If the decision is made to go-ahead with the Northern Gateway Pipeline project, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency is warning that the courts could overturn the decision because of “unreasonable” consultation with Aboriginal communities. “Lack of funding may limit the ability of Aboriginal groups to reasonably and meaningfully participate in the consultation and environmental assessment process,” said the agency in a presentation released by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans through access to information legislation.

Alberta’s Liberal energy critic Kent Hehr is asking the ethics commissioner to investigate the province’s rejection of a proposed $6.6-billion bitumen refinery operated by the First Nations. The Alberta First Nations Energy Centre was refused funding by Energy Minister Ted Morton. The government is saying the project had too many financial risks and not enough advanced preparation.

Devon Energy Corp. earned a Responsible Canadian Energy Award for its efforts to establish a secondary school in Conklin, northern Alberta. While establishing operations at its Jackfish project, Devon officials learned that students in the area had to leave home to attend high school.

Two Saskatchewan high school students are feeling a little less pressure and a lot more excitement about starting university in the Fall, now that they won one of the most prestigious scholarships in Canada.
Tara Desroches, a 17-year-old Métis student from Saskatoon, is thrilled about not having to rely on a student loan after she found out she was a recipient of the Provincial Excellence Award from the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation, which is worth $20,500.

The polished statues and updated resumes obviously mean a great deal to the recipients of Canada's National Aboriginal Achievement Awards.
But when an actor, hockey star, doctor or entrepreneur is acknowledged by the Aboriginal community, it's the young people witnessing the possibilities before them who remain the most important beneficiaries.

The grim reality is that some Regina neighbourhoods have more than one similarity to the gang-infested areas of Los Angeles. This is clear to organizers and participants in a new program geared towards helping young people overcome the challenges of living in Regina's inner-city.
The discovery that a teenager can reap unique personal rewards by purging their fears and explaining themselves in a private notebook spread to educators around the world, through the work of trailblazing teacher Erin Gruwell.

Kristie McNab-Machiskinic someday hopes to leave her home province so that she can further her athletic career after high school. The multi-talented athlete has her sights set on landing an athletic scholarship to play softball at an American university.
McNab-Machiskinic, who is Cree from Gordon's First Nation, has already made the choice to leave her home community to pursue athletics.

Chief Rick Gamble of the Beardy's and Okemasis First Nation wants to make sure First Nations aren't left out of the picture if nuclear energy gets the green light in Saskatchewan.
"We want to take an informed approach," said Chief Gamble in an interview with Sage. "Basically, we want to make sure we know what it's all about."
Along with Chief Gamble, some council members met Bruce Power representatives at a recent economic development forum, which led to an invitation to speak to all of the band leadership as well as band members.

Jennifer Campeau has plenty on her plate as a single mother raising a teenage daughter while taking full-time studies in an intensive 12-month Master of Business Administration program at the University of Saskatchewan. Nowadays, she has added marathon running to her already substantial schedule.
"I'm raising money for diabetes and I'm going to be running in a marathon in Hawaii," said the Yellow Quill First Nation band member.

The Government of Saskatchewan says the Aboriginal Employment Partnership is not a "band-aid" approach to resolving the longstanding issue of a low Aboriginal presence in the province's workforce.
"It's a very strategic and focused approach to employment development over the long-term," said Victoria Gubbels, the Government of Saskatchewan's director of Aboriginal development branch. It's not a quick fix, it's more or less a community development model we're using."