“The number one priority of the Stoney Nakoda Nation is to enhance tribal capacity and the ability of the Stoneys not just to function but also to flourish,” said Greg Varricchio, chief executive officer.

That goal doesn’t come without challenges. It is difficult to provide security for investment, qualified managers, and enough skilled labor.

But that doesn’t mean Stoney Nakoda Nation isn’t taking steps to address those issues, said Varricchio.

The ongoing challenges that face many Aboriginal people who move to the city for work or school were the impetus behind the creation of a new housing initiative by the Boyle Street Community Services in Edmonton.

 “The Aboriginal community coming to Boyle Street co-op typically moved to Edmonton for work or school,” said Yasir Syed, housing support worker. “They lacked support for that transition and often ended up homeless. If we support those people, it would help that community succeed.”

Violence against women on reserves is not an issue that can be addressed by women alone.

“For me, either (men or women on council) will work as long as we have a balance,” said Rose Laboucan, “that they want the best for their children, that they’re good parents. It’s about team work.”

The key to financial success for partnership is the separation of politics and business and adherence to strict legal guidelines for hiring and promoting staff, said Chief Roland Twinn of the Sawridge First Nation.
Twinn addressed members of the Circle for Aboriginal Relations on Jan. 27 and spoke about an alternative model of corporate governance that benefits First Nations working together.

Cheryl Whiskeyjack may have been the lone recipient for the Outstanding Service for the Aboriginal Community award, but it was team effort that helped her earn it.
“I was very shocked and humbled when they called my name,” said Whiskeyjack, executive director for Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society.

Whiskeyjack and her staff have committed themselves to creating an array of individual and family-based programs for their clients. Working towards ending homelessness is one of those commitments.

“The Blood Tribe is a major contributor to the social and economic progress of the people of Southern Alberta,” said Rob Crow, director of Blood Tribe Economic Development.

A former Aboriginal baseball star is about to become a hall of famer once again.

Jimmy Rattlesnake, a pitching star from the 1930s through the ’50s, will be inducted posthumously into the Wetaskiwin and County Sports Hall of Fame.

Induction ceremonies will be held Mar. 26.

Rattlesnake, who was Cree, was born in Hobbema in 1909. He died in 1972.

This is the third hall of fame Rattlesnake will be in. He was previously inducted into halls in Red Deer and Edmonton.

Though none of his own athletes from the Slave Lake Boxing Club were competing, the club’s head coach Lee Tange was still fortunate enough to take part in a prestigious multi-sport competition.

Thanks to the pilot project the Aboriginal Apprentice Coach Program, Tange was a member of the Alberta coaching staff for the boxing team that participated in the Canada Winter Games. The games were held in Halifax, Feb. 12-27. The boxing matches were all staged at the Halifax Forum.

Caption: Elder Vinnia Vanoverdyck (left) stands with Suzanne Dzus, ccordinator for the Memorial March for Missing and Murdered Women.

Mural depicting residential school proponent strikes controversy