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The health care status of people in Northern Saskatchewan has improved dramatically over the last several years, but there is still a way to go before it is comparable to other parts of the province, says a health official.

"We're seeing a shift from those improved situations in infectious diseases to more chronic illnesses," said Dr. James Irvine, medical health officer for the Athabasca health authority and Mamawetan Churchill River and Keewatin Yathe health districts.

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Chiefs, tribal councils, health care workers and representatives of both the federal and provincial government have found a way to improve the quality of health care facilities for First Nations in the Fort Qu'Appelle region.

Health Minister Pat Atkinson and officials from the File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council signed an agreement last month to provide capital funding for a replacement to the Fort Qu'Appelle Indian Hospital.

It's the first time the Government of Saskatchewan has agreed to provide funds for building a health care facility on reserve land.

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Like most projects, it started with an idea.

It made economic sense for the five member bands of the File Hills Agency to combine their resources to offer integrated health and social care to their residents.

That's what made the recent opening of the File Hills Health and Social Development Centre on the Okanese First Nation so special. It is not only a new health care facility and offices for social agencies, it is also a symbol of the co-operative spirit of the Okanese, Star Blanket, Little Black Bear, Peepeekisis and Carry the Kettle First Nations.

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The sight of an eagle soaring high above the earth, flying with the cloud people, is a powerful experience. In Aboriginal tradition, the eagle represents the strongest of spiritual powers and when the bird dies, these powers remain in the feathers, claws and body parts.

Eagle feathers are in great demand for the traditional spiritual ceremonies of the Cree, Dene, Saulteaux, Dakota, Nakota and Lakota cultures in Saskatchewan, and in even greater demand for the competitive powwow circuit in North America.

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It was a moment for the ages when Metis Senator John B. Boucher tied a sash around the waist of visiting South African President Nelson Mandela on the morning of Sept. 24, 1998.

The man who spent more than 20 years as a political prisoner for his actions in opposition to the South African apartheid regime and who emerged from prison in the post-apartheid era to become the first black man to serve as his country's president, wore the sash proudly for the remainder of the day, much to the consternation of Canadian government officials.

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Trent University, nestled in the heart of ancestral Iroquois-Anishinabe lands in Southern Ontario, has always been a special place for Aboriginal peoples in Canada.

As the home of the first Native Studies department in Canada, Trent will be celebrating 30 years of ground-breaking education with the addition a new Ph.D. program - the first of its kind in Canada - which will be welcoming four new doctoral candidates in September.

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Dear Editor,

I was delighted to see the article Women's voices . . . in your December issue and even more honored to find myself named. I thank the writer for including my comments, but would like to make a few corrections.

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In the 1970s, First Nations people launched a campaign that was framed by the slogan "Indian control of Indian education." It was very clear that this campaign reflected the hopes of First Nations communities for the education of their children. However, this campaign really was not new. If you understand the treaty making process in the prairie provinces, access to education was an important topic for the people even way back then.

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The first Metis person to receive a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Saskatchewan has come up with a way to improve drug delivery to cancer cells.

Lee Wilson, 1997-98 winner of the Taube Medal, the department of chemistry's award for the highest achievement in research, completed his doctoral degree and graduated in late 1998. The research work which led to his doctorate has, so far, produced five published works and a job in Ottawa with the National Research Council which he started in the new year.

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Trains, planes and automobiles. Throw in a boat and bus ride and you have CANDO's 5th annual national conference held in Vancouver from Nov. 25 to Nov. 28.