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Deusdedit Ruhangariyo
Special to ICT
Around the world: Indigenous leaders convene urgent Ottawa meeting addressing mental health crisis, new Aboriginal Health Practitioner hopes to inspire others, Indigenous women filmmakers unite to advocate for their rights in Brazil, and a religious leader is sentenced to 4.5 years for religious involvement in Vietnam.
CANADA: Suicides spark Ottawa meeting
First Nations leaders convened an urgent Ottawa meeting to address the escalating mental health crisis, emphasizing the need for government assistance, APTN News reported on January 24.
Nishnawbe Aski Nation reports a troubling surge in suicides and suicide attempts within the northern Ontario First Nations it represents.
This tragic trend includes the suicides of a 12-year-old from Sachigo Lake First Nation and a 20-year-old in Deer Lake First Nation earlier this month. Additionally, in Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation, nine individuals have lost their lives between December and January.
Furthermore, the organization is expressing concerns about the recent unexplained deaths of 14-year-old Mackenzie (Nathan) Moonias and 21-year-old Jenna Ostberg in Thunder Bay, as well as the ongoing investigations into their tragic deaths.
“Our communities are exhausted — they’ve depleted the resources to support the youth,” the group’s Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler told APTN News.
“That’s the scale of what we’re dealing with. … It’s becoming too overwhelming, and we need help from Ontario and Canada to help support our communities.”
Fiddler said more lives will be needlessly lost without meaningful collective action, adding his organization is aware of the existence of youth suicide pacts in some communities.
“If immediate help doesn’t come, we will lose more young people. We’ll have to attend more funerals and try to comfort grieving families.”
Fiddler urgently called for collective action to prevent further loss of lives, citing youth suicide pacts in some communities. Political leaders, including Ministers Patty Hajdu, Anandasangaree, Holland and Saks, attended the meeting, but Ontario Premier Doug Ford and provincial ministers couldn’t due to scheduling conflicts.
During the meeting, chiefs Moonias and Koostachin-Metatawabin highlighted mental health issues and systemic barriers. Minister Hajdu acknowledged the need for government support, including solutions for overcrowding and clean drinking water, emphasizing community involvement.
“It’s not going to be the government that knows exactly what to do,” said Hajdu, according to APTN News. “First Nations have to be in the driver’s seat of designing whatever intervention it looks like.”
Fiddler calls for government collaboration with the youth council to facilitate direct communication with politicians and propose solutions. Minister Hajdu committed to funding a meeting in Ottawa for the youth council to engage with ministers and possibly Prime Minister Trudeau. Fiddler also seeks funding reforms that empower communities to implement their solutions, emphasizing the urgent need to prevent further youth loss.”
AUSTRALIA: Health practitioner hopes to inspire
With 32 years of nursing experience, Kelly Lienesch, a proud Malyangapa woman, has recently become a certified Aboriginal Health Practitioner, National Indigenous Times reported on January 22.
Originally from Wanaaring, she has made Bourke, New South Wales, her home, with a goal to inspire others to join her in helping their communities.
“I am the only one out of all of my cousins to finish year 12 and I was the first in my family to go to university,” Ms Lienesch told National Indigenous Times.
“My parents always encouraged me to chase my dreams and said that education was an important tool which would allow me to help our people and communities,” she said. “This has stayed with me through life and helped me complete my AHP training.”
Lienesch, with extensive experience in Bourke and six years in the Royal Australian Airforce in East Timor, currently serves as an Aboriginal health worker in Bourke’s Maternity and Infant Health Service. Inspired by the pandemic’s challenges, she’s actively enhancing her skills.
“I want to be a role model for other Aboriginal people and staff across the Local Health District,” she said. “If I can do it, there is no reason they can’t do it too.
“It is extremely rewarding being able to give back and provide care to our community.”
BRAZIL: Indigenous women filmmakers unite
Katahirine, though it sounds like it might be associated with an observatory or an ambitious outer space project, is actually the name of Brazil’s inaugural audiovisual network established and managed by Indigenous women, Mongabay reported on January 23.
In the Manchineri language, “Katahirine” means “constellation,” symbolizing diversity and unity. Indigenous women across Brazil are now embracing filmmaking, thanks to the accessibility of technology. Katahirine, with 60 members, produces documentaries and fiction capturing life in their communities.
Mari Corrêa, founder of Instituto Catitu, has supported Indigenous filmmaking for 30 years, initially challenging gender dynamics by working with mixed groups of students. Her institute has produced about 50 films by Indigenous creators, receiving awards worldwide.
Katahirine, an offshoot of Instituto Catitu since September 2022, maps Indigenous women content creators in Brazil, supported by Indigenous activists and communities, aiming to amplify their voices in the audiovisual realm.
“We wanted to locate women who already had some type of audiovisual experience but who weren’t necessarily producing at the time. There was also much sentiment that [Indigenous people] were losing important parts of their culture. It needed to be documented in order to not be lost, and the way to dialogue and communicate within society is in your own voice,” Corrêa told Mongabay.
Rede Katahirine engages in various activities, including its monthly Cineclube gatherings where important project-related topics are discussed. Each session is curated by a filmmaker who selects a film and invites a director to join the discussion.
These meetings foster a friendly atmosphere, serving as a platform for filmmakers to share their work, needs, challenges and successes while outlining their expectations for the project, seeking support from Brazil’s Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Indigenous Peoples and other public and private entities.
VIETNAM: Christian leader sentenced
Vietnam has sentenced religious freedom activist Nay Y Blang to four years and six months in prison for crimes he is said to have committed while holding religious meetings in his home, reported Radio Free Asia on January 26.
Blang, a 48-year-old member of the Ede ethnic group from Vietnam’s Central Highlands, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison. He was accused of using religious meetings in his home to allegedly incite secession, self-rule and the establishment of a separate state for ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands. He was convicted of “abusing democratic freedoms.” Notably, no defense lawyer was present at his trial, leading Blang’s family to boycott the proceedings.
During the trial, Blang admitted his crime and expressed a desire for a reduced penalty, aiming to return to his family and reintegrate into society as a responsible citizen. The report revealed that from late 2019 to 2022, Blang used his residence in Phu Yen province for gatherings, prayers and online fellowship with figures from the Central Highlands Evangelical Church of Christ, a group considered reactionary by the Vietnamese government.
He faced additional charges, including spreading false information about religious freedom, slander, distorting religious policies and harming the interests of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Supporters contended that Blang was being punished due to his association with the Central Highlands Evangelical Church of Christ, which lacks recognition from the Vietnamese government. Despite having legal representation arranged, no lawyer defended Blang during the trial, with accusations that the police pressured Blang’s family to deny their association with him and neglected to invite the lawyer to the defense.
“This is unacceptable. If lawyer Ha Huy Son had been present …, it would have clearly been fair and transparent trial to see if Mr. Blang is guilty or not,” said North Carolina-based Pastor Aga who founded the group, according to Radio Free Asia. “But in reality, only people from the government were present, meaning the government can give Blang any sentence they want. Why were there no lawyers to defend or argue about legal issues?”
According to Radio Free Asia, Son, the lawyer, without giving a specific reason, confirmed that his contract to defend Blang had been canceled.
“Not reactionary, not against the state, not intending to establish a separate state.” Said Aga about the group he founded. “We just want to express our religious beliefs, our own religion, to worship God and follow the religion that suits us, while still following the laws of the Vietnamese government.”
Blang and fellow members of the Central Highlands Evangelical Church of Christ have faced persistent harassment in recent years. In August 2022, after a meeting with a U.S. Consulate General diplomat in Ho Chi Minh City, local authorities targeted him and his family for information.
A month later, when invited to meet with a U.S. State Department religious delegation, he was detained at a bus station by security agents. Friday’s verdict marked Blang’s second prison sentence, with a previous one in 2005 for “undermining the unity policy.” This marked the third legal punishment for his activities, including a 24-month stint in an Educational Facility in 2010 for abusing democratic freedoms and incitement to violate the law, state interests, and the rights of organizations and individuals.
My final thoughts
My final thoughts are in Vietnam where Vietnam’s recent sentencing of religious freedom activist Nay Y Blang to a four-and-a-half-year prison term for allegedly hosting religious gatherings in his own home is deeply concerning.
Blang, a member of the Ede ethnic group from the Central Highlands, was accused of using these gatherings to gather forces, divide the national unity bloc, incite secession, self-rule and establish a separate state for ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands.
This verdict raises serious questions about the protection of religious freedom and human rights in Vietnam. Denying Blang the presence of a defense lawyer during his trial further erodes the principles of justice and transparency. Blang’s family’s decision to boycott the trial in protest underscores the lack of fair legal proceedings in this case.
I strongly condemn this violation of religious freedom and call upon the Vietnamese government to respect international human rights standards, including the freedom of religion.
Moving forward, I call upon other religious leaders to encourage Vietnam to engage in open and constructive dialogue with religious and ethnic minority communities, addressing their concerns and working together to promote unity and understanding.
The Vietnamese government should consider revising laws and policies that restrict religious activities and ensure individuals are not persecuted for peacefully practicing their faith or holding religious gatherings. Upholding the principles of religious freedom and respecting the rights of all citizens is essential for building a just and inclusive society in Vietnam.
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