Saskatchewan Chiefs have drawn a line in the sand. They have united and are taking a stand against the federal governments current control methods over post-secondary education for First Nations.

Approximately forty chiefs and members of First Nations voiced their frustrations during the Saskatchewan caucus session at the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) general assembly in Winnipeg on July 21.

A survey which included Saskatchewan’s Indigenous people has told a story that academics weren’t expecting: residential schools have shaped the memory of a group of people.

“The results were surprising, because almost everything it told us was new, especially the impact of residential schools,” said Gary Friesen, of the University of Manitoba.
Residential schools were not specified in the questions asked on the survey, but were offered voluntarily as a factor shaping history by those responding.

For the sixth year in a row, the family of the late Daleen Bosse walked and ran in her honour across part of Saskatchewan from July 12-14.

Bosse was 25-years-old when she was last seen at a Saskatoon nightclub in May of 2004. At the time, she was an education student and married with a little girl. Her family maintained it wasn’t like her not to come home or be in contact with them and believed her to be missing.
Later that summer, they held a walk from Saskatoon to her home community of Onion Lake Cree Nation to raise awareness about her and other missing Aboriginal women.

The Frontier Centre for Public Policy (FCPP), based in Winnipeg, conducted their fourth annual Aboriginal Governance Index (AGI) in three provinces.

A new power station in the works, Northland Power, is making an effort to involve First Nations surrounding North Battleford in the construction of a $700 million power station, says a spokesperson for the organization. Hands-on involvement is promised to bands that opposed the project from its inception.

Director of Communications for Northland Power, Boris Balan, said he has been keeping close contact with First Nations, such as Red Pheasant, who has publicly accused Northland Power of not consulting with local First Nations on the new power station.

Bands assert rights at Porcupine Plain
Provincial Forest

A peaceful occupation from August 9-15 at the Porcupine Provincial Forest was staged by surrounding bands frustrated by a failure to consult with them in plans to extract resources from their traditional land.

From muzzle-loading and knife throwing to a ride on a Red River ox-cart, Fort Carlton Provincial Park was an interesting place to be this summer. Starting as a fur trading post in 1810, the 200th birthday of the fort is a great time to experience Aboriginal history first-hand.
Fort Carlton was a main fur-trading post for most of its first 75 years. Lorraine Harder, Senior Interpreter at the park notes that celebrating the fur trade era during the 125th anniversary of the events of 1885 is important because it shows the equal partnership between First Nations and Europeans.

On a hill overlooking a valley on the Poundmaker Cree Nation, community members and visitors gathered on July 2 to watch the historical moment of the 1885 ‘Battle of Cutknife Hill’ come to life.

Blasts from a single cannon and various rifles were fired from the hands of Northwest Mounted Police who aimed at Indian warriors dressed in traditional garb, rifles in hand and riding atop horses.

Band members decided to do the re-enactment of the battle as part of a commemoration celebration from June 28-July 4, with funds provided by Saskatchewan West Central Tourism Region.

After several close attempts in recent years, an Alberta-based women’s team has recaptured its national fastball crown.

The Red Nation Jets, based in Alexis, Alta., won the women’s division at this year’s Canadian Native Fastball Championships, which concluded on Aug. 1.

The Batoche National Historical Site was bustling with activity on July 18, as hundreds of people gathered to celebrate the Northwest Resistance that happened exactly 125 years ago. 

“I can see that people really felt strongly about coming together in a peaceful environment,” said Métis Nation-Saskatchewan President Robert Doucette in an interview with Sage.

“Tragic things happened in 1885 and from all of that tragedy I think Batoche is now coming to symbolize a place of peace… where families can reconnect.”