Back at our 2010 Future of Music Policy Summit, Canadian Member of Parliament Charlie Angus (House of Commons, Timmins, ON) joined FMC co-founder and general counsel Walter McDonough on stage for a special conversation about Charlie’s experiences as a musician, broadcaster, elected official and activist. Charlie got in touch with us this week to update us on a cause close to his heart: the native people of Attawapiskat.

Attawapiskat is an isolated Cree First Nation of about 1,200 people in northeastern Ontario, Canada. As temperatures continue to drop, community leaders are deeply concerned about the health and safety of children, the ill and the elderly in the community. Many of the most at-risk individuals are living in sub-standard housing lacking plumbing and electricity.

Charlie is working with the Red Cross to have aid delivered direct to the community; relief has been slow coming as the provincial and federal governments clash over the correct course of action and calls for an evacutation have gone unheeded. You can donate directly here: www.redcross.ca (att: Attawapiskat).

Charlie also posted this video of the housing crisis from a recent trip to the community:

If you live in Canada, we encourage you to visit Shannen’s Dream to learn how to get involved.

To watch Charlie and Walter’s full conversation from Policy Summit 2011, head over to Vimeo or watch below: