Marjorie Brunet has been extra busy this fall. She has made moccasins for the entire Ben Calf Robe School student population of 200.

Bryan Richardson is principal at the northeast Edmonton school. "Having Marjorie consent to make all these moccasins represented a huge undertaking. We are getting the students ready to share their culture and their dance expertise at CBC's Centre Stage in the station's broadcast centre downtown on Nov. 4," he said. The school's drumming and singing team will be performing as well, accompanying the dancers.

George McGeough would like to see more Aboriginal families in the Edmonton area become foster parents.

McGeough is manager of the foster care program at the Ben Calf Robe Society, an Edmonton-based organization that provides a variety of programs to the local Aboriginal community, including an Aboriginal Head Start program, a traditional parenting program, home and family support services and a group home.

The society has been running a foster care program since 1999 and currently has 10 foster families providing care for children in Edmonton and surrounding area.

Through sheer determination and encouragement from family and friends, Floyd Grossetete has been successful in his mission to improve his literacy. He was recently recognized at a celebration in Edmonton on Sept. 8 as one of 13 Canadians selected to receive an Individual Achievement Award in the 2006 Canada Post Literacy Awards.

"It was a real struggle for me, but I just kept on striving," said the father of three boys.

The 21st annual Gemini Awards will be handed out during a series of ceremonies being held in October and November, recognizing the best in Canadian television programming.

The Gemini Awards national broadcast gala will be held in Vancouver on Nov. 4, marking the first time the gala event will be held outside of Toronto.

The Woodpeckers Association of Alberta is planning a dinner, dance and entertainment fundraiser with an arts and crafts giveaway on Nov. 18.

The money raised will go toward land claim education activities planned by the group, said President Shirley Gladue.

Members of the Woodpeckers Association are the descendents of the hereditary chiefs line of the Papaschase, a Cree community in what is now known as Edmonton, disbanded by the federal government in 1888, its lands surrendered.

Alberta's Aboriginal Affairs Minister Pearl Calahasen listened silently as Driftpile First Nation Chief Rose Laboucan read a resolution rejecting Alberta's plan for consulting First Nations about resource harvesting on their traditional territories. Then the minister got up and left the room.

All parties agree that's what happened. They disagree on other details though.

The Calgary Aboriginal Friendship Centre has reopened its doors after years of dormancy. An open house and community gathering was held Sept. 18 to celebrate the new beginning and it was an exciting day for all who took part, including City of Calgary officials, representatives from friendship centres across Alberta as far away as High Prairie, Elders and members from Calgary's Aboriginal community

The new centre is housed in an older two storey, yellow house with purple trim, a simple yet warm and inviting building at 362-14 Street NW.

November will be a big month for Aboriginal music in Canada, as two separate award shows celebrate and promote the best the country has to offer.

First up will be the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards, the new kid on the block in the world of music award shows.

The first ever Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards will be handed out at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg on Nov. 3. What makes the awards show unique is that all the winners will be selected by music fans who cast their votes through online voting.

Willie Littlechild pulled away from Tall Cree First Nation Chief Bernie Meneen on the fourth and final ballot on Oct. 6 and was elected Alberta's Assembly of First Nations (AFN) regional chief.
Incumbent Jason Goodstriker finished third.

On Sept. 29, in the glow of the early morning sunrise, Red River Carts were unloaded, horses were hitched up and a trapper's tent was erected on the site that would later that day welcome upwards of 200 Metis for the official renaming of a stretch of 36 St. NE (north of McKnight Blvd) to Metis Trail. It was proclaimed by Mayor Dave Bronconnier as Elders, citizens and officials from the national, provincial and regional Metis offices bore witness.