Photo Caption: Brian Jungen’s Cetology, 2002, made of plastic chairs. Collection of the Vancouver Art Gallery, Purchased with the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts Acquisition Assistance Program and the Vancouver Art Gallery Acquisition Fund (VAG 2003.8 a-z)

Residents of Northland School Division should prepare themselves for another round of consultations regarding their children’s education.

“There’s a difference between gathering information and how you will implement it,” said NSD superintendent Donna Barrett.

Education minister David Hancock gave his nod for immediate action on one of 48 recommendations made by a three-member inquiry team he appointed early in 2010 when he dismissed NSD’s corporate board. At that time, Hancock also appointed Colin Kelly as official trustee.

Chief Allan Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation has been recognized by a national environmental organization for his fight against the rapid oil sands development near his community.

“It caught me off guard to win this award,” said Adam. “It’s an award that belongs to the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation.”

Adam was one of five recipients of the annual Boreal Awards presented in Ottawa at the Canadian Boreal Institute’s Leadership Council’s gala on Nov. 24.

A new level of consultation that sets treaty rights as a priority is what the Mikisew Cree and Athabasca Chipewyan First Nations are looking for from the provincial government.

“It’s not necessarily veto power. What we want is a pretty high level of consultation process with the government. We want the government, because they signed treaty with us and gave us this guaranty to hunt, fish and trap, they would see our use (of the Athabasca River) as more of a priority,” said Melody Lepine, director of government and industry relations for the Mikisew Cree.

An explosion at a Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. upgrader 20 km from Fort McKay First Nation is reason for worry, said Jeff Winsor.

“We do have some concern considering Fort McKay is in the middle of an industrial area, instances like these are going to happen from time to time. We will wait and see what an investigation says,” said Winsor, chief operating officer for the Fort McKay First Nation.

Alberta’s electoral boundaries have been updated, but the changes won’t have any major impacts when First Nation voters head to the polls during the next election.
“There are many changes right across the province, the biggest ones being the creation of four new electoral districts – one in Edmonton, one in Calgary and two in Wood Buffalo,” said Drew Westwater, director of election operations with Elections Alberta.

Photo Caption: (From left) Lionel Peterson, residence life programmer and Mardere Birkill, director of teaching and learning, are grateful to receive funds from the Portage Student Association secretary Chastity Sunday and Richard Cloutier, business manager.

The University of Alberta’s Augustana campus celebrated 100 years of history in Camrose with the university’s annual round dance as part of the celebrations. Hundreds gathered on Jan. 29 to help honour Aboriginal graduates from the past, who each received an Eagle feather.
Since May 2008, Augustana has recognized the academic accomplishments of graduating Aboriginal students in an Honouring Ceremony during convocation.

Photo: U of A AUGUSTANA CAMPUS

Legal action will be taken by the Montana First Nation and Rainbow Tobacco Company to have cigarettes confiscated by the provincial government returned.
In what was dubbed “a record seizure of contraband,” the RCMP and the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission removed 14 million cigarettes from a Quonset in Hobbema on Jan. 5. The cigarettes were not marked for sale in Alberta. Provincial taxes are approximately $3 million.

Thanks to a new program some Aboriginal youth across Saskatchewan have been learning some basketball basics this season.

Children between the ages of 12-16 have been taking advantage of the free Saskatchewan Aboriginal Basketball Skill Development Camps. The program was launched in October and will continue at least until the end of January.