If a new education system is to be put in place that will fully benefit First Nations children, it has to be First Nations-driven and in “true partnership” with the federal government.

“There are no two sides when we’re trying to work on a true partnership and a good relationship so a child can benefit,” said Morley Googoo, regional chief for Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, who holds the portfolio for education for the Assembly of First Nations.

When Juno-award winning country music star George Canyon was a kid, all he dreamed about was becoming a pilot. He strongly felt, he said, that he needed to serve the country and be in the Air Force.

At age 12 he enlisted in the Air Cadets.

With no album, radio play or front-person to fall back on, Beat Nation Live is hard to quantify: A musical trickster of sorts.

One of Canada’s poorest First Nation communities is next door to a diamond mine that is expected to produce six million carats of rough diamonds in its lifetime. The First Nation, Attawapiskat, made inter-national headlines in October 2011 when Chief Theresa Spence declared a state of emergency because of a severe housing crisis.

Holy man lived by "hollow bone" philosophy

Few holy people have been as open about their spiritual practices as Frank Fools Crow, the ceremonial chief of the Teton Sioux who allowed his powers to be written about in books by non-Native authors.

Assuming no ownership of his supernatural abilities–always affirming the “source of power is not ourselves”–Fools Crow explained in detail how he performed “miracles” because he wanted others to believe they could do them as well.

The hypnotic thump of powwow drums dominates the opening of “Electric Pow Wow,” the emblematic track of Ottawa electronic crew A Tribe Called Red (ATCR), recently nominated for Canada’s prestigious Polaris Prize.

Within half-a-minute, the drums and jingles of this representative track coalesce with the pitch-shifting warble of a heavily distorted synthesizer bass-line. Powwow singers and dubstep-style beats merge to create an entirely new sound that the five-year-old band labels “powwow step.”

On Sept. 5, Grand Chief Konrad Siouï of the Huron-Wendat nation in Wendake celebrated three events of great cultural and historic significance, not just for his nation but for the country.

Artist—Various
Song—Would You Do Today
Album—Honouring Our Heroes: A Tribute to Métis Veterans
Year—2012

The Gabriel Dumont Institute has published a musical cd in Tribute to Métis Veterans with proceeds of  sales going to The Métis Veterans Memorial Monument Project. So what should you expect? How about offerings from some of Canada’s most well known and accomplished Métis music artists? Track one will have you singing Proud To Be Métis along with old school country artist Ray St.Germain.

Windspeaker: What one quality do you most value in a friend?
Diyet: When a person is joyful that has a great ripple effect†on everyone around them. When a person is truly joyful they are in a state of honesty, they are caring and supportive and have all the qualities I’d wish for in a friend.

WOLF SONGS & FIRE CHATS

There’s a ceremony I do for myself every morning. Once I’m awake and have had a coffee and some time to feel my spirit moving, I gather my prayer articles, my smudging bowl, eagle wing fan and cedar, sage, tobacco and sweetgrass. I put them in the bowl, light them and go through my home offering blessings to my wife, myself, our things and saying a quiet prayer of gratitude for all of it. It feels wonderful.