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Hobbema's four Indian bands are suing the government of Canada for a declaration that commitments made by the government of Canada in the "Rupert's Land and Northwestern Territory Order" of 1870, are still binding today.

The four Bands filed a statement of claim in the Federal Court, Trial Division in Edmonton, March 18.

At a press conference in Edmonton, chiefs from three of the bands and Theresa Bull, representing the Louis Bull Band stated they would like to see the federal government "live up to the 117 year old Rupert's Land Order."

On February 21, 1983, after months of planning and negotiations on the part of some of the old staff from the defunct Alberta Native Communications Society (ANCS), Bert Crowfoot was made the acting director of the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta (AMMSA).

It was the beginning of an organization whose primary goal was to strive towards self-sufficiency as a leading Native Newspaper.

The newspaper took off from a little office supplied by Secretary of State, and from their building, a group of people began to work towards that goal.

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"Everyone is a unique individual," or so the saying goes. One of those individuals is Vic Reece, who is one of the exhibitors in the Loss Angeles Celebration of Canadian Native Contemporary Art which continues until April 26 at the Southwest Museum there.

Reece, who lives in Prince Ruper, BC, contributed a carved wooden portrait mask called "Spirit of Shaman" to the display. Since then, he says, he get "a lot of (phone) calls" about his work.

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"Everyone is a unique individual," or so the saying goes. One of those individuals is Vic Reece, who is one of the exhibitors in the Loss Angeles Celebration of Canadian Native Contemporary Art which continues until April 26 at the Southwest Museum there.

Reece, who lives in Prince Ruper, BC, contributed a carved wooden portrait mask called "Spirit of Shaman" to the display. Since then, he says, he get "a lot of (phone) calls" about his work.

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Elder Alex Crier said his Saddle Lake home has "no bathroom or running water." The Elder angrily shouted, "I call it an old chicken coop-a dump!"

Saddle Lake Reserve housing manager Oliver Brertton says that "it's up to the individual to keep the houses in shape."

Crier, who was born in 1919 on the Saddle Lake Reserve, says, "I stay 10 years in that house. I have to get out of there." He reluctantly admitted, "I'm kind of weak, getting' older every day and I can't stay there no more."

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Inside the new ST. Paul's Alcohol Treatment Centre here about 100 traditional Elders and spiritual leaders gathered in a sacred circle to share a common vision.

The Elders, representing almost every tribe in North America, gathered for five days from February 23 to 27 to review the philosophies, activities and future plans of the afour Worlds Development Project, based in the Faculty of Education at the University of Lethbridge.

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Elder Norbert Jebeaux says that time and time again he is questioned about the curious French name the 57-year-old inherited from his grandfather.

Translated into English, Jebeaux means "small boy."

"In the 1800s," Jebeaux explained, "a lot of crees were wiped out by smallpox at Moose Lake. My Grandfather was the lone survivor of the epidemic which took his parents, brothers and sisters. His whole family perished."

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Last year, more than 120 children went to Camp Mannawanis free. They were joined by another 240 campers who paid about $60 for a full week of camping.

The camp is completely owned and operated by the St. Paul Manawanis Native Friendship Centre, which started a massive campaign called Send A Kid To Camp last year, gathering sponsorship from local businesses, Alberta Social Services and Indian Affairs.

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Awareness of education programs directed to Native students in Alberta was the theme of a forum on Native education held at the University of Alberta (U of A) March 5.

Presentations were made by community-based, government and university education programs by several speakers to large audience filling the Kiva Room of the campus Education Building.

Dr. Ralph Sabey, director of the Native Education project of Alberta Education, spoke on the provincial effort to work with the Native community.

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The second section of this newspaper is devoted to the organization that publishes it, the Aboriginal Multi-Media Association of Alberta (AMMSA).

The occasion is our fourth birthday.

In the past, the emphasis of such celebrations has been on our achievements. We would have no trouble repeating that emphasis this year, for our growth and development continues.

Taking our lead from AMMSA President Fred Didzena's message on Page 48, however, this year we are concentrating on the people who make all of those achievements possible.