Aboriginal authors have received multiple nominations in this year’s Saskatchewan Book Awards. Dawn Dumont (Rose’s Run), Ernie Louttit (Indian Ernie: Perspectives on Policing and Leadership) and Robert Alexander Innes (Elder Brother and the Law of the People: Contemporary Kinship and Cowesses First Nation) are vying for the Aboriginal Peoples’ Writing Award.

Lac La Ronge First Nation has distributed $75,000 to members whose trap lines were affected by the construction of SaskPower’s 300-kilometre transmission line running from Island Falls to Key Lake. The compensation follows two years of negotiations. The money was paid from SaskPower’s newly established Trapper’s Compensation program. The band was notified of the project in 2012 and held a series of community meetings to identify the affected trappers. Some trappers were forced to move from their family cabins when the line was built.

Members of the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association voted in favour of a resolution to hold an inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal women. The motion was put forward by North Battleford city council. “A lot of our police chiefs have said they already know what the problem is, and it’s time to move forward with some action and possibly a task force,” said SUMA President Debra Button, who was not surprised the resolution passed. The vote was not unanimous with some delegates saying it would be an expensive and fruitless endeavour.

Monica Burns, 28, from Sturgeon Lake First Nation, was found dead Jan. 17 on a remote snowmobile trail northwest of Prince Albert. On Jan. 28, RCMP arrested Todd Daniel McKeaveney, 38, of Prince Albert, charged with second-degree murder in Burns’ death. RCMP said there was no evidence to indicate McKeaveney knew Burns previously.

Neechie Gear founder recognized with award

WHAT: Vigil for Naverone Woods who died at the hands of Transit Police
 
WHERE: Surrey Central Sky Train Station
 
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 28, 4:30 ‐ 6:00pm
 
WHO: Speakers will include Naverone Christian Landon Woods’s family members, Union of BC Indian Chiefs Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, and representatives of Transportation Not Deportation and community groups concerned about political and social justice issues foregrounded by his death.
 

Highway accident claims four celebrated artists

Flags were lowered and tributes flowed when four artists were killed Feb. 10 in one horrific car crash in Saskatchewan; sentiment justified all the more by examining why they were travelling together that snowy morning.

Narcisse Blood, 60, Michael Green, 58, Michele Sereda, 48, and Lacy Morin-Desjarlais, 29, were enroute from Regina to Payepot School on Piapot First Nation to initiate a community project based on the success of Making Treaty 7 – a multi-faceted theatrical performance.

Provinces with high Aboriginal population rank poorly in health

 The Conference Board of Canada report has given both Manitoba and Saskatchewan overall grades of ‘D’, ranking them 23rd and 24th respectively out of 29 high-income regions around the world.

Isabel Okanese has been thinking about walking across Canada for more than a decade.

The distance is intimidating, but she wants to make the trek to bring awareness to lateral violence within Aboriginal communities, something she’s experienced many times.

Nothing has changed.

That’s what Chief Theresa Spence told the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples, which is studying housing and infrastructure on First Nations. Nothing has changed from 2010 when she first declared a state of emergency on Attawapiskat First Nation, located on the west coast of James Bay.

The committee released its interim report in February.