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Congratulations to the many Native participants who took a part in making the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria the spectacular event it was.

The success of the games, and the dignity and poise with which you performed your duties there, certainly advanced the cause of First Nations people in Canada and

won the hearts of the people of the British Empire. For this the Nation is proud and grateful.

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Enough, already. Stop wasting our time and money and get back to business.

This was the best advice the Metis Nation of Alberta assembly could give to its elected leaders and was shouted from the roof tops in Fort McMurray over the Aug. 19 weekend.

The MNA's general assembly broke down into its usual fit of squabbles, infighting and power plays, leaving much of the important work of this valuable Aboriginal organization to go undone.

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The Garden River First Nation will add another 9,200 hectares of land to its reserve.

The announcement was made and the deed was done by Indian Affairs minister Ron Irwin when he signed two specific agreements on Aug. 12.

In both agreements, Garden River will retain all mineral rights on all transferred land.

It's been a complicated negotiation, said Hubert Ryan, Federal Negotiator for Lands and Trust Services. He said it's taken about six years to come to the final agreement.

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The newly elected president of the Indian Association of Alberta has announced his intention to wage war against what he describes as the federal government's Indian termination strategy.

Tom Cardinal said movements made toward self-government are designed to completely liquidate the Indian reserve system, resources and collective rights of the Indian nation and will extinguish First Nations' special status.

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At a two-day public meeting held at the Freight House Community Centre in Winnipeg, the Winnipeg Council of First Nations began the process of consulting people at the community level regarding the dismantling of Indian Affairs Canada.

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The Canadian Medical Associatin has called on the federal government to take immediate action to raise the level of health among Aboriginal people.

In a book by the CMA entitled Bridging the Gap: Promoting Health and Healing for Aboriginal Peoples in Canada, the authors write it's the government's responsibility to take action to improve the alarming situation.

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Battling factions of the Metis Nation of Alberta are taking the first tentative steps to quell the infighting that has plagued the organization for the past year.

Lyle Donald, vice-president of Zone four and MNA treasurer, said the organization is establishing an electoral commission whose job it will be to strengthen the existing bylaws. The hope is the commission report will set the organization in the right direction to avoid further costly squabbles over the intent of the bylaws.

MNA members learned over the Aug. 19 weekend at the annual assembly in

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The Government of the Northwest Territories has responded to a growing number of complaints of harassment in the workplace at the Keewatin Regional Health Board and has ordered an investigation into the working environment.

A total of 27 grievances have been lodged against the KRHB with the Union of Northern Workers and 19 with the Status of Women Council of the N.W.T. concerning both sexual and racial harassment at the board.

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Quebec's First Nations are approaching the upcoming provincial election on Sept. 12 with a mix of ambiguity and alarm.

On one hand, many are alarmed by the likelihood of a victory by the separatist Parti Quebecois, which boasts a number of candidates who don't hide their hostility to Native peoples. On the other, the vast majority of Native people living in Quebec are unlikely to cast a ballot in the election. Many First Nations aren't even allowing scrutineers or polling booths to set up in their communities.

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The Queen's visit to Canada wrapped up with political messages from Northern Aboriginal leaders and death threats.

In Yellowknife, Her Majesty met briefly with chiefs prior to a concert on Native music and dancing at a local park.

The chief of the Dene Nation, Bill Erasmus, took the opportunity to voice his frustration over a slow lands claims process. Erasmus told the Queen the federal government hasn't honored treaties signed during the reign of her great-grandmother.

He said that has "tarnished and sullied" the Crown's reputation.