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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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This week a senior citizen won a landmark case over compulsory retirement. And sine the announcement, the media has lauded the ruling as a precedent-setting case that will not only assure against compulsory retirement but give a boost to women's rights, too. However, the media seems to have overlooked one important fact. This landmark case was won by Olive Dickason, who is also…
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You should have been there. In fact, Canada's entire Native population should have been in Calgary last Friday night to see Chief Bernard Ominiyak address the audience at a benefit concert in support of his band's land claim.
The concert started out strong as local artist Peggy Ward sang a ballad about protecting the land and that it's not for us to exploit, but to use…
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Lubicon Chief Bernard Ominiyak is dismayed by the recent announcement by Calgary mayor Ralph Klein that a Blackfoot band member will receive an all-expenses European tour to counter-act the Lubicon boycott of the Calgary Winter Olympic Games.
"The main point is that I hate to see our people being used in this way against the objectives of Native people across the country…
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She lives in Hawaii, an ocean away. But Buffy Sainte-Marie still holds this nation's Aboriginal rights close to her heart and on Oct. 23 she came to Calgary to testify to that in song.
Sainte-Marie performed before an appreciative audience of both Native and non-Native background. While she sang many of her classic and more popular songs, it was her call for support of the…
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Hundreds of people crowded into Calgary's Jubilee auditorium Oct. 23 in support of the Lubicon Lake Indian band and their 47-year-old land claim against the federal government.
The concert featured Indian singer Buffy Sainte-Marie who told the audience that the band's boycott of the Calgary 1988 Winter Olympics is just and should receive the support of Calgarians.
…
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MAA heats up over ousting
The Zone 4 vice-president and director of the Metis Association have been asked to resign over the ousting of two members by the Association board in September.
Jo-Ann Daniels, president of Edmonton Local 83 has demanded that Dan Martel and Leonard Gauthier both resign or reinstate ousted members, Ron LaRocque and Ben Courtrille.
…
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Saddle Lake in membership dispute
No royalty cheques will be issued to Saddle Lake band members until Ottawa stops insisting Bill C-31 members are also to be paid says the chief.
During a band meeting on the reserve this week a decision was made to curtail all payments until the issue of band membership is resolved.
According to band lawyer Bob Roddick the…
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Ten years ago, I was in California, on a holiday from my job in British Columbia. I checked into a hotel in San Francisco. The desk clerk was an East Indian woman.
She looked at my registration form and in a lilting accent said: "You live in Vancouver? There are many Indian people living in Vancouver, I am told."
I was a little pleased to be recognized, I have to…
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Government funded and controlled economic development programs have failed, so Metis leaders feel it's about time they were allowed to take control of their own destiny said delegates at a Saskatchewan economic development conference Oct. 22 and 23.
"We must take a new direction in the use of funds available to Native people from government ? for the supply is limited and…
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67-year-old wins retirement fight
After being "sent out to pasture" at age 65, a Metis university professor won a provincial arbitration decision, Oct. 23, supporting her fight against mandatory retirement.
Olive Dickason, now 67, believes the ruling will "establish a precedent nationally" and pave the way for others to work past the mandatory age for retirement.…
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Hobbema
On Oct 23, 1987, Bernice Soosay, 35, of the Sampson Indian band, was murdered. One year later this past weekend (Oct 23 ? 24) Bernice was remembered, prayed for and missed, when her family held a Tea and Round Dance in her memory at the Howard Buffalo Memorial Centre. Pictured here is 65-year-old Louisa Soosay, mother of Bernice.
"It is in memory of my…
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Metis form new group
Prophesies of a split within the ranks of the Metis Association of Alberta were fulfilled this week with the official formation of a splinter group.
The Alberta Metis Nation Alliance held it first meeting at the Edmonton Friendship Centre Oct. 25 formalizing the rumored split within the Metis Association.
Recently several Metis…
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Windspeaker responds to Desmeules letter, say he's made false allegations
Windspeaker editorial staff and senior management stand by the editorial and story questioned by Metis Association of Alberta president Larry Desmeules in his letter to the editor. We regret his dissatisfaction with the articles, but feel he's made false allegations.
Mr. Desmeules says he was…
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Editorial
Child welfare report touches leaders, opens minds and hearts
A giant step forward was taken at a recent all-chiefs conference in Calgary. Although all of the Alberta's chiefs weren't present, a good number were touched by the findings of a child welfare report that had just been completed. Alcohol, a lack of culture and poor parenting techniques were…
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Although he scarcely finished Grade 4 in a school that only held classes three months out of the year, Rick Tetso now earns about $25,000 tax free each year by trapping.
At age 10, Tetso started trapping his "back yard," a narrow 60 km stretch of muskeg located 85 km west of Fort Simpson, N.W.T. He grew up on his father's trapline and learned how to survive from his Elders…