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Winning first place in the World Championship Hoop Dance Contest in Phoenix, Arizona is not an easy feat. Just ask 28-year-old Lisa Odjig. But she did it.

She brought a trophy and $2,500 home after the first place win at the 13th annual contest held on Feb.1 and 2 organized by the Heard Museum. Odjig competed against 18 men in the adult category to win the coveted title.

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At a press conference on Jan. 24 at the Boyle Street Education Centre, Anne McLellan, minister of Health, along with provincial MLA Stan Woloshyn, announced that under Canada's National Crime Prevention Strategy, $1.5 million will be doled out to 38 communities across the province.

Two of Boyle Streets initiatives benefit from the announcement-the Beat Of Boyle Street and the Green Team.

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Hundreds of students and guests enjoyed the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology's Aboriginal Cultural Day on Feb. 7. Spectators surrounded the South Lobby as traditional dancers, hoop dancers, Metis dancers, and fancy dancers performed.

A presentation of the Senator Chalifoux award, and a feast of moose stew, salads and other refreshments were part of the event. Eva Stang, the Aboriginal liaison co-ordinator was excited with the outcome of the day's events and attendance at the gathering. She believes that each year it gets better than the year before.

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Aboriginal organizations responded quickly to the release of Statistics Canada's 2001 census results last month, which shows a 22.2 per cent increase over five years in the number of people identifying themselves as having some Aboriginal ancestry. Aboriginal people now account for 4.4 per cent of Canada's population.

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Two Albertans have been named among 14 people to receive National Aboriginal Achievement Awards at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on March 28.

Oilman Mel Benson is a member of the Beaver Lake First Nation and will be recognized in business and commerce category.

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The Alberta Lung Association says that 85 per cent of lung cancer is caused by cigarette smoking and that smoking contributes to other cancers as well, such as cancer of the mouth and pancreas. Heart disease and stroke are also diseases that smokers have to worry about.

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It was a winning combination.

The first ever Community Friendship Week across southwestern Alberta and the return of the Napi Powwow has sold organizers on a second annual event.

"We had really good success, really good feedback," said Peggy Yellow Horn, who worked with Vhalle Hohn to co-ordinate the event.

Community Friendship Week kicked off Jan. 12 in Pincher Creek with a potluck of cultural performances and cultural dishes and concluded Jan. 19 with the third day of the Napi Powwow on the Piikani Nation.

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Many people may think that Native Nashville North is all glamor and glitter but do they realize the hard work and dedication it takes to produce a variety show of this calibre?

Of course to the average person it really doesn't matter. They simply want to watch the show because they love music, dancing and good country singers . . . they love to be entertained.

Let me take you on a tour behind the set of Native Nashville North just to show you what really happens during a half hour production right up until the last minute.

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Dear Editor:

Recent articles by Eddie Keen (Edmonton Sun, October 15/87) and Windspeaker have presented a very negative picture of the financial affairs of Buffalo Lake Metis Settlement.

While Buffalo Lake may have had some financial problems in the past, suggestions of current mismanagement are unfounded and deplorably misleading.

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Opinion

Dear Editor:

The road to neglect is paved with good intentions. For months I have wanted to write a letter in praise of the work of Windspeaker, my tardiness disappeared with the arrival of your current issue.

Rocky Woodward's column taking "Big Eddie" to task for a recent broadcast on CHED and a column in The Sun prodded me into this letter.

Like many Native people, Rocky was upset over my detailing of a number of problems. Too negative, why dump on us whitemen, we are having enough problems.