Sorted by date Results 701 - 725 of 1044
WINNIPEG, MB-The second annual First Nations Christian Writers' Conference will be held in Winnipeg on March 30, 2017 at Victoria Inn Hotel and Convention Centre. Keynote speaker for the conference will be Mr. Bill Jackson, a Cree pastor, author, and teacher. Jackson is author of eight books including As Long as the Rivers Run, God and the First Nations, Suicide and Then, First Foundations for Families, Baptism and Communion, We Sailed to America before Columbus, and A More...
Kevin Chief, the former Member of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly (MLA) with the New Democratic Party (NDP), has a new job. He is now serving as Vice President of the Business Council of Manitoba. Chief left the legislature where he represented the riding of Point Douglas in Winnipeg since 2011. "I will have the opportunity to continue to work with young people," Chief told the Winnipeg Free Press. "Many of the members (of the BCM) who I met with said they were very committe...
LONDON, ENGLAND-The founder of the famous Complicite Theatre Company, an acclaimed theatrical actor, has been named Ambassador by Survival International, a charity that fights for the rights of Indigenous Peoples around the world. McBurney who has appeared in films including the "The Manchurian Candidate," "The Theory of Everything," "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" and the "Harry Potter" and "Mission Impossible" film series, becomes a key spokesman for this charity. Simon is a...
TORONTO, ON-Flying Dust First Nation and Habitat for Humanity Canada hosted a special "All Chiefs Build" at Flying Dust, located 300 km northwest of Saskatoon in 2015. This milestone build marked the start of a successful partnership between Chief Richard Gladue, the Flying Dust Council and Habitat for Humanity Lloydminster. In recognition of National Aboriginal Day, Flying Dust First Nation welcomed chiefs and dignitaries from across Canada as part of the inaugural...
OTTAWA, ON-Almost eight months after the federal government promised to help the families of missing or murdered Indigenous women find their way through the tangle of Canada's justice system, the program has not gotten off the ground, with the exception of the province of Ontario. Bernadette Smith knows the frustration. She lost her sister, Claudette Osborne, nine years ago, and she and her family are still waiting for help. "It's quite concerning for families," Bernadette tol...
LA LOCHE, SK-It's been just over a year since this northern Saskatchewan school was hit by a deadly shooting in which a teacher and teacher's aide were killed and seven people were wounded. The shooter also killed two brothers before going on a shooting spree at the school. Since that tragic day, the principal says that staff and students feel like they've been abandoned. According to Principal Greg Hatch, the school received some help at the time of the shooting but after...
PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, MB-Jerry Daniels is the new grand chief of the Southern Chiefs Organization (SCO), voted in to replace longtime leader Terry Nelson. Daniels is the son of a veteran Manitoba leader, Long Plain First Nation Chief Dennis Meeches and he has an ambitious agenda. Though Daniels has been involved in politics for a few years he also has a degree in economics from the University of Manitoba. "I think Canadians understand we are a partnership in nation-building,"...
OTTAWA, ON-Canada's government remains committed to making legal and policy reforms happen for Indigenous peoples, stated the Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould as she addressed the First Nations "Expanding the Circle" conference in Ottawa on February 15, 2017. "Let me say this: our commitment is as strong as ever," Wilson-Raybould told the assembly. "Our prime minister has made it very clear that we need an all-of-government approach based on recognition of Indigenous...
COLEMAN, FL-Family and supporters of Leonard Peltier, who has spent most of his life in prison, were devastated when former U.S. President Barack Obama chose not to pardon or commute his sentence. They had placed their hope in the fact that of all the American presidents who have served since Peltier has been incarcerated, President Obama would be the most likely one to set him free. But this would not be the case. Among this prisoner's most prominent supporters was Pope...
CANNONBALL, ND-When the announcement was made in early December to block the Dakota Access pipeline, it was like an early Christmas gift from the United States government. Celebrations went on for quite some time by those at the protest sites. These included 2,000 U.S. military veterans who had joined the protests on December 2 to protect them from the authorities. Prior to this there had been confrontations, some of them violent, between tribal protectors and their...
Art Whitehawk Begay, founder of Warriors for Christ, passed away peacefully on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2016 surrounded by his family. A Celebration of Life for Art was held on December 30, at Hope Church in Kalispell, Montana. Begay, 55, was born in Rapid City, South Dakota, on April 17, 1961. He spent his early years there and went to Central Indian Bible College where he received his Bachelor of the Arts degree in Practical Theology. There he also met the love of his...
NEW YORK, NY-A wealthy businessman with no experience in First Nations issues is slated to oversee the federal agency whose handling of the Dakota Access Pipeline has come under repeated criticism. Vincent Viola went from a humble immigrant background to the founder of a highly-successful financial firm in New York. "Whether it is his distinguished military service or highly impressive track record in the world of business, Vinnie has proved throughout his life that he knows h...
OTTAWA, ON-There is a plan in the works that is going to transform the way the Canadian government deals with Indigenous peoples. If things go according to hopes and planning, it will mean big changes to the way Ottawa transfers funds to the country's 634 First Nations. According to reports, there's a small committee of federal politicians and Indigenous leaders who have been quietly working on this transfer plan. If it's successful it will be the "single most significant...
OTTAWA, ON-Canada is investing up to $500 million to bring high-speed internet access to 300 remote communities by 2021. Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains stated that the "Connect to Innovate" program is the modern equivalent of building roads or railway spurs to remote locations, providing Internet access to schools, hospitals and First Nation band offices. "Our government is committed to ensuring that all Canadians, businesses and institutions have access to the...
WASHINGTON, DC-At President Barack Obama's final White House Tribal Nations Conference in Washington, he announced that his administration will pay 17 Native American tribes a total of $492.8 million to settle long-standing disputes over mismanagement of tribal lands by the Department of the Interior. The settlement comes amid ongoing protests over the Dakota Access Pipeline. Federal authorities manage almost 100,000 leases on nearly 56 million acres of trust lands on behalf...
KELOWNA, BC-Daphne Odjig, an internationally acclaimed painter and printmaker, passed at the age of 97. She was a member of the prestigious group of artists known as the "Indian Group of Seven". Odjig was born on Septelber 11, 1919, in the Wikwemikong First Nation on Manitoulin Island in northern Ontario. She studied art in Ottawa as well as in Sweden. She was known for fusing various cultures that influenced her life in her artwork. She often mixed Indigenous symbols and...
ADA, OK-Chickasaw Nation Gov. Bill Anoatubby crowned three young ladies Chickasaw Royalty during the 2016-2017 Chickasaw Nation Princess Pageant. The annual pageant was conducted at the Ada High School Cougar Activity Center on September 26. Julie Underwood, 21, was crowned Chickasaw Princess; Keilyn "Keke" Factor, 13, was crowned Chickasaw Junior Princess, and Lakala Orphan, 11, claimed the Little Miss Chickasaw title. Each winner resides in Ada, Oklahoma and was congratulate...
My name is Storm Stoker, I am the daughter of Crying Wind, columnist for Indian Life, author and life long activist for indigenous people. I was invited to be a guest speaker at the ATALM Conference (Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums) near Phoenix, Arizona and luckily my mother was able to join me. The Conference was being held at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort, which is owned by the Gila River Indian Community. It is a beautiful resort with murals...
SIKSIKA NATION, AB, Sept. 7, 2016 /CNW This year, as many as 1,970 students will be starting a new school year in one of the six new schools in First Nations communities. These new schools will provide First Nation students with improved learning environments which will lead to stronger communities and hope for a brighter future. Today, the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, Carolyn Bennett, was in Siksika Nation to congratulate the community on the completion of its new school. The Minister had the opportunity to v...
Indian Life lost a good friend this year. Debra Fieguth passed away suddenly following a massive stroke. She was not only a wonderful person but an excellent writer. When I first met Debra, she was the Assistant Editor of Christian Week. During her time with that publication, she took on the assignment of writing some news features for Indian Life as well as writing the stories of five Indigenous women which we published in a book entitled Keepers of the Faith (see page 19)....
BUFFALO, NY-Winning the Native American Music Award (NAMMY) for Best Pop Recording was probably the best birthday present Spencer Battiest could have wished for. "Winning the Best Pop Recording was really great because in a nutshell, that's who I am," Battiest stated. "I didn't have a speech prepared, so I just spoke from the heart. I love pop music, I love to write songs and work at it every day. It was a great validation from my peers, the general public and NAMA." Battiest...
OTTAWA, ON-The Canadian government, along with the government of the Province of Ontario, signed a historic agreement with the Algonquins of Ontario to give back large sections of eastern Ontario to the First Nations people along with as much as $300 million. The Honorable Carolyn Bennett, Indigenous Affairs Minister and her Ontario counterpart, David Zimmer signed the agreement which eventually will give back to the Algonquins about 36,000 square kilometers (almost 22,370...
GALLUP, NM—“Spotlight: A Public Discussion about Faith, Journalism, and Protecting Children from Sex Abuse” was held on September 24 at Gallup’s El Morro Theatre. The event was held in conjunction with two free screenings of “Spotlight,” the 2015 Best Picture Academy Award winner. At that panel discussion were panelists Terry McKiernan, of Boston, the founder of BishopAccountability.com and a consultant to “Spotlight”; Phoenix attorney Robert E. Pastor, who represented 18 clergy sex abuse claimants in the Diocese of Gall...
TADOULE LAKE, MB-The Canadian government formally apologized to the Sayisi Dene on Tuesday, August 16, when Indigenous and Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett issued an apology to the survivors of this northern Manitoba community. "It is unbearable to consider what you lost in those years in Churchill," Bennett stated. "All we can do now is offer our apologies." Along with the apology, Canada offered a $33.6-million compensation fund that will be invested as a trust,...
BISMARCK, ND-In mid-August, the U.S. government gave final approval for the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, which when completed will run for 1,172 miles to transport crude oil from North Dakota's Bakken oilfields to Patoka, Illinois. When it was learned that the pipeline was approved, hundreds of protesters, primarily Lakota and Dakota from surrounding reservations gathered at the edge of the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota to voice their anger and...
