Oct. 4 weekend marked commemorations for missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls through Sisters in Spirit vigils and Stolen Sisters awareness marches across Alberta and across the country. One year ago, the Native Women’s Association of Canada began circulating a petition calling for a national public inquiry. That petition, with more than 10,000 signatures, will be submitted to the federal government on Oct. 18 as part of a National Day of Action. An inquiry would be a crucial step in implementing a comprehensive and coordinated national action plan.

Eric Gabriel, a Mi’kmaq from Newfoundland, has taken his interest in engineering to new levels with an internship opportunity with Shell. He currently works as a mechanical engineer-in-training in the rotating and static equipment engineering department at Shell’s Albian Sands, north of Fort McMurray.

“Having been in this position for two months, it’s been a continual and exciting learning process. Learning is essential to growth, and I’m lucky to have the support of Shell’s Graduate Program to assist with building my skills and expertise,” said Gabriel.

For the last three years, the province’s Child and Youth Advocate has been calling on the government to work with Aboriginal communities to reduce the staggering number of children in government care.

Eriel Deranger is excited after viewing the trailer to the National Film Board’s Fort McMoney.

“I’m curious,” she said. “It looks really well done, the cinematography looks great, the editing looks great. I want to hear the stories. I want to hear the dialogues and how all these little pieces come to fruition and come to life in the full documentary.”

Derek Nepinak may pre-date the Faculty of Native Studies, but the University of Alberta is proud to claim him as one of their own.

“You see someone who graduated from Native Studies, studied law, become a political major actor on the stage,” said Faculty of Native Studies professor Dr. Frank Tough.

Pipeline consultation processes in Canada need to be scrapped and rebuilt from the ground up to include First Nations at the table.

The panel at the discussion forum “Bitumen and Pipelines: What Do These Offer Canada and the Environment?” included NDP National Caucus Chair Peter Julian, MP for Burnaby-New Westminster and Shadow Cabinet Minister for Energy and Natural Resources; Mike Priaro, a retired petroleum engineer; and, Roland Le Fort, president of Unifor Local 707, Suncor Unit, in Fort McMurray.

The signing of the British Royal Proclamation 250 years ago was commemorated with what one organizers referred to as a resurgence of the Idle No More movement.

“And we took a powwow break and that’s okay,” said Taz Bouchier, speaking from the steps in Churchill Square in downtown Edmonton. “But we’re back and we’re not going to stop and we’re not going to stop until this government understands (they) have to abide by the law… and stop creating laws that are going to take away who we are as a people!”

A nine-year relationship between retiring Mayor Stephen Mandel and Métis Nation of Alberta President Audrey Poitras has culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Shared Recognition and Cooperation.

“We’ve had a lot of … positive working relationships that have produced results over those nine years,” said Poitras, “and it was very important certainly to me that somewhere along the line we cement that relationship (and that) we ensure that it is part of what becomes history between the City of Edmonton and the Métis Nation.”

Over 250 performers, dancers and drummers celebrated Aboriginal culture at the 2nd annual Heritage Park Powwow.

Treaty 7 hosts pow wow at Heritage Park