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	<title>mediaINDIGENAmediaINDIGENA | mediaINDIGENA</title>
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		<title>Confusion over the First Nations Financial Transparency Act</title>
		<link>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/confusion-over-the-first-nations-financial-transparency-act</link>
		<comments>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/confusion-over-the-first-nations-financial-transparency-act#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 May 2013 15:21:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Martha Troian</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ISSUES+POLITICS]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mediaindigena.com/?p=9645</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[According to Aboriginal Affairs, nothing but good will come from the First Nations Financial Transparency Act. They say the Act will help create stronger, effective and more self-sufficient communities. Not only will it help First Nation communities become prosperous, the Department says the Act will bring transparency and accountability to First Nation members and to Canadians at-large. The Act received Royal Assent on March 27th and forces First Nation governments to publish their annual audited financial statements, including Chiefs and councilors’ salaries and expenses. Joseph Quesnel welcomes the new legislation. He&#8217;s a policy analyst at the Frontier Centre Public Policy and says First Nation leaders needn’t worry about exposing their goods. Quesnel points to Chief Glenn Hudson of Peguis First Nation as a prime example of how the Act should work. Hudson is a First Nation leader who once had an exorbitant salary but is now earning a modest pay cheque after the band&#8217;s finances were made public. Between 2008-09, Chief Hudson reportedly earned more than $200,000. &#8220;All it took was one unveiling of the information and he reduced it,” says Quesnel. ”It didn’t irreparably damage him.” Chief Hudson was recently re-elected. But not everyone thinks the legislation is necessary. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/confusion-over-the-first-nations-financial-transparency-act/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>From pain and fear to hope: a First Nation girl&#8217;s battle against a rare cancer</title>
		<link>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/living/from-pain-fear-to-hope-a-first-nation-girls-battle-against-a-rare-cancer</link>
		<comments>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/living/from-pain-fear-to-hope-a-first-nation-girls-battle-against-a-rare-cancer#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 Feb 2013 00:49:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Martha Troian</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[LIVING]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mediaindigena.com/?p=9305</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For a Manitoba mother whose daughter continues to recover from years of treatment for an extremely rare muscle cancer, life remains a day-to-day affair]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/living/from-pain-fear-to-hope-a-first-nation-girls-battle-against-a-rare-cancer/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>A Landscape of Beauty and Violence</title>
		<link>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/a-landscape-of-beauty-and-violence</link>
		<comments>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/a-landscape-of-beauty-and-violence#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Dec 2012 16:15:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Martha Troian</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ISSUES+POLITICS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MULTIMEDIA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mediaindigena.com/?p=8844</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The country is made up of a diverse and vast geographic regions. From the arctic, the Atlantic to Pacific ocean &#8211; one would agree there is magnificent beauty in every part of Turtle Island. That beauty only goes so far to those whose lives are marked by violence. They may see this landscape differently. But regardless of how you see it, this land is as interconnected as the people who live on it. A Landscape of Beauty and Violence is a photographic journey throughout Turtle Island and the issue of violence.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/a-landscape-of-beauty-and-violence/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>(MIS)representation of Indigenous peoples in Canada and beyond</title>
		<link>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/misrepresentation-of-indigenous-peoples-in-canada-and-beyond</link>
		<comments>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/misrepresentation-of-indigenous-peoples-in-canada-and-beyond#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 05 Dec 2012 03:06:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Martha Troian</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ISSUES+POLITICS]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mediaindigena.com/?p=8818</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Rubber toy ducks with headdresses, &#8216;Drink like an Indian&#8217; holiday poster, Sassy Squaw costumes, Dirty Drunken Half-Breed burgers, Matt Laur&#8217;s &#8216;Indian Giver&#8217; comment to the much appropriated Navajo culture and design. The year? 2012. It becomes apparent that mainstream media -and mainstream society &#8211; has a problem representing &#8216;Indians&#8217;. Hardly news for those of us who pay attention to mass media and its (dis)placement of Indians therein. When misrepresentation is offensive, it&#8217;s easy to become unreceptive to the many good things taking place in society to do with Indigenous peoples and the media. Indigenous Gerber baby models, Aboriginal key terminology guides for newsrooms, Ojibwe boxer/model for Cover Girl, to full-on art exhibitions dedicated to the exploration of Indigenous identity and culture. Through Scoop.it! an online curation tool, &#8216;(MIS) representation of Indigenous Peoples in Canada and beyond&#8216; is a collection of the good, the bad and everything in-between when it comes to mainstream media and the “Indian”. Here are some of the most recent scoops made up of photos, videos, news articles, reports and case studies. &#160;]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/misrepresentation-of-indigenous-peoples-in-canada-and-beyond/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Violence against Indigenous women: Looking back through the media</title>
		<link>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/violence-against-indigenous-women-looking-back-through-the-media</link>
		<comments>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/violence-against-indigenous-women-looking-back-through-the-media#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Nov 2012 03:15:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Martha Troian</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ISSUES+POLITICS]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mediaindigena.com/?p=8778</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. First designated by the UN over a decade ago, it’s meant to address what many consider an epidemic. But violence against Indigenous women and girls remains an active concern for many. Nowhere is that violence more visible than in the news media.  Using various databases, one can find plenty of articles on violence against Indigenous women. To get a sense of what the media was covering leading up to the first International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, I’ve compiled a cross-section of articles that, while far from comprehensive, nonetheless illustrates the violence Indigenous women have faced. What’s interesting is that while some stories may seem shocking, others sound a little too familiar and similar themes can easily be found in today’s news media.  Which means there is plenty of truth in that old saying, ‘the more things change, the more they stay the same.’ * * * 1982: A video game about the rape of an &#8216;Indian&#8217; woman Wearing only boots and a hat, the object of this video game was for General George Armstrong Custer to dodge arrows and pursue a naked Indian woman [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/violence-against-indigenous-women-looking-back-through-the-media/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Missing / Murdered Aboriginal Women: is it up to the public to call an inquiry?</title>
		<link>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/missingmurdered-aboriginal-women-is-it-up-to-the-public-to-call-an-inquiry</link>
		<comments>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/missingmurdered-aboriginal-women-is-it-up-to-the-public-to-call-an-inquiry#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Oct 2012 20:19:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Martha Troian</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ISSUES+POLITICS]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mediaindigena.com/?p=8619</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For years, First Nations families, organizations and leaders have called on the federal government to hold a national inquiry into missing and murdered First Nations women and girls in Canada. Since the 1960s, over 700 First Nations women and girls have gone missing or died of violence. Bridget Tolley believes the number of cases is actually over one thousand. She’s the co-creator of Families of Sisters in Spirit, a grassroots organization that helps the relatives of victims. Despite public outcry over these numbers, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has given no indication Canada will begin any inquiry process. This comes as no surprise to the newly elected president of the Native Women&#8217;s Association of Canada, Michelle Audette. “There&#8217;s the financial aspect of a national inquiry and a denial aspect that I see from them,” she says. “They&#8217;re afraid that if we do have a national inquiry it will reveal the immediate needs of Aboriginal women.” Hayden King is an assistant professor at Toronto’s Ryerson University. He believes there are other reasons. “[It is] for the same reasons police don&#8217;t investigate the disappearances, and the media doesn&#8217;t cover violence against Native women,” says King. “A stereotype-inspired apathy that perpetuates the problem and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/missingmurdered-aboriginal-women-is-it-up-to-the-public-to-call-an-inquiry/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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		<title>First Nation Communities Facing an Invisible but Deadly Enemy</title>
		<link>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/first-nation-communities-facing-an-invisible-but-deadly-enemy</link>
		<comments>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/first-nation-communities-facing-an-invisible-but-deadly-enemy#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 04 Sep 2012 18:30:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Martha Troian</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ISSUES+POLITICS]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mediaindigena.com/?p=8571</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas that can be deadly. Now imagine your children playing in it, or community Elders sitting and visiting in it. It is radon, and, unbeknownst to the residents of the Tobique First Nation, a Maliseet community located in northwestern New Brunswick, some of them had been exposed to it. Of Tobique&#8217;s approximately 2,000 members, close to 1,500 live on-reserve. As part of Health Canada’s National Radon Program testing, six public buildings on the First Nation community were tested for indoor radon gas a year ago. Five of them – including the community’s daycare, healing lodge and wellness centre – showed elevated levels of radon. Health Canada and Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada worked with the community to address the high radon exposure in the buildings. Given the anxiety residents felt over Health Canada’s test results, a survey of homes was also initiated (home testing is not part of the National Strategy). According to the Tobique First Nation Residential Radon Report (posted below), many homes had high radon levels. [documentcloud url=https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/420892-residential-radon-measurement-report-tobique.html format=normal sidebar=false ] Debra Bear-Brideau’s home had Tobique&#8217;s highest level of indoor radon gas. Although her home got the work needed to fix the radon levels, she continues to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/first-nation-communities-facing-an-invisible-but-deadly-enemy/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>VIDEO: Tom Jackson urges people to &#8216;make change&#8217; for Attawapiskat</title>
		<link>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/video-tom-jackson-urges-people-to-make-change-for-attawapiskat</link>
		<comments>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/video-tom-jackson-urges-people-to-make-change-for-attawapiskat#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Mar 2012 06:17:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Martha Troian</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ISSUES+POLITICS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MULTIMEDIA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mediaindigena.com/?p=7665</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Actor &#38; musician Tom Jackson made Attawapiskat the last stop on his 2011 Christmas tour &#8211; and he brought a camera crew with him, including Algonquin filmmaker Caroline Monnet. The result is a short documentary about the remote northern Ontario community, which gained international recognition after it was learned that some residents were forced to live in tents because of chronic housing shortages. Jackson performed for the community and met with Chief Theresa Spence, as well as a mother who told of how her family of six shared a cramped 10&#215;10 space. Here&#8217;s the video: [Image via tomjackson.ca]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/video-tom-jackson-urges-people-to-make-change-for-attawapiskat/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Sisters in spirit? NWAC hit by division, funding crunch</title>
		<link>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/sisters-in-spirit-nwac-hit-by-division-funding-crunch</link>
		<comments>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/sisters-in-spirit-nwac-hit-by-division-funding-crunch#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:26:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Martha Troian</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ISSUES+POLITICS]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mediaindigena.com/?p=7543</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For the past six years, families who have lost a loved one have been brought together from across the country at special, commemorative events by the Native Women&#8217;s Association of Canada (NWAC). Known as &#8216;Family Gatherings,&#8217; they&#8217;re an opportunity to honour a missing or murdered Aboriginal female family member, to &#8216;give voice&#8217; to their story and share their journeys with one another. NWAC hosted the first gathering in 2005 as part of “Sisters in Spirit&#8221; (SIS), a largely educational initiative that also developed and maintained a database of the hundreds of missing or murdered Aboriginal women and girls in Canada. When federal funding for that initiative was discontinued in 2010, many wondered what would happen to the gatherings. The next year, it was discovered that new funding meant &#8216;Sisters in Spirit&#8217; would evolve into a new campaign, &#8216;Evidence to Action.&#8217; While the new campaign eliminated the database and limited much of the outright advocacy of SIS — changes that prompted much protest and condemnation by victims&#8217; families and politicians — the family gatherings survived (the next one is scheduled for Jan. 27-29 in Ottawa). But it turns out that was good news only for some families. During the 2011 Christmas [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/sisters-in-spirit-nwac-hit-by-division-funding-crunch/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>The Missing and Murdered: A Week of Domestic and International (In)Action</title>
		<link>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/the-missing-and-murdered-a-week-of-domestic-and-international-inaction</link>
		<comments>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/the-missing-and-murdered-a-week-of-domestic-and-international-inaction#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:07:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Martha Troian</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ISSUES+POLITICS]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mediaindigena.com/?p=7450</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A horrific but too often ignored situation in Canada received some very high profile attention this past month. The Native Women&#8217;s Association of Canada (NWAC) and the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA) announced that the United Nations will be conducting an inquiry into the hundreds of murders and disappearances of Aboriginal women and girls in Canada. But while that announcement was welcomed by many, another announcement in December wasn&#8217;t so warmly received. The Standing Committee on The Status of Women released a report, Ending Violence Against Aboriginal Women and Girls: Empowerment – a New Beginning meant to address the problem. The Standing Committee is a group within Canada&#8217;s parliament responsible for examining legislation, reports and departmental policies and programs related to women. According to MP Irene Mathyssen (NDP) — the Standing Committee&#8217;s own chair — the report has been watered down by politics. In March of 2011, the Standing Committee tabled an interim report in the House of Commons that involved testimony from more than 150 witnesses at hearings held in 14 communities across Canada. At the time of those hearings, the Standing Committee was an intergovernmental group operating in a minority government.  But that all changed when the Harper Conservatives [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/the-missing-and-murdered-a-week-of-domestic-and-international-inaction/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>Indigenous rights on the international stage: how far have we come?</title>
		<link>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/indigenous-rights-on-the-international-stage-how-far-have-we-come</link>
		<comments>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/indigenous-rights-on-the-international-stage-how-far-have-we-come#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 09 Aug 2011 08:28:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Martha Troian</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ISSUES+POLITICS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First Nations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UNDRIP]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mediaindigena.com/?p=7064</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Seventeen years have passed since the United Nations proclaimed August 9 the International Day of the World&#8217;s Indigenous Peoples. It’s a day meant to promote and protect the rights of Indigenous peoples. To recognize the achievements and contributions they’ve made to the world around them. They’re achievements James Anaya knows like the back of his hand. He’s the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Appointed by the UN, his job is to get Indigenous issues onto the global radar. “In 17 years, quite a bit has been accomplished,” says Anaya. “Most notably would be the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.” A document meant to protect the collective rights of the world’s Indigenous peoples — especially those rights not covered by the laws in each nation — the Declaration was adopted by the UN in 2007. “At the international level, we&#8217;ve seen a significant amount of attention paid to Indigenous peoples: greater avenues of access, greater institutional energies within the UN,” says Anaya. University of British Columbia professor of political science Sheryl Lightfoot (Lake Superior Band of Ojibwe) agrees, calling the declaration &#8220;a huge accomplishment.&#8221; &#8220;This is the first time that the right-holders had participated [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/indigenous-rights-on-the-international-stage-how-far-have-we-come/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Inuit innovator pursues his own musical &#8216;M.O.&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/arts-and-culture/inuit-innovator-pursues-his-own-m-o</link>
		<comments>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/arts-and-culture/inuit-innovator-pursues-his-own-m-o#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Jun 2011 22:02:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Martha Troian</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ARTS+CULTURE]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mediaindigena.com/?p=6897</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A spoken word performance for former Governor General Michaëlle Jean has turned into a new hip-hop career for an Inuit artist — he rapped, she liked it, and he&#8217;s been going strong ever since. Mosha Folger (aka M.O.) is the son of an Inuk mother and Brooklynite father. With his two younger sisters, he was raised in both Iqaluit and North Vancouver. He says turning to hip-hop was an easy and natural progression from spoken word. He simply placed beats under his writing. Just a few years later and Mosha is releasing his second album, String Games. A duo effort with west-coast rapper Geothermal MC, it&#8217;s a highly-anticipated follow-up to his first album Eskimocentricity, which he released in 2009. Mosha says he raps about issues that are close to him: identity, northern politics and suicide. “My writing has been generally infused with my being half-breed,&#8221; he says. “I have always struggled in my life with this.” Moving from a &#8220;very Inuit environment&#8221; to a large urban environment, Mosha says he felt &#8220;slightly different&#8221; from his peers. “It became a struggle about how to be the only Inuk kid,&#8221; he notes. &#8220;The only way to do it in that environment was to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/arts-and-culture/inuit-innovator-pursues-his-own-m-o/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>Should First Nations be part of Canadian elections? 50 years after getting the vote, debate rages on</title>
		<link>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/should-first-nations-citizens-take-part-in-canadian-elections-50-years-after-getting-the-right-to-vote-the-debate-rages-on</link>
		<comments>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/should-first-nations-citizens-take-part-in-canadian-elections-50-years-after-getting-the-right-to-vote-the-debate-rages-on#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Apr 2011 20:02:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Martha Troian</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ISSUES+POLITICS]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mediaindigena.com/?p=6748</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s been just over half a century since First Nations gained the right to cast a ballot in Canadian federal elections back in 1960. Back at the time of Confederation, members of First Nations were originally not recognized as Canadian citizens and therefore could not participate in federal elections without giving up their treaty rights and &#8216;Indian Status.&#8217; That process — known as enfranchisement — meant individual Indians lost all legal claims to rights set forth in the treaties as well as certain federal &#8216;entitlements&#8217; reserved for them under the Indian Act. In some cases, it even meant the enfranchised would be unable to return to their community. And while some things have changed greatly in Aboriginal circles over these past five decades, the rate of electoral participation by First Nations individuals remains relatively low. The reasons for this election apathy are wide-ranging; from historical grievances to lack of interest or education in Canadian politics, to feelings of irrelevancy. Then there is the matter of whether a First Nation person should even cast a ballot to begin with, a controversy as old as the gaining of the franchise itself. Amidst this debate raging on between educators, traditionalists, policy analysts, First Nation leaders and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/should-first-nations-citizens-take-part-in-canadian-elections-50-years-after-getting-the-right-to-vote-the-debate-rages-on/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>55</slash:comments>
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		<title>Four years and $1.25 billion later, nearly 1 in 5 First Nations still lack safe drinking water</title>
		<link>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/billions-spent-but-18-of-first-nations-still-lack-safe-drinking-water</link>
		<comments>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/billions-spent-but-18-of-first-nations-still-lack-safe-drinking-water#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 26 Mar 2011 02:47:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Martha Troian</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ISSUES+POLITICS]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mediaindigena.com/?p=6526</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Despite millions upon millions of dollars supposedly going toward clean drinking water for First Nations, monies spent by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) seem to have largely come up dry. Between April 2006 and March 2010, the department allocated apx. $1.25 billion to water and waste water infrastructure. But according to documents received from Health Canada – which monitors drinking water quality – the problem seems no closer to being fixed. Obtained through an Access to Information (ATI) Request, the documents reveal that, of the 633 First Nations communities in Canada, 117 are under drinking water advisories as of Jan. 14 – i.e, 18 per cent, close to 1 in 5 communities. One advisory extends as far back as 1995, while another affects 1,041 community members. First Nation communities are dealing with problems such as waterborne contaminants, inadequate disinfectants, unacceptable bacteriological results, and traces of E. coli in their drinking water systems. Based on these ATI documents, the following regions had drinking water advisories (in descending order); Ontario: 36 communities Pacific: 28 communities Alberta: 25 communities Saskatchewan: 14 communities Atlantic: 11 communities Quebec: 2 communities Manitoba: 1 community As one of the 117 communities dealing with unsafe, unclean and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/billions-spent-but-18-of-first-nations-still-lack-safe-drinking-water/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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		<title>Bureaucrat salaries grow while Ontario land claims stall</title>
		<link>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/bureaucrat-salaries-grow-while-ontario-land-claims-stall</link>
		<comments>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/bureaucrat-salaries-grow-while-ontario-land-claims-stall#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Mar 2011 23:04:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Martha Troian</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ISSUES+POLITICS]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mediaindigena.com/?p=6352</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In less than a decade, Ontario&#8217;s Liberal government has more than doubled the number of senior staff in the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs, according to the province&#8217;s public salary disclosure website. In 2005, there were just 4 senior staff in what was then known as the Ontario Secretariat of Aboriginal Affairs. But by 2009, the number of senior staff increased to 24 within the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs. Much of the increase was in negotiator positions, those responsible for Aboriginal land claims. In 2005, the province employed just two negotiators, but by 2009 that number jumped to 7. Also on the rise were salaries for these senior staff, including that of the Deputy Minister, which saw a significant increase. According to the Public Sector Salary Disclosure, the Deputy Minister&#8217;s total salary was just over $135,000 a year in 2005. Four years later, it was close to $250,000 a year, a 85% increase. Senior negotiators also saw significant increases in remuneration over that same time span. In 2005, the Ministry&#8217;s director of negotiations was making just over $100,000 a year. By 2009, the position paid over $130,000 annually, nearly a one-third jump in salary. Lonny Bomberry is the director of Land [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/bureaucrat-salaries-grow-while-ontario-land-claims-stall/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>Outrage as Ottawa company clear-cuts traditional Algonquin land</title>
		<link>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/outrage-as-ottawa-company-clear-cuts-traditional-algonquin-land</link>
		<comments>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/outrage-as-ottawa-company-clear-cuts-traditional-algonquin-land#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 31 Jan 2011 20:19:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Martha Troian</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ISSUES+POLITICS]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mediaindigena.com/?p=5885</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Just a 20 minute drive west of Parliament Hill in the nation&#8217;s capital lies Beaver Pond, an old-growth forest that according to First Nations is of historic and spiritual significance. The forest is also home to what archaeologists estimate to be a 10,000 year-old stone circle. But according to reports, as of this morning, the 1,100 hectare wilderness is being &#8216;clear-cut&#8217; – all to make room for a new subdivision. It isn&#8217;t only First Nations who value this land. Surrounded by suburbs, the land is used by area residents for walking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and mountain biking. Beaver Pond is also home to over 679 species of wildlife, including 20 that are at risk. Scientists rate the forest as a &#8216;Provincially Significant Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI).&#8217; Yesterday, First Nations from the Ottawa region were joined by hundreds of other local people to participate in a &#8216;day of prayer&#8217; to save Beaver Pond, including Chief Mireille Lapointe of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation. Reciting the words of Algonquin Elder William Commanda she told the people gathered, “Once you cut a forest you cannot replant a forest, it will not regrow.” The company that is building the subdivision, KNL [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/outrage-as-ottawa-company-clear-cuts-traditional-algonquin-land/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<title>Harry Snowboy: Confessions of a Modern Medicine Man</title>
		<link>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/arts-and-culture/harry-snowboy-confessions-of-a-modern-medicine-man</link>
		<comments>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/arts-and-culture/harry-snowboy-confessions-of-a-modern-medicine-man#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 15 Jan 2011 07:27:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Martha Troian</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ARTS+CULTURE]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chisasibi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cree]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harry Snowboy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Quebec]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mediaindigena.com/?p=5713</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[At eight years old, he says he was chosen by bimhachiiwhasoo, the Life Giver, to bring healing and to help others. Harry Snowboy, a medicine man from the Cree Nation of Chisasibi in northern Quebec, has done something few others in his position have.  He&#8217;s written a book about his life, and perhaps most interestingly, how he became a medicine man. A Voice from the Wilderness: a Cree Shaman&#8217;s Story was released in November 2010. An excerpt (pdf) is viewable at the Seven Generations Healing Network website. Snowboy recently sat down with MEDIA INDIGENA to talk about his unique book, why he wrote it, and what&#8217;s next. Why did you decide to write this book? The book was for my own healing. I didn&#8217;t realize how much hurt I carried. There were things that happened in my life. I didn&#8217;t know why I reacted the way that I did. I wanted to know what was going on. Like everyone else, I went through events in my life that affect my life. It happened one day when I was passing by my daughter&#8217;s room and she was writing in her diary. When I saw that, it clicked. In order for me [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/arts-and-culture/harry-snowboy-confessions-of-a-modern-medicine-man/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
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		<title>Did a Seattle police officer have to shoot a partially-deaf First Nations man?</title>
		<link>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/did-a-seattle-police-officer-have-to-shoot-a-partially-deaf-first-nations-man</link>
		<comments>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/did-a-seattle-police-officer-have-to-shoot-a-partially-deaf-first-nations-man#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 13 Jan 2011 04:27:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Martha Troian</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ISSUES+POLITICS]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mediaindigena.com/?p=5698</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Seattle police officer who shot and killed a partially-deaf First Nations woodcarver testified on Wednesday at an inquest hearing. John T. Williams, 50, a member of the Nuu-Chah-Nulth Dititdaht First Nation on Vancouver Island was gunned down by officer Ian Birk on August 30, 2010 in downtown Seattle. At the time, Williams, who was known for carving small totem poles, was seen by Birk walking across an intersection, allegedly carrying an open folding three-inch blade knife. After repeatedly ordering Williams to put down the knife, which Birk claims he was holding in a confrontational posture, he told the inquest that he had no choice but to fire his pistol 4 times, killing Williams. But a lawyer representing the family of Williams says he was not facing officer Birk at the time of the shooting. Further complicating the issue is the fact that the knife carried by Williams was closed when discovered by police after the shooting. It is speculated the knife may have closed from dropping to the ground or Williams was in the process of closing his blade when he was shot. Birk stands by his statement that Williams&#8217; knife was indeed open and not in a closed position. According to the Sky Valley Chronicle, whether the knife was [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/did-a-seattle-police-officer-have-to-shoot-a-partially-deaf-first-nations-man/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<title>More on why missing &amp; murdered Aboriginal women are not considered “newsworthy”</title>
		<link>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/more-on-why-missing-murdered-aboriginal-women-are-not-considered-%e2%80%9cnewsworthy%e2%80%9d</link>
		<comments>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/more-on-why-missing-murdered-aboriginal-women-are-not-considered-%e2%80%9cnewsworthy%e2%80%9d#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 12 Dec 2010 05:09:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Martha Troian</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ISSUES+POLITICS]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mediaindigena.com/?p=5522</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In yesterday&#8217;s post, we told you about new research that takes a critical look at differences in news coverage of Aboriginal women and non-Aboriginal women who are missing/murdered. Kristen Gilchrist examined six such cases falling between the years of 2003–2005. Three of the women were of Aboriginal descent, three were not. Her research reveals sharp contrasts in coverage between the two groups. We asked Gilchrist to talk more about her methodology, her take on mainstream newsrooms, and what they should do to remedy this apparent gap in media attention. How did you go about choosing your six cases and why? A lot of the time, we hear, &#8216;The women in the Downtown Eastside were sex trade workers, prostitutes or drug addicts, so what do you expect?&#8217; The media is not going to cover it the same. I wanted to select cases where we couldn&#8217;t fall back on the same stereotypes as the Aboriginal women being irresponsible, or they&#8217;re runaways, or they&#8217;re drug addicts. I really wanted to be able to call them &#8216;respectable.&#8217; All these women were deeply tied to families, they all had jobs, they were in school, or had all of these qualities we would expect from the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/more-on-why-missing-murdered-aboriginal-women-are-not-considered-%e2%80%9cnewsworthy%e2%80%9d/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Are missing &amp; murdered Aboriginal women not considered &#8220;newsworthy&#8221;?</title>
		<link>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/are-missing-murdered-aboriginal-women-not-considered-newsworthy</link>
		<comments>http://www.mediaindigena.com/martha-troian/issues-and-politics/are-missing-murdered-aboriginal-women-not-considered-newsworthy#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 11 Dec 2010 04:32:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Martha Troian</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ISSUES+POLITICS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[REFERENCE+RESOURCES]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mediaindigena.com/?p=5503</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A new publication released today takes a critical look at the differences between news coverage for missing/murdered Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women. In “&#8221;Newsworthy” Victims? Exploring differences in Canadian local press coverage of missing/murdered Aboriginal and White women&#8221;, Carleton University PhD candidate Kristen Gilchrist reveals what is evidently a sharp contrast in the amount and content of press coverage between these two groups. Gilchrist examines news coverage of just six cases of women who went missing or were murdered throughout 2003-2005; she studied three who were of Aboriginal descent from Saskatchewan, and three who were non-Aboriginal women from Ontario. Gilchrist&#8217;s findings revealed the following; Non-Aboriginal women were mentioned in the local press a total of 511 times compared to just 82 times for Aboriginal women; While there were 187 articles about non-Aboriginal woman, Aboriginal women received just 53 articles 135,249 words published in articles related to non-Aboriginal women&#8217;s disappearances/murders, compared to 28,493 words about Aboriginal women Of related first page articles, 37% featured non-Aboriginal women while only 25% of articles featured Aboriginal women Gilchrist also found that articles concerning missing/murdered Aboriginal women were often hidden and placed in so-called &#8216;soft news&#8217; sections of papers. Press coverage of the non-Aboriginal women included [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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