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JUST A PRETTY FACE ... What do the words articulate, eloquent, polished and professional all have in common? They are all words that would not be used to describe Adam Beach's presentation performance at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards in Toronto on Nov. 25. Beach (Smoke Signals, Windtalkers) accompanied Much More Music's Richard Cazeau (The Loop) onto the stage of the John Bassett Theatre to present the award for Best Fiddle Album.

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The north wind blew into Toronto on Nov. 25, and riding in on a gust was a huge talent called Tagaq. The Inuit throat-singer took to the stage during the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards and took the audience's breath away with an aggressive performance of her contemporary take on the traditional women's vocal game.

A standing ovation greeted the performance, but she couldn't see it, blinded by the lights in the John Bassett Theatre. It wasn't until she was off stage that she heard how well received her performance was.

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If you think the international powwow and the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards gala are the only activities worth talking about during Canadian Aboriginal Week in Toronto, you've got another think coming. In recent years, people involved in a variety of industries have taken advantage of the huge draw of festival week setting the time aside to hold gatherings of all sorts.

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Starlight Tour: The Last, Lonely Night of Neil Stonechild

By Susanne Reber and Robert Renaud

Random House Canada,

427 pages, $35 (hc)

Page 12

Accusations in the House catch up with MP

By Paul Barnsley, Windspeaker Staff Writer, Ottawa

Those who follow the goings-on in the House of Commons knew that a storm was brewing when Ted Quewezance took his place in front of the microphone and patiently waited for Jim Prentice, Conservative Party of Canada Indian Affairs critic, to finish his presentation to the chiefs-in-assembly on Dec. 8.

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It will be close to one year before most of the compensation money that will be paid to survivors of residential schools will be distributed, but those over 65 years of age will receive payment much earlier.

"There will be an early payment to the elderly, meaning in this case 65 and over, in a matter of weeks," said Phil Fontaine, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), in early December.

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Over and over again in Ottawa in early December, the message was "get out and vote."

With close to $9 billion worth of commitments-when you combine the figures from the residential school compensation agreement and the promises made during the First Ministers' Meeting (FMM) in Kelowna-the only thing left to bring it all to fruition is the election of a government that will follow through. That was National Chief Phil Fontaine's message and it was repeated frequently throughout the three-day special chiefs' assembly that wrapped up on Dec. 8.

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Two Aboriginal groups held protests outside the site of the first minister's meeting (FMM) on Nov. 24 and 25.

The first day saw friendship centre employees and supporters vying for attention against a protest mounted by federal correctional officers who were there to criticize Prime Minister Paul Martin because his government has not satisfied their demands for better pay and working conditions.

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Only one region-British Columbia-actually sat down and signed an implementation agreement (the Transformative Change Accord) with the province and federal government after the two-day first ministers' meeting (FMM) on Aboriginal issues was held in Kelowna Nov. 24 and 25. For the rest of the country, things will be worked out in the coming months and years.

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Dear Editor:

Your recent editorial ("Getting it right" Page 5, November 2005 edition) on the attempts currently underway towards renewal of the Assembly of First Nations, cut to the heart of the matter in respect of the legitimacy of national Aboriginal organizations.