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Takla Lake First Nation, one of the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council member nations, is being kept in the dark regarding Northgate Explorations Ltd.'s plans to start up a mine that the First Nation maintains will destroy Duncan Lake in their traditional territory 500 kilometres northwest of Prince George.

Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the tribal council have also come down against Northgate using Duncan Lake as a tailings pond for the proposed Kemess North mine, for which a feasibility study was due for completion at the end of March.

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Tourists coming to British Columbia want more Aboriginal "experiences" but the tourism industry is far behind in meeting the demand, according to the Aboriginal Tourism Association of British Columbia (ATBC).

The shortfalls and challenges of the industry were the focus of six regional meetings hosted by ATBC over two months, the last of which took place March 10 in Prince Rupert.

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At 17, hip hop performer Bronson Pelletier hasn't got his life all mapped out yet, not even what he'll be doing following high school, but he does know he wants acting to remain a part of his future.

Pelletier recently had a starring role in The renegadepress.com, a dramatic television series and e-zine for youth that was produced by Verite Films and aired on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network and TV Ontario at the start of 2004.

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Bentwood boxes were the medium displayed by carver Larry Rosso to reveal the intricacies of Northwest Coast art to an American audience at a recent show in Arizona.

Rosso, of the northern Carrier First Nation but now living in Richmond, was one of only a few Canadian exhibitors at the 46th annual Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair and Market held in Phoenix on Mar. 6 and 7. All of the more than 600 artists at the festival were selected in a juried process.

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Book Review

Songhees Pictorial: A history of the Songhees People as seen by Outsiders 1790-1912

By Grant Keddie

Royal BC Museum edition 2003

sc 176 pages, 200 illustrations

This book gives an interesting glimpse of the history of a First Nations group of people who once called Victoria home.

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Singer Wayne Lavallee has opened for talented artists such as Buffy Sainte-Marie, Susan Aglukark and Kashtin. But on March 12, he was the main event for a standing-room only crowd at Vancouver's The Media Club. It was Lavallee's CD-release concert.

Lavallee opened with the album's title track Green Dress, arguably the best song on the 12-track CD. He refers to it as his "Indian love song," which he wrote for his wife, Michelle.

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"Title and rights can't be extinguished," because they have Constitutional protection, Chief Mike Retasket of the Bonaparte Indian Band insists.

But because his community believes their rights are threatened, they have joined the fledgling Title and Rights Alliance that is intent on protecting the environment and Native rights as the province pursues resource development.

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The Tsawwassen First Nation signed an agreement-in-principle with federal and provincial government representatives on March 15, opening the door for it to become a signatory to the first urban treaty in the Lower Mainland.

"It's one step toward a final agreement, which will be a treaty for my community, and it outlines the main elements of land, cash, governance and resources, and is still flexible to allow for negotiations to continue by final agreement.

"So, it's an important step, but it's a step still the same," said Tsawwassen Chief Kim Baird.

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The National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation set up shop in Calgary April 4 to pay tribute to 14 accomplished member of the Native community in Canada.

The foundation's annual achievement awards gala was a lavish affair, bringing together a who's who of the Aboriginal elite and the corporate connected.

Playing host to the foundation's guests were legendary Tennessee singer Rita Coolidge and musician/actor Tom Jackson, a veteran of six of the 11 award shows the foundation has held.

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A First Nations fishery panel held hearings Feb. 20 to March 5 in seven communities about the future of Aboriginal fisheries management. The goal was to explore a vision for a post-treaty fishery involving fishery management and allocation.