No change at the top in Whitefish Bay First Nation.
Howard Kabestra has been re-elected as Chief of the community on Lake of the Woods, southeast of Kenora.
Treaty #3 Grand Chief Frances Kavanaugh says Chief Kabestra is a great leader with a big vision, not only for his community but for all of Treaty Three.
Grand Council Treaty #3 has added some experience.
Samuel Tanyi-Mbianyor has been hired to become the new Executive Director of the organization.
He emigrated from Cameroon in 2008 and is a seasoned manager and top executive officer and spent a large portion of his life working in the human rights sector.
He says there is a lot of positive work that has been done but there is still much more to do.
Tanyi-Mbianyor says Treaty rights, language preservation, climate protection, building government partnerships and improving the overall living standards have to be improved.
Grand Council Treaty 3 is offering their condolences to the family of a 3-year-old who died after being violently attacked in Winnipeg last week.
Hunter Haze Straight-Smith was taken off life support Saturday.
He was allegedly stabbed in his sleep last week.
Grand Chief Francis Kavanaugh says he was shocked and saddened by the news.
He says as leaders they need to condemn all forms of violence and initiate an action plan with all levels of government to address it.
Police say 33-year-old Daniel Jensen, who was in an on-again-off-again relationship with the boys mother, remains in custody.
A State of Climate Emergency has been declared by Grand Council Treaty 3.
Area leaders approved the declaration at their Fall Assembly.
The move is in response to ongoing concerns about climate change in the country and around the world.
Grand Chief Francis Kavanaugh believes the emergency declaration will help improve lobbying efforts and raise awareness to the dire state of the environment on a local, national and global scale.
Grand Council Treaty Three is now better represented.
New youth and women’s councils have been elected.
The youth council consists of young people from Big Island, Rat Portage, Onigaming and Buffalo Point.
The four women are from Lac Seul, Seine River, Shoal Lake and Couchiching.
Here is the slate of names:
Women’s Council
-Anita Collins: Seine River First Nation
-Catherine Green: Shoal Lake #40 First Nation
-Mona Gordon: Obishikokaang (Lac Seul) First Nation
-Priscilla Simard: Couchiching First Nation
Youth Council
-Liam George: Naongashiing
-Winter Lipscombe: Wauzhushk Onigum
-Kayla Morrison: Onigaming
-Ernie Cobiness: Buffalo Point
Grand Council Treaty Three says it’s about time the federal government lived up to its responsibility for children in care.
The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal decided this month that about 50,000 children were owed $40,000 for the failure of the on-reserve child welfare system.
The ruling also covers some parents and grandparents.
Grand Chief Francis Kavanaugh says while no amount of money will fix the broken child welfare system, he is glad families will be compensated for their grief and loss.
The ruling dates back to January 1st, 2006.
The First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, the Federal government and the Assembly of First Nations have until December 10th to work out a process for payment
A 21-year-old Falcon Lake, Manitoba man is facing multiple charges following reports of shots fired in Shoal Lake 39 First Nation.
Treaty Three Police received a call on Sunday of someone firing a gun at a house in the community.
No one was injured but the incident did result in a community lockdown.
RCMP in Falcon Lake were able to locate and arrest the suspect after he crashed his vehicle while trying to flee.
Police say the accused faces a total of ten charges.
-Assault with a weapon
-Pointing a firearm
-Careless use of a firearm
-Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
-Unauthorized possession of a firearm
-Possession of a prohibited weapon
-Mischief
-Causing a disturbance
-Flight from police
-Impaired driving.
The investigation is ongoing.
A fastball team from the Treaty #3 competed at the Canadian Native Fastball Championships in Headingly, Manitoba over the long weekend.
The Treaty #3 Rebels lost their opener, then rattled off three straight wins before being eliminated by a team called the Golden Hawks.
The Peguis Redmen, from Manitoba, beat the Ontario Smoke in the final to claim the championship.
https://twitter.com/TheSheilaNorth/status/1158219290874695680
