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A northern First Nation could have Ontario's first diamond mine in its backyard in two years or less.

That's according to the community's designated spokesman on the issue, consultant Paul Wilkinson.

De Beers Canada is in the advanced exploration stage at its Victor Project 90 kilometres west of Attawapiskat in the James Bay lowlands, where diamond-bearing kimberlite pipe was found last summer.

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On Feb. 23, 2002, a new production company called Red Sky is presenting the Canadian premiere of the stage adaptation of Tomson Highway's new children's book "Caribou Song," with music supplied by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

"This type of multi-disciplinary body of work has never happened before. Never before have Native people been involved in a production that intertwines storytelling, dance, song, theatre, orchestral and traditional music all in one experience," said Sandra Laronde, Red Sky artistic director.

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Cree author Richard Van Camp was a guest at the home of E. Pauline Johnson for a book reading and signing hosted by the Writers of Six Nations and the Chiefswood National Historic Site on Dec. 8. This was his fourth stop on a book tour that covered Ottawa, Toronto and Six Nations of the Grand River.

Van Camp was promoting his fourth book, entitled Angel Wing Splash Pattern, which was recently published by the 2001 Wordcraft Circle Publisher of the Year-Kegedonce Press. The designer of Van Camp's book, Six Nations' own Jerry Longboat was also in attendance.

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Marie Gaudet is president of Gaa-dibaatjimat Ngaashi: Stories From My Mother Inc., an Aboriginal-owned company specializing in Native language and cultural development.

Her commitment to traditional language had led her to create three in a series of four children's books based on her mother's life experiences. The first book is titled, "MOO IISIKAAG! (nii-psikaag)-The Cow is Going to Bump Into Me." Gaudet illustrated, designed and published the book while her mother, Rose Logan (Pitawanakwat) wrote the story and translated the book into Ojibwe.

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Where would you start if someone asked you to think about your country and, using the Canadian flag as a starting point, make a piece of art to express your feelings? This is exactly what was asked of some students at Eenchokay Birchstick school in Pikangikum.

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Whether yours was a thirst for bloody horror films, a hunger for docu-dramas or a hankering for obscure experimental videos, the second annual ImagineNATIVE Media Arts Festival had something for everyone's taste. Add to the mix educational workshops and informative panels and even the savviest of film lover was kept salivating.

Billed as the nerviest of film festivals by the Toronto media, the best in Aboriginal media arts met from Nov. 21 to 24 to explore film, video, radio, multimedia and television.

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Guest Columnist

"This we know: Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself."

-Chief Seattle in 1854 trying to get the president of the United States to understand the Native point of view.

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Welcome to our premiere issue of Windspeaker Ontario, a publication for and about the Aboriginal people of Ontario.

Windspeaker Ontario is published by the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society (AMMSA), which also publishes, Windspeaker, Alberta Sweetgrass, Saskatchewan Sage, B.C. Raven's Eye and Buffalo Spirit.

We have often been asked when AMMSA would produce a publication for Ontario, like it has for other provinces. We have listened to our readers and this month we launch our latest addition to the AMMSA family of publications.

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For the Ronnie Douglas Blues Band, winning the Canadian Aboriginal Music Award for Best Jazz or Blues Album for the second time- the first time was in 1999-was that much sweeter because they were the hometown boys.

"Winning here in our community with our families and friends in attendance was really great, because it gave them the opportunity to share it with us. After all, it's our families, friends, community and fans that put us here," said Ronnie Douglas.

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Down but not out. Gone but not forgotten. Great Whale. Quebec's mega-hydroelectric project, named for the community it was bent on destroying, has been, for the moment, shut down. Time to breathe a collective sigh of relief. Time to congratulate the project's opponents on a job well done. Time to put the Whale to rest - for now.