When Josh Alexis got the opportunity to help Karen McCarthy plan an upcoming three-day conference on murdered and missing Indigenous women, he jumped on board.

Alexis felt McCarthy was “going about it the right way,” and after his community of Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation recently had two women go missing--including a family member of his--he can relate to the cause. But he reminds people not to
stereotype, as not all murdered and missing Aboriginal women have addictions issues or live on the street.

The fire that devastated the Red Crow College will delay the opening of an exhibit that focused on the Kainai Chieftainship and recently found a permanent home at the college after spending time at the Galt Museum in Lethbridge.

Photographs will have to be reprinted and plaques made anew by the Galt for Robert First Charger’s display, which is a series of photographs with labels, and two large text panels. Once that is completed, the exhibit will be permanently displayed at the new home for Red Crow College, the Saipoyi school in Standoff.

For the first time in the three years that Edmonton has hosted Treaty 6 Recognition Day, an Alberta premier has been in attendance. The timing was perfect as the third annual event, held on Aug. 21, marked 138 years to the day after the signing of the adhesion, which brought a handful of Northern Alberta bands into the treaty. Also fitting was that the opening prayer was delivered by Ermineskin First Nations Elder John Ermineskin, a descendant of Chief Bobtail, who signed the adhesion. Treaty 6 was signed in 1876, well before Alberta became a province.

Five First Nations were in a federal court in Saskatoon Aug. 18 and 19 to ask the judge to stay an application by the minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development that seeks to force them to publish their consolidated financial statements. The judge reserved his decision.

The First Nations argued that the Harper government had enacted racist policy by forcing First Nations to make their financial information available on line.

“Everything just went up in smoke,” said Mary Weasel Fat, head librarian of the Red Crow Community College on Kainai First Nation.

“Everything. The whole building. We had 15,000 plus books in there. We had some rare books… I had a prayer book in Blackfoot from 1898 that went up in flames,” she said.

Since the beginning of the year, children and youth advocate Del Graff and staff have been hearing from those intimately involved in the child welfare system about how Aboriginal children and their families need to be cared for better.

“Because they are the young people who have experienced this system, what they’re saying to us is always embedded in that what-is. ‘I can say this should happen in the future because of my actual experience with what did happen or what is happening,’” said Graff.

International Chief and former MP Wilton Littlechild understands why some First Nations members don’t vote in federal elections. But with at least six Aboriginal candidates in Alberta, Littlechild thinks it’s time to get out the Aboriginal vote – all of it.

“In terms of trying to seek change and make a better Canada, I think it’s a good opportunity,” said Littlechild, who served as Conservative MP for the riding of Wetaskiwin from 1988 to 1993.

Former Regional Chief for the Assembly of First Nations Cameron Alexis agrees with Littlechild.  Alexis is one of five

Bison treaty signed at Banff Indian Days

Fentanyl focus of Overdose Awareness Day

Rob Demarais is attempting to locate the remains of First Nations who were believed buried on Scholten Hill, in Medicine Hat, sometime during the late-1800s, early 1900s and disinterred during road construction in the mid-twentieth century. Various times since 1959, remains have been unearthed from that hill. According to documents obtained by the Medicine Hat News from the Esplanade Archives, the bodies of 11 adults and two children were uncovered at one point and were taken to Edmonton for study by University of Alberta officials.