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Alberta Sweetgrass

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Community focused with a grassroots appeal. Established in 1993 to serve the needs of the Indigenous people of Alberta.

  • April 20, 2010
  • Donna McCorrister-Beyer, Sweetgrass Writer, Calgary

The Calgary Aboriginal Friendship Centre has reopened its doors after years of dormancy. An open house and community gathering was held Sept. 18 to celebrate the new beginning and it was an exciting day for all who took part, including City of Calgary officials, representatives from friendship centres across Alberta as far away as High Prairie, Elders and members from Calgary's Aboriginal…

  • April 20, 2010
  • Alberta Sweetgrass Staff

November will be a big month for Aboriginal music in Canada, as two separate award shows celebrate and promote the best the country has to offer.

First up will be the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards, the new kid on the block in the world of music award shows.

The first ever Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards will be handed out at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg on Nov. 3.…

  • April 20, 2010
  • Paul Barnsley, Sweetgrass Writer, Calgary

Willie Littlechild pulled away from Tall Cree First Nation Chief Bernie Meneen on the fourth and final ballot on Oct. 6 and was elected Alberta's Assembly of First Nations (AFN) regional chief.
Incumbent Jason Goodstriker finished third.

After the chiefs had made the trip down the hall to vote in the Lake Bonavista room at the Deerfoot Inn & Casino for the third ballot, each of…

  • April 20, 2010
  • Sharon Small, Sweetgrass Writer, Calgary

On Sept. 29, in the glow of the early morning sunrise, Red River Carts were unloaded, horses were hitched up and a trapper's tent was erected on the site that would later that day welcome upwards of 200 Metis for the official renaming of a stretch of 36 St. NE (north of McKnight Blvd) to Metis Trail. It was proclaimed by Mayor Dave Bronconnier as Elders, citizens and officials from the…

  • April 20, 2010
  • Laura Stevens, Sweetgrass Writer, Frog Lake

Although it's only two years old, the KAMADA Walk, which stands for Kokums and Moshums Against Drugs and Alcohol, has attracted interest and involvement from various Saskatchewan and Alberta First Nations interested in bringing an end to alcohol and drug abuse in their communities.

The KAMADA Walk commemorates the loss of loved ones due to drugs and alcohol.
The idea originated…

  • April 20, 2010
  • Heather Andrews Miller, Sweetgrass Writer, Edmonton

For the last 10 years, radio station CFWE has turned Monday and Thursday nights into a social event in many Alberta homes. With transmitters scattered across the province, the station broadcasts bingo games into thousands of houses, many in remote locations where attending the popular and fun game at a bingo hall is impossible.

"One of the biggest challenges was getting a network of…

  • April 20, 2010
  • Catherine McLaughlin, Sweetgrass Writer, Sturgeon Lake

On Treaty Day, July 14, more than 100 members of the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation proudly walked together and publicly stated their commitment to a safe and caring community, one that is free from substance and alcohol abuse. An Elder carried the band flag, accompanied by an RCMP officer dressed in traditional red serge. The group gathered on the steps of the band office to hear members of the…

  • April 20, 2010
  • Stephanie Douglas, Sweetgrass Writer, Nordegg

Chiniki Bighorn Youth Cultural Camp was held Aug. 14 to 20 in the midst of the incomparable beauty of the Kootenay Plains.

Now in its third year, the camp has its foundations in the Stoney Nakoda community and draws strength from its traditional teachings and ceremonies.

Barry Wesley, Chiniki First Nations, Bighorn manager and one of the camp's organizers, said this year's theme…

  • April 20, 2010
  • Alberta Sweetgrass Staff

Funding for five Aboriginal projects worth more than $550,000 was announced by the Edmonton Housing Trust Fund's Aboriginal Application Review Committee.

Night Wind Treatment Centre received $107,525 through the Urban Aboriginal Strategy (UAS), a federal program intended to improve the quality of life for urban Aboriginal people.

Night Wind Treatment Centre was started as a…

  • April 20, 2010
  • Laura Stevens, Sweetgrass Writer, Edmonton

After 150 years of being stored in a trunk in Scotland, 29 of the 39 Aboriginal artifacts collected by the 9th Earl of Southesk have returned home to Canada. The items, collected in the mid-1800s during the earl's visit to Alberta and Saskatchewan, were purchased at auction by the Royal Alberta Museum (RAM). The artefacts had been stored in the attic of Kinnaird Castle in Scotland.

The…

  • April 20, 2010
  • Laura Stevens, Sweetgrass Writer, Frog Lake

Although it's only two years old, the KAMADA Walk, which stands for Kokums and Moshums Against Drugs and Alcohol, has attracted interest and involvement from various Saskatchewan and Alberta First Nations interested in bringing an end to alcohol and drug abuse in their communities.

The KAMADA Walk commemorates the loss of loved ones due to drugs and alcohol.
The idea originated…

  • April 20, 2010
  • Laura Stevens, Sweetgrass Writer, Frog Lake

Although it's only two years old, the KAMADA Walk, which stands for Kokums and Moshums Against Drugs and Alcohol, has attracted interest and involvement from various Saskatchewan and Alberta First Nations interested in bringing an end to alcohol and drug abuse in their communities.

The KAMADA Walk commemorates the loss of loved ones due to drugs and alcohol.
The idea originated…

  • April 20, 2010
  • Debora Steel, Sweetgrass Writer, Edmonton

It's been 15 years of squabbling neighbors, government arm-twisting, cajoling, criticism and just plain hard work, but the Enoch Cree Nation is about to realize a dream when the
River Cree Resort and Casino opens its doors to the public in October.

Media types were given a sneak peek of the facility on Sept. 6 while the finishing touches were being put on casino amenities,…

  • April 20, 2010
  • Paul Barnsley, Sweetgrass Writer, Edmonton

"The right to a trial is on trial," lawyer Eugene Meehan told the three-judge panel in the Alberta Court of Appeal on Sept. 7. Meehan was arguing against a decision by Justice Frans F. Slatter to issue a summary judgment that the Papaschase claim for reinstatement as a band and for compensation for an improper surrender of land could not proceed to trial.

More than 100 potential members…

  • April 20, 2010
  • Laura Stevens, Sweetgrass Writer, Ermineskin Cree Nation

The RCMP Musical Ride galloped into Ermineskin Cree Nation on Aug. 26 and 27, one of just 21 communities where the quintessentially Canadian icons were scheduled to perform in July, August and September. It also marked the first time in history that RCMP horses were stabled on First Nations lands.

The Hobbema Cadet Corp. hosted the riders over two days, and took the opportunity to…