Page 11

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 10

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 9

An Opaskwayak Cree Nation man has been living in a tent outdoors to draw attention to overcrowding on the reserve near The Pas.

Samuel Rodrick McGillvary, 40, pitched his tent beside the Gordon Lathlin Memorial Centre on OCN on July 4. McGillvary said overcrowded housing conditions lead to young people having to leave the reserve and subsequently making what he calls "dark" lifestyle choices in the city.

Page 9

Aboriginal politicians, Elders and people with experience in the building trades all say that inadequate housing is at the root of many, perhaps even most, of the social, economic and health problems that plague First Nation communities.

But politics of all kinds have complicated the housing issue, even though most people would agree that it's too important a matter with which to play games.

Page 8

Mr. Justice Sidney Linden will preside over an inquiry into the police shooting death of Dudley George at Ipperwash Provincial Park in 1995.

Linden is a former chief judge of the Ontario Court of Justice (Provincial Division). He was Ontario's first information and privacy commissioner. He was also the police complaints commissioner in Toronto. He has written about race relations.

George family lawyer Murray Klippenstein welcomed the news of the appointment.

Page 8

Speaking in Machu Picchu, Peru on Nov. 12, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan spoke out about the contribution made by Indigenous peoples. The remarks were seen as a powerful challenge to Western attitudes towards formerly colonized peoples.

Page 8

Who's in and who's out as Paul Martin takes over

Charlie Fox as Indian Affairs minister?

A Canadian Press story on Nov. 15 made just that suggestion, quoting unnamed sources in the Martin camp.

Fox, the Ontario Assembly of First Nations' vice-chief, issued a statement to all the Ontario chiefs on Nov. 17 in response to that story. He confirmed that he has been talking to the Martin team, but provided very little detail.

Page 5

Dear Editor:

My concern is about traditional healing, i.e., the sweatlodge ceremony. I was at last year's International Residential School Conference and there was no sweatlodge ceremony on the agenda.

Would some of my fellow First Nations' people support my idea of a sweatlodge ceremony to be added to the agenda for the International Residential School Conference hosted by the Sturgeon Lake Nation from Feb. 13 to 15, 2004?

All that has to be done is that tobacco be given to the Elder at Nechi Institute at Poundmaker Lodge (in Edmonton).

Page 5

Dear Editor:

This is an open letter to all the Native peoples of Turtle Island. I am writing this letter in the hopes that we can free ourselves from oppression.

I constantly hear that we should take control of our own lives and the lives of our children, so that we can all have a better life. This noble talk being said. It is sadly apparent that most of us still do not realize that we must act on this talk and carry it through to its logical conclusion-freedom.

Page 5

Editorial

You know what's unreasonable?

Cultural genocide is unreasonable. Pretending to be a modern, post-colonial nation while still practising colonialism is unreasonable.

Let us clear up a couple of things about Canada's history.

In the beginning...of Canada... the people of Europe moved into somebody else's homeland and took everything they could get their hands on. They relied on the kindness of the people whose home this land was and had been for thousands and thousands of years, and took their help to survive and flourish.