Two hundred people gathered in Toronto’s Allan Gardens on Oct. 4 for a somber ceremony to remember the country’s missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. The Sisters in Spirit vigil was organized by the Native Women’s Resource Centre.

A prayer offered by grandmother Dorothy Peters, drumming by Red Spirit Singers and a healing dance by nine jingle dress dancers opened the evening.

Denise Booth, the evening’s emcee, said participants attended for Indigenous daughters and granddaughters, because we want their lives to matter.

Aboriginal women, men and children took to King Street to march together from Atlohsa Native Family Healing Services to Ivey Park on Oct. 4 to bring attention to the national issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

Purple Spirit was the men’s host drum, led by Jason George of Kettle Point, and Liz Akwienzie led the women singers from Oneida in the Strong Women’s Song.

A new Indigenous speaker series is hitting the Canadian market. The creators of REDx Talks held their inaugural event in October at Mount Royal University in Calgary, and have many more planned for the future.

The purpose behind the talks is to be a platform for Indigenous speakers who want to open up about issues experienced by Indigenous people, and educate the public about them.

Dwight Dorey has big plans for the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples. His plans are so far-reaching there’s little doubt that he will be looking to turn the one year he was recently elected to serve into a full term.

“There’s certainly a distinct possibility of that. I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it, but for the time being I want to focus on what I can get done now, in this year and at least get things rolling,” he said.

Interveners in the Daniels case believe that the Supreme Court of Canada does not need to define Métis or non-Status Indian. And if the court does decide a definition is necessary for Métis, it should not use the Powley definition to determine jurisdictional responsibility.

After close to four hours of submissions on Oct. 8, the Supreme Court of Canada reserved its decision on the Daniels case.

But Congress of Aboriginal Peoples National Chief Dwight Dorey is optimistic that the highest court in the country will uphold the findings of the federal court which ruled that non-Status Indians and Metis are the responsibility of the federal government.

Photo caption: Premier Rachel Notley and Aboriginal relations minister Kathleen Ganley meet with Treaty 8 Chiefs.
(Photo: Alberta government)

UN declaration to be basis of relationship between province, First Nations

October 20, 2015. It took the last polling stations in two ridings to confirm that Alberta was sending four Liberal MPs to Ottawa. Battles in Edmonton-Millwoods and Calgary Centre seesawed back and forth until after midnight. In Edmonton-Millwoods, Amarjeet Sohi won by 80 votes, garnering 20,399 to Conservative incumbent Tim Uppal’s 20,319. In Calgary Centre, Liberal Kent Hehr took 28,596 votes to Conservative incumbent Joan Crockatt’s 27,690. The two other winning Liberals are Randy Boissonnault in Edmonton Centre and Darshan Kang in Calgary Skyview.

October 19, 2015. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley congratulated Liberal leader and Prime Minister-Elect Justin Trudeau on his victory and emphasized the need to work with Indigenous peoples. “I look forward to working collaboratively with him to build a strong Alberta within a strong Canada,” said Notley in a statement.

October 19, 2015. The polling station on the Siksika First Nation ran out of ballots for close to half an hour Monday afternoon before Elections Canada brought more
in. APTN reported that the First Nation received only 400 ballots for 7,200 residents. Elections Canada said the ballot shortage lasted about 15 minutes, but others on the reserve said it was closer to half an hour. An Elections Canada official told the Calgary Herald that the voter turnout in Siksika was higher than expected. However, despite the wait, Bryan Little Chief, who cast