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Indian Act section contrary to equality laws

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The law of the land has caught up with the Department of Indian Affairs.

The long-awaited decision in the Corbiere case was handed down by the Supreme Court of Canada on May 20. The court ruled that Section 77 (1) of the Indian Act, which allowed bands to prohibit off-reserve residents from voting in band council elections, was contrary to the equality provisions of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

School Board brings students together from city and reserve

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Learning about Native culture in the classroom is lots of fun but making a little bit of history of your own can be even more exciting.

It all started with a pile of pen pal letters sent between two "sister" Grade 3 classes - one from the city and one from the reserve. They also exchanged video tapes of themselves and their families. Then came a special invitation to attend the 1999 Interschool Pow Wow at the Onion Lake First Nation Reserve.

High school shootings -Could this happen at your school?

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It was a devastation and something that no one will ever forget, another tragedy in America had caught the attention of the World in Columbine High School at Littleton, Colorado. You read the articles, saw the news, and saw the sadness in the tears of the families and friends of the victims. Two enraged teens opened fire and killed 12 of their fellow students and a teacher. Many others were injured. They later turned the guns on themselves, ending the Colorado bloodbath.

Aboriginal people in the workplace

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Continuing demographic changes within western Canada have forced our business communities to re-evaluate the economic potential of the Aboriginal population in terms of market expansion as well as a human resource base.

Recent research points out that the expected population growth of Aboriginal people within the next 10 years will have an enormous influence on the way businesses stay competitive and profitable within their own spheres in the near future.

We must move forward together

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I grew up in several different foster homes. One of these times, I was put in a foster home that was a farm. Before that, I did not know anything about farming. But in this foster home, I was put to work on the farm. If I remember right, I was about nine years old.

I started learning about cows, milking cows, separating the calves from the moms, cleaning stalls - all the things farm life is about. We built fences and mended fences. I picked so many rocks and roots out of the fields. We cleared land. It was hard work.

Indigenous wrestler Wavell's career a shooting star

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When Wavell Starr stepped into the squared circle against the notorious Chi Chi Cruz, Starr had a lot on his mind.

But it was nothing like the first time he climbed through the ropes.

"How did I get myself into this," Starr said, recalling his first professional wrestling match. "I was really nervous."

Judging from his performance against Cruz, Starr's nerves seem to be a thing of the past.

Thousands attend 1999 Wanuskewin powwow

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Modern society and ancient cultures bridge 60 centuries of time to connect on the banks of the Opimihaw creek near Saskatchewan's largest city.

It is where 21 sites of Plains Indian history have recently been unearthed and turned into the archeological and educational jewel that is the Wanuskewin Heritage Park.

Bridging the distance between old and new was the goal behind the creation of Wanuskewin, and that goal has never been better accomplished than during the park's annual powwow on May 26.

FM radio station up and running

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Tilting the microphone a little more in the direction of his powerful voice, Ray Whitstone, the new "Radio Guy" out at Onion Lake First Nation gets ready to start "another good day."

"That's what this new FM radio station - 97.7 KPR - is all about, waking up the people and trying to make them feel good. People really seem to like it and are getting up in the mornings just to listen to this program," said Whitstone.