Page 25

"I never imagined making this film a year ago that it would end up anywhere," said Danis Goulet, director of Spin, a short film that was featured during this year's Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The film festival, an annual showcase for independent films and filmmakers from around the world, took place Jan.15 to 25.

Goulet's film was one of 16 screened as part of the festival's Native forum.

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Zoe Hopkins, actor, producer, writer and director, was at the Sundance Film Festival in January where her short film A Prayer for a Good Day was screened. She is now wrapping up work on a documentary her home community Bella Bella asked her to produce about the residential school system and its effect on the Heiltsuk people.

Windspeaker: What one quality do you most value in a friend?

Zoe Hopkins: Honesty.

W: What is it that really makes you mad?

Z.H.: Ignorance makes me really mad.

W: When are you at your happiest?

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"My belief as a filmmaker is that you have to be able to share and pull from inside your own experiences so that you will be able to tell the film with the passion that it needs," said Shirley Cheechoo.

Cheechoo directed In Shadow, a short film that was featured at the Native Forum during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah Jan. 15 to 25.

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The Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) celebrated a milestone in February. It was their 20th anniversary of developing business partnerships.

"What we do really is build bridges between the Aboriginal community and the corporate sector. We develop tools and resources that can be used to engage that market place and broker relationships, whether it's between individuals, communities of Aboriginal people, or specific businesses, but that's what we do," said Jocelyne Soulodre, president and CEO of CCAB.

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One of the newest organizations to join the Progressive Aboriginal Relations (PAR) program is World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Canada, which is using the program to help them practice what they preach.

The organization, founded in 1967, works to conserve biological diversity, promote sustainable use of renewable resources and reduce pollution and wasteful consumption.

Page 20

The efforts of Canada Post Corporation, Manitoba Lotteries Corporation and Compass Group Canada to develop a good working relationship with the Aboriginal community have earned the companies a bronze standing in the Progressive Aboriginal Relations (PAR) program.

Canada Post Corporation is a federal Crown corporation and that fact made for some difficulties in completing the assessment process, explained Dwight Powless, Canada Post's advisor for Aboriginal relations.

Page 19

On Feb. 17, BMO Financial Group became the first financial institution to achieve gold standing in the Progressive Aboriginal Relations (PAR) program.

But considering that developing positive relationships with the Aboriginal community has been a priority at BMO for more than a decade, the results aren't all that surprising.

Page 18

There were a few new faces in the crowd on Feb. 17 as the Canadian Council of Aboriginal Business (CCAB) recognized the commitment of companies registered in the Progressive Aboriginal Relations (PAR) program.

The recognition came as part of the Circle for 2015 annual gala dinner, held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto. Circle for 2015 is another CCAB program, designed to make corporate Canada more aware of the capabilities of Aboriginal individuals and businesses.

Page 15

The Fraser Institute's release of its first Report Card on Aboriginal Education in British Columbia paints a dismal picture of the level of academic achievement of First Nations students.

The report, released Feb. 5, concludes that in British Columbia in the past four years "Aboriginal students failed more than 40 per cent of the province-wide reading tests they wrote." It also gave Grade 8 students only a one-in-five chance of graduating from that grade in the usual length of time; whereas, the non-Aboriginal success rate is more than three times as high.

Page 14

Ontario's assistant Information and Privacy Commissioner has ordered an Ontario Provincial Police superintendent and every OPP official who had anything to do with the production and storage of videotapes and photographs taken during the 1995 occupation of Ipperwash Provincial Park to appear before him in person to be questioned.