The Wood Buffalo Environmental Association has translated its newest informational video, which features the association’s community odour monitoring project, into Cree and Dene. The translation marks WBEA’s continued effort to better inform and engage with Aboriginal community members. Odours remain an issue in some communities within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. In 2013 the community odour monitoring project was launched to identify and monitor odours in the air.

In the 25 years that the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate has operated, its mandate has grown to better serve the children and youth, who receive designated government services. Most significantly, in 2012, the Child and Youth Advocate Act was proclaimed and established the Child and Youth Advocate as an independent officer reporting to the Alberta Legislature.

According to 2013-14 standardized test results, the majority of First Nations students on reserves in Alberta are failing at reading, writing and math. The statistics were recently published by the federal Department of Aboriginal Affairs. In Alberta, the literacy score was 28 per cent among boys and 36 per cent among girls, while the math score was 21 per cent among boys and 19 per cent among girls. Ontario First Nations students had similar results as Alberta, while Atlantic Canada and Manitoba also struggled.

Under new Chief Gordon T. Auger, Bigstone Cree Nation held a peaceful demonstration Oct. 30 to “draw attention to the lack of respect and acknowledgement for our rights to economic development within our own traditional territory.” The band says that extensive drilling and industrial development were permitted by the government without approval from the band or consideration of the band’s environmental concerns or economic growth.

Cold Lake First Nation recently signed an agreement to purchase 900 acres from the Samson Cree Nation, which now makes the Denesuline First Nation the largest landowners in the Cold Lake region. Samson Cree Nation held the land for many years. “Cold Lake First Nation is moving forward with economic development plans and our group of companies are doing well. We are investing into tomorrow’s youth and those yet unborn. Our Dene peoples are connected to the land and this purchase of 900 acres will give them much more opportunities.

Information garnered from the Sherritt International’s Obed Mountain Coal Mine breach by scientist Bruce Maclean, of Maclean Environmental Consulting, is scheduled to be presented to Athabasca Chipewyan First Nations community members on Dec. 10. Maclean met with representatives from ACFN and Mikisew Cree Nation on Nov. 21 in Edmonton to discuss his findings. Initially, ACFN had Maclean look at the data of the spill contents provided by Sherritt and the government. Since then, Maclean has been working with monitoring teams on both ACFN and MCN.

A sign placed along Highway 63 near Plamondon reading “Entering Treaty No. 8 Territory” was found cut in half by a road maintenance crew only three days after being erected. About 10 signs are slated to be put up in the traditional territory to mark the boundaries, raise awareness, and educate the general public. “My staff had worked hard, very hard to ensure that the rules were followed, and that all necessary permits were in place before (the sign) was put up,” said Treaty 8 Grand Chief Steve Courtoreille.

Onion Lake Cree Nation filed a statement of claim Nov. 26 in federal court challenging the Harper government’s requirement that First Nations make public their financial information. “We decided enough is enough,” said OLCN Chief Wallace Fox, at a news conference in Edmonton. “The mischaracterization of the monies owed to Indians as taxpayers’ money has led to racism against my people. We did not want to go to court, but Canada made the unilateral decision to withhold our monies that are in our capital account ….” As of Nov.

The recognition keeps coming for Elder Elsie Yanik, who also received her honourary doctor of laws degree from the University of Alberta earlier this year.