Harper Government Invests in Aboriginal Culture in Mattawa

MATTAWA, Ontario, March 15, 2013 - Jay Aspin, Member of Parliament (Nipissing—Timiskaming), on behalf of the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, today announced a new investment for the Nij Nibi Kwey, which will reconnect Aboriginal women and children to their heritage, develop traditional skills and encourage cultural exchanges.

The Nij Nibi Kwey is an emerging, non-profit organization working to develop traditional cultural heritage skills for local Aboriginal women and children. With this funding, Nij Nibi Kwey will deliver sessions for Aboriginal women and children to improve and develop traditional cultural skills, and support cultural exchanges and collaboration with other organizations. The project responds to the need to strengthen cultural identity and community engagement of Aboriginal women and children in the Mattawa region.

“I am proud of our Government’s support for Aboriginal women and children in the Mattawa area,” said Mr. Aspin. “This investment by the Government of Canada will strengthen cultural identity, share traditions and develop skills in the community.”

“Our Government is pleased to support the Nij Nibi Kwey in developing the community’s traditional cultural skills, knowledge and identity,” said Minister Moore. “By supporting  organizations such as this one, our Government is delivering on its commitment to strengthen our communities and support Aboriginal women and their families.”

“In a region where jobs are scarce and employment opportunities are based on attracting companies to the area, we had to come up with our own solution,” said Lorraine Montreuil, Founding Mother of Nij Nibi Kwey. “The women of this community are proud of our culture, our abundance of skills and talents, and our determination to improve lives, and we wanted to create more job opportunities in the area. Thanks to the funding received from the Department of Canadian Heritage, we can now put our plans into action.”

The Government of Canada has provided funding of $29,918 in 2012–13 through the Aboriginal Women’s Programming Elements of the Aboriginal People’s Program of the Department of Canadian Heritage. The Aboriginal People’s Program supports community projects that incorporate Aboriginal values, cultures and traditional practices into community-driven activities designed to strengthen cultural identity and enable positive life choices. It includes a component to address issues affecting Aboriginal women and their families and strengthen their cultural identity and traditions.

For more information (media only), please contact:

Sébastien Gariépy
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage
and Official Languages
819-997-7788

Jillian Lum
Manager of Regional Communications
Ontario Region
Canadian Heritage
416-973-2050
Jillian.lum@pch.gc.ca

Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
media@pch.gc.ca