“Disheartened” is the word Onion Lake Cree Nation Chief Wallace Fox uses to describe how he feels about a meeting held between the Assembly of First Nations and federal government representatives to discuss First Nations education. The meeting took place when he was on his way home from the Special Chiefs Assembly held Dec. 4 to Dec. 6.

Artist—Tracy Bone
Song—Woman of Red
Album—Woman of Red
Year—2012

A few weeks ago, Alvin Fiddler was informed that as much as 80 per cent of members in some Nishnawbe Aski Nation communities were addicted to painkillers.

“That means whole communities are being impacted,” said the NAN deputy grand chief.

Now the battle against painkillers such as OxyContin has become even that much harder.

Despite warnings from First Nations, tribal police forces, provincial governments and provincial health departments, Health Canada has given the go-ahead to the production of generic OxyContin.

The rallying cry of “we have had enough” was heard loudly across the country as thousands of First Nations people gathered in cities from Vancouver to Happy Valley-Goose Bay to Whitehorse on Dec. 10.

“Idle No More. We’re telling the Harper government they do not have our consent,” said Sylvia McAdam, one of four women who organized the Idle No More movement. McAdam addressed the boisterous crowd of hundreds that filled Churchill Square in downtown Edmonton.

First Nations in the country have reached the end of their patience. That was noticeably evident during what’s being called the ‘Scuffle on the Hill’ on Dec. 4, 2012.

Danita Nez and Steven Kakimoosit, two Native Education College students, organized a protest against the federal government’s omnibus C-45 bill in just five days.

Now they’re thinking bigger.

The Dec. 10 protest, one of many national Idle No More events, brought out a large and energetic group that marched from Main St. at 5th St. to the Vancouver Art Gallery toting signs, waving flags and beating drums.

It all ended with a gathering and drum circle at the art gallery steps.

“One of the biggest things is land,” said Kakimoosit.

For the third straight year Wilfrid Laurier University officials hosted an event combining a bit of lacrosse with some post-secondary school awareness.

The third annual High School Friendship Lacrosse Tournament was staged at the university’s Waterloo campus on recently.
About 70 Aboriginal teenagers, from five high schools in Brantford, took part in the day. Not all of the participants though were in their final year of high school. That’s because the program was open to all Aboriginal high school students from Brantford, regardless of their grade.

Sinclair put Métis in Canada's Constitution

The man responsible for Métis being entrenched in section 35 of the Canadian Constitution passed away Nov. 9 after working half a decade for Aboriginal rights.

Windspeaker: What one quality do you most value in a friend?
Iskwe: Sense of humour. To me, my best of friends are the ones I’m able to laugh with, especially when I’m feeling blue...it’s always nice to have that person that you know will always help you laugh and feel better, if even just for a bit.

W: What is it that really makes you mad?
Iskwe: Being stuck in the middle seat on an airplane, next to someone that smells bad. It’s really the worst thing ever.

WOLF SONGS & FIRE CHATS

My wife and I went deep into the mountains for our winter wood this fall. It took some doing to find an active logging road and that’s good news. It means they’re running out of forest to destroy.  For ourselves we prefer to find downed trees or sometimes we’ll drop a standing dead one, but mostly we get out winter wood from the leftovers. We found a logging road with a lot of fresh slash piles and we set to cutting our winter wood.