Sara Morrison was disappointed a new rule prevented her from participating in this year’s National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC).

Morrison, however, was still able to win a gold medal at the national tournament, which was staged May 7 to May 12 in Saskatoon.

Morrison was originally hoping to play for the Quebec-based Eastern Door and the North (EDN) squad at the national tournament. She had toiled for the EDN team at three previous NAHC.

Angela Analok has seen first-hand the challenges of the north when it comes to access to nutritious, affordable food. Her dad’s family is from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut and two years ago she spent time there meeting family for the first time, familiarizing herself with the terrain, and immersing herself in the culture.

“Baa Maa Pii Amquamzin” translates to “See you later, and be careful because we care about you” and this was the theme of the spring conference held by Eagle’s Nest Residential Group Home in London, Ont.

The intention of Eagle’s Nest is to provide a culturally-sensitive residential group home that makes every effort to create a safe environment and atmosphere to encourage each child.

MoCreebec chief stepped into international spotlight

James Bay communities are still coming to terms with the sudden death of Chief Randy Kapashesit of the Moose Factory Cree of Quebec (MoCreebec).

The 51-year-old was in Minneapolis, Minnesota with his family when he died of a massive heart attack on April 25. Kapashesit had previously been diagnosed with a thrombotic disorder and required blood thinner medication.

Susan Aglukark is part of what I think of as Aboriginal music royalty. Like Celine Dion to Canada’s mainstream, Susan Aglukark is to Canada’s northern communities, she is the pride of Aboriginal achievement through the art of her beautiful rich voice and easy on the ear melodies.

Windspeaker: What one quality do you most value in a friend?
Erin Konsmo: Compassion. Those who are understanding, empathetic, and help empower others.

W: What is it that really makes you mad?
E.K.: When I run out of Sharpie markers. It makes it difficult to paint the world around me. Then I am stuck with a stick and the mud. Oh, and ongoing colonization , but that’s more bearable when I can paint (de) beside colonization with a Sharpie.

The message delivered to Enbridge, and its investors in a proposed pipeline project, couldn’t have been made any clearer.

“We informed them they were wasting their money; that we were never going to change our mind on the proposed project and they could better invest the money in better projects than what they are currently looking at because this one wasn’t going to go through following our traditional laws and our practices,” said Hereditary Chief Na’Moks (John Ridsdale) of Wet’suwet’en Territory in B.C.

The British Columbia government stands to regulate on-reserve business development for the first time under new legislation introduced on May 3.

The First Nations Commercial and Industrial Development Act (FNCIDA) Implementation Act was tailor-made to bring proposed projects in both Haisla and Squamish First Nations up to code. But some have expressed concern about a “Trojan horse” approach to allow the province to extend its authority onto other reserves.

“My grandmother always said to me, ‘If we destroy the land, we’re gonna destroy ourselves’,” said Jackie Thomas. “You can’t drink money. Or oil. It’s pretty basic.”

As chief of Saik’uz First Nation in northern B.C., Thomas is on the frontlines of an escalating battle over the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline, currently under environmental review.

It was in May of 2000 when the people of Walkerton, Ont. began to present with symptoms of E. coli contamination from the small town’s water supply. Seven people were to die from drinking the water, and about 2,500 people became ill.