By Lloyd Dolha

The tasering of an 11-year-old Aboriginal boy by RCMP in Prince George has First Nations leaders calling for a full investigation into the incident. The Carrier-Sekani Tribal Council (CSTC) expressed concern over the conduct of officers involved in the incident that occurred on Thursday April 7th at a group home on the outskirts of the city. “There is something systemically wrong with the RCMP training if members have to taser an 11-year-old child,” said CSTC Tribal Chief David Luggi. “We can recall the incident in 2003 when Clayton Alvin Wyllie was hog-tied and tasered repeatedly and later succumbed to his injuries. [The] CSTC will be monitoring closely this incident and subsequent investigations.”

RCMP responded to a 911 call about an assault at the group home. The young boy, suspected of stabbing of a 37-year-old staff member, was found at a neighbouring property. Officers tasered the boy after he emerged during the arrest. “Efforts were made to get the individual out of the house, and when he emerged from the home a conducted energy weapon was deployed by a member,” stated Prince George Supt. Brenda Butterworth-Carr. The boy was assessed in hospital and returned to government care. Continue reading…

By Lloyd Dolha

Southern Saskatchewan First Nations suffered a devastating loss on March 31st, when the Ochapowace First Nation’s community ice rink was completely consumed by fire. At 10:32 am, the Broadview RCMP detachment received a call from the Ochapowace First Nation that a fire had broken out on the north wall of the skating rink, known as the Fred Bear Communiplex. Fire departments from Whitewood, Broadview, and the Kahkewistahaw First Nation responded to fight the blaze. Witnesses at the scene said a gas line had been hit by a band employee operating a backhoe.

Built in 1985, the Fred Bear Communiplex was a fully functional ice rink with an artificial ice plant and an attached band hall. The communiplex was used as a community centre where members gathered for events including feasts, family functions, funerals, and bingos. “The Fred Bear Communiplex served as a focal point for not only for the citizens of the Ochapowace First Nation but the surrounding First Nations as well,” said Federation of Saskatchewan Indian First Nations (FSIN) Chief Guy Lonechild. “It’s a devastating loss for all these communities, especially for their talented, aspiring young hockey players who will no longer have ready access to a major sporting facility close to home.”
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By Clint Buehler

An internationally renowned Aboriginal artist has been named recipient of this year’s Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Artist Award, along with an accomplished Alberta writer.

Jane Ash Poitras and Robert Kroetsch will be honoured at a gala ceremony at St. Albert’s new Enjoy Centre April 9, when they’ll each be presented with a hand-crafted medal, together with a certificate and a cheque for $30,000.

Jane Ash Poitras, RCA is an internationally acclaimed visual artist whose work has been showcased in dozens of solo and group exhibitions around the world, and can be found in many prestigious public, private and commercial collections. She is a longtime lecturer at the University of Alberta and a much-in-demand guest lecturer across North America and overseas. Respected for her generous support of Aboriginal and community causes, her numerous honours include her RCA designation from the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, the Alberta Centennial Medal, the 2006 National Aboriginal Achievement Award for Arts and Culture, the University of Alberta Alumni Award of Excellence, and the City of Edmonton Cultural Hall of Fame “Salute to Excellence.”
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