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Chiefs formulate plans for self-governance

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Nishnawbe Aski Nation chiefs met to outline their vision and prepare a plan for governance of NAN communities at their winter assembly held Feb. 25 to 27.

NAN Grand Chief Stan Beardy said the meeting had an excellent turnout: 42 out of 49 chiefs and six proxies showed up.

"We presented the basis for our nationhood, which is what we call traditional governance-it's a framework that outlines our philosophy, our values or principles."

Urban Natives are organized

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Giving a voice to urban Aboriginal people is the goal for a new council being formed in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

On May 5, the membership of the Aboriginal People's Council of Toronto (APCT) will vote for 18 people to represent them in discussions on a variety of issues affecting them.

New goals for growth set

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TORONTO-Business leaders, government representatives and savvy youth with business interests from across Canada were invited to the National Aboriginal Business Summit that was held in Toronto Feb. 19 and 20.

The summit is held to foster Aboriginal participation in the Canadian economy and enhance business partnerships.

Three themes dominated this year's summit: Building Partnerships, Building the Entrepreneurial Spirit, and Building the Investment Climate. Delegates had many opportunities to talk about their individual business successes.

NAFTA listens to Indigenous groups

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Treaty 3-Native and environmental groups from across the country have finally been given standing by NAFTA on the softwood lumber issue this month. Among them, the Grand Council of Treaty 3, a member of the Indigenous Network of Economies and Trade (INET), and Nishnawbe-Aski Nation (Treaty 9) have made presentations before both NAFTA and the World Trade Organization (WTO) on the issue. Western First Nations in INET, along with the Sierra Club of B.C. and the Dogwood Initiative, also based in B.C., are part of the protest wave too.

Artist moves around

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Artist Jim Logan was born in New Westminster, B.C. in 1955, but has worked across Canada throughout a brilliant career creating and promoting Aboriginal art. Currently a visual arts officer for the Canada Council for the Arts, an arts funding body, the Metis man of Cree ancestry has resided in Ottawa since this latest appointment.

"The human family has been a divided family for a long time," he said. "My hope is that my works are successful paintings, each being little stones in the big bridge of understanding between two peoples."

Squamish Nation hosts musical smorgasbord

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Celebration 2010 and Cap Folk 'n' Roots Series offered up an incredible evening of entertainment on Feb. 28 when they presented St(lmexw "Xw(lm(xw "The People" --A Celebration of Song.

Held at the Capilano College Performing Arts Theatre, the event was part of a province-wide campaign from Feb. 14 to March 8 to showcase the province's creative culture in support of the Vancouver/Whistler Olympic games bid.