Page 19

PRO BONO

Dear Tuma:

I heard that band councils have to pay welfare to non-band members. Is this true 'cause my son is a non-band member, but since his divorce is living back with me but does not have a job or any income. The band told me that since he is not a band member he does not qualify for welfare and should go to the provincial system.

Can't Afford To Feed Another Hungry Mouth

Dear Can't Afford:

Page 19

MEDIUM RARE

The other day, I caught the tail-end of an interview on CBC Radio. The host of The Current, Anna Maria Tremonti, was interviewing someone about a study on Aboriginal health or maybe urban reserves. The subject was riveting. The interview was superb (Tremonti is a fantastic interviewer), but something grated. That's why the details of the interview slid into oblivion, at least for me.

Page 18

MUSIC BIZ 101

Well, it's that time of year again, to reflect on our blessings and to resolve to do things differently. This should also extend to the music business life as well, so I have gathered my top seven music business credos. Some have been gleaned from previous columns, others through my experience in the business.

Page 18

THE URBANE INDIAN

It's no secret that within the last 20 years or so the growth in First Nations literature has been both impressive and voluminous. Native authors such at Lee Maracle, Tomson Highway, Jeanette Armstrong, Tom King and Basil Johnston, to name only a few, have flooded the nation's book stores with a surprising quantity and quality of writings.

Page 17

A new approach to dealing with off-reserve issues could be one of the many dramatic changes in store when Paul Martin takes over the reins of power from Prime Minster Jean Chretien.

This new approach could inspire the division of the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs into two seperate deparments, one for the north and one simply called Aboriginal Affairs. It's a plan that's being openly discussed at the senior levels of government.

Page 17

The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples' (CAP) national chief visited Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba in late October trying to strengthen his ties to provincial organizations that represent off-reserve Native people.

In Alberta, Dwight Dorey met with several people who might be willing to fill the void created recently when CAP severed ties with provincial affiliate, the Native Council of Canada-Alberta (NCCA).

Page 16

The government is trying to play off residential school survivors who experienced physical and sexual abuse against those who did not, said Ray Mason, the chairperson of a grassroots survivors' organization in Winnipeg.

His comments were made in response to the federal government's announcement that its alternative dispute resolution (ADR) process to deal with the back-log of legal claims filed by people who attended Indian residential school was up and running.

Page 15

Members of Fort McKay First Nation in Alberta have voted in favor of a land claim settlement that will see the community receive 92 sq. km of land and close to $40 million in compensation.

The vote was held on Oct. 23 and 24, with 92 per cent of votes cast in favor of accepting the compensation package.

The First Nation filed its land claim with the federal courts in 1986, and it was accepted for negotiation in 1999.

Page 15

When Prime Minister Jean Chretien called an end to the most recent session of Parliament on Nov. 13, bills C-19 (the financial institutions act) and C-7 (the First nations governance act) died on the order paper. C-6 (the specific claims resolution act) barely made it through and First Nation leaders are calling on incoming prime minister Paul Martin not to proclaim the legislation.

Page 13

After a year of negotiations and cultural exchanges, the Haida were finally able to take the remains of their ancestors home.