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Metis Spring Festival off to good start first time around

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News flash! About 250 Metis revelers were spotted at Saskatoon's Ukrainian Hall on 20th Street on the Victoria Day long weekend, May 21 to 23.

Amid much foot stompin', hand clappin' and shouts of joy, the action proved highly entertaining and lively to the sounds of fiddles, guitars and vocalists who were all out to absolutely enjoy themselves and experience still more of their cultural heritage.

Women get together

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It may be impolite to ask a woman her age, but no one had a problem putting candles on the cake April 15 in Lebret.

The former White Calf Collegiate gymnasium was the site of the intercultural Grandmothers Uniting's sixth birthday party, featuring an afternoon of celebrations including drummers, music, good times and, of course, birthday cakes. About 100 people attended the event.

The Intercultural Grandmothers Uniting was created to bridge the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women. For people such as Shirley Bonk, it's a mission of unity.

Girl needs kidney transplant

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A six-year old girl from Peepeekisis First Nations has a lot to show for her thrill of a lifetime.

Desirae Desnomie was one about 90 children who, with chaperoning parents, went on a one-day vacation to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, courtesy the Air Canada employees' charitable foundation.

The old ways are often the best

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The designs are her own, the palette full of rich striking colors.

In Mary Littlewolf's warm, cozy kitchen stands a worktable loaded with the tools of her trade. Beads, thread, needles, sinew and smoked leather used to make intricate craft pieces of a kind seldom seen outside of a museum collection. Elaborate yokes, collars and short-top moccasins echo Plains Cree styles from the deep past.

Regina gets first urban reserve

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It's not a first in Saskatchewan, but it's a first for the city of Regina.

Regina city council overwhelmingly gave its support on May 31 with a unanimous vote of approval for Regina's first urban Indian reserve.

The Nikaneet First Nation, located about 250 km west of Regina, cleared one of the hurdles needed to receive urban reserve status for some land the band owns in the city. The 1.2 acre property is located in the city's north east side, a section of the city renown for industry. But it will soon be known as Indian country.

Wrecker's ball claims White Calf Collegiate

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When the wrecking crews arrived March 23 at the former White Calf Collegiate in Lebret, Vern Bellegarde made plans to be there.

He wanted to be the third generation of the Bellegarde family to see the Indian residential school destroyed.

Crews from Bosoged Projects arrived that morning to start tearing down one of the last Indian residential schools in Canada, almost a year after the Star Blanket First Nation closed the facility.

Protect yourself on the job

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With one just one week out of the year officially set aside as occupational health week - a time set aside to really focus on ensuring safe conditions in the workplace - the message from those who work at promoting safe work practices is that the same attention to safety concerns should be applied year round.