September court appearance

A ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada underscores that the Métis are a people with a distinct identity and culture.

“I believe today’s judgment is a wonderful affirmation of the Métis Nation’s longstanding struggle to be recognized and dealt with as a distinct rights-bearing Aboriginal people,” said Audrey Poitras, president of the Métis Nation of Alberta.

While the ruling is specific to Métis settlements in Alberta, and in particular to the membership of the Cunninghams, its implications are widespread.

What’s unique about the Inspire Direction Equine Assisted Learning program is that it targets everybody, not just teens or people in trouble.

“Kids were randomly chosen through the school so it was a good sample of the population. The approach that was taken, which is really unique from any other program out there, it’s pro-activeness. Helping everyone in the community to be strong leaders, have positive life skills,” said Koralie Gaudry, program director. “It’s all about building community capacity.”

The Saskatoon Greater School Board hopes a new pot of provincial money will help provide more Aboriginal-specific programming.

Angella Pinay, co-ordinator of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Education, said if funding is approved by the province, the school board will offer five new initiatives.

Though they still have two years before they are in the spotlight, officials from the Muskoday First Nation are already hard at work preparing for the 2013 Saskatchewan First Nation Summer Games.

It was announced in early July that the Muskoday First Nation had beat out four other bids.

The Muskoday First Nation, which has about 600 residents, will host the Games in partnership with neighbouring Prince Albert and the smaller community of Birch Hills.

The participation numbers were not as high as originally anticipated.

Yet organizers of the inaugural Canadian Aboriginal Badminton Championships are confident they have launched an event that will grow in popularity in coming years.

The first national tournament for Aboriginal players was held July 5-9 in Saskatoon. It attracted 102 competitors.
The event featured five age groupings. Four of these categories were for youth; under-12, under-14, under-16 and under-18. There was also an adult division, for those aged 19 and over.

A lawyer from the Poundmaker Cree Nation is one of the latest appointees to the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission.

SHRC Chief Commissioner David Arnot said Paul Favel brings a wealth of assets to the commission.

“I think because he’s a First Nations person and a First Nations lawyer, he fully understands the issues facing First Nations people in the province of Saskatchewan, and that’s an incredible asset to have,” said Arnot. “He’s a very intelligent person and a very good lawyer, and that will obviously help us. He also knows the issues very well that we face.”

As the Saskatchewan mining industry faces a looming labour shortage, PotashCorp is hoping to find new employees in the Aboriginal community.

“As a result of our expansions and anticipated retirements, we have the challenge of having more jobs than people,” said Leanne Bellegarde, director of the Aboriginal strategy for PotashCorp.

“We’ve really looked at the opportunity in Saskatchewan that Métis and First Nations people represent as a largely unattached work force.”

Five Saskatchewan tribal councils and the provincial government have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada that provides supports for training, education, and skills development.

The Active Measures project is a comprehensive initiative of the federal government aimed at helping First Nations people join the labour market.

The Walk4Justice group stopped for a week in Saskatoon as they made their way from Vancouver to Ottawa for their fourth and final year. Their cause is to honour and bring awareness to lost, missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls.

The group members plan to reach their final destination of Ottawa on Sept. 19 at which point they will present their case to Parliament.