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While ruling that a lawsuit launched by former Ontario residential school students could proceed as a class action, a panel of three Ontario appellate court judges vehemently discarded arguments that the federal government's alternative dispute resolution (ADR) process would be a better way to settle the dispute.

Justice Stephen Goudge, a former lecturer in both labor law and Native rights at the University of Toronto law school, wrote the unanimous decision which was released on Dec. 3. Justices Michael J. Moldaver and Marvin Catzman agreed with his reasons.

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A pair of Native former minor hockey teammates are now leaders at the junior level with their Western Hockey League squads.

Wacey Rabbit is a third-year centre with the Saskatoon Blades. And Colton Yellow Horn, a left winger, is in his second season with the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Both Rabbit and Yellow Horn played together for two years in Fort McLeod. They also have something else in common. Both Rabbit and Yellow Horn have been honored this season as WHL player of the week.

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For 10 years, Whiley Eagle Speaker struggled to find his own peace. Five days before World AIDS Day (Dec. 1), YMCA Calgary honored Eagle Speaker as a peacemaker for his work in raising HIV/AIDS awareness in the Aboriginal community.

Presented with a Community Initiatives Award for his work with the Canadian Red Cross Society, Eagle Speaker is the first Aboriginal person to receive a Peace Medal Award from the YMCA Calgary.

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Stuck for ideas of what you should be putting under the tree this Christmas? Why not consider a book or CD? For the music lover on your list, why not pick up Hometown, the latest CD from Burnt Project 1.

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Aboriginal women and girls are encouraged to enter Canada Pageants Corporation competitions, including Miss Pre-Teen (age seven to 12), Miss Teen (age 13 to 19), Miss Canada (age 20 to 26), Ms. Canada (age 27 and up) and Mrs. Canada (age 21 to 56). Community service and hard work are the criteria for winning.

The competitions exist to provide personal and professional opportunities for women and to showcase their accomplishments.

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Dan McGinnis has a dream. If he can make it come true, a lot of other Native people will benefit.

McGinnis, 40, and his wife, Karren Shouting and three other southern Alberta Blood reserve residents make up the total current membership of the Aboriginal Homeowners Association, a not-for-profit group dedicated to creating an industry that will produce low cost, high quality homes on First Nation territories.

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In a second announcement by Indian Affairs Minister Andy Scott, the National Aboriginal Veterans Association will receive $100,000.

Of the funding, $50,000 will go towards the completion of the National Aboriginal Veterans Monument in Ottawa. Four bronze panels depicting the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War and peacekeeping will be set into the monument's granite base.

Originally announced in 1996, the monument was unveiled June 21, 2001, National Aboriginal Day, but it wasn't complete.

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Korean War veteran Bob Ducharme, 71, thinks back to 1955 and the first time he entered a veterans' legion. The Metis man had just returned home, the war still ringing in his damaged ear.

"I went to a Canadian veterans' club and they asked me to leave. They said I wasn't Canadian ... Why? There was a stigma attached to being a Metis; [that] the Indian and sort of half-breed gets a little alcohol in him and he'll go crazy."

As for veteran's benefits and support networks when he got home, "we didn't even know about things like that," Ducharme said.

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If you know of an Aboriginal youth or two who have accomplished amazing things, then you can nominate them for an Alberta Aboriginal Youth Achievement Award.

"We want to recognize all Aboriginal youth in the province for any outstanding achievements that they have," said Kim Mueller, the youth awards co-ordinator. She wants people to nominate young Aboriginal people who have contributed to the community or "done something in a positive way that would just show good leadership or role modeling to other youth."

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According to a recent poll, most Canadians do not consider improving the quality of life of Aboriginal Canadians to be a high priority for the federal government.

The poll, conducted by the Centre for Research and Information on Canada (CRIC), suggests almost one in two Canadians (49 per cent) believe that Aboriginal Canadians are on an equal footing with, or better off than, other Canadians. Forty-four per cent say Aboriginal people are worse off than other Canadians.