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Community focused with a grassroots appeal. Established in 1993 to serve the needs of the Indigenous people of Alberta.
Qualifying for the 1A basketball provincials for the first time in 40 years is a remarkable feat. But the Bassano Broncos, an all-First Nations high school basketball team, have accomplished more than that: they have inspired the community the team members come from and established a winning basketball culture within their school.
“Not only does it help the Nation by inspiring folks,…
A woman from the Enoch Cree Nation is breaking new ground and inspiring others after being awarded the Mrs. North America Globe Classic title at a pageant in Las Vegas in March.
Lisa Ground is the first First Nations woman to claim the title and has since been busy representing the crown and acting as the national spokeswoman for Mrs. Globe’s partner charity, the W.I.N. Foundation.…
Church bells tolled across the nation every day for 22 days last month. And, according to the Anglican Church leaders who led the 22-Day initiative, the bells tolled not just a tribute, but also a warning—things have got to change.
Neil Gordon, Dean of the Anglican Diocese of Edmonton, said that when the Truth and Reconciliation Commission concluded their work—compiling an accurate…
A new graphic novel tells a strong story about a young Aboriginal man who breaks away from gang violence, but not before ending up in jail.
The Outside Circle, written by Patti LaBoucane-Benson and illustrated by Kelly Mellings, begins with Pete and his mother’s boyfriend Dennis. The two men fight and Dennis ends up dead and Pete goes to jail. Even in prison, Pete manages to…
AltaLink supports Alberta Indigenous Games
At its National Aboriginal Day celebrations on June 16, Alberta’s largest electricity transmission provider, AltaLink announced a new sponsorship with the upcoming Alberta Indigenous Games, which will be held in Edmonton from July 12-16. Over 1,000 youth participate in and benefit from the games held every two years. Revolving…
Using art, Springbank school and Strathmore High School students expressed their empathy for those who endured residential schools, signifying a new beginning.
“They are all part of my own healing. I thank them for that. They give me a strong sense of hope,” said Sheldon First Rider, who had attended St. Mary’s. First Rider was one of several guest speakers at the Reconciliation…
Words have to be followed by action. Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson made that clear to a room full of residential schools survivors, their families and others in the Delta Hotel in Ottawa at the closing event of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
He underscored his point when he placed a declaration of action into the Bentwood Box as an act of reconciliation on behalf of the Big City…
Memorial marks deaths of those without adequate shelter
Rev. Travis Enright, who is of Cree background, leads prayers and blessings at the tenth annual Edmonton Homeless Memorial on June 5. This year’s remembrance celebration honoured the lives of 47 men and women who died in the past year as a result of not having adequate shelter. The event is…
The building of trust is an ongoing process, says Cameron Alexis, outgoing Alberta Regional Chief for the Assembly of First Nations, particularly when it comes to interaction between Aboriginal people and the police.
In May, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team released the results of its investigation into the last of three shootings which took place in August 2013 and involved…
The success of Ambrose Place and renewed interest from funders have rallied agencies working in Edmonton’s inner city to evaluate services and programs and identify gaps.
“We’re trying to build community in the inner city,” said Russell Auger, who led a meeting at Ambrose Place that included representatives from Bissell Centre, Boyle Street Community Services, E4C Alberta, Alberta…
Richard Oster is hopeful that a partnership between the University of Alberta and an unidentified First Nation will result in more women successfully carrying babies to full term.
“Our research group is … working in collaboration with a very large First Nations community here in Alberta to try and tackle, not just stillbirth, but healthy pregnancies in general,” said Oster, a senior…
The two largest school boards in Edmonton are not waiting to learn what the new government’s intentions are when it comes to teaching about Indian residential schools.
Under PC leadership, curriculums for 2016 made teaching about Indian residential schools a mandatory learning outcome for every class from kindergarten to Grade 12. But with no direction from the NDP, teachers and staff…
For residential school survivor Larry Loyie, Premier Rachel Notley’s apology means nothing if “it’s just a ceremony or a frilly thing.” It needs to be followed by action.
On June 22, Notley became the first premier to formally apologize to those who attended residential schools.
“As our first step, we want the First Nation, Métis and Inuit people of Alberta to know that we deeply…
The River Cree Resort and Casino, located on the Enoch Cree Nation, marked the start of construction of its new entertainment venue with a groundbreaking ceremony on June 23. The new structure comes after the previous entertainment hall, “The Venue,” was voluntarily shut down in March after a due diligence exercise revealed that the structure was not up to code. Start date for construction is…
Ekaya Pihtwaw, a tobacco cessation project launched by the Samson Cree Nation, aims to prevent the use of tobacco among young people and adults; protect from exposure to second hand tobacco smoke; promote cessation among smokers; and provide education and support to those who smoke to help them quit. Ekaya Pihtwaw is working with the First Nation communities of Samson, Montana, Louis Bull,…