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(2022 Blockers & Attackers fundraiser – Feature Speaker) JILLIAN WEIR – HAMMER THROW – recently competed for Team Canada at the Tokyo Olympics in the women’s hammer throw finishing 19th overall in her Olympic debut. Jillian was the only known Indigenous athlete on Team Canada this year in Tokyo, Japan. Jillian has maternal Indigenous lineage and is a member of the Mohawks Bay of the Quinte, although she grew up in California, she has always been proud of her First Nations heritage. Jillian’s father, Robert Weir, was a three-time Olympian for Great Britain and has been a track and field coach throughout Jillian’s life so she grew up around a track watching athletes train and has always wanted to become an Olympian.
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In July, Weir spoke to The National Post about what it means to her to inspire Indigenous youth and she said, “If I can inspire any Indigenous youth, it’s hard to put into words what that would mean. Because I never saw Indigenous athletes in track and field competing at the Olympics when I was a kid. If I can be a model for anybody out there, that would be a big honour. For them to be able to see Indigenous athletes, whether you have Indigenous lineage or you’re full-blooded First Nations, I don’t think that really matters, just to have the representation out there is a big deal. A lot of young Indigenous people might not even know what the hammer throw is and aren’t familiar with all the different sports and events at the Olympics. The exposure to more sports will get more kids involved and lead to opportunity.”
Jillian had the privilege of exposure to many sports as a kid playing anything from basketball to wrestling to water polo in addition to track and field. Jillian started track and field in Grade 6 and she competed in running, jumping, and throwing events before focusing on the shot put and discus in high school, then added the hammer throw in university which she developed quickly and soon became her specialty. Jillian graduated from the University of Oregon in 2015 and has been competing in athletics professionally since. Jillian is now training for the next Olympics which will be held in Paris, France in 2024 where she will look to improve on her top 20 performance from her Olympic debut.
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International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
November 25th, 2021
Flag raising of No More Stolen Sisters and End Gender-Based Violence flags at Niagara Regional Headquarters, November 25th, 2021, with Regional Chair Jim Bradley, NCNW Executive Director Wendy Sturgeon, Regional CAO Ron Tripp, Community Safety & Wellbeing Michelle Johnston, and Regional Councillor Tim Rigby.
marking the beginning of
16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence
November 25th to December 10th, 2021
Join us virtually, Wednesday, December 8th, 2021, 10:00 am to 11:30 am to learn more with presenters Collin Graham & friends, and ONWA.
Register by email at: info.ncnw@gmail.com by Friday, December 3rd, 2021.
Learn more about ONWA’s Grandmother Earth Dress:
“She honours and acknowledges Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirited People.”
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PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Heather Winterstein, age 24
Dec. 15, 2021 (Niagara Region, ON) – The Niagara Chapter-Native Women Inc. extends its sincere, heartfelt condolences to the family of Heather Winterstein, who passed while in Emergency Room care. We were appalled and outraged to learn of the treatment and omission of care received by Heather, a 24 old Indigenous woman, who presented at the Emergency Department of Niagara Health System more than once in two days. This type of treatment, or lack thereof, MUST stop. Heather MUST be the last Indigenous person to needlessly die in a hospital emergency department.
We stand firmly with the family in their quest to find the answers to ‘’what went wrong’’. As Indigenous leaders and part of the Indigenous Health Network, within this community, we know we have been promoting Indigenous Cultural Safety training opportunities to all non-Indigenous health care providers throughout the entire LHIN 4 region, both on and off reserve, for some years now. That makes this unnecessary passing all the more tragic and disappointing.
The fact this has happened confirms and indicates to us that Indigenous Health Care must be delivered by Indigenous services. ’We can try to keep teaching non-Indigenous health care providers, caregivers, social workers and justice workers but we are not seeing any changes in the numbers or outcomes.’ Says Wendy Sturgeon, executive director. ‘’’Frankly it turns out to be a waste of our time in many cases, and certainly in this case. We heard the coroner stated this was a totally preventable death’. Just imagine, Heather’s family has to deal with that knowledge now for the rest of their lives.’’
As far as the review and panel goes, we are heartened to see the direction that NHS is taking to ensure the family is part of this as well as Indigenous community leaders and other respected, fair professionals. We look forward to this process once immediate grieving has subside a bit and the family feels strong enough to begin the process.
However, we do call on Canada, Minister of Health, Jean-Yves- Duclos, to initiate a National Act with teeth, accountability, and consequences to breaches thereof, that would make ‘’murder by omission’’ or withholding of health treatment services to Indigenous people illegal in Canada. ~ saying it is illegal now is no longer good enough~ it is criminal and needs to be treated as such. Reconciliation in health care is also acknowledging and supporting, with enhanced resources, our own Indigenous Health Care Services. It is time for Canada to give up its guardianship and paternalistic fictional image of itself as our ‘’’caregivers and overseers’’. We were healthy and intact for thousands of years prior to the rollout of colonialism. The assumed superiority has to stop!
The ‘’First Peoples, First Priority Health Care Act” will enforce what could not be done through decades and decades of education, and by eons of trying to work together to change a totally broken system with an extended, poor history of interactions with Indigenous people.
This two-prong approach: enhanced and expanded resources for Indigenous Health Care by Indigenous Health Services and the National First Peoples, First Priority Health Care Act will begin to ease the fears of Indigenous people across Turtle Island to access health care and send a strong message to all Canadians.
The Niagara Chapter-Native Women Inc. is founded on the collective goal to enhance, promote, and foster the health and wellness, social, economic, cultural and political well-being of First Nations and Métis and Inuit women and their families, within First Nation, Métis, Inuit and Canadian societies. We believe in becoming involved in the activities that affect our daily lives. The chapter is affiliated with Ontario Native Women’s Association.
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For additional information please contact:
Wendy Sturgeon
Executive Director
Tel.: 905 871 8770 Cell:
Email: edncnw@gmail.com
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URGENT CARE INFO
· As of Thursday, Jan. 6, 11 p.m., we are temporarily closing the Urgent Care Centre at our Fort Erie Site in order to redeploy our emergency-trained physicians and nurses to our Emergency Departments (ED) where they are most needed.
· Members of the community seeking healthcare should first contact their primary care provider.
· Our Urgent Care Centre in Port Colborne remains open and people can also access virtual urgent care services at www.UrgentCareOntario.ca.
· In an emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest Emergency Department. For more information, please visit the Niagara Health website at www.niagarahealth.on.ca/
KnowYourOptions UPDATE: COVID 19 OMICRON VARIANT ONTARIO
Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021
A few days ago, Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health
Dr. Kieran Moore asked employers to continue to allow
people to work from home whenever possible as Covid 19
cases are rising across the province. As of today, Dec. 15
the province has strongly requested be enacted.
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-asks-people-to-workfrom-home-as-covid-19-cases-increase-1.5702869
Based on this new request, NCNW is pivoting back to all
employees working from home.
The 905 871 8770 phone # will continue to be monitored
and messages answered (be patient, it may take time to get back to you).
We ask you continue to connect via email as you have in
the past and with your worker as usual.
ALSO
FYI: Several employees will be off over the holiday season for a well deserved rest and family time. You are encouraged to reach out to your
other supports as needed. You can also reach out to
Indigenous Women’s Hotline (all Ontario)
TALK 4 HEALING 24 / 7 at 1-855-554-4325 Text, Call or Chat
Or
https://wellnesstogether.ca/en-CA?lang=en-caThank you to all the Health Care professionals and volunteers working to keep the community safe at this time.
For information regarding COVID-19 vaccine clinic hours, 3rd dose vaccinations and updates about the COVID-19 virus, please click here.
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Orange Shirt Day – September 30th
What Orange Shirt Day means to me: This year,
it means honouring those little spirits that have been waiting to tell their truth and the survivors who knew they were there and told the world.~ Wendy Sturgeon
What does it mean to you? Send us a picture of you in your orange shirt with a sentence and we will post it here!
Wendy Sturgeon 
Bette, Christa, & Libby with Coco Nutty Wearing orange is our way to acknowledge the suffering and abuse that was endured by those children and their families that we can not in this day fathom. We wear it to offer hope and assurance that their lives and culture really matter to everyone’s future and the healing of our country. 
Richard Hutton 
Cynthia 
Richard and Sheryl Hutton, St. Catharines To us, Orange Shirt Day is a time to stand in solidarity with the Indigenous Community and acknowledge the injustices of the past and those that persist today. Most of all it is a time for us to listen with compassion and respect. 
Nadine Wallace I believe this is a Day to reflect on and understand our past, ground ourselves in the present work of Decolonization, and to look for the opportunities in our future to ensure “Reconciliation” is an action verb. 
Carol Nagy
To me, Orange Shirt Day means: Honouring Indigenous people, women and children, who have suffered and continue to suffer and continuing my learning journey for Truth, and Reconciliation Calls to Action.
Jim Borysko, Executive Director
It is Welland McMaster Family Health Team’s opportunity to educate and remember the tragedy of residential schools and our way to honour all of the Indigenous children that attended residential schools in Canada.
Father Patrick Gilmurray, St. Michael’s Church (Fort Erie) 
Amy
Orange shirt day to me means perseverance, and an appreciation of courage and truth.
Heather, PenFinancial 
Lauren, Welland McMaster Family Health Team
To me, Orange Shirt Day is about committing to continued listening, learning, remembering, and working towards healing a broken system.
Niagara Falls Community Health Centre Group (from left to right- Carolyn, Laura, Bronwyn, Daman, Alesha kneeling in front, Christine, Celeste, Lisa, Councillor Lori) 
Melissa
It means to never forget. Never forget our history. What the leaders of our country decided to do and the pain, devastation and trauma they caused. And how this is not remotely healed or fixed or made right. The road to real reconciliation will be very long… many generations.
As a non-indigenous person I can never push this aside. I can never forget.
Brian Kon, Wendy Sturgeon, Sandi Mansfield, Jim Diodati, Margaret, Sandra
Beginning the learning journey.
David Willick
I am wearing an orange shirt today to honour the experiences of Indigenous Peoples, celebrate their resilience and affirm a commitment that every child matters. Today as we mark the first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, we are only beginning to understand the magnitude of the tragedy of the residential school system in Canada.
Sandi, Sandra, Margaret
There have been many terrible things done, this shirt represents an opportunity for education about truth of the past and hope for a different future.City Hall Employees, Niagara Falls
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Sarah: “Transparency, Knowledge, Accountability, Compassion, Reconciliation”
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Tatjana: “What Orange Shirt Day means to me…….Recognizing and reflecting on previous actions made. Performing a check in on one’s personal knowledge of the history of residential schools. Learning more and committing to make a positive difference every day in our community.”
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Kristine: “Orange Shirt Day allows me to reflect and educate myself and my children on the injustices that impacted the Indigenous communities and the children who were forced to endure the residential school system during a dark period of Canadian history.”
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Karey: “A reminder that the most tragic parts of our history can turn into the most beautiful parts of our future, as we look ahead together, as friends, and caretakers of one another’s souls.”
Communications Director, IDHC
I am proud to be an ally to wisdom, love, respect, courage, honesty, humility and truth —the good way.
Louise & Nyla
It means remembering, reflecting & making positive change. -
ONWA (May 31): Time for Action to Honour the Lost Lives of 215 Children
- RESCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY, MAY 11 at 10AM
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Feb. 26 – NRP Virtual Indigenous Recruiting Info. Session (click here)
- November is Diabetes Awareness Month
- Blockers & Attackers 2020
- Sept. 30 – Orange Shirt Day.
We honour and validate the healing & reconciliation of former students and families.
Wendy Sturgeon E.D. accepted the invite of FACS Niagara to attend the 2nd gathering at Rama First Nation sponsored by OACAS, Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies. This year’s gathering was themed around “Bringing Indigenous Children Home” and working together to do that. One of the activities was for all participants to make a small bracelet with beads. When joined together, it forms an image of the Two Row Wampum Belt. Teachings on its meaning were shared. 
