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“An Aboriginal Gathering”, The Saskatoon Speaks Aboriginal Gathering, is a chance to share what you have heard and value about the community and what you would like to see improved.
You can pre-register here. The event is Thursday, April 7, 2011, 5:00-7:30 p.m. at the Saskatoon Inn, Saskatchewan B, 2002 Airport Drive. If you have any questions, contact us at saskatoonspeaks@saskatoon.ca or 657-8717.
The Government of Saskatchewan, SaskPower and the newly established First Nations Power Authority have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will open the door to significant opportunities for Saskatchewan First Nations to partner in the development of power generation projects. "This partnership is clearly an important milestone for Saskatchewan's First Nations," Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) Chief Guy Lonechild said.
Over 1,000 Aboriginal youth attended a four-day conference in Prince Rupert, March 21-24, 2011. The youth spent the majority of their time at the conference in workshops that centered around the issues and culture unique to their lives as young Aboriginal people. Many of the workshops were about introducing the youth to different aspects of their cultural heritage, others were considerably more serious, including frank discussions with the youth about the issues in their home communities, issues that are affecting Aboriginal youth all over Canada.
The First Annual Indigenous Health Conference was held Friday and Saturday, March 25-26, 2011 in Saskatoon. The focus was on sharing knowledge with communities on health issues that included topics on safe drinking water in Aboriginal communities, nutrition and activity levels in children, an examination of the portrayal of Aboriginal gang members in the media, and even the transmission of parasites among dogs in northern communities.
The five Maa-nulth First Nations begin a new chapter in their collective histories on April 1, when a land-claims treaty that took almost 20 years to negotiate becomes a reality. The Maa-nulth First Nations include: Ucluelet, Toquaht, Uchucklesaht, Ka:'yu:'k'th'/Che:k'tles7et'h, and Huu-ay-aht. They will gather together in Port Alberni on April 2 to celebrate the treaty, along with representatives from the B.C. government, Ottawa, and the B.C. Treaty Commission. This becomes only the second successful B.C. land-claims agreement negotiated with the federal and provincial governments under a process that began 20 years ago.
A dramatic First Nations historical site will soon be on British Columbia's list of tourist attractions. Kiixin, the ancient capital of the Huu-ay-aht First Nation, sits beside pristine beaches about two kilometres south of Bamfield, B.C., and can be reached only by shallow bottomed boat, followed by a hike through the forest. Huu-ay-aht are drafting economic development plans to start kicking in April 1, when the Maa-nulth Treaty will be implemented.
Negotiating with First Nations and Aboriginal Communities: Practical Strategies for Moving Projects Forward Conference will be held at Calgary Telus Convention Centre, Calgary, Alberta on Tuesday, April 19 to Wednesday, April 20, 2011. The aim will be for participants to gain the skills and strategies needed to build strong and collaborative partnerships and joint ventures.
The University of Winnipeg’s Department of Indigenous Studies is offering a new graduate degree program. The Master’s in Development Practice (MDP) focuses on Indigenous Development. The program starts in August 2011. This two-year program of study consists of course work, applied research and field placements.
There are various internal and external financial funding opportunities available to students. For further information on how to apply for student support, please contact Deanna England, at Graduate Studies, d.england@uwinnipeg.ca.
The University of Winnipeg is holding a information session on the Master's in Development Practice Program, March 30, 2011, 4:30 pm - 6:30 p.m., Convocation Hall, Universty of Winnipeg, 515 Portage Ave, Winnipeg. The University of Winnipeg welcomes graduate students, international students, as well as career professionals that may be looking for training in this unique field to enhance a current position or deciding on a new career path.
The Aboriginal Family Festival 14th Annual Children and Youth Pow Wow will be held on March 26-27, 2011 at Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario. Events are being held at the Ravens’ Nest Gymnasium at Carleton University. The Grand Entry of the powwow begins on Saturday at approximately noon.
Native Heritage Day, a celebration of art & culture will be held at the Centre Wellington District High School in Fergus, Ontario, March 26, 2011. The event will include special guest Don Kelly from APTN"Fish Out of Water", a Native artisan marketplace, traditional song, storytelling, educational displays, big drum, Native foods and demonstrations.
As the Federal budget does not deliver for First Nations, Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo continues to call for a stable and sustainable approach to growth and development, through a transformed funding relationship. This would include investments in education, health and infrastructure which ensure equity and sustainability.
The 6th annual Learning Together conference will be held April 6-7 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. The conference will provide Aboriginal professionals and post-secondary students with information about the Canadian mining industry and its value for Aboriginal communities.
For more information please click here.
The Indigenous Peoples’ Health Research Centre is hosting the First Annual Saskatchewan Indigenous Health Research Conference, March 24-26, 2011, at the Saskatoon Inn, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The focus will be on Indigenous health, and the invited keynote speaker will be Dr. Mike DeGagné , Executive Director of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation.
The 2nd Annual Yukon Aboriginal Peoples Resource Opportunities Conference, March 22-24, 2011 in Whitehorse, Yukon, is a two day conference and trade show that will bring Aboriginal peoples, the resource sectors, and government together for two full days of talks and presentations focused on sharing the numerous success stories related to mutually beneficial relationships.
The Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach in partnership with the Quebec Aboriginal Science and Engineering Association are pleased to invite you to the Quebec Aboriginal Science Fair that will be held at Jimmy Sandy Memorial School in Kawawachikamach March 22 and 23, 2011.
You can see the Science Fair live by Webcast. The web cast will be on during the science fair and for the closing ceremony.
The Awâsis 2011 Aboriginal Education Conference will be held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, May 11th, 12th, and 13th, 2011. Presenters for the 2011 Conference will be Chief Perry Bellegarde and Patrick S. Trujillo.
Yesterday, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs and 12 universities through the Atlantic Aboriginal Economic Integrated Research Program that should help open the door to higher education and better jobs for Atlantic Canada's Aboriginal youth. Officials lauded the agreement as a new start in co-operation between the universities and Aboriginal groups.
The Indigenous Land Management Institute will have Land Management workshops from March - October 2011. The first workshop scheduled, on the topic of Soil Management, is March 31, 2011. Workshops will be held at the University of Saskatchewan English River Business Centre, located at 323 – 2555 Grasswood Road East in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Workshops are on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and begin at 1:30 p.m. Please sign up two weeks prior to any of the workshop you wish to attend. For more information or to sign up for a workshop contact: Indigenous Land Management Institute, Tel: (306) 966-6474.
University of Saskatchewan students rallied to support a proposal for a new Aboriginal Student Centre. About 50 students, faculty and concerned citizens were at the University of Saskatchewan, in Convocation Hall, Wednesday for the rally. Students say it's time to get serious about funding the centre, which aims to centralize Aboriginal student services in one location.
The University of Saskatchewan will celebrate Aboriginal Achievement Week on campus, March 14 to 18, 2011. Events will showcase Aboriginal culture and excellence in research and academia on campus. The events throughout the week are open to all students, staff and faculty of the University of Saskatchewan as well as community members from Saskatoon and beyond. Some of the activities, such as the opening Pipe Ceremony and the Sweatlodge, will be very spiritual and sacred in nature. Other events are more academic or educational in nature (e.g. film screenings, panel discussion) and some are very physical (e.g.jigging, lacrosse).
Statistics Canada has just released a report titled Violent Victimization of Aboriginal People in the Canadian Provinces, 2009. The survey collected information from a representative sample of Canadians regarding their victimization experiences for eight types of crime: sexual assault, robbery, assault, break and enter, theft of motor vehicles or parts, theft of household property, vandalism and theft of personal property. The article also analyzed the characteristics associated with these crimes, including socio-demographic risk factors, consequences of victimization, reasons for reporting (and not reporting) incidents to police, perceptions of personal safety and perceptions of the Canadian criminal justice system.
Lindsay Knight, an inspiring Aboriginal woman who is working on her master's degree at the University of Saskatchewan, is also a talented rapper bettern known by her recording name Eekwol. A radio interview with Eekwol, intended to increase awareness of the success that can be achieved by Aboriginal women, will air on CFCR 90.5 March 15th at 7:00pm. It can also be heard on-line at www.cfcr.ca
For more information, please contact: aed322@usask.ca
The Managing Aboriginal Land and Water Interests Conference will take place March 28–29, 2011, at the St. Andrew’s Club and Conference Centre in Toronto, Ontario. The focus will be on recent developments in managing land and water issues, including the advancements, initiatives and developments in providing sustainable drinking water, preserving water resources, managing wastewater and addressing polluted waters that are affecting the living conditions, health and economies in First Nations communities.
The Saskatoon Branch of the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society is putting on a Symposium titled "Beyond the Basics." The event will take place April 29th - May 1st at the Travelodge Hotel in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Speakers will include: Megan Smolenyak-Smolenyak, Fraser Dunford, John Pihach, Marilyn Lappi, Denyse Smith, Bonnie Wagner, and Brenda MacDougall. For more information about the speakers, please click here.
Contact people:
Gerry Threlfall 306-374-7520 ngthrelfall@shaw.ca
Rene Stock 306-374-8507 rene.stock@sasktel.net
Tammy Vallee 306-979-8470 tamw25@shaw.ca
The Saskatchewan Aboriginal Literacy Network Inc. has created an Aboriginal literary artist’s database that aims to unify and promote established and emerging Saskatchewan Aboriginal writers.
If you are an Aboriginal writer from Saskatchewan and would like to register with this database please click here.
The SALN will launch the database during the Anskohk Aboriginal Writer’s Festival, in the Fall of 2011.
The 10th Annual Native Women & Men's Wellness Conference will take place March 27 - 31, 2011, in Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town Albuquerque, New Mexico. The conference will provide both personal and professional development, as well as activities to inform and inspire tribal community leaders, health advocates, and health consumers in best practices. General sessions, workshops and wellness activities will focus on a return to healthier ways of living, using a blend of traditional and contemporary strategies.
Re-Building From Tradition: Strategic Aboriginal Tax Planning Conference is a two-day conference designed to address the most pressing questions and issues in Aboriginal Tax, and to help you understand the legal issues that impact Aboriginal taxation and economic development within First Nations Communities. The Conference will be held at the Tigh-na-mara Seaside Spa Resort, Parksville, BC, March 16-17, 2011.
As part of Aboriginal Achievement Week and the Indigenous Peoples and Justice Speaker Series http://www.usask.ca/ipjp/speaker_series.htmlWanda McCaslin, Research Officer at the Native Law Centre at the University of Saskatchewan, will give a speech entitled "Reviewing Relationships of Respect: Judicial Sentencing of Hating Actions" March 16th from 7:00-8:00 pm.
The National Screen Institute New Voices is looking for nine talented Canadian Aboriginal adults aged 18 to 35 who are seeking careers in film and TV. This training program will connect students with industry professionals through skills development training and an eight week full-time industry work placement. The program begins the last week of April and takes place in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The deadline to apply will be Thursday, March 31, 2011, 4:30 p.m. Central Time.
The Métis Nation of Saskatchewan presents a one-day workshop titled "The Historical Metis." It will be held March 12, 2011 at the Saskatoon Inn Hotel and Conference Centre, located at 2002 Airport Drive in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (just off Circle Drive), from 9:00am - 5:00pm, with registration starting at 8:00am. Guest speakers will discuss how the governments of Canada and the United States have addressed policy regarding Métis people and what types of genealogical records are needed to research lineage, which is a vital step in establishing the Métis Nation citizenry. Guest speakers will include Brenda Macdougall, Laura M. Hanowski, and Camie Augustus.
The event is free and open to the general public, although registration is required for the lunch.
To register contact: dmcgowan@mn-s.ca
For more information e-mail Tammy Vallee: tvallee@mn-s.ca or call (306)343-8285 (toll-free 1-888-203-6959)
The Institute for Aboriginal Health at UBC in partnership with the First Nations House of Learning is pleased to offer the 23rd year of the Summer Science Program, a one-week summer camp for First Nations students in grades 8-11, to help promote interest in the field of health and human service programs through first hand experience. Deadline for application is Friday March 18, 2011.
Wilfrid Laurier University Office of Aboriginal Initiatives will be celebrating its annual Aboriginal Awareness Week at Laurier’s Waterloo Campus from March 7th to March 11th, 2011. The week gives students, faculty, staff and surrounding communities a chance to learn about the many Aboriginal cultures in Canada and in the Laurier community. The agenda includes: "The Power of the Mind" Comedy Hypnosis Show with Darren Thomas, First Nations Elder Teachings with Dorothy French, Lecture by PhD Student, Allan Downey "The Voice of a Nation: Status, Reunification, and the Iroquois Nationals", "This is My Drum" - Spoken Word performance by Heather Majaury, and a Comedy Show with Don Burnstick.
There is a call for submissions to Young Aboriginal Women's Creative Essay contest. The Aboriginal Women's Leadership Circle for Women's Worlds 2011 invites young Aboriginal women across Canada ages 16 to 29 to submit their written, artistic, or otherwise creative submissions to Women's Worlds 2011. The deadline to submit is Friday, March, 25th, 2011.
Are you Interested in obtaining a course-based Integrated Masters of Education degree in Environmental Education or one in Lifelong Learning through part-time study for two years while you work? The University of Saskatchewan may have what you are looking for.
The Lifelong Learning cohort is a course-based graduate degree specifically designed for those with an active interest in the adult learning community. The learning themes of this cohort integrate a focus on the rich complexities of adult learning emphasizing the holistic, critical, contextual, transformative and practical nature of adult learning theory and practice and is designed to integrate an Indigenous perspective within its course offerings. Begin this September by taking one online course per fall, winter and spring terms in 2011-2012 and 2013, and two courses in 3 weeks of July 2012 and 2013.
The Critical Environmental Education Cohort program explores core themes and issues of relational learning, social and environmental justice, local and global tensions and possibilities, and literature and the arts in learning. You can take two courses in 2-3 weeks in July 2011, 2012 and 2013 and one online course per fall and winter terms of 21011/12 and 2012/13.
Are you interested in education for social justice and anti-racism? Become a graduate student and participate in the Educating for Anti-Racism Graduate Summer Institute July 4 to 21, 2011.
The Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada Convention set for Toronto, March 6-9, 2011, is an annual highlight for the world's mineral exploration industry. This year’s Aboriginal program includes: Aboriginal awareness training workshop, Aboriginal consultation training workshop, Aboriginal communities and the rising demand for uranium, Technical Session, Aboriginal Forum: economic opportunity through partnership and education, and the Skookum Jim Award Presentation - Awards Evening.
The Assembly of First Nations Virtual Summit on First Nation Post Secondary Education will be held Thursday, March 10, 2011, 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 a.m. (Central Standard Time). This event will be hosted live from First Nations University of Canada Regina Campus.
Lindsay Knight, an inspiring Aboriginal woman who is working on her master's degree at the University of Saskatchewan, is also a talented rapper bettern known by her recording name Eekwol. A radio interview with Eekwol, intended to increase awareness of the success that can be achieved by Aboriginal women, will air on CFCR 90.5 March 15th at 7:00pm. It can also be heard on-line at www.cfcr.ca
For more information, please contact: aed322@usask.ca
The fight to remove Chief Guy Lonechild from office appears to be gaining steam. Five former Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations chiefs are calling for his resignation. This is in response to Lonechild's recent impaired driving conviction. The former chiefs are asking Lonechild to "do the honourable thing" and step down.
Métis Nation Saskatchewan presents the Historical Métis. Join guest speakers, Brenda Macdougall, Laura M. Hanowski and Camie Augustus, as they reveal how the governments of Canada and the United States have addressed policy regarding the historical Métis and learn what types of genealogical records are needed to research Métis lineage. The event will be held at the Saskatoon Inn & Conference Centre, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, March 12, 2011, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Registration starts at 8 a.m.
Plan on attending a Saskatchewan Aboriginal Storytelling event on Wednesday March 2, 2011 at the Neatby-Timlin Theatre on the University of Saskatchewan campus. This event will feature the talented musician and storytelling team of flutist Jason Chamakese and hand drummer Robert Gladue. Mark your calendar so you will be sure not to miss this event promising enjoyment for both children and adults.
The 4th International Meeting on Indigenous Child Health, will be held March 4th-6th, 2011, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, in Vancouver, BC, Canada. The 2011 theme, “Securing our Future: Advancing Circles of Caring”, will cover a wide range of topics that include: obesity, injury prevention, mental wellness, substance abuse, traditional healing, housing, and oral health. There will be an international roster of speakers from Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand sharing their knowledge and experience.
