FRIENDS AND FAMILY ARE MOURNING

JOHN RALSTON SAUL,

Tansi Windspeaker:
In response to the article in your October 2008 issue 'March For Change' Aboriginal protest on Education in Edmonton.
On the front page are pictures of Aboriginal youth carrying signs. I wonder if they understand what the protest was really about? "Canada must invest in First Nation Education."
Who is being represented in the 'We' in 'We need access to Canada's budget surplus of 9.1 billion?
Much is promised by a newly-elected chief and council who stand on platforms saying that education is important for our youth.

It's tough to get attention when billions of dollars are being spent to bail out banks around the world and the stock market at home is heading south faster than a goose in winter and Joe-average Canadian is fretting about the rot that is about to set into the tidy little nest egg he's built in his home equity.
Who could expect Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine to find a crack in that wall of woe to insert himself and the concerns of First Nations people into the federal election dialogue? Who really could expect it?

Next month marks the 123rd anniversary of the death of Louis Riel, (126 years  in Nov. 2011) the martyr who gave identity to Métis people.

Born on Oct. 22, 1844, Riel's role as the undisputed spiritual and political head of the Métis was set by religious parents and authorities who recognized his brilliance at an early age. His father Louis Riel and mother Julie Lagimodiere were both devout Catholics and had considered a religious life before marrying each other. Their piety was an important factor in the family's daily life.

The Northwest Community College (NWCC) has elected Irene Sequin to Chair their Board of Governors, marking this as the first time in the college's history that the post will be held by a First Nations person. Sequin is a Gitwinksihlkw resident and long time college supporter.
Sequin is a graduate of NWCC's First Nations Public Administration Program, and the education administrator, and housing services manager for the village of Gitwinksihlkw.

Thunder Bay, the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario, also has a significant First Nations' population nearby. So, when fall hits the area, so too does the call for students to leave home and go to school. This life-changing step can be particularly challenging for students who come from smaller, more remote communities to settle in the city.

There have been numerous ongoing reports pointing out that the state of Aboriginals health in Canada is sub par when compared to the general populace. One institution is making efforts to ensure that Aboriginal health makes a 180, and declines no further.

For brothers Shavez (17) and Shaden (15) Meeches, along with students at Portage Collegiate Institute, $50 a month is a nice bonus for attending regularly and getting their homework done. But the extra cash in their pockets doesn't mean a big change to what the boys have already been doing.
"I need to get an education. That's important," said Shaden, a 15-year old grade 11 student.
Now, the Meeches brothers and other grades nine to 12 Long Plain First Nations students are making money for putting in the time and effort of getting a high school education.

Artist-Ray St. Germain
Album-Life Ain't Hard
Song-Life Ain't Hard
Label- GR Records
Producer-Ray St. Germain, son DJ and daughter Sherry