Many Hands, One Dream would like to welcome the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada (IPAC) to its coalition of member organizations. IPAC joins 11 other national organizations on the Many Hands Advisory Committee who are concerned with the health and well-being of First Nations, Inuit and Métis children and youth. Visit the Many Hands website for more information about Who We Are.

The nomination deadline for the Peter Henderson Bryce Award has been extended to January 15, 2012. Nominees should be public health professionals who advocate for Aboriginal children and youth and help develop solutions to improve children’s safety, health or well-being. Visit the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada website for details.

The National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health has released new resources that shed light on Inuit public health in Canada's urban and northern regions, traditional Aboriginal diets and health, and on health data for Canada's fast-growing Métis population. One series focuses on Inuit knowledge, called Inuit Quajimajatuqangit, and its relationship to well-being and Inuit survival in a changing contemporary context. The series, also available in Inuktitut, looks at:

• Inunnguiniq: Caring for children the Inuit way  
• Inutsiaqpagutit: That which enables you to have a good life - Supporting Inuit early life health 
• Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit: The role of Indigenous knowledge in supporting wellness in Inuit communities in Nunavut

Changemakers is inviting submissions of ideas or projects that support First Nations, Métis and Inuit learning success. Submissions must be learning-oriented but not necessarily classroom-based. All entries will be posted online, with the top submissions receiving prizes. Contest deadline is January 27, 2012, and the winners will be announced in March. Visit the Changemakers website for contest details.

In November, the Assembly of First Nations released KisKisik Awasisak: Remember the Children, Understanding the Overrepresentation of First Nations Children in the Child Welfare System. It is the first report of the First Nations Component of the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect 2008 (FNCIS‑2008). 

The First Nations Child and Family Caring Society and KAIROS released a shadow report in October called Honouring the Children. The document calls on the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child to end inequalities for First Nations children, youth and families. Visit the Caring Society’s website for details or to access the report.

The National Aboriginal Health Organization’s Inuit Tuttarvingat Centre has developed a report and resource lists about child welfare practices in Inuit and other communities. Additional products may follow in the coming year. The report, called Inuit Child Welfare and Family Support; Policies, Programs and Strategies is available on Inuit Tuttarvingat’s website.

A new report released by the Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research suggests there is a $90 billion incentive to close the education gap for Aboriginal people in Saskatchewan. The report says Aboriginal people earn dramatically less than non‐Aboriginal people without access to education, but education causes earnings to catch up. Visit the Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research website for full details. 

In November, the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples heard from youth representing the Métis National Council, the Assembly of First Nations and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami about their current priorities and challenges. Senate Committee members questioned the youth on economic development issues, education and training initiatives, and what it’s like to be a youth today. Métis National Council President Clément Chartier also presented to the Committee. For more information or to read their remarks, visit the Métis National Council website.

In December, Wapikoni Mobile was awarded the 2011 Rights and Freedoms Prize from the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse. The group was recognized for its commitment to defend human rights and the rights of youth by providing young Aboriginals with the opportunity to express themselves through video and music productions. Since its creation in 2004, the mobile studios have visited 19 First Nations communities and reached more than 2,000 participants in seven nations. Wapikoni Mobile has worked with Aboriginal youth in these communities to create 350 music productions and 450 short films. Visit the Wapikoni Mobile website or contact info@wapikonimobile.ca for details about its productions.

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