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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A bit of history will be made at the Gaylord Powless Arena in Ohsweken, Ont. early next year. The Six Nations Skating Club is playing host to the inaugural First Nations Skating Competition on Jan. 3 and 4. The event is believed to be the first skating meet in the country restricted to Native athletes.
"We have First Nations hockey and basketball tournaments and we have…
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NASIVVIK
During my lifetime, many aspects of Arctic life have undergone an about-face from what they once used to be. These changes, which we wrestle with even now, seem beyond anybody's control. The pace of life in modern times has gathered speed beyond leisurely upkeep, and nobody seems capable, or inclined, to slow it down. In this quickening of time, what were…
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PRO BONO
Dear Tuma:
I heard that band councils have to pay welfare to non-band members. Is this true 'cause my son is a non-band member, but since his divorce is living back with me but does not have a job or any income. The band told me that since he is not a band member he does not qualify for welfare and should go to the provincial system.
Can't Afford To…
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MEDIUM RARE
The other day, I caught the tail-end of an interview on CBC Radio. The host of The Current, Anna Maria Tremonti, was interviewing someone about a study on Aboriginal health or maybe urban reserves. The subject was riveting. The interview was superb (Tremonti is a fantastic interviewer), but something grated. That's why the details of the interview slid into…
Page 18
MUSIC BIZ 101
Well, it's that time of year again, to reflect on our blessings and to resolve to do things differently. This should also extend to the music business life as well, so I have gathered my top seven music business credos. Some have been gleaned from previous columns, others through my experience in the business.
First, protect your copyright. In a…
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THE URBANE INDIAN
It's no secret that within the last 20 years or so the growth in First Nations literature has been both impressive and voluminous. Native authors such at Lee Maracle, Tomson Highway, Jeanette Armstrong, Tom King and Basil Johnston, to name only a few, have flooded the nation's book stores with a surprising quantity and quality of writings.
Because…
Page 17
A new approach to dealing with off-reserve issues could be one of the many dramatic changes in store when Paul Martin takes over the reins of power from Prime Minster Jean Chretien.
This new approach could inspire the division of the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs into two seperate deparments, one for the north and one simply called Aboriginal Affairs. It's a…
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The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples' (CAP) national chief visited Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba in late October trying to strengthen his ties to provincial organizations that represent off-reserve Native people.
In Alberta, Dwight Dorey met with several people who might be willing to fill the void created recently when CAP severed ties with provincial affiliate, the…
Page 16
The government is trying to play off residential school survivors who experienced physical and sexual abuse against those who did not, said Ray Mason, the chairperson of a grassroots survivors' organization in Winnipeg.
His comments were made in response to the federal government's announcement that its alternative dispute resolution (ADR) process to deal with the back-…
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Members of Fort McKay First Nation in Alberta have voted in favor of a land claim settlement that will see the community receive 92 sq. km of land and close to $40 million in compensation.
The vote was held on Oct. 23 and 24, with 92 per cent of votes cast in favor of accepting the compensation package.
The First Nation filed its land claim with the federal courts…
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When Prime Minister Jean Chretien called an end to the most recent session of Parliament on Nov. 13, bills C-19 (the financial institutions act) and C-7 (the First nations governance act) died on the order paper. C-6 (the specific claims resolution act) barely made it through and First Nation leaders are calling on incoming prime minister Paul Martin not to proclaim the…
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After a year of negotiations and cultural exchanges, the Haida were finally able to take the remains of their ancestors home.
Stored in the Field Museum of Chicago for more than 100 years, the remains of 160 Haida were honored Oct. 17 in a ceremony preceding their departure back to British Columbia. Several days before the celebration, 40 members of the First Nation's…
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The government is trying to play off residential school survivors who experienced physical and sexual abuse against those who did not, said Ray Mason, the chairperson of a grassroots survivors' organization in Winnipeg.
His comments were made in response to the federal government's announcement that its alternative dispute resolution (ADR) process to deal with the back-…
Page 10
A new approach to dealing with off-reserve issues could be one of the many dramatic changes in store when Paul Martin takes over the reins of power from Prime Minster Jean Chretien.
This new approach could inspire the division of the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs into two seperate deparments, one for the north and one simply called Aboriginal Affairs. It's a…
Page 9
An Opaskwayak Cree Nation man has been living in a tent outdoors to draw attention to overcrowding on the reserve near The Pas.
Samuel Rodrick McGillvary, 40, pitched his tent beside the Gordon Lathlin Memorial Centre on OCN on July 4. McGillvary said overcrowded housing conditions lead to young people having to leave the reserve and subsequently making what he calls "dark…