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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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The Cree international campaign on forestry is catching fire in Washington, D.C.
Crees addressed a rally of about 100 people against Canada's forestry policies outside the White House in April.
They were joined by officials of the British Columbia Interior Alliance, which represents five First Nations that cover a quarter of the province, as well as by American and…
Page 17
The United Nations Human Rights Commission has passed a resolution favoring the establishment of a permanent forum on Indigenous issues.
The forum has one more obstacle to overcome before it's all systems go; a meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Development (ECOSOC) committee in July will decide once and for all what shape the forum will take.
Two…
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Indian control of Indian education continues to be the ultimate goal in the provision of education for First Nations children in Canada.
Paula Collier is education policy analyst with the Assembly of First Nations (AFN). She explained the concept of Indian control of Indian education was one put forward in the 1984 document Tradition in Education, published by the…
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A recent report of the Auditor General of Canada took a hard look at provision of education for First Nations children in Canada.
In the report, tabled in April, Auditor General of Canada Denis Desautels stated that, although some progress has been made in improving education for First Nations students, "more and faster progress is urgently needed."
Among the…
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Recent exposure in the national media of the perpetual decline of Indian education invites a considered response. The Auditor General, the Assembly of First Nations and at least one national journalist correctly identify the weaknesses and flaws in what and how education is delivered to Indian reserves, as well as the predictable shortcomings that emerge.
The AFN solution…
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Canada's move to recognize gay unions with provisions for same-sex benefits has opened up a debate about gay rights among the First Nations of Quebec.
Ottawa's recently introduced legislation on same-sex benefits would allow a Naskapi man to live in his community in a common-law relationship with a non-Naskapi man, without the consent of the band council.
Bill C-23…
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Two senior members of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada's (INAC) bureaucracy travelled to Western Canada for a series of media briefings in April. Gordon Shanks, the assistant deputy minister for corporate services, and Cal Hegge, the director of the transfer payments directorate's finance branch, met with Windspeaker in Edmonton on April 20.
"What we're doing is going…
Page 12
When Brian Skidders was condoled as a Mohawk chief in Akwesasne's longhouse on May 7, Iroquois Conferacy (Haudenosaunee) supporters saw it as a stride towards the much-hoped-for restoration of their traditional system of government.
More than 1,000 people attended the condolence (a word for the ceremony by which a traditional chief is formally welcomed to the Confederacy…
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Delegates from across Canada converged on Ottawa for the annual general assembly of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP) on April 28 and to elected Dwight Dorey as their new president, replacing Harry Danials.
CAP's stated goal is to promote and protect the interests of all Aboriginal people - on and off reserve. The organization claims a membership of 600,000 member'…
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A lengthy chapter in the story of the Lubicon Lake Indian Nation's battle to have their traditional territory recognized has come to an end, although the final chapter remains unwritten.
On May 4, forestry giant Daishowa dropped its appeal of a 1998 Ontario Court decision that ruled that organizing peaceful consumer boycotts was a right protected under the Canadian…
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EDMONTON-The second annual Canadian National Powwow Society fundraising gala was held at the Northlands Agricom on April 15.
The gala, attended by dignitaries including Edmonton Mayor Bill Smith and associate minister of Aboriginal Affairs, Pearl Calahasin, featured Dale Auger as emcee.
The event, attended by more than 600 people featured comedians, Howie Miller and…
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The Indian Claims Commission (ICC) is seeking an expanded role in the federal land claims settlement process, recommending it be given the power to conduct the initial review of claims, and to make binding decisions regarding those claims.
The ICC is an independent body, established in 1991, mandated to examine land claims that have been rejected by the federal government…
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An historic signing ceremony between Smith's Landing First Nation and the federal and Alberta governments was held May 6 in Fitzgerald, Alta. The occasion celebrated the province's newest First Nation securing its land base.
Smith's Landing Chief Jerry Paulette, the federal Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Robert Nault, and provincial Associate Minister of…
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The Nunavut Youth Abroad Program in Baker Lake is designed for youth 16 to 21. By applying to the program, Nunavut students have the opportunity to work in southern Canada or Swaziland, Africa for six to seven weeks in the summer.
Students must complete the Canadian program before applying to the project in Africa. This program is designed to help broaden the horizons of…
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Carrier Sekani Tribal Chief Mavis Erickson has been appointed by Indian Affairs Minister Bob Nault to conduct a six-month study which will result in recommendations on the protection of rights for First Nations women.
The appointment was announced May 12. Erickson, whose term as elected tribal chief for the Prince George, B.C.-based tribal organization expires in late June…