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Alberta Native artisans will soon have a crack at big money and recognition. The Alberta Indian Arts and Crafts Society (AIACS) has just announced a call for entries for the 1987 Alberta Contemporary Native Crafts Competition.

Entries will be accepted in the following categories; Traditional skills used on modern articles, Ceramics/pottery, Fashions (contemporary, new designs), Home Decorator )Products, and Special Articles.

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Soon hundreds of high school graduations will gather proud parents, relatives and admiring friends to high school campuses across the United States and Canada.

Thousands of graduating seniors will step forward and receive their diplomas while commencement speeches of admiration and admonition will be spoken.

While all this is going on, where will the Natives of Canada be? In some schools in Canada, there will be some who will be rejoicing but for most Native young people, the dream of graduation and fulfilling high school education is remote.

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Editorial

Mothers.

Who are they? What are they? Why honor them with a special day?

First, they brought each and every one of us into this world. They nurture us as young babes, give us food, love mental and spiritual strength.

Our mothers comfort us when needed, talk to us and counsel us so we can learn and share their wisdom, care for us when we are hurting.

Their sensitivity is irreplaceable. They hurt when we hurt, worry when we worry, laugh when we laugh, and cry when we cry.

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A public rally to increase awareness and encourage public support for the return of Leonard Peltier to Canada will occur in Edmonton on Tuesday, May 12 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

The rally, part of a North American tour entitled "Solidarity with South African and Native American Political Prisoners," is geared to freeing political prisoners. Two dozen American cities have already been visited by the tour.

The other political prisoner supported by the tour is South African leader Nelson Mandela.

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"It's powwow time!"

That's all the Immigration officer of the Canada-US border said when he saw the van and car loaded with White Braid Society members ? adults, teenagers and children ? feather bussels hanging from window hooks and drum music playing on the tape decks.

And powwow time it was at the "Gathering of Nations" in Albuquerque, New Mexico, April 17 and 18, 1987.

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With only two days notice, Edmonton Metis and Native organizations put on a benefit dance and raised over $1,000 for the Dr. Anne Anderson Native Heritage and Cultural Centre, in jeopardy of closing down in recent months due to government funding cutbacks.

"The government (Native Services) kept promising that they would give me funds to run the place And then all of a sudden, they phoned and said this couldn't carry on anymore," explained Anderson.

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Staff cuts brought about by decentralization of sevices, have hit the Lesser Slave Lake Indian Regional Council (LSLIRC). But director John R. Giroux says the 14 employees were laid off "because the bands are assuming responsibilities of the regional administration" and at least four of the 14 employees were simply transferred to bands.

LSLIRC, Giroux says, "is in the unique position that it is composed of the bands and "each of the bands have their own organizational structure.

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The Nechi Institute of ST. Albert will receive $735,731 under the Canadian Job Strategy's Innovation program to operate a national three-year training project announced Employment and Immigration Minister Benoit Bouchard recently.

The project is designed to develop and test a model to train Native people from across Canada to be professional trainers. AT this time there is no systematic, continuous process for developing Native trainers in Canada despite the fact that positions and opportunities for work exist.

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It was confirmed recently by Larry Hendricks, minor hockey director in Hobbema that John Chabot, a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins National Hockey League team, will be coming to Hobbema on May 13, 1987.

John Chabot is an Algonquin Indian from the Maniwaki Reserve in Quebec, but now resides in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where the Penguins are located.

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Despite popular demand, I'm back this week to continue giving special recognition to a few people in the world of Native affairs. You may remember that this sometimes takes the form of a pat-on-the-back or a kick-in-the-pants.