Sgt. James Bennett, of the Blood Tribe Police Service, was named as one of two recipients of the Police of the Year Award, handed out by the First Nations Chiefs of Police Association in Quebec on Oct. 21. Bennett has been a  member of the BTPS since 2009. His community work includes involvement in the Kainai Headdress Society, Kainai Pow Wow, Army Cadets, the Special Olympics Torch Run and he sits on the Pikanii Youth and Education Foundation Board.  Most recently Bennett spearheaded a program to provide food, clothing and hygienic products to the homeless population of the community.

Horse Lake is one of many First Nations that are benefitting from the distribution of free sports equipment from an Edmonton-based organization.

The Horse Lake First Nation received hockey equipment valued at more than $100,000 on Oct. 8 thanks to a partnership with Sport Central.

Sport Central, a volunteer-run organization that has been around for 23 years, has primarily helped to outfit Edmonton children with various sports equipment. But in recent years it has expanded to deliver equipment to youth in northern Alberta and parts of the Northwest Territories.

After years of fighting legal battles, a housing complex that will serve the needs of homeless individuals and couples of Aboriginal descent is set to open its doors in February 2015.

Ambrose Place, named after Ambrose Daniels, an Aboriginal man who died on the street of pneumonia, is a 42-unit, four-floor complex operated by Niginan Housing Ventures. Niginan, which means “home,” is a registered charity formed to address the needs and requirements of Aboriginal people living in Edmonton, especially through providing supportive affordable housing opportunities.

“In Canada, Indigenous art is still fresh,” said Sandra Laronde, director of Indigenous Arts at the Banff Centre. “It is so different, so unique, so inventive. Indigenous Arts are at the cutting edge of the Banff Centre in a lot of ways.”

All art forms - dance, theatre, music, writing, visual and new media, and film - are represented in the centre’s local, national and, increasingly, international programming. The performances, residencies, presentations, exhibits and concerts appeal to a wide range of audiences forming a portal to Indigenous art.

New provincial and federal funding for the Alberta Native Friendship Centres Association and the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights will allow the two organizations to enter into a partnership allowing them to sustain their work with Aboriginal youth, as well as build bridges between the Aboriginal community and other Albertans. 

In many ways, this new partnership is the logical extension of work the organizations have already undertaken. 

Renaissance man performs

Siberian Canadian artist Zinour brought his unique dance style to the Aboriginal Awareness week gala. Zinour is often referred to as a “Renaissance Man” as he has achieved excellence in both dance and fine arts. 

Harper government funds job creation for Calgary Aboriginals

Drummers perform at celebration

Drummers from the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation helped mark Treaty 6 Recognition Day held in Edmonton in late September. The event allowed the city to further strengthen its renewed relationship with the Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations.

Job fair provides opportunity for Treaty 6 members

On Oct. 18, the Glenbow Museum exhibit Where Are the Children? Healing the Legacy of Residential Schools, opened in conjunction with Edmund Metatawabin’s reading from his book UpGhost River: A Chief’s Journey Through the Turbulent Waters of Native History.

The City of Edmonton has committed $20,000 to Confederacy of Treaty 6 for the continuation of research that could result in a more accurate story of the First Nations people being told at Fort Edmonton.

“It’s a positive step forward,” said Rob Houle, liaison to Grand Chief Craig Mackinaw. “It can probably lead to great programs, great educational tools for the visitors that attend the Fort.”

Houle says in the past there has been little dialogue between Fort Edmonton Management Company and First Nations.

The next time the lights go out because of a glitch in Fort Chipewyan’s power plant, the Elders and youth lodge will be lit up like a beacon thanks to solar energy.

“Not everybody has wood burning stoves, so if we lose power, we can bring the Elders here,” said Greg Adams, with Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation’s Housing and Special Projects. The solar panels would keep electricity in the lodge for 72 hours.