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On June 11, a press conference was held at the Hotel Fort Garry to release a study done by the Aboriginal Apprenticeship Projects Steering Committee titled Aboriginal Participation in Apprenticeship: Making It Work.

The report addresses the need for skilled workers within the Canadian workforce, the low participation of Aboriginal people in apprenticeship programs because of the lack of awareness of opportunities and the way training is funded, structured and delivered, and the need to combat high unemployment levels in the Aboriginal community.

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Sisseton Wahpeton Comunity College will mark its twentieth year as an Indian educational institution on Aug. 7, and celebrations are afoot.

According to dean of instruction, Harvey DuMarce, Founders' Day activities will include a "mini-powwow" and a road race. He's hopeful that one or more United States senators will be invited to speak to the occasion too, "because they've been kind of strong supporters of tribal colleges and our mission here."

The college got its start in 1979 as a GED centre, DuMarce said.

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The Crees of Waskaganish First Nation, a 785 square kilometre Quebec reserve, may have the busiest capital works department in the James Bay region. And if two heads are better than one, then maybe it is a case of many astute planners and builders putting their heads together that has caused multiple projects in a dreamed-about expansion to become reality this spring. They have brought to life the vision of the 1,600-member community that held workshops, exhibits and presentations over a couple of years to come up with a plan for needed services.

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The title was long and the attendance relatively small, but the 120 delegates to the Making Money in the Millennium: Creating and Optimizing Aboriginal Business and Corporate Partnerships all came away with the practical solutions they were seeking.

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Kikino Metis Settlement boxer Rocky Whitford, 15, won the silver medal in the Canadian Junior Championships held in Montreal from April 15 to 17. In the opening round of the tournament Whitford drew a bye. In the second round Whitford stopped Ryan Allen of Prince Edward Island in the first round with a left hook to the body. That win advanced him to the gold medal fight.

Page 27

Whenever a club loses in a championship final cries of 'We'll be back next year' are often heard.

Such was certainly the case with the Six Nations Arrows. Last summer the Arrows were downed 4-1 in a best-of-seven series by the Burnaby Lakers in the Minto Cup, the Canadian Junior A lacrosse championship.

The British Columbia-based Lakers played host to last year's Minto Cup.

Page 26

When Wavell Starr stepped into the squared circle against the notorious Chi Chi Cruz, Starr had a lot on his mind.

But it was nothing like the first time he climbed through the ropes.

"How did I get myself into this," Starr said, recalling his first professional wrestling match. "I was really nervous."

Judging from his performance against Cruz, Starr's nerves seem to be a thing of the past.

Page 26

Jonathon Cheechoo, a Cree player and a highly-touted NHL prospect, is one of the main reasons the Belleville Bulls captured the Ontario Hockey League championship this season.

Should he return to the junior ranks for the 1999-2000 campaign, Cheechoo, a San Jose Sharks' draftee, will again undoubtedly be one of the Bulls' leaders. But chances are he won't be the only Native player on the Belleville roster.

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HIV and AIDS have become a growing concern among First Nations people, and education has proven to be the most effective way to prevent this fatal disease.

HIV is a communicable disease which can be transmitted from one person to another through certain behaviors. There is no cure, only medications that slow the obset of full blown AIDS.

AIDS is caused by HIV over time weakening the immune system, leaving the body an easy target for illnesses and diseases.

What is HIV?

Page 24

A new study reports Quebec Crees have one of the world's highest diabetes rates. Cree officials charge that the Quebec government has ignored years of warning about the epidemic.

Almost 13 per cent of Cree women giving birth have gestational diabetes, a form of the illness that occurs during pregnancy, according to a two-year study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal in May. The rate is twice the North American average and the second-highest rate reported for an Aboriginal group worldwide.