On August 31 in downtown Edmonton people gathered for the City of Edmonton's proclamation of Overdose Awareness Day.

Various people gathered to listen to a variety of speakers talk about overdose awareness and participate in a candle lighting prior to a moment of silence for those lost to overdose

“On behalf of Mayor Don Iveson, the City of Edmonton proclaims today as overdose awareness day.” Scott Mckeen said before handing the framed proclamation to Petra Shulz. Petra lost her son to overdose last year.

The 16th annual imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival will be held in Toronto Oct. 14 to 18.

imagineNATIVE's opening night gala will be held at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema with Sterlin Harjo's Mekko, starring Rod Rondeaux and Sarah Podemski. 

Mekko is a thriller following a man who must navigate a welcoming, yet dangerous, community of Native Americans living on the streets, after release from his 20-year prison sentence.

Self-described settler ally Trina Cooper-Bolam found a world of difference between Western and Indigenous practices of commemoration.

Bolam worked with residential school commemoration projects funded through the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. When she learned that no one was doing research on the commemoration projects that totaled $20 million, she decided to take it on for her Master’s thesis at Carleton University in Ottawa.

A month after his election as Ontario Regional Chief, Isadore Day Wiindawtegowinini offered tobacco at the sacred fire burning at the Mississaugas of New Credit Cultural Village set up at Toronto’s Fort York as part of the 2015 Pan Am Games. He also visited the Aboriginal Pavilion where he agreed to an interview to talk about his priorities for his three-year term of office.

A 25-year-old from Alberta's Enoch Cree Nation has become the first Canadian and the first First Nations woman to win the Mrs. Universe pageant.

Ashley Callingbull, whose married name is Burnham, was crowned the winner in Belarus Saturday night.

The Mrs. Universe competition, which started in 2007, is an international beauty pageant that focuses on married contestants.

Health Matters
 
An air quality advisory was issued for the City of Edmonton and surrounding area today by Alberta Health Services.

Individuals are advised to be aware of potential health concerns that can be associated with poor air quality. With the current conditions individual may experience temporary irritation of the eyes and throat, and possibly shortness of breath.

Residents are reminded not to use backyard fire pits or fire boxes in parks when the air quality risk is high or very high, as it is now.

Has the corner been turned?

Within the last week, governments of different political stripes have stood with First Nations and committed to changing—fundamentally—the relationship that their provinces have had with the Indigenous people of this land. Have we really, finally, turned a corner?