In a re-organization of duties in the provincial government, Toby Greschner will head the Northern Action Plan. Greschner spent several years as assistant deputy minister for the Northern Affairs branch of Ministry of First Nations and Métis Relations.

Prince Albert mayor Jim Scarrow was recognized recently for his support of the First Nations University of Canada during a trying time in its history. More than 100 dignitaries, students, academics and community members turned out to watch Scarrow receive the second-ever University of Regina’s President’s Community Award—and the first awarded to a person. U of R president Vianne Timmons said the mayor was chosen for his tireless support of the university when funding was jeopardized.

Meadow Lake Tribal Council will receive $537,928 in federal dollars for training and skills development. The Meadow Lake Tribal Council’s Foundations for Action project will assess 1,200 First Nations social assistance clients to determine their skills, education, and employment barriers. Following these initial assessments, over 950 clients will create action plans to enhance their job skills through additional training and employment support.

Henry Joseph Cummings, 70, pleaded guilty to defrauding the taxpayer-funded Métis Addictions Council of Saskatchewan, Inc. Cummings received a one-year conditional sentence with an order that he repay the amount of the fraud — about $8,200 — to the organization.  MACSI receives the majority of its operating dollars from the provincial Ministry of Health. Cummings was appointed to MACSI’s board of directors in June 2001. At the time, he was also an area director for the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan.

The first-ever First Nations Pavilion was hosted at this year’s Canadian Western Agribition by the Cowessess First Nation and Kawacatoose First Nation. “It has long been a goal of mine to share our culture,” said Elmer Eashappie, a member of Carry the Kettle Nakoda First Nation and architect of the pavilion, in a news release. Rick Poznikoff, manager of community relations and Aboriginal Affairs, with Canadian Pacific, said his company was pleased to support the event. “We value the role First Nations people have in our community.

The Métis Nation of Saskatchewan passed a resolution at its annual general meeting to “oppose and prohibit the storage and transportation of high level toxic nuclear waste in Saskatchewan.” The resolution is the latest move by Aboriginal and northern communities to derail attempts by the industry-based Nuclear Waste Management Organization to find a site for a long-term nuclear waste dump in Saskatchewan.

Human remains found during an excavation of a small area in a field 3 in the rural municipality of Silverwood on Dec. 3 have been determined to be of a historical nature. Consultation took place with forensic anthropologist, Dr. Ernie Walker and the Major Crime South Historical Case Unit. Members of the Saskatchewan Department of Heritage Conservation are attending to the site to continue with the scene examination. In July, two canoeists found human bones on the banks of Pipestone Creek near Moosomin. Those were also determined to be historical, between 500 to 1,000 years old.

Victoria Gold Corp. and the NaCho Nyak Dun First Nation of Yukon territory have signed a Letter of Intent for the purposes of staking NaCho Nyak Dun land adjacent to the corporation’s Dublin Gulch Project, nearly doubling the land package within NaCho Nyak Dun traditional territory. Victoria has staked 1,443 claims on two parcels of NaCho Nyak Dun land adjacent to and to the west and south of the existing Dublin Gulch Property. This ground is highly prospective, covers an area of 290 km2 and has not seen any exploration activity in more than 20 years.

The family of Angeline Pete, a 29-year-old woman who disappeared from Vancouver in May 2011, says police aren’t trying hard enough to find their loved one.
The young mother of a seven-year-old fled to the Downtown Eastside after suffering terrible domestic abuse. Grandmother Eileen Nelson said she spoke with Angeline every day, and sometimes several times a day until her disappearance. Mom Molly Dixon has been searching the streets of Vancouver for months in the hopes of uncovering clues to her daughter’s whereabouts.

Chief Shane Gottfriedson of the Tk’emlups Indian Band calls the proposed First Nations Transparency Act, Bill C-27, paternalistic and regressive. He said his band is open and responsible to it members, for example, with the band’s audited financial statements provided to each reserve household and financial and audit results posted on the band’s Web site. “The public needs to understand that we are a government and have a unique relationship with the government of Canada; we are urging the federal government to work with us, not against us.