Page 19

The Calgary Aboriginal Friendship Centre will be teeing off this spring with a new youth golf program for 30 Aboriginal girls called Swing into Action.

The unique recreational opportunity will start this February and run for a total of 11 weeks. The first three weeks of the program will consist of cultural awareness, healthy living and nutrition workshops, with the final eight weeks providing participants with a basic introduction to the game of golf.

Page 18

There can't be too many better feelings for a parent than having their child win a world championship.

Lynda Price is one of those parents. Her 19-year-old son Carey was a goaltender for the Canadian squad, which captured the gold medal at the world junior (under 20) hockey championships in early January in Sweden.

As proud of she is of her puck-stopping son, Lynda Price, who is the chief for British Columbia's Ulkatcho First Nation, is thrilled perhaps even more about the possible effects of Carey's accomplishment.

Raven's Eye Page 17

Page 16

People wanting to find out more about their Aboriginal ancestry now have a new tool that can help them in their search.

Tracing Your Aboriginal Ancestors in the Prairie Provinces: A Guide to the Records and How to Use Them was published in the fall of 2006 by the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society with financial support from the Metis National Council.

Sage

Page 16

After two years of serving as Saskatchewan's poet laureate, Louise Halfe handed the reigns over to Robert Currie on Jan. 1.

Halfe, who is also know as Sky Dancer, said she found great satisfaction in travelling throughout the province and interacting with the people during her time in the role.

Halfe travelled the province extensively almost 25 years ago and doing it for a second time through her position was a real eye opener for the respected writer.

Page 15

Saddle Lake's Akina Shirt has a big gig coming up-she's singing O Canada in Cree in front of the entire country.

The 13-year-old honours student says she's excited "but a little nervous" to deliver her powerful rendition of the anthem on Hockey Night in Canada on Feb. 3. Her song will kick off the game between the Calgary Flames and the Vancouver Canucks.

"I've sung this song lots of times," Shirt said. "I've sung it at some other shows, and I practice singing it on my own, in my room, quite a bit."

Alberta Sweetgrass

Page 15

When the Alberta government told Caslan school principal Tim Murphy that his school wasn't a success he challenged that notion.

"What is success? How do you define it?" he asked.

Murphy felt his Metis students faced challenges that many other students didn't have to overcome.

"A lot of the kids here are dealing with fetal alcohol syndrome. A lot of them are abused or have family issues."

Ontario Birchbark

Page 14

Aboriginal squads were fairly successful at a unique hockey tournament held in Toronto in late December.

Four Aboriginal clubs competed in the second annual Canadian Multicultural Hockey Championships, which were staged from Dec. 27 to 30.

The tournament pitted teams featuring players from various ethnic backgrounds.

Page 13

All nations have their own political origin, and rhythm. The imposed, foreign, titanic Indian Act, does not give pattern, reason or logic to the rhythm of First Nations "dialogue." Yet, it speaks directly to, it speaks directly for, and speaks directly against First Nations cultural integrity, political autonomy and human dignity in a not-so-comedic monologue.

Page 13

I left home, a small Ojibway First Nation in central Ontario, way back in 1980. The reason:

college and a desire to see if there was more to life then country music, mosquitoes, and baloney. Twenty-six years later, it looks like I will be returning home. Much has changed in that intervening time ? both in my community and in myself.