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The Heart Lake and Beaver Lake First Nations are teaming together this year for a competition powwow in Lac La Biche.

The powwow will run from July 31 to Aug. 2 and is expected to draw hundreds of competitors from across North America.

Prize money for the competition powwow - the first one in Lac La Biche for over 30 years - offers participants 50,000 reasons to enter.

"We've always had successful powwows at Beaver Lake," said co-ordinator James Gladue. "We expect this one to be even better."

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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.

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In conjunction with Native Awareness Week, the Calgary Aboriginal Urban Affairs Committee presented the David Crowchild Award at the Calgary City Hall.

The Crowchild award is presented to individuals or groups who have contributed to the Aboriginal community and have helped bridge the gap between the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal community.

This year, the award went to Art Cunningham.

"I feel very humble," Cunningham said. "It's a great honor to be compared even a little a bit to David Crowchild."

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The nicotine patch is now more easy to get. As of June 1, the little strips which help lessen the craving for nicotine in people trying to quit smoking, were made available over the pharmacy counter without a prescription.

With smoking being a leading cause of death and after a recent survey pointed to an epidemic of smokers in Native populations, the better access to the patch could be good news for those looking to kick the habit.

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A bright, vivacious First Nations woman sits in one of the offices at Poundmakers Treatment Centre. At first her infectious smile and easy-going manner don't give away the anguish that she's been through. That realization and impact begins to hit home as she tells her story.

Pauline came to Poundmakers from British Columbia and it took her nine years of marital problems, losing most of her household possessions, losing her job and finally serious theft charges, to realize she needed help with her addiction. Pauline was a bingo addict.

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Aboriginal Days at Prince Charles Elementary School kicked off with Awasis Day, Friday, June 19, a day to celebrate the children in the school.

"Awasis Day is in it's 19th year. It's gotten bigger, better every year," said Jeanne Carter, the school principal. "Of the 285 students in the school, 85 to 90 per cent are Aboriginal. Lots of parents, Elders and a variety of associations help."

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Years of hard work and noses buried in books have finally paid off for 83 First Nation students who graduated from high schools and post-secondary institutions in southern Alberta this past month.

The students were honored at the Fourth Aboriginal Student Graduation and powwow on May 29 at the University of Calgary's Grant MacEwan Hall.

The graduates were from Calgary's Catholic and public schools, the Siksika Nation High School and Redcrow Community College on the Blood Reserve.

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The folks over at the Nova Gas Transmission Service Centre in Edmonton's west-end put on a week-long tribute to Aboriginal people from June 15 to 19. The activities took place to compliment the provincial Native Awareness Week and the Canada-wide National Aboriginal Day.

Each day at lunch hour, Nova staff were treated to exhibits, dances, foods, and the culture of Canada's Aboriginal people.

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First Nation students will be able to surf through cyberspace a little more smoothly now that they have new computers courtesy of Shell Canada.

Shell revamped its computer system and donated 89 of their older 486-model computers, complete with monitors and Windows 95 software, to 12 local First Nation schools on May 30.

"We're very much involved in education so we're looking for opportunities to help the schools," Craig Barraclough, Aboriginal Affairs Advisor, said.

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Native people applying to the Edmonton Police Service, but who fall a little short in some qualification areas are getting a helping hand, thanks to a remedial class of sorts sponsored by the police force, government and several provincial Aboriginal groups.

The Aboriginal Job Development Program is an intensive 30-week course geared toward Aboriginal candidates who want to exceed the qualifications when they enter recruit training.