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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.
Negotiations marred by leaked documents, critical opponents
Page 23
As B.C.'s precedent-setting land claim settlement draws closer to being a done deal, critics are crying that its proposed $125-million and 1,900-square kilometre price tag is too rich and negotiations not public enough.
But the Nisga'a Tribal Council is asking for $3 billion in compensation and 10,660…
Page 22
When the University of Northern British Columbia opened last fall, it was operating under a mandate to reach out to Native people in the north of that province.
It has done so using scattered campus-based classes in various communities, such as Terrace, Kitimat, Port Edward and New Aiyansh, as well as at the main campus in Prince George.
"Part of our mandate has…
Page 21
Communities along the much-dammed Columbia River in southeastern B.C. will soon see the start of a program to begin restoration of the river. They will also see some compensation from the renegotiating of the Columbia River Treaty and the ongoing work of the Columbia River Treaty Commission.
The Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program in Nelson was…
Page 19
Edmonton, the City of Festivals, is gearing up for another summer season which will offer the public a myriad of festivals, many of which incorporate a variety of performing arts.
The Dreamspeakers Festival, however, is the only one which is completely produced, operated by and features Aboriginal people.
Festival organizers claim it is "the only multi-…
Page 18
REVIEW
The man that some Indians love to hate, W.P. Kinsella, has hit the big screen, Kinsella's novel, Dance Me Outside, premiered in a movie format on March 10 in Edmonton.
Directed by Bruce McDonald and produced by Norman Jewison, the flick takes its viewers to a (fictitious) Indian reserve in Ontario called Kidabanesee.
In the 10 or 12 books Kinsella…
Page 17
REVIEW
Following are capsule reviews of the 1995 Juno Award Nominees for the Music of Aboriginal Canada category:
This Child
Susan Aglukark
EMI Music Canada 1995
This Child has reached a musical maturity with strong lyrical content that surpasses Susan Aglukark's past recordings. Once described as the Anne Murray of Native music in Canada,…
Page 16
Federal budget cuts to all programs are affecting the Native broadcasting societies across Canada.
Each of the corporations funded under the Northern Native Broadcast Access Program operated by Heritage Canada is to have its funding cut by 22 per cent over the next three years.
Plans are for a five-per-cent cut this fiscal year, followed by eight per cent and nine…
Page 15
REVIEW
Native North American Literature
Janet Witalec, Editor
Gale Research, Inc.
700 pages; $99 U.S.
North American Aboriginal literature is hardly new- storytellers, singers and poets of the various First Nations were plying their trade long before the first Europeans came ashore.
But as with African-American writing and other…
Page 13
Buffy Sainte-Marie's recent induction into the Juno Hall of Fame is one more award in what is becoming a lengthy and prestigious list of achievements.
But as far as the career of the 54-year-old Cree Indian, who has been a major force in music since she made her first recording more than 30 years ago goes, the induction into the Juno Hall is similar to the inductions of…
Windspeaker celebrates 12 years of publishing
Twelve years! Five since the demise of the National Native Communications Program and two months since we went monthly. Contrary to popular rumor, we are doing great and hanging in there.
The response that we have received from our loyal readers is that they really enjoy Windspeaker's new monthly format with more of the news,…
Page 10
Dr. Vince Tookenay is a pivotal part of the growing crop of Canadian Aboriginal physicians and medical students.
In 1980 he left Health Care Concepts International in Minnesota to become director of Indian and Inuit health policy for Health and Welfare Canada. That year there were reportedly just six Canadian Aboriginal physicians working in North America.
Today…
Page 9
As a Native writer, there are always three questions I get asked, ad nauseam, whenever I do a lecture or a reading for a non-Native audience.
Question one: How do you feel about cultural appropriation?
My answer: About the same as I feel about land appropriation.
Question two: When you write your plays or stories, do you write for a specifically Native…
Page 6
Read an article in the Insight Section of the Toronto Star not too long ago. It was intriguingly titled: Has the culture of victimization gone too far?
First I took it to mean that a person - or a people - can take the notion of being a victim - or a nation of victims - too far at times.
Next I applied the question to Indian Country. I apply just about everything to…
Page 6
When a government cuts, it seems to be inevitable that internal government programs get cut the last, and the least.
Witness the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, the bureaucratic behemoth that all of us love to hate, and usually for good reason.
While programs all across Canada are being slashed to the bone - friendship centres are losing 21.5…
Page 5
Successful self-government and accountability go hand-in-hand, the federal minister of Indian Affairs told reporters on a nation-wide teleconference.
According to the framework agreement for self-government being developed in Manitoba, First Nations can only stray eight per cent over the limit of the proposed $500 million budget or the process grinds to a halt.
"…