Page 24

Faron Johns has a tough time explaining his success.

The 49-year-old is the lead singer and songwriter for the Pappy Johns Band, which stole the spotlight by winning four trophies at the fourth annual Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards held on Nov. 28 at Toronto's SkyDome.

Page 22

One Man's Justice

By Thomas Berger

Douglas & McIntyre

346 pages (hc)

$40

Former Supreme Court justice, political leader, and long-time lawyer Thomas Berger was on Vancouver Island recently for the launch of his new book, One Man's Justice, which documents a dozen important legal cases that Berger fought during his 50-year law career, including those that became the seeds for the BC Treaty Process.

Page 22

Flint and Feather

By Charlotte Gray

Harper Flamingo Canada

448 pages (hc)

$37.95

In Flint and Feather, Charlotte Gray has woven a rich biographical tapestry, revealing a complex portrait of Pauline Johnson that sheds a bright new light on Canada's most charismatic poet and performer-and yet leaves much of her mystery intact.

Johnson was, after all, a shape-shifter who moved with ease between cultures, identities, times and places, a woman with an amazing talent to reinvent herself.

Page 22

Dragonfly Kites

By Tomson Highway

Illustrated by Brian Deines

HarperCollins

32 pages (hc)

$19.99

Dragonflies are very much in vogue these days. Children's author Tomson Highway discovered their translucent magic long before the mysterious bugs became a hot commercial property.

An experienced time traveler, Highway has once again taken us back to a magical childhood in the wilds of northern Manitoba where he plays and dreams in Cree.

Dragonfly Kites is the second volume in his Songs Of The North Wind Trilogy.

Page 22

At the age of 34, Alex Augier has achieved his simple yet big dream: to read and write like other people, and to get a high school diploma.

He went back to school six years ago to pick up where he left off at the age of 14 when he was almost illiterate.

"Before when I watched people write, I used to watch them and just admire people like that because it was like magic . . . 'Boy this guy is a man-magician,' I'd say. You know, they know how to write with ease and flow, and so cool."

Page 21

The Manitoba Aboriginal Youth Career Awareness Committee (MAYCAC) has demonstrated the huge importance of role models in the lives of youth. Located in Winnipeg, the organization was formed in 1987 by a group of dedicated individuals who were concerned by the need to put positive Aboriginal role models before Aboriginal youth. It has a solid history of success in achieving its objectives.

Page 19

A government, a university and a college have teamed up to give teachers in the Yukon Territory a bachelor of education degree that is unique in Canada. The Yukon Native Teacher Education Program (YNTEP) is administered through Yukon College through a special funding arrangement with the Department of Education of the Yukon territorial government. The University of Regina provides and/or approves instructors, both at the college's main campus in Whitehorse, and in Regina.

Brian Aubichon is executive director of the program.

Page 18

The Nikanihaw Aboriginal Leadership Aquatic Program in Edmonton is training 20 Aboriginal youth between the ages of 16 to 25 to be swimming instructors.

Held at the Grand Trunk Fitness & Leisure Centre every Wednesday evening, the program is funded by the City of Edmonton, Canadian Heritage and the Amiskwaciy Academy.

Page 17

The Metis people of Canada will soon be able to turn on their televisions and see themselves, their history and their culture represented on the screen, when the Metis Michif Television Network (MMTN) hits the airwaves.

The new network was approved by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on Nov. 6. Ken Schaffer, the main force behind the new network, is hoping to launch it in April 2004.

Page 16

For the past 10 years, the Canadian Museum of Civilization (CMC) has been opening its doors to Aboriginal people wanting to learn more about museum practices, through the Aboriginal Training Program in Museum Practices, or ATPMP.

Each year, five participants are selected from among all those who apply, and those five will then spend eight months at the museum being trained in different aspects of museum practices.