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Canada on the international scene

Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham has stated on more than one occasion that he wants to see the draft declaration on Indigenous rights completed. But several sources wonder how that can happen when Graham's own departmental officials have been part of the reason it has been stalled so badly so far.

Graham has been told by many Indigenous and human rights advocates that there is a "disconnect" between what Canada says about Indigenous rights and what Canada does.

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Dear Editor:

For almost 10 years, First Nations have been sounding the alarm about the way the public education system has been failing Aboriginal students in British Columbia. At the insistence of First Nations, the Ministry of Education began collecting data about the performance of Aboriginal students in public schools. The results confirm the claims of First Nations. Our children have been performing well below that of non-Aboriginal students.

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Dear Editor:

I am writing because of the incident that has occurred in Sheshatshiu, Nfld. [Editor's note: This letter refers to a recent protest over a lack of housing in this community. Protesters locked themselves in a room in the band office and police were called in to remove them.] I do not live there. I live in Corner Brook, Nfld., however, I listen to the province's radio talk show. It comes on in the a.m. and the p.m.

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Dear Editor:

Hello, I read your paper with great interest every chance I get. Your writers are well articulated, thoughtful and educated. Regardless of my praise, I just wanted to submit a response and challenge to one of your letters to the editor from N. Katawasisiw (Buffalo Spirit, March 2004 edition) who talked about selling in a non-Native way sweetgrass and other spiritual items of Aboriginal people, and it being wrong.

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We'd been to Saskatoon before. We'd been in the over-crowded houses or apartments that First Nations' people try-and amazingly enough, often succeed-to make their homes. We'd seen the living rooms with no furniture, with just three or five or 10 (or more) mattresses leaning against the wall waiting to be spread out on the cold floors come bed time when too many people pack into these places to spend the night out of the cold.

We've come a long way since film-makers made western movies and hired Italian guys to play the Indians.

If you have any doubts that this is true, all you have to do is tune in to APTN on Nov. 10 to see for yourself.

That's when the first episode of the new dramatic series Moccasin Flats will air. The show, which takes place in a neighborhood in north central Regina, is more than just another television program. It is the first dramatic television show in Canada to be created, written, produced and performed by Aboriginal people.

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The Saskatoon Tribal Council has entered into an agreement with the Saskatoon Public School Division and the provincial government to work together to encourage Aboriginal youth to finish high school, and to pursue post-secondary educations.

The agreement, signed on Feb. 20, will also see the three partners working together to increase the number of Aboriginal employees within the school division.

The agreement is part of the Aboriginal Employment Development Program (AEDP) and is designed to increase Aboriginal participation in the province's workforce.

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Growing up on James Smith First Nation, Rick Sanderson didn't like the sight of the RCMP cruisers he saw driving through his community. Now, he drives one of them.

Speaking at a Feb. 18 awards banquet held during the Lac La Ronge Indian band's 10th annual Northern Youth Conference, Cpl. Sanderson shared his early impressions of law enforcement.

"It seemed like they'd always come onto the reserve in their car and leave with one little head showing in the back seat," he said. "But Aboriginal policing is changing all that."

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Aboriginal youth are being invited to join with other young people from across Saskatchewan to have their say in how to celebrate and preserve the province's cultural diversity.

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Dr. Ron Martin likes being his own boss. In fact, that was one of reasons why he chose a career in dentistry.

"When you're your own boss, you can set your own hours. You can work when you want to, hire who you want to. There's a lot of flexibility. If there are certain events or things happening, you can schedule around it," said Martin.