Mary Stinchcombe is an 18-year-old Indigenous singer from Edmonton, Alberta.

She has been with the Cooper Studio since she was 11 but started singing when she was 3 years old.

Stinchcombe has recently just released her first CD called “Our of My Reach”, with 4 songs in the album.

Stay tuned to today’s Teen Rockers to hear more on Stinchcombe’s story.

Today (Thursday, March 4), Newfoundland and Labrador have five new confirmed cases of COVID-19.

The five new confirmed cases are as follows:

In the Eastern Health region:
• One between 40-49 years of age;
• Two between 50-59 years of age; and,
• One between 60-69 years of age.

Three of the cases in the Eastern Health region are close contacts of previous known cases, while one case is related to domestic travel.

One of the cases in the Eastern Health region is also a health care worker at the Trepassey Community Health Clinic. Contact tracing by Public Health officials is underway. Anyone considered a close contact has been advised to quarantine.

In the Western Health region:
• One between 20-39 years of age.

The case in the Western Health region is related to international travel.

Contact tracing by Public Health officials is underway. Anyone considered a close contact has been advised to quarantine.

There are four females and one male.

There are no new or outstanding presumptive positive cases.

There are 121 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.

The regional breakdown of the 121 active cases is as follows:
• Eastern Health – 118
• Central Health – 0
• Labrador-Grenfell Health – 2
• Western Health – 1

There have been 33 new recoveries in the Eastern Health region. This means 871 people have recovered.

There are eight people in hospital. Of these patients, two are in intensive care.

To date, 113,929 people have been tested.

The DHSD Food Security will be holding a contest for the month of March.

Calling for submissions for a 2022 calendar and recipe book.

You can submit your favourite healthy recipe, for example, it can be your favourite meal, baked goods, jams, etc.

Also please include a photo of your final product.

This contest is open to all Nunatsiavut communities and the ULM area; Nunatsiavut Government employees can also take part.

For every submission, your name will be entered to win a prize with a maximum of 3 entries per person and prizes include:

• Promotional items drawn every Friday for the month of March.
• 1 $100 grocery card/PO per community at the end of the contest.
• 3 big prizes at the end of the contest

The winners will be announced via Facebook live on the NG DHSD Food Security Page, so please make sure to “like” the page.

So get busy cooking and baking, be creative and send in your recipes and photos.

All submissions can be sent to brenda.dicker@nunatsiavut.com.

On March 1st, 2021, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami announced that BMO Financial Group (BMO) is working with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) to ensure that personal protective equipment is available to communities across Inuit Nunangat that needs it the most.

More than 113,900 masks, 563,000 wipes and 438 gallons of sanitizer have been delivered to help protect Inuit during this pandemic in communities throughout Nunavut, Nunavik, Inuvialuit and Nunatsiavut.

“I am grateful to the team at BMO for this contribution of personal protective equipment for Inuit regions at this critical time,” says President of ITK Natan Obed.

Mike Bonner is the head of BMO Canadian Business Banking, he says, “At BMO we have close and long standing relationships with Indigenous customers and communities across Canada through our Indigenous banking group and our Indigenous banking.

To date, nearly 150 thousand face masks, 500 gallons of sanitizer and 750 thousand wipes has been delivered to First Nations and Métis Communities from coast to coast and to Inuit communities across Inuit Nunangat.

There are funds available for an Inuttitut Master Apprentice program in the Upper Lake Melville Area.

Patricia Kemutsigak is the Chairperson for NunaKatiget for the Nunatsiavut Government in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

She says that they do have an Apprentice for this program and says it is possible that if they cannot find a Master in ULM they may train by telephone with a master from Nain.

Kemutsigak adds that she would also like the Master to teach Inuttitut at separate times to youth and adults.

She would also like for this program to start within a month. So, if you are interested in becoming a Master, you may reach Patricia at 709-896-7352 or by email to patricia.kemutsigak@nunatsiavut.com.

The trail markers for Nain were put out earlier this week.

Joe Dicker is the AngajukKâk for the Nain Inuit Community Government.

He says every year, trail markers are put out from Nain to Natuashish, but right now, they are put out as far as 2-mile bay.

Dicker also says that as of now, the trail all along the coast is put to a halt until we know it’s safe to travel.

Stay tuned to AtjiKangitut today to hear more from AngajukKâk Dicker.

The Nunatsiavut Government has approved a five-year strategy aimed at preserving, promoting and enhancing Labrador Inuttitut.

According to a press release dated yesterday, March 2, the 2021 to 2026 Nunatsiavut Language Strategy sets forth the vision, mission and values that will provide a framework for prioritizing projects and necessary investments into language initiatives.

One of the objectives of the strategy is to work closely with the Labrador Inuit Communities, other Nunatsiavut Government departments, and other Inuit regions to determine best practices to preserve, promote and protect the languages, notes the Language, Culture and Tourism Minister Jim Lyall.

It is hope that at the end of the five year strategy, Labrador Inuit will confidently understand and speak the language at basic, intermediate and or expert levels.

We hope to speak with the Minister for the Nunatsiavut Government Language, Culture and Tourism sometime in the very near future to learn more about the strategy.

Due to weather conditions yesterday, Tuesday, March 2, 2021, Labrador-Grenfell Health is extending its drive-thru testing site in St. Anthony. The clinic was initiated out of an abundance of caution following a positive COVID-19 test of a healthcare worker at the Charles S. Curtis Memorial Hospital.

The clinic is providing COVID-19 testing for all those who are concerned about contact and would like to be tested. An appointment will not be required for individuals at this site today, Wednesday, March 3.

St. Anthony and surrounding area:
Apartment 209, 178-200 West Steet (back of old hospital)
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Should you wish to be tested in another community, or after this date, please visit the provincial assessment website at covidassessment.nlchi.nl.ca.

Adam Lidd is an elder of Nain and he says that many land names in Nunatsiavut is rarely used anymore.

Lidd expresses the importance of maintaining and preserving these land names such as Tikigâtsuk, ikâgiapvik and others.

He adds that continuing to speak with elders about their knowledge of the land and land names is very important.

We will be speaking with Adam Lidd later in our PiusituKavut show to find out more.

The 2021 Commercial Fishery Applications are now available at the Nunatsiavut Government Offices in Upper Lake Melville and Nunatsiavut.

All applications are required documents must be completed and submitted to the Director of Renewable Resources by April 2nd at 4:30pm Atlantic time. For additional instructions, please see application form.

For further information, please contact Todd Broomfield, Director of Renewable Resources at (709) 923-2004 or by email, todd.broomfield@nunatsiavut.com