Welcome to AMMSA.COM, the news archive website for our family of Indigenous news publications.
Community focused with a grassroots appeal. Established in 1993 to serve the needs of the Indigenous people of Alberta.
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The furor over the exit of the Stoney Nation's tribal administrator Rick Butler last month seems destined to die down and only a few will know why he went. Sweetgrass didn't hear one voice raised to condemn Butler. In fact there were indications from a couple of sources that he was doing a good job. But he's gone, and will get $65,000 in severance pay, according to one Stoney…
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The blame for the suicide of a Stoney Nation youth in 1998 falls squarely on inept and dishonest band leadership that gutted programs that could have helped him, said a judge who directed an inquiry into the death.
Sherman Laron Labelle was 17 when he hanged himself on the Morley reserve May 21,1998.
Judge John Reilly of the Alberta provincial court spared no…
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October 21 was a special day for four Alberta police officers, three of whom are Aboriginal. Officers Alex Courtoreille, as well as Corporals Cam Alexis, Kelly Bielert and Raymond Arcand had cause to be proud as they were singled out for recognition for their exemplary service at an awards ceremony at RCMP headquarters in Edmonton.
Two of the first officers recognized…
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A celebration to launch the inaugural gas development project of Keyano Pimee Exploration Co. Ltd., owned jointly by Saddle Lake and Whitefish Lake 128 (Goodfish Lake) First Nations in Treaty 6, took place on the Saddle Lake reserve Oct. 21. The ribbon cutting is an early milestone in what promises to be a beneficial relationship for the First Nations and their business partner…
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Red Man Caravan, a newly opened performing arts studio in the city, is operated by film stars Dakota House, Nathaniel Arcand and A-Channel's camera man Shane Blyan.
It opened its doors at the beginning of the year to welcome Aboriginal youth and adults who are interested in becoming involved in plays or musical theatre. Red Man Caravan, affiliated with Theatre Arts…
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Saskatchewan-born singer-songwriter, Laura Langstaff, performed at the City Media Club in Edmonton on Oct. 14. Her voice, the style of which is a close blend of Joni Mitchel and Sylvia Tyson, delivered her music with raw emotion. Langstaff's music, which she writes as well as performs, is based on her Metis culture.
Langstaff put her singing career on hold to raise four…
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There's no question that Brenda and Paul Legere love kids. They must. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, their lives are filled with children. Brenda runs a day home. Paul supervises a group home. They have three children, aged one, two and eight. And for the past five or so years, the couple have been foster parents.
In those five years, Paul estimates the…
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Kathleen Beulah Eagle Speaker of the Blood Reserve in southern Alberta was 19 weeks pregnant when she got the news to start planning for more than a single addition to her family - to plan for three, to be exact. She almost fell off the examining table.
Fourteen weeks later, she and partner Colin Mountain Horse were able to wrap their arms around their three bundles of…
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Jannine Wabasca is the young mother of a happy, healthy three-year-old son, Justen, and she credits one of Canada's Prenatal Nutrition Programs for giving her the information and support she needed to give her son a good start in life.
Wabasca was at Edmonton's Boyle Street Community Services Centre on Oct. 29 where she, and other young mothers, met with federal Health…
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On Dec. 1, in recognition of World AIDS Day, people will be wearing a red ribbon, an international symbol of support of the continuing fight against AIDS. It is intended as a symbol of hope of finding a vaccine or a cure that will stop the suffering created by HIV/AIDS.
The idea for the red ribbon came from a small charity called Visual AIDS in New York City. In 1991, the…
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Frank (Fox) Morin's last drunk was 20 years ago, and he quit heroin, speed, coke and MDA three years before he got off the booze. Worked, got married, raised a family. Been living clean all this time. But suddenly, at age 50, he got really sick, nearly died, got a liver transplant just in time to save his life, and he says it was all on account of bad choices he made early in…
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Native people in the Treaty 7 area of southern Alberta are getting a say in how $85,000 will be put to use at the University of Lethbridge.
Russel Barsh, associate professor in Native American studies, was successful in acquiring a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. The funding was granted under a program designed to help small universities…
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Members of the Aboriginal community are bracing themselves for news that could prove to be a hard pill to swallow. After 25 years of the Native Communications Program and 22 years of the Native Women's Career Preparation Program at Grant MacEwan Community College in Edmonton, word is circulating that both may be phased out.
Although there has not been any official word…
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Terrying about
Tansi!
Charlie Chisaakay from the Dene Tha' First Nation proudly reports they do not have a deficit. In fact, the economy is alive and well as they presently lobby Trans Canada Pipeline from Liard, N.W.T. for construction contracts. He explained that with good oil prices, there'll be a lot of drilling and "we hope to tap into the boom." The band has…
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People and Places
Oki. Can you believe that it's November? This year, time has really flown by. I have a general theme for my column this month. It's for all the youth across Indian Country. They are our future. We must teach them respect, trust and love for themselves. I understand the feeling of peer pressure and insecurity of not knowing who they are or what they should…