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It takes the steady hand of a daring cowboy who loves an electrifing rush to enter the wild horse racing competition at a rodeo, someone who likes to take on 10 wild horses in four days.

For a Blackfoot First Nation man like Steve Solway, 37, wild horse racing is something that he loves doing and plans to continue as long as he can. Solway, and the other two members of his team, follow the rodeo circuit to get in on the wild horse events because of a genuine love for it.

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A western regional meeting of five chef-de-missions for this summer's Western Canadian Indigenous Games at Hobbema, on Feb. 19, was held at the Indigenous Sports Council of Alberta offices at Enoch First Nation.

Manitoba was represented by Maurice Sutherland, Alberta by Ted Hodgson, British Columbia by Dano Thorne, the Northwest Territories by Roy Desjarlais and the Yukon by Carl Carpenter.

Saskatchewan did not send a delegate because it does not plan to participate. This is mainly due to hosting its own summer games around the same time.

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One evening in late February will always be memorable for Willard Lewis. It was Feb. 23 when the talented 23 year-old had to settle for second best, if that.

His opponent, turned out to be Mike Lewars from Vancouver. His original opponent, American grappler Kenneth Whack, failed his medical and credible could be found in time.

Lewis was quick to admit the disappointment he felt when the fight promoters, Big Bang Boxing, and his handler, Milan Lubovic, were unable to supply him with a foe to meet his fighting stature.

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On a Saturday morning, a young Aboriginal child wakes up, remembers his favorite cartoons are on and turns on the television. The characters that play out the animated programs are Aboriginal and they speak an Aboriginal language.

Beginning September, this scenario could happen in homes across Canada because of a new channel that will offer programming and it will be about Aboriginal people and their culture.

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One of the first recipients of Fort McMurray's Regional Aboriginal Recognition Award and Alberta's Esquao Award is promoting her book that details the changes that Fort McMurray and surrounding area have gone through in the past 70 years.

On Feb. 26, Grant MacEwan Community College in Edmonton played host to Alvina Strasbourg, author of Memories of a Metis Woman: Fort McMurray Yesterday & Today.

Strasbourg, a Metis Elder, shares with her readers her experiences and thoughts about growing up in northern Alberta.

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Plans by Treaty 6 delegates to host a Canadian National Powwow in Edmonton on May 28-31 has met with enthusiasm and support, at least morally, by the city of Edmonton.

This is one of the rare occasions in which a Treaty area, and some of the chiefs have lobbied with city representatives for something of a very different nature such as a national powwow.

A meeting with Mayor Bill Smith and senior city staff was led by powwow emcee Eric Tootoosis of the Poundmaker Reserve, on Feb. 23.

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On the eighth floor of Edmonton's Alberta Vocational College, drum beats, heart beats and excitement filled the air as guests, staff and volunteers enjoyed a round dance hosted by the college's Aboriginal Liaison Services.

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A picture speaks a thousand words and video can say even more.

That's the thought that prompted members of the Peigan Nation in Brocket and Siskisa Nation in Gleichen to take advantage of the rare opportunity to film footage, virtually for free, in their very own backyards.

"Technology is getting smaller and better," said Jim Goertz, production manager of Em/Media, a multi-media non-profit society based in Calgary.

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This year's National Aboriginal Achievement Award winners include a fashion designer, a novelist and two Aboriginal men living and working in Alberta. The 14 recipients of the sixth annual awards, selected from hundreds of nominations, were announced Feb. 8 and will be presented in Regina on March 12.

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Behind the formidable walls of the Edmonton Remand Centre on 97th St., a healing circle for the inmates imprisoned there is being led by Christine Daniels. Daniels has come full circle to the place where she started her work within the corrections system.

Daniels began working in the 1970s as a Native liaison in the remand for the Native Counselling Services of Alberta, but left to work in the federal corrections system shortly after.