July 31-First Nations' Languages Conference, Activist Group Infiltration, and Stop the Cuts! Toronto

Aug 1, 2011

July 31-First Nations' Languages Conference, Activist Group Infiltration, and Stop the Cuts! Toronto

 

This week's edition produced and hosted by Sam Kriviak from CJSR in Edmonton on Treaty 6 land and traditional Cree territory.

The Headlines
Sam Kriviak | CJSR, Edmonton

-Natalya Rougas recently won her fight to qualify for EI sick leave benefits that she requested while on maternity leave after being diagnosed with breast cancer. This is a precedent setting case that will ensure thousands more people each year will be able to access the same benefits. 
-Two oil spills have occurred in Northern Alberta in three months. One of them lost almost 30,000 barrels of crude oil in the provinces largest spill in 36 years, impacting the health and functioning of First Nations communities nearby. 
-A recent federally commissioned assessment of water safety on First Nations reserves nationwide showed that 73% of drinking water systems on reserves are at moderate to high risk of being unsafe. Billions of dollars are required to begin to address the problem. 
-The Honouring the Waters Indigenous Water Forum took place in July to bring together Indigenous people from around the Great Lakes to address ongoing concerns about our relationship with water. Chief Dean Seyers was in attendance and spoke about the progress being made by Indigenous communities in the area. Files from NationTalk.

The Features

-The Our Future First Nations Language Conference was held in Vancouver in July. Gary Gottfreidson and Woody Morrison discuss their experiences at the conference and the importance of maintaining traditional languages to preserve cultural knowledge. Gunargie O’Sullivan | CFRO, Vancouver
-Tim Groves and Joshua Gilbert talk about infiltration of activist communities by the police leading up to and following the G20, addressing both the challenges infiltration poses and response strategies. Courtney Kirkby and Carly Forbes | CKUT, Montreal and CFRU, Guelph
-The Stop the Cuts! Coalition is fighting the threat of cuts to public services in Toronto by Mayor Tom Ford. The speeches made at a recent rally highlight the necessity of services such as childcare and health care. Files provided by Yogi Acharya of No One is Illegal Toronto. Carly Forbes | CFRU, Guelph

Community Radio Report

Frieda Werner of CJSF in Burnaby has been involved in women’s news programming for 25 years. She discusses the evolution of her show WINGS and women in radio over that time period. Aaron Lakoff | CKUT, Montreal

Music in this Edition

“My Boyfriend’s Girlfriend (Isn’t Me)” by Must be Tuesday.

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