Alberta Sweetgrass

One of three awards in excellence in nursing goes to Susan Jewitt, the nurse in charge for almost four years at the Horse Lake First Nation Health Centre. The award celebrates the dedication, initiative and excellence of nurses employed by First Nations communities, Health Canada or Inuit communities. It is presented each year during National Nursing Week. The nurses are nominated for the…

The Ben Calf Robe School­ St. Clare Elementary Junior High School celebrated 25 years of providing academic and cultural programming to First Nations, Metis and Inuit children in Edmonton on May 12.

The Thundering Spirit Drum group performed the grand entry drum song as representatives from the school advisory council, the superintendent of schools, the board of trustees, the Alberta…

Residential school survivors are one step closer to receiving their share of a $1.9 billion compensation package now that the federal cabinet has put its stamp of approval on plans for the pay out.

That approval finalizes the agreement-in-principle announced in November 2005 but the plan must be approved in nine provincial courts and a five-month opt-out period must pass before the…

"Little Angels Among Us" was the theme of the 11th annual Esquao Awards held in Edmonton on May 12. The night honored girls ages six to 12 who were picked from Aboriginal communities across the province to represent the bright hope of the women of tomorrow.
It was a variation on the theme of the past awards ceremonies held by the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women (IAAW…

Winners of the fourth annual Prince Charles Elementary School Aboriginal History Quiz were honored during awards ceremonies on April 7.

All of the quiz participants from grades three to six received books that had at their core Aboriginal content. They also received certificates of participation. Twenty-four with the top overall scores were presented medals and teddy bears by Gene…

Becky King, a Grade 5 student at Brightview elementary school in Edmonton, is thrilled to be learning about her culture.

"I've learned a lot of new things," she said. "The animals are our brothers and sisters."

Becky is among 14 Grade 4 to 6 students at the west end school taking part in the Coyote Pride Mentorship Program.

Since September 2004, Aboriginal students at…

Author Tyler Trafford released his new novel, Alexander's Way, at a book launch ceremony that included a Native art exhibition and demonstrations of powwow dances.

Stacy Da Silva performed a fancy shawl dance at the Fort Calgary celebration on April 25. Stacy is of Cree and Portuguese ancestry and won the Best Actress award at the 2005 American Indian Film Festival for her role in the…

In an attempt to combine First Nation healing traditions with the latest in medical science, the Calgary Health Region on April 28 opened the doors to its first clinic geared entirely to the needs of the city's Aboriginal population.

The 4,300-sq.-ft. Elbow River Healing Lodge will provide health care for the region's Native population through a holistic approach that will deal with the…

The Friends of the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium Society is launching a rotating art exhibit in the lower level of the Jubilee Auditorium. The first exhibit will be the work of Aaron Paquette, a descendant of the Cree and Cherokee.

The exhibit, located in the Kaasa Lobby, will be available for viewing by patrons visiting the Jubilee for performances, functions and special events.…

Nichole Weasel Bear, 21, was crowned this year's Calgary Stampede Indian Princess. The Piikani Nation resident won the title on April 23. As an official representative of the Indian Village and the Calgary Exhibition & Stampede, the Indian Princess attends various events held during the 10-day Stampede in July as well as other special events throughout the year. Nichole is currently…

The Northern Light Theatre in Edmonton is holding general auditions on June 2 and 3. Artistic director Trevor Schmidt is interested in seeing only those performers he has not recently seen, or whose work dramatically differs from what he has seen them do in the past. Come prepared with a recent headshot and resume and two contrasting contemporary monologues, each no more than two minutes in…

From May 30 to June 3, kids of all ages will learn about many different cultures and traditions through music, theatre, puppetry, storytelling and dance during the International Children's Festival in St. Albert.

This festival is in its 25th year of inspiring children to experience and discover the cultural richness of the world.

As part of the festival, children are encouraged…

The Aboriginal Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has taken a step to voice their objection to what they allege was a racist comment in a story by writer Ric Dolphin published by the Western Standard magazine.

The story was about Alberta Premier Ralph Klein stepping down as leader of the province's ruling Conservative party, and included comments about Klein's Metis wife, Colleen.

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It's been more than five months since the November 2005 announcement that an agreement-in-principle had been reached to pay former residential school students compensation for their experiences within the residential school system.

Finally, on April 25, Jim Prentice, minister of Indian Affairs, announced that all parties involved-government, the Assembly of First Nations, the lawyers…

A new training program designed to improve employment opportunities for Aboriginal people who want to work in the trades was launched April 25 at the Boilermakers Union Hall in Edmonton.

Through the Trade Winds to Success project about 200 Aboriginal people from Calgary and Edmonton will be trained to enter the boilermaker, ironworker, carpenter, steam/pipe-fitter, plumber and welder…