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.
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The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) and the federal Indian Affairs minister both came up a little short when they were asked for details about how the promised injection of money into Aboriginal health care-as much as $1 billion-will occur.
Prime Minister Paul Martin had announced the funding on Sept. 13, just before he and provincial and territorial…
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The National Mall in the United States capital was jammed with some 80,000 people on the morning of Sept. 21 as close to 25,000 Indigenous people from throughout the Americas and beyond-many in their traditional regalia-celebrated the opening of the Smithsonian Institute's National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) with a spectacular procession down the middle of the Mall.…
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Lawyers for the family of slain protester Dudley George, who was killed by police during the Ipperwash Park occupation in September 1995, appeared before the public inquiry into his death Sept. 29 to play a tape for Chief Commissioner Sidney Linden in the hopes of having it made public.
The two lawyers-Murray Klippenstein and Andrew Orkin- and Sam George, Dudley's brother…
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Dear Editor:
How can we strengthen the national First Nations organization to be as representative, as inclusive and as effective as possible? The answers and views about this question vary from area to area in our great land.
National Chief Phil Fontaine is committed to posing this question to First Nation citizens and getting direction on how the AFN should…
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Dear Editor:
Now that the venerable wise men in the Metis senate (Saskatchewan) have completed their investigation into the massive fraud alleged in the vote count during the 2004 Metis election, it is time to forget everything and accept their worthy adjudication.
Our revered Elders say that to properly "fix" an election, you don't stop just before the finish line…
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Dear Editor:
In the penultimate paragraph of your editorial on the Assembly of First Nations' charter you speak of "sides."
(September 2004-"The AFN exists-and absorbs millions of dollars every year-because First Nations people have a different way of looking at the world. If First Nations leaders want to act like Canadian elites, they've joined the other side.")…
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Dear Editor:
Fear. Who wants to live in fear? I know I don't, but every time President George W. Bush opens his mouth I'm afraid, afraid there's a bomb overhead.
He says we shouldn't have to live in fear of the "evil-doers." He makes me feel as though bombs of mass destruction are coming down on us as you read this. His words are what frighten me. Really are they…
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When speaking after they've been assured their names won't get into print, many lawyers tell us frankly that public inquiries, at best, can only be about raising awareness. When the authorities set the rules for inquests into matters where they themselves may have some level of blame, the limits set are narrow and designed to protect jobs, pensions, reputations and the public…
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Will Sampson's last remaining sibling, Norma Sampson Bible, wants people to know there was much more to the Muscogee Creek man than the 22 films he made between 1975 and 1986. That's why this great-grandmother has spent 10 of the past 17 years writing his biography.
For one thing, her book Beloved Brother reveals that Sampson, who died in 1987 at age 53, was recognized…
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Shawonipinesiik Kinew is only 18 years old, but her list of accomplishments would be impressive for someone twice that age.
Kinew is a member of the Ojibways of Onigaming First Nation in northern Ontario but was born in Winnipeg.
In May, Kinew graduated from the University of Winnipeg Collegiate, the only high school in Canada located on a university campus.
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When Cree playwright Tompson Highway began shopping his play the Rez Sisters around to theatre companies in Toronto almost 20 years ago, the response was always the same: Who would be interested in a story about seven women on their way to play the world's biggest game of bingo? Frustrated, Highway decided to produce the play himself.
The story, as Ojibway playwright…
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My name is Annie Parker and I am a Shuswap Native. I come from Kamloops. I've been a drug and alcohol counsellor since 1984 ...
I've learned quite a bit about the youth. My main interest was in the youth, especially the young ones that come to me and say ... 'What is hate?' It's a big problem with some of the young... 'What is hate?'... Tell us what hate is and how we…
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Three experts on Aboriginal tattoos and body art took part in a panel discussion on Aug. 21 during the Planet IndigenUs festival at Toronto's Harbourfront Centre.
Trish Collison (Haida), Riki Manual (Maori), and Makerita Urale (Samoan) spoke about the cultural meaning of tattooing, traditional and contemporary tattooing practices, and whether culturally specific designs…
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Roman Bittman was named acting chief executive officer of the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation in July. Bittman is a Metis film-maker and businessman with a distinguished career and more than 40 documentaries for CBC's The Nature of Things to his credit. One of Bittman's many contributions is the creation of a labor-based tax credit system that fueled growth in Canada'…
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Our Pick
Album-When The Sun Sets Over The World
Song-Powwow Dancer
Label-Turtle Island Music
Producer-Kelly Parker
Fans will love this new offering from Winston
The latest album by well-known and loved entertainer Winston Wuttunee has everything you could expect from this seasoned veteran of the stage. Wuttunee is known for his…