The Nain Inuit Community Government councillors had a meeting last Friday, June 25, regarding Canada Day.
Joe Dicker is the AngajukKâk of the Nain ICG.
He says with the 751 unmarked graves that was recently found, we should be supporting the indigenous people across Inuit Nunangat.
Dicker adds that with the majority of the councillor’s decision, we should also replace Canada Day with Indigenous Day.
Click here for more information from AngajukKâk Dicker.
Today, Friday, June 25, Newfoundland and Labrador has no new confirmed cases of COVID-19.
There have been no new recoveries in the province, 1,366 people have recovered, and one person is in hospital due to COVID-19.
There are seven active cases of COVID-19 in the province. The regional breakdown of the seven active cases is as follows:
· Eastern Health – 3
· Central Health – 1
· Labrador-Grenfell Health – 1
· Western Health – 2
To date, 158,584 people have been tested.
The Nain DHSD is holding an online event for this week.
Partnered with Language, Culture and Tourism, they are holding an International Indigenous Peoples Day Bingo.
The prize draws will include a $250 gift card, $250 gift certificate for gas or stove oil, 3 draws for large food box, along with many more merchandise draws.
All household entries will be entered in a draw for each line completed on the card.
You can post your picture of your bingo card on the Facebook event page or drop off your card at the Nain DHSD office or the Nain Illusuak building.
Please note that the bingo cards are put into some post office boxes and on the shelf at the post office.
The deadline is extended to Wednesday, June 30th, 2021 at 4pm and prize draws will be next Friday, July 2nd.
For more information, you can call Edna at 922-2126 or Rita Ann at 922-2052.
Today, the Honourable John G. Abbott, The Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development, announced approximately $500,000 in funding for the Mother Baby Nutrition Supplement, as part of Budget 2021.
This funding will provide $100 per month (up from $60 per month), to people who are pregnant and families with low income.
This will assist with the extra costs of healthy eating during pregnancy and up to the baby’s first birthday.
An additional $100 (up from $90) one-time payment will be provided during the month of the baby’s birth.
Individuals and families are eligible to receive the Mother Baby Nutrition Supplement if they:
· Are pregnant;
· Have a child under the age of one;
· Live in Newfoundland and Labrador; and
· Have a family net income under $25,467.
For more information on the Mother Baby Nutrition Supplement, please call toll-free at 1-800-508-4788 or email MBNS@gov.nl.ca.
President Johannes Lampe extended his appreciation yesterday, June 24, 2021 to four nurses from the Nunatsiavut Department of Health and Social Development for the role they played in helping to inoculate residents of Iqaluit during a recent trip to Nunavut.
“We were very proud to be able to assist health officials in Iqaluit at mass immunization clinics, to share our experience in Nunatsiavut, and to promote the importance of getting the vaccine” says President Lampe. “Our nurses deserve to be acknowledged for the important role they played during these mass clinics.”
Following a request for assistance from Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, the nurses travelled to Iqaluit via chartered aircraft on June 16 and returned to Labrador in the early morning hours of June 20.
All played a key role in vaccinating youth between the ages of 12 and 17 years at four walk-in clinics. They made presentations at schools to promote the importance of being inoculated, conducted media interviews on the successful campaign carried out in Nunatsiavut, and utilized a bus to administer vaccines in several parts of the community.
Premier Andrew Furey says government will support whatever plan Indigenous leaders come up with regarding unmarked burial sites in the province.
His comments follow word that Alberta has set up a grant program to explore potential burial sites and to gather research from elders.
The grants could also be used to retain experts to work with community leaders on how to properly proceed with a burial site.
Furey says the issue was discussed again at last week’s meeting with the province’s Indigenous leaders.
He says he reiterated government’s support for the path they choose.
Furey says once the leaders come to a consensus on the approach they want to take, government will be there to support it, whether it’s financial, emotional or in the form of infrastructure.
While the House adjourned yesterday for the summer, Furey says government will be proceeding with legislation around the Coat of Arms and Red Indian Lake in the fall.
MHAs are scheduled back in the House on October 18th.
Meanwhile, a First Nation in southern Saskatchewan held a virtual news conference yesterday morning about what it calls the horrific and shocking discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves at the site of a former residential school.
The Cowessess First Nation says the number of unmarked graves at the former Marieval Indian Residential School will be the most substantial to date found in Canada.
The First Nation and the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations say the community and school site about 160 kilometres east of Regina are closed.
The Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan says hundreds of unmarked graves have been discovered on the grounds of a former residential school—the most identified at one site, to date, in Canada.
Chief Cadmus Delorme announced the discovery today following a radar search of the grounds at what was once the Marieval Indian Residential School.
He says there are 751 flags placed along the field at each point the radar search returned a hit. While there is a chance for false returns, they are confident that they have located over 600 unmarked graves.
The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations says the gravesite was overseen by the Roman Catholic Church from 1886 to the 1970s, and accuses the church of removing headstones from the site in the 1960s.
There is a growing number of calls for similar searches to be conducted for unmarked graves across the country.
Premier Andrew Furey states that Indigenous leaders will have government’s support when it comes to their decision on the approach they wish to see regarding unmarked burial sites in this province.
Four residential schools were operated in Labrador and one in Newfoundland.
Courtesy of the VOCM.
Torngat Fish Producers Cooperative’s Annual General Meeting did not go ahead in Nain this week.
Keith Watts is the General Manager for Torngat Fisheries.
He says the board members and delegates for the AGM could not make it to Nain due to weather.
Watts says from that they held a business meeting in Nain instead.
He says there was two elections for the board members here and elected two delegates for the AGM.
Watts added they also talked about the changes of fish prices.
Stay tuned to AtjiKangitut today to hear Watts give you information about the meeting.
A boat safety course took place in Nain from June 15th to the 22nd of this year.
Jillian Larkham is the Director for the Department of Culture and Tourism with Nunatsiavut.
She says the training included people who uses smaller vessels along with the base camp staff, and those who charters their boats North of Nain.
Larkin says the Base Camp is closed for visitors this summer as well as the Hebron Ambassador Program.
The Hebron Family Archeology Project is in the plans for August.
Stay tuned to AtjiKangitut today to hear Larkin give more details (Audio to be added later).
Today Thursday, June 24, Newfoundland and Labrador has no new confirmed cases of COVID-19.
There have been six new recoveries in the Western Health region, 1,366 people have recovered, and there is one person in hospital due to COVID-19.
There are seven active cases of COVID-19 in the province. The regional breakdown of the seven active cases is as follows:
· Eastern Health – 3
· Central Health – 1
· Labrador-Grenfell Health – 1
· Western Health – 2
To date, 158,325 people have been tested.