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Windspeaker Publication

Windspeaker Publication

Established in 1983 to serve the needs of northern Alberta, Windspeaker became a national newspaper on its 10th anniversary in 1993.

  • December 5, 2001
  • Windspeaker Staff

Page 1

The president of the Alberta Metis Settlements General Council (MSGC), formerly the Federation of Metis Settlements, has resigned.

Randy Hardy has decided to run for the chairman's position at the Kikino Metis settlement where he's originally from. Elections for a chairman and four councillors are scheduled for mid-April.

Hardy was elected president of the eight…

  • December 5, 2001
  • Amy Santoro, Windspeaker Staff Writer, Edmonton

Page 1

Seventy Native people will hit the jobless rolls if BANAC can't survive a recent funding slash by the Alberta government, says the company's general manager.

Seven of the 20 businesses BANAC serves will go under if it can't find alternate sources of funding. Said Johan Louw. "That means 70 Natives will lose their jobs and go back on welfare."

He said it makes poor…

  • December 5, 2001
  • Heather Andrews, Windspeaker Staff Writer, Hobbema Alberta

Page 26

Making people aware AIDS could wipe out their entire community is the goal of a conference to be held in Hobbema next month.

"This is the first time an AIDS prevention and awareness convention has been held on a Canadian Indian reserve and hosted by Indian people," says Wilson Okeymaw, executive director of Hobbema's Nayo-Skan Human Resources treatment centre, one of the…

  • December 5, 2001
  • Heather Andrews, Windspeaker Staff Writer, Hobbema Alberta

Page 25

Thirty-six high school students from the Hobbema area will earn about Native American cultures first hand in a trip to Arizona, Utah, Idaho, New Mexico and Montana. The Osakyak Native Study Tour, which began March 26, includes students from Ponoka, Wetaskiwin and Falun high schools.

"Participants have been through rigorous selection processes to earn the chance to attend…

  • December 5, 2001
  • Diane Parenteau, Windspeaker Correspondent, Cold Lake First Nation Alberta

Page 20

Family and community participation was the focus of the annual Winter Fest Carnival held in mid-March at Cold Lake First Nation.

Teamed up with spring-like weather and enthusiastic participation, the three-day carnival held March 15-17 featured two evening dances, a bingo, a fancy horse parade with driving competition, a Sunday afternoon talent show and hand game and crib…

  • December 5, 2001
  • Diane Parenteau, Windspeaker Correspondent, Cold Lake First Nation Alberta

Page 19

The hearts of students and staff at Cold Lake's LeGeoff School are bursting with pride.

The school is the first in Alberta to meet or exceed standards set by the province for a federally-operated school.

On March 22 five staff at the school were given 1990-91 Deputy Minister Outstanding Achievement Awards because students a LeGeoff met or exceeded standards set by…

  • December 5, 2001
  • Heather Andrews, Windspeaker Staff Writer, Edmonton

Page19

Loretta Callioux was still on high school when she discovered she was about to become a mother. "I had to drop out of school, I didn't have any choice," she says.

After her baby was born, she spent a lot of time thinking about the future for herself and herself and her son Justin. "It didn't look bright without a high school diploma you can't pursue much of a career," she…

  • December 5, 2001
  • Amy Santoro, Windspeaker Staff Writer, Lethbridge

Page 15

A shaken Lorna Born With A Tooth held back her tears as he read a statement prepared by her brother Milton who was sentenced Monday to 18 months in jail on six weapons charges.

She read Milton's five-page response to his treatment by the Alberta judicial system to a crow of 75 protesters outside the Lethbridge courthouse.

He said judicial system officials didn't…

  • December 5, 2001
  • Amy Santoro, Windspeaker Staff Writer, Lethbridge

Page 15

Violence may be the only option for Natives wanting justice, says a supporter of Lonefighters Society leader Milton Born With A Tooth.

At Born With A Tooth's sentencing March 25 in Lethbridge, Ken White Head said, "if Natives can't get justice through the court system, then we're going to see violence - I'll be there."

Citing the violent clashes near Oka, Quebec…

  • December 5, 2001
  • J. Caen Bly, Contributing Writer, Edmonton

Page 13

"Some are chosen, some choose to be chosen and some are never chosen. Many are called but few are chosen because few want it."

These are the words which echoed in my mind as I left Howard Rainer's positive self-development workshop held development workshop held Feb. 22-23 at the Terrace Inn in Edmonton. Each day since, those words have kept coming back to haunt me. I,…

  • December 5, 2001
  • Heather Andrews, Windspeaker Staff Writer, Edmonton

Page 11

Medical student John Brisebois never misses a chance to encourage Native students to consider a career in the health sciences. So he was pleased when asked to participate in the recent Native Awareness Days at the University of Alberta since it gave him a chance to talk about the rewards of such a career.

Brisebois, a second-year medical student, was born on the Kahnawake…

  • December 5, 2001
  • Heather Andrews, Windspeaker Staff Writer, Edmonton

Page 9

Dr. Anne Anderson, well known linguist, teacher and writer of the Cree language, has received a Heritage Language Development Award from the Alberta Multiculturalism Commission.

"I am very happy about this most recent award. I want the world to know we, the Metis people, can accomplish great things," she says.

Commission chairman Steve Zarusky presented the Metis…

  • December 5, 2001
  • Rocky Woodward, Windspeaker Staff Writer, Alexander Reserve Alberta

Page 8

When Sandra Courterielle walked forward to receive her certificate after finishing an eight-week life skills course, little did she realize her baby son Nicolas would also receive a certificate.

"Nicolas was right there in the group along with Sandra. He's the first life skills baby to complete the course," laughed life skills coach Arnold Kootenay.

Certificates…

  • December 5, 2001
  • Amy Santoro, Windspeaker Staff Writer, Edmonton

PAge 7

Natives are being urged to take part in public meetings dealing with the proposed expansion of the Swan Hills treatment plant.

Doris Ronnenberg, president of the Native Council of Canada (Alberta), said it's important for Natives living near the plant, 170 km northwest of Edmonton, to educate themselves on toxic wastes.

Ronnenberg said many Natives are affected by…

  • December 5, 2001
  • Amy Santoro, Windspeaker Staff Writer, Edmonton

Page 10

A proposal for a Native affairs committee got the thumbs up from Edmonton city council Tuesday.

Kathy Vandergrift, executive assistant to Mayor Jan Reimer, said the committee was proposed two years ago and since "Reimer's coming we've been going full steam ahead with it."

Larry Desmeules, president of the Metis Nation of Alberta, said the idea has taken awhile to…