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This article reports that British Columbia (BC) Supreme Court Justice Janice Dillon backed up a challenge by the First Nation and disapproved the provincial government's Forest and Range Agreements, on May 11. It was the latest in a series of blows to the BC Liberal government's attempts to get around the recent court rulings that require it to engage in meaningful consultation with First Nations. The court ruled that the process and terms of the Forest and Range Agreements violate the principles set out in the recent Haida decision from the Supreme Court of Canada.

This article focuses on the sale of a 70,000-hectare parcel of land from one forestry company to another adversely affected the rights and title of the Hupacasath First Nation of Vancouver Island. The justice also found that there was a chance the Hupacasath people could suffer irreparable harm if the decision to remove the lands from the jurisdiction of the Forest Act and move them into the Private Forest Lands Management Act, as proposed by the province's minister of Forests, was allowed.

The article focuses on the ruling by a federal court in Toronto, that off-reserve Aboriginal people have been discriminated against when it comes to skills and training funding. Federal Court Justice Francois Lemieux ruled that the federal department responsible for employment and training had been discriminating against a number of off-reserve Aboriginal communities by providing a superior level of service to onreserve organizations. The case is known as Misquadis. They claimed that having to deal with the bands of which they are members to access employment training funds, even though they live far away from those bands and may never have actually visited their home territories, left their off-reserve Aboriginal communities with no local control of the funding.

The article reports that the newly opened National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) in the United States capital city, will house several works of art of the Canadian origin. Few days before the opening of the NMAI, Foreign Affairs Canada donated an artwork that will be a prominent feature of the museum's main galleria. The work is a two-meter-high cedar sculpture entitled "The Beaver and the Mink." It is inspired by Coast Salish stories about beavers and mink bringing salmon to the rivers. Besides, exhibits related to the communities of Kahnawake and Sagkeeng cover Canadian First Nations.

Herb George, the former Assembly of First Nations British Columbia vice chief who retired from politics late in 2003, is working to establish the First Nations Governance Centre. George sees a central clearing house with a wide range of expertise in four major areas: assisting in the improvement of community government services, professional development of Aboriginal leaders and bureaucrats that will allow better governance structures to he created and that will lead to better accountability and transparency, a place for academics to do research on Aboriginal legal and political matters, and a valuable tool for educating the general Canadian public and media about Aboriginal issues.

Six Nations of the Grand River band councilor Dave General admitted he traveled to Saskatchewan to make a few waves. It was late in the afternoon of May 19, 2004, the second day in the three-day Assembly of First Nations Confederacy. National Chief Phil Fontaine said he personally supported C-19, the Financial institutions legislation now renamed C-231. General was one of the many First Nations leaders who lobbied aggressively against the suite of governance legislation that included the Financial institutions legislation. General, who was entitled to speak to the assembly because he held the proxy for the Similkameen First Nation in British Columbia, did not take long before he made his feelings known.

Just days before he was called on to perform a cleansing ceremony for Prime Minister Paul Martin during his swearing in ceremony at Rideau Hall December 12, 2003, Elder Elmer Courchene slammed the federal government's treatment of residential school survivors. The Elder has been involved in compensation negotiation on behalf of survivors in his Sagkeeng First Nation in Manitoba. According to him the residential schools played a very big part in the lives of survivors. He feels for the survivors because he himself has lived through the same kind of humiliation and insult.

Just a few months after he was appointed chief of staff of the Assembly of First Nations, Manny Jules resigned. He was conspicuously absent from the chiefs' meeting on December 9, 2003, the opening day of the Confederacy of Nations in Ottawa. He stated that the First Nation Fiscal and Statistical Management act was good for his community and many others so he wants to continue endorsing it and support its passage through parliament. Since his position was in conflict with the position of chief of staff. So he offered his resignation.

Reports the recognition of M&eacte;tis lawyer Jean Teillet for winning the Lincoln Alexander Award in British Columbia. Career history; Educational background; Commitment to advancing aboriginal issues.

Focuses on the financial condition of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) in British Columbia. Reduction of funds received by the Aboriginal organization from the Department of Indian Affairs in Canada; Salary of the AFN employees; Attempt to reform the Indian Act.

Details the discussions on treaty making at the 13th annual conference of the Indigenous Bar Association held in Vancouver, British Columbia on October 19-20, 2001. Participants of the conference; Speech of politician Roberta Jamieson; Comments toward the government.

Highlights the 13th annual conference of the Indigenous Bar Association in Vancouver, British Columbia on October 19 and 20, 2001. Theme of the conference; Trends in Aboriginal treaty making; Names and topics of speakers.

Reports the possibility of Government to apologize and acknowledge the cases of sexual abuse in schools in Canada. Efforts of Government to stall and minimize compensation to victims; Liability of Government and churches to the sexual abuses of school employees; Complaints of churches to lawsuits.

Reports on a documentary motion picture shot at the Burnt Church on First Nation territory in New Brunswick. Creator and producer of the documentary; Description of the beginning scene of the documentary; Subjectivity of the motion picture.

Reports on the focus of the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia. Discussion of ideas related to the British Columbia treaty process; Aim of the dialogue about treaty making; Information on the speakers of the dialogue.

Introduces the workshop on politics in Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia. Speakers at the opening reception; Necessity of women participation in politics; Benefits of the program.

Examines the cultural conflicts created by the legacy of colonialism in Vancouver, British Columbia. Workshops at the British Columbian Indian Chiefs' Protecting Knowledge; Protection of sacred sites and indigenous language; Request on the national legislative recognition of Indian language.

The article reports that Federal Justice Minister Irwin Cotler was well received by the chiefs-in-assembly during an Assembly of First Nations meeting in Ottawa, Ontario, where he was addressing issues related to British Columbia. A lot of excitement was generated after the announcement that Cotler would represent the Liberals during a candidates election forum. Cotler was responsible for the origin of the "poverty law" movement in Canada, having founded the Pointe Saint Charles Legal Aid Clinic in Montreal, Quebec, more than 30 years ago.

The article focuses on the annual Remembrance Day ceremony which was held on November 2, 2005 at the Vimy Ridge. During the ceremony, a large number of French and Canadian veterans, soldiers and dignitaries gathered in the Canadian war cemetery at Vimy Ridge to pay tribute to almost 20,000 dead soldiers who were buried there. Nearly, thirty-five hundred Canadian soldiers were killed during the April 9, 1917 assault on the ridge, in which at least 35 Aboriginal soldiers were included. The exploits of a Native rancher from the Head of the Lake Band in the Okanagan who was decorated for his actions that day, were also told to the crowd by the Veterans Affairs Minister Albina Guarnieri.

The article reports that the subject of the latest portrait unveiled in Parliament's hall of honor is Kim Campbell, Canada's first and still only female prime minister. Behind Campbell in the painting is the work of Haida fashion designer and artist Dorothy Grant. Campbell's portrait was revealed on Nov. 30 during a brief ceremony attended by current Prime Minister Paul Martin. Painted by British Columbia artist David Goatley, the newest addition shows Campbell in a simple black dress with three robes hanging in the background.

The article reports that the president of the Métis Provincial Council of British Columbia (MPCBC), Harley Desjarlais, has been suspended by the organization's board of directors, though the reasons for the suspension are not clear. According to the information available on the Web site of the organization, Desjarlais was suspended without pay, effective immediately. The board asked for his resignation before the organization's annual general meeting, which was scheduled to start on September 23, 2004.

The article reports on an agreement signed on July 20 that will lead to an increase in the amount of money available for Aboriginal business loans. The signing ceremony was held in a meeting room at the Charlottetown Civic Centre, Prince Edward Island, while the Assembly of First Nations' annual general meeting was in progress in the main hall. Dan Brant, chief executive officer of the National Aboriginal Capital Corporation Association, said the July 20 agreement of intent to build a larger pool of money is an important first step.

This article presents information regarding police mistakes in a murder case that prompted the father of the victim, to make a call for an enquiry, in Kamloops, British Columbia. Ron Ignace, the former chief of the Skeetchestn Indian Band, has had a very heavy heart since his 21-year-old son Gabriel Palmer, nicknamed as Skooks, was killed on December 30, 2002. British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Richard Blair imposed sentence on three young Native men, against the charge of manslaughter instead of second degree murder. The conduct of police investigation and framing of charges is suspicious and Ignace calls for an enquiry in this regard.

This article focuses on a public board meeting of Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) regarding concerns of Aboriginal people living in British Columbia. Aboriginal people in British Columbia want more say in the operation of the world's first Aboriginal television network. That was the general theme of a four-hour public consultation session held on June 6, 2004. All 20 current members of APTN board of directors were on hand, as was Jean LaRose, the network's chief executive officer. Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs president, Chief Stewart Phillip, stated that APTN is not meeting its mandate and not fulfilling its obligations in three vital ways. Catherine Martin Chairwoman, APTN, stated that APTN would attend to their concerns honestly.

This article focuses on the crisis reeling around the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) of Banff, Alberta. A cash flow crunch put the Aboriginal Television Network dangerously in arrears with the company that transmits its signal, and compelled it to face a critical crisis. Jean LaRose, who assumed the CEO position at the network, launched in September 1999, said the board and management have had to go through a very difficult reorganization process in the past year. However, APTN board chairwoman Catherine Martin said the network has corrected its course and is now in good shape.

Keiko Miki, president of the National Association of Japanese Canadians, attended a ceremony in Winnipeg on April 14, 2004 to call on the government of Canada to compensate former residential school students for loss of language and culture. Japanese Canadians were placed in detention camps, in some cases deported and stripped of their Canadian citizenship and their possessions, and treated like criminals under the War Measures Act because their ancestors were from a nation that was allied with Nazi Germany.

This article informs that Buffalo, New York may still host the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG), but it won't be summer 2005. Games have been delayed a year after the games' governing council ended its relationship with the group that had earned the rights to host the games in 2005. The decision to postpone the 2005 games for a year was made by the NAIG council on April 23, 2004. That came after the council rescinded the hosting rights that had been awarded to the Buffalo Sports Society (BSS) on March 26, 2004.

The U.S. government has scrapped the universal, national consent form after facing an aggressive lobby against it by First Nations and Inuit leaders and much suspicion from people that the data collected with the form would be used to undermine health care entitlements. Last year when Health Canada's Non-Insured Health Branch was pushing the form, director general Leslie MacLean said there were very specific goals the form was designed to achieve-help pay the bills, predict trends in medical services and share information with health care professionals to protect people's safety.

When he heard that the provincial government was looking to get rid of a former youth correctional facility up in the mountains, Kurtis DeSilva decided it would make a great place to expose young people to Métis and First Nation culture. DeSilva, president of the Métis Nation of British Columbia, a provincial Métis organization that is not affiliated with the Métis National Council, has big plans for the former Boulder Bay Youth Correctional Facility. Located about 25 km north of Mission and accessible only by rough, unpaved roads, the 25-acre parcel of land surrounds two glacier-fed lakes-Pine Lake and Alouette Lake.

National Chief Phil Fontaine arrived in Vancouver for a special chiefs assembly with a goal of correcting what he called "an unfortunate report in the national media" that he was asking for almost $2 billion for the Assembly of First Nations (AFN). The reality, he said, is that only one per cent of that proposed funding would go to the AFN. Getting Results is a 10-point proposal to reform the Assembly of First Nations and dramatically improve the services available to First Nations people. The 40-plus page document was leaked in early October 2003 and widely distributed.

This article speculates on the possible staffing changes at the Assembly of First Nations (AFN). The former press secretary to Indian Affairs Minister, Robert Nault, could become the press secretary to AFN National Chief Phil Fontaine. Nancy Pine, a Garden River band member, left a reporter's position at CKCO television to join the minister's staff as press secretary. Another possible hiring of note is Clarence "Manny" Jules, former chief of the Kamloops Indian Band and most recently chairman of the Indian Taxation Advisory Board. Former Siksika First Nation chief Strater Crowfoot is next in line on the ITAB board to succeed Jules.

The Vancouver, British Columbia government has refused to consider extending the mandate of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation regarding community healing from trauma faced in boarding schools. Chief Robert Joseph, executive director of Indian Residential School Survivors Society said that the federal government really has no long-term strategy for community-driven healing. One of the most wonderful things that has happened in the Aboriginal community is the notion that one can seek wellness and move forward. In 1998, Jane Stewart, the then minister of the Indian Affairs, announced a fund worth 350 million dollars to help in the healing of boarding school survivors. But, many survivors are discovering that monetary settlements are not enough to help them put the unpleasant memories and emotional scars of their boarding school experience behind them.

Focuses on the amendment to the anti-terrorist bill proposed by Justice Minister Anne McLellan in Canada. Disappointment of National Chief Matthew Coon Come on the changes; Effect of the bill on the protest actions; Concern of Coon Come on the definition of terrorist activities.

Presents results of a survey regarding opinions of Indians toward ethnic government policies in Canada. Impact of self-governance; Implications on the amendments proposed for the Indian Act; Optimism on the economic prospects of Indians.

Presents calls for cancelling a referendum for treaty process planned by the British Columbia Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs. Issue over the rights of the aborigines; Concern over the adequacy of information disseminated to the public; Note on the poor attendance to the sessions of the standing committee.

Reports the willingness of the government to compensate victims of physical and sexual abuse in residential schools through out-of-court settlements in Canada. Division in the liability of the church and the government; Reaction of the church; Concern over the issue of the loss of language and culture.

Reports the availability of government funds for friendship centers for aborigines in Canada. Assistance in program delivery; Interest of the government in aboriginal welfare; Changes in the administration of national parks.

Reports on the decision of British Columbia Chief Justice Brenner on the Alberni Indian Residential School civil case in British Columbia. History of the childhood sexual abuse case of the Vancouver Island school; Dismissal of the case of the plaintiff; Awards for the six plaintiffs.

Reports the compensation package given to the Assembly of First Nations war veterans for their military services in Canada. Reasons behind the move; Scope of the report authored by R. Scott Sheffield; Proposal of compensation package for surviving veterans and spouses.

Focuses on the proposed regulation regarding the version of independent claims body by Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault in Canada. Reference to the impartial process created by the minister for mediating disputes over land claims; Criticisms on the proposal of the minister; Consideration on the report of the Chiefs Claims Committee.

Focuses on the need to tighten federal firearms legislation in Canada. Suggestion of Bill Erasmus for acceptance of status cards as valid firearms licenses; Plan of a temporary arrangement for gun owners to purchase ammunition without registering; Reference to the incidence of firearms confiscation in different regions of the country.

Reports the rejection of proposed agreement-in-principle treaty in British Columbia. Reasons of the rejection; Concerns over referendum on the entire treaty process; Emphasis on the rights of the minorities.

Reports on the efforts of Gitxsan man Willie Blackwater on residential school issues for leaders in British Columbia. Belief of Blackwater on the confrontation of painful memories of residential school experience; Importance of the exposure of Blackwater on the Alberni Indian Residential School criminal action; Plans of Blackwater to run as chief.

Reports on the intergenerational effects of residential school system on Aboriginal youth in Vancouver, British Columbia. Administration of First Nations and McCreary Center Society on the survey; Comparison of effects between younger and adolescent Aborigine; Increase of retention learning and grade point averages of Aborigines going to schools.

Reports the increase of turnover rates among physicians on the remote communities in British Columbia. Factors affecting the physician turnover; Susceptibility of physicians on communities with greater Aborigine population; Criticisms on the government aid given to physicians.

Reports the reduction of funding for the First Nations by the provincial government in Victoria, British Columbia. Opposition to the British Columbia Treaty Commission by the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs; Announcement of the funding cut by president Stewart Phillip; Disappointment to the public comments of Phillip by minister Dale Lovick.

Highlights the fifth annual All-Native Youth Hockey Tournament in Prince George, British Columbia. Description of team coaches; Inclusion of players of Indigenous heritage; Schedule of minor hockey tournaments.

Focuses on the workshop of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia. Issues of interest to indigenous people and peoples around the world; Participation of the United Nations chairperson Madame Erica-Irene Daes; Principles during the decolonization process.