Grand Chief George Coté
220 years ago, in 1800 over 40 million buffalo roamed the North American prairies. This provided the foundation for the shelter, food and livelihoods of the indigenous people of the prairies. Just 70 years later - by 1870 the buffalo had disappeared. Hunted to extinction by settlers wanting indigenous lands to settle on, with the full support of governments who wanted the “Indian problem” solved, natives were forced onto reservations and children taken away from families and put in residential schools. With their livelihoods taken away, the Indians, who were traditionally hunter/gathers, faced starvation. To solve this problem, the Government of Canada made treaties with the Indians, promising them financial and technical assistance if they agreed to surrender all their lands except certain small, reserved portions to the crown. Nearly all the Indian bands agreed to this plan. September 15, 1874, Treaty #4 was made between the Crown and 34 First Nations in Fort Qu’Appelle Saskatchewan. On behalf of his people Chief Gabriel Cote, Chief George Coté’s great-great-grandfather, signed. In this treaty, they gave up 74,600 square miles of land to the crown and agreed to live on reserves. In return, they got the Coté Reserve - 56.5 square miles in eastern Saskatchewan. Over the ensuing years, the Government and railways expropriated 45% of this land for a pittance. Promises were made and immediately broken. Training in farming and cattle ranching was promised to help the people transition to this reserve. All the promises were broken. Government officials stole the grain and cattle. They took the best land and gave it to white settlers. The Coté people were starving. Local townspeople gave bribes and whiskey to the Chief and Councillors to convince them to give up more land. Under the pressure and the inducement of bribes, the Band was pressured to surrender another two-mile strip of the Reserve. Under the terms of Treaty 4, the government was obligated to provide education for children. They turned this responsibility over to the Church. Seven generations of Coté children were taken from their families and sent to St. Phillips Residential school, operated by the Catholic Church. Survivors tell stories of sexual assault, physical and mental abuse, and very little education. It has scarred everyone. The people suffered from limited education, broken families and relationships, and inadequate support systems. Hope was limited. Band leadership was troubled. Seven years ago, George Coté was elected as Chief. He was just re-elected for the second time. Chief George, a vibrant and strong Christian, has brought unprecedented progress to his people and their First Nation. http://tearfund.ca

SQuire and Louise DuArt Rushnell
GodWinks Devotional affirms a belief held by most readers: there is something more to coincidences than meets the eye. Like knowing winks from a loving parent or grandparent, coincidences are messages from your Maker that you are not alone, and everything will be okay. SQuire shows how you can retrace the crossroads (a death, a new job, a change in your relationship) that took you into a whole new direction, revealing the turning point coincidences that have guided you through life. The lesson: You will learn to uncover a map of winks from God to gain insight into your future. All you have to do is be alert and read the signs. The compelling theory of why coincidences exist and how to map them is applied to fascinating stories in history, sports, the news, medicine, and relationships involving everyday people and celebrities. Some of the captivating stories are familiar to readers but will be seen in a whole new light, one that is at once entertaining and inspiring. http://godwinks.com>