Highway assessment funds for Aboriginal groups

Three groups in the province—the Kineepik Métis Local, the English River First Nation, and the Saskatchewan Environmental Society—were awarded $20,000 collectively for an environmental assessment of a proposed Highway 914 in the north.

The highway is expected to be an all-weather road that would connect Cameco Corp.’s McArthur River mine site to the Cigar Lake mine site.

The assessment will include a comprehensive study process and a review of the subsequent report regarding the road.

A recent court appearance has shone some unfavorable light on a prominent First Nations chief in Saskatchewan.
Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) Chief Guy Lonechild appeared in court in Jan. pleading guilty to a charge of drunk driving.

He was stopped by police in Saskatoon on Sept. 3, 2009, shortly before he was elected head chief of Saskatchewan’s leading organization.

Mentor and activist led the way on ideas of justice and equality

“A needle points the way, pokes and prods and lets the air out of overstuffed people and things … binding together fabrics and materials of varied textures and sources.”

In a tribute to his colleague and friend Patricia Monture, Terry Wotherspoon, head of the department of Sociology at the University of Saskatchewan, used this metaphor to describe the sharpness of her intellect and profound awareness.

Documentary filmmaker Loretta Todd (Today is a Good Day, Forgotten Warriors) came up with an idea five years ago to do something great that would serve and promote the Cree language to those living in the urban setting, more specifically, to the Cree kids living off reserve in the city of Vancouver.

What grew out of this is the children’s television series- Tansi! Nehiyawetan, that is in its third season on the Aboriginal People’s Television Network (APTN). The new season kicks off on Feb. 15.

Though he’s small in stature, Ottawa native Mitch Lamoureux is about to earn one of the biggest honours around. He’s becoming a Hall of Famer.

Lamoureux, whose mother is Ojibway, will be inducted into the American Hockey League’s Hall of Fame. Induction ceremonies will be held Jan. 31 in Hershey, Pa.
The ceremony will be held in conjunction with the AHL’s all-star game.

“I’m very, very honored,” said Lamoureux, who played just 73 games in the National Hockey League but became one of the biggest stars in the AHL, considered the top minor pro hockey league in the world.

Player dies in crash
An Aboriginal Junior A hockey player died in a car crash on the Beardy’s and Okemasis First Nation during his Christmas break. Myles Cameron, a defenceman with the Yorkton Terriers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, died on Dec. 23. He was 20. Cameron was a passenger in a vehicle involved in a rollover. He was the only one of five people in the car that died.

Lillian Jones was sure that she had dodged a bullet when her second child Samantha was born at a healthy 7 lbs, 6 oz. and continued to eat and grow well. But at six months old Samantha caught a cold. She didn’t have just the usual symptoms of a stuffy, runny nose, crankiness and loss of appetite. Samantha also developed tremours.
Jones, concerned that something was seriously wrong, took Samantha to the hospital emergency department. Samantha spent the next month in hospital in an oxygen tent fighting for every breath and losing weight.

The Royal Bank of Canada has made some changes to its corporate social/environmental policy. Perhaps the most impressive change includes the free, prior and informed consultation (FPIC) clause to ensure that big business clients in the mining and energy sectors are socially responsible by meaningfully consulting and accommodating Indigenous communities affected by their operations.

The policy change was a pleasant surprise for Terry Teegee, vice-tribal chief of the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council.

Artist—Kristi Lane Sinclair
Song—Chinese Radio
Album—I Love You
Label—Independent

FIRST NATIONS POSE THE