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The provincial and federal governments are pooling their resources, jointly funding a project aimed at getting Saskatchewan's youth more active.

The goal of the new Building Future Champions program is to provide the province's youth with more opportunities to get involved in sports, with a special emphasis on increasing participation rates among Aboriginal youth.

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Joan Beatty didn't have much time to savour the joy of the ballot box.

Just over two weeks after she became the first Aboriginal woman elected to the Saskatchewan legislature, Beatty became the first Aboriginal woman to serve in the provincial cabinet.

The New Democratic Party MLA for the Cumberland constituency was sworn in as Minister of Culture, Youth and Recreation by Lt.-Gov. Lynda Haverstock at Government House on Nov. 21.

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Clients at the Nechako Treatment Centre normally only reside there for 28 days, but a recent intake group of eight men have left something of lasting value for the clients who will come after them.

According to Rob Ziegler, a senior counsellor at the centre, the group finished carving a 13-foot totem pole early last month as part of their healing work and as a symbol of the friendship and healing they gained while there. The men raised the totem pole in a moving ceremony outside the treatment centre building located on the Prince George Regional Hospital grounds.

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If reading Christmas stories to your children is part of how you celebrate the holiday season and you're looking for something new to supplement the tried and true Christmas classics, here are a fewChristmas books written by Aboriginal authors that you might want to check out.

Baseball Bats for Christmas

By Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak

Annick Press Ltd.

24 pages

$6.95 sc/ $15.95 hc

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The Takla Lake First Nation and the Bear Lake Kaska Dene say they have "neither been consulted nor accommodated" regarding a mine that Northgate Exploration Ltd. proposes to operate in their traditional territory. They have served formal notice to the environmental assessment office in Victoria that they object to the Kemess North copper/gold project going ahead, and they have informed Northgate.

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In order to study the intricacies of a 19th century bracelet handcrafted by a Northwest Coast artist, one would have to travel to a museum or have the piece transported at significant expense, or perhaps make arrangements with a private collector.

But Bill McLennan, projects manager and curator at the Museum of Anthropology, has discovered another, less intrusive way to study the gold and silver bracelets-digitization.

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Inclement weather did nothing to deter hundreds of guests from attending the Metis Outpost's open house held on Nov. 15.

In fact, people came from Kelly Lake, Vancouver Island and Alberta to take part in the celebration. Among the more than 300 guests was the president of Metis Nation of the United States.

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CALIFORNIA-Rene Haynes of Rene Haynes Casting of Burbank, California is on the search for a talented young woman to play the lead in a major motion picture.

Although she couldn't get into much detail about the film at this time, she could say she is conducting the talent search across North America and will be traveling to cities in Canada soon to meet with hopefuls.

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Chief Clarence Louie of the Osoyoos Indian Band has added new responsibilities to his already substantial roster of board appointments and economic development initiatives.

On Nov. 20, Louie, who has served on the National Aboriginal Economic Development Board since 2001, received notification that he had been appointed to the position of vice-chair on the board. The appointment begins on Jan. 1, 2004.

On the same date, federal Industry Minister Allan Rock appointed a Saskatchewan-born Metis, Martin L. Klyne, as chair.

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International environmental organization Ecotrust has chosen a British Columbia educator for the Buffett Award for Indigenous Leadership.

Jeannette Armstrong, executive director of the En'owkin Centre in Penticton, received the award for her work in environmental education. Four finalists were also honoured at the Dec. 2 award ceremony at Ecotrust's headquarter in Portland, Oregon, including North Thompson Indian Band Chief Nathan Matthew.