Vancouver BC, June 16, 2010 - The 2nd Annual Big Bear Award Traditional Feast is taking place in Winnipeg at the Malborough Hotel on Friday June 18, 2010 from 5:30- 9:00 pm. The Chief Big Bear Award for Good Governance awards a $50,000 prize for the First Nation which scores highest on the 4th annual Aboriginal Governance Index.

Don Sandberg, Director, Aboriginal Frontiers Project, is a Band member of the Norway House Cree Nation and is the project manager of the Frontier Centre's AboriginalGovernance Index--the only independent assessment of First Nations

Governance in Canada. It was developed in 2006 and was intended to be a convenient gauge to benchmark all First Nations on the way towards such good governances practices on such items as transparency, accountability, elections and whether grassroots members perceive fear or intimidation from their band governments. It is about getting the real opinions of average band members and highlighting good stories and the best practices within First Nations communities and the sharing of that information to provide models forother First Nations to emulate. The award includes all First Nations that agree to participate in the prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

The distinguished winner of the 2009 Big Bear Award for Good Governenance was the O'Chiese First Nation from Rocky Mountain House Alberta. The 2010 winner will be announced at the traditional feast on Friday.

For more information on the event click here or here to register online click here.