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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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The 100-year-old rift between Native elders and the RCMP over policing procedures affecting Alberta's aboriginal population was the center of attention during a conference in Edmonton on policing services.
Stirring presentations by Indian and Metis leaders highlighted the opening day of the brainstorming sessions entitled Sharing Common Ground.
The first-ever…
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Canada's top Mountie has announced sweeping changes to policing services for the country's Native people which could put special constables on an even footing with regular RCMP officers.
RCMP commissioner Norman Inkster outlined the reforms to Native policing procedures on Wednesday in Edmonton during a keynote address to a conference on aboriginal policing services.
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Indian cash is keeping dozens of small towns located near reserves alive.
"If cut off, they would not be there," said Daniel Skarlicki, director of the Center for the Advancement of Native Economics.
"The towns enjoy and depend on reserve spending."
Research shows less than 10 per cent of the millions of dollars spent by Native people for goods and services…
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The environment can't be traded for jobs, warns Goodstoney Chief John Snow.
"Unless we respect Mother Earth, we will destroy ourselves," he told graduate university students heading out to Alberta reserves to work as consultants for the summer.
Despite a desperate need for jobs - the Stoneys have a 90 per cent unemployment rate - Chief Snow sad economic progress…
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Calgary's lavish civic center was transformed into a showcase for aboriginal achievements and ambitions May 16 as the second annual Native Awareness Week got underway to create a bond between the Native and non-Native communities in the southern Alberta city.
The city's top officials turned out to honor members of the Calgary Indian Friendship Center who received the…
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Members of the Calgary Indian Friendship Center received the Chief David Crowchild Memorial Award during Calgary's 1990 Native Awareness Week.
The city's top political officials turned out to present the annual award to the newly-appointed board of directors now chaired by Morley businessman Bob Lickers.
Calgary Mayor Al Duerr lauded the center for its long history…
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Joe Crowshoe Sr., 81, from Peigan Nation received an honorary doctor of law degree at the recent 1990 convocation ceremonies at the University of Calgary.
Honoring Crowshoe was considered an appropriate start to Calgary's week-long Native awareness activities, said Coordinator Robert Laboucane. Crowshoe was nominated by the Native awareness week coordinating committee.…
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"It was more emotional than I expected. I wasn't going to cry, I told myself I wasn't going to cry."
But Trudy Jansen cried anyway when she met her mother Annie Cook for the first time May 18 at Edmonton's International Airport. As soon as they saw each other they fell into each other's arms.
Shortly after, Trudy's sister Shirley, her nephew Christopher, her…
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Elders often talk about the lost generation of school-age kids who don't respect their elders, don't listen to their parents and they don't seek their knowledge and they abuse drugs and alcohol. It's a generation that fails to meet many elders' expectations.
But there is another view and it's a disturbing one.
The 'lost generation of youths' point their fingers at…
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His hands are big, strong and gnarled from years spent outdoors. He speaks with authority and humor and his face is youthful and seems o be carved with a smile that never gives up. William Noskey, 62, is speaking in Cree, his hands gesturing, his eyes bright. He's talking of the old days and how things just aren't the same anymore.
He lives at Loon Lake, a small community…
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When I first met Mable Chomiak at her Loon Lake home in northern Alberta she was busy foaming her living room rug, preparing for her birthday party.
But she was kind enough to offer a weary reporter a cup of hot coffee and some friendly conversation. Her hospitality was indeed a sign the north is full of down-home country folk.
According to Mable everybody in Loon…
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It was a beautiful day on the river; it was sunny and the water was clam. In their canoe, Okwir:se and Tiorahkwathe paddled at a quick pace in chase of a substantially larger and different vessel from theirs. After much time and effort they paddles alongside and kept pace with the large vessel.
At the sight of the strangers, the people on the vessel rushed to see who they…
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Canadians would never put themselves in the sorry company of nations that ignore international law and basic human rights. This isn't Iran, China or Guatemala, we tell ourselves smugly, this is a country with a conscience.
It's a conscience with some blind spots. There was barely a stir when the United Nations Human Rights Commission ruled the Canadian government had…
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The $450 million lawsuit launched recently by Enoch Nation against the federal government brings to mind a young newspaper carrier, who got up at 5:30 every morning to do his route.
After fishing an hour later, he would sit down to a nice family breakfast. Every week or so after he collected his money, he gave it to his father, who insisted on keeping it for him. But the…
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The largest comprehensive land claim in Canada is a step closer to bringing over 350,000 square km of land - half the size of Saskatchewan - and $580 million to 17,000 Inuit of the eastern Arctic.
The federal government and the Tungavik Federation of Nunavut signed the agreement-in-principle April 30 in Igloolik, Northwest Territories. The claim, scheduled for finalization…