October is upon us!

Hi Everyone!

Well October is almost over and it is time to break out the costumes for Halloween! Cultural appropriation can be a big issue at Halloween so we thought it is a great time to share information about a victory. Halloween often means seeing traditional Native American cultural practices misappropriated as a costume (headdresses, buckskin outfits, face-painting, etc.). One of the biggest misappropriations facing Aboriginal people is that of sports teams named things such as "Redskins". In Canada, Ian Campeau launched a Human Rights complaint over the use of this name for the Nepean football league. Recently, the Nepean Football organization agreed to change it's name. This is a big victory in educating people as to why cultural appropriation is harmful. It is also a great opportunity to work with Aboriginal students and encourage them to be proud of their heritage and culture. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/09/19/a-tribe-called-red-nepean-redskins-change-name_n_3956010.html

In Calgary, Alberta on November 4 and 5, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission will be hosting "Share Your Truth". These events will be hosted at the Executive Royal Hotel 2828 23rd St. NE from 9-5 each day. This is a great opportunity to learn more about and bear witness to the legacy of the Residential School system. For more information contact George Calliou, Executive Director-Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary (AFCC) 403-270-7379 or gcalliou@afccalgary.org Health Support Workers will be available on-site.

James Anaya, the UN Special Rapporteur for Indigenous Rights visited Canada for six days in early October. He visited First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities and made recommendations to the government about how to engage with Canada's Indigenous people in a respectful manner. One of the issues he spoke on is the First Nations Education Act- a new piece of legislation from the Conservative government that is being met with a significant amount of distrust. For more information on the outcome of Mr. Anaya's visits and the First Nations Education Act, see http://globalnews.ca/news/903556/un-investigator-urges-ottawa-not-to-rush-first-nations-education/

We hope you are having a great fall, and as always- if you have any questions or want to share an Aboriginal career fair or invite AARN members to your community, please contact us!!

Cheers,
Tori and Amber