Page 19

Army fatigues and traditional dance regalia, Earl Charters wears them both well. He's been in the Canadian Armed Forces since 1989, and has been traditional dancing for the last three years.

"I like what I do," said Charters, who was born in Merritt, B.C, and comes from a family of 11 children. His father Dempsey Charters is a retired logger and cowboy who is from the Shulus Reserve. His mother Mary is a memer of the Okanagan Indian Band in Vernon, B.C. to which Charters also belongs. Both parents live in Merritt.

Page 18

What happens when you admire people who make you laugh, like Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, and David Letterman? The answer was clear to Gerry Barrett - become a comedian.

He is one of the acts that works the crowds at Rumors, a comedy club in Winnipeg.

"The club is great. They are behind me all the way. They are a great bunch of people to work with," said Barrett.

Page 17

Self government is a major key to the resolution of many of the pressing issues facing Aboriginal people, a Sudbury conference of Elders has been told.

Assembly of First Nations National Chief, Phil Fontaine, was speaking at Laurentian University on March 9. He said eradicating poverty, dealing with poor housing, and addressing health issues, like rampant diabetes, are major challenges facing Canada's Aboriginal people. He also listed high unemployment and the high incidence of incarceration as other challenges.

Page 16

Executives of an American-based cigarette company pled guilty in late 1998 to funding and directing cross-border cigarette smuggling in the early 1990s.

Page 15

It's not a land claim; it's not a fight for determination of Aboriginal title. But it is a significant court battle that will be of great interest to all Indigenous peoples in Canada and around the world.

Beginning May 17, one entire week of court time has been set aside in the City of Brantford's Ontario Court of Justice as Six Nations' elected council attempts to force the federal and Ontario governments to account for Six Nations lands and monies held in trust by the Crown.

Page 14

The Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation council is sure it has a legitimate claim on its traditional homeland. Council is just not sure what category the claim falls under.

Chief Carolyn King said her research staff has made a case that all lands south of Front Street (which runs east/west across downtown Toronto) were not part of her people's 1805 surrender of the land where Canada's largest city now stands.

Page 12

A protracted and emotional custody dispute centering on a four-year-old child waged by the boy's maternal Native grandfather and his adoptive non-Native American grandparents finally played itself out last week in Winnipeg as the toddler was handed over to be taken to the United States.

For the boy's grandfather, known simply as Buddy, the transfer was a devastating blow in his year-long battle to keep the child.

Page 11

Within the growing and diverse Native community, there seems to be an ongoing ideological battle raging, one that seems to have reversed itself from what was practised decades ago.

When I was growing up, I remember that the more "Native" you looked, i.e. dark skinned with prominent Aboriginal features, the lower you were on the social totem pole (no cultural appropriation of West Coast symbolism intended).

Page 10

Like his father, grandfather and great grandfather before him, John Perks has commercially fished on southern Georgian Bay all his life. But now he's been told that his fish quota has been used up by Bruce Peninsula Native people.

Two fishing tugs from the Nawash band from the Cape Croker reserve and one from the Saugeen First Nation reserve moved to Meaford, Ont. about 30 kilometres east of Owen Sound earlier in the year.

Page 9

An organization that provides help to women and children in times of crisis is itself seeking help from the town of Fort Qu'Appelle, Sask.

At a recent town council meeting, the board that oversees the operation of the Qu'Apple Haven women's shelter in Fort Qu'Appelle, asked the town to consider a break on its taxes.

The Qu'Appelle Haven pays about $7,000 a year in municipal taxes, said board member Joan Bellegarde. In comparison, its shelter in Regina pays about $70 in property taxes.