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Zoe Leigh Hopkins loves being a filmmaker.

"This is the only thing I know how to do" exclaimed the 29-year-old Vancouverite who directed A Prayer for a Good Day. The short film was featured at the Native forum during the Sundance Film Festival held in Park City, Utah from Jan. 15 to 24.

Hopkins was among 40,000 people at the industry event that promotes the work of independent filmmakers around the world. It was her first time there.

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The KU-UUS Crisis Line Society in Port Alberni celebrated its tenth anniversary last summer-10 years of providing a confidential crisis line for adults and teens seeking support. In response to the success of the society's more recent outreach services program, they are expanding that program to include Tofino and Ucluelet.

In 1993, Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council-affiliated bands on the west coast of Vancouver Island came together to address the high rate of suicides and suicide attempts in the their communities.

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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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First Nations youth in Williams Lake were encouraged and motivated by NHL player Gino Odjick at a recent Education and Unemployment Workshop. Tsi Del Del (Alexis Creek Indian Band), under the umbrella of the Tsilhqot'In National Government (TNG), organized the event held for the youth Jan. 22 and 23.

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Kwadacha Nation, a two-hour flight north of Prince George, is a community of about 270 people, with approximately 80 children and youth in the four-to-18-year age range.

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Findings from a provincially funded study support the formation of Tourism Sliammon, an organization that will establish tourism partnerships in the region. The project was given the green light after the $40,000 study recognized the region's potential as a marine and backcountry destination.

Sliammon First Nation Chief Councillor L. Maynard Harry hopes that this project, which comes as part of Siammon's treaty negotiation process, will offer more career training opportunities for the community and possibly 20 new jobs.

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Vancouver was the host city for the National Aboriginal Diabetes Association (NADA) third annual conference on diabetes and Aboriginal peoples, held at the end of January. Entitled Creating a Vision for Our Future, the goal of the conference was to provide information, practical solutions and education on all facets of diabetes pertaining to First Nations people.

Type 2 diabetes was the focus, as it is this form, along with gestational diabetes, that most dramatically affects the Aboriginal population.

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British Columbia Regional Chief Shawn Atleo headed an AFN delegation that participated in the Summit of the Americas held in Monterrey, Mexico, Jan. 10 to 12. The delegation attended meetings of civil society organizations and ministers of foreign affairs.

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The First Nations Interest Group (FNIG), a group affiliated with the British Columbia Library Association (BCLA), was formed in 1992 with the objective of improving library services to First Nations. It has attempted to do this by addressing the unique information needs and access challenges facing First Nation people.

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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.

Questions that need to be answered: Why was this report prepared? Does it serve any useful purpose or does it just perpetuate negative expectations of Aboriginal learners?