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The Fox Lake Cree Indian Band in northern Manitoba emphasized the effects of substance abuse on personal health in its first year of participation in National Addictions Awareness Week.

"Three days of activities were well attended by the majority of our 400 people," says Sophie Beardy, the community's Native drug and alcohol awareness worker. "We saw videos on such topics as addiction and recovery, fetal alcohol syndrome and drinking and driving."

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Peter Tapatai seems to make a practice of being in the right place at the right time.

"He has rescued people stuck on high rocks and saved kids from disastrous results in a bad sniffing session," says Norm McCallum, alcohol and drug specialist for the Keewatin region of the Northwest Territories. "And he lives a good, clean lifestyle, too."

Tapatai, a family man in his late 30s, is employed by the local communications corporation at Baker Lake, N.W.T. and is involved in many local community activities.

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Most of Canada will hold National Addictions Awareness Week activities Nov. 18-24, but British Columbia's kick-off ceremony and activities will get underway several days earlier.

"We wanted to coincide with the provincial drug awareness week which begins Nov. 4," explains Deborah Senger, regional co-ordinator for National Addictions Awareness Week in Vancouver. Senger feels the goals of the two yearly awareness weeks are similar. The provincial slogan is Be Part of the Solution.

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"The goal is to have all Indian and Inuit Communities, bands and organizations participate in the Join the Circle Campaign," says Louis Mayo, National Addictions Awareness Week Co-ordinator at the Nechi Institute.

Last year 405 Native communities sent in declarations of intent to participate and over 18,000 people were involved.

"This unity exemplifies the work being accomplished by Indian and Inuit people to fight addictions in their communities," adds Mayo.

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A tiny village located in Canada's Northwest Territories received support from an unexpected source last year. The 150 students at the Attanajuak school wrote Hulk Hogan, one of their most popular heroes, and invited him to participate in their 1989 Stop Smoking and Say No to Drugs activities.

"Although the World Wrestling Federation champion couldn't attend the week-long festivities, he threw his support behind the project," says former community health nurse Shelly Fletcher.

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Dear Editor:

After reading a few issues of the Windspeaker, my interest in Joe Redcrow's Cree syllabic section has heightened to the point where I would like to request of you, the availability of a Cree syllabic typewriter.

Upon looking at a few issues of your Cree syllabic writing I am now reassured that there exists a typewriter of that nature. Although I have been informed orally and in the written form that such a typewriter does not exist.

Your attention and reply on the above request would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

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Has it really been five years?

Because it's been that long since the first AMMSA (Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta) newspaper was printed, this week was a good time to dust off those first issues and see what was making the headlines five years ago today.

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Businessman Archie Gladue was in Edmonton Feb. 11 to receive an award from Alberta Indian Investment Corporation for operating the Indian Business of the Year.

Gladue, who owns Lasso Contracting with Terry Hanlon, received the Honourable Ralph Steinhauer Award for his business.

Gladue has been with Lasso Contracting since its inception nine years ago. The company contracts in the construction and oil industries. About 50 per cent of his work comes from Indian reserves and communities in northern Alberta. "They are a major part of our success," he says.

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The Lubicon band is suing McKnight for failing to order an environmental study on the proposed Daishowa pulp mill.

The Japanese forest products company was given government approval and financial assistance to begin a $500-million pulp mill operation which involves cutting down trees on land claimed by the Lubicon band.

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Apartments, hotels to come

A "critical housing shortage" at zero-vacancy rated Fort Chipewyan is being curbed with the building of new homes for the town's 1,500 residents, says John Rigney, manager of the Fort Chipewyan band.

An official opening ceremony was held at Fort Chip in January to acknowledge the completion of seven new houses built at the townsite with financial assistance from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).