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Grand Council Treaty #3

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Grand Council Treaty #3 Launches Geoportal

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First Nations in the area now have access to a Geoportal.

Grand Council #3 has launched the portal to gather, store and share data from indigenous communities in the region.

With the Geoportal, first nations can find out what kind of resource activities are going on in the region, as well as economic opportunities, sharing knowledge and teachings and protecting sacred sites in the Treaty #3 Territory.

Grand Chief Frances Kavanaugh says it’s an important step for Indigenous communities in their territory.

“Data is a driver to all negotiations, actions and upholding our responsibilities to mother earth,” said Kavanaugh in a statement.

“Today we take a huge step forward in asserting data sovereignty in Treaty #3 and this portal will provide a foundation on which we can move forward together.”

Chief Lorraine Cobiness from the Niisaachewan Anishinaabe Nation agrees there’s a lot of information that can be shared first nation communities.

““There is so much going on in Treaty #3 Territory that we needed a place to track it all and the Geoportal provides that home for all our data.”

“Now we can continue to effectively make decisions that protect our inherent and treaty rights and community members for future generations.

Communities can also access to online mapping tools, save projects and documents.

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Ontario Commits $10M To Identify, Commemorate Burial Sites

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The Provincial Government is providing $10 million over the next three years to help identify, investigate, protect and commemorate Indian Residential School burial sites.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford admits the funding has been in the works for some time.

“Ontario had already been acting on a number of recommendations specific to burial sites,” says Rickford, “A number of Indigenous communities and/or organizations had been working independently, on their own, for some known, unknown and unmarked burial sites.”

He explains how they see the funds helping.

“We want to be able to provide a broader platform of capacity, pathology, forensics, other digital expertise and capacity as well (as) considerable financial resources to support ongoing activities that are being led currently by Indigenous communities.”

Rickford adds that the money will also provide mental health supports as more bodies of young children are found in local burial sites.

Ogichidaa Francis Kavanaugh, Grand Council Treaty #3

Treaty Three Grand Chief Francis Kavanaugh says the discovery in Kamloops affects all indigenous people.

“Not only survivors are impacted. All First Nations people in Canada are impacted by the discovery.”

Premier Doug Ford joined the announcement virtually and said that they can no longer look to the federal government to start the process.

“I’m not going to wait to support our Indigenous community. We’ve built an incredible relationship with all Indigenous leaders across the province, and I’ve said from day one we’ll always their back and I’ll never break that promise. I’ll always have their back (and) I’ll always support them.”

The announcement made Tuesday morning was met with some level of support from both Ontario’s Liberal leader, Steven Del Duca and Ontario’s NDP leader, Andrea Horwath.

Web by Stuart Walter