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It only takes John Lefthand Sr. two hours to get to the Calgary Stampede from his home. It used to take him 14 hours, but that was back in 1915.

Since then the 93-year-old Nakoda elder hasn't missed one Stampede yet, and now almost a century later, his lodge and family are a regular part of the stampede's Indian Village.

He doesn't come just to be a part of the Indian Village, but to make all visitors be a part of the Indian Village, said Clifford Jimmy John, Lefthand's grandson and interpreter.

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What may well prove to be a record attendance saw more than 40,000 people attend the Lac St. Anne Pilgrimage from July 25 to 30,

Less than one hour's drive northwest of Edmonton, the religious gathering of the faithful attracts people from all over the country and even Europe. With a mostly Aboriginal crowd, the pilgrimage is considered to be one of the largest religious gatherings of its kind.

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People and Places

Oki. How has everyone been? I know, we haven't spoke for the longest time. I have been keeping myself pretty busy, going from powwow to powwow. Most of the summer I have been just travelling in and around the Edmonton area.

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Terrying About

Tansi!

Sure great seeing lot of my friends and acquaintances while on the road this summer. I hope that you, like I, get home safely whenever and wherever you travel.

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Mount Everest is a long. long way from the Sucker Creek Reserve in

northern Alberta but the world's tallest mountain is where Laurie Gaucher is heading in the spring of the year 2000 as part of the Native American Alpine Team.

The team, assembled by Gaucher, will be the first comprised of North and Central American and New Zealand First People to climb to the top of the world.

"We call it the Ascent of the Aboriginal Spirit Expedition," Gaucher said.

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Anne McLellan, Canada's Minister of Justice and Attorney General released $168,000 in funding to Edmonton-based Communicating Power Incorporated on July 7.

The funding will assist 11 young women in developing their business plans in the Young Woman's Entrepreneurial Program. The project runs from March 31, to Dec. 31, and will prepare the students to recognize their capabilities in running a small business.

The 40-week program will help the young women prepare financial plans, do market surveys, and recognize business opportunities.

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Gordon Wolfe is a jack of all trades. So nothing suits him better than owning and operating a company like G.W. Enterprises. But Wolfe isn't content to just put the business on cruise control.

G.W. Enterprises, located on the Ermineskin Reserve in Hobbema, initially opened in April 1992 as a general contracting firm. Wolfe started the company with a small bank loan and before long one project was leading to another.

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A federal court judge has struck down a challenge by environmentalists and Aboriginal groups to stop the proposed Cheviot Coal Mine from starting up operations just outside Jasper National Park and on land used by a Native community.

The environmental coalition has immediately planned to appeal the decision, but it will be continuing the challenge without the help of two Aboriginal groups.

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Calgary's top cop was honored with the Blackfoot name "Blue Bird" by Pikuni Nation Elder Joe Crowshoe at a naming ceremony held at the Calgary Stampede's Indian Village on July 11.

Crowshoe had promised a traditional name to Chief-of-Police Christine Silverberg when he transferred ownership of the Calgary City Police tipi to her at last year's Calgary Police Service Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Camp on the Pikuni Nation.

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Across the province, thousands of people took part in Aboriginal Day celebrations on June 21 and during the week leading up to the special day. From small, quiet lunches to an attempt to organize the world's largest round dance, the activities varied depending on the location. In Alberta's two largest cities, the activities leading up to the specially designated day drew more crowds than seen in the previous two years the event has been held.

In Edmonton, they almost broke a record at the Alberta Legislature. . . Almost, but not quite.