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"Indian people find themselves in a leaking canoe, roaring down a churning river without paddles. The raging river represents the direction of society and the Canadian government and the lack of paddles represents the Indians' inability to exercise our federal franchise in any meaningful manner."

That analogy made to emphasize the powerlessness Indian people feel in federal elections was in a brief presented to the Royal Commission on Electoral Reform and Party Financing May 16 on Siksika Nation Reserve.

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A small Treaty 8 Indian band in northern B.C. is locked in a land-claim dispute with the government similar to the one that has gripped the Lubicon Indians for more than 50 years.

Indian leaders of the McLeod Lake Band are now in a desperate search for members they believe are living in Alberta.

Band councilor Verne Solonas said the TseKeh'ne Indians are fighting the province and the federal government for 40,000 square-acres of land, but they have to first prove they're part of Treaty 8.

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Hundreds of Native volunteers are desperately needed for the North American Indigenous Games to be held in Edmonton June 30-July 8.

With just five weeks to go about 2,500 to 3,000 people are needed to fill an array of positions from clerk-typists to receptionists, to drivers.

About 800 volunteers have been drawn from Edmonton's Chinese, Filipino, and English-Canada populations, said an exhausted Leonita Gutierrez, the volunteers' manger.

But many more are needed.

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Quietly a circle forms, hands hold hands and heads bow while advisor/elder Harley Crowchild says a prayer. Sweetgrass burns and an inmate uses a feather to send whiffs of smoke on the praying participants.

The Native criminal justice task force was getting a firsthand insight into Native spirituality as part of a May 11 visit to Drumheller medium correctional institution to hear inmate's views on the workings of the criminal justice system.

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The Enoch Cree Nation has launched a $450 million lawsuit against Indian Affairs.

The reserve is asking for $400 million for lost revenue and another $50 million as compensation for land turned over to the federal government.

The band accuses Indian Affairs of breach of trust, negligence, mismanagement of oil and gas revenues and wrongfully taking reserve land, Chief Jerome Morin said at a May 18 news conference in Edmonton.

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From the opening-day pipe ceremony to the Friday evening feast and round dance, Native Awareness Week in St. Paul emphasized communication, understanding and friendship between Natives and non-Natives. It stressed education as the tool to achieve all three.

Regional high school Native education coordinator Andy Jackson, the Native parent advisory group and the 18-menber school Native club helped plan the week-long activities in conjunction with Education Week.

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Lubicon Chief Bernard Ominayak pulled no punches in a speech to St. Paul high school students during the town's Native Awareness Week.

A good number of the 450 people in attendance came to hear Ominayak, who dealt with the problems facing aboriginal people like land claims and treaty rights' disputes. Awareness week ran from April 30-May 4.

"If the government feels it can shortchange aboriginal people, you will see a settlement in days. On the other hand if aboriginal people hold onto their treaty, there will be no settlement," said Ominayak.

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In 1930 Jean and Joe Willier made their way up to the altar inside a Roman Catholic church and were married in holy matrimony.

Sixty years later on April 30, they celebrated their marriage by renewing their vows at their Sucker Creek church.

They arrived at the church in a horse-drawn carriage. Don Calliou, a former chief of Sucker Creek Indian Reserve and a long-time resident, noted "this was the same way they arrived at the church 60 years ago -- in a wagon."

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The city's two school boards are ignoring Native calls to set up a separate Indian school for Calgary's rapidly expanding Native population.

It's needed in order to stop Indian children from dropping out, senior administrators with the public and Catholic school boards were told at a recent Native urban parent urban parent advisory committee conference.

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Calgary Native Awareness Week organizers have their sights set on making the seven-day extravaganza a year-round event to promote aboriginal culture in southern Alberta.

It's a vision they hope will be recognized throughout North America.

Native awareness week co-ordinator Robert Laboucane said his group wants to turn their efforts into a world-class operation similar to the famed Calgary Exhibition by the success of last year's Native and non-Native communities.