Study reveals: Nearly Two-Thirds of Indigenous Women in Canada Face Mistreatment During Childbirth
By Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News Almost two-thirds of Indigenous women in Canada have experienced some form of mistreatment and three-quarters have been disrespected while giving birth, according to a recent academic study. The survey, published in Global Frontiers in Women’s Health on June 30, 2026, was based on the findings of a broader national survey of 6,096 Canadian women’s experiences in the maternal health-care system. Of these participants, 309, or 6.7 per cent, were Indigenous. The data shows that First Nations, Metis and Inuit women were more likely to suffer various forms of mistreatment while giving birth than white women, almost half of whom experienced mistreatment, or other racialized women, just more than half of whom experienced mistreatment. The study was coauthored by University of...
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National chief slams federal clean water bill at AFN assembly
By Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News OTTAWA-Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak slammed the federal government’s proposed legislation regarding clean drinking water for First Nations in her opening remarks at the AFN annual general assembly on July 14. Minister of Indigenous Services Mandy Gull-Masty introduced the First Nations Clean Water Act, or Bill C-37, in the House of Commons last month, which was announced alongside a $4.6-billion investment in water and wastewater infrastructure. “It’s disappointing that this new bill fails to clearly designate First Nations’ rights to clean water, because no sum of money will distract from the red flags we see in this new clean water bill,” said Nepinak at Ottawa’s Rogers Centre. According to Indigenous Services Canada, there are 38...
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Haida Gwaii community wants court to ban man from its land
By Bob Mackin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince George Citizen A federal Crown prosecutor wants a BC Supreme Court judge to sentence a man who was banished from Skidegate reserves to six months in jail on concurrent sentences for possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and for selling marijuana. Shaun Jackson Smith was convicted on May 12, 2025, of trafficking cocaine and selling marijuana. During a July 8 sentencing hearing in Prince George, Crown prosecutor Adrienne Switzer told Justice Christopher Greenwood that Smith was operating an “ongoing business venture” that he had established less than two months after completing his previous prison sentence. She said he owned a residence, vehicles and a boat. Police seized a quantity of drugs from Smith’s residence, including 30.5 grams of cocaine hidden...
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AFN Hears From Federal MPs On ATRs, Major Projects, Public Safety And More At Annual General Assembly
By Alex Murray Writer OTTAWA-The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) heard from several federal MPs during the third day of the Annual General Assembly, covering topics including ATRs, Major Projects, and public safety. Minister for Crown-Indigenous Relations Rebecca Alty kicked off the session with some updates. She said she has approved 76 Addition to Reserve (ATR) requests since she was appointed, which amounts to over 136k acres, roughly the size of Ottawa. She also acknowledged that the current ATR process is too slow and complicated. To that end, she asked all in attendance to give feedback on the new “Setting Apart of Lands as Reserve” policy that will replace the old ATR policy from 2016. She also pointed to the resolution of 31 land claims this past year, amounting to...
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Union denounces CN for sending rail crew through active wildfire in Ontario
By Kathryn Mannie A trade union representing railworkers is calling on Canadian National Railway to stop operating through active wildfire zones after a crew had to be evacuated from a train that was engulfed in fire. A video of the incident shared widely on social media showed orange-red flames closing in on the train as trees burned on both sides of the tracks. The Teamsters said the train was operated by its members and the union’s director of communications Marc-André Gauthier said the crew had to be treated for smoke inhalation. Forest fires in northwestern Ontario have devastated several communities, forced widespread evacuations and destroyed homes and buildings in one First Nation. A widely reshared video from a rail worker’s perspective shows fiery scenes as a wildfire closes in on...
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Governments co-ordinate response efforts
By Sandi Krasowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Chronicle-Journal As the wildfire situation in Northern Ontario changes, Thunder Bay-Superior North MP Patty Hajdu recognizes that people across the region are feeling anxious — especially those who have lost homes, property and businesses. “My team and I are working closely with affected communities and community leaders,” Hajdu told The Chronicle-Journal. “We are raising issues directly with relevant federal departments and helping people navigate federal and provincial programs and services.” She added that anyone affected by the fires who needs help can call her office at 807-766-2090. “You do not need to figure out which government, department or program to call first,” she said. “Call us. We will help you navigate it.” Hajdu said the federal government is supporting Ontario in several...
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Coalition forms against Building Canada Act
By Lucas-Matthew Marsh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Iori:wase In an act of solidarity, Indigenous peoples and allies gathered in Montreal on July 1 to demonstrate against the Building Canada Act. Ellen Gabriel, who helped organize the demonstration, said this broad coalition chose Canada Day to bring attention to the country’s ongoing history of settler colonialism. “We wanted to do something that was anti-colonial, and to remind Canadians… that there is a problem here,” Gabriel said. “You are not respecting First Nations rights.” Louis Couillard, a climate and energy campaigner at Greenpeace Canada, estimated that between 50 and 100 people gathered at Place du Canada on July 1, where the John A. Macdonald statue once stood. Demonstrators called on the federal government to repeal the act and urged Canada to uphold...
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ITUM signs Quebec’s first Indigenous child welfare accord
By Lucas-Matthew Marsh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Iori:wase The Innu Takuaikan Uashat mak Mani-utenam (ITUM) is the first Indigenous nation in Quebec to sign a tripartite agreement with the federal and provincial governments regarding Indigenous children in the child welfare system. At a press conference in Quebec City last week, Jonathan Shetush St-Onge, Chief of the Innu Nation of Uashat mak Mani-utenam, stressed that the agreement represents more than “an administrative reform.” “It is an affirmation of who we are, a self-determination finally respected,” St-Onge said. “It is a way to ensure that our children are no longer separated from their identity, their language, their families and their communities.” The agreement outlines the responsibilities of ITUM and the federal and provincial governments in this new system, as well as how...
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N.L. First Nations chief seeking a reversal of fur product ban on Etsy
A Newfoundland and Labrador First Nations chief says the decision of a prominent online retailer to ban fur products is discriminatory against Indigenous artisans and traditions. Etsy, which allows creators, artists and other sellers to create online marketplaces for their wares, says all products containing animal fur will be banned from the platform in August. Chief Jenny Brake, leader of the Qalipu First Nation in western Newfoundland, says First Nations have been responsibly harvesting animals and using them in trade since time immemorial. Brake says artisans from all over the country show pride in their traditional products, many of which are made with fur or other materials such as seal skin. She introduced a resolution at this week’s Assembly of First Nations general assembly in Ottawa that would see the...
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Canada-Inuit relationship portrayed as a model during NATO visit
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News The federal government’s relationship with Inuit is being used as a “very good model” to illustrate to 30 members of Parliament and representatives from 14 allied countries during a NATO visit to Iqaluit from July 14 to 17, MP Julie Dzerowicz said. Dzerowicz chairs the NATO Parliamentary Association, which began meetings in Ottawa on July 13 and then travelled with Nunavut MP Lori Idlout to the territorial capital. “I’m very proud of the relationship that we have, and I think it’s a good model to show our NATO parliamentarians. It’s not perfect. There’s no perfect relationship in the world, but I think it’s a very good model,” Dzerowicz said of the rapport between Inuit and the federal government. The legislators...
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Assembly of First Nations rejects ‘discredited’ theory of of Innu history in Labrador
By Sarah Smellie The Assembly of First Nations passed a motion Tuesday denouncing what the Innu Nation says is the Newfoundland and Labrador’s government’s reliance on a “discredited and unscientific” theory that Innu arrived in the province just 300 years ago. Passed by consensus, the emergency motion was brought forward at the AFN’s annual general meeting in Ottawa by Chief Eugene Hart of the Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation in Labrador. He made an emotional plea for support to the assembly, saying the provincial government has disrespected Innu elders and communities. “It’s a slap in the face, basically,” he said. “I don’t think that was right for the province to say that to us and to our people, which were here many, many thousands and thousands of years.” “I’m confused as...
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Ontario asks federal government for potential wildfire evacuation help in the north
By Allison Jones Ontario is requesting assistance from the federal government to get ready to evacuate communities across the north by aircraft as dozens of forest fires burn out of control. Ontario Emergency Preparedness Minister Jill Dunlop says in a letter to federal Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski that 15 communities in the north have already started evacuations or are considering them. She says the situation may continue to escalate rapidly. Dunlop says it is likely there will be simultaneous evacuations that need to be done by air, with several communities in the north not accessible by road and Ontario may not have enough resources to meet that need. Ontario is asking the federal government to ensure aircraft and crews could be deployed in 24 hours or less in case...
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Health concerns, event cancellations grow as wildfire smoke persists across Ontario
Wildfires that have devastated communities in northern Ontario are also causing health concerns and event cancellations across southern parts of the province as thick smoke plumes linger in the sky for another day. Toronto is still not feeling any relief after wildfire smoke turned the city’s skyline orange on Wednesday, prompting some residents to don protective face masks and stay indoors. Environment Canada says the air quality in the city continues to be “very high risk” on Thursday morning. Air quality warnings are in place from Thunder Bay to Kingston and down to Toronto, London and Windsor, as residents of several First Nations communities in northwestern Ontario flee forest fires. Residents in the Greater Toronto Area out in poor air quality as smoke from wildfires in northwestern Ontario drift south....
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The latest on Ontario wildfires and smoke, from evacuations to poor air quality
Here is the latest on wildfires in northern Ontario as communities evacuate and much of the province is blanketed in thick and dangerous smoke. All times Eastern. — 10:40 a.m. Devastating wildfires are also causing health concerns and event cancellations across southern parts of the province as thick smoke plumes linger in the sky for another day. Environment Canada says the air quality in Toronto continues to be “very high risk” this morning. Air quality warnings are also in place from Thunder Bay to Kingston, London and Windsor, with conditions in some areas expected to persists until Friday. The smoke has also reached parts of the northern United States. — 10:15 a.m. Ontario has asked the federal government to ensure aircraft and crews are ready to deploy in 24 hours...
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Some chiefs skeptical as minister pitches First Nations partnership on major projects
By Alessia Passafiume Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson told hundreds of First Nations chiefs in Ottawa Thursday there is no good way to build major projects in this country without their partnership and leadership. “Today we see First Nations as builders, owners and partners in some of the most important energy, infrastructure and resource projects we have underway in this country,” he told chiefs gathered for the Assembly of First Nations annual general meeting in Ottawa. Not everyone in the audience seemed convinced. “We will not allow our traditional territory to be treated as an underground garbage dump for multi-billion dollar oil companies,” said Cold Lake First Nations Chief Kelsey Jacko. “Reconciliation is not a buzzword to use while you fast-track pipelines behind our backs. If you want to build...
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Union denounces CN for sending rail crew through active wildfire in Ontario
By Kathryn Mannie A trade union representing railworkers is calling on Canadian National Railway to stop operating through active wildfire zones after a crew had to be evacuated from a train that was engulfed in fire. A video of the incident shared widely on social media showed orange-red flames closing in on the train as trees burned on both sides of the tracks. The Teamsters said the train was operated by its members and the union’s director of communications Marc-André Gauthier said the crew had to be treated for smoke inhalation. The crew had been operating the train near the town of Armstrong, in northwestern Ontario, where wildfires have been raging out of control and sending smoke south, choking the skies over Toronto and other regions. Forest fires in northwestern...
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AFNQL advances Indigenous language revitalization with UNESCO visit
By Lucas-Matthew Marsh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Iori:wase The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL) wrapped up its diplomatic mission to Europe last month with a visit to UNESCO headquarters to raise awareness of the revitalization of Indigenous languages in the province. AFNQL Chief Francis Verreault-Paul emphasized that this visit was essential to ongoing efforts to preserve Indigenous cultures. “Our languages are inseparable from our well-being, our identities and our self-determination,” Verreault-Paul said. The delegation visited UNESCO headquarters on June 16, to showcase how First Nations languages, cultures, education and traditional knowledge contribute to community well-being and self-determination. AFNQL representatives met with officials from several UNESCO initiatives during the visit, including the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, the International Decade of Indigenous Languages and the World...
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Manitoba police watchdog investigating after man drowns while evading arrest
Manitoba’s police watchdog is investigating after a man in Fisher River Cree Nation drowned while trying to avoid an arrest. The province’s Independent Investigation Unit says the Manitoba First Nation Police Service responded to an assault call Tuesday night about an intoxicated man trying to get into the home of a family member. It says that when officers tried to arrest him, the man ran toward a nearby creek. The unit says officers found the man standing in the water and told him to come back to shore, but he went deeper. It says the man became distressed and yelled for help, but by the time officers were able to pull him to shore he was unconscious and not breathing. Officers attempted life-saving measures but the man did not survive....
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Alberta First Nation sues Ottawa over $5 treaty annuity, argues amount stuck in 1899
By Jack Farrell A northern Alberta First Nation is suing the federal government to increase its annual treaty annuity payments. Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam says the $5 his members receive every year is an amount that’s stuck in 1899, when Treaty 8 was signed. The payments date back to the signing of treaties across the country more than a century ago and were meant to provide assistance to First Nations members. Depending on the treaty, annuity payments made to First Nations members across Canada total either $4 or $5, and have never increased. In a news release Wednesday, Adam said Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation’s ancestors signed Treaty 8 with the expectation the benefits would continue for generations and not lose value over time. “Treaty promises must remain...
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Judge extends injunction freezing millions of Alberta separatist leader’s assets
By Lisa Johnson A judge has extended a special court order freezing the assets of a prominent Alberta separatist as part of an ongoing trust fund dispute with a First Nation. Justice John Gill said Wednesday the extension was justified given questions surrounding payments from the fund and surrounding the person in charge of it – Jeffrey Rath. Gill told court there exists “a real risk that the respondents have been actively taking steps and will continue to take steps to frustrate the process of locating the missing money. “There is further evidence of misrepresentations made by Mr. Rath to the court concerning his dealings with the trust’s auditors.” Gill’s decision affirms the decision last week in Calgary by Justice Michael Marion to grant a temporary injunction freezing up to...
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