For the second straight year an Alberta team managed to win some hardware at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships.

But this time around it was the Alberta boys squad that captured the silver medal at the tournament, which was held May 7-12 in Saskatoon.

In the boys’ gold-medal contest this year Saskatchewan defeated Alberta 5-1. Saskatchewan has now won five consecutive national boys’ titles.

As for the Alberta girls’ side, it just missed out on a medal this time around. It was edged 4-3 by Ontario in its bronze-medal matchup.

The ink is barely dry on a fledgling new partnership between Alberta Health Services and Rupertsland Institute, Métis Centre of Excellence, but both parties are optimistic about what it will mean in the future.

Award-winning musician Clayton Bellamy wants all children to chase their dreams.

To that end, Bellamy has launched the Everyone’s A Dreamer school tour.

The event, named after his current single and album released in March, is a 60-minute upbeat performance featuring music, videos as well as Q and A sessions. The message throughout the event is to have students follow their dreams.

“I hope it will inspire kids to reach new heights,” Bellamy said.

Being part of the environment as a youngster translated into caring for the environment as an adult and has earned Kuni Albert a place on the wall of her alma mater.
On May 12, Albert became a member of Keyano College’s Distinguished Alumni Wall of Fame during Keyano’s 46th Convocation.

“It was a bit of a shock at first,” said Albert of the recognition. “I did not expect such a great honour. Perhaps it can encourage other people. It will tell people that there is nothing that can hold you back. The opportunity is there and you just have to take it.”

Local author Wayne Arthurson already has a few reasons to celebrate, and he’s hoping for one more.

A Killing Winter, his third novel – and second to feature journalist/gambler/investigator Leo Desroches – was released in April and is already receiving positive reviews.
Then, in early May, Arthurson received his official Indian status. He is now ready to take the next step of applying to his father’s band, the Norway House Cree in Manitoba, to become a full-fledged member there.

The Rubaboo Festival, into its fourth year, was started by Alberta Aboriginal Arts co-directors Christine Sokaymoh and Ryan Cunningham.

For the past 32 years Elder Harley Bastien of the Piikani Nation has been retracing the footsteps of his ancestors throughout southwestern Alberta, discovering traces of his ancestral past including tipi rings, pictographs, cairns, stone effigies, old kill sites and vision quest sites. After documenting his findings with photographs and recording their locations with GPS, he brings his discoveries back home, continuing his research locally, showing other Elders his findings.

Danielle Smith is making a commitment to Alberta’s Aboriginal people:  she will be asking hard hitting questions in the Legislature and their issues will not be pushed to the back burner.

Smith, leader of the Wildrose Party, the province’s new Official Opposition, has taken on the critic’s role for the Aboriginal Relations portfolio.

Stardale girls model fashions by Mealan and hats by Zsa Zsa.

Robin Campbell, new minister for Aboriginal Relations, says the province’s relationship with First Nations is “government to government.”

“I think that’s an important factor that a lot of people forget. First Nations are a government onto  themselves. So we as a government of Alberta have to recognize that, have to respect that and sit down with all the chiefs and come up with a plan that’s going to make sense for all Albertans,” he said.