First Nations Voice

PAGE 10 • FEBRUARY 2014 Assistant Commissioner Kevin Brosseau Commanding Officer RCMP "D" Division THE RCMP NEVER STOPS RECRUITING The RCMP never stops recruiting. We are always seeking out the best and brightest women and men to represent the Force and become leaders in their communities. We believe that the values instilled in our Members are done so at a young age. Because of that, we choose to reach out to students early on to encourage them to continue down a path in life that will hopefully lead to a successful future. In Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation (NCN), members of the community have come together to promote discipline, pride, leadership and respect with the creation of the NCN Cadet Corps Program for students who live in the area. The Cadet Corps began in October of 2013 and will continue until the end of the school year in 2014. There are currently 44 students participating with ages ranging from 12 to 18. Each Cadet is a student, which is a pre- requisite for joining the program. The leaders who have lent their hands and skills to this project have taken a community that held limited activities for students and opened up a world of opportunity – and at no cost to the Cadets. These leaders are from all different areas of the community – from the school principal and teachers, to a former military member, and RCMP Cst. Ryan Linklater who helps steer the direction of the program. For two hours each Wednesday night these young people are taught life skills, survival skills and the benefit of sport. Every week the Cadets practice drill and have become increasingly talented. Even on their own free time the Cadets can be found practicing drill mechanics and put on an impressive show for Remembrance Day. In the future, the leaders are looking to expand the curriculum by adding cultural components, which will advocate pride in the community and respect for Elders. The program is truly all encompassing. The pride in their new found troop is evident and although it is too early to measure academic success at this point, the youth involved are showing more respect in school and in the community overall. Community based programs like the Cadet Corps are a key component in keeping our youth on a healthy and productive path. I am inspired by the local leaders who volunteer their time to improve the lives of these students. The NCN Cadet Corps Program is the first of its kind in Manitoba, but I am feeling hopeful that other Northern communities will be motivated by its success and follow suit. For more information contact Insp. Dave Shuttleworth at david.d.shuttleworth@rcmp-grc.gc.ca "What happened to our Patsy?" A ques- tion that has haunted a family for almost thirty years. "Our family misses Patsy very much and it breaks my heart knowing that our moth- er has since passed away, not knowing what happened to her daughter," says Patricia's sis- ter, Sharon. Patricia "Patsy" Favel told her one-year-old son, sister and mother that she would return soon before driving away in her 1975 Camaro on September 30, 1984. After leaving her resi- dence that Sunday afternoon, Patricia was later seen in the evening near a bingo hall, located in the downtown area of Regina, where Patricia was getting into a car driven by an adult male. Since that day, searches have failed to locate information on her whereabouts and her fam- ily lives on in uncertainty. Warm memories of Patricia do not compare to an- swers, answers that would give Patricia's family some peace. Patricia has been missing since she was 18 years old and this month marks her 48th birthday. Sig- nificant time has gone by, years that can never be returned. Her son, Cody, has since grown up without his mother, knowing her only from photographs and stories shared by family members. "Patsy loved her son very much and was very proud of her little boy," says Sharon. Sharon recalls taking care of her younger sister Patricia, who was one of 11 siblings. She was a prairie girl born in Wynyard, Saskatchewan and grew up in Regina, spending most of her childhood with her grandparents. Patricia was known to be soft spoken and enjoyed reading from a young age. Her gentle spirit of- ten filled with joy, especially if she was on her way to a movie or a local fair. "Patricia had never gone missing before her disappearance and her sister knows she would have wanted to be present in her son's life as she already had built a strong bond with him," says Christy Dzikowicz, Director of MissingKids.ca. "Her family wanted answers 30 years ago and today they're still searching for them with the hope that someone will come forward." Patricia has brown eyes and stands 5'7" tall. At the time of her disappearance she was 100lbs., and had dyed her natural black curly hair, blond. She has an unknown tattoo on her right thumb. Anyone with information about Patricia Fav- el's disappearance is urged to contact Missing- Kids.ca at 1-866-KID-TIPS (1-866-543-8477). a young mother's family searches for ansWers 30 years later grand chief nepinak supports Denesuline peoples in honouring the treaties campaign T raditional territory of Treaty No.1, Winnipeg, Manitoba… The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) stands in solidarity with the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation in their battle against the oil industry's expansion in Treaty No.8 territory. The AMC supports the protection of Denesuline Nationhood and their environmental concerns, while also recognizing that consequences of resource development in the ancestral lands of Indigenous Peoples are not confined to provincial or federal boundaries. AMC believes that movements like "Honour the Treaties" will assist in educating and engaging all members of Canadian society on how these living Treaty documents are being slowly eroded by this federal government's indifference to Treaties and environmental policies. "Our lands are being exploited at an alarming rate and we need to enact our Rights as Treaty Peoples and protect what is left of our lands and water. The Indigenous voice is the voice of the land and we are the last defense in the protection of mother earth and all that she has provided. We have understood this special connection to the land, water, animals and all living things since time and immemorial. We will not allow the greed and corruption of this current government to destroy what is left for our future generations," stated Grand Chief Derek Nepinak of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. The AMC Grand Chief, Treaty No.1 Chief of the Long Plain First Nation Dennis Meeches, as well as Treaty No.5 Chief of the Manto Sipi First Nation Michael Yellowback are scheduled to meet with Neil Young on his four-city concert tour of Canada today in Winnipeg. The proceeds of "Honour the Treaties" will go towards the legal defense of the Athabasca Chipewyan against the expansion of Shell's Jackpine oil sands operations in Northern Alberta. "The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and Neil Young are travelling to bring a message about Treaty that should resonate with all walks of life because of the environmental destruction that the tarsands is causing and will increasingly cause if they continue to expand an unsustainable and unregulated rate. It' not just a localized issue marked by a vacuous hole in the ground in our boreal forest that will heal itself in 10,000 years. It's the peripheral effects and consequences that accrue to the harm of our future generations. When I say future generations, I'm not just talking about my family, but every family from every walk of life around the planet. Leadership must act now, concluded Grand Chief Nepinak. The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs advocates on issues that affect First Nations in Manitoba. AMC works with 61 First Nation member communities within the Treaty territories of Treaty No.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and Treaty No.10 with issues ranging from the Environment to Housing and Treaty Advocacy and Education. The political organization is assisting First Nations in Manitoba by promoting and strengthening a stronger and unified voice, while respecting each other's Inherent Sovereignty. Nicole Robertson, Chief Communications Advisor

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