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Several dozen Alberta students can now claim they are part of an award-winning musical effort.
The Wood Buffalo Youth Song Project, which primarily involved Aboriginal students from 10 Alberta schools as well as some Maritime musicians, won an East Coast Music Award.
The collaborative piece was selected as the children鈥檚 recording of the year at the awards show, held Apr. 15 in鈥
Local Aboriginal organizations aren鈥檛 reeling from federal budget cuts 鈥 but that could be because they don鈥檛 have all the details.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 know yet. We have to go on faith right now,鈥 said Lee Anne Ireland, executive director with the Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth in Calgary. 鈥淲e apply (for funding) in September or October and often times we have to run the programs blind from鈥
The Artisan Gardens that pay tribute to First Nations at the Bow Valley Ranche historic site represent the final phase of a heritage project begun in 1995.
When Mitzie Wasyliw and husband Larry rescued the Bow Valley Ranche House from demolition, they had no idea that the work begun on the house would eventually lead to the commemorative gardens.
鈥淩estoring the house itself was a鈥
Plans to build both affordable housing and market housing for the M茅tis community are delayed but not dead even though the land originally purchased to help finance the venture can no longer be used.
Shelley Wegner, project manager for Kanata M茅tis Cultural Enterprises Ltd., said they are entertaining both private offers for the land, located in Edmonton鈥檚 River Valley, as well as a鈥
The March federal budget offered no additional dollars for women鈥檚 shelters on reserves but Carolyn Goard, director of member programs and services for the Alberta Council of Women鈥檚 Shelters, is 鈥渃autiously optimistic鈥 that the government hasn鈥檛 forgotten women and children who live in violence.
The budget did include an increase of $11.9 million for family prevention programs on First鈥
Keith Chief Moon, of Kainai First Nation, is from a large family of 12 who took care of one another. Then came the race to convert his parents and send the children off to residential school.
Mom was swayed to the Catholics and dad to the Anglicans. The result was a chaotic and tension-filled life in residential school.
鈥淭he abuse kicked in in Catholic school, because we were not鈥
A new approach to helping Aboriginal children in care and their families began last month in the Edmonton region.
Money budgeted by Region 6 to deliver services to Aboriginal children brought into care as of April 1 has been passed along to Kahkiyaw, a partnership formed between Bent Arrow Healing Society and Boyle Street Community Services.
鈥淲e feel that this is giving us an鈥
An overwhelming victory by Alison Redford and the Progressive Conservatives was a surprise, admits Driftpile Chief Rose Laboucan, who is hopeful it won鈥檛 mean the same old same old for First Nations.
鈥淚鈥檓 hoping that the premier will have an open mind when it comes to working with First Nations people. Regardless of who is the premier, we are part of Alberta 鈥 and they should have to鈥
Chiefs of the Yinka Dene Alliance of British Columbia, who gathered on the steps of the Alberta Legislature on May 2 and spoke out against Enbridge鈥檚 Northern Gateway Pipeline, were not joined by Alberta chiefs.
It was not a slight, said Eriel Deranger, who moderated the day鈥檚 activities, but a conflict in scheduling. She said many Alberta chiefs took part in the feast the night before鈥
Kenneth McLeod, a graduate from the University of Calgary Law School in 1985, is one of three new judges appointed to the Provincial Court of Alberta. His appointment to Calgary Criminal is effective April 10. McLeod鈥檚 principal area of practice is litigation and dispute resolution, often for First Nations clients. Also appointed were Robin Brian Camp and Gordon William Sharek, Q.C. 鈥淭hese鈥
The Fort McKay First Nation and Fort McKay Group of Companies LP continues to support the annual National Aboriginal Achievement Awards. 鈥淩ecognizing the accomplishments of Indigenous people in Canada are what the awards are all about. With the generous support of Fort McKay, we were able to continue to celebrate the excellence in our Indigenous communities,鈥 said Roberta Jamieson, president鈥
NorQuest College and Northern Lakes College are among the post-secondary institutions to have been found to lack basic financial controls according to a recent report undertaken by the Auditor General of Alberta. Also found to lack basic financial controls were Grant MacEwan University, Alberta College of Art and Olds College. The report explains the control deficiencies related to internal鈥
Expanded mental health and addictions programs will mean better outcomes for Albertans coping with mental illness and addiction. 鈥淭he Alberta government鈥檚 integrated services will increase much needed supports to the community, and significantly enhance the implementation of programs such as Housing First,鈥 said Susan McGee, executive director, 91探花ward Trust Edmonton, in a news release. 鈥溾
Lisa Squire has been named the new director of marketing at the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network. Squire, who is a citizen of Saddle Lake Cree Nation, graduated with distinction from the University of Alberta鈥檚 School of Business. Raised in Edmonton, she has performed various marketing and communication roles within private and public sectors including: Petro Canada Retail Operations, the鈥
Lawyer Jean Teillet was one of three women to receive Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medals at a ceremony hosted by the Women of the M茅tis Nation general assembly in Edmonton on March 30. Teillet has represented the M茅tis Nation of Alberta in a number of court cases, including the ongoing M茅tis harvesting case. Also receiving medals were Shirley Isbister, an advocate for M茅tis Children and鈥