Ready for Christmas holidays

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Tansi!

Season's greetings to each and every one of you!

Group visits Labrador

Marcel Peltier, director of the Whitestone Project based out of Sacred Heart Rectory in Edmonton, left in late November with four students and a youth facilitator for Sheshiatshiu, Labrador. They went to lend support to the Innu community having problems with solvent abuse. The group will stay one to two weeks.

Band elections

There've been a few recent band elections in southern Alberta.

The Tsuu T'ina First Nation near Calgary has re-elected Chief Roy Whitney for a seventh consecutive two-year term.

Newly elected to council were Hal Eagletail, Steven Runner and Bruce Starlight.

Further south, the Kainai First Nation has re-elected Chris Shade as chief.

My mistake

Apologies to federal Justice Minister Anne McLellan. In my last column I stated she is Metis. She says she is not but was very gracious about the error when I recently spoke with her.

Elder passes on

Alice Steinhauer, wife of the late Eugene who was the founder of Alberta Native Communications Society back in the 1960s, passed away Nov. 29. The originator of the Voice of Alberta Native Women's Society in 1967 and a teacher with Blue Quills College in St. Paul, she was also the recipient of an Esquao Award in 1998.

Hungry at Christmas?

The Canadian Native Friendship Centre in Edmonton is hosting its annual Christmas dinner Dec. 22. The meal is free as are other Christmas meals around the city: Dec. 13 at the Salvation Army, 9611-102 Ave. (pre-register by calling 429-4274); Boyle Street on Dec. 25 at Sacred Heart Church, 10821-96 St. (call Carl to pre-register at 478-7384); Victoria Christian Centre hosts a 5-8 p.m. meal at Shaw Conference Centre (phone Diane 988-5433 to pre-register).

For New Year's, try Boyle St. Community Hall for the Bissell Centre?s meal from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. (call Elli Gibson 423-2285 to pre-register).

Sports news

The Saddle Lake Warriors ball hockey team defeated Edmonton's Midnight Express to win the Poundmaker's Lodge second annual floor hockey tournament, Nov. 4 and 5.

The third annual Siksika High School Basketball Tournament featured eight teams and was won by the Cochrane Cobras who had beat the Crescent Heights Vikings from Medicine Hat 68-52 in the semis. Also in the semis, Siksika Suns downed Canmore Collegiate 71-68 to advance to the finals against the Cobras. In the end, the Cobras prevailed to win the finals of the tournament 68-62 over Siksika.

Of the six girls teams, the Rosemary Rockets won the finals by a sizeable margin of close to 30 points over the Kainai Jazz. Coming third was the Tsuu T'ina Royals, who bested the Morley Mustangs. Scores for the girls were unavailable.

Rodeo results

The Canadian Indian Finals Rodeo at Hobbema's Panee Agriplex, Nov. 16-19, saw a number of Alberta winners.

In bareback, Alison Redcrow from Siksika was the winner; boys steer riding saw Lionel Shade from Kainai win with Wynn Bruisedhead second; steer wrestling went to Norbert Blackwater and David Shade from Kainai; and team roping to Kirk and Miles McLean from Morley, while Clem and Jay Crawler also from Morley placed second.

In ladies breakaway roping, Colleen Crawler from Morley placed second and Kainai's Lisa Creighton came second in senior barrel racing. The "All Around" title went to Boyd Wesley from Morley who took second in calf roping and fourth in team roping.