NNADAP Worker was recently enrolled in the First Nations and Youth Addictions Prevention Training Programme offered at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi. The first of four sessions was held on 8-12 March 2010. As described in the programme curriculum, the first competency enabled the NNADAP Worker to develop the necessary skills for the observation, analysis and interpretation of the various environments that exist in the communities while collaborating in an action strategy among the youths within a continuum of services (promotion, prevention, intervention and post-treatment).
18.3 | National Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy
18.3.1 | Activities
Funding obtained from Health Canada under the auspices of the National Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy enabled the following activities:
In-community Workshop A Journey of Hope Training Workshop was held in Kawawachikamach on 29-30 March 2010. Twelve community members, including seven youths, took part in the training, which was offered by Mme Germaine Mckenzie, Suicide Prevention Trainer, in collaboration with the Frontline and the NNADAP workers. The workshop focused on suicide prevention, awareness and intervention, as well as sharing circles. The prevention activities were also featured on the radio with a view to reinforcing them.
Dialogue for Life Conference Seven Naskapi youths attended the Dialogue for Life Conference (see Section 18.2).
18.3.2 | Financial Report
Table 33 compares the budget and the expenditures for the fiscal year under review.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 145 TABLE 33 | National Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy Budget and Expenditures, 2009-10 ______
Budget Item Budget Expenditures [ $ ] [ $ ] Salaries 4,900 2,900 Travel 2,250 2,768 Translator 500 - Honoraria 1,500 - Material 1,000 670 Dialogue for Life - 3,813 Total 10,150 10,150 ______
18.4 | Home and Community Care Programme
18.4.1 | Objectives
The HCCP aims to preserve and maximize a community member!s ability to maintain optimum health, well-being and independence for as long as possible in his/her home. It comprises different services delivered at home to those who have lost either partial or total autonomy. By taking a holistic approach the HCCP promotes wellness to prevent, delay or substitute for the need for institutional care and to enhance the client!s responsibility for his/her own health.
The HCCP!s objectives are as follows: • to maintain the well-being of an individual or family and a good quality of life for those suffering from a loss of autonomy; • to allow clients to remain independent in their current environment rather than in a costly institution; • to prevent health and psychosocial impairment or degradation of the social conditions of the population targetted, mainly the Elders, through the involvement of the family circle, the CLSC and the community!s social work resources; and • to keep Elders who suffer from a permanent or temporary health disability, a loss of autonomy or social isolation in their homes.
18.4.2 | Financial Report
Table 34 compares the budget and the expenditures for the fiscal year under review.
146 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 TABLE 34 | HCCP Budget and Expenditures, 2009-10 ______
Budget Item Budget Expenditures [ $ ] [ $ ] Community Health Worker salary 23,000 26,196 Nurse salary 20,000 21,956 Social Worker salary 7,000 4,686 Ergotherapist salary 15,000 8,144 Nutritionist salary 3,505 5,394 Domestic Worker salary 59,000 56,718 Equipment - 12,175 Total 127,505 135,269 ______The Naskapi CLSC offset any deficit encountered under the HCCP.
18.5 | Integration of Persons with Disabilities
A review of the literature on disabilities reveals that disability rates are far higher among older Aboriginal people (55 years and older) than among the rest of the senior population in Canada.
The most common disabilities involve mobility, agility, hearing, speaking and seeing. Moreover, Aboriginal people generally suffer from a disability for more than twice as long as non-Aboriginal people.
The experience of caregivers has shown that the Naskapis are no exception to this situation.
The NNK used the contribution for the fiscal year under review of approximately $1,800 from INAC!s Adult Care – Integration of Disabled Persons Program to adapt the bathrooms of the NMM medical accommodation in Sept-Îles.
18.6 | Maternal and Child Health Programme
18.6.1 | Objectives
The MCHP complements the other programmes that target maternal and child health, such as the PNP and the FASDP. Under the MCHP, many pregnant Naskapi women benefitted from advice from the Nutritionist, the Naskapi CLSC medical staff and other health and social professionals on how to care for their children.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 147 18.6.2 | Financial Report
Table 35 compares the budget and the expenditures for the fiscal year under review.
TABLE 35 | MCHP Budget and Expenditures, 2009-10 ______
Budget Item Budget Expenditures [ $ ] [ $ ] Community Health Worker salary * 4,763 Nurse salary * 12,547 Nutritionist salary * 13,485 Total 20,071 30,794 ______* The budget breakdown was not available. The Naskapi CLSC offset any deficit encountered under the MCHP.
18.7 | Prenatal Nutrition Programme
18.7.1 | Objectives
The PNP is a comprehensive programme for pregnant women who face risks that compromise their health and the development of their babies. It strives to recognize and reinforce the abilities of women to attain better health and well-being for themselves and their foetuses.
The objectives of the PNP are the following: • to educate pregnant women about the importance of maintaining a well-balanced, nutritious diet during pregnancy to ensure the healthy development of the foetus; • to work with pregnant women and, if possible, their family circle using their strengths, potential, expectations and needs, taking into account their living environment based on a culturally- appropriate approach; • to give children the best possible start in life by improving the health of pregnant women; • to reduce the number of babies born with unhealthy birth weights or prematurely; and • to promote breastfeeding.
18.7.2 | Financial Report
Table 36 compares the budget and the expenditures for the fiscal year under review.
148 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 TABLE 36 | PNP Budget and Expenditures, 2009-10 ______
Budget Item Budget Expenditures [ $ ] [ $ ] Community Health Worker salary 5,430 2,126 Nutritionist salary 10,023 13,485 Community activities 2,900 3,293 Total 18,353 18,904 ______The Naskapi CLSC offset any deficit encountered under the PNP.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 149 18.8 | Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative
18.8.1 | Objectives
The ADI is designed to provide a more collaborative and integrated approach to reducing the incidence of diabetes and its complications. It offers care, treatment and support services to diabetics so as to improve their lifestyle. The specific objectives for the NNK are: • to raise awareness of diabetes, its risk factors and the value of healthy lifestyle practices; • to support the development of a culturally-appropriate approach to care and treatment, prevention, health promotion and lifestyle support; • to build capacity, linkages and infrastructure for all components of the ADI; • to promote self-management; and • to coordinate with other community-based programming, specifically the First Nations and Inuit HCCP.
18.8.2 | Financial Report
Table 37 compares the budget and the expenditures for the fiscal year under review.
TABLE 37 | ADI Budget and Expenditures, 2009-10 ______
Budget Item Budget Expenditures [ $ ] [ $ ] Community Health Worker salary 1,000 6,531 Nurse salary 1,400 6,531 Nutritionist salary 16,574 21,575 Kinesiologist salary 6,833 - Community activities 2,000 200 Total 27,807 34,837 ______The costs associated with the Nutritionist are shared by the HCCP, the PNP and the BFP. The Naskapi CLSC offset any deficit encountered under the ADI.
18.9 | Mental Health Programme
18.9.1 | Objectives
The MHP fosters personal resilience with a view to developing coping skills, self-esteem and self-sufficiency, thereby enabling the effective utilization of the resources offered by a supportive environment. It uses the concepts of empowerment and resilience in each of its workshops and
150 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 group meetings. It consists of prevention strategies, public awareness and education, community action and community policy-making.
18.9.2 | Financial Report
Table 38 compares the budget and the expenditures for the fiscal year under review.
TABLE 38 | MHP Budget and Expenditures, 2009-10 ______
Budget Item Budget Expenditures [ $ ] [ $ ] MHW (salary & benefits) 16,744 - Frontline Worker (salary & benefits) 7,000 7,410 NNADAP Worker salary - 12,255 Materials 1,510 1,777 National Day of Healing and Reconciliation 1,000 - Conferences and training 8,251 17,480 Men and women!s participation in Suicide Prevention Conference 3,844 3,376 National Addictions Awareness Week - 500 Mother!s Day activities 500 - International Women!s Day 500 - AA and Alateen meetings - 247 Suicide Intervention Crisis Line 522 580 Elders! Christmas Feast 2,000 1,571 Women!s Gathering 9,719 9,536 Total 51,590 54,732 ______Although the AA meetings received funding from the MHP budget, the NNADAP Worker, and not the MHW, was involved in those activities. The NNK offset any deficit encountered under the MHP.
18.10 | National Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programme
18.10.1 | Objectives
The goal of the NNADAP is to set up and operate programmes aimed at reducing high levels of alcohol-, drug- and solvent-abuse among on-reserve populations. NNADAP activities focus on prevention, intervention and aftercare.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 151 The objectives of the NNADAP are as follows: • to give all Naskapis an opportunity to lead positive lifestyles within the community; • to increase public awareness of the potential dangers of addictions to alcohol and drugs; and • to provide Naskapis with information on the types of treatment available to them.
18.10.2 | Financial Report
Table 39 compares the budget and the expenditures for the fiscal year under review.
TABLE 39 | NNADAP Budget and Expenditures, 2009-10 ______
Budget Item Budget Expenditures [ $ ] [ $ ] NNADAP Worker (salary & benefits) 31,732 35,109 Frontline Worker (salary & benefits) 7,000 9,000 Conferences and training 8,250 7,271 Materials 1,511 1,777 AA meetings and sharing circles 500 291 National Addictions Awareness Week 2,000 500 Alateen meetings and youth activities 1,981 981 Women!s Gathering - - Suicide Prevention Conference 3,366 4,843 Total 56,340 59,772 ______The NNK offset any deficit encountered under the NNADAP.
18.11 | Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder Programme
18.11.1 | Objectives
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder is a term used to describe birth defects caused by drinking alcohol during pregnancy and nursing. Alcohol causes the greatest damage to the baby!s brain. FAS and the related health problems are a concern because they generate a permanent deficiency that requires continuous support. The reasons behind FAS are complex, deep-rooted and go beyond the simple consumption of alcohol during pregnancy and nursing. FAS can cause many problems: intellectual deficit, unrest, hyperactivity, attention/memory deficit, inability to control anger and difficulties in resolving problems.
152 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 The objective of the FASDP is to work with pregnant women and women in their child-bearing years who consume alcohol and, if possible, with their family circle in order to reduce the risk of FAS. To that end, the FASDP supports the development of a culturally-appropriate approach to care and treatment, prevention and lifestyle support programmes.
In the fiscal year under review, the FASDP focused on increasing public awareness, educating youths about FAS and the dangers of drinking alcohol and consuming illicit drugs during pregnancy and raising awareness among women about the importance of regular visits to health professionals during pregnancy.
18.11.2 | Financial Report
Table 40 compares the budget and the expenditures for the fiscal year under review.
TABLE 40 | FASDP Budget and Expenditures, 2009-10 ______
Budget Item Budget Expenditures [ $ ] [ $ ] Community Health Worker and Nurse salaries 6,746 11,372 Social Worker salary 3,195 2,343 Administration 1,774 - Community activities 2,000 - Total 13,715 13,715 ______
18.12 | Solvent Abuse Programme
18.12.1 | Objectives
The Solvent Abuse Programme aims to achieve the following: • to improve the quality of life and the functional abilities of persons addicted to solvents by minimizing the effects and risks associated with solvent-use; and • to support in-community outreach programmes that educate community workers and families on solvent-abuse and to provide follow-up to clients and their families.
18.12.2 | Financial Report
Table 41 compares the budget and the expenditures for the fiscal year under review.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 153 TABLE 41 | Solvent Abuse Programme Budget and Expenditures, 2009-10 ______
Budget Item Budget Expenditures [ $ ] [ $ ] Alcohol Worker (salary & benefits) 8,000 8,000 NNADAP Worker (salary & benefits) - 589 AA meetings and sharing circles 250 200 National Addictions Awareness Week 500 288 Suicide Intervention Crisis Line 519 283 Alateen meetings and youth activities - 519 Men!s participation in Suicide Prevention Conference - 219 Youth participation in High-Risk Kids Conference - 160 Total 9,269 10,258 ______The NNK offset any deficit encountered under the Solvent Abuse Programme.
18.13 | Family Violence Programme
18.13.1 | Objectives
The objectives of the FVP are the following: • to provide information and education about family violence to members of the Naskapi community, in order to break the silence and to provide appropriate alternative solutions to family violence; • to reduce the incidence of family violence in the community; • to ensure linkages with existing Health Canada and CLSC programmes, since family violence is related to other social problems in Aboriginal communities; and • to ensure that crisis intervention resources from the Naskapi CLSC are available.
18.13.2 | Financial Report
Table 42 compares the budget and the expenditures for the fiscal year under review.
154 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 TABLE 42 | FVP Budget and Expenditures, 2009-10 ______
Budget Item Budget Expenditures [ $ ] [ $ ] Frontline Worker (salary & benefits) 10,377 10,377 AA meetings and sharing circles 250 200 National Addictions Awareness Week 218 250 Suicide Intervention Crisis Line 218 250 Men!s participation in Suicide Prevention Conference 290 200 High-Risk Kids workshop - 358 Total 11,353 11,635 ______The NNK offset any deficit encountered under the FVP.
18.14 | Brighter Futures Programme
18.14.1 | Objectives
The BFP is coordinated by the NNK in collaboration with the NRF, the NCC, the Naskapi CLSC, the JSMS, the SCC and NDC. The NNK!s primary role is to review and approve the proposals recommended by the other parties, to table them with Health Canada and to provide administrative and accounting support.
The BFP strives to encourage and support the well-being of children, individuals and families through an approach determined by the community.
18.14.2 | Activities
The BFP enabled the delivery of numerous activities during the fiscal year under review, described below.
Local Tournaments Several local tournaments were held, including those for girls! volleyball and youths! baseball.
Hockey Tournaments A series of hockey tournaments was held in April 2009 in Fermont. Youths aged between seven and 17 years participated. Hockey bottine tournaments were also held in November 2009 in Sept- Îles and in December 2009 and January and March 2010 in Schefferville.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 155 Hockey Equipment Hockey equipment was purchased and made available to those children whose parents cannot afford to supply the equipment. The equipment enabled youths in midget, peewee and bantam teams to participate in the tournaments.
Hockey School A hockey school was organized jointly by the NNK and the NIMLJ in January 2010. Approximately 20 youths participated.
Junior Rangers Expedition A Junior Rangers Expedition was held during the week of 15 March 2010. Eight youths, 12- to 15- years old, participated in such activities as shooting contests and learned valuable outdoor and traditional skills.
Baseball Equipment Such equipment as gloves, bats and balls was purchased with a view to enabling youths to participate in the three field tournaments held in Summer 2009. Over 75 players participated in the tournaments.
Youth Umpire Training Three 16- to 17-year-old youths participated in the the Youth Umpire Training that was held in May 2009. The two-day training was delivered by a trainer from Québec City.
Circus Camp See Section 15.5.
Summer Day Camp See Section 15.4.
After-School Programme See Section 15.3.
Girl Guides Eleven Girl Guides, six Brownies and one guider were registered with the Girl Guides of Canada. In addition to the delivery of activities (see Sectionn 15.7), the BFP also enabled the purchase of uniforms and materials.
Uashat Youth Gathering See Section 18.2.
Linking Circles Training See Section 14.3.2.
156 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 18.14.3 | Financial Report
Table 43 compares the budget and the expenditures for the fiscal year under review.
TABLE 43 | BFP Budget and Expenditures, 2009-10 ______
Budget Item Budget Expenditures [ $ ] [ $ ] Summer Day Camp 25,000 21,328 Circus Camp 15,000 9,500 Hockey tournaments 4,000 5,500 Hockey equipment 2,000 2,000 Local tournaments - 1,500 Hockey school 3,000 1,500 Junior Rangers Expedition 1,000 6,078 Boxing Club 1,500 - SCC activities and operating grant 6,345 13,293 Sparks, Brownies, Girl Guides and Pathfinders - 5,597 Frontline Worker - - Baseball equipment 2,000 2,000 Youth umpire training 1,500 1,500 Uashat Youth Gathering 1,783 2,481 After-School Programme 5,000 - Total 68,128 72,277 ______The NNK offset any deficit encountered under the BFP.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 157 18.15 | Québec en Forme
Since 2002, Québec en Forme has been providing financial assistance to community projects that encourage the adoption and maintenance of a healthy diet and a physically active lifestyle among young Québécois up to 17 years of age.
A support application (the initial stage of the funding application process) was developed during four meetings with individuals involved with youths, recreation and/or healthy living in Kawawachikamach (e.g., Recreation Director, Youth Community Animator, Kinesiologist, Nutritionist, NRF/NCC Manager, Guidance Counsellor, Frontline Worker). It was determined that the funding would be used to promote mentally and physically healthy lifestyles for youths and their families, by attempting to: • decrease rates of diabetes among youths; • increase family participation in healthy lifestyle activities; and • educate youths and their families about healthy lifestyle choices.
The NNK!s application was approved, enabling it to move forward in the application process. On 26-28 January 2010, meetings were held in Kawawachikamach with two Québec en Forme representatives, Messrs Mathieu Vallet and Benoît Bernard. An action plan was formulated and submitted for review to the Québec en Forme Board of Directors in February 2010. A response is anticipated early in the new fiscal year.
158 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10
Chapter Nineteen | Justice
19.1 | Naskapi Justice and Healing Committee
The NNK has an agreement with the Ministère de la Justice du Québec and Justice Canada to facilitate the greater involvement of Naskapis in the administration of justice at the local level and to ensure that Naskapi offenders, victims and families receive proper treatment and support when encountering conflicts or crimes and have access to culturally-appropriate approaches. The NNK delegated that responsibility to the NJHC, which it recognized in 1998 as an independent body functioning with its own constitution.
19.1.1 | Mandate
The mandate of the NJHC involves offering support to offenders and victims by using such alternative approaches as mediation and peace-making circles. It is also mandated to educate community members of various age groups on conflict resolution, anger management, etc. It has been designed to work with different partners in the community, such as police, social services, front-line workers and the JSMS. In September 2009, it was decided that its mandate would no longer include the supervision of community service hours, since it is the responsibility of the correctional officers to do so, and such a task links the NJHC too closely to the justice system and prevents people from understanding its real role, which is more holistic, aimed at restoring balance and inspired by the old ways.
19.1.2 | Membership
The NJHC consisted of a Coordinator, six regular members and five community helpers during the fiscal year under review (Table 44).
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 159 TABLE 44 | NJHC Membership, 2009-10 ______
Title Name Coordinator Gloria André (until June 2009) Sarah Pien (interim June-August 2009) Caroline Einish (starting January 2010) Chairperson Thomas Einish (until July 2009) George Guanish (starting January 2010) Members Elijah Einish Jean Einish Joyce Sandy Shannon Uniam Tshiuetin Vachon Community Helpers Noat Einish Sarah Pien Philip Einish Jr Kitty Peastitute Kathleen Tooma ______
19.1.3 | NJHC Coordinator
After being unstaffed for several months, the Coordinator position was filled in January 2010. The Coordinator!s mandate for the remainder of the fiscal year under review was to strengthen bridges with other resources and services, to make the NJHC and its community mandate more visible and to regroup the members and strengthen the committee.
The Coordinator attended the following conferences and availed of the following training: • a workshop for the JHCs of Québec in May 2009, organized by Taiga Vision; • support from Taiga Vision in May 2009 on using the data-base for case management and statistical reporting; • coaching on managing the NJHC, planning and reporting from Taiga Vision in January 2010; • the annual conference of JHCs, police, social services and judges. Held in Montréal in March 2010, the conference was organized by Taiga Vision and funded by Justice Canada.
19.1.4 | Meetings
The NJHC members convened once during the 2009-10 fiscal year.
19.1.5 | Clients Referred by the Itinerant Court
Between April and September 2009, the Itinerant Court and correctional officers referred two clients to the NJHC with the mandate to supervise their community service.
160 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 19.1.6 | Training
Taiga Vision provided a training session to the NJHC, in which two Community Helpers and the Youth Community Animator participated.
19.1.7 | Conclusion
The NJHC has gone through a period of instability and needs to gain credibility and trust from the community. In order to achieve that, it will need to start working together as a team, establish genuine collaboration and offer its services directly to community members rather than waiting for referrals from the court.
Report prepared by Lyne Saint-Louis.
19.2 | Naskapi Police Force
19.2.1 | Budget
The NPF budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year was $656,323, an increase of $3,265 over the previous fiscal year.
In an attempt to ensure 24-hour coverage seven days per week, the NPF exceeded its budget by $125,000. As for the previous fiscal year, it received funding for 3.83 police officers.
19.2.2 | Staff
The NPF employed seven men and two women during the fiscal year under review (Table 45).
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 161 TABLE 45 | NPF Staff, 2009-10 ______
Name Title Status Samuel Pien Police Director Leave of absence from April to June 2009 Frederick Sonier Interim Police Director April to October 2009 Police Officer October to December 2009 Noah Swappie Assistant Director April 2009 to January 2010 Leave of absence February and March 2010 Alain Chouinard Police Officer with DEC May to November 2009 Sarah Pien Mameanskum Executive Assistant As required and Police Officer Permanent / April 2009 to March 2010 Isaac Gradim Police Officer August 2009 to January 2010 Jeffrey Schecanapish Police Officer January to March 2010 Isaac Swappie Police Officer January to March 2010 Raquel Bacon Shecanapish Secretary/Janitor Permanent / April 2009 to March 2010 ______
Table 46 lists the Security Guards and the Police Helpers who worked in the 2009-10 fiscal year.
TABLE 46 | Security Guards/Police Helpers, 2009-10 ______
Name Assignment Period Mike Foster Patrol the community with an officer 18-28 January 10 William Boucher Patrol the community with an officer 12 May – 2 June 09 Rodney Einish Patrol the community with an officer January – March 10 (part-time) Marc-André Meloatam Patrol the community with an officer January 10 (part-time) Serena André Band elections Annabelle André Band elections Rodney Einish Band elections Edward Einish Band elections ______
162 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 19.2.3 | Conferences and Training
The NPF attended the following conferences during the fiscal year under review: ______
Name Conference Noah Swappie Abuse Against Women, May 2009, Sept-Îles Samuel Pien Emergency meeting, July 2009, Montréal Sarah Pien Pandemic Planning for Police, Québec City Noah Swappie Dialogue for Life, November-December 2009, Montréal ______
The following training took place in the 2009-10 fiscal year: ______
Date Training Participant June 2009 Pistol Requalification Transition Course Samuel Pien Noah Swappie Frederick Sonier Alain Chouinard Sarah Pien Andy Dominique August 2009 Pistol Requalification Isaac Gradim March 2010 Firearm Destruction Sarah Pien ______
19.2.4 | Vehicles
In the 2009-10 fiscal year the NPF!s fleet consisted of seven vehicles (Table 47).
TABLE 47 | NPF Vehicles, 2009-10 ______
Year Model Description 1984 Snowmobile Trailer 1992 Honda Sport utility vehicle 2002 Bombardier (WT 800) Snowmobile 2007 Bombardier (Outlander Max) ATV 2008 Dodge Ram Sport utility vehicle 2008 Jeep Liberty Sport utility vehicle 2008 Dodge Durango Sport utility vehicle ______
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 163
19.2.5 | Highlights
Over 63% of the NPF!s interventions during the fiscal year under review were alcohol-related. Of the 12 suicide attempts, 11 (two of which involved youths) were alcohol-related. Perhaps due to more constant police coverage, police interventions increased by 38% in comparison to the average of the previous eight years.
Youths committed 50% of the offences against property and 10% of the offences against persons.
Police interventions involving women and youths accounted for 17% and 16% of the workload respectively.
19.2.6 | Community-based Policing
Ms Sarah Pien Mameanskum, NPF, assisted by the Youth Community Animator, delivered two presentations to the JSMS students. The first presentation, held at the end of the school year, involved a review of the criminal process and of statistics on the connection between alcohol consumption and criminal charges among youths under 18 years of age; the second presentation, held during National Addictions Awareness Week, consisted of interactive discussions on coping strategies that exclude drugs or alcohol. The NPF donated a bicycle to be drawn among the participants in order to attract students to the presentations. The winner was Noah Jimmy Einish.
Ms Sarah Pien Mameanskum also undertook the following: • assisted investigators by ensuring the translation of the information obtained when registering cases involving sexual assault on women; • conducted all background checks for the JSMS, the SCC and the Canadian Rangers; and • in June 2009 and March 2010, translated the firearms exam for two community residents.
164 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 Other community-based involvement consisted of the following: • Ms Sarah Pien Mameanskum participated in the Uashat Youth Gathering; • Mr Noah Swappie took part in the Healing Canoe Journey and the Christmas Parade; • Mr Samuel Pien participated in the Winter Carnival Parade; and • all officers assisted in counting ballots and attended the AGM.
19.2.7 | Safety- and Maintenance-related Issues
The following was done during the fiscal year under review to maintain the Police Station and to improve the safety of the NPF: • repairs to the front door of the Police Station; • electrical work for dryer; and • purchase of three pistols and six bullet-proof vests.
19.2.8 | Statistics
Having updated the Police Administrative Management System in the previous fiscal year, the NPF is able to maintain information disaggregated by age and sex. Statistics continue to be forwarded on a monthly basis to Statistics Canada in compliance with a uniform pattern for reporting statistics across Canada. Since only crimes excluding vehicle-related charges are retained for statistical purposes, the actual number of police interventions is not illustrated. Table 48 lists the statistics reported to Statistics Canada, those not reported to Statistics Canada and other police interventions.
Not all of the activities listed in Table 48 represent charges laid: the investigation may be ongoing; a crown prosecutor can refuse to lay charges; or a plaintiff may decide not to file a complaint, or may even refuse to cooperate during the investigation.
For statistical purposes, not all charges are included. Each file could have multiple charges, but only the principal charge is illustrated.
During the fiscal year under review, no complaints were submitted to the Commissioner of Ethics, and there were no criminal allegations against police officers. One internal disciplinary measure was taken.
Table 49 shows the number of files that were handled by each officer.
19.2.9 | Priorities
A three-year contract was signed with a candidate wishing to obtain an Attestation d!études collégiales, who should start duty in October 2010.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 165 Our priorities for the new fiscal year include the following: Training Pistol requalification Vehicles Purchase a new police vehicle Repairs Plumbing and other upgrades in the Police Station Crime prevention programmes Present a video on violence to students and work on the prevention of bullying Highway Safety Code With the printing of new hybrid tickets, the NPF will be issuing tickets under the Highway Safety Code as well as under NNK by-laws.
TABLE 48 | Statistics on Police Interventions ______
Police activities reported to Statistics Canada
Type of Offence
Offences against persons 2009-10 2008-09 2007-08 2006-07 2005-06 2004-05 2003-04 2002-03 2001-02
Abandoning a child 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 - - Assault 32 22 30 47 28 16 29 18 28 Assault, aggravated 6 2 2 4 - - - - - Assault with weapon causing bodily harm 3 1 7 0 0 6 15 7 6 Assault against a police officer 5 0 5 6 1 1 8 2 3 Assault, sexual 2 4 2 2 1 2 1 1 3 Careless use of firearm 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 0 Criminal harassment 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 1 Indecent or harassing phone call 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Manslaughter 0 0 1 ------Offences relating to a police officer 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 Uttering threats 8 6 5 5 2 5 3 4 8 Other criminal offences 2 0 0 5 0 0 0 3 0 SUB-TOTAL 60 35 52 70 32 30 68 38 50
Offences against property 2009-10 2008-09 2007-08 2006-07 2005-06 2004-05 2003-04 2002-03 2001-02
Arson 1 1 0 1 0 0 7 - - Breaking and entering with intent 3 17 14 9 4 10 15 11 6 Mischief - damage under $5,000 23 17 25 41 19 17 9 14 9 Mischief - damage over $5,000 2 5 11 - 20 14 8 0 16 Possession of property obtained by crime 0 0 0 - 0 0 1 - - Taking a motor vehicle/vessel or found therein 0 0 0 1 0 4 2 - - Theft 1 4 4 3 0 1 2 6 1 SUB-TOTAL 29 44 54 55 43 46 44 31 32
Other Criminal Code infractions 2009-10 2008-09 2007-08 2006-07 2005-06 2004-05 2003-04 2002-03 2001-02
Possession for trafficking in controlled substances 0 0 0 - 4 1 5 2 1 Possession of controlled substances 1 1 0 2 0 0 5 - - SUB-TOTAL 1 1 0 2 4 1 10 2 1
166 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 Police activities not reported to Statistics Canada
Type of Offence
Other events 2009-10 2008-09 2007-08 2006-07 2005-06 2004-05 2003-04 2002-03 2001-02
Accidents 5 3 7 0 3 3 2 4 - Assistance to Naskapi CLSC 4 1 3 5 - - - - - Assistance to police 6 4 3 8 22 24 12 20 5 Assistance to public 47 8 10 18 9 25 n/a 37 28 Attempted suicide 12 15 9 22 12 7 n/a 1 1 Breach of probation 3 0 3 2 1 6 5 20 33 Breach/failure of undertaking/order 8 1 4 6 6 6 34 20 33 Causing a disturbance 13 9 14 12 0 5 5 6 1 Dangerous operation of a vehicle 0 0 0 3 1 0 1 - - Driving a vehicle while disqualified 2 0 3 - 0 0 1 0 - Driving a vehicle while intoxicated 7 2 0 5 0 2 3 - - Escape 1 0 0 - 0 0 5 3 0 Failure to stop at the scene of an accident 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 - - False alarm 8 0 2 7 0 3 1 0 - Missing person 7 0 2 5 1 1 3 1 - Resisting arrest/obstruction 3 0 1 1 0 2 2 - - Unlawfully occupying a dwelling 0 0 0 - 0 0 2 1 1 Youth protection 0 2 1 3 7 2 8 8 10 Other 39 4 1 13 21 2 3 0 - SUB-TOTAL 165 49 63 111 83 89 88 121 112
Summary of police activities
Type of offence 8-year average* 2009-10 2008-09 2007-08 2006-07 2005-06 2004-05 2003-04 2002-03 2001-02
Police activities reported to Statistics Canada
Offences against persons 47 60 35 52 70 32 30 68 38 50 Offences against property 44 29 44 54 55 43 46 44 31 32 Other Criminal Code infractions 3 1 1 0 2 4 1 10 2 1
Police activities not reported to Statistics Canada
Other events 95 165 49 63 111 83 89 88 121 112
TOTAL 189 255 129 169 238 162 166 210 192 195
*Covers the fiscal years from 2001-02 to 2008-09. ______
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 167 TABLE 49 | Number of Files Handled by Constables, 2009-10 ______
Constable Files Opened Alain Chouinard 84 Andy Dominique 35 Isaac Gradim 59 Samuel Pien 3 Sarah Pien Mameanskum 8 Jeffrey Shecanapish 15 Fred Sonier 16 Isaac Swappie 21 Noah Swappie 29 Total 270 ______
19.3 | Police Committee
The Police Committee had six members during the fiscal year under review (Table 50).
TABLE 50 | Police Committee Membership, 2009-10 ______
Title Status Name Police Director Ex-officio Samuel Pien Councillor Appointed Paul Mameanskum (replaced by Jimmy James Einish) Member Elected Elijah Einish Member Elected Thomas Einish Member Elected Suzie Guanish Member Elected Edna Mameanskum ______
The Police Committee did not meet with the NPF in the fiscal year under review.
168 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 19.4 | Kawawachikamach Crime Prevention Initiative
In January 2008, the National Crime Prevention Centre approved $300,000 in funding to the NNK over three years to implement a crime prevention pilot project, entitled the Kawawachikamach Crime Prevention Initiative.
The objective of the Initiative is to break negative patterns perpetuated from one generation to the next, with a view to reducing criminal activity. It is being met by implementing projects and activities that engage youths and promote balanced healthy lifestyles.
The Youth Community Animator, Ms Sabrina Bonfonti, coordinates the activities under the Initiative. On 11-15 May 2009, she participated in a training course entitled Believe in our Youth - Instructors Training, which focused on Aboriginal youth wellness.
Ms Patricia Fontaine and Mr Luke Wesley Einish worked during summer as part-time Assistant Youth Community Animators. As both left the community to pursue post-secondary education, Ms Esther Tooma was hired as the full-time Assistant Youth Community Animator in December 2009.
The following illustrates some of the activities that were held in the fiscal year under review: • two Traditional Skills Camps at Iron Arm Lake, where the youths practiced bannock-making, ice-fishing, cross-country skiing, hunting, snaring, snowshoeing, etc; • the Uashat Youth Gathering (see Section 18.2); • the Junior Rangers camping trips (see Section 16.7); • the Sewing Club, activated in October 2009 and in which four to five teenage girls participate weekly. It is led by Ms Shannon Uniam and two Elders; • the Healing Canoe Journey coordinated by Ms Sabrina Bonfonti, in which two guides, three assistant chaperones and three youths took part. The six-week journey consisted of three weeks of canoeing interspersed with three weeks of community work; • seven “Late Night” events, each averaging 35 youths. These dry events were held at the gym and the NCC on Friday nights from 9:00 pm to 1:30 am for Secondary students. Healthy snacks
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 169 were served and activities included recreational and sports activities, games, tournaments (ping pong, fooseball), cards, hide-and-seek and movies; • two presentations by Ms Sarah Pien Mameanskum, NPF, and Ms Sabrina Bonfonti to the JSMS students (see Section 19.2.6); and • an additional After-School Programme Animator was hired to engage the young children after school hours.
The Naskapi Crime Prevention Board is mandated to evaluate the progress and impacts of the Initiative. Twelve community members sat on the Board during the 2009-10 fiscal year (Table 51).
TABLE 51 | Naskapi Crime Prevention Board Membership, 2009-10 ______
Name Affiliation Caroline Einish NJHC Coordinator Sabrina Bonfonti Youth Community Animator Jimmy James Einish NNK Council Jimmy Peter Einish Frontline Worker Keith Leclaire Naskapi CLSC Sarah Pien Mameanskum NPF Fred Mills JSMS Edward Shecanapish NRF/NCC Manager George Chemaganish Elder representative Annie Chescappio Elder representative Lianne Chemaganish Youth representative Martial Pinette Youth representative ______
Funding for the Initiative comes from the NCPC, the NCC, the National Child Benefit Reinvestment Strategies, fund-raising, the JSMS and the BFP.
170 | Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 19.5 | Correctional Services Caseworker
Pursuant to negotiations with Québec Professional Correctional Services, the NNK posted a Correctional Services Caseworker job opportunity in August 2009. Unfortunately, no qualified Naskapi applied for the position. Consequently, with the consent of the NNK and the NIMLJ, QPCS hired M. Jacques Gauthier, a Schefferville resident, to serve clients in both communities.
M. Jean Caron, QPCS Director, expressed his desire to re-assess the situation in a few years and possibly hire a Naskapi Caseworker for the Naskapi clients should a qualified candidate be interested.
Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach | ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 | 171