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Dear Editor:

As a Wikwemikong band member, I have always honored and appreciated our belief systems, our language, our healers and herbalists, our customs and our way of life on Manitoulin Island. In our community of Wikwemikong, we have various beliefs and practices including our Anishnawbeh way of living, of which I have always maintained my respect for. I have never relied on any healers (imported) to do what our local resources have traditionally undertaken.

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New Ontario Premier Ernie Eves says he "is open" on the issue of whether to call a public inquiry into the shooting death of Dudley George, but he's steering away from an accounting any time soon.

Eves cites the wrongful death law suit against former premier Michael Harris and others in the matter as a reason to put an inquiry on hold.

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James K. Bartleman will celebrate his first National Aboriginal Day as lieutenant governor of Ontario with the Anishinabek people.

He has confirmed his attendance as the Queen's representative at June 21 ceremonies being held at Nipissing Anishinabek Nation headquarters on the Nipissing First Nation. The reserve is situated on Highway 17 approximately 5 km west of North Bay.

Bartleman himself is a member of the Mnjikaning First Nation and is the first Aboriginal person to hold the post of lieutenant governor.

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If British Columbia's Native communities expect to prosper, they must reclaim their position in the economy and learn to adapt to a computer-driven culture, said Grand Chief Ed John.

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What do you think about when you hear the word commerce?

For many people, the image immediately conjured up is a banking institution.

That, in part, is what Dr. Richard Vedan, director of the First Nations House of Learning, and John Claxton, director of the Chinook Program, are trying to change.

Claxton is a professor at the Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Vedan, a member of the Shuswap nation, is an associate professor at the School of Social Work.

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If the opening reception for Kaxlaya Gvilas is any indication of its popularity, the exhibition running at the Museum of Anthropology through September 2 promises to be extremely well attended.

Jennifer Webb, communications manager for the museum, said the reception held on April 23 was a great success.

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A trip to the dentist recently became a lot easier for the 500 First Nations people in Skidegate, Haida Gwaii. With a newly built two-chair dental clinic, residents are no longer required to commute long distances to the dentist.

The partnering of the University of British Columbia's faculty of dentistry and Health Canada has not only brought dental care closer to home, but will help train dental residents. The clinic is the first of its kind in the province, and one of only a handful in Canada.

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In conjunction with the exhibition Kaxlaya Gvilas, The Museum of Anthropology is pleased to present a summer series of talks and tours, drumming and dancing, education and entertainment. Tuesday evening events are free; Sunday events are free with regular admission.

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Taking care of a sick relative can be challenging, even if it's only for a few hours each day. But with the proper training, friends and family members of people who are ill can be equipped with the knowledge and experience it takes to safely care for their relatives at home.

That is why St. John Ambulance has partnered with Aboriginal communities and is offering the Help for Home Caregivers program.

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Melody Mercredi, 23, from Vancouver, is this year's National Metis Youth Role Model in the career advancement category.

She completed her bachelor's degree in opera performance at the Vancouver Academy of Music last year.

"I sing because nothing else is more fulfilling. I have always loved to sing and have always loved a challenge.

"Opera is by far the most difficult genre to sing. To sing opera requires great technical ability, vocal stamina, a good sense of character, and the most important ingredient-passion," said Mercredi.