Diane Camponi, Tiffany Johnson, Vanessa Peigan, Cassie Big Sorrel Horse, and Leslie Iron Shirt, all of Alberta, are among 24 Aboriginal youth to receive $1,000 each through Canada Post’s 2011 Aboriginal Education Incentive Awards. Since 2004, the Aboriginal Education Incentive Awards have been celebrating the hard work of those who have embraced a renewed pursuit of learning. Applicants must have resumed studies after a minimum of 12 months out of school and have completed one or more years in an educational program.

Twenty-six youth were recently recognized through the ATCO Pipelines Aboriginal Education Awards Program, with ceremonies held in Edmonton and Calgary. The ATCO program is aimed at supporting Aboriginal students from Aboriginal communities near ATCO facilities. These awards, bursaries and scholarships are awarded to students who demonstrate leadership capabilities and strive to be role models in their schools and communities and demonstrate a balanced lifestyle.

The first round of community hearings for the Northern Gateway Pipeline are taking place in Edmonton for six days beginning Jan. 24. Most of the interveners giving evidence in the first round, which ends in March, will be First Nations and Métis organizations. A second round, lasting until July, will hear from a wide variety of people. Interveners will have a chance to cross-examine Enbridge officials in formal hearings in September and October. A final report is not expected to be sent to the federal government for a decision until early in 2013.

Two of the 10 newest recipients of the RBC’s 2011 Aboriginal Student Awards are from Alberta.

“It was an honour to find out that I had won,” said Henry Heavy Shield, of the Kainai First Nation. “When I received the call, I was told that there were hundreds of applicants and only around 10 scholarship winners. Also, as a student, especially a student living in Vancouver, it’s a really big help financially.”

Thanks to a recent focus group meeting, officials with KidSport Alberta have a better understanding on how to improve their Aboriginal Sport Initiative.

A similar focus group staged in 2009 resulted in the ASI being launched in 2010.

This initiative focuses on creating sport opportunities for Aboriginal youth as well as increasing awareness of the KidSport Alberta program in Aboriginal communities.

The most recent focus group was held on Nov. 23 in Edmonton at the University of Alberta. About 15 people took part.

Results are in from a country-wide contest among First Nations students in grades four and five and show that mathematics is fun at Miyo Wahkohtowin elementary school on the Ermineskin First Nation in Hobbema.

Grade five students Amarae Young and Daidrien Buffalo placed second and third, respectively, in the Wiseman Mathematics contest which has participants from First Nations in six provinces.

Whenever members of the Circle for Aboriginal Relations meet, they network and share knowledge as a key to creating a broad understanding of different perspectives. The non-profit group, which has been in existence since 2004, consists of professionals from diverse backgrounds who work within Aboriginal communities.

Sandy Sanderson is director of Aboriginal relations with the group and is also serving on the board of directors as treasurer.

It took him awhile but Vernon Watchmaker can finally boast that he has graduated from university.

Watchmaker, a 35-year-old father of seven, received his Native Studies degree from the University of Alberta at the mid-November convocation.

 “It’s something I always wanted to do since high school,” said Watchmaker, who was born and raised on the Kehewin Cree Nation. “And I’m hoping all my kids have this opportunity. I’m hoping others see this and benefit from it as well. I hope they stay the course and are determined to finish something they want to do.”

Jesse Scott is rather keen to ice an Aboriginal girls hockey squad that will represent Alberta in some prestigious tournaments.

But Scott, who will be the head coach of the club, has a difficult task ahead of him to convince players and their parents, and perhaps more importantly, sponsors to buy into his program.

Scott, who lives in Calgary, wants to enter an Alberta-based First Nations squad in a pair of events this spring.

Money and time are preventing officials with the Alberta Spay Neuter Task Force from doing even more work in First Nation communities across the province.

Since 2008, the group has travelled to various Aboriginal communities where they have worked with residents to control their pet overpopulations.

Besides spaying or neutering cats and dogs, officials with the ASNTF can vaccinate the animals and treat them for external or internal parasites or tattoo them.

 They can also arrange to take away unwanted or stray animals and place them in rescue homes.