It’s official.
There will be no North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) in 2011.

But the Aboriginal Sport Circle (ASC), the governing body for Aboriginal sports in Canada, has stepped up and offered to help organize a variation of the games in 2012.

The 2011 NAIG had originally been awarded to Milwaukee, but the host organization announced in late June that it was withdrawing as host. As a result, members of the NAIG Council held a meeting in Winnipeg from Aug. 11 to 14 to determine their next steps.

Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Shawn Atleo is prepared to fight for parity in education outcomes of First Nations youth. He wants to see the graduation rate of First Nations students on par with its non-Aboriginal peers.

Education was one of the main discussion points at the 31st AFN general assembly. On July 22, the last day of the three-day conference, the AFN released First Nations Control of First Nations Education 2010.

In a significant corner of a century-old garden in France, a First Nations garden holds a place of honor.

Ohtehra, (meaning root) happened as the result of a friendship between two directors, Gilles Vincent of Montreal Botanical Garden and Pascal Garb of Jardins Fruitiers de Laquenexy in Metz, France.

“It has been a three-year journey and much human energy before the spring opening in 2010,” commented Vincent.

THE ATLANTIC POLICY CONGRESS HAS PARTNERED
with the federal government to see new investments to support Atlantic First Nations fisheries enterprises. The announcement was made on Aug. 31.

“I am pleased to see that First Nations people and communities in the Atlantic will continue to be key players in the Atlantic fishery,” said Assembly of First Nations National Chief Shawn Atleo . “The fisheries have sustained them for generations and continue to provide employment and economic opportunities for their people.”

Nominations are set to close on the BC Aboriginal Business Awards, administrated by the British Columbia Achievement Foundation.

As Sept. 24th approaches, all the stops are being pulled out to encourage as many Aboriginal business in the province to participate in the second year of the awards program.

While competitors were concentrating on winning a national title, the hosts of a recent golf tournament were pleased to be laying out the welcome mats.

Various North American Indigenous sport championships will be held in 2012 to pick up the slack of the cancelled 2011North American Indigenous Games.

Hope that groups from Saskatchewan or California may step up to the plate to save the 2011 NAIG was dashed when neither group made formal bid presentations in Winnipeg when the NAIG council met Aug. 11-14 to see about the future of next year’s games.

Young people from Horse Lake First Nation near Hythe in northern Alberta recently spent a week enjoying all things science in a fun camp setting.

The event was organized by Actua, a national charity with a mission to provide life-changing experiences for youth, ages six to 17 years.

 “It has definitely been tough and I’ve had to make a lot of sacrifices,” said Chantal Barry. “But I trust I have a mission in life and part of that is being in service for others . . .  being a steward for our people.”

On June 4, Barry convocated from the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, with her medical degree.

Barry and husband Tyler, son Toryn (three) and 20-month old daughter Ena live in Calgary where Barry recently began a family medicine residency at the city’s university.

Authentic tipis created for new park