Three First Nations, supported by two environmental groups, have begun court action to protect woodland caribou in the northeastern part of the province.

Lawyers for Beaver Lake Cree Nation, Enoch Cree Nation, and Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and the environmental groups Alberta Wilderness Association and Pembina Institute appeared in federal court in Edmonton on Sept. 8 and made application for the federal government to develop an emergency response plan to protect the habitat of the caribou and to prepare a long overdue caribou recovery plan under the Species at Risk Act.

Diane Big Eagle has a stern warning for those responsible for the 2007 disappearance of her daughter.
“They might have got my daughter but now they have her mother to deal with,” she said.

One 1885 historic re-enactment this summer, stirred up some controversy as organizers of the ‘Siege of Fort Battleford’ re-enactment at North Battleford, faced some backlash from a local First Nations man over a term used to promote the event.

Poundmaker band member, Tyrone Tootoosis, told media outlets that he did not agree with the use of the word ‘siege’ in referring to the August 14 re-enactment.

Education was the topic at  Communities Learning Together’, a two-day conference for northern Cree and Dene communities, hosted by the Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) on Aug. 23-24.

Approximately 260 teachers, principals, chiefs, Elders and leaders from the nine First Nations of Flying Dust, Makwa Sahgaiecan, Big Island Lake, Waterhen Lake, Canoe Lake, Clearwater, English River, Buffalo River, and Birch Narrows attended the first-time event held at the Flying Dust First Nation.

Jarron Yee isn’t sure what all the fuss is about.

Aboriginal youth between the ages of 16-29 who are thinking about joining the Canadian military or the Canadian armed forces, might want to consider taking the Bold Eagle program.

‘Bold Eagle’ – based in Wainwright, Alberta – has a unique cultural component to the summer-long basic military training in which recruits go on a full-day culture camp and numerous other cultural activities including a sweat lodge.

As well, Elders are available throughout the program to provide guidance to the recruits.

When Aboriginal artist Miles Anderson came forward with his grim story of sexual abuse at the Gordon Residential School, followed with his battle with the bottle, it didn’t take him long to understand that sharing his story was one of the best ways to heal himself and help others.

That’s why the television documentary Red Road Forward appealed to him in many ways — he was happy to tell his story again for producers because he knew how many other Aboriginal adults were children when they were molested at the now-infamous residential school system in Canada.

A celebration in early September brought together people of different backgrounds to commemorate the 135th anniversary of a treaty four signing between Chief Payepot (Piapot) and the Queen’s representative.
“The celebration provided an opportunity for non-Aboriginal society to learn about who we are and the treaties,” said Jeremy Fourhorns, current Chief of the Piapot First Nation. “I was very proud to do something like that for Chief Payepot and to honour him in that way.”

Many youth struggling with an addiction may be neglected by mom or dad, perhaps fighting with their peers and being disrespectful to authority. But a group of researchers say developing a healthy relationship with a horse can help set a troubled young person on a new path.

The 2011 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) will not be coming to  Saskatchewan. In fact, the games will not be held at all next year.