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Justice took a new path when First Nation traditionalists, an Aboriginal judge and the provincial court joined in partnership to open a new court on the Tsuu T'ina Nation on Oct. 15.

Harley Crowchild and Rodney Big Crow were inducted as peacekeepers in a ceremony to open a Tsuu T'ina provincial court. Appointed to the provincial court was L.S. "Tony" Mandamin, an Ojibway from Ontario.

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Two Alberta women were honored on Dec. 10 at Edmonton City Hall for their contributions to the advancement of human rights in Alberta.

The ceremony, co-hosted by the City of Edmonton and the Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission, honored Muriel Stanley Venne, an Edmonton Metis woman, and lawyer Margaret Shone.

"I commend both these women for their commitment to human rights," said Community Development Minister Shirley McClellan who presented the Alberta Human Rights Award to Venne.

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For Aboriginal students and aspiring arts professionals who are looking for some financial help to go to school, the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation should be the first number on their list to call.

The foundation has three main scholarship programs available to status and non-status First Nations people, Inuit and Metis students - the Arts Scholarship Program, the Post-Secondary Education Awards Program and the Aboriginal Health Program. As well there are more than a dozen special scholarships available to Aboriginal students.

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Think of a golf course and your mind probably turns to hot summer days rather than reading, writing and arithmetic. But for months, 26 members from the Paul Band walked or car pooled to the Iron Head Club House and Golf Course near Wabamun to attend classes with the hope of achieving their high school general equivalency diplomas.

The students were pre-tested and were performing at about a Grade 8 level. Their ages ranged from 20 to 44 years old.

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The Foundation for the Advancement of Aboriginal Youth receives hundreds of applications each year from Aboriginal students across Canada. From those hundreds, 75 winners are chosen and Windy Willier of Sucker Creek First Nation is one of them.

"When I got the letter about my award, I didn't really believe it. I thought my mom was joking," said Willier. When she got the letter about her award she asked her mom to open it and was surprised to hear congratulations as the first word.

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Anniversaries never fail to be a time for celebration and for reminiscing as was the case with the 10th anniversary of the University of Alberta's School of Native Studies in Edmonton.

The formal occasion, a Dec. 4 banquet at the Coast Terrace Hotel, attracted hundreds of former and current students, grads, staff and supporters from Canada and the United States.

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From the first week of July to the middle of August Aboriginal men and woman who dream of military life can attend a program called Bold Eagle.

The program, designed for Aboriginal youth, is open to male or female applicants from 17 to 26 years of age who are First Nations or Bill C-31 members. Applicants are accepted on a first come, first served basis. The applicants education, physical ability and mental agility is also taken into consideration. They must have a clean police record.

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George Bull, a 21 year old boxer from Goodfish Lake First Nation, will wear the Team Alberta colors at the senior national boxing tournament in Sudbury, Ont. from Jan. 21 to 24.

Bull won the Alberta senior light heavyweight (178 lbs.) title in Red Deer in early December. He beat Brad Lachowich of Edmonton 10-9 on the computer scoring system in the five-round title bout.

Bull has been training and fighting out of the Lac La Biche Boxing Club for five years. This is the same club that produced Canadian cruiser weight professional champion Willard Lewis.

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Organizers of the local drive to bring breakfast and lunch to needy students are hoping to raise $45,000 before the project starts up in February.

For years, community members have been trying to bring in a program to feed school-aged children who may otherwise go through the day with little or no food

Since September, a number of interested groups have been meeting to iron out a plan to address the need.

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It's not too often that children are treated by law enforcement officers, but that's exactly what happened Dec. 18 when elementary students at the Kitaskinaw School of the Enoch Cree Nation were treated to candies, chocolates, oranges and other goodies by members of the RCMP, represented by Const. Pat Gantly, Safety Bear, and Enoch Band Const. Harry Sharphead.

The trio made the rounds of the classrooms to wish students a Merry Christmas and present each child with a cloth bag filled with Christmas candy. Smiles and hugs was the response.