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Settlement before Xmas

"It's hard to believe," stated the chief of the Lubicon Indian band responding to a recent announcement that a settlement of the Lubicon land claim may be close at hand, without input from the band.

Brian Malone, federal Lubicon land claim negotiator, stated he hopes to be able to announce a partial or interim settlement agreement with the provincial government before Christmas.

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Committee to review Metis programs

The signing of a framework agreement signals "the dawn of a new era of co-operative effort," said Metis Association president Larry Desmeules.

The agreement between the association and the provincial government was the described by Ken Rostad, solicitor general and minister for Native programs as "a move towards self-sufficiency in a constructive and realistic manner for Metis."

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Caught between two worlds

Artist Bill Reid began his life in Victoria on Jan. 12, 1920. William Ronald Reid was the first of three children born to Sophie and Billy Reid. His mother was Haida from Skidegate, his father, an American whose mother was German and father Scottish.

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If Derrick George had a wish, it would be to see the sport of war canoe racing added to the Summer Olympics' roster of activities.

War canoe racing features 11 participants paddling feverishly in one canoe. The canoe is a 50-foot boat, and although each one costs about $25,000 to make, George is confident there are many others interested in the sport's Olympic inclusion.

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For the past eight years, the Native Law Centre of Canada has been helping to open doors for Aboriginal youth in Canada by sending them to other countries.

Each year, the centre selects a handful of Aboriginal youth, age 18 to 30, to take part in its Youth International Internship program, funded through the federal government's Youth Employment Strategy (YES) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT).

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Reconnecting with traditional approaches to justice and peacemaking is the focus of a dynamic two-year diploma program-the Restorative Justice and Conflict Resolution program-being offered at Keewatin Community College.

"With this course, it's not just an education. It restores your Aboriginal identity. So many Aboriginal people don't know their identity, where they come from," said student Chantell Barker, 27.

"It restored mine. Now I understand the reasons why we have so many problems. It's got me thinking about what I can do to change them."

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Sakasteew Transportation Company Ltd. is a familiar busing operation in Fort McKay today, but owner Marie Boucher, 50, said that it took a lot of years and a lot of help from the community, including former chief Dorothy McDonald and current Chief Jim Boucher, to make that a reality.

Born and raised in Fort McKay, she was a stay-at-home mother when McDonald knocked on her door and asked if she wanted to attend college in Fort McMurray, Alta. to get her class 2 licence.

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Mark Wallace Wedge is a man of many interests and talents. He was the chief land claim negotiator for the Carcross/Tagish First Nation in their dealings with both the federal and territorial governments. He is an experienced Tlingit Circlekeeper, and has worked to ensure that Aboriginal values are incorporated into Aboriginal justice systems.

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Good communication between chief and council, administration and band membership is the foundation on which Membertou First Nation has built its business success, said Membertou CEO Bernd Christmas. The First Nation, located in Sydney, N.S., has business ventures in a wide variety of sectors, from retail to food services to information technology.

Membertou is currently partnering with Lockheed Martin, one of the world's largest aerospace companies, on a bid to supply the Canadian military with 28 helicopters to replace the aging Sea King fleet.

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Life in Canada's northernmost regions has gone through a number of changes over the past century. Once a nomadic people who lived off the land and followed their food supply as it moved with the seasons, the Inuit have been changing since their first contact with Europeans. They now live in settlements of western-style homes, no longer at the mercy of the often harsh environment that surrounds them, and no longer as connected to the land.