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December 2004 Providing communication to Métis and non-Métis people to create awareness, promote and preserve Métis heritage and culture. Edited and Published by Felice Gladue We welcome donations to cover our costs. Cheques can be made payable to the Métis Matters Foundation of Alberta. Thank you for your continued support. Please forward this copy to others that may be interested in keeping updated on our community. The opinions contained in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Métis Matters Foundation of Alberta nor the opinions of any Métis local, regional, or provincial organization or their affiliates. The views expressed in this publication are those of its contributors only. The publisher invites comments from our readers but reserves the right to edit or reject material at her discretion. To receive the newsletter, free of charge, to send submissions or to advertise, contact us at:
Quotation Minds are like parachutes; they work best when open. ~ Lord Thomas Dewar~ Contents:
2. Education/Employment
3. Speaking Up, Speaking Out
4. Métis Me
5. Working with You
6. Métis Financial Matters
7. Métis Interest Articles
8. National Métis News
9. Métis Cultural Corner
10. Joke of the Month 11. Recipe
Events Métis Festival a Roaring Success By Terry Lusty With four years of experience and visibility behind it Metis Fest has finally come full circle. It was quite the challenge but persistence on the part of the organizers, the Edmonton Metis Cultural Dance Society, paid off big-time as the festival - now in its 5th year - drew capacity crowds at Edmonton's Polish Hall on the Nov. 19-22 weekend. According to Lyle Donald, the society's director, the festival picked up where the long-defunct Fall Festival of the Canadian Native Friendship Centre in Edmonton left off when it ceased to function because that society sold it's building on 117 Street and relocated in an under-sized facility on 127 Street. Back then, in the 1970's, the festival used to draw huge, overflow crowds every year without fail. It was a going concern then and has come full circle to its present status of perhaps being "the" cultural event of the year. Society president Brent Potskin, was overwhelmed and proudly boasted of breaking even by Friday night, thus leaving all proceeds from Sat. and Sun. as profit. Even their silent auction that was tied in with their annual banquet on opening night, proved a hit with paintings by Morris Cardinal and Henry Letendre, a Hudson's Bay blanket and book, and so much more up for grabs - many at great bargains. The real drawing card of the festival is the square dancing and talent contest as well as the fiddling and jigging. Largely attended by people from the Native communities throughout the province, in addition to Sask., the popular event, according to the spacious hall's manager, John Zalewski, held at least a thousand visitors. The premiere event this year, the Adult Square Dance, was won by the high-energy Churchill River Wheelers from Buffalo Narrows, Sask., which bested the Muskoday Northern Lights Dancers from Sask., third-place Opawikoscikan Square Dancers from Pelican Narrows, Sask., and the fourth-place Kikino Northen Lights from Alberta. In the Junior category it was the Edmonton Metis Cultural Jr. Dancers who danced off with first, followed by the Sakatawak Michif Dancers from Ile-a-la Crosse, Sask. A jubilant Wil House from Kehewin won the Adult Male Talent Contest, beating out second-place Floyd Thompson and Jonathon Barore. In the ladies division, Darlene Auger was victorious, with Danessa Potts placing second, and Bev Napesis, third. Brothers Matthew and Eli Cardinal from Wabasca placed one-two respectively in the teen vocals with Cory Poitras, third. As for the teen girls, Jannis Cunningham from Peavine edged out second-place Heidi Houle. And, in the 12-and-under, Bobbi Jo Beaver of Edmonton bested Elizabeth Potskin and Kelsey Poitras. Last, but not least, the Golden Age vocals went to A) Male: Adelard Beaver from Edmonton, Ed Poitras and Don Cunningham while in ladies, it was Rose Aastaveit from Dawson Creek over Madeline Mottus. Edmonton's Gary Pruden captured the fiddling title followed by 15 year-old Cory Poitras and Brian Lavallee. Poitras, incidentally, is truly showing his colours and will most certainly be a force to reckon with in future. One of the more tedious tasks in judging is that of the many jiggging entries. Nonetheless, once the music had stopped and the dust settled, the results for the rest of the contestants went something like this: Golden Age - Rose Aastaveit and Clara Woodbridge, and Billy Paul and Ed Poitras. Adult Ladies - Edmonton's Felice Gladue, Bev Lambert and Giselle Lariviere. Adult Men - Raymond Gladue of Edmonton over Marco (Morin) Gladue and Leonard McCallum. Teen Girls - Lac La Biche's Melanie Desjarlais, Erin Ballantyne and Deena Dorion. Teen Boys - David Garson, Blaine Desjarlais and Blair Michel. Tiny Tot girls - Paige L'Hirondelle, Brianna Gladue and Kinesha Daigneault. Tin Tot boys - Luc Gauthier History is Alive in Grouard, Alberta School groups experienced curriculum-relevant, hands-on, learning activities that included, in the Village, Bannock and Tea, Village Lifestyle, Fur Trade, Role Playing, Hand games and Tipi Building. Students also visited the museum participating in the Museum Tour, the St. Bernard Roman Catholic Mission Church Tour and an Aboriginal Craft Activity. “It really took the kids back in time. The activities were educational and hands-on.” “Staff were excellent, pleasant and knowledgeable!” “It was the best field trip we ever attended.” The trek had first headed due west to Carberry, Manitoba, then northwest to the Assiniboine River and then north along the Shell Valley to Duck Mountain ending in San Clara on July 31,2004, to complete part one of the journey. Another highlight was a cart dedication at Waywayseecappo First Nations, where a cart was dedicated to the memory of a fallen Aboriginal RCMP officer shot and killed in Russell, Manitoba. This cart will be held in trust by the Wayway band until the spring when part two of the journey begins. A momento will be left in place of the cart. Once the trek reaches Batoche, this cart will be left in Batoche indefinitely as a reminder of this great journey. Our arrival in San Clara, the final destination of the first part of the joureny, was greeted by many people and a town party that lasted all weekend. For more information or to view photos contact Armand Jerome, Red River Métis Heritage Group preseident, at ajerome@mts.net. Aboriginal Community Salutes Veterans From the Legislature it was off to the Westmount Community Hall, where hundreds of dignitaries, dancers, entertainers and community members were on hand to salute our veterans with a Tribute Jamboree. The celebration began by marching in the flags led by Harold Burton, a Métis Bagpiper, followed by the veterans and dignitaries. The White Buffalo Dance Society drummed a traditional honour song as traditional dancers danced. The drummers also sang a victory song in honour of the veterans. Among the dignitaries to give speeches were the Mayor of Edmonton Steve Mandel and the Honourable Deputy Prime Minister of Canada Anne McLellan. Métis Child & Family Services provided lunch for everyone. The Master’s of Ceremonies were Winston Wuttunee & Len Gauthier. They kept the show flowing as the afternoon was packed with talented performancers from communities all over Alberta. Special performances included the M. C. F. S Little Jiggers, the Edmonton Métis Cultural Dancers and a performance by Winston Wuttunee himself which had the crowd roaring with laughter. The Tribute Jamboree was a great way to celebrate the contributions that our heroes, the Aboriginal veterans, have given to us. We salute you! Métis Child & Family Services We also would like to thank the many others who attended the event and just pitched in when something needed to be done as well as all the community members who came out to salute our Aboriginl veterans! DECEMBER 9, 2004
FNSA Annual Christmas Party Comedy Cave, 3828 Macleod Trail SE, Calgary, Alberta Dinner at 7:00 Tickets $15 in advance, $20 at the door which includes a buffet dinner. Contact403- 220-6687. FEBRUARY 7 - 11, 2005
Native Awareness Week "Uniting our Nations" University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta FEBRUARY 11, 2005 Northern Métis Celebration Northern Lakes College Grouard Campus, Grouard, Alberta FEBRUARY 16 - 18, 2005 The Alberta Native Friendship Centres Association presents the 6th Bi-Annual Funding & Information Conference Coast Terrace Inn, Edmonton, Alberta Contact 780-423-3138. APRIL 30, 2005 Education / Employment NAIT’s New Shop on Wheels Brings Pre- Apprenticeship Training Close to Home NAIT has developed a new way to bring pre-trades training to Aboriginal communities in Northern and NAIT has two of the units which can be used for trades in welding, millwright, machining, gas fitting, and pipefitting/ steam fitting. Each is 53-feet long and fired by two generators used together or alone for energy efficiency. They’re so self-contained they can be set up in a field in about an hour. The retractable sides roll out and the collapsible floor comes up on hinges to reveal a gleaming metal state-of the-art lab with all the latest tools and equipment. Built at a cost of $1.4 million and funded by private sector partnerships, the labs will be used to deliver the Introduction to Trades Program. The program can be tailored to meet the needs of the local community and industry, mostly related to the oil patch. “That program,” explains Steve Crocker, NAIT’s Manager of Aboriginal Liaisons,” is designed to get people to qualify to be an apprentice. It gives somebody their start. We can take people with varying educational backgrounds, customize a program to meet learner needs, and use the mobile labs to teach the trade skills depending on local employment offerings. “The course is usually nineteen weeks long and also covers personal development, safety certification, educational upgrading, employment preparation and work experience. We typically consult with the Aboriginal communities in conjunction with local industries to offer what is needed in the trade areas. When students complete the program, they have the necessary safety certification, are employment ready, and have the basic skills for the workplace.” Meanwhile, the mobile labs make learning a whole new experience. Instead of traveling a great distance for training, students can walk right into the electrically heated shop from a back door. There are six units that do TiG, wire feed, Arc and oxygen/acetylene welding; six metal lathes; four drill presses and 12 work stations, in addition to a proliferation of hand and power tools like grinders, pipe benders and threading machines. Tools, valuing $200,000 are neatly hung from largest to smallest so the instructor can easily tell by the end of the day if everything has been put away properly. There’s even an overhead 500 lb. crane so students can learn about bundling up equipment and rigging. “It’s very well put together and very impressive,” says Crocker. “Each lab is like a ship – everything has its place. It’s quiet, is well lit, and spacious at 1,000 sq. ft. With the all-metal flooring, nothing will break, or catch fire. The storage underneath is collapsible. There’s R36 insulation in the walls and in the 3 inch floor, and R48 in the ceiling. And there’s 500 gallons of diesel fuel on board to power the generators.” Students spend eight weeks in the lab learning about four trade areas depending upon the stream chosen. In that time, about 12 to 14 projects are completed starting with simple ones which move on to become more complicated. The class size is a maximum of 12 students working with welders, drill presses, and power and hand tools. Following a one week employment preparation course, students would acquire four weeks of work experience arranged with local area industries. Sam Shaw, President of NAIT, says “this initiative called NAIT in Motion will be particularly important to Aboriginal communities since their education is important to the future of “Aboriginal communities make up the fastest growing segment of These labs, the second and third of their kind in “There’s already a lot of interest in them,” Crocker says. “We have people in the High Arctic who are interested in one. I’d love to test it in the winter to see how well it performs. We can go anywhere there are roads, including gravel. There’s also a college in Central B.C. which is looking at a unit for fall delivery. We’re ready to roll anytime.” Speaking Up, Speaking Out By Terry Lusty Hunters! Listen Up! Now that the hunting rights legislation in the Steve Powley case has resulted in the provision of hunting rights that parallel those enjoyed by First Nations people, don't go flying off the handle and abuse a good thing. All too often some of our Native brothers and sisters have been handed priveleges, abused them, and lost them. Let's not do this to the hunting rights that have been given us. Don't go off and hunt excessively, don't take more game than what you require for your own subsistence, always be a conservationist, don't hunt through illegal means, don't sell your goods to others just for the sake of making money. Know what I'm saying? Who do you want to irritate and why? Who do you want to have for enemies? I could think of better reasons to make enemies. Keep those rights in place for not only today's generation but for the generations yet unborn. Pleeeasssse!!! Another Good One Goes Born in Feb., 1945, he spent about 25 years in the army and air force and saw action in Vietnam. Around 1994, he went blind and struggled through life. Still, this humourous man was often capable of lifting one's spirit whenever it was required. I know. It worked for me. He was not afraid to say it like it was and may have sometimes appeared to act offensively towards some people. But, if he ever offended anyone, it wasn't because it was intentional and he'd be the first to apologize if that was the case. The timing of his death came as a surprise to many and coincided with the anniversary of the death of Metis country's greatest-ever Metis leader, Louis Riel. It was Nov. 16 and Don had attended the special commemorative service in tribute to Riel at the Alberta Legislature Building. That was the last time most anyone saw him and those who did, say he seemed fine at the time. By 8:00 p.m. a phoine call from Fr. Jim at Sacred Heart brought the sad news of his passing . . . apparently, about an hour earlier. For many of us it was quite a surprise but, dutifully, a good many people rallied behind his love, Maureen and his immediate family members. It was the least we could do and we were pleased to assist. His funeral was Nov. 22. Randle Tribute The six-time CFR competitor from Ft. Vermilion, who established a still unbeaten record score of 91 in bareback was recognized by his former travelling partner and fellow-competitor, Bill Boyd. Boyd, entered the arena on horseback with a saddled but riderless horse. The symbolism here was that the riderless horse was there to carry the spirit of Randle as is the tradition of old western ways. I'm almost certain his wife, Audrey, would have been very appreciative of the gesture. So would his two sons. We pray the Randle family pulls together and survives that huge void in their lives
Métis Me By Muriel Stanley Venne Métis Christmas in the City Christmas always brought a lot of happiness for us kids because it was the time when presents would be found under the Christmas tree. Today as I look at the new up-town lofts with their bedrooms separated by curtains, I think of my family’s first Christmas in the city when my brothers were young and eager to know what was going on. The curtains that hung in our house separated the kid’s bedroom from the bigger room which was a combination of a kitchen and a living room. The kid’s bedroom had three beds for seven of us to sleep in. We had warm, heavy quilts and beds that sank in the middle because the springs were worn out. So if you were sleeping on the outside, you had to hang on to the edge so as not to roll into the middle and get squashed. No matter how hard you tried though, you always seemed to end up in the middle anyway. We usually ended up sleeping like sausages in a package with two of us at the front and one at the bottom hoping that the big kids did not kick too much throughout the night. Those days were pretty happy for us kids. We really did not know how hard it was for my Mom and Dad to make the money stretch far enough to make the kids happy at Christmastime. If it had not been for my Mom’s Eaton’s credit account, we probably would not have had anything. Mom managed to make the credit account payments by cleaning other people’s houses and Dad earned money for the essentials like rent and utilities. I remember the love and the fun we had that first Christmas Eve in the city. It was the first time I was grown-up enough to be allowed to help wrap the gifts. I was the big sister helping my Mom wrap the presents late at night when the other kids were in bed. At least we thought they were in bed and two sets of bare feet appeared at the bottom of the curtain. My Mom said in a loud stern voice, “Get back to bed,” and the feet disappeared. We continued wrapping the gifts, but a little while later the feet appeared again. Again Mom said, “Get back to bed,” and then sent me to go check which of the boys were out of bed. When I parted the curtains, everyone was sound asleep and no one ever admitted to peeking through those curtains to check on the gifts coming from Santa Claus.
Working with You By Trevor W. Gladue, Provincial Vice President of the Métis Nation of Alberta MLAs Given a New Mandate On Monday, November 22, the Premier Ralph Klein moved very quickly to appoint his new cabinet. The new ministry was sworn in without the Hon. Lt.Gov. Louis Hole, as she is battling cancer. She is truly gifted with the ability to connect with all Albertans in a very special way and her absence does not go unnoticed. May she be blessed with the strength to recover and be ready to help us welcome the Queen next year. The new cabinet make up for the provincial government includes a new ministry, and changes to the responsibilities of some old portfolios. Here are some interesting developments in which I would like to draw your attention to. Many Albertans stressed education as a priority and as a result the government split the former Ministry of Learning into Education (kindergarten to grade12) and Advanced Education (post-secondary education). The Minister for Education is Hon. Gene Zwozdeski and the Minister for Advanced Education is Hon. Dave Hancock. Albertans also stressed Health as a priority and the new Minister of Health & Wellness is the Hon. Iris Evans, this appointment signals that the government will not be moving towards radical changes to the health care process. Another noted ministry is Aboriginal Affairs & Northern Affairs in which the Hon. Pearl Calahasen retained her Ministry. As Minister Calahasen has been a champion of Aboriginal issues throughout the province, it is evident that Premier Ralph Klein feels confident that she will continue to champion Aboriginal issues. As for the official opposition, the Liberals have been returned with 17 seats, and the New Democratic Party has gained official party status by gaining 4 seats. This is also a signal from the electorate that politicians need to always remember that Albertan’s are the bosses. I would like to take this time to thank you for your continued support throughout this year, and I wish you and your family seasons greetings! Long Live the Métis Nation! Métis Financial Matters By Shawna J. Serniak Segregated Fund Versus Other Investment Opportunities
Features & Benefits of Segregated Funds Features Minimum Maturity Guarantee: After 10 years the insurance company guarantees to pay the greater of the policy’s market value or 75% of the premiums (less redemptions) paid into contract. Companies may offer a guarantee greater than 75%, up to 100%. Maturity Guarantee Reset: Resetting the maturity value is commonly allowed several times a year. Minimum Death Benefit Guarantee: On the death of the annuitant, the insurance company guarantees to pay the beneficiary the greater of the policy’s market value or 75% of the premiums (less redemptions) paid into the contract. Companies may offer a guarantee greater than 75%. Lower Taxation Rates: Non-registered segregated funds are taxed as they accumulate in value in a policy. They are often taxes at lower rates. Probate By-Pass: Segregated funds are sold in insurance contracts (individual variable insurance contracts) and it may be possible to avoid probate through proper beneficiary designations. Creditor Protection: If an irrevocable beneficiary designation is made, or certain family members of the annuitant are names as beneficiary (e.g. spouse, child, parent), assets may be creditor protected. The maturity guarantee means investors: · can hold segregated funds in place of certain fixed income products · can include more aggressive asset classes in their portfolio, with the potential to achieve higher overall return, while maintaining a degree of protection. Investors can lock-in market gains, setting the higher amount as the new guaranteed maturity value. Note: this also ‘resets’ the contract’s maturity date to 10 years from the date of the most recent reset. Segregated funds are insurance contracts and as such, offer a death benefit. The knowledge that a beneficiary will receive a guaranteed value means the investor can feel comfortable investing in more aggressive asset classes. The result is a potential for higher overall return. A balanced segregated or mutual fund and a GIC may seem to have the same yield; however, GICs earn interest income, which is fully taxable. A balanced segregated or mutual fund can earn interest, dividend or capital gain income. Both dividend and capital gain income received more favorable tax treatment, which can result in a higher rate of return. When the annuitant dies, the segregated fund proceeds are paid to a beneficiary. If the beneficiary is name sand is other than the policyowner’s or the policyowner’s estate, then the proceeds is not subject to probate fees. In most provinces, this can result in significant savings to the policyowner’s estate. Because segregated funds are contained in an insurance contract, if a proper family member or irrevocable beneficiary is designated, these assets may be protected from creditors if you face bankruptcy, lawsuits or other claims. Creditor protection may depend on factors other than beneficiary designations. Contact Shawna J Serniak at Tryshaw Financial for more information at 1-800-689-0896 or 953-3184.
Métis Interest Nominations Open for Alberta Aboriginal Youth Achievement Awards The Alberta Aboriginal Youth Achievement Awards provide an opportunity to recognize the achievements of Aboriginal youth and to share their success with others across the province of Alberta. There are eight award categories for First Nation, Metis and Inuit youth with a possibility of 17 awards in total. Individuals can be nominated for more than one category, however, seperate nomination forms are required for each category the individual is nominated for. The categories include:
For more information on the category requirements visit www.metismatters.com/NewsUpdates.asp . For a nomination form contact Amanda L'Hirondelle or Kim Mueller at 780-455-2200 or toll free in Alberta Email Trevor (Pruden) Hamon at chiefmtn@canada.com with a brief bio on how you link to John Peter Pruden and you will receive an invite to the site by return email.
By Victoria Budd, Chair of CANE For the past 10 years, the Committee for the Awareness of Native Employees (CANE) has held monthly meetings open to all federal employees within the Calgary area. This year the Committee for the Awareness of Native Employees received Canada Revenue Agency's (CRA) "Award of Excellence" in the category of Community service. This volunteer committee comprised of CRA Aboriginal employees, raises funds for community projects, co-ordinates and participates in community service activities, disseminates information about Aboriginal issues, and represents the CRA at Calgary Aboriginal Professional Association meetings. Some of the past year's activities arranged by CANE include: organizing the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program, where CANE members completed T1 returns for local residents, raising funds to support an Aboriginal family during the Historic Métis Nation homeland means the area of land in west central North America used and occupied as the traditional territory of the Métis or Half-breeds as they were then known. Métis Nation means the Aboriginal people descended from the historic Métis Nation, which is now comprised of all Métis Nation peoples and is one of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada within the meaning of s.35 of the Constitution Act 1982. Application for membership: The following documentation is mandatory and must accompany your application for membership: - A completed Genealogy which clearly outlines your Métis Ancestory - Certified copies of other government, church or community records which recognized the ancestor as "Métis or Half Breed" - Copies of a long form birth or baptismal certificate showing the full names of biological parents - one (1) piece of photo identification - Proof of permanent residency in Alberta for a minimum of ninety (90) days Incomplete application documentation will not be processed and will cause delay to your application processing. Once you have obtained the mandatory documents and have filled out the membership application form, please contact the membership clerk in your office who will be able to advise you where you should file your documents. Please make photocopies for your records and submit the originals for processing. Normal processing time for a completed membership application package (including all mandatory documents) is between 4-6 weeks, or longer during periods of high membership intake. Incomplete applications will not be processed and will be returned to you or your regional office. Métis Matters Radio Show
The Standing Committee thanked us for our presentations. At this time Pat Martin a MP from Winnipeg made a motion to “Thank All Aboriginal Veterans for their contribution to Canada.” But, as often happens, the petty bickering that followed ended the session without a “Vote of Thank You.” Really! How hard is it for this country to simply say, “Thank you,” to our Métis veterans and other Aboriginal veterans who volunteered and paid for Canada’s freedoms with their blood on the battlefield? Who do they remember on Remembrance Day?
Season’s Greetings We hope to see cousins, old friends and newcomers at the third annual “The Hivernant Rendezvous” a Métis Festival from July 29 - 31, 2005, in Big Valley, Alberta. The society was glad to welcome Marlene Lanz and Ephram Bouvier from the M.N.A. Region 3 office at the last planning meeting. Raffle tickets for a Capote (voyageur winter coat) and a beautiful Métis print will be available in mid November. Look for a representative of the Hivernant Cultural Society at one of your functions and buy a ticket. All generated funds go toward the Hivernant Rendezvous. Surtout Liberté!
National Métis News New Website for Fraser Valley Métis The Fraser Valley Métis Association has recently launched it new website at www.fvma.ca. Visit the website to get information on various workshops and special events. NWT Métis Claim First Nation Status, Sue for Fed Funds The Métis of Fort Simpson and Fort Providence say they are being short-changed by the federal government. Métis leaders from both communities say they are as entitled to federal funding as First Nations. Lafferty says the last three Indian Affairs ministers have flatly refused Métis requests for operational funding. He says the local Métis organizations have no funding for staff and rely largely on volunteers for day-to-day operations. Almost all First Nations bands receive operational funding each year. The difference between the federal government's approach to First Nations and its approach to Métis was addressed in the 1996 Royal Commission Report on Aboriginal Peoples. The report concluded that Métis have a powerful argument that federal funding policies violate their constitutional rights. That is the case Fort Providence and Fort Simpson Métis are making to the Federal Court of Canada. They are asking for a judicial review of the federal government's funding policy. No one at the department was available for comment. A new group has formed claiming to represent the interests of Saskatchewan Métis people following a provincial report that was highly critical of the recent Métis election. "The last Métis election was flawed and essentially doesn't exist," said Alex Maurice, spokesperson for the newly created Provisional Métis Council (PMC). During the May 26 election for positions within the Métis Nation -- Saskatchewan (MNS), Robert Doucette was initially declared the winner. The Métis election commission reversed that decision later that day and named Dwayne Roth president by 26 votes. The provincial government suspended its $410,000 in funding to the MNS in July and appointed former provincial chief electoral officer Keith Lampard to review the election. Lampard released his report Monday, raising serious questions about the accuracy of the results. As a result, First Nations and Métis Relations Minister Maynard Sonntag said the province has cut off relations with the MNS leadership. Sonntag said those relations will be restored only after a fair election takes place, although he said the provincial government has no power to order a new election. Maurice said the provisional council was formed at a weekend meeting in Prince Albert attended by about 100 people. They want to meet with federal and provincial officials as soon as possible. Members of the group plan to travel the province talking to Métis people. They will then hold an annual general meeting, and Maurice said they hope to force a new election. "We're here. We're not going to go away. We need to re-establish our integrity," Maurice said. Doucette said he's not giving up on his quest for a new election. Roth said he plans to sue Lampard and the provincial government on the grounds that comments in the report are libellous and are unfounded. MNS leaders unanimously rejected the Lampard report Tuesday. Roth said Lampard wrote a "one-sided report based on hearsay." He also demanded the provincial government fund the assembly. Invitation To Be Enumerated In The Land, Resources, and Government Agreement The Metis Nation defines “indigenous Metis” as a person who meets the following criteria:
A “Designated Community” means one or all of:
Register Now! If you would like to be enumerated or if you have any questions on the eligibility criteria please contact the Enumeration Project Manager at the address below. Leah Desjarlais Métis Cultural Corner Questions Lac La Biche, Alberta 1. When did the community of Lac La Biche originate? 2. When did Lac La Biche become an established Métis settlement? 3. Lac La Biche is the second oldest settlement in Alberta. Which settlement is the oldest? 4. What were some of the early names associated with the Lac La Biche settlement? Source: The Métis: Our People, Our Story CD ROM, Gabriel Dumont Institute
Métis Cultural Corner Answers
1. The community of Lac La Biche originated in 1798 - 99, when the Hudson Bat Company and the North West Company were competing to establish inland fur trade posts. 2. Lac La Biche became an established Metis settlement in 1872 and had 15 times the population of Fort Edmonton. 3. Fort Chipewyan is the oldest settlement in Alberta. 4. Some of the early names associated with the Lac La Biche settlement were Auger, Desjarlais, Cardinal, Nadeau and Ladouceur.
Joke of the Month What do you call a white man surrounded by 300 Metis? A BINGO caller.
Recipe Rabbit Stew By Nadia Dawe, Native Seniors Cookbook
Edmonton, Alberta
3lb rabbit 1 cup potatoes, cubed, uncooked
1 Tblsp salt 1 stalk celery, chopped
1 cup cubed carrots, uncooked 6 cups boiling water
1 large onion, diced 1/4 cup flour
Dash pepper
Wash and cut up rabbit. Place in heavy kettle with onion, celery, salt and pepper. Add boiling water, cover tightly and simmer for about 2 hours. Add vegetables and continue to simmer until vegetables are tender. Mix flour and water to paste and thicken stew with this mixture. Yields 6 servings.
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