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Popular Aboriginal parenting program expands

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A new location has meant added strength for the KiseWaToTaToWin Aboriginal Parent Program now that it is more closely allied with seven other child and parent organizations.

The organization, which promotes pre-European contact parenting methods for Aboriginal parents, held a grand opening celebration for its new location on June 17. It joins the other organizations in forming a kind of one-stop shopping center for parents.

"There's a lot of networking going on here," said KiseWaToTaToWin executive director Terry Chapman. "We've grown to be a team."

Onion Lake Elder passionate about the old ways

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Translated by Norman Moyah

When Antoine Littlewolf talks, people listen.

And when he gives an old time traditional dancing lesson, the dancers tend to jump a little higher, stretch a little further and bend a little deeper.

"Get down lower!" bellowed the Elder, pointing to the ground. "Make your body shake and flutter like a bird, don't straighten up. That's the way they used to do the Prairie Chicken Dance. That's the real way to do it. Stretch out your arms like this, bend your knees and get down lower!"

Travelling the north country

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From June 21 to 24, I had the good fortune to be able to accompany a group of Saskatoon city police officers and a group of Aboriginal youth on a canoe trip on the Churchill River near of La Ronge. The trip as I understand it is the vision of Constable Craig Nyifra. Craig is the Native Liaison Officer with the Saskatoon police force. The trip is intended to break down the stereotypes between Aboriginal youth in trouble with the law and the police officers. With me, was my eight-year-old son Blake.

FARA: New release on its way

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Who is Fara? If you don't know she's Saskatchewan's own Native pop diva. At only 26, she has made a career out of singing and has become quite successful. Here is an interview that reveals the beautiful woman behind the beautiful voice.

She has found singing as a way to send a positive message to First Nations youth. For example, listen to 'Walk Away' on her first album, This is my World.

Aboriginal Day across the province

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Celebrations occurred in every corner of Saskatchewan this month as Native and non-Native people alike marked June 21 - Aboriginal Day.

Sage correspondants took in the festivities on several fronts. Mervin Brass filed his story and pictures from Regina. Pamela Sexsmith Green did likewise from Lloydminster.

Everywhere you looked, the young and the not-quite-as-young were in the mood to show off their culture, their heritage and - most important of all - their pride, at each site.

Supreme Court's Corbiere decision making waves

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Lawyers who worked on the Corbiere case concerning the voting rights of off-reserve members that was decided by the Supreme Court of Canada on May 20 say the media's misunderstanding of the decision may have triggered an incident at the Abegweit Reserve in Prince Edward Island. On May 25, three women who were off-reserve members tried to vote in a band election and wound up being charged with obstruction.

Chopper ride puts a whole new spin on fun

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What a way to go sight seeing!

Take one eagle eye's view of the Onion Lake reserve from more than 300 metres up in a state-of-the-art Bell Jet Ranger 206 helicopter. Add a pile of bright enthusiastic kids and what have you got?

For more than 150 Native youngsters it was the ride of a lifetime that gave them a whole new take on pow wow like they'd never seen it done before.

And to keep his young passengers right up on their toes, White River helicopter pilot Bruce Wade made sure that he pulled out all the stops.

Canada remembers the first people

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Hundreds of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people gathered together in various venues around the province to celebrate a day set aside for Aboriginal people.

One of the biggest gatherings took place in downtown Regina at Victoria Park on Monday June 21.

Songs and dances representing the various Aboriginal peoples and cultures echoed throughout the seven acre park. Hundreds of children took advantage of face painting and the games provided by volunteers from the Committee for Advancement of Native Employment.

Court decision will mean Indian Act changes

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Huge changes are looming in Saskatchewan's Indian political landscape and the shape of that new landscape will be known within the next 18 months.

Last month, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down Section 77 (1) of the Indian Act as unconstitutional. That's the section that prevented off-reserve Indians from practicing their democratic right to vote in a band election.

"This is a huge victory for us," said Keitha Kennedy, an urban Indian from the Carry The Kettle First Nation, located about 100 km east of Regina. "We now have a voice."