akis nuk First Nation Community News

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akis nuk First Nation Community News Page 1 Ka kmi March 28 to April 8, 2011 Spring? Most of the snow from a long winter is gone in this photo taken on Friday, March 25.

The youth seek community members who would like spring cleaning or odd jobs done in return for donations toward the trip.

1 akis nuk First Nation Community News Page 1 Ka kmi March 28 to April 8, 2011 Spring? Most of the snow from a long winter is gone in this photo taken on Friday, March 25. To all Akis nukniks: The Akisqnuk Youth Group is fundraising to go on a weekend trip. The youth seek community members who would like spring cleaning or odd jobs done in return for donations toward the trip. If you have some work for these youths aged nine to 11, contact Angelle at the Health Centre, , after April 4. akis nuk First Nation events of interest Wednesday, April 6: Healthy Community Team Meeting, 10 a.m. at the Health Centre Saturday, April 9: Celebration for Pierre Jimmy s 19th birthday and to welcome him back to the community. 1:30 to 4 p.m. Food provided. Tuesday, April 12: Band meeting, 7 to 9 p.m. at the Band Hall Saturday, April 16: Work Bee. Come out and help get the old ceramic shop cleaned out, 10 a.m. start. This work is required in order for the building to be burnt by the Windermere Fire Dept. For more Tom Snow, the drug and alcohol counsellor at the Akisqnuk First Nation, unexpectedly resigned from his position on the week of March 21. info contact Dolores at the Band office, Thursday, April 21: Easter Celebration at Akisqnuk, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Easter egg hunt, children's activities, door prizes, turkey dinner to follow. Anyone wishing to help out call the office, , and talk to Dolores. Saturday, April 30: Garage sale And pancake breakfast at the Akisqnuk Band Hall, 10 a.m. to noon. $5 per table. Call Linda and leave your name. Spring Break Kids Camp: March 21 to April 1. Call Linda or Dolores to register, 342- Drug counsellor resigns Individuals who had been using Tom s services are asked to contact the Invermere Family Resource Centre at All the best to Tom on his own journey Wednesday nights: Strengthening families program at the Akisqnuk First Nation 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday afternoons: The youth group goes every Thursday afternoon, 3 to 5 p.m. with Angelle. The youth group will not meet over Spring Break, but will start back up on April 7th. Council meetings: Council meetings are open to Band members. While you are not allowed to participate, you may sit in as an observer. Council meets every two weeks. The next Council meeting will be on March 29. Dead cars: With spring here you might have noticed a dead car or two that was buried under the snow in your yard. Call Ivan, , if you d like to have that car removed. Some cars may be worth a bit of money. Ivan will dispose of the cars in an environmentally responsible way. It s a girl: Born to Mary Joseph and Gordie Martin: Tiffany Susan Martin on March 21. Seven lbs, seven ounces. A baby shower will be held at the Akisqnuk Band Hall on April 29 at 3 p.m. Potluck lunch. Wishing everyone a healthy and safe spring break: From Aboriginal Education Support Workers Barb Cote and Deb Fisher Housing internship The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is offering an onthe-job home maintenance/renovation internship for a Band member who may be interested in a career as a tradesperson. Must be between ages of 15 and 30 and not currently attending school. For more information, contact Dolores Varga, (250)

2 Page 2 On Thursday, March 17, Band Council, several staff members, as well as the Band s Lawyer Darwin Hanna met with Rick Pennykid, of Indian and Northern Affairs, to press for a summertime referendum at Akisqnuk. Greetings everyone at Akisqnuk! I hope you are looking forward to spring and to getting outside walking in the fresh air. Many of us plan to get fit for summer and to get our weight under control. Watch for Ktunaxa Health s Spring Honour Your Health Challenge to start April 1 to June 30, Start now thinking of a positive lifestyle change you would like to make. This could be anything from losing weight, reading more books, spending fun time with children or Elders, cutting pop from your diet, getting more exercise. You decide and make the commitment to making a change for the Spring break camp for kids The Spring Break for Kidz Camp will run at Akisqnuk from March 21 to April 1. Hours will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday. The proposed referendum seeks answers on two separate matters: to designate the corner piece of reserve land at the junction of Highway 93/95 for commercial or institutional development; and to extend the lease at Indian Beach Activities will include games, crafts, movies, and cultural learning. Lunch and snacks will be provided. Contact Linda or Dolores for info, akis nuk First Nation Community News Land referendum meeting held at Akisqnuk Estates. Currently a portion of the lease at IBE is set to expire in IBE is a solid moneymaking venture for the Band and it is hoped that it would become even more profitable with an Honour your health challenge coming up better. Registration forms will be available next week at the health centre or the Band office. Unfortunately the mobile mammography van broke down so our clinic was cancelled on March 23 rd. They are planning to reschedule, hopefully soon. We will be in contact with you when we know the date. If you are between the ages of 40 and 79, you are eligible for mammography screening. Breast cancer is a health concern that can be detected much earlier with regular screening. See Patsy or Danny for a registration form. Ladies, just do it. The test is just a little ouch and it could be a lifesaver. I am (usually) at the The cola war is over for the time being, and the winner appears to be Coke twice. For the first time ever, Diet Coke has topped rival Pepsi-Cola to become the second-most popular soft drink in the United States. Coca-Cola Classic took the top spot, with more than 1.6 billion cases sold across the U.S. in But nearly 927 million cases of Diet Coke were sold last year, besting the 892 million for Pepsi- Cola, said a report by trade publication Beverage Digest released Thursday. The achievement is a clear win for Atlanta, Ga.- based Coca-Cola Co. over its rival, PepsiCo Cola wars over extension of the lease. At this point the referendum date has not been set. More information will appear in the newsletter as it becomes available. Akisqnuk health centre on Thursdays so stop in for a visit! Taxa, Kathy Inc. The two have vied for dominance in the domestic U.S. and international markets for decades, before Coke took a clear lead in recent years. Soft drink sales have fallen for six straight years as consumers switched to healthier alternatives such as juices and tea, and cut back on spending in the recession. The two rivals have moved into bottled water, fruit juices, energy drinks and sports drinks to try to maintain market share. But the ascent of Diet Coke to the second slot speaks volumes about the growing appeal of diet-branded products in general. - Reprinted from

Ka kmi Page 3 Charles Desvents, new Band Administrator at akis nuk After a two-month hiatus, the Band Administrator position is once again filled at the Akisqnuk First Nation.

Charles, 56, comes to Akisqnuk from Wabasca, Alberta where he has served, at various times, as Band Administrator, Counsellor, and Chief of the Bigstone Cree Nation.

In addition to those political and administrative duties, Charles has worked in economic development with the Athabasca Tribal Council and as a Land Claim Negotiator for the Bigstone Cree Nation.

3 Ka kmi Page 3 Charles Desvents, new Band Administrator at akis nuk After a two-month hiatus, the Band Administrator position is once again filled at the Akisqnuk First Nation. Charles Desvents began work in the position on Monday, March 14. Charles, 56, comes to Akisqnuk from Wabasca, Alberta where he has served, at various times, as Band Administrator, Counsellor, and Chief of the Bigstone Cree Nation. Charles has also previously worked as Band Administrator at Moberly Lake First Nation in B.C. and at the Driftpile First Nation in Alberta. In addition to those political and administrative duties, Charles has worked in economic development with the Athabasca Tribal Council and as a Land Claim Negotiator for the Bigstone Cree Nation. Coming from up north, Charles also owns and runs a company, Desvents Contracting Ltd., B.C s Provincial Health Officer Dr. Perry Kendall has issued a statement reassuring British Columbians that there is no expected health risk from which provides paramedic services in the oil patch. There are a lot of opportunities for Aboriginal companies and individuals that are aggressive and businessminded, he says. In addition to his extensive professional experience, Charles attended the University of Lethbridge in the late 1990s where he studied business management and Native Studies. I went there because it s a top management university, he says. I was already in my 40s, but I figured education doesn t stop as you get older, Education is a lifetime thing. You ve got to move ahead with the Charles Desvents times. I m still learning, refreshing all the time. To that end Charles has pursued professional development taking many courses at the Banff Centre. He is pursing CANDO Council for the Advancement of Native Economic Development Officer certification. Charles brings the perspective of years of experience to his new job at Akisqnuk. As an administrator you ve got to know what people are thinking and where they re going, he says. You try to add what you have to the community. There is more to Charles however than Radiation from Japan no risk in B.C. radiation from the nuclear reactors damaged by the tsunami in Japan. Small amounts of low level radiation released from the nuclear reactors in Japan will have been dispersed in the atmosphere there and are not a health risk to British Columbians, he said. Any release into the his work and education. A big man, Charles is a married father of three children and two step children. Charles is a good storyteller with a keen sense of humour. He and his wife were married in 2006 after meeting as children in residential school. We ve known each other almost 50 years, he says. A singer and recording artist, Charles cut a record called Proud Indian and toured across Canada in From James Bay to Vancouver, he says, I was in every major city. The love of music runs deep for Charles and he also was a part of a hand drum group back in Alberta. Charles welcomes the move to B.C. though and says he wanted to return here because of the environment and scenery. You can sit on top of a mountain and daydream, he says. atmosphere of nuclear particles would take five to six days to reach B.C., by which time it would not be a health risk. - B.C. Ministry of Health Akisqnuknik Mission Statement: Through sound, responsible, leadership we will promote the well-being and economic self-reliance of our people by encouraging and fostering education and sustainable employment.

4 Page 4 akis nuk First Nation 3050 Highway 93/95, Windermere, B.C. V0B 2L2 (250) This newsletter is published by Adrian Bergles, Communications Coordinator, akis nuk First Nation Your thoughts are welcome. If you have a story you d like to put in the newsletter or anything for Adrian to add, abergles@akisqnuk.org Get your newsletter online at: Support the Ktunaxa Economy! Most Ktunaxa citizens make all their purchases outside their own communities because there aren t Ktunaxa-owned businesses on their reserve. Money spent outside Ktunaxa communities contributes to the wellbeing of others and not to the Ktunaxa. This feeds the cycle of dependency on other communities and other levels of government. In order to build a Ktunaxa economy it is vital to support communitybased entrepreneurs and businesses. To keep money in the community use Ktunaxa goods and services whenever you can! akis nuk First Nation Community News Qat muk puts Jumbo in new but ancient light Ktunaxa Nation formally asserts stewardship of area: Jumbo Valley is at the epicentre of a 20-yearold debate. Real Estate investors want to build a halfbillion-dollar ski resort there, while conservationists and scientists warn of nose-diving grizzly bear numbers and threats to glaciers, water and wilderness. But centuries before a road was blasted through avalanche chutes all the way up from Invermere, 57-kilometres away, Jumbo Valley was simply part of Qat muk: home of the Grizzly Bear Spirit, territory of the Ktunaxa First Nation. And it still is. Members of the Ktunaxa Nation took the Qat muk Declaration to Victoria on November 15, The declaration, which they presented to the B.C. legislative assembly, outlines the ancient connection between the Ktunaxa, the Grizzly Bear Spirit and Qat muk (GOT- MOOK). It also formally declares the Jumbo Valley which is inside the sacred core of the akis nuk has spay and neuter vouchers available for sale to Band members Qat muk to be off limits to the proposed ski resort development. We re grateful to the Ktunaxa Nation for making this historic declaration, said Robyn Duncan, Wildsight s Purcell program manager. We re humbled by the courage it took to share these cultural and spiritual values with the larger community. A mere two pages, the Qat muk Declaration covers a lot of ground. Among other things, it declares that the Ktunaxa have a stewardship obligation to Qat muk, a territory that includes the entire Toby-Jumbo watershed and the uppermost parts of the South Fork of Glacier Creek, Horsethief Creek and Farnham Creek watersheds. It emphasizes that the Ktunaxa have never consented to developments within Qat muk and proclaims that Qat muk is home of the Grizzly Bear Spirit. Further, the declaration establishes a refuge area in the upper part of Jumbo Valley the sacred core of the Qat muk area and a buffer area in the rest of the Jumbo watershed so the Spay and neuter vouchers at cost ($60 for dogs and $40 for cats). Vouchers are accepted Grizzly Bear Spirit, and grizzly bears, can thrive. The sacred core of Qat muk is also the site of the proposed Jumbo Glacier Resort we ve fought against for so long, Duncan said, and the whole watershed is key grizzly habitat vital to grizzly populations in the entire Purcell Range. Conservation groups have long advocated for these areas to be protected and now we know how strongly the Ktunaxa Nation advocates protection of them as well. Coming next, the Nation plans to further outline its stewardship principles in regards to the area. The Nation has invited other governments and stakeholders to participate in developing a management plan for Qat muk, Duncan said. Wildsight looks forward to working with the Nation in defence of this wilderness area and in aid of the grizzly bears who rely on it to maintain their populations. - From the Spring 2011 edition of Wild Times, the quarterly newsletter of the Wildsight conservation organization at the Invermere Veterinary Hospital. Call Adrian

akis nuk First Nation Community News

akis nuk First Nation Community News Page 1 u umi April 26 to May 6, 2011 Birthday boy: Lance Nicholas blows out candles at a celebration for everyone with birthdays in April held April 20 at the Band