The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Aboriginal women are still among the most victimized people in Canadian society even within their own culture where inequality in pay, promotion and hiring practices continues to exist. However, that is changing dramatically with more native women assuming leaderships roles in business and politics, Chief Victoria Arcand of the Alexander First Nation said. Chief Arcand is among several prominent Aboriginal women who are speaking on the role of Aboriginal women in business and politics at the National Aboriginal Women's Conference, January 29-30 in Calgary. Chief Arcand says she sees encouraging signs that "women are making waves right across the country as more are being elected as leaders and going into business, but there still is a long way to go." See 'System' P.# Con't from P.# "More women should become involved in leadership positions, even through the current system of First Nations government is still based on European systems and imposed by the Indian Act, which favours men over women," she declares. "Aboriginal women are looking for opportunities and they want to be involved in a meaningful way in business and politics and the pathway for that to happen is through education." Chief Arcand was involved in the negotiations in a recent claim about reserve lands that were illegally surrendered a number of years ago. The settlement involving the federal government provides $63-million in compensation to the Alexander First Nation members, which number 1,550 registered members. Most of this compensation will be placed in a trust to ensure future generations benefit. The Alexander First Nation is located northwest of the town of Morinville, which is some 65 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.
