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An exciting workshop hosted by Edmonton's Ben Calf Robe Society (BCRS) is proving to be popular with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal participants alike.

The Cultural Awareness Training Series teaches the basics of Aboriginal culture, history and traditions.

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The way Leonard (Rocky) Wade of Frog Lake tells it, he didn't believe he was in any danger when he rushed to help Cst. Mike Caudron move a female shooting victim to a safe place so she could get medical attention, but that's not the way the RCMP see it.

Wade and Caudron were at RCMP headquarters in Edmonton on May 3 to receive the commissioner's commendation for bravery for demonstrating outstanding courage in the face of danger.

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The youngest dancers from the Edmonton Metis Cultural Dance Society stole the hearts of the audience at the Fiddle and Bow Metis Music and Dance celebration on the last weekend of April.

The Metis dancers passionately performed all the standards, from the broom dance to the Red River jig.

Senator Thelma Chalifoux hosted the evening with Ken Schaffer, who is a founder and producer of Metcom Productions.

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Lisa Beaucage of Nipissing First Nation is happy she pushed herself to go back to school. She already had her Grade 12, but she needed to change some old habits and develop a stronger focus to go further. She's decided to pursue a psychology degree.

Since December 1999, when Beaucage began working at the Lawrence Commanda Health Centre in her community as a data entry clerk, she knew she would return to school.

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Nine Aboriginal training facilities in Ontario have joined forces to contribute to the revitalization of First Nations culture, language and economy.

The Aboriginal Institutes Consortium (AIC) has been working since 1994 to enhance the profile of community-based education centres.

According to Lu Ann Hill-MacDonald, the Brantford co-ordinator of the network, "The consortium provides members with a forum to address common issues. The issues that continue to be important are recognition and resources.

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Making fire with flint caused the most "excitement" as "the fire's spirituality came to each individual man." Lahwe'nu:nihe' described the pressure he felt when asked to make the fire from flint for a sweat lodge.

"You sit and you strike and strike, and then you start remembering the teachings of being that good person and then calmness comes over you, and when it does, all of a sudden the fire comes to you."

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The Gathering of Nations was held April 25 to 27 at The Pit in Albuquerque. The three-day event included the Miss Indian World contest, Indian Traders' Market and North America's biggest powwow.

As the people entered the Pit, they were pleasantly soothed with live music from Robert Tree Cody who played the Indian Flute and by Primo and Mike who won at the American Music Awards.

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On April 27, the New Miss Indian World for 2002/2003 was chosen out of 24 contestants. Twenty-one-year-old Tia Smith of the Cayuga Wolf Clan from Six Nations won the coveted title of Miss Indian World. The runner-up is also originally from Ontario, Kinwa Bluesky.

The former Miss Indian World for 2001/2002 was Ke Aloha Alo of mixed ancestry from the Apache, Hawaiian and Samoan Nations. Smith said, "I have big shoes to fill. From what I hear, she was a great Miss Indian World."

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Bob Antone, executive director of the KiiKeeWaNiiKaan Southwest Regional Healing Lodge on the Munsee Delaware Nation, had a dream about a circle of men talking about the true meaning of a First Nation man. Seven years later, the dream was fullfilled, as KiiKeeWaNiiKaan graduated the first class of Indigenous community workers from its Tending the Fire leadership program. That was on March 28, 2002.

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M'Chigeeng First Nation Chief Glen Hare is no longer alone in his battle for recognition. Assembly of First Nations Grand Chief, Matthew Coon Come, travelled to Manitoulin Island recently to pledge his support.

M'Chigeeng is taking the Department of Indian Affairs (DIA) to court in a dispute over the legitimacy of the September 2001 band election.

Since the federal bureaucrats refuse to recognize Chief Hare and the elected council members, capital projects in the community are at a standstill.