Welcome to AMMSA.COM, the news archive website for our family of Indigenous news publications.
Established in 1983 to serve the needs of northern Alberta, Windspeaker became a national newspaper on its 10th anniversary in 1993.
The 2006 All Native Basketball Tournament in Prince Rupert, B.C. was one of the most thrilling in its 47-year history, as all four division finals weren't decided until the final minute of each game. And the best was saved for last, as Hydaburg, Alaska made a tremendous comeback to hold on to its senior men's crown, their sixth consecutive, tying the record held by Kitamaat, B.C.
Yet…
During a conference call with Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Phil Fontaine on Feb. 7, Windspeaker asked if he would be seeking re-election this July in Vancouver. The national chief gave a very indirect response, saying he had every intention of seeing the Kelowna agreements hammered out at the first ministers meeting last year, and the residential school compensation agreement…
Assembly of First Nations National Chief (AFN) Phil Fontaine's talking points on the day after Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced his new cabinet were all about reassuring First Nations citizens that there was no reason to panic about the new Conservative government.
And Aboriginal people were concerned that a government with Reform Party roots was now in office in Ottawa. A number…
As the new Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) government stumbled out of the starting blocks with a couple of controversial cabinet appointments, lifting the mood of Liberals everywhere, new Prime Minister Stephen Harper went about the task of putting his people into the nicer offices on and around Parliament Hill.
The new cabinet was sworn in on Feb. 6 at Rideau Hall, the governor…
In a 37-page decision rendered Feb. 17 by Federal Court Justice Pierre Blais-the first of four applications for judicial review filed by band councillor Marcel Balfour to be decided-the actions of former Norway House Cree Nation chief Ron Evans and several of his councillors were harshly criticized.
Judge Blais ruled that Chief Evans engaged in "usurpation of power" and that a "sub-…
A racist comment in a Ric Dolphin story in the Western Standard about the leadership race for the ruling Alberta Conservative Party has caused his employer some headaches.
Aboriginal community leaders in Edmonton, who call themselves the Aboriginal Human Rights Commission, called a press conference at City Hall on Feb. 15. They were outraged by the following reference to Alberta Premier…
Ryerson University journalism Professor John Miller surprised himself when he began to look at how the mainstream media reported the occupation of Ipperwash Provincial Park in 1995.
"The language in the report I deliberately toned down because I wanted people to focus on what I found. But I'll tell you that I was quite shocked by what I found," he said. "And I had to keep pinching…
Throughout the almost two years of hearings at the Ipperwash inquiry into the fatal police shooting of Dudley George, the occupation of Ipperwash Provincial Park by First Nation protesters has been called a clear case of trespass on provincial property.
But the lawyer acting for many of Dudley's family members said on Feb. 20 that he can prove the land was wrongfully in the hands of the…
Former Ontario premier Mike Harris maintains he did nothing wrong and played no role in the death of Dudley George.
During the last minutes of Harris' four-day appearance on the witness stand at the Ipperwash inquiry on Feb. 20, lawyer Julian Falconer, acting for Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto, called him a liar.
The inquiry is being held to sort out the events that led to…
Dear Editor:
An official inside the federal government once told me that the suicide cirsis in the First Nations communities of Nishnawbe Aski Nation was "the greatest failure of public policy in our lifetime." It was an apt description. During the past 10 years, our communities have been plunged into the worst crisis in our history, with hundreds of young people dead through suicide and…
Dear Editor:
Saskatchewan's Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act is an affront to international conventions on human rights and freedoms and the Canadian Charter of Rights.
Violations include the "right to move to and take up residence in any province" and the "right to unreasonable search and seizure." The Act is an embarrassment to Saskatchewan people and should be repealed…
Dear Editor:
While out of power, Conservatives hailing from both founding parties worked apart, and then together, ultimately to fashion a single party and a set of policies designed to bring back to Canadians an ethical and accountable government. We said we'd do things better. We'd clean up the mess. We'd treat Canadians with the respect they deserve.
Yet within hours of being…
Dear Editor:
I am absolutely appalled by the recent article written by Ric Dolphin in the Feb. 13 edition of the Western Standard magazine regarding Dr. Colleen Klein. The magazine article quotes an unnamed Conservative source as saying that when her husband retires as Alberta premier, she'll be "just another Indian."
Mrs. Klein has worked tirelessly within our Indigenous…
Dear Editor:
I understand people that say that one group does not speak on their behalf. But who defines who is Metis and who is not? Metis National Council (MSC)? Well, I don't think that includes every Metis in Canada. For myself, I could be represented by the Assembly of First Nations or the Congress of Aboriginal People. I think every Aboriginal should voice their own concerns and…
The people who value freedom of thought and expression were wrestling with some tough questions this month. Does freedom of speech mean we can say anything to anyone any time we want? Is there a boundary where freedom of speech ends and the promotion of hatred begins, and if there is what should be done if someone crosses the line?
When cartoons featuring the representation of the…