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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.

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The Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company (SNTC) is offering up an evening filled with fine food, live entertainment and a chance to bid on works created by some of the country's most talented Aboriginal artists, during the third annual Expression Aboriginal Art Auction taking place at TCU Place in Saskatoon on Feb. 8.

The art viewing is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. During the viewing, the staff of TCU Place will be serving up a variety of cuisine, a wine tasting will be held and guitarist Ben Schenstead will provide entertainment for auction attendees.

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Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Nation Chief Phil Fontaine said the fight for an apology is on hold until the next, and last, milestone on the road to a final residential schools settlement agreement has been passed.

On Dec. 15 Ontario Superior Court Justice Warren Winkler signed off on the agreement that would eventually see former residential school students receive a common experience payment (CEP) of $10,000, plus $3,000 for each year they spent in the schools.

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An opportunity to share Blackfoot culture online with students across the province has representatives at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre and Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park excited.

"We have many students who can't come to our site because of distances and finances," says Jim Martin, education specialist at Head-Smashed-In, located near Fort Macleod in southwestern Alberta. "This will give them the opportunity to talk to a native guide and to learn about the culture."

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There's no stopping hiphop group REDDNATION (RN), or powwow group Northern Cree, as they continue to make waves in the music industry.

Northern Cree has been nominated for a third time to receive a Grammy Award in Hollywood next month, while RN has already picked up awards here in Canada.

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A report by an Edmonton-based group says the root causes of a serious social problem must be addressed if lives are to be saved.

"You can create as many programs as you want for Aboriginal women, but it's men who are murdering them," states the report released by the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women (IAAW).

That sentiment is especially poignant at a time when the headlines in the daily newspapers in Edmonton repeatedly recount gruesome details from the trials of those accused of murdering an Aboriginal woman and a teenage Aboriginal girl.

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Premier Ed Stelmach's blending of Aboriginal Affairs with Intergovernmental and International Affairs in his new cabinet may not be a bad thing, says one Aboriginal politician.

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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 that 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."

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Staff and clients of the Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society will sorely miss their mentor, Shauna Seneca, but husband Brad Seneca and his managers vow to carry on her vision of helping to heal Aboriginal people.

Shauna passed away suddenly on Dec. 14 from a blood clot following knee surgery, leaving the city to grieve her unexpected passing. Even Mayor Stephen Mandel interrupted city budget deliberations for a moment of silence on the day after her death.

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First of all, I want to say "Happy New Year" to everyone!

It seems that as our world speeds up faster and faster, it's important to take time to be quiet with ourselves. I know you probably don't need anyone to tell you how important it is to slow down and take care of yourself every once in a while, but I'm reminding you to actually do it now and then.