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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.
A footnote at the bottom of page 15 of Canada’s 16-page follow-up submission to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee, dated Aug. 14, 2006, contains a startling admission.
A Canadian official complains, in Canada’s written reply to the UN human rights body on a submission made earlier by the Lubicon Lake Cree Nation, that the Lubicons “provided the Human Rights Committee with a…
Suicide amongst Aboriginal youth in Canada has been called an epidemic. The rates vary among First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities but no matter which community you look at, the rates are higher than those in non-Aboriginal populations.
The loss of young people is devastating to many smaller communities, which sometimes experience suicide “clusters” where one youth commits suicide…
Epidemic of suicides plagues First Nation community; a First Nation community in crisis; Aboriginal youth issues need to be addressed—these are just some of the headlines that have been making the news in the last three months.
While the rest of the world appears just to be waking up, once again, to the high suicide rates within Aboriginal communities, the communities themselves are…
White River First Nation’s Chief David Johnny and council are getting awfully tired of waiting for some kind of answer from the Yukon regional office of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC).
Two band council resolutions, one asking for meetings to discuss the creation of a reserve, and the other seeking to deal with tax exemption matters, each following INAC's own processes, have…
Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice received a report on Groundhog Day that describes a very serious financial situation within his department, but he and his government apparently decided not to notice the black shadow on the horizon.
National Chief Phil Fontaine said the shadow is getting harder and harder to ignore.
The minister was told about the precarious financial…
Page 25
More than 3,000 young athletes from across the country will gather in Whitehorse from Feb. 23 to March 10 to take part in the 2007 Canada Winter Games.
Athletes age 12 to 18 will be taking part in the sporting event, which will feature competitions in 22 sports.
This year's games will be special for several reasons. Not only does the event mark the 40th anniversary…
Page 24
It's been decades in the making, but it appears First Nation people in Quebec are finally getting a post-secondary institute to call their own.
In late October 2006, the Quebec government announced it would provide $200,000 per year for operation of the new school. Additional funds to develop program content for the institution were also announced by the federal…
Page 23
"Too many Native children in remote fly-in communities do not know how to read. Too many lack self esteem. Too many lack hope. Too many believe that no one cares about them."
These words, spoken by Ontario's lieutenant-governor, James Bartleman, help explain why Bartleman has made improving Aboriginal literacy a priority since he first took office.
"I have made it…
Page 22
Twenty-three-year-old Shannon Baker and sister Shauna, identical Carrier Dene twins from the Stellat'en First Nation are taking the modelling, acting and entrepreneurial worlds by storm.
Known collectively as the Baker Twins, Shannon and Shauna have appeared on television shows such as The Tyra Banks Show, where they were featured as Native American models shattering…
Page 21
Since it was established in 1939, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) has amassed a collection of around 12,000 films, including some 700 dealing with Aboriginal themes. Now, getting a sampling of the Aboriginal items in the NFB's vaults is as simple as logging on to the film board's Web site, thanks to the site's new Aboriginal Perspectives feature.
"We have a large…
Page 20
The stage is set for Aboriginal artists to share and celebrate their talents and energy during the seven day Talking Sick Festival in Vancouver. From Feb. 5 to 11, spectators will watch as more than100 emerging and established Aboriginal artists perform at seven venues during the sixth annual festival hosted by Full Circle: First Nations Performance.
The festival…
Page 20
Dig Your Roots-Aboriginal is musically enriched with a wide range of diverse sounds. There is something for everyone on this 15 track CD, with an arrangement of hip hop, spoken word, electronic dance, roots, jazz, rock and experimental/audio art.
The album showcases emerging and well-established artists from across the country, including Sandy Scofield, Shirley Montague,…
Page 19
For more than a decade, the Aboriginal Sport Circle (ASC) has been working to support and recognize Aboriginal athletes and to encourage all Aboriginal people to get involved in sport and recreational activities.
The ASC is Canada's national Aboriginal sports body, bringing together the country's 13 provincial and territorial Aboriginal sports organizations. The ASC…
Page 19
The Calgary Aboriginal Friendship Centre will be teeing off this spring with a new youth golf program for 30 Aboriginal girls called Swing into Action.
The unique recreational opportunity will start this February and run for a total of 11 weeks. The first three weeks of the program will consist of cultural awareness, healthy living and nutrition workshops, with the final…
Page 18
There can't be too many better feelings for a parent than having their child win a world championship.
Lynda Price is one of those parents. Her 19-year-old son Carey was a goaltender for the Canadian squad, which captured the gold medal at the world junior (under 20) hockey championships in early January in Sweden.
As proud of she is of her puck-stopping son, Lynda…