When it comes to the world of art, the works of da Vinci and Picasso are easily recognizable. When it comes to Aboriginal art in Canada, Bob Boyer's name and work seem to hold a similar status.

Financial help is on the way to address the problem of family violence among First Nation communities.
On Oct. 24, Jim Prentice, minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) announced that a one-time investment of $6 million for 2006-07 will be provided to 35 INAC-funded family violence shelters to ensure they are better equipped to provide much-needed services to women and children on reserve.

Nineteen-year-old Alberta Eashappie-Prettyshield has added yet another accomplishment to her resume. On Oct. 16, she was one of 12 Aboriginal youth from across the country to receive a role model award from Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean during a ceremony at Rideau Hall.

About 100 people were on hand at the recent launch of the Aboriginal Learning Knowledge Centre that took place at the Wanuskewin Heritage Park located just outside the city.
The Aboriginal Learning Knowledge Centre is a non-profit group whose purpose is to collect and classify data from various Aboriginal educational institutions in an effort to find teaching methods that will benefit the wider community.

The University of Saskatchewan and University of Regina are teaming up with the Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority (NITHA), the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) and Health Canada's First Nations and Inuit Health Branch to find ways to increase the number of Aboriginal people employed in the province's health care sector.

Students at Yorkdale Central school in Yorkton were taken on a rollicking ride through Canadian history on Oct. 10, thanks to Buffalo Tales, a presentation by Ted Longbottom and Dan Koulack.
Longbottom is a Metis singer, songwriter and storyteller from Selkirk, Man. Koulack is a musician from New York who not only provides musical accompaniment, but also dons costumes to help Longbottom bring his stories to life.
The students responded immediately to Longbottom and Koulack's music, swaying, clapping and tapping in time.

If the provincial government's latest throne speech is any indication, increasing the opportunities available to Aboriginal people in Saskatchewan will be a priority during the coming year.

A decade has passed since the release of the final report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP). For three days in October, an impressive group of scholars, legal professionals, politicians and Elders came together to discuss the impact of the report and the developments in the arena or Aboriginal policy that have occurred over the past 10 years.

The federal government is doing its share to ensure the 2008 North American Indigenous Games are a success.
Canada's Minister for Sport Michael Chong announced on Nov. 3 the government is pledging $3.5 million to the event.
This support represents slightly more than one-third of the anticipated $10 million that will be required to run the games that will be held in British Columbia's Cowichan Valley.

The sounds of drummers and singers rang throughout the Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon from Oct. 27 to 29 as more than 20,000 participants enjoyed the 2006 edition of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) Powwow.
The powwow, the last of the season and one of the largest in Canada, included a celebration of the FSIN's 60th anniversary and celebration the Year of the First Nations Child.