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FIRST PERSON

Dear Readers:

Writing this column, my last, is possibly the hardest task I've had to face in a while. Knowing what to jot down is difficult.

One thing is certain, the past two-and-a-half years have been fruitful. Much of

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Tansi, ahnee and hello. There's a railroad bridge in Ontario that is the seat of my dreams. It spans a stretch of the Lake of the Woods at the north edge of Kenora. To the average eye it's nothing more than a blackened width of steel, poised above the white water leading to a hydro dam.

My father walked this bridge. He had a small campsite in the bush beyond the town limits. Here, he attempted to live as he had always lived; free, unhampered by schedules, surrounded by the bush he knew so well.

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Tansi, ahnee and hello. There's a railroad bridge in Ontario that is the seat of my dreams. It spans a stretch of the Lake of the Woods at the north edge of Kenora. To the average eye it's nothing more than a blackened width of steel, poised above the white water leading to a hydro dam.

My father walked this bridge. He had a small campsite in the bush beyond the town limits. Here, he attempted to live as he had always lived; free, unhampered by schedules, surrounded by the bush he knew so well.

Page5

Tansi, ahnee and hello. There's a railroad bridge in Ontario that is the seat of my dreams. It spans a stretch of the Lake of the Woods at the north edge of Kenora. To the average eye it's nothing more than a blackened width of steel, poised above the white water leading to a hydro dam.

My father walked this bridge. He had a small campsite in the bush beyond the town limits. Here, he attempted to live as he had always lived; free, unhampered by schedules, surrounded by the bush he knew so well.

Page5

Tansi, ahnee and hello. There's a railroad bridge in Ontario that is the seat of my dreams. It spans a stretch of the Lake of the Woods at the north edge of Kenora. To the average eye it's nothing more than a blackened width of steel, poised above the white water leading to a hydro dam.

My father walked this bridge. He had a small campsite in the bush beyond the town limits. Here, he attempted to live as he had always lived; free, unhampered by schedules, surrounded by the bush he knew so well.

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On Easter Sunday, a thousand Christians gathered on Indian sacred territory to celebrate the rising of Christ with a sunrise ceremony. The agenda included a prayer for reconciliation with Native peoples. Apparently two Native churches were invited to the ceremony, but only a handful showed up. Representatives of the congregations verbally apologized for the wrong that was done to them. The Native people in attendance accepted their apologies and gifts, then returned to their homes.

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On Easter Sunday, a thousand Christians gathered on Indian sacred territory to celebrate the rising of Christ with a sunrise ceremony. The agenda included a prayer for reconciliation with Native peoples. Apparently two Native churches were invited to the ceremony, but only a handful showed up. Representatives of the congregations verbally apologized for the wrong that was done to them. The Native people in attendance accepted their apologies and gifts, then returned to their homes.

Page 4

On Easter Sunday, a thousand Christians gathered on Indian sacred territory to celebrate the rising of Christ with a sunrise ceremony. The agenda included a prayer for reconciliation with Native peoples. Apparently two Native churches were invited to the ceremony, but only a handful showed up. Representatives of the congregations verbally apologized for the wrong that was done to them. The Native people in attendance accepted their apologies and gifts, then returned to their homes.

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On Easter Sunday, a thousand Christians gathered on Indian sacred territory to celebrate the rising of Christ with a sunrise ceremony. The agenda included a prayer for reconciliation with Native peoples. Apparently two Native churches were invited to the ceremony, but only a handful showed up. Representatives of the congregations verbally apologized for the wrong that was done to them. The Native people in attendance accepted their apologies and gifts, then returned to their homes.

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Natives across Canada are gearing up for yet another fight with Ottawa. This time, however, it may be for their very existence.

The federal government will make it possible for bands to manage their lands as they see fit. That authority includes the "power to grant any right or interest in chartered land."

That means band could rent out land, harvest some resources (not including oil and gas) and set up reserve-based industries without the permission of Indian Affairs.