Alberta Sweetgrass

Despite the recent announcement by Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice that a national water quality standard was going to be put in place, many public works officials in Aboriginal communities in Alberta remain sceptical.

Clarence Faithful of the Frog Lake reserve located near St. Paul stated that his community has been under a boil-water advisory since last summer. "In the long run…

Seventeen young people were honored at the third annual Alberta Youth Achievement Awards Gala on March 25 in Edmonton. The Jubilee Auditorium was filled with youth, family members, teachers and mentors.

Sponsored by the Metis Nation of Alberta (MNA), the idea for the awards was to pay tribute and promote Metis youth, said MNA President Audrey Poitras. "Some have studied hard and done…

The Federal Court of Appeal has set aside a total of 15 days over four consecutive weeks to hear oral arguments in the Samson Cree Nation's breach of treaty and trust proceedings against Canada. The court will hear the arguments Oct. 16 to 19, Oct. 23 to 26, Oct. 30 and 31, and in November from the sixth to the tenth. The appeal is from the judgement of Federal Court Justice Max Teitelbaum…

Once. That's it. The new federal government's throne speech, which sets out the agenda of the ruling Conservative party as it heads into its first session of Parliment, mentions the word Aboriginal only one time in more than 2,000 words. The speech was delivered by Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean on April 4 in the Senate chambers in Ottawa.

There was no mention of the myriad issues in Canada…

On March 3 in Tsuu T'ina in southern Alberta lawyer Jodie-Lynn Waddilove, a First Nations woman from the Munsee-Delaware Nation, was called to the Alberta Bar. The ceremony took place in the Tsuu T'ina Junior/Senior High School and was attended by some of the school's student population.

Already a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, Waddilove becomes a member of the Law Society…

The Alberta Business Awards of Distinction were handed out at a gala banquet in Calgary on Feb. 22 and several Aboriginal businesses were recognized. Hosted by the Alberta Chambers of Commerce, and sponsored in part by Syncrude Canada, the Edmonton and Calgary Sun newspapers, TELUS, the University of Alberta, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Aboriginal Workforce Participation…

During the two-day Alberta Conference on Diabetes and Aboriginal Peoples, participants were armed with information to help fight off the diabetes epidemic that persists on and off reserve.

"I hope that the participants leave the conference knowing that the tools of eliminating this epidemic do exist and it's just a matter of now knowing where and how to get to these services," said…

There are now 1,126 Aboriginal apprentices working in Alberta. This is an increase of 888 apprentices in less than four years, and a cause to celebrate.

"This is the highest number we've ever had," said Dave Hancock, minister of Advanced Education. "It's particularly a testament to companies like Premay Equipment Ltd. who invest in the future workforce by hiring and training apprentices…

The good work of Dr. Maggie Hodgson, former director of Nechi Training, Research and Health Promotions Institute, and founder and national co-chair of the National Day of Healing and Reconciliation, has been recognized by Canada's Governor General Michaëlle Jean. Hodgson has been named an officer of the Order of Canada.

Hodgson is a member of the Carrier Nation who has worked nationally…

Young women from the Kainai reserve will participate in a fashion presentation entitled, ARTAWARENESS at the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary on March 31.

They will model "wearable art," art within the context of the animated human form. This is an annual student-run event and project of Alberta College of Art and Design Student's Association (ACADSA). However, this will be…

A racist comment in a Ric Dolphin story in the Western Standard about the leadership race for the ruling Alberta Conservative Party has caused his employer some headaches.

Aboriginal community leaders in Edmonton, who call themselves the Aboriginal Human Rights Commission, called a press conference at City Hall on Feb. 15. They were outraged by the following reference to Alberta Premier…

Edmonton film-maker Marie Burke takes a look into the world of traditional Native medicine with her documentary, Spirit Doctors. The National Film Board of Canada presented Spirit Doctors to a packed theatre at the Stanley A. Milner Library on Feb. 11. Burke introduced her audience to Mary and Ed Louie of southern British Columbia, two Native spirit doctors committed to age-old healing methods…

Portage College held a ceremony on March 13 to honor Elsie Quintal, an instructor in the Native Footwear and Hide Tanning courses in the Native Arts and Culture program.

Quintal turns 90 this year and has shared her skills and expertise with Portage students for 28 years.
In 1998, Quintal received the Esquao Award from the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women. In that…

A new tripartite agreement will change policing for Montana, Ermineskin and Samson First Nations in Hobbema.

A new RCMP detachment will be built at Montana reserve, and nine new Aboriginal officers will be shared between the three bands.

"It's historic, this CTA (Community Tripartite Agreement)," said Caroline Buffalo, a Montana band councillor. It's the largest agreement of its…

A two-hour lunch-time ceremony March 6 held under the glass-covered pyramid that covers the central public assembly area of Edmonton City Hall marked the latest stop on a road that may lead to good things for the city's more than 30,000 Aboriginal residents.

The ceremony was held to release Your City, Your Voice Report: Sharing the Results. Last year, Edmonton's Aboriginal Urban Affairs…