Page 9

An organization that provides help to women and children in times of crisis is itself seeking help from the town of Fort Qu'Appelle, Sask.

At a recent town council meeting, the board that oversees the operation of the Qu'Apple Haven women's shelter in Fort Qu'Appelle, asked the town to consider a break on its taxes.

The Qu'Appelle Haven pays about $7,000 a year in municipal taxes, said board member Joan Bellegarde. In comparison, its shelter in Regina pays about $70 in property taxes.

Page 9

Before something tragic happens, members of a Nova Scotia band want a paved road connecting them with vital services more than 30 kilometres away.

Residents of one of Acadia First Nation's reserves, located in the southern reaches of the province, have to travel the dirt road every day to bring their children to school. The road frequently washes out, cutting them off from ambulance services, the fire department, and police.

Page 8

Nunavut is only days old, but it's already facing a legal challenge. The Crees of Northern Quebec say the federal government violated their rights and Constitution when it agreed to give Nunavut islands in the James and Hudson bays that have been part of Cree ancestral territory for thousands of years.

The Grand Council of the Crees filed a court action on Feb. 19 asking the Federal Court of Canada to keep the islands out of Nunavut. Crees also want to make sure no development occurs on the islands until their status is settled.

Page 7

In the ongoing, public debate between environmentalists and the province over the issue of wilderness protection and the designation of certain Crown lands as 'Special Places', an important but powerful voice has so far remained unheard.

The voice does not belong to those in the forestry, oil or gas industries, who handsomely profit from 'developing' the natural resources of our lands. And the voice does not belong to those in the recreation or tourism industries, who also profit from our lands but in a different manner.

Page 4

As publisher of Windspeaker, I usually don't write a publisher's statement unless I feel very strongly about an issue. Last year I used this space to express my concerns about the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards and how creative license was taken with Aboriginal culture, as well as other concerns.

After attending the 1999 National Aboriginal Achievement Awards on March 12 in Regina, I felt that I had to make a comment on this year's show and let John Kim Bell and the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation staff know they did a great job this year.

Page 4

In Native society, prior to contact with the Europeans, there was no such thing as a class system. There were no richer and poorer; the ruling philosophy of "sharing" made sure of that. Even the leaders were no richer than others in the community. In fact, many leaders often temporarily had less than other members of their communities, because they gave away what they had when there was a need. Food was distributed within the community to everyone.

Page 2

The Assembly of First Nations and the department of Indian affairs can agree on one thing - on-reserve housing is woefully inadequate leading to serious social problems.

According to an Indian Affairs fact sheet, on-reserve housing is "among the worst in Canada." To address this crisis, the AFN hosted a First Nations housing conference in Toronto on March 9 and 10. More than 600 delegates from across Canada with 45 corporate booth participants attended to share ideas on financing, constructing and maintaining houses on reserve.

Page 6

I remember the first word I ever spoke in my traditional language - Peendigaen. Come in. I was 23 and had been reconnected to my original family for less than a year. The gentle roll of Ojibway was foreign to me after two decades in the non-Native foster care system and, at first, that simple word felt awkward, clumsy, wrong. But when the person I spoke to smiled and stepped into my mother's house, I felt complete, worthy, real.

Page 2

Nunavut is only days old, but it's already facing a legal challenge. The Crees of Northern Quebec say the federal government violated their rights and Constitution when it agreed to give Nunavut islands in the James and Hudson bays that have been part of Cree ancestral territory for thousands of years.

The Grand Council of the Crees filed a court action on Feb. 19 asking the Federal Court of Canada to keep the islands out of Nunavut. Crees also want to make sure no development occurs on the islands until their status is settled.

Page 6

Do you remember the exciting news back in October 1997 when the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Sheila Copps, promised $20 million for Aboriginal languages? It was to be doled out at $5 million a year for four years beginning on April 1, 1998. While it was a pittance to what is needed to restore languages, we saw it as a glimmer of hope and the beginning of the government's commitment to "right an historic moral and legal wrong."