JANUARY 2011 VOLUME 14 - NUMBER 1 FREE Rising from the ashes in 2011 Mike Tanton devotes countless hours to helping others in the community. Now he is finding just how much his efforts have been appreciated in his family’s time of need following a devastating fire. (Photo by John Lagimodiere) RE-ELECTED Saskatchewan’s own Clem Chartierisstillatthehelmofthe MétisNationalCouncil. - Page 2 HUMANRIGHTSREFORM JudgeDavidArnottisdetermined to reform the Human Rights process in Saskatchewan. - Page 3 COOKING NECKBONES PatLetendreknowswhatshe’s By John Lagimodiere Jackson, so there were no injuries even though they were doingwhenitcomestocooking Of Eagle Feather News both covered in smoke and soot so bad that the lizard was a Métis favourite. aving a fire in your house is a devastating expe- black.” - Page 10 rience. Having your house gutted by fire a week What could have been a disastrous Christmas for before Christmas takes that hardship to another Tanton, his wifeTanya, five-year-old daughterWillow and TIGA TALK! level, but that is exactly what happened to White Buffalo one-year-old son Shiah has turned into a story of Christmas Youth Lodge Director Mike Tanton and his family on giving and community support. The popular children’s show, H December 17. The old saying of what comes around goes around TigaTalk!retrunstotheairon “I got a call from my wife that our house was on fire applies here. Tanton has spent countless hours working APTN. and my heart dropped,” saidTanton in an interview outside with youth, coaching basketball and volunteering and that - Page 12 of the burned shell of his house in Saskatoon. investment has come back to him in spades. NOLAN COMING TO SK “Thankfully no one was home when it started and no “The amount of support we received from the communitywasamazing.Itjuststartedcomingfromevery- FormerNHLcoachTedNolanwill one was hurt, but still, everything is gone.” where,” said Tanton. beaguestspeakerinSaskatoon The fire was lit by a faulty fan cord in a bedroom.The “At Rawlco radio they got 300 emails telling them in April. blaze went up through the roof, across the attic and then about us so we became one of their adopted families for a - Page 20 back down into the main floor.Apasserby noticed smoke and called the fire department. Christmas hamper.My staff atWhite Buffalo all came and “The person kicked in the door and allowed our dog dropped things off or looked after my pets. Ian Myrtle at Welcome to our Rocko to escape. But Rocko didn’t recognize anyone so the Saskatoon Minor BasketballAssociation put out a call Year in Review Issue he ran back inside. Gratefully the firefighters went in and and there were tons of coaches and players that new me Coming In February: rescued him even though he was growling and is a pit bull,” from playing or coaching against me came and dropped Health & Wellness Issue said a relieved Tanton. offgiftcardsorthingsforthekids.Wewereoverwhelmed.” CPMA #40027204 “They also rescued my daughter’s lizard, Michael •Continued on Page 2 2 Eagle Feather News JANUARY 2011 Community support overwhelming Chartier re-elected president following pre-Christmas 3re By Darla Read can happen. For Eagle Feather News “We can’t demand recognition of our control • Continued from Page One over citizenship The U of S vet clinic also treated and cleaned up the lizard he incumbent president of the Métis when we have not Michael Jackson and the What a Mess pet groomers washed and National Council was re-elected at this yet established a pampered Rocko all for free. year’s General Assembly in Saskatoon. national citizenship The person having the hardest time with the fire was Willow. Clem Chartier allowed his name to stand as system and accept- “She was not doing well with it but once the animals were The sought a third term as MNC president.Aformer ance process. saved she was only concerned about a jewellery box she had and RCMP officer, government employee and busi- “Before we her Monty Rex toy. We found the jewellery box, but we couldn’t nessman, John Keyuk from Ontario, was the only can realistically find Monty. person who ran against Chartier. press for this “We tried hard to get Santa to find her a new Monty Rex, but Chartier gave his campaign speech first, stronger relation- we just couldn’t,” added Tanton. followed by Keyuk, who gave an impassioned ship, we must “And she was very worried about our future because we had speech when he took the podium, saying he was strengthen our no house. But I assured her we would be fine. We have watched disappointed by how he’d been treated over the internal gover- Harry Potter together and I told her that just like the Phoenix that past 48 hours. nance. We can’t rises from the ashes, so would our family, Daddy has a new job and “I’ve been insulted. I’ve been chastised. I’ve demand recogni- she will get a brand new bedroom and we would be just fine. She been told I don’t have a right to run. I’ve insulted tion of our consti- is getting better every day.” people by even considering to run,” Keyuk said. tution when we Tanton admits that sometimes he spends too much time “I’ve been misquoted, suggesting I’m against don’t have one.” volunteering in the community at the expense of his family and women, Métis women, racist, and First Nations. Chartier says is grateful for his wife’s support of his work, but the response he And, as a government employee, (that) I have not they have worked got from the community when he was in need was proof that he stood up for Métis people.” on the constitution has been doing the right thing all along. In the end, delegates voted overwhelmingly for 27 years “I constantly try to put myself in a position to build the in favour of Chartier, who took 80 per cent of the because it’s community. The support we have received solidified the fact that 55 votes. CLEM CHARTIER complex and I have been doing good things. It makes me feel good that there are Chartier would like to spend the term moving requires a lot of research and dialogue on things people out there that maybe I affected in a positive way,” said forward on constitutional reform, noting a stronger like how to respect the Métis nation as a whole Tanton. relationship between Canada and the Métis could while respecting provincial jurisdiction, as well “People are now looking out for us and it makes me want to reap benefits for them, such as being able to push as who is Métis and how to create a citizenship work harder in the community just because of the support we have for some of the tax revenue the provinces and registry. received. It lets me know I am on the right path. It feels good. federal government collect from Métis people. “We need to ensure our registries reflect who “We are grateful.” However, Chartier says the Métis have to get their own governance issues in order before that is Métis, not someone who simply says ‘I’m of mixed ancestry, I can’t get Indian status, therefore JANUARY 2011 Eagle Feather News 3 Arnott determined to improve human rights process By John Lagimodiere lution and settlement without litigation, prosecution and Of Eagle Feather News tribunals. In the last two years they have only conducted heaveragetimeittakesforahumanrightscomplaint three prosecutions. Wewant to resolve issues before it gets inSaskatchewantobesettledisthreeyears.ToDavid to a tribunal or judge.” Arnot,theChiefCommissioneroftheSaskatchewan The Commission is proposing to change their ways HumanRightsCommissionthatisunacceptable.Arnotand based on four pillars. First they want to be efficient and This staff have been working hard to make the Commission effective in investigation, prosecution and gate keeping for aCanadianleaderandmodelof21stCenturybestpractices. complaints of discrimination. In an exclusive interview with Eagle Feather News, Second,likeinManitoba,theywanttoseeanincreased Arnot,whoservedastheTreatyCommissionerforadecade, focusonearlyresolutionusingmediation,collaborationand reiterated the Commission’s commitment to being the best other forms of dispute resolution. This section will incor- Human Rights Commission in Canada.Already they have porateprinciplesfromtheAboriginalcommunity.Theyalso legislationbeforetheprovincialgovernmentthat,ifpassed, want to dissolve the tribunal and move any cases that can’t willstreamlinethecomplaintsprocessandbringaboutanew beresolvedthroughalternativemeasuresrighttothecourts level of awareness of our rights, responsibilities and values in front of a judge. as Canadian citizens. Thirdtheywanttopursueincreasedsystemicadvocacy “Weknowthecurrentsystemisnotworkingeffective- for issues that affect multiple persons or groups. ly,”saidArnot.“Wewanttotakeitinanewdirectionandto Fourth,theywanttodevelopapre-kindergartentoGrade get there we have studied the best practices in Canada and 12 program that teaches citizenship rights, responsibilities have met with over 50 stakeholder groups to discuss the and respect in all Saskatchewan schools. changes we have proposed to the Human Rights Code,” he Thefourthpillarisverysimilartoaprojectstartedwhen explains. ArnotwastheTreatyCommissioner.Arnotdiscoveredthat “These groups overwhelmingly embrace alternative there were many issues tied to the fact that people had no understanding whatsoever of the treaties. Now all schools dispute resolution over prosecution and litigation and they DAVID ARNOTT affirmed the need for change.” in Saskatchewan have mandatory Treaty education. Currentlyifthereisacomplaint,aninvestigationtakes “Manycasescometoourattentionbecausepeoplejust Thelegislationtohelpmovethesechangesalongisdue