The provincial government has established two Aboriginal women’s advisory councils, one of Métis members and one of First Nations members. The councils will report to the Aboriginal Relations minister and will be supported by a working group made up of senior representatives from Aboriginal Relations; Culture; Education; Enterprise and Advanced Education; Health; Human Services; and Justice and Solicitor General to address the issues they identify.

Unifor, Canada’s largest private-sector union, has thrown its support behind First Nations in opposing the Northern Gateway pipeline project, vowing to hit picket lines in solidarity if the project goes ahead. Unifor, which is the recent merger of the Canadian Auto Workers and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, with more than 300,000 members across the country. represents workers in nearly every sector of the economy, including those in oil and gas, mining and smelting and construction.

Singer-songwriter Neil Young will be ending his four-city Honour the Treaties Tour in Calgary on Jan.19. His concerts will help raise money for court challenges by the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation revolving around the preservation of treaty rights, species at risk, access issues and public land policies. Last September, Young visited the Fort McMurray area and compared open-pit practises with Hiroshima after the atomic bomb blast. ACFN spokesperson Eriel Deranger said the band had not asked Young for his support when he was in the region.

Alberta has a new Aboriginal Relations minister as Premier Alison Redford shuffled her Cabinet in mid-December. Taking on the portfolio as well as position of Deputy House Leader is Peace River MLA Frank Oberle, who was promoted from associate minister of Services for Persons with Disabilities. Oberle takes over from Robin Campbell, who is now the minister of Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development as well as Government House Leader.

Invited experts and stakeholders will be meeting Jan. 29 at a government-led roundtable to discuss investigations and public information involving deaths or serious injuries of children in care. An implementation team was announced by new Human Services Minister Manmeet S. Bhullar to move forward on his five-point plan to improve the child intervention system. That plan focuses on enhancing information sharing, addressing the root causes that bring children into care, and supporting collaborative research to improve services to children and their families.

Despite a scheduled 35-day delay in rendering its decision, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency has given Shell Canada's Jackpine oilsands mine expansion plan the go-ahead. Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq said although the 100,000 barrels-per-day expansion was "likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects," it was "justified by the circumstances."

On Jan. 9, Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation and Coalspur Mines Ltd. reached a confidential agreement for the Coalspur Vista project. Alexis Nakota Sioux was the last of three First Nations to relinquish its status as intervener in the upcoming Alberta Energy Regulator hearings.

The grades 3 and 4 from Grouard Northland School took in the Edmonton Oilers game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Dec. 10. The students won tickets by participating in the Edmonton Oilers and Edmonton Oil Kings "Reading, Give it a Shot" program. The program, which Northland School Division has participated in for 10 years, was developed to assist teachers inside and outside of the classroom to help motivate and encourage their students to read.

Photo: Northland School Division

First Nations impacted further downstream by the largest coal slurry spill in Canadian history are considering legal action against Sherritt International, the operators of Obed Mountain Mine.

The breach from a pit 30 km east of Hinton on Oct. 31 released approximately 670 million litres of contaminated water into two tributaries leading to the Athabasca River.

In Calgary in 2013