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KI members jailed for protecting their land

First Nations leaders in Northern Ontario were sentenced to jail after refusing to back down in their fight for rights to their traditional lands.
On March 17, Ontario Superior Court Judge Patrick Smith sentenced Chief Donny Morris and other council members of the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) First Nation - located about 1,000 kilometres north of Thunder Bay - each to six months in jail for contempt of court.

Caledonia calls for government action

The end of February marked two years since protests by Six Nations members stopped the building of a subdivision on disputed lands in Caledonia, ON.
The passing of the anniversary has sparked a new round of public discussion and calls for action.
Federal Liberal Aboriginal Affairs critic Anita Neville called on the federal government to take action and bring a resolution to the dispute as quickly as possible.

More awareness needed about Gladue Decision

The 1999 landmark Supreme Court of Canada case called the Gladue Decision is what legal experts from across the country will meet about in Toronto on April 19.
"One of the issues is that Gladue is not really being considered to the extent it should be by the courts when Aboriginal people are being sentenced and that is not only true in Ontario, but in the rest of the country as well," said Jonathan Rudin, Program Director of Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto.

Publisher's Message

Twenty-five years old! It seems just like yesterday that we were submitting our proposal to establish the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society (AMMSA) and its fledgling newspaper - later to be named Windspeaker. AMMSA was fortunate to have a board of directors and management that had the foresight to plan for the future and begin a journey towards self sufficiency and financial independence.

[ footprints ] Nora Bernard - Nora Bernard fought for justice in the lives of family and friends

Voice faltering, Natalie Gloade talks about the unread Christmas cards she found in her late mother's mailbox ­ holiday wishes from residential school survivors who wanted to thank Nora Bernard for going to bat for them.
Sadly, the Mi'kmaq Elder of Millbrook First Nation, near Truro, N.S., died on Dec. 27, 2007 before she could fully appreciate how much she means to a nation.