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A section of Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms which is internationally lauded as especially enlightened in its treatment of minority groups is going to be put under the microscope when the Supreme Court of Canada hears a case about cross-cultural adoptions.

The two sides of a child custody case that originated in Vancouver will appear in Canada's court of last resort on Feb. 16.

The case involves a cross-cultural adoption and will force the Supreme Court of Canada to rule on a British Columbia statute that seeks to limit such adoptions.

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When the Indian Affairs department marked the first anniversary of the launch of Gathering Strength on Jan. 7, the Liberal government issued a 12-page press release reporting "progress."

"Over the past year, our priority has been to build the foundation for lasting change," Indian Affairs Minister Jane Stewart said.

Aboriginal leaders, especially national leaders in Ottawa, are worried that some of this "lasting change" won't necessarily be for the better.

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The Acho Dene Koe people of Fort Liard, N.W.T added one more venture to their list of economic development activities under their control. Deh Cho Air celebrated the inaugural flight of its new aircraft, a Navajo Chieftain, on March 18 with a flight from Fort Liard to Fort Nelson B.C. carrying passengers from the community.

Fort Liard Band Chief Harry Denron believes that "the airline is a good investment for the band, given the importance of air transportation to the North."

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The gathering may have been small and intimate but the significance of the celebration should have a wide-ranging impact on Canada's First Nations.

Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine was joined by the vice-president of CESO Aboriginal Services, Larry Sault, as well as the chair of CESO Aboriginal Services board of directors, Susan Tatoosh, and president of CESO, Charles Beer, to celebrate the April 12 signing of a new memorandum of understanding between the AFN and CESO Aboriginal Services.

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Two hundred Aboriginal job-seekers crammed into Metro Hall in downtown Toronto on April 8 hoping to make a connection with one of the 20 employers at the Netting Stars: Aboriginal Career Fair that was organized by the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business and Miziwe Biik: Aboriginal Employment and Training.

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Hundreds of delegates and visitors attended the Opportunities in Science and Technology for Aboriginal People Conference held in Winnipeg last month to get a glimpse into the employment future for Canada's First Peoples.

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Arctic Beverages, an Aboriginal-owned bottler of Pepsi-Cola products, has scored a major coup by winning the Best Canadian Bottler Award for 1999 and runner-up as the best North American bottler.

"We were thrilled, of course," said Arctic Beverages general manager Sean Post. "It says a lot about our people, employees and ownership to think that we are the best in the country and the second-best on the continent."

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It was certainly a season of mixed emotions for Freeman Bucktooth.

After 20 years of coaching, he finally made it to the pinnacle of his sport as an associate coach with the Syracuse Smash. He may have been one of three coaches on the staff but, for the most part, he ran the bench because the two other associates, Steve Scaramuzzino and Pat Donahue, were also players with the club.

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The Washington Redskins football club could be stripped of its trademark registration by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

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The long-term success of any colonial adventure requires the destruction of Indigenous languages. The counter-attacks launched by Indigenous peoples throughout the world in defence of the integrity of their cultures always focuses upon the nurturing of such Indigenous languages. Educational programs offer encouragement to those who fear that their language might be terminally swamped by the global strength of English, French or Spanish.