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Suzanne Rochon Burnett wore the Metis sash and held the eagle feather in her right hand while she spoke at Brock University's fall convocation. It was also the occasion of receiving her own honorary doctor of letters degree.

The St. Catharines university chose the occasion to recognize Rochon Burnett for her support for Aboriginal art and her contribution to Canadian cultural life. The chancellor, Dr. Raymond Moriyama, presented her with the award at the university's 72nd convocation held Oct. 19.

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Aboriginal culture took centre stage in Toronto over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Wataybugaw: An Aboriginal Thanksgiving was a two-day outdoor festival featuring drummers, powwow dancers, musicians, Aboriginal foods, cooking demonstrations, and a marketplace. It was a family-friendly celebration that included make-and-take crafts and storytelling sessions for children.

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Now there are two Native players on one of Canada's most talked about junior hockey franchises.

Nathan O'Nabigon is a third-year left winger with the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) franchise. The club's roster also includes rookie defenceman Ian Maracle.

They both play for the Mississauga-based IceDogs team.

The IceDogs finished at the bottom of the standings in the 20-team OHL during their first four seasons of operations. Yet the club made plenty of headlines.

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The first Native Women's Broomball Classic 2002 was held at the Fort William First Nation Arena in Thunder Bay, Oct. 11 to 14.

The Waswanipi Northern Stars took an early lead and beat the Moose Factory Islanders 3 - 0 to take the A-side championship. The Northern Stars, the sole Quebec team, showed the Ontario teams the strongest competition they had ever encountered.

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Ontario artists dominated the spotlight at an awards ceremony that wrapped up imagineNATIVE, a First Nations media arts festival in Toronto.

The festival, which ran Oct. 24 to 27, featured about 65 pieces of film, video, television, radio or multimedia work.

Six awards were handed out at the closing night reception, and Ontario artists won three of them.

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A needs assessment program focusing on community safety will be conducted in the Sudbury area over the next year. The Aboriginal Community/ Police Advisory Committee of Sudbury has received federal funds to launch a crime prevention program.

Nancy Cada, a member of the Sheshegwaning First Nation on Manitoulin Island, will co-ordinate the Aboriginal Community Needs Assessment Project. Her task will be to identify the crime prevention programs needed.

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Megan Ritchie of Peterborough, a great-granddaughter of Allan Ritchie, the first Aboriginal telegraph operator for Canadian Pacific Railway, has been interested in technology all her life. The 21-year-old, who avidly pursues her interests in computer science and geography, is getting a boost to her education thanks to some financial support from Xerox Canada's Aboriginal Scholarship Program.

Ritchie learned about the scholarship on the Metis Nation of Ontario Web site and received it the first time she applied.

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Chippewas of Nawash Chief Ralph Akiwenzie fears a proposed pipeline that would pump millions of litres of Georgian Bay water to Walkerton and other Bruce County communities could have a detrimental effect on the band's hard-won fishing rights.

"The lake levels are already at record lows; we fear for the future of the fish habitat if the lake is drained even more,'' said Akiwenzie, leader of the 700-member community on the Bruce Peninsula.

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A Manitoulin Island woman has been asked to serve on the National Aboriginal Economic Development Board. Dawn Madahbee, a member of the Ojibways of Sucker Creek First Nation, was recently appointed to the prestigious post by Minister Allan Rock.

Madahbee, currently the manager of the Waubetek Business Development Commission on Birch Island, indicated she is looking forward to working in this high profile organization.

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PETERBOROUGH - One Aboriginal Aboriginal language student at Trent University will receive a $500 award in January 2003.

The Ottawa firm, Brascoupe Peters & Associates, donated the Sarah D. Patterson Award for Aboriginal Language Studies to the university. The award was established in memory of Sarah Patterson-a Mohawk of the Bear Clan who spoke four languages: Mohawk, Cayuga, Tuscarora and English. It will be given to an upper-year or graduate student who demonstrates academic excellence and financial need.