Countless hockey-playing youngsters dream of growing up and graduating to the National Hockey League one day.
It's not too often one hears of individuals who aspire to play pro hockey ­ in the minor leagues. But since there are 30 NHL franchises, there's only a certain amount of playing jobs available in the world's premier hockey circuit. As a result, those who do not make the grade but wish to continue playing hockey can do so in the minors, provided of course, they are talented enough to toil at that level.

"We are a school that I am proud of," asserts the principal of Toronto's First Nations School, Wayne Kodje. He has been leading the school for the past eight years.
The school got its 15 minutes of fame when the Safety Schools Report was released in January. The report looks at the issue of safety in over 400 Toronto schools. Kodje's school ranked lowest out of all the schools.
The report addresses childrens' success in the school and makes recommendations on suspensions, school funding, and the availability of support staff.

I know Christmas is over but I think the sentiment remains. I am referring to the people of Stony and Kettle Point. What a great Christmas present they got this year ­ their own provincial park. I bet you Santa just about had a coronary when he saw that on his list. But, as the yuletide story goes, he knew who had been naughty, and who had been nice. He, just like Justice Sidney Linden, commissioner of the inquiry into the 1995 death of Native protester Dudley George, knew that the government of former Ontario Premier Mike Harris and the Federal Government had been on the naughty side.

Poor food choices and snacking between meals are the main reasons why young Aboriginal women are more likely to become overweight than compared to their non-Aboriginal counterparts.
Statistics Canada recently released a report citing two-thirds, or 67 per cent, of Aboriginal women in a study group were considered overweight compared to 55 per cent of non-Aboriginal women. Among those who were overweight, 41 per cent were deemed obese compared to 18 per cent of non-Aboriginal women.

The National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation Oil and Gas Trades and Technology Bursary and Scholarship program is being added to the growing list of available financial assistance to students.
Aboriginal students can apply for the bursary and scholarship awards while studying at accredited colleges, universities and institutes in Alberta. Registered Aboriginal apprentices in Alberta can also apply. Some of the eligible programs include a general education diploma, applied diploma or degree programs in the oil and gas trades and technology fields.

The 2006 Census final report reveals more than one million people self-identified as Aboriginal and are the youngest growing population in Canada. A total of 1,172,790 people reported Aboriginal identity either as First Nation, Métis or Inuit. The average age for Aboriginal people was 27, with nearly half of the population age 24 and under. The report shows Aboriginal people account for 3.8 per cent of the total population of Canada, an increase from 3.3 per cent in 2001.

Months without a president of the Métis National Council (MNC), two court interventions and a general assembly gone wrong, yet Métis delegates are determined they will have an election this February.
"Definitely, there will be an election on February 23,rd there's no question about it," said Tony Belcourt, president of the Métis Nation of Ontario.

Dene Tha' wins in Court

It's not very often that land gets restored to Aboriginal people, especially land on the shores of Lake Huron that was a popular provincial park.
But just before Christmas, Ontario Aboriginal Affairs Minister Michael Bryant travelled to southwestern Ontario to announce that Ipperwash Provincial Park would be returned to the Kettle and Stony Point First Nations.
The land where Dudley George was shot and killed fighting for Aboriginal rights will again be in the care of its original occupants.
For Dudley's brother Sam, no other outcome was acceptable.

The Frank Paul Inquiry is in phase two with the focus on the response of the Vancouver Police department and the B.C. Coroners Service, but their response is something the Aboriginal participants say they already know. Now they want justice and change.
"Justice, would be us revealing everything that happened to Frank Paul from the moment he died right up until this point where we are having an inquiry into his death and make the recommendations that would evolve out of this report," said Dan David, vice president of the United Native Nations (UNN).