Educators, community members, and students gathered to honour Louis Riel Day this year with singing, dancing, art, and food at the University of Saskatchewan College of Education Student's Lounge.
Master of Ceremonies Murray Hamilton
said the celebration was meant to commemorate, recognize, and educate in the spirit of the Métis peoples, including those who were involved in the 1885
Resistance.
"It's not like we were alive in 1885 and suddenly disappeared," said guest speaker Christi Belcourt.
"We haven't gone anywhere, we're still
here."

Aboriginal women who struggle with drug abuse, addictions and problems with the justice system are the subject of a recently released video "From Stilettos to Moccasins".
The video portrays the importance of the healing journey and draws attention to the issues of battling addictions and alleviating the effects of trauma and violence that Aboriginal women have been confronted within their communities.

The First Nations University of Canada (FNUC) was host to a 'Winter Solstice
Crafters' Fair in November and coordinators Grace Stevenson, Vanea Cyr, George Favel and Rick Jacques said they were very pleased with the event's success.
The booths and displays showed an array of First Nations and Métis crafts including items of jewellery, beadwork, pow-wow regalia, oil paintings, beaded lamps, wedding cakes and tipis.
Helen Sunshine was one of many vendors

Saskatchewan born Buffy Sainte-Marie swept the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards (CAMAs) taking all four of the categories that her new album 'Running For The Drum' was nominated in.
"What, are you nuts?" she joked after being called for a third time to the stage at Hamilton Place on Nov. 27 to collect her
hardware. The music icon, whose career has spanned the decades since the 1960s,
thanked her fans for accepting a wide variety of music from her over the years.
'Running For The Drum' epitomizes her musically schizophrenic style.

Country singer Donny Parenteau didn't think much about his informal chat with
a nice man wearing a suit following his performance at a recent meeting of the
premiers of the western provinces.
He was reminded of that short chat earlier
this year when he received an invitation to perform at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.
"I was talking to this guy who said 'I should bring you out for the Vancouver Olympics,' " said Parenteau, a Métis singer-songwriter from Prince Albert.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation's (CTF) claim that First Nations tax exemptions give their businesses an unfair advantage clearly proves that they are poorly educated, says the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) vice-Chief Morley Watson.
Saskatchewan CTF director Lee Harding caught the attention of many when he told reporters at a Regina gas station that "a
raced-based tax exemption is not something that should exist in 21st-century Canada."

Tessa Desnomie's film "It Had To Be Done" finally came home.
Shot in Lebret, screened in San Francisco, broadcast to thousands of CBC and SCN viewers and recently nominated for an industry award, the documentary was presented in Fort Qu'Appelle before a hometown audience on November 14th.
The documentary screened at the Treaty Four Governance Centre before an audience of 50 people, and was followed by a 20-minute question and answer session with Desnomie, and the two women profiled in the documentary, Anita McLeod and Doris Bellegarde.

The well-being of all children in Canada must be at the forefront of everyone's
agenda, and a designated day in November is meant to bring attention to just that purpose.
According to a Canadian Association of Social Works(CASW) press release, National Child Day has reached its 20th year in Canada, marking the day that the House of Commons resolved to end child poverty in the country by the year 2000.
The goal was to ensure that children have a voice, are protected from harm, and have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

A new housing unit is in the works for the Whitecap Dakota First Nation and undertaking the construction project are a group of Saskatoon high school students.
The students are enrolled in E.D. Feehan's 'Construction Technology' program as one of the Career Academy's three areas that seek to help students gain skills and experience in construction.
"(The) initiative is the right project at the right time," said Whitecap Chief Darcy Bear, about the house project still under construction.

A six year extension to the Urban Multipurpose Aboriginal Youth Centres
initiative was recently announced by the Minister of Canadian Heritage and
Official Languages, the Honourable James Moore.
"I am very pleased to announce this extension," said Minister Moore. "Our government is committed to providing Aboriginal young people with culturally focused programming that helps tomorrow's leaders build strong communities and families."