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In the past month, many things have happened here in Indian Country. We had elections, award shows, conferences, a powwow, and of course Halloween. The month of October was one not to forget, one that had both Saskatoon and Prince Albert booming in business because of Indian customers. I ran into old friends and new friends as part of the annual Indian Month, which I now call it.

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Columnist Denis Okanee Angus' column will not appear this month. Denis and his family, along with the friends and fellow veterans from First Nations across the province, are mourning the death of his father Donald Alexander Angus, who passed away at age 78 on Oct. 27.

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Dear Editor:

Re: Lebret Junior Hockey . . . Sports section, October 1999 issue.

I wish to offer a statement of correction in regards to the past history of the Saskatoon Rage as it relates to the Beardy's & Okemasis First Nation. In your story, you state that the Beardy's & Okemasis First Nation purchased the former Minot Top Guns in 1997. This is not the case. The franchise was purchased by a group of investors of which a few were members of the Beardy's & Okemasis First Nation.

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Kids just wanna hang out. They want familiar territory where they feel comfortable. A cool place where they have a sense of belonging and a sense of ownership.

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Success is a family affair at Turtle Island Music.

Cousins George, 34, and Kelly Parker, 38, have spent a lot of time in each other's company. Although they are four years apart in age, the pair grew up together in Cando, about 60 km south of North Battleford. When they grew older, they stuck together, heading off to college in Prince Albert to study their shared interest in music and photographic technology.

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After taking the white man's medicine for 500 years, many First Nation communities are taking steps toward prescribing their own.

For more than 10 years, First Nations have been slowly assuming control of federal health care services delivered to their people.

It's hoped greater command of how federal dollars are spent - and programs and services delivered - on reserve will lead to an improvement in the health status of First Nations people.

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Two northern Saskatchewan health districts have introduced an innovative approach to health care delivery after signing a partnership agreement to jointly manage shared programs and services.

The Keewatin Yathe and Mamawetan Churchill River health districts signed the agreement last May, but waited to announce it until Oct. 20 to coincide with the ninth annual northern health conference taking place in Prince Albert.

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In recognition of World AIDS Day, people all over the world will be wearing a red ribbon on Dec. 1.

The ribbon is an international symbol showing support in the continuing fight against AIDS. It is intended to be a symbol of hope, towards finding a vaccine and a cure that will stop the suffering created by HIV/AIDS.

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Frank (Fox) Morin's last drunk was 20 years ago, and he quit heroin, speed, coke and MDA three years before he got off the booze. Worked, got married, raised a family. Been living clean all this time. But suddenly, at age 50, he got really sick, nearly died, got a liver transplant just in time to save his life, and he says it was all on account of bad choices he made early in life.

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The availability of healthy food and sporting facilities is a major hurdle in efforts to prevent diabetes in Northern Saskatchewan, says the medical health officer for the Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority.

"When it comes to the primary prevention of diabetes, we're talking about very basic changes in the communities around physical activity and the foods that people eat," said Dr. Sara Whitehead.

City folks can walk down the street to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables at the local grocery store, or get a workout at the neighborhood gym.