Page 8

An elderly Nuu-chah-nulth woman sits in the front room quietly chatting with two younger women. She is the same woman, sitting in the same place that I saw on a previous trip to the Women's Resource Centre.

She pauses, mid-sentence, to acknowledge my presence with a quick glance then resumes her story, seemingly oblivious to the fact that her little sanctuary may be taken away. The cosy front room is not the property of any of the three women there, but it belongs to them. It is a place for all women, youth and children to come for all sorts of reasons.

Page 8

When Kristen Harvey speaks, you can't help but listen. The compelling 20-year-old is an arresting blend of youthful zest and seasoned poise. As the very first female Aboriginal president of the University of British Columbia Alma Mater Society, Harvey has big shoes to fill, and she isn't at all intimidated.

Page 7

The Things We Do exhibit is on loan to Victoria's House of First Voices Aboriginal Art Gallery from Kamloops' Secwepemc Cultural Education Society until the end of April.

The exhibit presents 60 photographs, 12 of which are black-and-white, depicting traditional Shuswap life from the late 1890s to 1990s. The photographs are sorted by seasonal activities into 10 groupings.

Page 6

Hope, courage and strength will be the main issues discussed at the Believe in the Healing conference in Victoria on April 14 through 16. The conference will explore traditional and contemporary strategies for healing, moving on and reaching a higher moral, spiritual and accepting ground.

Dr. Martin Collis, former professor at the University of Victoria, singer and motivational speaker will be on hand to share his message in an entertaining fashion.

Page 4

Several members of the Shuswap Band near Invermere took over the band office Feb. 25 in a peaceful, but determined protest. Chief among their concerns, they said, is the financial accountability of the council.

Eleven band members went into the band office just before noon and said they were not leaving until the chief and council and a representative from the Department of Indian Affairs met with them to discuss their concerns.

Page 3

Drum beats mixed with chants as more than 20,000 British Columbians marched onto the lawns of the provincial legislature in late February.

People from unions and labor organizations, women's groups, students, and disabled people joined with Aboriginal groups, anti-poverty activists and environmentalists on Feb. 23 to protest debilitating cutbacks in programs announced by Premier Gordon Campbell and his government.

Page 2

People around the world working to preserve and promote Indigenous languages now have a new tool at their disposal, thanks to the launch of First Voices Aboriginal Languages Resource.

First Voices is a project of the First Peoples' Heritage, Language and Culture Council (FPHLCC), a British Columbia-based Aboriginal organization that has been working to support language training and preservation programs for more than a decade.

Page 27

Review

Heeding the voice of our ancestors:

Kahnawake Mohawk politics and the rise of native nationalism

By Gerald R. Alfred

220 pages, $24.95 (Pb.)

Oxford

The relevance of a book of this type for me is based on two points. First, the perception of the writer and his understanding of the topic. Second, the writer's ability to communicate that understanding and help the reader comprehend, analyze and evaluate the information contained in the book.

Page 27

Review

Heeding the voice of our ancestors:

Kahnawake Mohawk politics and the rise of native nationalism

By Gerald R. Alfred

220 pages, $24.95 (Pb.)

Oxford

The relevance of a book of this type for me is based on two points. First, the perception of the writer and his understanding of the topic. Second, the writer's ability to communicate that understanding and help the reader comprehend, analyze and evaluate the information contained in the book.

Page 26

Oklahoma girls haven't played much five-on-five basketball ? the state officially switches from six-on-six this year ? but you'd never have known it at the North American Indigenous Games. The bantam, midget and juvenile basketball teams all took home gold medals.

"We were a bit surprised by the level of play," said assistant midget (15 and 16 years old) coach Jan Gilmore, from Ada, Oklahoma. "It wasn't always up to what we were expecting."