The creator of Cowboys and Indians (and Metis?) will give a free public lecture and presentation of his work in Edmonton.

David Garneau's painting exhibition opens at Harcourt House Gallery on Nov. 23, the day after a lecture at MacEwan Centre for the Arts. The exhibition runs until Dec. 23.

In Garneau's own words the exhibit "wonders if Metis ought to be considered in the traditional cowboy and Indians dichotomy.

Laird Goulet of Rosetown, Sask. won the Peace Hills Trust 24th anniversary First Nations art contest in the adult category. Here he is congratulated on his win by Peace Hills Trust executive committee member Chief Victor Buffalo. Second place went to Leonard George of Merritt, B.C. and third went to Theresa Towers-Rickard of Red Deer. Honorable mentions were awarded to Sean Couchie of London, Ont. and Nancy Desjarlais of Courtney, B.C.

Hobbema country boy Shane Yellowbird pulled two awards at the inaugural Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards held in Winnipeg Nov. 3, Best New Artist for Life Is Calling My Name and Single of the Year for Beautiful Concept. Winners were selected by a community of online voters between Sept. 1 and Oct. 13 from a total of 56 nominees in 17 categories.

The Treaty Seven First Nations in southern Alberta are concerned that the South Saskatchewan River Basin Management Plan (SSRB) will hinder environment and economic development. Doug Ohrn, SSRB project manager, disagrees.

Nominations have opened for the Alberta Business Awards of Distinction, which celebrate success in the province's thriving business community. Deadline for entries is Nov. 14.

CHUM Limited has launched a national multi-platform campaign to solicit nominations for the 2007 Top 20 Under 20, honoring young Canadians who have demonstrated a significant level of achievement, leadership and innovation. The call for entries closes Jan. 22, 2007.

The arrival of students for the new school year at Grande Prairie Regional College (GPRC) was celebrated on Sept. 20. The Circle of Aboriginal Students (CAS) organized the day's events that began with a morning pipe ceremony in a new 19-foot tipi adjacent to the school. Nearby, geese on the fog-covered reservoir sang about leaving.

Pipe carrier, Elder Helen Piper of Grimshaw, welcomed 33 people into the tipi that had been erected on campus the previous week by CAS members.

Amisk Community School (ACS) believes that traditional Cree values, traditions and customs can offer unique solutions to the educational problems that plague all schools.

Mark Rota is a member of the management team at the school located 10 miles south of Lac la Biche on the Beaver Lake Cree Nation.

More than 300 Metis students were recognized at the Belcourt Brosseau Metis Awards Celebration of Educational Achievement in Edmonton on Sept. 30. Investing In Our Future Together was the theme of the gathering, celebrating the five-year anniversary of the awards. It brought together the award recipients and the award founders, Dr. Herb Belcourt, Orval Belcourt and Geroges Brosseau.

The awards give Metis Albertans the opportunity to get a post-secondary education and achieve career goals through a fund that has disbursed more than $1.3 million.

Marjorie Brunet has been extra busy this fall. She has made moccasins for the entire Ben Calf Robe School student population of 200.

Bryan Richardson is principal at the northeast Edmonton school. "Having Marjorie consent to make all these moccasins represented a huge undertaking. We are getting the students ready to share their culture and their dance expertise at CBC's Centre Stage in the station's broadcast centre downtown on Nov. 4," he said. The school's drumming and singing team will be performing as well, accompanying the dancers.