A novel recently published by well-known Canadian journalist Carol Daniels brings to light issues surrounding missing and murdered Indigenous women.

Bearskin Diary is the story of a young girl who was taken from her family by the Canadian government, and placed in foster care during the 1960’s. To Daniels, the “60’s Scoop” was one of the last great efforts at the assimilation of Aboriginal Canadians, but the effect of that historic act left a devastating mark.

When he was in the prime of his professional playing days, Reggie Leach was one of the National Hockey League’s most prolific scorers.

It’s little wonder then that Leach continues to be a straight shooter these days. His recently released autobiography published by Greystone Book called The Riverton Rifle tells it just like it was.

He manages to stay humble and doesn’t omit the bad parts, which included his excessive drinking, the breakup of his first two marriages and a stint at a rebab facility in New Jersey.

A Toronto-based fashion arts project that seeks to challenge issues of cultural appropriation in clothing design is underway.

Setsune Indigenous Fashion Incubator, the name of the team of artists who came up with the idea, launched the Collective Creation Project officially this month, and are working with specially selected individuals—both professional textile artists, and non—to bring their idea to fruition.

Edith Cloutier is appalled at the situation, but relieved that action is finally being taken in response to allegations by a growing number of Aboriginal women – and a handful of men – that members of the Val-d’Or police abused them.

But it took the airing of the Radio Canada investigative program Enquête in mid-October before Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard responded.

“It needed that because nobody believes us anyway when we come out with something,” said Cloutier, executive director with the Val-d’Or friendship centre.

If the Ontario Court of Appeal decides that records from the Independent Assessment Process are to be held on to, one residential school survivor has given notice he will take legal action.

“This is a legal matter that will boil over and, I guarantee you, I won’t be the only one in the line-up. There will be others following,” said Allan Adam, who attended Holy Angels residential school in Fort Chipewyan. “My IAP records should be destroyed because that was the arrangement I made when I went into it.”

A former Onion Lake Cree Nation councillor is challenging the credentials committee of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations for not allowing her to run in the Oct. 28 election.

Dolores Pahtayken was one of four potential candidates who did not meet all criteria set out for filing nomination papers. Missing from her papers by nomination deadline was the vulnerable sector check. The vulnerable sector check verifies whether an individual has a criminal record, as well as any record suspensions (or pardons) for sexual offences.

The numbers won’t be in until the New Year, but the stories support strongly an increase in Aboriginal voting across the country, both on reserves and in urban centres.

“I would venture to say it would be significantly higher that it’s been in previous years,” said Dwight Dorey, National Chief with the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, which represents Indigenous populations in the urban centres.

A Siksika First Nation man affected by a disastrous flood two-and-a-half years ago says he and other band members will protest until chief and council “open the books” into how money sent to the community for remediation is being spent.

Ben Crow Chief is also demanding that he and other flood evacuees who are still in temporary accommodations get input into where their new permanent homes are being built.

A little over 50 kilometres north of Peterborough, Ont., a tempest is brewing involving people who have spent huge amounts of money to buy or build a cottage on the shores of Pigeon Lake in the last couple of decades, and an Indigenous form of grain harvested by First Nations people for thousands of years. It’s a battle of aesthetics and culture, property values and subsistence, of Muskoka chairs and an Indigenous pilaf. At the heart of this issue is a fundamentally differing perspective on what is important on a cultural level.

Languages of Our Land is a compelling collection of works by 12 emerging and established Indigenous writers living in Quebec, published by Banff Centre Press.

The original work is in French, which is included side-by-side with the English translation. For English only readers, the English translation is rich and captivating.

And for lucky readers of French, one can only imagine how much richer and more captivating both the prose and the poetry – especially the poetry, with the special attention that must be paid to rhythm and flow– must be.