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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.

  • January 5, 2004
  • Cheryl Petten, Windspeaker Writer

Page 34

In 1998, as one century was about to end and another begin, Maclean's magazine ran a list of the 100 most important Canadians in history, dividing them into 10 categories, with 10 names in each category. In the Stars category, reserved for the best in celebrity the country has had to offer, the number one spot went to Tom Longboat. And in the list of the top 10 Canadians in…

  • January 5, 2004
  • Cheryl Petten, Windspeaker Staff Writer, Listuguj, Quebec

Page 30

Move over Superman. Step aside Spiderman and Batman. There's a new trio of heroes ready to take the comic book world by storm, and their names are Jesse, Tyra and Chad.

The three are the unlikely heroes of Sacred Circles, a comic book launched by a new comic book company, Birch Bark Comics.

Both the company and the comic book are the brainchild of Brandon Mitchell…

  • January 5, 2004
  • Windspeaker Staff

Page 30

QUEBEC CITY-It was a diverse group of businesses recognized on Nov. 23, as the First Peoples Business Association handed out its sixth annual Mishtapew Awards of Excellence in Quebec City.

This year's winners included businesses in the natural resource, manufacturing, cultural, financial and service sectors, with both well-established enterprises and those just getting…

  • January 5, 2004
  • Cheryl Petten, Windspeaker Staff Writer, Yellowknife

Page 29

Smokers in Canada's North will soon be out in the cold, thanks to some new laws and regulations limiting where they can light up.

The toughest stand against smoking is being taken in Nunavut, where the territorial legislature passed a new Tobacco Control Act in early November.

Under the act, it will be illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone under the age or 19…

  • January 5, 2004
  • Cheryl Petten, Windspeaker Staff Writer, Winnipeg

Page 28

A national conference focusing on injury prevention in First Nation and Inuit communities is being planned for Winnipeg from June 9 to 12.

Towards Community Action on Aboriginal Injuries is the theme of the conference, which will bring together health workers from across Canada.

The conference is co-ordinated by the National Indian and Inuit Community Health…

  • January 5, 2004
  • Paul Barnsley, Windspeaker Staff Writer, Ottawa

Page 27

The chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations heard that the number of houses required in First Nation communities as quoted by the national chief in his Getting Results Strategy paint too rosy a picture and the situation is bleaker than Phil Fontaine has stated.

Officials in the Assembly of First Nations Quebec region conducted a detailed study of what the state of affairs…

  • January 5, 2004
  • Paul Barnsley, Windspeaker Staff Writer, Ottawa

Page 27

Just days before he was called on to perform a cleansing ceremony for Prime Minister Paul Martin during his swearing in ceremony at Rideau Hall Dec. 12, Elder Elmer Courchene slammed the federal government's treatment of residential school survivors.

"It hasn't been survivor-driven," he said of the negotiations to provide compensation. "I've seen many of our Elders that…

  • January 5, 2004
  • Sam Laskaris, Windspeaker Contributor, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec

Page 26

Like many other people, Leonard Matthews has a dream. Unlike many others, however, he's actually doing something about it.

Matthews is the founder of the Gathering of Nations Cup Aboriginal Memorial Festival, an inaugural event scheduled for April 15 to 18 in Rouyn-Noranda, Que.

Matthews is hoping to have 80 adult Native hockey teams participate in the tournament…

  • January 5, 2004
  • Sam Laskaris, Windspeaker Contributor, Toronto

Page 26

About 50 youngsters participated in an amateur lacrosse skills competition held on Nov. 29 at SkyDome in Toronto as part of the Canadian Aboriginal Festival roster of activities.

This marked the fourth straight year a lacrosse competition has been held in conjunction with North America's largest multi-disciplined arts event.

A pair of professional lacrosse players-…

  • January 5, 2004
  • Windspeaker Staff

Page 25

Joseph Patchakes Cardinal, known as "Joe P" to his relatives and friends, passed away Dec. 12 at the age of 82. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Jennie Cardinal, as well as seven children, a sister Catherine Cardinal, and a large extended family.

Born to Patchakes and Honoreen Cardinal at Birch Mountain in northern Alberta on Nov. 19, 1921, Joe's early life was…

  • January 5, 2004
  • Brian Lin, Windspeaker Contributor, Penticton

Page 22

International environmental organization Ecotrust has chosen a British Columbia educator for the Buffett Award for Indigenous Leadership.

Jeannette Armstrong, executive director of the En'owkin Centre in Penticton, received the award for her work in environmental education. Four finalists were also honored at the Dec. 2 award ceremony at Ecotrust's headquarter in Portland…

  • January 5, 2004
  • Inna Dansereau, Windspeaker Contributor, Saskatoon

Page 21

The list of Aboriginal business education programs offered by the University of Saskatchewan's College of Commerce has expanded, with a new masters of business administration (MBA) in Indigenous management program.

Indigenous management is one of five areas of specialization available to students in the college's revamped MBA program. The other areas of study are…

  • January 5, 2004
  • Windspeaker Staff

Page 19

EDMONTON-The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), and particularly its Aboriginal population, celebrated the grand opening of a new Aboriginal student centre at the school's main campus in Edmonton on Dec. 2.

The centre is just one part of a larger initiative called the Aboriginal Educational Success Initiative, chaired by Mel Benson, a recent winner of the…

  • January 5, 2004
  • Ann Brascoupe, Windspeaker Columnist

Page 18

MUSIC BIZ 101

The excitement of last year's Juno Awards (www.juno-awards.ca) ceremonies in Hull/Ottawa will surely spill over to this year's Junos to be held in Edmonton on April 4.

Although the deadline to submit your work was Dec. 26 for this year's Juno Awards, the Canadian Academy of Recording…

  • January 5, 2004
  • Drew Hayden Taylor, Windspeaker Columnist

Page 18

THE URBANE INDIAN

Not to long ago, I wrote a half-hour television show for Canadian television-all in the Ojibway language. Before you get too congratulatory, understand that while I penned the piece, called The Strange case of Bunny Weequod, it was in English because I wasn't able to script it in my ancestral tongue. That's because I don't speak my mother's language. It…