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Windspeaker Publication

Windspeaker Publication

Established in 1983 to serve the needs of northern Alberta, Windspeaker became a national newspaper on its 10th anniversary in 1993.

  • March 2, 2001
  • Terry Lusty, Windspeaker Contributor, HOBBEMA, Alta

Page 15

A 23 year-old Cree from Hobbema, Alta. has been honored with the Barney O'Connor Boxer of the Year Award for "displaying exemplary character, courage and boxing ability."

Canadian Cruiserweight champion Willard Lewis (also known as Red Thunder Rock) was presented with Alberta boxing's most prestigious award on Dec. 7.

The honor comes a highly successful year after…

  • March 2, 2001
  • Marie Burke, Windspeaker Staff Writer, SASKATOON

Page 15

A boxing training camp may not be the place most people expect to be during the holidays, but for Jesse Derocher, a member of Team Saskatchewan, it's part of the journey to get to the 1999 Canada Winter Games.

Derocher, 16, and his six teammates will be in Cornerbrook, Nfld. on Feb. 27 to compete in the intermediate boxing events. In the meantime, it will be training…

  • March 2, 2001
  • Letter to the Editor

Page 5

Dear Editor:

December 10 marked the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It was celebrated with much fanfare and speech-making and so it should have been. The acceptance of human rights as universal was a significant step on the road to creating a body of international law.

The rights to free speech and to peaceful assembly…

  • March 2, 2001
  • Willow Barton, Windspeaker Columnist

Page 4

A very long time ago, before Manitou created man, he created animals. And he smiled on them and he gave them the gift of speech.

Nor did the animals ever forget that the Manitou had smiled on them.

With the season of the "first snows" the animals had a celebration of Thanksgiving. The eldest, Owl would sing a special song for Manitou.

Also thanking and…

  • March 2, 2001
  • Windspeaker Staff

Page 4

Isn't Canada lucky?

The federal government has a fiscal dividend at a time when it has been told by a United Nations committee that it should stop playing politics with the human rights of Indigenous peoples.

What perfect timing! With all this extra money in the federal treasury, Canada can afford to prove to the world that it really believes in the ideas contained…

  • March 2, 2001
  • Windspeaker Staff

Page 3

Most of the problems of First Nations people are brought on by themselves.

Strongly disagree 17%

Disagree 27%

Neutral 17%

Agree 23%

Strongly agree 16%

Don't know/refused 1%

First Nations people are managing their own affairs well.

Strongly disagree 12%

Disagree 31%

Neutral 20%

Agree 25%

Strongly…

  • March 2, 2001
  • Paul Barnsley, Windspeaker Staff Writer, OTTAWA

Page 3

As government decision-makers weigh their spending options for the next federal budget, the Assembly of First Nations has given them some new information to consider.

The first-ever national public poll commissioned by an Aboriginal organization was conducted by Ottawa's Environics Research Group for the AFN between Nov. 27 and Dec. 5. The preliminary results of the poll…

  • March 2, 2001
  • Paul Barnsley, Windspeaker Staff Writer, GENEVA, Switzerland

Page 2

An international panel of judges and human rights experts has told Canada it needs to get serious about protecting the human rights of Indigenous people who live within its borders.

The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights concluded its autumn session on Dec. 4 by issuing conclusions and recommendations after listening to reports from five…

  • March 2, 2001
  • Brian Cross, Windspeaker Contributor, SASKATOON

Page 1

Saskatchewan Indians who fought for Canada in the Korean conflict and both world wars launched a high profile lawsuit against the federal government in early December, claiming they've been wrongfully denied millions of dollars worth of veterans' benefits over the past eight decades.

The Saskatchewan First Nations Veterans Association (SFNVA) and the Federation of…

  • March 2, 2001
  • Paul Barnsley, Windspeaker Staff Writer, OTTAWA

Page 1

The one thing Canada needs to do to remedy the problems that plague First Nations communities is the only thing Canada is unwilling to do.

That's the short version of a speech delivered by Matthew Coon Come, the grand chief of the Grand Council of the Crees, during the first Assembly of First Nations-sponsored media conference on Aboriginal issues, hosted at Ottawa's…

  • March 1, 2001
  • Marj Roden, Windspeaker Contributor, PRINCE ALBERT, Sask.

Page 39

Delegates from across Canada gathered in Prince Albert, Sask. for three days in early August to come up with a plan to create a national First Nations' gaming association.

All delegates received a 10-page draft proposal providing ideas on how to develop the association to take back to their communities for discussion.

The conference chairperson, Assembly of First…

  • March 1, 2001
  • Terry Lusty, Windspeaker Contributor, EDMONTON

Page 38

Yellowhead Tribal Council scored a coup July 17 when Rubin Hurricane Carter made an appearance at a YTC education conference, banquet and fund-raiser where he was the featured keynote speaker.

Carter, now the subject of a full length book, The 16th Round, and a movie entitled The Hurricane, with Denzel Washington playing the part of the former middleweight boxer, spent…

  • March 1, 2001
  • Trina Gobert, Windspeaker Staff Writer, SASKATOON

Page 37

The Metis: Our People, Our Story CD-ROM was released on Sept. 1 during the Prince Albert Metis Fall Festival by the Gabriel Dumont Institute (GDI) of Saskatoon.

"It has been quite some time in the making," said Darren Prefontaine, curriculum development officer at GDI.

The release of the CD-ROM comes in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the Gabriel Dumont…

  • March 1, 2001
  • Cheryl Petten, Windspeaker Staff Writer, HOLLOW WATER, Man.

Page 35

A new documentary about the community of Hollow Water and its journey towards healing is now available to the public through the National Film Board.

The community of Hollow Water is a small Ojibway community located 200 km north of Winnipeg on the eastern shores of Lake Winnipeg. Of the 450 residents of the community, about two-thirds have been victims of sexual abuse.…

  • March 1, 2001
  • Avery Ascher, Windspeaker Contributor, THE PAS, Man.

Page 33

Inside the Opaskwayak Cree Nation Youth Centre, the big screen TV pulsates with Prozzak, the music's steady thump punctuated by the clack! of pool balls connecting and ricocheting across the green felt.

The crowd on this afternoon in mid-August ranges in age from about 9 to 15, a mix of boys and girls. Twenty-four year-old Charmaine Sayese runs the canteen, keeps track of…