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People from communities in the central Ontario region-in the area that includes North Bay to Manitoulin Island-ended 2001 with the annual traditional New Year's Eve powwow in Sagamok First Nation and brought in 2002 with the annual traditional New Year's Day powwow in M'Chigeeng (West Bay) on Manitoulin Island.

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The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDBC) launched E-Spirit 2002 on Jan. 7. The Internet-based Aboriginal youth business plan competition is open to Aboriginal students in Grades 10 through 13 across the country.

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It's hockey season in Ontario and time, once again, for one of the biggest Aboriginal hockey tournaments held annually in this province-the Northern Star Unity Cup.

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The 31st annual Little NHL Hockey Tournament is being hosted by the Fort William First Nation in the Thunder Bay area on March 10 to 14. This is the largest Native hockey tournament for youth in Ontario and is one of the longest running in Canada. This year marks the first time that the tournament will be held so far north. For the past six out of eight years the tournament has been held in Sudbury, but it has also been held in Brampton and other communities in southern Ontario.

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"A big blanket of silence hid the atrocities that went on behind the walls of the residential schools," according to Aboriginal therapist Dennis Windego. "And some of us are still stuck in the memories, still helpless, still victims, still brainwashed."

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First Nations communities involved in the energy sector, or wanting to learn more about opportunities to get involved, should mark Feb. 27 and 28 on their calendars.

Those are the dates for this year's First Nations Energy Conference, to be held at the International Plaza Hotel in Toronto. The theme of the third annual conference is "Making it Happen."

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February 6 marks the twenty-seventh year of Leonard Peltier's imprisonment term. He was convicted in the shooting deaths of two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota.

Peltier, along with citizens groups across the continent, have steadfastly maintained his innocence and on Dec. 5, 2001, the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) named Leonard Peltier the recipient of its Human Rights Award for 2001.

A special honoring ceremony was held to symbolize the OFL's continuing commitment to justice for Leonard Peltier.

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Representing Onkwehonwe people, singer Sadie Buck from the Seneca nation of Six Nations of the Grand River Territory and Tonawanda Seneca Territory in New York will perform in the opening ceremonies of the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics to be held in February.

Buck was asked by executive producer of the ceremonies, Don Mischer, to be a part of the Native American contingent that will perform the song and dance to welcome the athletes and the world to Utah.

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When Sandra Juutilainen travels to Rome this spring, she'll be seeing the Colisseum, the Piazza Venezia, the Roman Forum, and the Vatican. But she probably won't have time to stop and enjoy the view.

Those are just some of the sights to see along the course of this year's Rome marathon, which Juutilainen will be competing in to raise money for the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA).

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Prime Minister Jean Chretien named Rama First Nations own James Bartleman as Ontario's twenty-seventh Lieutenant Governor on Jan. 10.

In his new capacity as the Queen's representative in Ontario, Bartleman replaces Hilary Weston, who was appointed to the post five years ago and whose term has expired.