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ake one well-oiled political machine, add a dash of lemon juice and a few handfuls of spice, and turn gently on a spit for as long as one of his speeches--say, three hours. That was the recipe Keith Goulet's friends, family and colleagues used Sept. 7, as they gathered at the La Ronge Motor Hotel for the Cumberland MLA's retirement roast.

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August 28 was back to school day in the Fort Qu'Appelle area, and not just for the students.

More than 100 teachers, administrators, and school representatives came to the Treaty 4 Governance Centre to discuss ways to improve the lot of Aboriginal children in the school system.

Those school systems will be facing a large overhaul - in attitudes as much as anything else - if Aboriginal students are going to succeed in the school system.

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While many Canadian veterans took time on Aug. 19 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Dieppe Raid, Canada's surviving Metis veterans had begun the latest battle in their ongoing fight for compensation.

The Metis veterans-some in their 70s, some in their 80s and 90s-are ready to do battle with the federal government in an attempt to win for themselves the compensation they feel they were cheated out of when they returned home from war so many years ago.

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Seven Regina homelessness projects will receive just over $729,000 in funding as part of the National Homelessness Initiative.

Aman House Inc. will receive $21,000 to train its staff in proposal writing and partnership building, as well to help the organization identify priority activities and establish a plan for long-term sustainability of it's homelessness activities. The project, established in 1995, provides services for Aboriginal people infected with HIV, housing six to 12 people each year.

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Fort Smith, N.W.T. resident Rob Genaille began his long trek to Winnipeg on Aug. 10, with a number of stops at First Nations and Metis communities planned along the way.

His purpose for the trip is to raise awareness about diabetes and to raise funds for a new family resource centre in Fort Smith.

The 47-year-old stresses that he does not have diabetes, and he works to keep it that way by keeping physically active, staying away from alcohol, and by making healthy food choices.

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George McNevin wants to pave the path to prosperity.

McNevin, a Saskatoon businessman, is advocating the completion of a 375-km "Athabasca highway" that would stretch from Stony Rapids, in Saskatchewan's far north, to Fort Smith, N.W.T. He has spent the last year promoting the project, which he feels could be the key to solving the Athabasca region's economic woes, as well as a way for Saskatchewan to regain some of the tourist and business dollars that presently flow into Alberta.

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Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority to hold the first-ever national conference to look at the issue of problem gambling in Canada's Aboriginal community.

Alice Marchand is program manager of Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) problem gambling program. She explained the PAGC has been working with other organizations from across Canada for the past two years, trying to coordinate this conference as a forum for First Nations people to come together, talk, and share their experiences.

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The Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT) has become important in the education of Aboriginal students from all over British Columbia.

Nestled in the scenic Merritt area, the Institute first opened its doors with 13 students, housed in a basement, in 1983. The facility has grown to boast an enrolment of more than 200 full- and part-time students. Ninety per cent are of First Nations ancestry.

Verna Billy-Minnabarriet is dean of academics at the institute.

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Krisalena Antoine has completed the second year of her Indigenous Studies university transfer program at the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology. She will attend the University of British Columbia in Vancouver for her final two years, where she will graduate with a degree in education.

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Surrounded by his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Tseshaht Elder Alan Dick's face beamed with overwhelming pride as his family's canoe was launched into the Somass River.

"This is the greatest day of my life," Alan beamed as 16 men lifted the canoe past 20 singing and dancing women. "I'm 81 years old, and to be here with my all my children on this special day is just incredible," he said.

Alan, along with his son Wayne, have spent the past three months carving the canoe, passing on knowledge and stories with every adze stroke.