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As government decision-makers weigh their spending options for the next federal budget, the Assembly of First Nations has given them some new information to consider.

The first-ever national public poll commissioned by an Aboriginal organization was conducted by Ottawa's Environics Research Group for the AFN between Nov. 27 and Dec. 5. The preliminary results of the poll were announced on Dec. 10, just five days after the last of the 1,500 phone interviews was conducted.

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An international panel of judges and human rights experts has told Canada it needs to get serious about protecting the human rights of Indigenous people who live within its borders.

The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights concluded its autumn session on Dec. 4 by issuing conclusions and recommendations after listening to reports from five nations, including Canada.

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Saskatchewan Indians who fought for Canada in the Korean conflict and both world wars launched a high profile lawsuit against the federal government in early December, claiming they've been wrongfully denied millions of dollars worth of veterans' benefits over the past eight decades.

The Saskatchewan First Nations Veterans Association (SFNVA) and the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) filed a statement of claim Dec. 1 at the Court of Queen's Bench in Saskatoon, suggesting settlements due to First Nations veterans can no longer be ignored.

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The one thing Canada needs to do to remedy the problems that plague First Nations communities is the only thing Canada is unwilling to do.

That's the short version of a speech delivered by Matthew Coon Come, the grand chief of the Grand Council of the Crees, during the first Assembly of First Nations-sponsored media conference on Aboriginal issues, hosted at Ottawa's Carleton University on Dec. 10.

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The HIV/AIDS epidemic is a global health problem, not something that any First Nation or tribal council can or should have to tackle alone, especially with the limited health care funding available today.

Pooling resources to deliver HIV/AIDS specific health services became the goal of the Battleford Tribal Council Health Services in 1999. A practical, hands-on outreach to the Aboriginal communities of central Saskatchewan that would bring STD expertise right onto the reserves.

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The Peepeekisis First Nation held its second annual "Follow Your Dreams Art Festival" from Sept. 23 to 25 at the Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts.

The goal of the festival was to promote First Nations artists and their work. It featured a three-day trade show, a dinner theatre, talent show and fashion show. The event wrapped up with a dance where country singer Lorrie Church performed.

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The man standing in front of the painting began to fidget uncomfortably, slowly collecting his thoughts. He edged closer to read the story behind the art work with his head nodding in recognition.

Soon he began to smile, studying the painting of a naked couple making love. It became clear what he was looking at.

The MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina hosted an erotic Aboriginal art show last month - entitled Love and Sex - that both shocked and rocked a lot of people, something the organizers hoped would happen.

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Maria Campbell's home at Gabriels Crossing became a gathering place for traditional healers from September 10 to 12. Elders from Saskatchewan and Alberta came out to meet two Indigenous women from Fiji, as well as 10 community health students from Mozambique who happen to be studying at the University of Saskatoon.

The songs of both Fiji and Mozambique enriched the first night at Gabriels Crossing. While sitting around a campfire and singing, the northern lights came out for a spectacular show and they danced to the tune of distant rhythms.

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Have you ever tried to find the phone number of a close friend or family member and hit a brick wall?

The reserve you are trying to contact isn't listed or the operator has never heard of that community or, if the operator has heard of it, it's listed under a town or city number somewhere else in the region that the operator just can't find. That's the way it is for most First Nation communities - provincial or municipal borders can be a real barrier to communication.

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For the second year in a row, the team from Black Lake Saskatchewan won the 1999 Canadian National Native Fire Fighters Competition, held this year in Quebec City.

Teams from across Canada represented the best of the best as the teams had to first defeat all other teams in their respective provinces to get to the national finals.

Representation this year came from; British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic Region.