Channeling the Warrior Spirit
Chase King says the principle that guides him is simple. “Pretty much all Anishinaabeg people are tough and have a warrior spirit within,” he says from his home in Barrie, Ontario. “This spirit helps me to focus on my training and fight with intelligence, but most of all, with respect.” Originally from the community of...
The Spirit of George Armstrong: Aboriginal Players in the NHL Playoffs
With the Canadian federal election campaign officially in the third period, many of our beloved readers may be looking for another intense race to follow once the votes are in May 2nd. You may also be sick of the campaign by now, or even totally indifferent to it. Either way, the other big show going...
The Urban Heartbeat of Mother Earth
The steady beat builds to a booming thump. The bodies on the dance floor writhe along, anticipating the peak. There’s a short beat break, and a half-second later it kicks back in with the wails of a Northern Cree pow wow anthem soaring above the club rhythm. The crowd erupts. This is the Electric Pow...
NDN LOL: The Insights of Comedian Ryan McMahon
If there’s anything that helps people emerge from a shared struggle, it’s shared laughter. Despite the hardships many Aboriginal people across Turtle Island have endured, they’ve been able to maintain an infallible sense of humour: one that’s evolved from timeless trickster stories into standup comedy and television shows, among other methods and media. Ryan McMahon...
(brief) Recap: 2010 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival
imagineNATIVE was always my favourite Toronto festival and I went every year from its inception up until I left the city for the Prairies in 2006. As a young aspiring journalist/visual storyteller, the films I saw and the people I met inspired me to try to carve my own path in the field. That path...
REVIEW: ‘Dreamland’ at imagineNATIVE 2010
Dreamland 123 min | 2010 | Australia Written & Directed by Ivan Sen. Starring Daniel Roberts and Tasma Walton Screens at imagineNATIVE, Thursday Oct. 21 @ 5 PM, Al Green Theatre (Bloor & Spadina) MI Rating: ★★★ ————————— ◊ ————————— ‘The truth is out there.’ It was Agent Fox Mulder’s decree in the classic sci-fi...
Aboriginal Nominees for Gemini Awards in Canadian TV excellence
This fall the Gemini Awards will honour the best in Canadian English-language television, and a handful of Aboriginal nominees are competing for some pretty significant hardware in the Program and Performance categories. Neil Diamond’s remarkable documentary Reel Injun is up for Best Social/Political Documentary Program. Don Kelly, host of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network‘s Fish...
Your Status Card and Ontario’s New HST
A Chat with the Grand Council Chief of the Union of Ontario Indians On July 1, 2010, the province of Ontario implemented the Harmonized Sales Tax, combining the 8% Provincial Sales Tax and the 5% Goods and Services Tax for a single rate of 13 per cent at point of purchase. The new tax affects...
When Art Transcends Controversy: the Norval Morrisseau Legacy
Even in death, the saga of legendary Ojibway artist Norval Morrisseau has been embroiled in dispute. It began shortly after he died in December of 2007, when his seven children battled with his former handler and business manager to have his remains buried next to their mother in Keewaywin, Ontario instead of cremated. Now, his...
