First Nations Awards To Be Handed Out Tonight

First Nations Awards To Be Handed Out Tonight

Thursday, November 03, 2005 at 15:00

The achievements of First Nations’ role models in Saskatchewan will be highlighted tonight at a ceremony in Regina.

It’s the 11th edition of the First Nations Awards, and organizers say a good number of tonight’s nominees hail from the North.

Women of the Dawn president Ivy Kennedy says award categories include youth, education and media.

She notes two northerners have been nominated in the lifetime achievement category — Flying Dust chief Percy Derocher and Loon Lake resident Alma Simon.

Other northern nominees include Ruth Ahenakew of Ahtakakoop and Trudy Morin of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation in the teacher category, while fellow PBCN members Virginia Ray and Russell Merasty have been nominated for their community work.

Meanwhile, Buffalo River band member Willie Billette is a nominee in the media category.