Hopes raised. Hopes dashed. That's the story of the Kelowna Accord as of federal budget day May 2. Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Phil Fontaine said he was disappointed with the Conservatives' first budget presented to the House of Commons by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. He said the $5.1 billion deal made by the Liberal government at the First Ministers Meeting last year was a reasoned plan designed to eliminate Aboriginal poverty and close the gap in quality of life for Native populations.

It's been more than five months since the November 2005 announcement that an agreement-in-principle had been reached to pay former residential school students compensation for their experiences within the residential school system.

When Margaret Cardinal was a little girl living on the Saddle Lake reserve, she had never heard of an automobile. She was learning plenty from her mother about food preparation, clothes making, bead work and other interesting things. But with no television, no telephone, no books and no nearby roads, she had very little knowledge of the world outside of her community.

"I used to hear these noises and see lights on the trees at night," said Cardinal, an instructor in the Northern Lakes College Aboriginal Arts and Design program at Grouard. "It scared me."

A video entitled Meeting the Health Careers Challenge, was officially released on March 31 by the Treaty 7 Management Corporation in conjunction with the Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations. The video features current students enrolled in health professional programs from the Treaty 6 and Treaty 7 regions.

Treaty 7 health careers co-ordinator Bonnie Healy said the video is geared toward increasing the number of First Nations students choosing health careers. First Nations peoples face very poor health outcomes and are under-represented in the health professions.

The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples and the Native Women's Association of Canada signed a political protocol in Ottawa that allows for joint endeavors in policy development, communications and political strategy. The agreement aims to build on the efforts of both organizations to work with the new Harper Conservative government as it sets out to reshape Canada's Aboriginal Affairs policy.

The Aboriginal Women's Professional Association (AWPA) is set to host the third in a series of speakers' luncheons on April 29. The upcoming event will focus on Aboriginal women in leadership.

When Margaret Cardinal was a little girl living on the Saddle Lake reserve, she had never heard of an automobile. She was learning plenty from her mother about food preparation, clothes making, bead work and other interesting things. But with no television, no telephone, no books and no nearby roads, she had very little knowledge of the world outside of her community.

"I used to hear these noises and see lights on the trees at night," said Cardinal, an instructor in the Northern Lakes College Aboriginal Arts and Design program at Grouard. "It scared me."

For the second straight year an Aboriginal basketball tournament will be held in Calgary on Canada Day.

The second annual Aboriginal Youth Hoops Tournament is scheduled for July 1.

The inaugural event was held at Calgary's Millennium Park. But this year's tournament is moving indoors and will be staged at the Rundle Community Association.

The name of the event is somewhat misleading. It is not strictly for youth. Those eligible to take part are Aboriginal players aged 16 to 29.

Alberta's representatives are hoping for some improved performances at this year's National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC). The Canadian tournament, which begins on April 30, will be held in Kahnawake, Que.

Alberta will once again be sending two clubs-one girls', one boys' -to the NAHC.
As was the case at last year's national tournament held in Miramichi, N.B., this year's event will feature nine girls' and nine boys' squads.

Despite winning three of the six games it played a year ago, the Alberta boys' squad ended up placing seventh in its division.

Hank Williams First Nation, a film shot primarily on the Woodland Cree First Nation in the Peace River Country and financed in part by that community, has been nominated for Alberta Film and Television Awards in the categories of Best Picture, Best Screenwriter (Aaron James Sorensen), Best Director (Sorensen), Best Actor (Bernard Starlight) and Best Actress (Stacy DaSilva). The ceremony takes place in Edmonton on April 29.