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Established in 1983 to serve the needs of northern Alberta, Windspeaker became a national newspaper on its 10th anniversary in 1993.
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It began mid-morning on the first day of the four-day joint session of the Assembly of First Nations and National Congress of American Indians. Those who ventured outside the convention halls to enjoy the warm weather and the view of Vancouver's scenic waterfront - and there were many - heard the drums.
Those who went in search of the source of the drumming discovered…
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In what some interpreted as a call for unity and others saw as a demand for absolute power to represent all Indigenous people in Canada, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine lashed out at his critics and dismissed claims by other national Native organizations during a July 21 speech at the Assembly of First Nations assembly in Vancouver.
On the second day…
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Just days after Jane Stewart told the Assembly of First Nations' Vancouver convention that she was still personally committed to the idea of an independent specific claims tribunal, the former minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development was granted what Ottawa insiders say was her expressed wish to move up in the federal cabinet pecking order.
Robert Nault is Stewart…
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Billed as "A:keknon," a Mohawk term for "The Community - Our Extended Family," the thirteenth annual traditional awareness gathering presented by the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto was held on April 24 and 25.
The two-day event included 23 workshops by 14 Elders and traditional teachers, with a drum social and youth dance following the first day of workshops, that also…
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With the acknowledgment that more than 50 per cent of the Aboriginal population are women, the Assembly of First Nations wants to ensure that their unique interests are being served.
That is a statement from AFN National Chief Phil Fontaine, released in a bulletin on May 5. Fontaine refers to the difficulties the AFN struggled with in the past to address women's issues in a…
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Ottawa missed the boat when it attempted to eliminate discrimination against Aboriginal women with Bill C-31, a 1985 change to the Indian Act. That's the consensus reached during a three-day conference dedicated to examining the legacy of Bill C-31.
As far as the conference's delegates are concerned, the question isn't whether or not gigantic and harmful mistakes were made…
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The law of the land has caught up with the Department of Indian Affairs. The long-awaited decision in the Corbiere case was handed down by the Supreme Court of Canada on May 20. The court ruled that Section 77 (1) of the Indian Act, which allowed bands to prohibit off-reserve residents from voting in band council elections, was contrary to the equality provisions of the Canadian…
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The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that a part of Section 77 of the Indian Act violates the equality provision contained in Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Two questions were put to the Canada's top court when it was asked to decide the Corbiere case, in which the former chief of Ontario's Batchewana Indian Band, John Corbiere, claimed he, as…
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Traditional counsellor Margaret Wapass radiates warmth, humor and down-to-earth charm.
"But it takes more than a winning smile and a social work degree to be a good traditional counsellor - you have to know where people are coming from, how they were treated in the past," said Wapass.
"Most social workers don't understand Native people and the poor among us. They…
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Canadian National has awarded three Aboriginal scholarships for 1999.
All three are from Western Canada: Russel Halpin, studying arts and sciences at Calgary's Mount Royal College; Suzanne Shukin, a student in the criminal justice program at Lethbridge (Alta.) Community College, and Gary Campo, a law student at the University of Victoria.
Suzanne Shukin, a Métis…
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Three Winnipeg brothers are proving that hard work and determination can lift you to endless heights, no matter where you came from.
Raised by their father in a single parent, low-income household, Conrad, Murray and Gerald Hoy rebelled in their school years and struggled academically. Murray and Gerald were high school dropouts. Now all three are going to be doctors-an…
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Native people in the Treaty 7 area of southern Alberta are getting a say in how $85,000 will be put to use at the University of Lethbridge.
Russel Barsh, associate professor in Native American Studies, was successful in acquiring a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. The funding was granted under a program designed to help small universities…
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The Aboriginal Education Project at Mount Royal College has rebounded and expanded the services it delivers to the Native community after suffering funding cuts to its three post-secondary preparation program levels two years ago.
The College was forced to eliminate Level Three from the project in 1997, but the fall semester of 1999 marked the debut of its Aboriginal…
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With its mid-Canada location, it seems natural that Thunder Bay, Ont. is a centre for First Nations' postsecondary education. With leadership from the Aboriginal community plus a commitment from two post-secondary institutions and the support of local education councils, the city continues to grow as a gathering point for Native students.
"Within the next five to 10 years…
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Hundreds of people enjoyed a formal dinner hosted by the Nechi Training and Research Health Promotions Institute on Nov. 20. The Celebrating Success banquet held at the Northlands AgriCom in Edmonton was in celebration of Nechi's 25 years of service from 1974 to 1999.
"Plans for Nechi's celebrations began in Oct. 1998, so it took us over a year to put everything into…