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For several weeks in advance, three national Aboriginal political organizations requested a seat at the upcoming first ministers' conference on health in Ottawa on Feb. 4 and 5.

On Jan. 28, Assembly of First Nations health secretariat spokesman Bryan Hendry told Windspeaker the Aboriginal leaders have resigned themselves to the fact that the answer is "no."

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It seems prophetic that her Mohawk first name translates in English into "beautiful word," because 14-year-old Skawenniio Barnes has put much of her energy into providing some beautiful words for her community.

When Barnes wrote a letter in October 2001 to her chief and council requesting a library in her Kahnawake, she had no idea the request would garner attention from around the world. She just felt strongly about establishing a public library on her reserve.

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John Herrington went on a little trip recently. It was more or less a business trip, but he did get time to do a little bit of sightseeing.

What made the trip particularly noteworthy was that it was aboard the space shuttle Endeavor, and Herrington's destination was the International Space Station, in orbit 270 km above the earth.

What also makes it noteworthy is that Herrington made history with his flight, becoming the first Native American in space.

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Chief Sandford Big Plume and his Tsuu T'ina council have committed $10,000 to re-energize the Native political organization that is widely credited with stopping the 1969 White Paper.

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Dear Editor:

What Mr. David Ahenakew stated was merely what he has been indoctrinated in to believing. I agree that racism is a vulgar practice that needs to be set aside before it plagues future generations, but to put this practice aside would mean the dissolution of the many nation states that insidiously practice racism in their ongoing game of colonization.

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Dear Editor:

Re: David Ahenakew, RCMP investigation.

I have been around the Native movement all my life (50 years). I have been involved in Native politics and it is always the same story.

It goes like this: A young leader puts his life on the line, because he loves our people. He or she gives everything for their people. After years of hard work and toil, they are taken out by young leaders with no respect for this past work. They are rejected and thrown away as used goods. And they usually die disillusioned and broken-hearted, a life in vain.

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Dear Editor:

I agree wholeheartedly with the letter writers in the January 2003 issue of Windspeaker, who shared their dismay over David Ahenakew's racist comments about Jewish people. I also share their disappointment that such an attitude could be possible within the Aboriginal community in Canada, since Aboriginal people and Jewish people share, as Georges Erasmus wrote in his letter, an "acquaintance with this swaggering abomination called hatred."

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Dear Editor:

Over the past 10 years I've been looking at the state of the First Nations affairs and found serious issues are all around us-sexual abuse, rampant drug/alcoholism, corruption, and a feeling of hopelessness. As a young citizen of the Anishinabek Nation, I am constantly wondering why this has happened and what needs to be done in order to change it.

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Dear Editor:

My name is Nichole and I am 14-and-a-half years old. I come from a little reserve in northwestern Ontario-Migisi Sahgaigan (Eagle Lake).

I have a very strong belief that alcohol and driving (and I mean anything that moves) don't mix. No matter what people advertise in books, magazines, or in commercials, people never seem to get the message. Approximately 2,900 people die each year in car accidents. I think that a good portion of these car accidents can be prevented.

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Music Biz 101

Besides shedding blood, sweat and tears, an artist needs to "spend money to make money." Thankfully, there are a number of financial resources with varying eligibility criteria that support the music industry.