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Dear Editor:

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Dear Editor:

I wanted to share a gift giving idea for this season specifically for our Elders. I know it may not make your December issue, but I think that it is an idea that can be used throughout the year.

I believe that the gift of time is the most important gift that we can give during this season. Our Elders would appreciate the gift of our time more than they would cherish electronic equipment, dust catching knick knacks or even more moccasins.

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Editorial

The conduct of the chiefs as demonstrated at a recent special assembly held in Ottawa has given us hope for the future of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN).

There, we said it. And we'll freely admit it's a strange feeling now that it's out there, because optimism is just plain counter-intuitive in a newsroom.

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When Saskatoon-born astronaut Dave Williams met with a group of students at the First Nations University of Canada campus in Regina it didn't take long for him to prove he was capable of keeping calm during times of pressure.

Not long into his presentation, called Living Your Dreams, a computer malfunction interrupted his slide show.

"Houston, we have a problem," said Williams, leaning over his laptop to troubleshoot the situation.

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The best in Aboriginal music from across Canada was showcased and recognized in Toronto on Nov. 25 as the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards were handed out.

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There doesn't seem to be anything that 20-year-old Ariane Starblanket can't do.

The oldest of seven siblings, Starblanket graduated in June 2005 from Balcarres community school and is now finishing up her first semester of the four-year Indian Education program at First Nations University of Canada in Regina. She writes her first exam the second week in December and is confident she will do well.

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Two people with Saskatchewan connections are among the 14 outstanding people from across the country selected to receive National Aboriginal Achievement Awards during the 13th annual achievement award gala to be held in Vancouver on Jan. 27, 2006.

Aboriginal leader and activist Jim Sinclair, who has spent the last 40 years fighting for Indigenous rights, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award and lawyer James (Sakej) Youngblood Henderson will be recognized for his contributions in the area of law and justice.

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The Gabriel Dumont Institute (GDI), the only fully accredited Metis post-secondary, adult basic upgrading and skills training institution in Canada, turned 25 in early December. The institution marked the occasion with a two-day celebration held in Saskatoon on Dec. 2 and 3.

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While the number of people killed each year on Saskatchewan roads due to alcohol-related collisions is on the decline, drinking and driving is still a major problem.

According to statistics from Saskatchewan Government Insurance, alcohol continues to be the number one contributing factor in fatal vehicle crashes in the province. Alcohol is cited as a factor in 40 per cent of fatal collisions and in 10 per cent of collisions where someone is injured.

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Saskatchewan has some of the toughest laws in the country when it comes to drinking and driving, and they're about to get tougher yet, thanks to some proposed amendments to the province's Traffic Safety Act.

Under the amendments, any driver who fails a standard field sobriety test, or SFST, due to alcohol or drug impairment will receive an immediate 24-hour licence suspension, as will drivers who refuse to take the test. Under current legislation drivers can refuse to take an SFST without consequence.