Students, faculty and staff from Bow Valley College’s Aboriginal Addictions Services Counselling certificate program gather for the 15th annual Wellness Walk, which launched National Addictions Awareness Week.

National Addictions Awareness Week marked

Chris Robinson, executive director with the Royal Alberta Museum, introduces the museum’s newest collection, Innujaq: Dolls of the Canadian Arctic.

Inuit collection of dolls on display

Marilyn Buffalo was elected president of the Indian Association of Alberta at the annual general meeting on Nov. 3. The IAA is a grassroots treaty rights organization. “The IAA provided research to the treaty chiefs, who then acted in unity with the IAA. It was the right combination of force and influences to protect our rights,” said Buffalo, in a news release. Two board positions remain vacant. Board members for Treaty 7 and Treaty 8 are still required. Rounding out the executive are Mervin Grandbois (Treaty 6), L.

Brittany Smith, of Strathmore, is one of 10 recipients of this year’s RBC Aboriginal Student Awards Program. Over 500 applications were received from students who are pursuing post-secondary education. Smith, a Métis, is enrolled at the University of Saskatchewan, in Veterinary Medicine. “With the Aboriginal population growing nearly six times faster than the general population, it’s never been more important for Aboriginal youth to overcome the financial obstacles that prevent them from pursuing higher education,” said Chinyere Eni, national director, Aboriginal Markets, RBC.

Chief Wilton Littlechild, presently commissioner on the Indian Residential Schools’ Truth and Reconciliation Commission, was among a number of recent Aboriginal recipients of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. Also awarded was Bertha Clark, of Athabasca. Clark is a respected Elder, trailblazer and champion for Indigenous women across Canada. She founded the organization now known as the Native Women’s Association of Canada and is an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Pearl Calahasen, MLA for Lesser Slave Lake, has been named the new chair of the Northern Alberta Development Council. She is NADC’s first woman chair. Calahasen has previously served as the minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, associate minister of Aboriginal Affairs, minister without Portfolio Responsible for Children’s Services, and chair of the Standing Policy Committee for Sustainable Resource Development. Calahasen is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Extension.

The province has added a provision into the Education Act that allows appointment — rather than election — of school board trustees from select communities, which would include First Nations. Jacquie Hansen, with the Alberta School Boards Association, said the new provisions outlined in the act, would likely be first utilized by certain rural school boards in the province that have agreements in place with multiple First Nations.

The Alberta Court of Appeal dismissed an application from Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and Métis groups for leave to appeal a decision of the Joint Review Panel to not review the adequacy of Crown consultation before deciding whether to approve Shell’s Jackpine Mine expansion project. The court’s decision was rendered Nov. 26. “If there is a violation of our constitutionally protected treaty rights it should be dealt with before this project is found to be in the public interest.

Alberta Chiefs have let Aboriginal Relations Minister Robin Campbell know they are concerned about a discussion paper released this fall on consultation, which is legally required before any projects can proceed on Crown lands. “It’s quite clear the goal is to continue to minimize what it really means to consult with First Nations,” said Grand Chief Marvin Yellowbird of Treaty 6. “The province’s current discussion paper approach is not meaningful.” The three-page discussion paper suggests a single office would set standards and determine how much consultation was required.

First Nations and Alaskan Tribes have expressed support to explore the feasibility for a new “purpose built” railroad linking Alaska, Yukon, northern British Columbia and northern Alberta to the rest of North America. Proposed by G Seven Generations Ltd., the railroad would provide access to Pacific tidewater, enabling the import and export of commodities, including oil sands products. The proposed 1,500-mile railroad would run northwest from Fort McMurray and connect with the Alyeska Pipeline at Delta Junction, about 80 miles south of Fairbanks, Alaska.