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Metis form new group

Prophesies of a split within the ranks of the Metis Association of Alberta were fulfilled this week with the official formation of a splinter group.

The Alberta Metis Nation Alliance held it first meeting at the Edmonton Friendship Centre Oct. 25 formalizing the rumored split within the Metis Association.

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Windspeaker responds to Desmeules letter, say he's made false allegations

Windspeaker editorial staff and senior management stand by the editorial and story questioned by Metis Association of Alberta president Larry Desmeules in his letter to the editor. We regret his dissatisfaction with the articles, but feel he's made false allegations.

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Editorial

Child welfare report touches leaders, opens minds and hearts

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Although he scarcely finished Grade 4 in a school that only held classes three months out of the year, Rick Tetso now earns about $25,000 tax free each year by trapping.

At age 10, Tetso started trapping his "back yard," a narrow 60 km stretch of muskeg located 85 km west of Fort Simpson, N.W.T. He grew up on his father's trapline and learned how to survive from his Elders on the rugged land only 500 km south of the Arctic Circle.

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Elizabeth Megginis, matriach of the Sarcee nation and oldest resident of the reserve situated west of Calgary, died Oct. 10 at the age of 103.

Meginnis is remembered by Sarcee band members for her warmth and understanding.

"We could have a house of 20 people," recalls her grandson Bruce Starlight. "And she would always make room for more."

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Leaders saddened by desperate state of child welfare

The sad state of child welfare is a symptom of a greater problem that begins in the community with alcohol, loss of cultural identity and poor parenting, Indian Association of Alberta (IAA) Treaty 7 vice-president Narcisse Blood told leaders at the all-chiefs conference in Calgary Oct. 7.

Blood was referring to a unique child welfare report commissioned by the IAA and presented to the chiefs for their adoption.

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Eight Saskatchewan Indians are appealing to the Supreme Court after being convicted in Meadow Lake, Sask. of using a spotlight to hunt.

The eight say they have a right to hunt on private, unposted land and that their conviction is therefore unconstitutional.

The original court ruling applied the 1982 amendment to the Wildlife Act which requires all hunters to get permission to hunt from the owner of the land.

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Police of the Akwesasne Mohawk reserve were fired recently by community leaders to calm about 50 people who threatened to burn the police officer's homes if they didn't release a jailed suspect.

The angry mob threatened to burn the home of the nine-member police force if a Mohawk man arrested on drug trafficking charges was not released.

The police told community leaders that the only way they would release the suspect was if they were fired. Leaders fearing the crowd's threats were serious, fired the force and released the suspect.

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Two Indians who were refused service at an Ottawa lounge were recently awarded $1,500 each by the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

In an incident in 1984, Margaret Lanigan and Jim Rossetti were refused drinks at the Syde By Syde Lounge by the bar's manager Reg Leclaire. Leclaire maintained that he had "management discretion."

When the two complainants phoned the owner, John Montgomery, Montgomery sided with Leclaire.

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Crowshoes return from China, surprised by cultural similarities

While his fears of going without pemmican and moose meat were partially dismissed, Joe Crowshoe was faced with a new problem ? how to use chopsticks.

Crowshoe, along with his son Reggie, both of the Peigan reserve at Brocket, recently returned from their two week visit to China, where they were accompanied by some of Canada's finest archeologists.