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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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A complaint against independent Member of Parliament Jim Pankiw was filed with Saskatoon RCMP on Dec. 18 by a Metis man.
John Melenchuk told Windspeaker he was interviewed at length by Cpl. John Kubat of the Major Crimes Unit. Kubat said he could not comment on what he had discussed with Melenchuk, but he did confirm he had spoken to him that day.
Melenchuk said the…
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Ralph Steinhauer, who passed away on Sept. 19 after pulmonary problems, will be remember by many as one of the most prominent Native leaders in the 20th century.
Though best known as Alberta's 10th lieutenant governor serving from 1974 to 1979, he also established multiple Native organizations to help his own people.
"He led by example. He was a leader who could…
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Attendance is up, and more classes than ever are being offered at the Old Sun Community College on the Blackfoot reserve, despite a 15 per cent budget cut by Indian and Northern Affairs and Canada Employment, said Old Sun president Marion Creery.
"Our enrollment in high school upgrading is the highest it has ever been," said Creery. "And we've even added some new programs…
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Iqaluit
Visitors to the historic Inuit dwelling place near here have been damaging the site looking for artifacts, says Regional Tourism officer David Monteith.
Although people caught disturbing the site or removing artifacts without a permit are in violation of N.W.T. regulations and may be charged, many tourists continue to remove priceless artifacts.
…
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Comparisons between the Lubicon Lake Indian band and Palestinian terrorists made by the security chief at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics are "ridiculous" says Lubicon chief Bernard Ominiyak.
Edgar Best, former Olympic security chief, says the Lubicon's justifications for protests at the Calgary Winter Olympics are similar to those of Black September, a faction of the…
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Robert Laboucane has quit the federal Indian Affairs department calling the treatment by the service "deplorable, despicable, disgusting."
Last year Laboucane was fired for publicly criticizing the department. He appealed the decision and won ? he was then ordered back to work, but transferred to Edmonton.
After he was fired, he couldn't afford mortgage payments…
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The Blackfoot band officially opened the new $3.6 million elementary school Aug. 28. The brick structure has eight classrooms, two kindergarten areas, a gym and library. The new school replaces the four portable classrooms used before.
Construction began in 1985 and was completed on time and under budget in time for this school year.
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"It doesn't matter whether your relatives came over on the Mayflower, or whether you are a Native," said Winston Wuttunee, a Native folksinger and lecturer. "We're all in the same boat."
Wuttunee was addressing a breakfast crowd of 150 people, Sept. 22 at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, during Native Awareness Week, Sept. 21 ? 25.
"When the earth was flooded, it…
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Native tradition is tolerant toward gays
Joe Guy Wood is one of the most respected Indian leaders in Manitoba. He has a reputation as a forceful and articulate fighter on behalf of Indian rights. But there is one group of Native people who he says are not entitled to equal rights. The people he won't fight for ? the people he's fighting against ? are Native gays.
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EDITORIAL
This week Windspeaker has a special feature section on hunting and trapping. We have tried to touch on most of the issues facing Native hunters and trappers, however, there continues to be many threats to this way of life.
Recently the Alberta government undertook a series of discussions with farmers over the issuing of grazing conservation leases for…
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The crisis at the Metis Association of Alberta continues this week with the accusation that now the association may be in debt to the tune of $80,000 coupled with revelations over alleged undemocratic practices during the rent general election.
Although these revelations are indeed cause for concern the major and potentially devastating concern is the rumoured split of the…
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Trapping protested
The anti-fur street demonstrations that dominated the media last summer may have actually been beneficial to many hunters and trappers, however the Ontario Humane Society says it will continue to oppose what it calls the "inhumane and cruel" practice of trapping.
Since the demonstrations took place in Toronto last June, featuring a protest rally…
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The following applies only to Treaty Indians.
Treaty Indians who hunt on a subsistence level (killing only enough to feed their families), hunt on unoccupied Crown land or have gained permission to hunt on private land, are generally not subject to Alberta's hunting legislation.
But, Indians who hunt on private land without getting permission from the land owner, or…
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Good organization, good community participation, great music and all-round great Indian Summer weather, made the Slave Lake Cultural Days a success. Alex Courtoriell, the executive director of Slave Lake Friendship Centre, who sponsored the event said he was more than pleased with the turnout for the event.
Participants from the ages of two years old, a powwow dancer…
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Olympic ski jumper and world cup winner Steven Collins didn't have to look very far to find a mountain when he was growing up in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The record-breaking Native champ could see Mount McKay from his kitchen window.
The mountain houses "one of the best ski jumping facilities in central Canada," explains Slaveomir 'Slav' Kardas, who coached Collins on the…