Jeanette Lavell new commissioner

of citizenship for UOI_members

Wiky resident tasked to consult and report

proposed common criteria for Indian status

by Lindsay Kelly

MANITOULIN-Wikwemikong's Jeanette Corbiere-Lavell will appear on Manitoulin this week in her role as the Anishinabek Nation's citizenship commissioner to canvas First Nations residents about their thoughts on the Anishinabek Nation Citizenship Law.

Named to the post in May, 2008, Ms. Corbiere-Lavell is travelling to communities across Ontario-including a stop in M'Chigeeng yesterday (January 20)-to consult with residents about their thoughts on the law, and will report back to the Chiefs Committee on Governance. Her final report will help in the development of the Anishinabek Nation Citizenship Law.

The move for Ontario First Nations to create their own citizenship law-which would outline guidelines for citizenship as a First Nations person-is a long time coming and is a necessity for Anishinabek sovereignty, Ms. Corbiere-Lavell noted.

"The chiefs had to look at the whole issue...and they found that in the very near future, in some First Nations communities, they will have the last status Indians in just a few years' time," she notes.

A study done by Rick Beaver of Alderville First Nation found that the last Indian status resident could be born as soon as 2013; First Nations critics everywhere see this as a threat of extinction to First Nations communities.

The problem stems from Bill C-31, an amendment made to the Indian Act in 1985, that limits who can be considered a person of Indian status. Section 6(2) of the bill states that only children with two parents who have Indian status can pass Indian status onto their children. This is often referred to as the "two-generation cutoff," because it cuts off Indian status after the second generation, leaving many grandchildren without Indian status.

Ms. Corbiere-Lavell was chosen for the role of commissioner because of her past experience battling the discrimination of the Indian Act. In 1970, she lost her Indian status and citizenship rights after marrying a non-Native man. She fought to have her status returned, with her case reaching the Supreme Court of Canada three years later.

"It took me a long time and I went through various levels of the court," she recalls. "In 1973, I lost by one vote, which really disturbed me because it's so obviously discriminatory."

Her determination to change the system led her to form several First Nations women's groups, which grew stronger as the years went by and continue to this day. "There are quite strong, vibrant women's organizations right across Canada," she says.

When changes finally came with the new Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1985, Ms. Corbiere-Lavell had lived 15 years without legal Indian status. But the amendment remained limiting.

Children who had been born to two people of Indian status fell under section 6(1) of Bill C-31, but children who had been born to one person of Indian status and one person of non-Indian status came under section 6(2); to this day, they are often referred to as "6-2s."

The bill has once again personally affected Ms. Corbiere-Lavell, as she has grandchildren who fall under both sections of the bill. This seems ludicrous to the activist, who argues that her grandchildren should not be put at fault for losing their Indian status.

"They are still my grandchildren, they're still connected to their community, their parents are still connected to the community," she says. "Our grandchildren have the right to their own identities-this is who they are."

That's why she agreed to take on the role of commissioner when she was approached by the Anishinabek Nation last spring, and she has vowed to do "whatever's necessary" to overturn a bill she believes is exclusionary.

"Once again this is important to my family," she says. "After all the effort I put into getting women recognized, now my grandchildren are being excluded."

The government should not have a say in determining who the First Nations people are, she says, noting that no government in any other nation in the world has that power. Being Anishinabek is inherent in who they are as a people, and not something that can be determined by government legislation, she argues.

She believes this is all part of a cost-saving policy that "the fewer Indians the better."

"They don't want to have the population of First Nations growing, because it will cost too much money," Ms. Corbiere-Lavell says. "Yet we are one of the fastest growing populations in Canada-but we don't have access to the same kind of resources and programs that other citizens of Canada get."

Since embarking on the consultation sessions in October, Ms. Corbiere-Lavell says support for the work she is doing has been strong, and she anticipated a large gathering to come out to the workshop in M'Chigeeng on Tuesday.

"The response has been positive, because everywhere people see our ultimate demise," she says. "If we keep going the way we are, we're not going to have any members left."

The Anishinabek Nation's position is that with more people identified as Anishinabek, the culture will be stronger, and the history, language and identity will be passed to the grandchildren, who will then carry it to the next generation. "Why should anyone be deprived of that?" the commissioner questions.

Ms. Corbiere-Lavell recognizes that critics of the Anishinabek Nation Citizenship Law suggest that the government should not be dealing with Canadian citizens as groups; however, she counters by saying, "the government has always tried to find ways of obliterating the recognition of people as sovereign nations."

She points to historical examples of Indian status Canadians losing their rights if they joined the army, worked for a higher education or joined a religious organization, and suggests that the discrimination must stop now.

The Anishinabek Nation Citizenship Law would ensure that First Nations enjoyed certain inherent rights to being a citizen, including the right to vote for leadership, the right to live in their territory and the right to learn and speak the language.

Following the conclusion of the consultation sessions, Ms. Corbiere-Lavell will file her report and present a draft of the citizenship law at a meeting in April. The final draft will be presented during the annual meeting of the Anishinabek chiefs in June.

Following her visit to Manitoulin this week, Ms. Corbiere-Lavell travels to Sudbury and then on to Garden River, London, Sarnia and Toronto, with the goal of hearing from as many on- and off-reserve First Nations residents-and as many age groups-as possible. She's excited about the turnout so far, and remains optimistic that the process will go smoothly.

"It's much easier this time around," she says.

Northeast Town ratepayers group seeks

citizen input in proposed hotel development

 by Jim Moodie

LITTLE CURRENT-More information should be provided to the public concerning talks under way for a hotel development on Northeast Town property beside the Welcome Centre, argue members of the municipality's ratepayers' association.

Earlier this month, the executive of the ratepayers issued a statement arguing that "any negotiations should be made with the best interests of the NEMI taxpayers in mind," and calling for both a new appraisal of the property and a public meeting to lay out the options available for development.

"It's a prime piece of real estate," noted Irene Callaghan, secretary of the ratepayers' association. "We want to make sure the town gets the best possible price for the land, and we're encouraging council to update the public so we know what's going on."

The property in question spans 3.5 acres on the channel near the swing bridge, although part of that is already occupied by the Welcome Centre, so the actual amount of land utilized by a hotel would be smaller. It is unclear at this point whether the deal would include the new owner exerting control over the waterfront, or if the town would exercise a right to retain jurisdiction over the shore.

The municipality has fielded overtures from two separate groups interested in developing a hotel at the site, but "only one proposal is active," according to Mayor Jim Stringer, who declined to give more details about the party involved until a firmer proposal is in place.

"We had an update recently from the proponent," said Mayor Stringer, "and are looking for a more detailed presentation in the near future. I understand progress is being made, but they're being very careful with the details."

Three area First Nations are believed to be collaborating on the proposed project while the Waubetek Business Development Corporation has been serving in a role as facilitator.

"A year ago we were given the go ahead to work on the project," said Dawn Madahbee, general manager of Waubetek. "And we've given updates periodically. Right now we're just doing some more engineering tests on the site, and we're supposed to get the results by the end of the month."

All of the discussions between the developer and the town have occurred behind closed doors to date, as is council's prerogative in cases of land deals, but the ratepayers' association believes other aspects of the process shouldn't be so hush-hush.

"I understand that when there are developers and bids involved the information isn't public, but surely we should be able to know about the current value of the land and how the land could be used," said Ms. Callaghan. "I don't think it's unreasonable to expect that a comparison of the development proposals would be provided, before the land is sold, so that the public can understand why one developer is chosen over another."

If only one proposal is being actively considered at the moment by council, Ms. Callaghan feels taxpayers should be enlightened as to why another proposal was pushed aside. "I think we should see a comparison of offers, with the pros and cons side by side, so the taxpayers know why a decision was made."

In the view of her organization, the number of in-camera meetings held by council run contrary to a new emphasis on openness that has been pushed at the provincial level. "Land meetings may be within the parameters for an in-camera session, but the new Sunshine Law is really encouraging councils to speak as openly as possible and limit in-camera meetings," she said. "That is not happening."

Mayor Stringer said he appreciates that people are curious about the process to establish a viable hotel in the community, but maintains that "we're being as transparent as we can right now." Once a solid offer is on the table, "we can bring it to the public and say, 'This is the plan: give us your input.' The majority if not all of council is interested in hearing what the community has to say," he reassured.

Ms. Callaghan worries, however, that the deal could be essentially done before the community has a chance to voice its feelings on the matter, and that there are a number of issues that should be weighed carefully before any plan is given the green light.

"We are all in favour of revenue generation, particularly since the municipality is in debt as much as $4 million," said Ms. Callaghan. "But we want to make sure that we're getting fair market value for the property, and not giving away things that would be in competition with the town."

For instance, if the hotel developer assumed ownership of the waterfront, "there's potential for another marina that would be in competition with Spider Bay," she noted.

The statement from the ratepayers' association calls for "a current, professional property appraisal by a qualified AACI (Accredited Appraiser Canadian Institute) appraiser" to be conducted at the site, and for the town to come clean on details of proposals it has received, including the amount(s) "offered to purchase the land" and "other relevant details and/or incentives being offered to potential buyers."

Mr. Stringer noted that a valuation of the property was conducted three years ago by a certified appraiser. While he admits that this is somewhat out of date, he said he's "not entirely convinced that an appraisal today would give a better number, as resale values in a lot of housing markets are going in the opposite direction now."

The town's focus in pursuing this deal is to create opportunities in the community, as well as income for town coffers. "From our perspective, this is an economic development project," Mayor Stringer said. "It could create 20-30 jobs (in the facility itself), as well as the construction jobs, and would be a boost to the tax base."

While it is unclear at this point which, if any, franchise would lend its brand to the hotel, Mr. Stringer said council is "picturing a mid-scale hotel along the lines of a Quality or Comfort Inn, and we will be lobbying for a conference facility to be part of it, which will no doubt be in the plan."

He believes the Welcome Centre site lends itself to such a development, offering "parking and good access," not to mention a good view over the water and high visibility for anyone driving onto the Island.

Ms. Callaghan agrees, and for this very reason believes options should be carefully weighed before a decision on the scope and nature of the project is okayed, not to mention a price tag for the transaction set in ink.

"It's a high-profile piece of land," she said. "The taxpayers should be comfortable with the value the town is getting for the land, and confident that the property will be maintained well. It would be terrible to approach the swing bridge and see something that doesn't fit the skyline or is not maintained."

Manitoulin deer herd passes chronic wasting disease test

But will require more scrutiny in future due to infected deer in Michigan State

by Jim Moodie

MANITOULIN-Results of the first sampling of Island deer for chronic wasting disease (CWD) are now in, and the news is good-we're CWD-free.

For now, at least. An outbreak of the disease in nearby Michigan in August remains worrisome enough that Manitoulin will likely be among the first areas sampled again when the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) begins its next round of monitoring.

Almost 500 deer were tested between Manitoulin and Cockburn Island this fall for the degenerative brain condition, similar to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cows, and each sample has come back clean, said Tore Buchanan, senior wildlife research technician with the MNR.

"We ended up testing 480 deer on Cockburn and Manitoulin," he said. "The minimum sample size we had for each zone was 460, so we got that and then some. All of those 480 tested negative."

During the November gun hunt, hunters were approached in the field, as well as at a check station set up in Espanola, for permission to test their animals for the condition. And many were happy to oblige. "We had excellent co-operation from Manitoulin hunters," said Mr. Buchanan.

Those who allowed their carcasses to be studied by the CWD research team were provided with a card and a specimen number, enabling them to check at a website for the status of their particular animal as the lab results rolled in. All of the testing was completed at the Animal Health Laboratory in Guelph.

Two other regions were also sampled in Ontario this year. "We collected 516 samples from eastern Ontario and 523 from Sudbury/Parry Sound," noted Mr. Buchanan. "We had 1,500 altogether."

About half of the samples taken from Sudbury/Parry Sound are still in the lab awaiting a final report, but 80 percent of the research is now complete, said the MNR technician, and no cases of CWD have yet shown up.

Indeed, researchers have yet to find a single example of a CWD-infected animal (elk and moose are also susceptible) in Ontario's countryside, with the only instance to date having occurred with a captive mule deer that was imported from the US to the Toronto zoo.

Testing of Ontario deer was initiated in 2003, beginning with zones deemed most likely to harbour the disease-such as those containing a high concentration of farmed deer-and most of the province has now been studied, save for a section of northwestern Ontario.

With this initial sweep of the province virtually complete, Mr. Buchanan said the program will be reevaluated this winter and a determination will be made about the scope of future monitoring.

"We'll give it another look and maybe reprioritize the areas for study," he said. "With the case in Michigan, this will likely bring Windsor, Manitoulin and the Sault into higher priority."

Before the Michigan outbreak, Manitoulin had been considered a low-priority area, as deer farming is not common here and CWD did not seem to be encroaching on this part of the province. "Manitoulin was a 10 (with 1 being the highest priority) before," said Mr. Buchanan. "But it will probably move up."

The infected Michigan deer came from a farm northwest of Grand Rapids, which is about 240 kilometres west of Windsor and 412 kilometres south of the Sault.

The state promptly depopulated the facility and put in place a quarantine that bans the movement of all privately owned cervids (deer, elk and moose). Natural resources staff have also been testing animals at other farms, as well as among the state's wild population of deer, to ensure the disease hasn't spread. To date, the case remains isolated.

A case of CWD in Wisconsin has been less containable. Mr. Buchanan noted that this state has "been quite aggressive in its control tactics, spending $30 million over the last two years and eradicating the infected herd, but they've eased back now because the plan isn't working."

Even if every known animal infected with CWD is euthanized, "it can still persist in the environment," noted Mr. Buchanan, so mass culling will only go so far towards stamping out the disease.

At present, CWD exists mostly in the middle and western states of the US (15 states in all count occurrences), as well as the prairie provinces of Canada, but New York State has also experienced a case of the disease, which was contracted by a wild deer found "directly outside a captive herd," said Mr. Buchanan.

This example, like Michigan's, is too close for comfort for those conducting CWD surveillance in Ontario.

It seems almost inevitable that our province will eventually have its own case of "mad deer," but in the meantime Mr. Buchanan said it's very encouraging that the scourge remains at bay. If nothing else, it gives MNR staff more opportunity to prepare for the likelihood of an infection and weigh the effectiveness of containment strategies carried out elsewhere.

"We have quite a good buffer of space and time to consider a control tactic in Ontario," he said.

Long-haired Manitowaning man

donating locks for cancer patients

by Peter Higgins

SUCKER LAKE-Jason Moffat has been talking about cutting his hair for some time now, so when he mentioned it to a co-worker, she suggested he donate his hair to the Canadian Cancer Society.

"One of my co-workers is a cancer survivor, and she said there was a need for hair to make wigs," said Mr. Moffat. "I told my partner about it and she proceeded to donate her hair. She braided it first. I'm not sure if I'm going to braid my hair to cut it. I'll have to wait and see."

According to Kerry Lamarche, Community partnerships specialist with the cancer society, the hair should be braided or tied into a ponytail at both ends and sent via regular mail to any of the member locations in Ontario. This list is found at the website mentioned below.

Mr. Moffat's partner, Lisette Brunet, had her hair very long. "Lisette's hair was a foot longer than mine," he noted. "I'm guessing it was used to make a large wig."

According to Ms. Lamarche, 12 donations are required to make one wig, at a cost of about $1,200.

Despite the health scare that befell Mr. Moffat's co-worker, her suggestion has gained momentum. Mr. Moffat tried his hand at some fundraising. "I thought if I were going to have my hair made into a wig that I should try to raise some money for cancer research," said Mr. Moffat. "My goal was to raise $500 by Christmas, but I only raised $200. But still, it's better than nothing."

For those interested in donating their mane of hair for wigs, contact Kerry Lamarche at the Canadian Cancer Society in Sudbury to find out how to go about it. Ms. Lamarche can be reached at (705) 670-1234, ext. 3706. You can also check out www.cancer.ca and click on the "popular requests" link, then select "hair donations."

Despite his willingness to donate to a good cause, Mr. Moffat draws the line at his facial hair. "I will be donating my hair soon, but not my beard," said Mr. Moffat. "The beard stays."

EDITORIAL

Congrats President Obama and to our US friends too

This week, there will be very few newspapers in North America-or worldwide, for that matter-that will not comment on the inauguration of Barack Obama as president of the United States, and The Expositor is pleased to join this number and congratulate our American readers and friends on the national spirit of optimism that this occasion has engendered.

President Obama (for thus he will be by Wednesday morning's publishing day) faces the intimidating expectations of the majority of his countrymen who expect positive change to accompany his presidency-and this at the time of a major recession in the US, coupled with job losses associated with the decline of the domestic automobile market and other aspects of the manufacturing sector.

On his slow train ride from Philadelphia to Worthington DC late last week, President Obama stopped in Baltimore and asked the throngs of citizens who came out to see him not to expect too much, too quickly, exactly because of the perfect storm of circumstances, both domestic and abroad, that will be the backdrop to the first months and years of his, and his family's, tenancy at the White House.

From a Canadian prospective, we can only say "Amen" to this, for it is clear that it has taken, for example, the Detroit Three automakers at least a couple of decades to find themselves in the bind they're calling home and, with the mandated reorganization that is a condition of the US federal bailout loans to this industry (mirrored by the Canadian and Ontario governments in our own country), it will obviously take a lot of time before we can see the tangible results of this reorganization.

The US presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, similarly, will remain a fact of life for many American military personnel and their families for some time to come, simple because, rightly or wrongly, having largely created the fray in Iraq the consequences of a quick withdrawal from that country would almost certainly cause civil strife there that would domino across borders to that country's north, east and west.

President Obama is inheriting domestic and foreign chaos that is not of his making but that he is expected to put right.

Although his popular vote wasn't all that much greater than that of his Republican presidential opponent Senator John McCain, a majority of US voters chose a smart young candidate who didn't bring with him a great deal of Congressional baggage. They also chose a black man as their new president and in so doing gave a clear signal that the US Civil War was finally over and that the civil rights movement in the US, exemplified by the late Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., has been an unqualified success, at least in terms of what is now possible.

We join the majority of Americans, together with much of the rest of the world, in our expectation of greatness from President Obama.

We expect that, in addition to the many exemplary attributes he brings to the job, he will largely achieve greatness, in the Shakespearean sense of "having it thrust upon him" by the millions of citizens in his own nation and abroad who want to see his presidency succeed and, consciously or unconsciously, will be doing their individual bests to make it so.

In the process, and in the context of an enormous amount of collective positive energy, we should find ourselves, little by little, in an improved world.

Congratulations, President Obama, and congratulations as well to our American friends and neighbours who have chosen positive change.

Letters to the Editor

Doug Smith commended on Order of Canada award

Transport company was acquired from Herbert Hill

To The Expositor:

I would like to join you in congratulating Douglas Smith on his reception of the Order of Canada. He has certainly brought recognition to our lovely Island. He and his company have made a tremendous contribution to the economy of Manitoulin Island. I am always impressed by the number of vehicles in their parking lot whenever I drive into Gore Bay.

Your article, however, omitted one fact. Mr. Smith did not start Manitoulin Transport. He bought the franchise (if that is the correct term) from my brother, the late Herbert Hill.

I trust Mr. Smith's sons and Manitoulin Transport will continue to flourish and be a blessing to Manitoulin Island's economy.

I would also like to commend their support of Samaritan's Purse and other charities.

Bert Hill

Providence Bay

New appraisal, transparency urged regarding hotel development

Ratepayers group lobbies for details of all offers

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following letter was submitted to the CAO and council of the Northeast Town and is reprinted here at the authors' request.

To The Expositor:

RE: The development of municipal land adjacent to the tourist information booth.

The NEMI Ratepayers' Association strongly supports economic development in the municipality of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands. Currently, council is deliberating on selling public land within NEMI for the development of a hotel/motel/conference centre adjacent to the Manitoulin tourist information booth. The ratepayers identify this as one of the best pieces of property for development in NEMI.

Any negotiations for this land should be made with the best interests of the NEMI taxpayers in mind. A current, professional property appraisal by a qualified Accredited Appraiser Canadian Institute (AACI) appraiser should be done for the town. A public meeting should be held to discuss the value of the land and the details of all offers as related to this property, before the final sale of this land. Such details should include a comparison of the different offers. This entails comparisons of:

1. Proposed use of the land;

2. Amount offered to purchase the land;

3. Pros and cons of each offer;

4. Other relevant details and/or incentives being offered to the potential buyers.

We understand that in-camera meetings could be held to facilitate free discussion among the councillors and help the council as a whole clarify its position. However, under the new Sunshine Law from the Ontario Ombudsman's office, municipalities are being encouraged to discuss these matters openly with their taxpayers. We would encourage our council to do likewise after having deliberated the matter in-camera.

The executive of the NEMI Ratepayers' Association:

Mark Volpini, chair

Irene Callaghan, secretary

Sam Nardi, co-treasurer

Linda Case, co-treasurer

Tony Ferro, director

Jack Wood, director

Chris Bousquet, director

Chris Tilson, director

Funeral directors dismayed at hurtful rumours

Family will continue to serve Manitoulin

To the Editor:

We are totally baffled by some things that have happened over the past while. There seems to be somebody who is out to tarnish our reputation, and undermine the many good things we have done and attempt to continue to do for our families and the people of Manitoulin. For some reason completely unknown to us, we have been the target of some vicious rumours, unfounded and completely ridiculous accusations that are devastating to us.

I have been told that a "rumour" was circulating that we were not able to conduct funeral services because of my health. This is totally untrue. We are here to serve the people as we have done for the past 21 years and will continue to do so. A complaint was sent to the Board of Funeral Services regarding an event that took place at the funeral home. The gutless person who sent this letter did not sign it. Further to that, the facts they presented were totally false and inaccurate, and the board completely dismissed these lies. We have been the centre of other "rumours" which, too, are totally false. The last one, however, has brought me to write this letter.

We lost a very good friend to many people on the Island this past week. He was a particularly good friend of ours. The day of the funeral, a day we and many people were extremely sad about, we received a phone call from the Sudbury and District Health Unit. They had received a complaint that we were having a full-scale banquet at the funeral home, preparing food from scratch to be served at the funeral home. Once again this was totally dismissed. This is not a restaurant, and we do not have the facilities to do this. This has never happened, nor will it happen. Again, no name was given. Anonymous! Why would this gutless wonder pick this very sad day to once again try to cause us more grief?

If this person or persons, and I do believe it has to be one person, is so cowardly to not either sign their name or call us with their concern, what kind of person are we dealing with and what is their motive? We wish we knew. Our only question is why on this particular day? We have endeavoured,  strived and succeeded to serve the people of Manitoulin in a professional manner and, as I pointed out, will continue to do so. We have made many friends in the years we have been here, and we are devastated as to why someone is trying to hurt us.

Ted and Barbara Culgin

Culgin Funeral Home

Gore Bay