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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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It was a clear night on the great prairies of what is now western Canada when, in 1816, a young boy was born to a family of Plains Cree, or Nehiyawak.
The sky above was thick with stars, and so the boy was given the name Star Blanket. In Cree, he was called Ahtahkakoop.
As Ahtahkakoop grew from boy to man, he learned the traditions of his people, the way things…
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"Now, it is perfectly natural for human beings to share and blend cultures, but let us face a hard reality: 20th century white society is culturally addicted to exploitation.
Cultivate an awareness of your own personal motivations. Do not simply take and consume. If you are white and you find yourself drawn to Native American spirituality, Middle Eastern religion,…
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THE URBANE INDIAN
Cultural appropriation in the arts has been a bug-a-boo in many a bonnet for the last 15 years or so. The idea that somebody from one culture should be allowed to tell the story of another culture has been discussed, argued, and fought over on a number of occasions. The argument drifts from whether non-Native people should be allowed to write Native…
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When the list of recipients of the 2004 National Aboriginal Achievement Awards was announced on Jan. 13, Dr. Lee Wilson became the latest in a long line of award winners with a Saskatchewan connection.
Wilson, who grew up in Lake Francis, Man., is a research associate in the department of chemistry at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) and is also science advisor to…
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Editor's note: One of the most respected powwow men in North America paid Buffalo Spirit a surprise visit in January. Boye Ladd is preparing to move back to the United States after 25 years of living in Canada. He said he wanted to leave behind a few ideas for people to think about until he sees us again. He left us with a lot of material that we will use over the coming year.…
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For 10 years, Health Canada has covered room and board fees for First Nations treaty clients attending addictions treatment at residential centres operated by the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission (AADAC). Now the feds have had a change of heart. They won't to pay the fees, and Nick Hossack, director of prevention and promotion overseeing the National Native Alcohol and…
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Don Kelly - Director of Communications, Assembly of First Nations
Recommends:
Guns, Germs, and Steel:
the Fates of Human Societies
By Jared Diamond
Random House-1997
Bold new theories of history, science and nature often come not by answering complex questions, but by posing questions so simple no one thought to ask.
In Guns,…
Page 17
While the Locust Slept - a memoir
By Peter Razor
Minnesoa Historical Society Press
200 pp; hc $19.95 U.S.
It's not just another boarding school story, this book by Peter Razor. As a ward of the state of Minnesota, Razor truly lived it. He tells his survival story authentically, movingly, without any trace of self-pity. It is honest and it flows.
…Page 16
MUSIC BIZ 101
In this issue, we share some of the concerns identified by Aboriginal radio broadcasters when dealing with Aboriginal music and musicians.
The Inuit experience at CBC North is particularly unique.
The Iqaluit network broadcasts to 50 communities in the Inuktitut language. Typically, a one-hour talk show would air about four songs selected by…
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GUEST WRITER
Is our culture important to our health as Aboriginal people? What does being healthy mean to you?
For most people it means being able to do the things you love to do, caring and sharing time with those you love.
As a registered nurse, I am interested in my health, the health of my family, the health of my community and the health of my nation…
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NASIVVIK
In the days of transition from Prime Minister Jean Chretien to Prime Minister Paul Martin, there floated a rumor that Martin might appoint an Indian as minister of Indian Affairs.
Such a possibility raised a couple of questions. Does the new prime minister want to totally re-construct the federal government's relationships with Indians, and all Aboriginal…
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PRO BONO
Dear Tuma:
My question is about a possible band residency bylaw. As we know, lately in many First Nation communities there seems to be a steady influx of non-Natives taking up residency on our so-called Indian reserves.
If these non-Natives without band Indian status have no justifiable reason to be living in our community, can the band council…
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MEDIUM RARE
Every year, lists of "under-reported" stories come out. They're stories that made the back pages of newspapers or newscasts somewhere, but were overlooked or ignored by the major news media. Either way, someone decided these "under-reported" stories needed more attention.
Most of these lists don't deserve more attention. They're about, say, alien…
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From her acclaimed role in her one-woman show, the Velvet Devil, to her portrayal of Constable Strongarm on the television series Moccasin Flats, Andrea Menard has amply demonstrated her abilities as a singer and actor. She will star in Drew Hayden Taylor's play 400 Kilometres this May for the Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company.
Windspeaker: What one quality do you most…
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Metis National Council President Clement Chartier has threatened to oppose the renewal of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network's broadcasting license.
He did so in a letter written to the APTN board of directors in December. Chartier complained about coverage of the MNC and about the lack of Metis content in the network's programming. APTN is scheduled to go before…