Renowned First Nations author Lee Maracle’s new book “First Wives Club: Coast Salish Style” has just been released by Theytus Books.

Maracle is a member of the Sto:lo Nation of British Columbia and has had a career that has spanned a period of more than 30 years.

She has produced novels, short fiction, and essays. Some of her acclaimed works include Ravensong, Sundogs, Bent Box, I Am Woman, Will’s Garden, Daughters Are Forever and Bobbi Lee, her legendary first book.

Artist—Desiree Dorion
Song—Soul Back Jack
Album—Soul Back Jack
Label—Independent

A recent article in the Winnipeg Free Press noted that Desiree Dorion is a lawyer.

Whether her legal expertise helped in the making of this album is uncertain, but the question put forth is: can this lawyer sing?  Not only can Ms. Dorion sing but she receives writing credits for all songs but one.

Windspeaker: What one quality do you most value in a friend?

Brian Knockwood: One quality that I value most in a friend is being there when I need them. Whether it is a shoulder to cry on after getting dumped by my snag, or if I am in need of a wing man for the following weekend, it really means a lot to me if I can depend on them to be there when needed. Especially if I’m short a few bucks for an Indian Taco.

People are upset that the person heading up

Perhaps there is a way to close the education gap between Aboriginal peoples and their non-Aboriginal counterparts without throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Canada is considering the way it funds education, while First Nations leaders are decrying the underfunding and commitment of government to educate their people.

On Sept. 21, the Assembly of First Nations began a week of activity on Parliament Hill to raise issues surrounding First Nations education, and the poor outcomes of Aboriginal people in school systems both on and off reserve.

A promising bull rider from the Okanagan First Nations died at a rodeo in Valemount in early July.

Makwala Derickson-Hall was killed on July 9 when he was stomped on by a bull after being bucked off at the Valemount Rodeo. He was 18.

Derickson-Hall’s cousin Chad Eneas, who was also competing in the same rodeo, was the lone family member who witnessed the incident.

Eneas, 33, said Derickson-Hall was more like a little brother to him. The pair were living together in Penticton at the time of his death.

Break out the barbecue Premier Gordon Campbell. Company’s coming. Expect them to arrive by water, and probably pretty cranky after the long trip.

They are coming to deliver a message, one that’s been three decades in the making: ‘Put a halt for once and for all to your plans to construct yet another dam in the Peace Country. Northern BC has suffered enough.’

The fight over the Site C dam is heating up and a coalition of environmentalists, First Nations and pioneer families are taking it to the BC legislature on Sept. 19.

University of British Columbia Professor David Close has discovered a steroid hormone in the Pacific lamprey that may help in the conservation of this eel-like fish, which dates back 500 million years and is culturally important to the tribes of the Columbia River.

The identification of the stress hormone also provides insight to evolutionary science about the development of stress hormones.

The Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) held an Admissions Information Session on Aug. 16 for Aboriginal students who may be interested in pursuing a career in medicine.

The session focused on Aboriginal people who are interested in applying to medical school, and highlighted some of the services and resources the school makes available to them. It also included information about the application process and some of the important deadlines students must meet in order to be considered for admission.

It’s official.
There will be no North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) in 2011.

But the Aboriginal Sport Circle (ASC), the governing body for Aboriginal sports in Canada, has stepped up and offered to help organize a variation of the games in 2012.

The 2011 NAIG had originally been awarded to Milwaukee, but the host organization announced in late June that it was withdrawing as host. As a result, members of the NAIG Council held a meeting in Winnipeg from Aug. 11 to 14 to determine their next steps.