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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.
One of the most obscene aspects of slavery as practiced by the slave system in North America consisted in the enslavement of unborn fetuses. This assault upon the unborn child was an act of sheer greed, seeking to assure that any baby born to a mother designated as a captive would also be a captive and saleable; in short, a commodity.
In fact, a pregnant mother and her unborn fetus were…
Just a few weeks ago I attended the Calgary Spoken Word Festival. Several dozen poets and other such spoken word artists gathered together to extol the virtues of speaking aloud to entertain an audience, just them and their words. So, the immediate question was ‘What the hell was I doing there?’
I am not a spoken word artist. I am not a spoken word anything. I once ran a theatre company…
Nathan McQuabbie’s home used to be filled with a child’s chatter and giggles during weekend visits with his daughter. Now, there’s silence. His daughter, Makyla, who is almost three years old, has been deported with her mother to St. Lucia.
The story is both complicated and messy.
The deportation order came down April 16. The mother, a 29-year-old failed refugee claimant, had…
The clock is ticking. The controversial Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) has a scheduled implementation date of July 1 in both Ontario and British Columbia. HST is the combined tax of both the Provincial Sales Tax (PST) at seven per cent and GST at five per cent. The new tax will now apply to purchases that were previously not covered by PST.
Despite protests and petitions, First Nations…
The department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has a different definition of “meaningful consultation” than one New Brunswick First Nation.
Listuguj Mi’gmaq First Nation is preparing for one of their toughest years with a government-imposed 63 per cent cut in the harvesting quota of snow crab.
DFO made the announcement in April.
The band’s natural resources department said…
At least one band member from the Wabauskang First Nation near Ear Falls, Ont. has asked the federal government for salary figures for his chief and council.
Wabauskang Chief Cameron Leslie thinks it’s an election ploy. Members go to the poll to vote on June 12 and Leslie is being challenged for his position by one of two sitting councilors.
“I think people are just being mean or…
WAYNE MCQUABBIE, CHIEF OF
Henvey Inlet First Nation, said his community is “pleased and relieved” that Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has revoked the charitable status of the Henvey Inlet First Nation Community Support Organization, believing that the revocation will help their lawsuit against the group. A report released to the nation about the support organization’s…
Iroquois team prepares for worlds
The Iroquois Nationals will be one of six teams participating in the highest division at the men’s world field lacrosse championships this summer. The tournament will run from July 15 to 24 in Manchester, England.
The Iroquois Nationals, who will feature players from both Canada and the United States, will compete in the Blue…
Iroquois team prepares for worlds
The Iroquois Nationals will be one of six teams participating in the highest division at the men’s world field lacrosse championships this summer. The tournament will run from July 15 to 24 in Manchester, England.
The Iroquois Nationals, who will feature players from both Canada and the United States, will compete in the Blue…
If only we could bottle the energy and enthusiasm of the young winners of the E-spirit Aboriginal Youth Business Plan competition, then we could splash it around on all of the problems in all of our communities and they would soon become memories of a distant time past.
Congratulations to these young people on their hard work and determination, and congratulations to the Business…
The University of Ottawa hosted 200 young competitors for the 10th anniversary E-Spirit Aboriginal Youth Business Plan Competition held May 11 through May 13.
Organized by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), the event is open to Aboriginal students in grades 10 through 12 and features 16 weeks of business planning before the national event.
The three-day assembly is…
“I was sick of poverty,” said Marshall Schuchert, an Ojibway /Odawa from Sault Ste Marie, Ont.
Schuchert was one of 100 recent college/university graduates attending Inclusion Works 10 held in Toronto at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel April 27 to 29.
Schuchert was also one of the few older graduates attending the conference, organized by the Aboriginal Resource Council.
“In…
Store association VP jumps into the smoke shack debate
The Canadian Convenience Stores Association (CCSA) wrote to the federal Minister of Health, Leona Aglukkaq, in April, challenging her to enforce Bill C-32 on Native reserves. This was in reaction to an investigation proving that it was a easy thing for a 15-year-old teenager to buy flavored cigarillos on the…
“The Cherokee Nation will be the laughingstock of all the tribes if we elect a woman.”
Wilma Mankiller distinctly recalled a male delegate standing up at a campaign meeting to warn her about the consequences of her bid to become deputy chief in 1983. Not to be discouraged, her knowledge of the strong role of Cherokee women in her people’s history helped her stand up to widespread…
Even though Grand Chief Edward John had the support of prominent First Nations organizations as he bid for the job of representing Canada’s Indigenous peoples on the international stage, he was ultimately selected to the post for his expertise.
The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues announced on April 28 that John, along with 15 other delegates from around the world,…