Windspeaker Publication

Despite a resolution passed by chiefs from British Columbia during the September First Nations Summit, there have been no changes to the rules around who qualifies for a deadline extension for those still wanting to apply for Common Experience Payments.

Instead, the federal government has chosen to remain with the conditions of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement that…

The parties to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement will have to decide in the New Year whether to downgrade the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s duties or ante up more money.

A formal request for more funding has not come yet from the TRC, but chair Murray Sinclair said that it is clear that the $60 million set aside for the commission to use over five years will…

The Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) and the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA) have announced that the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women will conduct an inquiry into the murders and disappearances of Aboriginal women and girls in the country.

The inquiry procedure is used to investigate what the committee…

Legislation announced by the federal government that calls for transparency and accountability from First Nations chiefs has been met with mixed reaction by those it targets.

Assembly of First Nations National Chief Shawn Atleo said that there is no disagreement with the concept, however.
“What First Nations support and are committed to are the principles of transparency and…

Drawing up guidelines for establishing citizenship has never been a priority issue for Lake Manitoba First Nation, but councillor Florence McLean is reconsidering the urgency.

“When the chiefs have a meeting they have certain areas or subjects they talk about. Citizenship has never been discussed,” said McLean. “We’ll have to discuss it now.”
“That conversation is so important,” said…

The community of Attawapiskat First Nation entered the holiday season in a state emergency, with a housing shortage and deplorable living conditions, including a lack of running water, sewage disposal and heating, central to the nation’s concerns for its people.

The current state of emergency was declared two months ago, and the federal government has been criticized for the slow…

THE URBANE INDIAN

In the conclusion to his Governor General Award winning play, Where The Blood Mixes, Kevin Loring talks about the first day of a workshop with noted Cayuga actor, Gary Farmer, a man of considerable size. In theatre-speak, he describes Gary’s reaction to the first draft of his play in a somewhat aggressive manner.

Gary violently slams the script onto the table.…

Dear Auntie:
I’ve just been given my first management position, and I’m both scared and excited. I want to do more than just manage people. I want to inspire them. I want to motivate, not dictate. But where do I start? I don’t have a lot of education, but I’m willing to learn. Got any advice so I get off on the right foot with my staff?
Signed,
Shaking In My Boots

Dear Shaking…

Dear Auntie:
It’s that time of year again. I’ve made a resolution to get healthier. I was diagnosed with diabetes and I’ve been trying to exercise and eat better, but I have to admit, I have no will power. The body is willing but the mind is weak. I can’t seem to walk by the dessert table, or take time to get my body moving. Do you have any advice on how to stay on track, even when the…

Artist—Shelley Morningsong
Song—Crazy Johnny
Album—Full Circle

Sometimes a cd is a collection of songs that takes you on a journey. Shelley sings about the spirit and voices of all things natural that could be speaking to us. She asks us to walk with her and in her garden of songs she truly takes you for a musical walk that is both insightful and introspective.

The music…

Windspeaker: What one quality do you most value in a friend?
Adam Garnet Jones: Real kindness, which is not the same as niceness.

W: What is it that really makes you mad?
A.G.J.: People ignoring or rejecting the gifts they have been given.

W: When are you at your happiest?
A.G.J.: When I am connecting with something outside myself. Whether I am connecting with words on…

The National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation has announced the 2012 recipients of the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards and they include the founder of the first and largest Aboriginal financial institution in Canada, the first self-identified Métis person to serve in the federal Cabinet, a young Métis woman who ran across Canada to raise money for poverty and medical research, and the…

Archeologists discovered a 340-year-old coin from China near the proposed site of a Yukon gold mine, which may give more information about the 17th-century trade links between China, Russia, and First Nations in Canada. Chinese characters indicate the coin was minted in Zhili province between 1667 and 1671 during the Qing Dynasty. A dig near Western Copper and Gold Corp.’s proposed Casino mine…

Spring flooding in Manitoba has cost millions, said Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. Hotels and expenses for flood evacuees have reached $23 million. About 2,100 people from eight Manitoba First Nations are still unable to return home. Ottawa said the Lake St. Martin First Nation near Lake Manitoba will have to be moved permanently to higher ground. Manitoba’s Aboriginal…

The water taste challenge at the 57th Annual Northwestern Ontario Water and Wastewater Conference in Thunder Bay was won by the Delles First Nation and the Bimose Tribal Council. Their source of water comes from the Winnipeg River, deemed as high risk in a recent national assessment due to microbiological components. “The Dalles First Nation water treatment plant took source water that was…