Wendy Grant-John, the former chief of the Musqueam First Nation, received an honorary degree on Oct. 7 during Simon Fraser University’s Fall Convocation. Grant-John has worked for more than 30 years to improve the lives of Aboriginal people. As chief, she launched the first Aboriginal commercial fishery in Canada and helped the Musqueam achieve two landmark Supreme Court cases that solidified Aboriginal rights in the Constitution. She was also the first woman elected regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations and served as a commissioner on the Pacific Salmon Commission.

Despite being granted standing at the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry, which began Oct. 11 in Vancouver, the Assembly of First Nations announced it would not participate. Instead, the organization is demanding that the issue of missing and murdered women be addressed at the national and international levels.

Nearly 300 people battled the rain to attend Day One of the Missing and Murdered Women’s Inquiry Oct 11, but instead of filing into Vancouver’s Federal Court building, a crowd gathered in the street in protest of what many say is a flawed inquiry process.

The inquiry is to examine the police investigation of the murders of serial killer Robert “Willie” Pickton.

“I feel like I have a target on me,” said Gloria Larocque, a 42-year-old mother and member of the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation. “I’m an Aboriginal woman that is afraid for her and her daughter’s life,” she said.

Colour, black and white photographs an impressive display

Aboriginals recognized in business distinction awards

Lethbridge College mural

Clean up continues at Rainbow pipeline

Suncor plants five-millionth tree in northern Alberta

Red Crow college celebrates a quarter century

State-of-the-art water treatment plant opened