At the St. Lawrence Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto on June 22, three young ladies took to the stage to dance to Katy Perry’s Fireworks. And fireworks there wereÖ.the crowd went wild for them.

The three girls, Skye Poker, Heather Pokue and Pishum Rich, all hail from the Mushuau Innu First Nation and had never before performed publicly. They were able to take part in this dance program because of Outside Looking In. Windspeaker wrote about the program in the March issue.

The West Moberly First Nation of northeastern British Columbia is celebrating after the BC court of Appeal suspended a provincially-issued permit allowing a BC coal corporation to conduct mining exploration on its territory.
The precedent-setting court victory, announced May 24, is the first of its kind; confirming that First Nations treaty rights can be a powerful tool in requiring the province to protect threatened wildlife and their habitat.

DEAR AUNTIE

Dear Auntie:
My adult children who live with us party all night long and sleep most of the day. Me and their father are feeling frustrated, because we both have to get up to go to work in the morning, but we’re always tired from all the noise. We’ve tried to talk to them, but the parties continue. I even threatened to kick them out, but my husband said that’s not the Indian way, to kick your kids out. What am I to do?
Signed
Sleep-deprived

The Urbane Native

Everybody dislikes something. Actually, most people dislike a lot of things. Welcome to human nature.

Still, it’s a little disconcerting when that dislike is aimed at directly at you. Being a writer with a bit of a public profile, I am familiar with criticism. Sometimes though, it can puzzle and perturb you.

Several months ago I had a speaking engagement in the First Nations community of Alderville in southern Ontario where I talked about Native humor and how it is often cutting, politically incorrect, and self-deprecatory.

The concept that first contact negatively affected First Nations is not a new one, but consider that a lack of education is really what is deficient.

All that has transpired can’t be ignored and should be taught in the mainstream educational system as an important part of Canada’s history.

The truth should be told as it is and not how the ones in power at the time wanted it to be.

Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Canada will employ private investigators when dealing with election disputes in First Nation communities.

According to a notice on MERX, the department is seeking the services of private investigators to collect facts, and confirm or invalidate allegations concerning elections held in First Nation communities.

MERX is the federal government’s public electronic tendering service Web site.

CHIEF SPEAKER... that's the name bestowed on Prime Minister Stephen Harper by the Blood Tribe of Alberta. Harper became an honorary member of the Kainai chieftanship July 11. By accepting his new name, Harper promises to promote the cultural pride of the Blackfoot and Kainai, as well as all First Nations. Honorary chiefs are expected to hold the headdress with the highest respect and be an available resource to First Nations.

CHIEF SPEAKER... THAT’S THE NEW

The legitimacy of the Haudenosaunee passport has once again been raised.

That’s because Joyce King, who works as the director of the Justice Department of the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, had her passport confiscated by Canadian border officials on June 18.

Like any 16 year old, Jeremy Beadle loves music and going for a cruise. But, his mom, Maurina worries that if he’s institutionalized, Jeremy could go into a vegetative state.

Maurina says, “Jeremy would get less care away from his family and community, and could become self abusive. He would become just like a vegetable.”

Jeremy has hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, autism and spinal curvature. Hydrocephalus is a medical condition in which there is an abnormal amount of water on the brain. He recently had a permanent shunt replaced in the lumbar region of the spine.