In an interview with Alberta Oil magazine in January, Premier Jim Prentice said one of the reasons he immediately visited the Lubicon First Nation after taking office is because “there’s much unfinished business there…. Most of the First Nations in northern Alberta secured treaty land entitlement settlements with the federal and provincial crowns through the 1980s and 1990s. The Lubicon did not…” Prentice praised his predecessors Getty and Klein for the work they did for helping to resolve land claims from the 1980s to 2000s.

Outgoing Driftpile Chief Rose Laboucan was honoured in her home community in January at the second annual Coming Together round dance. A special message was read from Lesser Slave Lake MLA Pearl Calahasen, who was unable to attend the event. Calahasen thanked Laboucan for her “dedication to Aboriginal people” and held her up for her work in Aboriginal education. Laboucan was a fierce advocator for strongly educated Aboriginal youth. Laboucan began work with Treaty 8 as an education consultant on Jan. 19.

Charges under the Tobacco Tax Act of storing tobacco products that were not marked for legal sale in Alberta and for possessing more than 1,000 cigarettes have been stayed against former Montana Cree First Nation Chief Carolyn Buffalo. The charges stem from an investigation into the seizure of 16 million contraband cigarettes in January 2011. Head of Rainbow Tobacco Robbie Dickson still faces the same charges.

Minister of Central Services and Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Transportation Company Jennifer Campeau (Saskatoon Fairview MLA) recently returned to her alma mater. Campeau completed a bachelor’s degree in the First Nations governance program in the University of Lethbridge’s Faculty of Management. After graduating from U of L, she obtained a Masters of Business Administration degree at the University of Saskatchewan. Before she entered politics, Campeau was an instructor at the U of S and a doctoral student in the Department of Native Studies. Campeau was in Lethbridge Jan.

Fort Edmonton Management Company has made a commitment to tell the story of Treaty 6 people accurately at Fort Edmonton Park.

“For too long the First Nations in the area had little inclusion in the park and its programs. With the Memorandum of Understanding we signed today, it is our belief that … an avenue for meaningful dialogue has been created,” said Bernice Martial, Grand Chief of Confederacy of Treaty 6 Nations.

Julia Soucie is hoping to take advantage of an Aboriginal component that will soon be added to the Alberta Recreation and Parks Association’s HIGH FIVE program.

ARPA has been running HIGH FIVE since 2007. The training program focuses on how coaches, leaders and instructors can enhance the quality of sport and recreation programs in their communities. But until now, very few of those trained have been Aboriginal.

Marie Smallface Marule, a prominent activist and educator, passed away on Dec. 31, 2014, at the age of 70. Born on the Blood Reserve, she lived a remarkable life, both professional and personal, and blazed a trail in the field of sovereign Indigenous education.

Over half of Canada’s Aboriginal population lives and works in the country’s urban centres, a place where employment, education and healthcare support opportunities are often hardest to find.

Friendship centres in Grande Prairie and Red Deer are taking the first steps towards building a strategic action plan that will improve the opportunities available to their local communities.

Annual round dance strengthens culture

Pathways Family Services hosted its 9th annual round dance honouring the late Gordon McGilvery. The event was held on Jan. 17 at the Bowness Sportsplex. Pathways CSA is a uniqut social services agency that works from an Aboriginal worldview to strengthen the resilience of children, youth and families. 

State funeral held for respected leader

Aboriginal men have to step up and play a role in ending violence against Aboriginal women and girls.

“Where are our warriors? Why are they letting this happen to our sisters, daughters, mothers?” asked Deborah Crazyboy, an aspiring educator and student at Mount Royal University. “It’s like a ladder … We need to go to the bottom to find out what’s happening.”