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Concordia College will hold its first Native Student Awareness Week from March 21 through 25, 1988. Hosted by the Native Student Club, the week's activities are planned to celebrate and inform the campus and visitors about the Native students seeking higher education.

The theme for the week is Smoke Signals to Satellites and daily themes focus on the past and present to the future of Native people in Canada.

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Residents here are working together to complete a special project they hope will combat the fatal effects of alcohol and drug abuse, marriage breakups and suicide.

Members of the community are raising money and working without pay to build a new church for Peerless Lake, which was struck with tragedy about two years ago when six of its young people died after drinking xerox copying fluid.

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The dam threatening Napi's River is slowly nearing completion despite opposition from environmentalist and Native groups.

The dam is located about 10 km west of the Peigan reserve, just past the point where the three rivers join to become the Oldman River.

The dam will cost about $335 million, most of which comes from the Heritage Trust Fund, a fund set up by former premier Peter Lougheed to channel funds from oil production into diversifying the Alberta economy.

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Metis textbook gets mixed reviews

The unveiling of a recently published school textbook on Metis culture and history was greeted with enthusiasm and criticism on Feb. 17.

The book Canada's People: The Metis was a "collaboration of Dale (Ripley) and Phyllis (Cardinal) ? a non-Native and a Native person," said Leith Campbell, supervisor of Native education for Edmonton's Catholic schools.

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Secretary of State David Crombie has announced a $90,460 grant to the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC). This grant will assist the NAFC to host a three-day national conference on issues affecting Aboriginal disabled persons in Ottawa in March 29, 30 and 31.

The NAFC represents some 99 friendship centres across Canada which provide services to Aboriginal people and assists them to adjust to life in urban communities.

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National

Bill C-31, an amendment to the Indian Act, is "grossly flawed" and is leaving the lives of thousands across Canada in a "turmoil" says the Native Women's Association of Canada.

The organization addressed the controversial amendment when representatives appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs, Feb. 23.

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Late Bulletin

At press time Windspeaker learned the federal and provincial government had agreed to grant the Lubicon band a 66 square km parcel of land.

However, Bernard Ominayak was not part of the negotiations and will meet Premier Getty on March 4 to discuss the tentative deal.

The two governments are already discussing possibilities of housing and hospital development for the band on the allotted land for which the Indians have waged a 48-year fight.

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Local media less enthused

While the foreign media may have opened the eyes of the world to the struggle of the Lubicon band, the home town press seemed less enthusiastic about bringing the Cree band's message to Canadians during the Olympic boycott, says band advisor Fred Lennarson.

"We had far more inquiries and interviews from the international media then from the Canadian media."

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A senate task force recommending Aboriginal people be recognized as distinct societies under the Meech Lake accord has met with mixed reaction from Aboriginal leaders. The task force also suggests Aboriginal and treaty rights and self-government become ongoing items on the agenda of constitutional conferences.

The Native Council of Canada (NCC) says the proposals are a "good step forward" but fall short of creating rights for Aboriginal people.

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Community

From the bingo and dance Friday night to the final awards presentation Sunday evening, the second annual Cold Lake First Nations Winter Carnival was entertaining and fun.

There were two nights of dancing, hours of talent show, numerous outdoor races and a fancy harness parade on Sunday.

It provided giggles and chuckles in the laughing contest, a hunting lesson in the moose calling and a believe-it-or-not section with the tall tales category.