Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 29, 1981, Winnipeg, Manitoba T Winnipeg free August r of Hope being kindled in Community by Maureen Brosnahan Winnipeg free press Shamattawa a spark of Hope is being kindled for the future of this isolated Cree Community As it Strug Gles to overcome tarnished reputation As one of the violent and alcohol Ridden Indian reserves in located Only 200 Kilometres from Hudson Bay and 700 Kilometres from Shamattawa for years has been known among authorities in various social agencies As the hell Hole of the but Inch by Inch chief Sam Miles and his band elected in the working to achieve what could be a significant social and spirit Ual change among the 550 the hurdle for Miles now is to con Vince those agencies outside of the Community that Shamattawa is on the six months ago Shamattawa hit what Many said was Rock alcohol consumption and related Inci dents of violence on the supposedly dry Reserve were up so was Gas sniffing which claimed the lives of two Young children a few years ago and prompted a massive Winni Peg based project to determine blood Lead Levels among Shamattawa Chil Over 100 children have been sent to Winnipeg for High Lead in blood treat turning Point reached Gas sniffing and boredom were two of the reasons for a series of Vandal ism attacks on the school and nursing station earlier this year which forced both teachers and nurses to flee the Community for a period of but the events of last Winter could be seen As a turning Point for the since then Miles and the band Council have instituted a 10 curfew for children and an 11 curfew for Security at the Community Airstrip has been tightened and Luggage searches Are conducted regularly for liquor and Beer which is four Gas set up by the cover the Reserve watching for sniffing children who Are reported to the plans Are in the works to have an alcoholism and Gas sniffing counsellor flown in regularly from change of attitude prom my own personal Point of View since the new administration has been in ther has been a change of a Good change of said Marv Young of the Thomp son ramp who visited the Community earlier this in very impressed with what i he in very the band has also embarked on a number of new construction projects a a skating rink and a Landfill which will All provide badly needed employ ment for the residents on the Miles also wants to open a band store to compete with High prices at the reserves Only retail Hud son Bay Miles said he thinks he could Cut prices by shipping food and Basic sup plies directly from has a vested interest in the future of his As a father of Hes concerned about what Sha Mattawa holds in store for his Chil his younger brother Leonard was one of the two children who died As a result of Gas sniffing a few years after his Miles resigned from his Job As Airstrip one of the few full time jobs in the Community to devote All his time to his role As its not be theres the task of convincing governments and other outside agencies that the Community is As Well As convincing some members of the band that improving things in Shamattawa is in their Best Miles but things Are he its better than it was theres better control than there was eventually Well become a Weller spec Ted the band has almost finished build ing four new houses on the Reserve and two More Are scheduled to be constructed this its an accomplish but Only one Small step when t Shamattawa residents Are Busy constructing new Homes in an attempt to improve living conditions for their Between 20 and 30 houses Are needed urgently to accommodate the Popula no running water in some cases three families live in a single three bedroom none of the houses have running water or in door plumbing Hydro is but a 15 amp houses Are heated by often in a makeshift Wood stove consisting of an old Oil drum with two holes Cut into it and a pipe stuck through the Miles has secured from the government to construct a Sawmill which could provide jobs and lumber and drastically Cut the Cost of trans porting materials to the transportation costs Are very said about 50 per cent of the funds Are going in transport Miles said the which is due to be set up this fall and for which cords of Wood have already been would reduce building costs by about 30 per housing and poor Hygiene Are the Root of Many medical problems in the impetigo and sea Sonal diarrhoea Are common among the medical help is provided by two federally employed nurses who try to practise preventive Medicine by attempting to educate the Community As Well As handle their immediate the band has instituted a so far successful drive to clean up the Gar Bage in the trash have been placed in numerous locations and the garbage is being dumped at the new Landfill its a big1 difference from a Short time ago when residents heaved their garbage out the Back door where it was left to decor head nurse Denise Widmeyer said things can improve to a degree in but you have to realize the limits she one of the things in beginning to see Here is there Are a lot of hidden she Widmeyer said some of the children Are very musical and Many of the Young people Are Good changes Arent occurring overnight in there Are still Many alcohol is still sneaked into the pilots arrange to Fly it to a location off the Reserve where its stashed in the Bush until its picked those in the Community admit when drinking is so is the sniffing among employment the key for the key to improving conditions in Shamattawa is providing in a Community where unemployment has traditionally been More than 90 per he said giving people something to do is half the the Community has skilled Carpen ters but Miles is also interested in having others trained As electricians through the Federal governments Many Job Opportunity but dealing with outside agencies in Shamattawa is no easy there is no phone no television and Only a local radio station operated out of the band the Only Contact with the outside world is by a radio which a spokes Man for the Manitoba Telephone ser vice admitted is unreliable and subject to the whims of in an with the nurses can use the radio to Contact another Community to radio for a both medical personnel and the ramp complain openly about the Lack of communication with theres no excuse not have a said Barry a Winnipeg paediatrician who visits the Community once every three Bermack said that with a the nurses could consult with doctors and seek advice on How to treat critical cases that arise at the isolated its really a bad said one of two ramp officers from Gillam who Are stationed on the Reserve three Days a but Bill spokesman for said there Are no immediate plans to install a phone in the comm he said there Arent enough peo ple in the Community to warrant he said traditional land line installation is too expensive and phone service would have to be through a Krawetz said negotiations Are Tak ing place to see if the Federal govern ment will help foot part of the for Tabor Home not official says staff a Grant presented to a nonprofit senior citizens Home in Morden yesterday will help but Falls Short of meeting the Homes the administrator the Grant for renovations to Tabor Home was presented by Premier Sterling Lyon with seven members of his helped launch the Community 15th annual Corn and Apple festival Leona administrator of the nonprofit Home operated by the mennonite bretheren said the renovations will help the adult daycare program begun last weather Xci Malion h High Prei Iurco i Low poutre cold from worm front but the Home also needs a 50bed expansion to Cater to its waiting there Are 20 or 30 people who should be in Here a lot wait in the Hospital and some die before they get she said in an health minister Bud Sherman said later his department recognizes the need of Tabor and Well get but its not a first Sherman said the conservative government inherited in 1977 a list of 24 personal care Homes which had de so the government has acted to replace 15 of the outdated personal care he renovations at the 15yearold Tabor including expansion to the dining and work activity is the first phase of a two phase program which will eventually expand the present 60bed Sherman Morden mayor Max welcoming the Cabinet to the Community festival and its 99th said we do sometimes complain about the but we Are living in a land of plenty and Are really quite during the Lyon and Cabinet members visited Morden including the once government owned Morden Fine foods Plant which it sold to John Buhler in 1978 for the now limiting its product line to baked Beans and fruit expects to break even this year and has shown a profit for the last three company officials provincial Toronto up the winning ticket in yester Days provincial lottery is there Are also subsidiary Winnipeg area forecast mainly sunny wind southerly at 35 Kilometres an hour and High near Low tonight near frequent periods with one or two showers brisk northerly winds with a High tomorrow near extended weather Outlook Southern Manitoba mostly sunny and a Little cooler tuesday and wednesday with temperatures near Normal readings of 23 and Northern Manitoba mainly sunny with temperatures near Normal readings of 18 and 7 throughout the Northwestern Ontario Cloudy periods and a Little cooler sunny tuesday and wednesday with temperatures near Normal readings of 21 and Canada and the world deaths classified death temperatures 20 22 30 28 29 27 29 27 28 28 Thunder 22 20 25 24 19 International 25 22 new 29 28 21 28 9 18 17 18 11 14 13 7 22 w 18 12 13 8 30 10 29 13 33 m 16 14 24 14 28 15 u 16 Tel 31 6 16 11 Winnipeg temperature comparisons 10 mean 11 last 19 17 Hio Neit on record in 1971 21 lowest Oor ecord 17 precipitation 11 total for april to 29 Mill 19 Irene of new formerly of widow of William Alfred of 82 lusted Bertram of 25 Valhalla suite William of 280 River suite Georgina Gene of 1106 Garfield a wife of Patrick Margaret of 281 mary9 widow of Byron Gal of of Plum wife of Corne lius Harold of 674 Centennial Hus band of Olive Margarete widow of John Everett widow of Michael of 940 Magnus Elner William husband of Marion Henry of 327 traverse formerly of Alice of 522 Sherbrook for Merly of wife of Paul of 105 Scotia suite formerly of wife of William Herman of Susan William of Hus band of Nora Edna of 1438 Wellington widow of Gordon Donald of husband of Donna of 166 Eugenie wife of Roger employment and immigration Canada employ it immigration Canada important notice to residents and employers of North West old Kildonan and West Paul in order to provide on Estop service to Job seekers and claimants in the above the employment formerly at 1354 main Street and the unemployment insurance Centre formerly at 1070 main Street Are now located together at a Canada employment Centre 1841 main Street serving the following postal code areas r2p r2v r2w r2x employment enquiries 9492262 unemployment insurance enquiries 9495968 hours to monday to Friday Winnipeg North Cec International fear of disabled persons 1 employment and employ it immigration Canada immigration Canada canals ;