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Dear Editor:

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Dear Editor:

The Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs in Northwest British Columbia are culturally Gitksan, although a separate entity from the Delgamuukw (vs the Queen) plaintiffs. The chiefs are currently working on a national campaign to stop the much hailed Nisga'a Final Agreement in its present form. The Nisga'a treaty is currently being read in Victoria, then moves to Ottawa after it's ratified in B.C. No one disputes the fact that the Nisga'a deserve a treaty on land to which they are entitled, however some serious issues remain.

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A second group of former Alberni Indian Residential School students has come forward to launch legal action against Arthur Henry Plint, the United Church of Canada, and the federal government.

Dean Wilson (Haida), Raymond Moore (Nisga'a), William Joseph (Songhees), Mark Reid (Kwagiulth), Peter Knighton (Gitxsan), Daniel Edgar (Ditidaht) and Matthew Touchie (Ucluelet), filed their class-action suit in Vancouver, claiming they were physically and sexually abused by Plint while they were students at the school.

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After a few unexpected delays, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs will finally be holding its special chief's assembly on the Framework Agreement Initiative (FAI) on April 8 and 9.

They've chosen the Hotel Fort Garry, where the FAI was originally signed, as the site for the special assembly.

That the meeting promises to be a pivotal one for the self government process in the province is highlighted by the fact that the long-awaited consultants report on the FAI process will finally be released.

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Scientists at the John P. Robarts Research Institute and spokesmen for the Sandy Lake First Nation announced a genetic discovery last month that may lead to better prediction and control of diabetes in Aboriginal people.

The doctors have discovered a genetic mutation in the Oji-Cree of Sandy Lake, Man. that may hold the answer to that population's diabetes epidemic. The new gene has so far only been seen in Sandy Lake people, although other Native groups have been tested. The Cree in the Sandy Lake area do not seem to have the genetic abnormality.

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As has happened each year since he was shot to death by Ontario Provincial Police Acting Sgt. Kenneth Deane in 1995, ceremonies marking Dudley George's birthday were conducted in various locations across Ontario on March 17.

It was the fourth time family members and others have participated in the annual demonstrations intended to remind the general public that justice has still not been done in this matter.

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The atmosphere was electric, the arena packed to overflowing, when the Onion Lake Winter Hawks challenged the Lloyd-minster Jr. B Bandits on Feb. 4.

More than 1,800 people filled the stands of the Civic Centre in Lloydminster to watch the "new kids on the block" take on the well-seasoned Bandit team, whose eight-time winning streak in Northern Alberta Jr. B league championships had made them no stranger to success.

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An idea first reported in October of 1997 has come to the 'put up or shut up' point and the man behind the idea needs to know if people want him to continue.

Gregg Lindros' Breakaway Hockey Foundation is still hard at work pursuing funding support for an on-reserve alternative independent school that will offer educational and athletic opportunities for Aboriginal young people from all parts of the province and the country.

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The 1999 Pan Am Games: For athletes it's a time to compete. For civic and provincial politicians and local business people it's a time for the City of Winnipeg and the province to take the spotlight.

But for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC), this summer is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to highlight First Nations' demands and conditions on an international stage.

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At five-foot-six, Mitch Lamoureux is about half a foot too tall to be a jockey.

Considered too short to become a regular NHL player, Lamoureux has still been able to enjoy a rather decent pro hockey career. In his 17th season as a pro, he currently toils for the American Hockey League's Hershey Bears.

Lamoureux, 36, believes the time has come to hang up his skates for good. He's expected to retire after the Bears' season concludes this spring.