Shortly all eight units available for youth from the Ben Calf Robe Society will be occupied.

Last September, the organization launched its Supported Independent Living Program, which assists youth from ages 16-24 years.

First Nations and Métis Grades 1-4 students from Glenbow School in Cochrane were awarded for their community-focus in selling cards to raise money for the Nakoda Food Bank.

Garett Ross and Michaela Washburn in the Canadian premiere of Albee’s “At Home At the Zoo,” which was one of the productions during the 5th annual Rubaboo Arts Festival.

A Métis professor from Alberta placed second and was awarded $10,000 in a company-sponsored arts competition.

David Garneau was the runner-up in the Cenovus Energy competition, which attracted 37 entrants.

The company staged the competition in order to help raise the profile of various Alberta and Saskatchewan artists. Officials from Cenovus Energy were also keen to display the winning entries at their Calgary office.

An Edmonton pediatrician has been recognized for her work in Aboriginal communities.

Dr. Lola Baydala was honoured with a Community Scholar Award from the University of Alberta during a recent event held at Edmonton’s City Hall.

This marked the first year the university handed out its Community Connections Awards. Awards for community leader and University of Alberta advocacy were also presented.

The Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women has awarded Elizabeth Ferguson, coordinator of Native Student advising at the University of Lethbridge, an Esquao award.

 “I was shocked when I heard I received this award.  I was honoured and humbled by the recognition, but this award does not just belong to me.  This award belongs to all the academics, community members and all First Nation, Métis and Inuit support workers,” said Ferguson. She is the first Esquao recipient from the university.

Long before the introduction of stirrups and forceps, generations of Inuit babies were being born in Canada’s far north. Birthing practices were passed down from mother to daughter, and the people continued to thrive in the harsh climate of their homeland. Many of their stories are preserved and shared in a new book by Beverly O’Brien, registered midwife and nursing professor at the University of Alberta.

Though his side returned from the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships with some hardware, Coach Taylor Harnett had some mixed feelings.

Harnett was the bench boss for the Alberta boys squad that captured the bronze medal at the national tournament, which concluded May 4 in Kahnawake, Que.

Alberta doubled Manitoba 6-3 in the bronze-medal contest. British Columbia emerged victorious in the gold-medal match, downing Ontario 5-3.

Sherri-Ann Nedland is one of many Aboriginal students at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology who looks forward to a bright future. Having recently completed her on-campus final semester in the accelerated Water and Wastewater Operator program is a relief.

“I don’t have to carry that huge back pack of books around with me anymore,” she said. Now she is looking forward to her final assignment, a four-month work term.

Political involvement is nothing new to Michelle Thrush who first became active with the Lubicon protests when she 17. Along with Cree Métis visual artist and writer Aaron Paquette, award winning actor Thrush presented at “A Call to Arts,” the fourth annual New Sun Gathering, celebrating Indigenous Arts and Artists at Blue Quills First Nations College.