First Nations' child agency must be based on local norms

...a response to the proposal of Ontario's Youth minister for the devolution of CAS on Manitoulin Island

by Michael Erskine

SUDBURY-The province of Ontario has committed itself to the mandating of a Native child welfare agency on Manitoulin, but First Nations representatives suggest it is too little too late.

"The board had written to the ministry back in September outlining the issues in the M'Chigeeng First Nation (site of one of a series of protests against child apprehensions by the CAS) and seeking clarification in regards to our role," said David Rivard, director of the Children's Aid Society (CAS) for Sudury-Manitoulin.

Minister  Mary Anne Chambers' reply, while reaffirming the Sudbury CAS office's mandate to continue protecting Native children through the legal process, cited negotiations with chiefs of the Manitoulin First Nations and a commitment to establish an Aboriginal agency to take over the CAS role, provided the chiefs can come to a consensus as to what they want.

"According to the minister, the chiefs have agreed to honour the established protocols between the United Chiefs and Councils of Manitoulin and our agency," said Mr. Rivard.

In the same letter, the minister confirmed that her ministry was prepared to designate an Aboriginal agency for the area-either Kina Gbezgomi Child and Family Services, or a new agency established by the chiefs to deliver the services in the region-provided that agency successfully passed rigorous review to ensure it meets the standard of care expected by the government.

Mr. Rivard said the CAS has long been on record as supporting the mandating of an Aboriginal agency.

The minister went on to say that a working group was to be established with the chiefs to provide a common vision of what they would like that agency to do.

CAS, said Mr. Rivard, would provide the expertise in then developing the capacity-a process that could take as long as three years.

Whatever the length of time it takes to establish an Aboriginal agency, it, by definition, may not meet the needs of the First Nation community, according to M'Chigeeng lawyer Susan Hare. She pointed out that while the provincial commitment was a welcome sign, it was more than likely just the province's attempt to put a positive spin on events.

"I think they are not up to the evolution of what is going on," she said. "Simply putting a 'brown' agency in place will not work. Our communities want to put in place our own regulations based on our own culture and traditions."

Simply having an Aboriginal agency enforcing white cultural norms will, in the end, not meet the needs and aspirations of the First Nations, she asserted.

Composting fish parts viewed as viable aquaculture spinoff

by Lindsay Kelly

LAKE WOLSEY-With preliminary data from a composting initiative spearheaded by the Northern Ontario Aquaculture Association (NOAA) already gleaning positive results, the organization is confident that it is onto a solution for using up fish waste generated by the Island cage-culture industry.

Karen Tracey, NOAA program coordinator, said that the NOAA began the two-year fish composting project in the spring, with the aim of generating a usable product from what would otherwise be unusable waste.

"We are taking a waste product in the form of farm waste, processing the waste and combining it with another waste product-sawdust from sawmills on the Island, which is now sitting in huge piles all over the Island-combining the two and producing a very desirable compost product," she said.

Waste from the farm includes "morts," or the fish that die off in the cages (the use of which fits in with the NOAA's best practices guidelines in maintaining a healthy cage culture), as well as leftover parts of the fish, such as heads, tails, entrails and bones, discarded by local fisheries selling fresh fish. The fish waste is placed in old cement mixing trucks, which break it down before sawdust is added to the mixture.

"It's evenly broken down because of the bacterial action," Ms. Tracey said. "The fish has all the right stuff in it to get that bacterial action."

The result is a substance that resembles a "brown porridge," which is then collected into bags. Ms. Tracey said the fish compost has just the right combination of naturally occurring nutrients required for effective compost, without including the harmful chemical compound used in many commercial fertilizers.

And, like the ingenious recycling of the superannuated cement mixers, the bags are also recycled: they originally contained fish food used in the cage culture operations.

Ms. Tracey said that a number of government agencies are "jumping right on board" with the project, and are anxious to be involved in an initiative that will see waste diverted from community landfills and used in a beneficial way.

Currently four Island farmers are using the compost in "controlled application" trials to test the compost out, Ms. Tracey indicated. The NOAA is also working with agencies such as the soil and crop division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and Rural Affairs, the University of Guelph and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. In the resulting analysis, the soil is tested for nutrient composition, to check for potential undesirables, such as metals or toxins, but "so far, nothing has been found."

Eventually, Ms. Tracey said the NOAA hopes the compost can be used for lawn applications (including on golf courses), and land reclamation projects (such as those undertaken by INCO), among other uses.

"In the end, we're looking at farmers, horiculturalists, and potentially at a retail bag that you can buy in places like Canadian Tire in the future," Ms. Tracey said.

First, a study analysis must be complete, which she expects to be done next year. The NOAA has hired a compost technician whose job will be to collect data such as the temperature of the compost and the level of moisture, and analyze the information.

The NOAA plans to research market opportunities for the product, and to eventually build a suitable, permanent facility where the compost creation process can take place (the initiative is currently taking place at Meeker's Aquaculture on Lake Wolsey).

All this must be done under the proper protocols to ensure that they are meeting government and industry regulations, Ms. Tracey added.

Ms. Tracey is pleased with the results so far, noting that at least one Island crop farmer, Ted Smith, who is involved in the trials and has used the compost on his crops, has noticed a marked difference in the quality and size of his plants, and has been astonished at the benefits of using the compost.

"Certainly our end objective is to be able to convert a product of the type that is considered to be waste and turn it into a usable, viable product, and to allow farmers to set up their own operation at their farm on-site," she said.

If this is possible, Ms. Tracey said, the positive outcomes could be numerous, benefiting the aquaculture industry, the environment, the Island economy, and local farmers alike.

8-year-old Tehkummah author publishes storybook

by Lindsay Kelly

MANITOWANING-Seated at a small round table just inside the entrance to the Manitoulin Livestock Co-operative in Manitowaning, grade schooler Jamie Millette slowly and painstakingly prints out his name on the inside jacket of a new kids' book.

He's not claiming it as his own to differentiate it from those of his siblings. And he's not defacing a library book. He's actually signing the book for a brand new fan, because, at the tender age of eight, Jamie has become Manitoulin Island's newest published author.

Jamie came up with the idea for his new book, entitled 'Boo the Cow,' when he was only four years old.

"I decided to write a book and I was in the field walking with my mom one day and I said, 'What if a cow couldn't make a moo sound and booed instead?'" the Sandfield resident explains.

Over the next four years, Jamie and his family worked on the story of Boo the Cow, and drew the illustrations to go with it. With Jamie acting as "artistic director," the family drew about 50 Boos before they came up with an illustration they liked.

The result is an educational, interactive and fun book that will help to entertain and educate kids studying the Grade 1 curriculum.

The book, Jamie explains, is "about a cow that couldn't make the 'moo' sound, so she booed instead. One day there's a bear in the field and the cows mooed, but they could only make a tiny moo. But Boo made a big 'boo' and scared the bear away."

The lesson behind the story encourages kids to be themselves, even if they-like Boo, who is shunned by the other cows who can moo-feel different from their friends. In the end, we should all try to understand and appreciate the differences between us, the story teaches.

Included amongst the pages of Boo the Cow are interactive pages that young readers can explore before they can move on to the next part of the story. Some pages have pop-up sections, while others are 'please squeeze me' pages that can help kids discover different textures.

Throughout the story, there is an emphasis on following instructions and learning colours, and a work page at the back of the book offers kids a chance to colour, practise their printing skills, and work on their memory skills by recalling parts of the story.

The shy, young scribe is a little intimidated when asked about his first published novel, but his mom says he loves to read and has always been creative. The family was very supportive of Jamie's first book, and it offered the family a chance to work on a project together, she says.

"We wanted to do it, because it's Jamie's book and he wanted everybody to read it," she explains. "It's really a chance for everybody to come together and see what we made come to fruition."

It's just after 1 pm, he's almost through his first book signing, and the nearly-nine-year-old Jamie is getting a bit worn out. Still, his eyes light up as each new fan comes to purchase his book, and he doesn't seem to mind doffing his pen cap to sign one more copy.

He pauses when asked if he plans to write another book soon, and Mom says it will be "at least another five years" if he does. But it's an idea that brings a big grin to Jamie's face, and we think it's safe to say that we haven't heard the last of this bright, budding author.

'Boo the Cow' was printed by LIFEnvironment Publications, and hand-assembled by the Millette family at Windylane Farm, their home in Sandfield. Only 100 copies have been printed, so it's wise to get yours fast before they sell out. Books are available through the Manitowaning Co-op and will also be sold at the Central Manitoulin Public School book fair. Fifty cents from each book sold will be donated to the CMPS Fall Fair.

EDITORIAL

Time has come to consider our Junior Citizen nominees

Islanders have a month to submit names for consideration as nominees to the Ontario Community Newspaper Association (OCNA) Junior Citizen of the Year awards, with the deadline for names being November 30.

Each year the OCNA, to which the Manitoulin Expositor proudly belongs, carefully considers those young people (aged six to 17), who exemplify the traits we all hold in the highest regard, those of selflessness, perseverance and integrity.

Simply to be nominated for one of the 12 Junior Citizens awards handed out each year is a singular honour in the community, for such youth are inspirational, having demonstrated in the eyes of the nominator to have exceptional leadership and compassion within their community.

Past nominees from Manitoulin have included many truly exceptional young people who have in their turn exhibited the very best qualities which exemplify the spirit of our Island communities, and we can feel justly proud of their accomplishments.

It takes an entire community to raise a child, as we are so fond of saying, and so it is, by extension, that our entire community can revel in the recognition that one of our own community youth is worthy of province-wide accolades.

The process of choosing a nominee begins with the nominator recognizing those qualifying attributes in a youth and taking the small amount of time and effort required to put their name forward.

These young men and women are our leaders of tomorrow, the very building blocks of the future, laid upon the foundation that is the Island's community spirit. Now is the time to bring that spirit of Island youth forward to be celebrated and to recognize their contributions to our society.

We have youth among us who can stand with the best of what Ontario has to offer-it is time for us to let them stand up and be counted.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Germany ahead of Canada in renewable energy industry

Too little of Canadian subsidies go towards sustainable energy

To the Expositor:

With regard to the letter from October 25 as to why we have crews from Germany installing windmills for us ("Writer applauds windmills," page 4), Germany may be as many as 15 years ahead of Ontario in promoting sustainable energy.

When places like Sweden, Japan and Germany (to name a few) have been forging ahead with sustainable options, our provincial government would like to dreamwalk into another $40 billion nuclear expansion program.

The German Renewable Energy Federation reports that a year ago, 150,000 people worked in the renewable energy sector in Germany.

About one dollar for every $50 we spend in energy subsidies go to renewable development.

Maybe the people are leading and the leaders are following and the German workers are giving us a hand with the job.

Thank you for the space.

Edward Burt

Kagawong

Candidate uses inappropriate wording in campaign ad

Trustee candidate should not request to be're-elected'

To the Expositor:

Election time must be a welcome source of paid advertising revenue for the local media.

Advertising is one way that candidates can reach out to the voters as well as being a way that voters can learn about their choices.

One recent election ad, however, raises some concern.

Area 7 School Board candidate Larry Killens has been running an ad prominently featuring the term "re-elect." Only the immediate incumbent is properly entitled to use the term re-elect,in this particular case,that would be Trustee Ron Burdenuk. Since Mr. Burdenuk is not seeking re-election there is no incumbent.

The fact that Mr.Killens was once upon a time also a trustee does not according to electoral convention entitle him to use "re-elect." For example, note that Hugh Moggy, who is a former reeve, does not use "Re-elect Moggy" for reeve, as only Les Fields is the incumbent reeve in Assiginack.

It is well known that incumbency can be a significant advantage in most elections, particularly municipal elections, and I suspect even more so with the relatively low profile school board and with mail-in ballots from non-residents.

It's possible that Mr. Killens' decision to use "re-elect" in his ads was inadvertently inaccurate. Or, perhaps it was the conscious decision of a long-time political operative that was intentionally misleading to try and gain an advantage.

Look well to your ballot on November 13.

Delroy Prescott

Honora