Welcome to AMMSA.COM, the news archive website for our family of Indigenous news publications.
Launched in 1996. A news publication specifically designed to serve the Indigenous people of Saskatchewan.
The province’s first Education Sector Strategic Plan identifies reading and First Nations and Metis subjects as the focus. “We want to meet our targets by 2020 of increasing our graduation rate and closing the gap on First Nations students,” Education Minister Don Morgan said at a news conference. For 2014-15, school divisions will jointly focus on developing reading evaluations and improving…
Kawacatoose First Nation is the first band in the country to take full control of money earned from its land and natural resources. Under the Indian Act, First Nations communities have to go through Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada to get permission to use their own money and finalize business contracts related to oil and gas reserves. Now that the Kawacatoose First Nation…
A group of University of Saskatchewan art students showcased their work at the seventh and final national Truth and Reconciliation Commission gathering in Edmonton in March. Their creations are part of the Child Taken Project, meant to raise awareness about the history and effect of residential schools on Aboriginal youth through art. The project was a result of a partnership between the…
The University of Saskatchewan signed a memorandum of understanding with Buffy Sainte-Marie, the founder of the Cradle Board Teaching Project, to support Aboriginal education in Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan Cradleboard Initiative is a cross-cultural educational resource project supporting Kindergarten through Grade 8 students in science, technology, engineering and math. Curriculum for the…
The First Nations University of Canada’s Saskatoon Campus will be relocated to on-reserve space at English River First Nation facilities by July 2014 and an enrollment freeze will be put in place this year for the Saskatoon campus. “We are committed to having operations in Saskatoon and we recognize the historic and contemporary importance of the Saskatoon Campus… Our offerings will respond to…
Buffalo River Dene Nation Chief Lance Byhette is challenging a recent ruling by the Court of Queen’s Bench that allows two exploration permits for oilsands exploration on traditional territory. The permits were issued last summer by the province to Scott Land and Lease. Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Grant M. Currie ruled the issuing of exploration permits does not “engage the duty to consult…
Concern is being raised about the number of First Nations children dying in fires on reserves. According to Opposition NDP Leader Cam Broten, fires on reserves have taken the lives of four children since September. Three children lost their lives in Pelican Narrows and one other died on Witchekan Lake First Nation. A study commissioned by the federal government suggested First Nations people…
Thunderchild First Nation has joined Little Pine and Peepeekisis First Nations in refusing to sign the annual funding agreement with the federal government. For Thunderchild, the agreement is worth $8 million and funds the majority of social programs on reserve. First Nations have little say in the type or amount of funding and much of that funding has been capped. The decision not to sign the…
Tiles painted to represent a child who attended a residential school – outlined in red if they survived the residential school and in black if they did not – is a way to promote understanding. “Project of Heart provides a more in-depth look at Indian residential schools beyond the facts and historical events,” said Jennifer McGillis, SIAST Aboriginal activity centre leader, in a news release.…
Aboriginal
students now make up 10 per cent of the total student population at the
University of Saskatchewan. Recently collected data reveals that 1,999 students
voluntarily self-declared their Aboriginal ancestry this academic term. “When
you consider that Aboriginal people make up 15 per cent of the province’s total
population—we’re closing the gap,”…
North American Indigenous
Games CEO Glen Pratt, former George Gordon First Nation chief, has stepped down
amidst allegations of harassment. Complaints were filed against Pratt with
NAIG’s human resources committee in early February. “The board acknowledges the
seriousness of the complaints and wants to assure its partners, funders,
stakeholders, staff and…
The Edwards School of
Business at the University of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Indian
Institute of Technologies have signed their first agreement that will lead to
more Aboriginal students holding university business degrees. Through the
partnership agreement, graduates of SIIT’s two-year business diploma program
will qualify as having completed the first…
By the end of March, the
federal government will have transferred all land held under the Community
Pastures Program to the province and First Nations are concerned that the
history of that land will be lost to ranchers who will buy or lease it. Tomasin
Playford, executive director of the Saskatchewan Archaeological Society, is
worried that the loss of federal…
Aboriginal writers and
Aboriginal topics are well-represented in this year’s list of Saskatchewan Book
Awards nominees. Lisa Bird-Wilson leads the way with five nominations for her
first fiction book Just Pretending: Book of the Year, the Fiction Award,
Saskatoon Book Award, Aboriginal Peoples’ Writing Award and Aboriginal Peoples’
Publishing Award. …
The Saskatchewan government
will not be selling Casino Regina and Casino Moose Jaw to the Saskatchewan
Indian Gaming Authority despite a memorandum of understanding that SIGA buy the
two casinos. Past offers to purchase the casinos have been met with government
rejection. However, recently Premier Brad Wall started considering the option,
stating that revenue from…