The misfortune of the seal hunt is not the fault of Paul McCartney or animal rights groups, but on the hunt itself. Activists make great scapegoats but the hunt has been documented, the brutal chaos enshrined in photos, on video and in eyewitness accounts. Inuit economic devastation comes not from activists, but is a product of the larger commercial hunt. The senseless slaughter of hundreds of thousands of days-old baby seals is a crime to which all but the government and the slaughterers will admit. Seal is neither necessary nor desirable to much of the world.

Dear Editor:

Re: "Windspeaker should send reporters to witness CAP voting," May 2006

The assertion by your reader F. One Moon in the May 2006 edition of Windspeaker that "the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples is a Metis organization" is incorrect and should have been more thoroughly researched by the author.

Dear Editor:

Re: "A little retribution," May 2006

Page 14

Aboriginal employment was on the agenda at the Travelodge Hotel in Saskatoon from May 30 to June 2 as the Inter-Provincial Association on Native Employment (IANE) held its 30th annual conference.

Bringing together industry, government, unions and the Native community, IANE works to promote employment opportunities for Aboriginal people.

The conference coincided with the June 1 release of a study by Statistics Canada the showed that Aboriginal people in Saskatchewan still lag far behind the general population when it comes to employment rates.

Page 13

There are a number of organizations and programs in Saskatchewan designed to provide advice and financial assistance to Aboriginal businesses. For the past two decades, the Saskatchewan Indian Equity Foundation Inc. has been helping First Nation entrepreneurs by providing funding and ensuring they have the skills they need to successfully start and run a business. And since 1997, the Clarence Campeau Development Fund has been doing the same for Metis businesses.

Page 12

Theatre-goers will have a chance to see history come to life this summer as John Coulter's The Trial of Louis Riel takes over the stage at the Shumiatcher Theatre at the Mackenzie Art Gallery in Regina.

The play, produced by RielCo Productions Inc., is billed as a dramatic re-creation of Canada's most famous trial. It will be performed on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from July 19 to Aug. 4. To reserve tickets call 728-3617.

Page 12

The best Native fastball teams from across the country will be in Prince Albert from July 27 to 30 to take part in the 2006 Canadian Native National Fastball Championships.

Muscowpetung First Nation and the Muscowpetung REZ Fastball Club will be playing host for the event, scheduled to take place at the Prime Minister?s Park and Crescent Acres ball diamonds in Prince Albert.

Page 12

Hundreds of people from around the world are expected to join John Arcand and his wife Vicki as they host the ninth annual John Arcand Fiddle Fest from Aug. 10 to 13.

?The festival will bring people from the United States, Britain, people from Germany and people from right across Canada,? said Arcand, a master of the Metis fiddle.

Free fiddle workshops in six classes will be featured throughout the four-day fiddle fest. These workshops are geared to fiddlers of all skill levels, from the absolute beginner to the advanced fiddler.

Page 11

Seventy-five years have passed since the first provincial parks were created in the province, and Saskatchewan Parks is gearing up to celebrate the milestone.

Page 10

One hundred years have passed since Gabriel Dumont died in 1906 at the age of 69 and the Batoche National Historic Site of Canada is planning a celebration this summer to mark the occasion.