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Windspeaker Publication

Windspeaker Publication

Established in 1983 to serve the needs of northern Alberta, Windspeaker became a national newspaper on its 10th anniversary in 1993.

  • November 23, 2006
  • Dianne Meili, Windspeaker Staff Writer, Hobbema, Alta

Page 9

Delegates from as far away as New Zealand, Africa and Latin America met in Hobbema, Alta. Nov. 14 to 17 to discuss processes for making treaties with Indigenous peoples. It was the first United Nations seminar of its kind held outside of a UN venue and the first on treaty land.

The UN Expert Seminar on Treaties, Agreements and Other Constructive Arrangements between…

  • November 23, 2006
  • Laura Stevens, Windspeaker Staff Writer, Fredericton

Page 9

Michael Todd Seeley was only 27-years-old when his life came to an end on foreign soil, some 5,000 miles from his home in Fredericton.

Seeley was serving with the United States Army in Iraq when he was killed on Oct. 30 by a n explosive device that detonated near his vehicle. At the time of the incident, Seeley, a member of Bravo Company of the 28th Infantry Unit based in…

  • November 23, 2006
  • Paul Barnsley, Windspeaker Staff Writer, Ottawa

Page 8

The leader of one of the five federally-recognized national Aboriginal organizations has launched a campaign to scrap the Indian Act and get rid of some 500 chiefs.

Patrick Brazeau, leader of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP), made national headlines in November when he told the Globe and Mail there are "too many chiefs."

He followed that up with an…

  • November 23, 2006
  • Paul Barnsley, Windspeaker Staff Writer, Ottawa

Page 8

When former Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault decided to change the Indian Act in 2002, the launch of the First Nations governance act (FNGA) in a school auditorium on the Siksika First Nation territory in southern Alberta was a nationally-televised event.

"I am the most important person in your life," Nault told the audience of First Nation students and teachers that…

  • November 23, 2006
  • Letter to the Editor

Page 5

Dear Editor:

At a Mi'kmaq Economic Development Forum held in Stephenville on May 24, several guest speakers highlighted the importance of land to economic development for the Mi'kmaq population in the Bay St. George area.

Since its establishment in 2002, the Ktaqamkuk Mi'kmaq Alliance (KMA) has always maintained the position that land is essential to the Mi'kmaq…

  • November 23, 2006
  • Letter to the Editor

Page 5

Dear Editor:

I, Chief Arvol Looking Horse, of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Nation, ask you to understand an Indigenous perspective on what has happened in America, what we call "Turtle Island."

My words seek to unite the global community through a message from our sacred ceremonies to unite spiritually, each in our own ways of beliefs in the Creator. We have been…

  • November 23, 2006
  • Editor

Patrick Brazeau, the leader of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP), touched off a war of words this month that might not de-escalate any time soon. "There's too many chiefs," he told the Globe and Mail, starting a somewhat disrespectful expression that ends "and not enough Indians."

We guess Brazeau can get away with that, because he's Aboriginal.

And considering that…

  • October 2, 2006
  • Cheryl Petten

Page 26

Roy Leonard Mussell was serving his fourth term as chief of the Skwah First Nation when he died of cancer on March 5 at the age of 57, but the impact of his life's work went well beyond the boundaries of the small community he'd led for close to a decade.

In addition to his role as Skwah chief, Mussell was involved with a number of other organizations-some regional, some…

  • October 2, 2006
  • THE URBANE INDIAN, Drew Hayden Taylor

Page 21

At a powwow recently, I saw a Native person walking the grounds wearing one of those "I AM CANADIAN" T-shirts that are so popular these days, several years after the similarly popular television commercial of the same topic. On the shirt were a series of pithy and semi-humorous observations about the Canadian lifestyle, as opposed to the American way of life.

Yet, most…

  • October 2, 2006
  • Sam Laskaris, Windspeaker Contributor, New York City, N.Y.

Page 20

Ryan Constant is fairly confident he'll be playing professional hockey somewhere this season, but as of late September, the 21-year-old defenceman just wasn't sure in which league he'd begin his pro career.

Constant originally thought he'd be playing at Boston's Northeastern University this season after accepting an athletic scholarship offer from the American school. Due…

  • October 2, 2006
  • Windspeaker Staff Writer

Page 19

Saskatchewan film-maker Tasha Hubbard has made quite an impression with her first solo project as a director. Her documentary Two Worlds Colliding earned her and National Film Board producer Bonnie Thompson the Canada Award at last year's Gemini Awards.

Two Worlds Colliding chronicles the freezing deaths of three Aboriginal men on the outskirts of Saskatoon and the…

  • October 2, 2006
  • Heather Andrews Miller, Windspeaker Contributor, EDMONTON

Page 18

Alberta's Sheldon Elter wasn't too upset when he was eliminated from the 2006 edition of CTV's Canadian Idol on July 12. The young Metis man had made it into the top 22 finalists on the talent show, an accomplishment that few fame-seeking singers achieve.

"The national exposure the talent show gave me resulted in a ton of phone calls, including one from APTN to star in…

  • October 2, 2006
  • Windspeaker Staff Writer

Page 17

His distinctly gritty sound will leave listeners remembering the name Jared Sowan. The 13 tracks of his CD Eclectically yours are bluesy and soulful, with lyrics, though simple and straightforward, filled with emotion and stories to tell. This album is indeed eclectic, with a mix of styles from country to pop thrown together, but it's Sowan's jazzy/blues chops that hold appeal,…

  • October 2, 2006
  • Windspeaker Staff Writer

Page 16

The stage was set and the stars were out as chiefs, business leaders and community representatives from across the Atlantic region were on hand for the second annual Atlantic Aboriginal Entrepreneur Awards Gala.

This event was hosted by Ulnooweg Development Group on Sept. 12 in Sydney, N.S. More than 300 people attended. Well-known Mi'kmaq celebrities Jimmy Augustine and…

  • October 2, 2006
  • Windspeaker Satff Writer

Page 15

Nominations have opened for the Alberta Business Awards of Distinction, which celebrate success in the province's thriving business community. Deadline for entries is Nov. 14.

Among the categories is the Alberta Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Aboriginal Woman Entrepreneur Award of Distinction, which recognizes outstanding achievement by Aboriginal women…