An honours project now underway at the University of Alberta is exploring the reach of Twitter for Indigenous communities, and studying potential opportunities for connecting with students.
For her project, titled Indigenous Twibes in 140 Characters or Less, U of A student Kirsten Lindquist is following five prominent Indigenous intellectuals who use Twitter, sharing information on social media. She’s not ready yet to identify them specifically, but says some are from Eastern Canada and some from the west.

When Edmonton artist Heather Shillinglaw travelled to the Onchaminahos School at the Saddle Lake Cree Nation last fall, she was delighted with the budding talent that she observed amongst the students.

Shillinglaw is an artist-in-residence and was sponsored by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts to work with the students for a three-week period. She travelled the 180 km from Edmonton to Saddle Lake and stayed at a hotel in St. Paul, a short 20-minute commute from Onchaminahos.

The new Alberta Regional Chief for the Assembly of First Nations is ready to hold Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s “feet to the fire” to ensure First Nations people are heard.

Cameron Alexis was elected by Alberta Chiefs and their proxies to the position on Jan. 31 in Calgary. The Alexis Nakota Sioux Chief was declared winner after the first ballot, having garnered 25 of 45 eligible votes.

Jordan Bennett’s studio on the University of Alberta’s campus is full of paintings, drawings and sculptures. But his favourite art form is music. While he comes from a family of visual artists, he also has classical piano training. But it isn’t playing the piano that gets him off.  It’s being a DJ that does it for him.

“When my art goes into a gallery, I don’t get to see how people respond. But doing the music, I can see right away what they like. If they don’t like what I’m playing, I can switch it up,” said Bennett.

Pathways hosts 7th annual round dance

Numbers were up for meals served at the annual New Year’s Day dinner hosted by the Bissell Centre.

Number of meals served for New Year’s Day up

The Siksika Justice Department is considering if full Gladue report writing can better serve its members who go through the corrections system.

“(Aboriginal people) have the highest rates of incarceration in the jail system and it’s important that these reports be used to keep those people who don’t need to be in jail out of there,” said Siksika First Nations Councillor Laverna McMaster.

The Métis Nation of Alberta is pleased to hear that the government will be implementing a consultation policy with the Métis.

However, Aaron Barner, executive director with the MNA, says the Métis need to be fully engaged in that process.

“We want to work with the government. We don’t want them to develop it in a vacuum ... and bring it to us. We need to be involved right from the get-go,” said Barner.

In Edmonton, labour and public interest groups came together to declare their support for the Idle No More movement, while in Lubicon Lake territory, members blocked highway 986. These actions, as well as others across the province and the country, marked the opening of Parliament on Jan. 28 and declared the fight against Bills C-38 and C-45 were continuing.

Morningstar Mercredi, who helped organize the event in Edmonton which drew hundreds to Winston Churchill Square in snow and frigid temperatures, says it is important to get non-Indigenous people behind the cause.

Aboriginal Relations Minister Robin Campbell has made it clear: his government will not be considering resource revenue sharing with First Nations.

Campbell addressed a group of Chiefs and representatives from First Nations from Alberta and Saskatchewan at the Western Aboriginal Consultation and Negotiation forum on Jan. 29, pledging that his government would “no longer … accept the status quo. Instead we will work together to make sure Alberta’s First Nations, Métis and Inuit are full participants in Alberta’s success.”