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Inuit Art: An Introduction

By Ingo Hessel

Photography by Dieter Hessel

Douglas & McIntyre

198 pages (sc)

$45

From a tiny ivory maskette carved by the Arctic's ancient inhabitants, to contemporary works created using both traditional and non-traditional styles and mediums, Inuit Art: An Introduction uses a mix of text and photographs to bring to the reader thousands of years of art, blanketed in the historical, cultural and societal contexts that helped form it.

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In British Columbia, a mobile diabetes unit is on the road, and sometimes, in a plane, to bring eye exams to remote communities.

It began in early 2002 as a pilot project operated by the First Nations Chiefs' Health Committee in partnership with the University of British Columbia Department of Ophthalmology, Health Canada's First Nations and Inuit Health Branch and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.

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The second annual Caring for the Caregivers conference in Williams Lake was held on Feb. 17 to 19 at the Nenqayni Treatment Centre.

This year's conference was hosted by the centre and by Punky Lake Wilderness Camp Society's Eagle HEART program. Thirty-six front-line workers were present as Cpl. Mike Legault from the RCMP North District Drug Awareness Service give an opening presentation entitled Substance Abuse Symptomology.

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For over 20 years, Air Creebec has been flying high in the northern communities of Ontario and Quebec, and giving back to the communities that have contributed to its success.

The air carrier offers regular flights, serving the communities Attawapiskat, Chiboutamau, Chisasibi, Eastmain, Fort Albany, Kashewchewan, La Grande, Moosonnee, Nemaska, Peawanuck, Roberval, Waskaganish, Wemindji, Timmins, Val d'Or and Montreal. It also offers cargo services, and charter services.

Page 24

Air Creebec, a Cree-owned air carrier serving northern Quebec and Ontario, has taken on a new challenge as of March 31. Company president, Albert Diamond, announced that a $19-million agreement has been negotiated with the James Bay Energy Corporation. During the three-year contract, Air Creebec will transport workers from southern Quebec to a northern hydro project.

A new 50 seat Dash 8-300 aircraft has been acquired to handle the project.

The company's fleet also includes HS-748, Beech 1900D and Embraer 110 aircraft. They fly about 60,000 people annually.

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A lot has changed in the 20 years since Windspeaker published its first issue. Back then, in March 1983, the paper was published as AMMSA (Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta), and came out every week, covering the news and events affecting Aboriginal people in Northern Alberta. The name change to Windspeaker came later, coinciding with the paper's third anniversary. AMMSA also celebrated its third anniversary by moving into a new home, a building it had purchased, a first for a Native communications organization in Canada.

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Nassivik

Inuit in Canada must get a stand-alone Inuktitut language television network. Here are some reasons why:

Many people point out that the Inuktitut language is relatively healthy in comparison to other Aboriginal languages, and express some pride at this good fortune. I tend to spin the state of Inuktitut from the perspective of its erosion. I have lived through the transition from the day when most Inuit were unilingual to the present day when the younger generations are multi-lingual.

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Music Biz 101

This is prime season for music awards. Here are a few of them. Canadian artists, songwriters, recording engineers, and video producers (citizen or landed immigrant) who have released product during the period of Sept. 1, 2002 to Dec. 31, 2003 are eligible to submit entries for the JUNO Awards.

Page 16

Pro Bono

Dear Tuma:

I just bought a new generator for $600. After about a month, the motor went. The store gave me a one-year guarantee on it. When I tried to take it back, the store said that I didn't replace the oil so it was my fault. They wouldn't replace it. I told them that I wasn't that stupid, especially since I've worked around motors my entire life. What can I do?

Burnt Out

Dear Burnt Out:

Page 16

Medium Rare

Each day I read three to five newspapers, watch and listen to TV and radio news, devour every Native newspaper that crosses my path. In other words, I work hard to stay informed.

Ever since 9/11, the "war on terrorism," the invasion of Afghanistan, and now the invasion of Iraq, I've discovered I know a lot about the opinions of people in Afghanistan, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Britain, France, Germany and Italy, but I know almost nothing about the opinions of Aboriginal peoples in Canada or how these global events have affected their lives.