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THE URBANE INDIAN

It was in China of all places that I found out something quite disturbing. Believe it or not, I found myself being in the unique position of disagreeing with the views of our beloved federal government. Shocking ... Yes I know. A Native person differing in opinion from that of the Canadian government ... I almost alerted the media. And, equally surprising, it had nothing to do with land claims, residential schools, public inquiries or money. It had to do with history in this country and publicity on the other side of the world.

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Album-The Journey

Song-Calling You

Label-Independent

Producer-Peter Bacsalmasi

A nice mix from accomplished singer

Singer, songwriter and percussionist Donna Kay has a chance to demonstrate all three of her talents on her new CD, The Journey. Kay provides both vocals and percussion on each song on the album, and wrote 10 of the 12 tracks featured.

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Shoshona Kish and Raven Kanatakta are two young Aboriginal artists who have come together to plant their 'seeds' of empowerment and celebration of life through their spiritual roots, blues, reggae, jazz and First Nations mixed music.

Their debut CD, seeds has been in stores since Jan. 31 and it has already sold out at Sam the Record Man in Toronto.

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It's clearly unconstitutional, but there it is in Saskatchewan's Labour Standards Act regulations, an exemption that allows employers to escape paying overtime to workers in the northern third of the province.

Section 7 of the regulations, which were last updated in 1995, exempts companies located north of the 62nd township, an area that begins just north of the city of Prince Albert, from paying time-and-a-half when employees work more than an eight-hour day or a 40-hour week.

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Ron Phillips beat the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA, formerly Revenue Canada) in court, but he says the matter is far from concluded.

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A Native activist's untrained eye has detected something that University of Windsor law professor David Tanovich has examined in detail in his recently released book.

Isabel Cuerrier is a Native woman on a mission. She wants to draw attention to what she sees as obvious examples of the unequal application of justice by Canadian authorities when it comes to Native people.

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Marcel Balfour won't forget March 17, 2006 in a hurry. That was the day his election as chief of the Norway House Cree Nation became official. He defeated acting-chief Fred Muskego by 40 votes, 943 to 903.

This was not just any band election. Balfour was a duly elected band councillor who was stripped of his salary and responsibilities and kept out of the decision-making process by former chief Ron Evans and his supporters on council.

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As Tyee Ha'wilth (chief) Mike Maquinna threw a cedar bough into Muchalhat Inlet, he remembered the impact Tsu'xiit the killer whale had on his community and the world.

"Everyone learned a lot about killer whales and their habitat, and also learned who we are as Mowachaht/Muchalaht people," said Maquinna. "He was a part of our community, and we hold him in very high regard. In our culture, the killer whale is very significant, and everyone is saddened by the news a kakawin (killer whale) has died in our territory," he said.

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Indian and Northern Affairs Canada says it's getting serious about the quality of drinking water in First Nation communities. The move comes early in the life of the new Conservative Party of Canada government.

Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice and Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Phil Fontaine appeared together at a press conference on March 21 to announce the new national water quality standards.

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First Nation officials have been told to prepare for a busy season once newly elected Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservative Party of Canada government begin their legislative session after the April 3 throne speech.

Several technicians we contacted this month have been told to take time off and use up any backlogged overtime before Parliament resumes.