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After receiving acknowledgment from local leaders, including North Coast MLA Gary Coons and the parents of a missing young woman, Florence Naziel appeared awkward with the attention and could only say in a cracking voice: "Thank you."

And with those words Naziel set out on March 11 to walk the stretch of highway that nine young women-seven of them Aboriginal-have walked since 1989 and were either killed or never heard from again.

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Founded in 1982, Native Earth Performing Arts (NEPA) has dedicated itself to creating and producing Native theatre and dance productions. In March 2005, the organization expanded its mandate when it launched the Young Voices program, designed to provide young people between the ages of 16 and 24 with new ways of expressing themselves through the written word.

"We try to foster anyone who would be interested, especially if they are just starting out," said Erika Iserhoff, community liaison for NEPA. "We just want to give them a chance."

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The Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) has entered into a new partnership with the provincial government in order to try to improve the lives of people living within NAN territory.

The two partners announced creation of a Northern Table on March 21, designed to provide a forum to address the challenges faced by NAN communities and to try to close the socio-economic gap between people living in those communities and the non-Aboriginal citizens of the province.

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A group of close to 60 people gathered together at the Oak Street Housing Co-op in Toronto on March 12 to remember and honor the hundreds of Aboriginal women and children that have gone missing or have been murdered in Canada over the past four decades. The families and friends of those being honored were among those gathered, and the names of each of the missing and murdered-more than 300 in total, some whose disappearances date as far back as 1965-were read aloud by those taking part in the memorial.

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According to Metis Nation of Ontario (MNO) President Tony Belcourt, the best way to help promote and preserve the Michif language may involve combining the old with the new.

The MNO played host to the fifth National Michif Conference, held March 17 to 19 in Thunder Bay. Delegates from across the Metis Nation took part in the event, held to celebrate the Michif language and Metis culture and to look at what can be done to promote usage of the language.

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The 2006 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships will be held in Kahnawake Mohawk Territory in Quebec from April 30 to May 6. The fifth annual tournament will attract participation from First Nations, Inuit and Metis Bantam/Midget hockey players from across the country.

The process of putting together Saskatchewan's entries for the tournament is well underway. Tryouts have been held on Montreal Lake Cree Nation and Beardy's and Okemasis First Nation and in Lebret. Now, it's just a matter of shortening down the roster for Team Saskatchewan's boys and girls teams.

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The Queen City will once again play host to an Aboriginal hockey tournament when the inaugural Oskana Cup is held March 3 to 5 in Regina.

This is believed to be the first Aboriginal tournament held in the city for five years.

Tournament chairman Milt Tootoosis is pleased Native hockey is returning to Regina.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Tootoosis was an organizer of the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College Cup, which ran for six years.

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The medicine wheel and the strengths of Aboriginal culture can help scientists as they interpret data and pursue scientific study.

That was the point of Dr. Lillian Dyck's presentation on the medicine wheel and science at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) on Jan. 12.

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The Canadian Forces offers three programs for Aboriginal youth that are intended to encourage consideration of the forces as a part-time or full-time career option.

The two part-time programs, Bold Eagle and RAVEN, are designed to allow youth to enroll in the Primary Reserve and complete basic training during July and August. Not only do participants gain valuable skills and training within the Canadian Forces, they also experience working alongside Aboriginal youth from across Western Canada. (RAVEN is currently only available for residents of British Columbia.)

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For 14 years, the Dumont Technical Institute (DTI) has been working with the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) to provide skills training to Metis students across Saskatchewan.

The institutes renewed their partnership at the end of January and, although DTI students won't notice any changes in the way their programs are provided, the new agreement signals a shift in the relationship between the two organizations.