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Twenty-nine years after the murder of high school student Helen Betty Osborne outside the town of The Pas, her family has received the Manitoba government's apology for bungling its investigation of the case. On July 14, Manitoba Justice Minister Gord Mackintosh admitted that his department's predecessors in the former Conservative government had mishandled the 1971 criminal investigation. As a result, no charges were laid for 16 years. Only one man was convicted of killing the girl from Norway House, although four were directly implicated.

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The Aboriginal People's Television Network (APTN) will apologize to billionaire and media mogul Ted Turner for a story that aired on its national current affairs program InVision.

Comments by Ted Turner used in the story were taken out of context, portraying him as racially insensitive.

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There were whispers along the campaign trail about it, but debate started in earnest outside the Ottawa Civic Centre on July 12 when Treaty 3 Grand Chief Leon Jourdain, a Phil Fontaine supporter, slammed Matthew Coon Come for his Pentecostal Christian beliefs, and an alleged lack of respect for traditional spirituality.

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Newly elected Assembly of First Nations Chief Matthew Coon Come made a strong statement of support for the community of Burnt Church, embroiled in a battle of wills with the Department of Firsheries and Oceans over fishing rights. Speaking to the community and the press on Aug. 17, the new national chief stated that he was there to show his unequivocal support.

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Amateur video showing a federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans boat ramming and sinking a much smaller boat carrying three Mi'kmaq fishermen on Aug. 29 leaves very little doubt that government employees are prepared to use violence to enforce federal fishing regulations.

Burnt Church First Nation spokesperson Karen Somerville said the chief and council are demanding that RCMP investigate and charge the DFO agents. She said the video is evidence of attempted murder.

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AFN chief Matthew Coon Come told the whole world on his first day in office that he is a Cree, not a Canadian citizen. This was no doubt meant to send a message to Canada. Just in case they didn't realize it yet, Coon Come made it clear that the Liberal Party/Indian Industry soft-ballers had left the building and had gone back to their government jobs; some new players had taken over, and these guys and gals played hard ball.

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As the first summer of the new millennium winds down, it's interesting to note that there is a new feeling in Indian Country. Different sounds are coming out of Ottawa where the highest profile Indigenous political organization in the country has recently seen a changing of the guard.

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Just who are these government officials that the Grand Council of Crees is calling treaty busters, and who are the big business cohorts that will be slapping each other on the back when every last tree is cut down in Quebec?

They're educated, but not too smart. Maybe when they run out of secluded places to build their summer mansions and all their docks sit six feet above the water line they'll see the light. When there's no more river to float their bateaux! Lawyers and forest products companies. And two levels of government as enablers.

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Two new plays opened within two days of each other in Toronto this last January, and epitomized the healthy state of Native theatre in Canada.

The first play, The Trickster of Third Avenue East, is an auspicious debut for first-time playwright Darrell Dennis, while the musical Rose is the long-awaited third instalment to Tomson Highway's Wasaychigan Hill saga that started with Rez Sisters and Dry Lips Oughta Move To Kapuskasing.