Welcome to AMMSA.COM, the news archive website for our family of Indigenous news publications.
Launched in 1997. A news publication specifically designed for the Indigenous people of British Columbia and Yukon.
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Government reports are saying that the environmental impact of the B.C. ferry that sank near Hartley Bay March 22 has been relatively minimal and poses little risk, but residents of the small community are not so sure and are wondering why there have been no shellfish harvesting closures.
The Queen of the North sank in the early morning near the village, about 135…
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While the number of B.C. youth being incarcerated has declined, the proportion of Aboriginal youth in custody has more than doubled, according to a recent report.
The report, released by the Child and Youth Officer for British Columbia last month, says the number of youth being incarcerated overall has dropped from 400 in 1996/97 to 134 in 2005/06. But Aboriginal youth are…
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On April 25, more than 500 people gathered on Coast Salish territory at the Vancouver Art Gallery to show their support for the protest at the Six Nations community in southern Ontario near Caledonia. The rally was intended to serve as a deterrence to further police escalation against the Six Nations protesters.
On Feb. 28, members of the Six Nations community set up a…
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Nadine Gagne of Vancouver British Columbia was named a National Aboriginal Role Model on March 20 at a gala in Ottawa. The National Aboriginal Health Organization's Lead Your Way! program celebrates the accomplishments of First Nations, Inuit and Metis youth aged 13 to 30. Gagne works as an infant development consultant and early childhood educator for Kla-How-Eya Aboriginal…
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The government of British Columbia has committed $1 million to preserve First Nations languages. About 60 per cent of all Indigenous languages in Canada are found in British Columbia. It's estimated there are 53 Indigenous languages found in the country, of which 32 are found in the province. Only a handful are likely to survive, said Premier Gordon Campbell.
"We rarely…
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The all-white Spirit Bear (Kermode) has been adopted by British Columbia as its official mammal.
It is estimated there are about 400 Kermode bears in the province. They are part of the black bear family and inhabit the central coast and the northern parts of the province, areas the government acted to protect this year.
"Recognizing the Spirit Bear as our offical…
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When women seek help from physicians for feelings of anxiety, depression or insomnia connected to their life experiences, the result is often a prescription for benzodiazepines, a central nervous system depressant shown to have significant side effects, including memory and learning impairment, depression, emotional blunting and paradoxical aggression. Benzodiazepines are also…
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As Christ Church Cathedral in Vancouver began to fill on Good Friday, April 14, parish staff offered parishioners copies of a letter written by Andrew Hutchison, archbishop and primate of Canada's Anglican Church urging Prime Minister Stephen Harper to finally settle the compensation issue surrounding Indian residential schools. He asked Harper to honor the promise of advanced…
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With each new case of Avian Influenza reported in the media, the idea that the virus responsible, H5N1, could be the cause of the next global pandemic seems more grounded in reality.
According to figures from the World Health Organization, as of April 19, H5N1 has been responsible for 196 confirmed cases of Avian Influenza among people since 2003 and, out of those, 110…
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Hotels are already sold out in Port Alberni and Elders from throughout British Columbia are rushing to reserve rooms in Parksville, Qualicum and Nanaimo for this summer's Elders' gathering in the Alberni Valley.
The Gateway to the West Coast will host more than 4,000 Native Elders this July 18 to 20, and the entire community is coming together to ensure the 30th annual…
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Coastal First Nations that own commercial halibut licenses were shocked to learn their Pacific Halibut Management Association (PHMA) recently agreed to give hundreds of thousands of dollars to the BC Fisheries Survival Coalition, a non-registered group whose main interest seems to be opposing Aboriginal Fishing rights and title.
PHMA is a provincial society that currently…
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If Aboriginal people are going to reverse negative trends-and the stereotypes that often come with them-they will need to be led by their youth, who make up more than half of their population.
That was the message heard in Kamloops last month where more than 800 Aboriginal youth attended Gathering Our Voices 2006, the annual provincial Aboriginal youth conference.
…
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Non-Native consultants, advisors, and lawyers be warned; you will be replaced by First Nations professionals.
The Government of British Columbia has tabled legislation to enact the $100-million New Relationship Trust that will help fund long-term capacity building for First Nations. Tom Christensen, minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation announced the…
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After receiving acknowledgment from local leaders, including North Coast MLA Gary Coons and the parents of a missing young woman, Florence Naziel appeared awkward with the attention and could only say in a cracking voice: "Thank you."
And with those words Naziel set out on March 11 to walk the stretch of highway that nine young women-seven of them Aboriginal-have walked…
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Marilyn Van Bibber is a Northern Tutchone from the Selkirk First Nation near Pelly Crossing, Yukon who has had an important impact on the lives of many Aboriginal people.
Van Bibber, armed with a diploma in nursing and a certificate in midwifery, has served northern Native communities for some 25 odd years, and with a number of university courses in political science and…