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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.
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Like many First Nation communities across the country, there is a housing shortage on Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. But the situation would be more severe if the First Nation hadn't started working on ways to help address the shortage on its own, instead of waiting for government to fill the breach.
Providing housing for everyone living on reserve is…
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NASIVVIK
By the time we read these words, another federal election will have been wrapped up, and we will have counted the number of Aboriginal people elected as MPs on the fingers of one hand. This election's results should unite the Indian, Inuit and Metis people of Canada in one great drive to persuade this particular Parliament to tackle a major reform in its make-up…
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Manitoba's teen fiddling sensation Sierra Noble had a very busy year in 2005, recording her first CD, Spirit of the Strings, performing during the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards and travelling to Belgium and France with the Aboriginal veterans for the Aboriginal Spiritual Journey and Calling Home ceremony. Noble, who will turn 16 on Feb. 20, spends much of her time promoting…
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Our Pick
Album-Family Thang
Song-Keep It Fair
Label-Independent
Producer-The Wolfpack
Singing the blues makes hearts soar
The members of The Wolfpack are still singing the blues, despite taking home an award from the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards held in Toronto in November.
The Six Nations based band took home the award for…
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The third annual First Nations Cup was staged Dec. 16 to 18, 2005 in this northern city, and following on another successful year of men's hockey, organizers have voiced their lofty aspirations for the tournament.
"Our goal is to grow on a national scale," said Greg Hopf, a First Nations Cup director. "Our goal in three to five years is to be one of the biggest…
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With the Liberals in opposition and Prime Minister Paul Martin about to hand over power and then step aside as party leader, the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) faces the prospect of having to construct a new relationship with the Prime Minister's Office and the federal government.
So far, AFN National Chief Phil Fontaine, whose greatest political advantage has been his…
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Prime Minister-elect Stephen Harper will soon get to sit at the big desk. What that will mean for Aboriginal people is still very much a mystery. But given the history of the Reform Party's approach to Aboriginal issues and the influence enjoyed in Harper's Conservative party by former Reformers, Aboriginal leaders are worried.
Monte Solberg, one of the many leftover…
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If things work out just right, grassroots people could, for the very first time, cast their vote for national chief this July.
"That's what we're hoping is going to happen," said Assembly of First Nations (AFN) renewal commission co-chair Wendy Grant-John at a press conference held in Ottawa shortly after the report was presented to the chiefs in December.
"It's…
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The last judgement rendered by Federal Court Justice Max Teitelbaum will not be remembered fondly in Hobbema.
Two First Nations located around the central Alberta town - Samson Cree and Ermineskin Cree - filed suit in 1989 in what has become a gigantic legal action. The band councils are suing the federal government for approximately $1.5 billion in oil and gas revenue…
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Dear Editor:
In this time of renewed call for new treaties, treaty negotiations, and narrower interpretations of existing treaties, we, the First Nations peoples and First Nations leaders, should always remain mindful of the fact that the overall intent of the whole process has been and continues to be the acquisition of additional concessions to Aboriginal lands and…
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I am a citizen of the Metis Nation of Ontario and there are about 500 other citizens within our local region, which is mostly of the Algoma area in Ontario, represented by our President Mr. Tony Belcourt and I want to know how the president of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples supports the Conservative platform when it doesn't reflect the progress made and gives nothing tangible…
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Dear Editor:
I am a Metis who can speak for herself. I do not support Stephen Harper and the Conservative party. Never have and never will. I make sure that I vote in every election.
I am writing because I have been informed that the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples has endorsed the Conservatives and stated that they represent all the Aboriginals off reserve. They do…
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Dear Editor:
I would like to respond to the article published in the Globe & Mail Jan. 16 that claims that the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples represents us or anywhere near the number of people they claim to. How does anyone represent more Aboriginal people than one country actually holds? The only governing body that can lay claim to represent us is the Metis National…
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Dear Editor:
For far too long has Mr. Jason Goodstriker has gotten away with comments that are derogatory to sensitive issues. We as powwow people have a way of life that exists for the purpose of preserving the way of life for all First Nations in North America. The powwow way of life is about song and dance of the proud First Nations people. I, however, find it hard to…
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Windspeaker Editorial
Liberal insiders in the country will recover from the shock of Jan. 23 eventually, and realize their ride on the entitlement merry-go-round is over and the circus has left town. The Canadian electorate has spoken. Stephen Harper will be sworn in as Canada's 22nd prime minister.
Windspeaker suspects that things are going to be very interesting…