Cutbacks protested

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Northern Alberta Indian bands braved the frigid temperatures to parade the streets of Edmonton Wednesday as part of a nationwide rally to protest post-secondary cutbacks.

A crowd of 800 filtered into snow-covered Sir Winston Churchill Square before marching on Canada Place where the regional office of Indian and Northern Affairs is located.

After massing on the front steps of the federal building, Native leaders confronted government officials with their objections.

The government's new E-12 policy reduces post-secondary education funding and limits the number of years a student will be eligible to receive funding.

Band members from Treaty 8 and Treaty 6 crowded into Edmonton's downtown core while similar rallies were held in cities across the country, including Calgary and Lethbridge. A rally was also held in Ottawa which garnered over 400 protesters.