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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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EDITORIAL
This issue of "Windspeaker" features a number of stories about individual Native people - their achievements, and their trials and tribulations in achieving them.
There's Pauline Dempsey, first recipient of the David Crowchild Memorial award recognizing her efforts in successful bridging the gap between the Native and non-Native communities.
There…
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GROUARD - Local residents had their last opportunity last week for input before a joint working committee makes recommendations to the provincial government on Alberta Vocational Centre (AVC) Grouard.
The committee, jointly chaired by Robin Ford, assistant deputy minister of Alberta Municipal Affairs, and Grouard's Jeff Chalifoux, has since last July studied Native issues…
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EDSON - It was a pleasure to be one of the performers who entertained for the Telerama for the Handicapped held here January 15.
Not only myself and two other members of the Whispering River Band - Brock Ashby and Rob Mitchell - performed, but other Native talents such as 102 -year old Mrs. Marie Wyandi showed up to volunteer their time.
The Edson Association for…
At Calgary City Hall
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CALGARY - It was a day of rejoicing, a day when people came together in memory of a remarkable Indian chief, a day which will not only lie in people's hearts and minds, but also in the huge sculptured pillar which keeps Calgary's new City Hall from tumbling down. The Chief David Crowchild Memorial Award celebration started early on the morning of…
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There's a delicious political irony unfolding right now in the Yukon. Most of the people in the territory - 75% - are white. Many like to think of themselves as the last of the pioneers and they like to think of the Yukon as the last place in Canada where rugged freedom loving individuals can escape the heavy hand of government.
A minority of the Yukon's population - 25…
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When inmate Phillip Bearshirt was transferred to the Edmonton Remand Centre he was denied the right to keep his prayer bundle. Unhappy about what he considered an infringement of his rights, he took the matter to court.
Following a two and on-one- hour appearance on January 20 before Provincial Court Judge J.B. Dea, a favourable ruling was handed down. It is the first…
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Danny Charles battle with cancer is over.
On January 26, Danny Charles died after a long battle with cancer of the liver, and according to his friend, Cher Daniels, "Danny still wants to see the fund raising that was done so he could receive chemotherapy treatments continue to help others who may need money to receive treatments."
The fund raising activities for…
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CALGARY - With the many scheduled cutbacks in government services throughout Alberta, fears that the Native Outreach Association would have its funding drastically cut were allayed by Chief Executive Officer Laurent Roy last week in Calgary.
Roy, who was in town to attend the Calgry Outreach office open house January 22, pointed out that in carrying out its mandate of…
Prairie Treaty Nations Alliance
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Prairie Indian leaders, blocked from participating in constitutional process, sharply denounced Brian Mulroney's recent statement to Pope John Paul that all is proceeding well on Aboriginal rights issues.
During a recent audience with the Pope at the Vatican, the prime minister said that discussions on entrenching Aboriginal rights in…
A tribute to Man-Who-Uses-The-Knife
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This article is a tribute to my grand-grandfather.
In the 1800s, he was a Plains Cree warrior on the Saskatchewan prairies. His Cree name was Moo-koo-man-ka-chim-ma-tat. 'He Who Sticks The Knife Into The Ground.' As the years went by he became known as O-che-ma-tah, which was a shortened version of his name.
Ochematah (…
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Five Alberta Native artists will be featured in an at show in Calgary February 24 to March 20.
According to a press release from the show's sponsor, the Alberta Indian Arts and Crafts Society (AIACS), the "dynamic, art show," to be held at NOVA - An Alberta Corporation's gallery February 24 to March 20 will be "controversial" and "definitely exciting."
The…
A (hopefully temporary) farewell
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Ahneen, tansi and arrivederci, sayonara, au revoir, adios and see ya. Yep the time has come for Wagamese to canoe off into sunset, his columning voyage down the river Windspeaker all done. The paddle that once dipped so ripply into the stream of weekly words is cracked, dry and on the verge of snapping clean. Maybe it's got to do with it…
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A federal publication entitled "Home Fallout Protection, gives new meaning to the term "Nuclear Family."
The book put out by Emergency Planning Canada is a "how-to-guide" to constructing a fallout shelter in your own home.
The book tells us that this is "a normal and health activity." (Sure, just like jogging.) I have my doubts...but then again, we do live in the…
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It is with sadness and regret that we must note that wagamese has decided to pull into shore for a rest after paddling his canoe across these pages for more than a year.
All of us here at "Windspeaker" were loyal fans, and it was common to see staff gathered around the layout department reading his column before it went to press, chuckling at his humor, delighting in his…
EDITORIAL
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Ever since the arrival of the whiteman, Native people have waged a continuing battle to preserve their traditional ways and spiritual beliefs.
Sometimes it seemed like a losing battle.
As a result of determined efforts to "Christianize' Canada's First People, many ceremonies were forbidden and many sacred objects were seized which later found their…