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Sheguiandah First Nation - On the evening of Nov. 2, Elder Max Assiniwe of Sheguiandah First Nation passed on. He had been a special spiritual advisor to the Union of Ontario Indians, the Anishinabek Nation Elder's Council, and to former grand council chief Vernon Roote.

Grand Council Chief Earl Commanda offered his condolences and asked for a period of mourning to honour the life and contributions of Assiniwe.

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Northwestern Ontario may be isolated geographically from large markets, but in this age of cyberspace it can still compete in the global economy.

Ideas, information, the drive to get the job done and the money for start-upare all that are required.

To put some fire under current and prospective business people, the Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund (NADF) and Thunder Bay Ventures presented the Getting Down To Business promotional event for entrepreneurs in Thunder Bayon Oct. 24. This date was chosen because it falls during Small Business Week.

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For First Nations with small population and remote locations, cultural renewal can be challenging. However, a small Native community nestled on Western Manitoulin has reached out to larger reserves for help in bringing the traditions home.

Zhiibaahaasing First Nation, formerly known as the Cockburn Island band, held its fifth annual powwow Oct. 25. The theme was Honouring Our Women.

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Representatives of 15 B.C. Aboriginal language groups gathered in Richmond last month for a one-day orientation on language preservation. The Oct. 3 gathering marked a monumental accomplishment for First Voices Language Archives, a project created by the First Peoples' Cultural Foundation (FPCF) aimed at preserving Aboriginal languages through digitization.

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After a year of negotiations and cultural exchanges, the Haida were finally able to take the remains of their ancestors home.

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It was one of the worst wild fire seasons in British Columbia in recent memory. Hundreds of people were evacuated from the Shuswap Nation in the Kamloops region.

On Oct. 6, the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Robert Nault toured the area by helicopter, accompanied by Chief Nathan Matthew of the North Thompson band and tribal chairman of the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council.

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The Hupacasath First Nation will be powering many homes in the Alberni Valley by 2005 through a micro-hydro project on China Creek, and powering the local economy with the Eagle Rock Aggregates Quarry set to open in 2004.

The environmentally friendly micro-hydro project will provide 5.6 megawatts of power to the Vancouver Island power grid, generating revenue for Hupacasath and project partners.

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The Aboriginal Management Institute, an independent organization providing business expertise to First Nations communities, hosted the Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Conference at the Westin Grand Hotel in Vancouver Oct. 21 and 22.

The conference was timely: A recent Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) water quality assessment unearthed some alarming figures. Out of 740 First Nations' water systems tested, 29 per cent were classified by INAC as "high risk," and an additional 46 per cent were classified as "medium risk."

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When he heard that the provincial government was looking to get rid of a former youth correctional facility up in the mountains, Kurtis DeSilva decided it would make a great place to expose young people to Metis and First Nation culture.

DeSilva, president of the Metis Nation of British Columbia, a provincial Metis organization that is not affiliated with the Metis National Council, has big plans for the former Boulder Bay Youth Correctional Facility.

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Yukon veterans and families of deceased soldiers are frustrated by a lack of government response to complaints about inequalities in the distribution of veterans' allowances.