Keewaytinook Okimakanak Council facts for kids
The Keewaytinook Okimakanak Council is a group that helps six First Nation communities in northwestern Ontario, Canada. Its name comes from the Oji-Cree words Giiwedinoog Ogimaakaanag, which means "Northern Chiefs."
This council was started in November 1991. It is led by the Chiefs from each of the member First Nations. They act as the Board of Directors, making important decisions. The Keewaytinook Okimakanak Council is also part of a larger group called the Nishnawbe Aski Nation.
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What Keewaytinook Okimakanak Does
The Keewaytinook Okimakanak Council has many different departments. These departments work to support the First Nation communities in various ways. They help with everything from health to education and internet access.
Helping with Health and Money
- Health Services: This department helps communities get money for local health programs. They support efforts to keep people healthy and well.
- Finance: The finance team gives advice and help with money matters to the First Nations. They also handle the accounting for the Keewaytinook Okimakanak Council itself.
- Economic Development: This group helps First Nations and their members start businesses. They also assist with training and finding ways to become more self-sufficient.
Supporting Education and Learning
- Keewaytinook Okimakanak Education: This department gives advice and help to the member First Nations about education. They work to improve learning opportunities for everyone.
- Keewaytinook Internet High School (KiHS): KiHS is a special high school for Indigenous youth. These students live in small, isolated First Nation communities in Northwestern Ontario. KiHS was the first school in Ontario to offer high school courses online. This means students can learn from home using the internet. It combines traditional classroom learning with online courses. This helps share resources and staff, offering more classes to students.
Connecting Communities with Technology
- K-Net Services: This team builds and keeps up the K-Net Network. This is a large internet network that connects First Nations and their service groups. They use different types of technology to do this. This includes video calls, online discussions, email, and other web tools.
- Kuh-ke-nah Network of SMART First Nations: This project started in 2001. It was a three-year plan to show how technology can help community development. Keewaytinook Okimakanak was one of 12 projects chosen in Canada for this. They used different communication technologies to help communities.
- SMART services help overcome problems caused by distance and isolation. They work to improve community well-being and create more learning chances. These services also support people in gaining new skills and knowledge.
Other Important Services
- Legal Aid: This department provides legal help and support.
- Public Works: This team helps with building and maintaining things in the communities. They offer technical training and help with planning community projects. They also assist with housing inspections and managing capital projects.
Member First Nations
The Keewaytinook Okimakanak Council serves six First Nation communities. These communities work together as part of the council.
