Earth’s lands are drying out. Nations are trying to address it in talks this week
AP-Much of Earth’s lands are drying out and damaging the ability of plant and animal life to survive, according to a United Nations report released Monday at talks where countries are working to address the problem. The report was released at the U.N. summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on combating desertification — once-fertile lands turning into deserts because of hotter temperatures from human-caused climate change, lack of water and deforestation. It found that more than three-quarters of the world’s land experienced drier conditions from 1970 to 2020 than the previous thirty-year period. “The drier climates now affecting vast lands across the globe will not return to how they were,” said Ibrahim Thiaw, chief of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, which is facilitating the Riyadh talks. “This change is...
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SCO grand chief hospitalized after fight in Ottawa
By Dave Baxter. Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Ottawa police (OPS) are investigating after a “disturbance” outside of a downtown bar in the nation’s capital earlier this week, while a source has confirmed the Grand Chief of the Southern Chiefs Organization (SCO) was involved in the incident, and was sent to hospital with injuries. “As a policy, the Ottawa Police Service does not confirm incidents by a victim’s name,” OPS media relations manager Julie Kavanagh said in a Friday email. “However, we can confirm that just after 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday, December 3, the OPS received a call for service in the 1-100 block of York Street for a disturbance. “A man was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries,” Kavanagh said. A source has confirmed to The Winnipeg Sun that the...
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Conservatives intervene to delay debate on NDP motion in House of Commons
OTTAWA-(CP)The Conservatives are stalling an NDP opposition day motion in the House of Commons, after the New Democrats intervened in the Tories’ opposition day on Thursday. The NDP was set to begin debate on a motion calling on the government to expand the GST break to cover what they call essentials. Instead, Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman raised a point of privilege about a protest that happened earlier this week, saying three NDP members voiced support for protesters who blocked MPs from doing their work. On Tuesday, about 100 protestors held a sit-in at the Confederation Building, one of the buildings that houses MP offices, calling for an arms embargo against Israel. Most of this morning’s debate time was eaten up by Lantsman’s privilege motion and a series of points...
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Canada’s Arctic policy draws on international collaboration to face emerging threats
The Canadian Press-Canada has unveiled an Arctic foreign policy that commits to increasing domestic and international collaboration to combat emerging foreign threats in the North. The policy, released by Global Affairs Canada on Friday in Ottawa, says the North American Arctic is “no longer free from tension” amid increased geopolitical instability following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has “shaken the foundations of international co-operation in the Arctic.” A key part of the plan is to revive the role of Canada’s Arctic ambassador, which was removed in 2006 under the Harper government, and commits to opening consulates in Nuuk, Greenland, and Anchorage, Alaska. It also outlines commitments to share information with territorial and Indigenous leaders on foreign interference threats and to initiate Arctic-specific dialogue with NATO allies, though such measures are...
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Canada’s Arctic policy draws on international collaboration to face emerging threats
The Canadian Press Canada has unveiled an Arctic foreign policy that commits to increasing domestic and international collaboration to combat emerging foreign threats in the North. The policy, released by Global Affairs Canada on Friday in Ottawa, says the North American Arctic is “no longer free from tension” amid increased geopolitical instability following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has “shaken the foundations of international co-operation in the Arctic.” A key part of the plan is to revive the role of Canada’s Arctic ambassador, which was removed in 2006 under the Harper government, and commits to opening consulates in Nuuk, Greenland, and Anchorage, Alaska. It also outlines commitments to share information with territorial and Indigenous leaders on foreign interference threats and to initiate Arctic-specific dialogue with NATO allies, though such measures...
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Chief ‘disappointed’ to see clean water used as a political tactic by Conservatives
Canadian Press-Cowessess First Nation Chief Erica Beaudin accused Conservative House leader Andrew Scheer of using First Nations drinking water legislation as a political “tactic,” saying she’s disappointed in what transpired in the House of Commons on Thursday. Government legislation known as Bill C-61 recognizes that First Nations have an inherent right to clean drinking water, after amendments by the Indigenous and Northern affairs committee, and commits the government to providing “adequate and sustainable” funding for water services in First Nations. Liberal MP Jaime Battiste asked on Thursday for unanimous consent from members of Parliament to send the First Nations Clean Drinking Water Act to the Senate — but several MPs said no. Scheer, whose riding includes Cowessess, rose immediately afterward with a similar motion that also condemned the Liberal government...
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How mother’s diet affects baby’s health: What insights from different cultures can tell us
By Sandi Azab, Sonia Anand What happens in the womb and during the first 1,000 days of life is critical to shaping a baby’s future health, a fact that is becoming ever more apparent as research dives deeper into this period. A glaring example is gestational diabetes, a temporary form of diabetes that some women develop during pregnancy. Though gestational diabetes usually disappears after delivery, its presence during pregnancy doubles — and in some cases triples — the risk of future Type 2 diabetes for both the mother and her child. This problem deserves our attention, as do other factors in early childhood that also contribute to future risk of diabetes. These include low-quality diet, ultraprocessed foods and sedentary lifestyle due to heavy screen time, as well as pressures at...
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Province opens round the clock safe space in Brandon
By Dave Baxter Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The provincial government is putting up half a million dollars to fund a new safe space in Brandon to help Indigenous women, two-spirit and gender-diverse people at risk of harm escape from violence and abuse. On Thursday morning, Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine announced the province will provide $500,000 to support a new 24/7 safe space in the western Manitoba city that is home to approximately 50,000 residents, and is the second largest urban centre in Manitoba. “This new safe space will mean more beds and more space for Indigenous women, two-spirit or gender-diverse people who are unsheltered and at risk of harm, who need help to stabilize their lives,” Fontaine said during a Thursday morning media conference in Brandon. “Indigenous women, girls, two-spirit,...
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First Nations chiefs in Manitoba call on Ottawa to address Jordan’s Principle backlog
Canadian Press-First Nations leaders in Manitoba are calling on the federal government to address a backlog in requests for Indigenous children to receive swift access to health care and other services. They say the delay in approval of requests under Jordan’s Principle has resulted in communities paying out of pocket for health, social or educational services that are supported under the principle, putting other important programming at risk. The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs said the backlog has added financial strain to communities, forcing them to provide essential services with limited resources. “Many First Nations are trying to meet the needs of their families. They are not receiving funding to provide these services. They are currently running deficits,” acting Grand Chief Betsy Kennedy told reporters in Ottawa on Thursday during the...
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New Brunswick’s Tories bypassed due diligence for Christian rehab centre: advocate
Canadian Press-New Brunswick’s child, youth and seniors advocate says there was a lack of accountability and due diligence in government funding of a private, faith-based drug rehab centre. In a report published Thursday, Kelly Lamrock expresses concern about “politicized” decision-making by the provincial Regional Development Corporation. His report is titled, “Express Lane: How a Faith-Based Addictions Program Jumped the Queue During a Shortage of Services.” Under the previous Progressive Conservative government, led by Blaine Higgs, the corporation gave $1.5 million in September to a Christian group, Village of Hope, to expand its services in Upper Tracy, about 45 kilometres south of Fredericton. The Regional Development Corporation is a provincial Crown corporation that plans and implements economic development initiatives. In his report, Lamrock said he was concerned that approval processes varied...
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Former cabinet minister Randy Boissonnault tells committee: ‘I am not Indigenous’
Canadian Press-Randy Boissonnault, whose shifting claims to Indigenous identity cost him his job as employment minister, told a House of Commons committee today that he is not Indigenous. Boissonnault was called to testify at the Indigenous and Northern affairs committee after a series of media reports, led by the National Post, raised doubts about his past claims related to his heritage. The Edmonton MP has been described as Indigenous multiple times in communications from the Liberal party, and has referred to himself as “non-status adopted Cree” and said his great-grandmother was a “full-blooded Cree woman.” He has since clarified that his adoptive mother and brother are Métis, and he apologized for his shifting claims. At the committee this morning, Boissonnault says he came up with the term “non-status adopted Cree”...
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Government introduces ‘enhanced civilian governance’ for RCMP
Having less than 5,000 population, the Town of Claresholm police service is structured under the Provincial Police Service Agreement and will not be required to form a local governance body as required for larger communities, a result of recently proclaimed legislative changes. In a letter to town council introduced at its Nov. 25, meeting, Mike Ellis, deputy premier of Alberta, informed council the Alberta government “is enhancing civilian governance of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) by proclaiming sections of the Police Amendment Act, 2022, and creating the Police Governance Regulation and Police Governance (Ministerial) Regulation. “These amendments will ensure communities policed by the RCMP have a voice in setting local and province-wide policing priorities and performance goals by creating municipal and regional policing committees, as well as a Provincial...
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Garden River woman sentenced for fraud
By Maggie Kirk Local Journalism Intitiative A former housing manager for Garden River First Nation has been sentenced to two years less a day to be served in the community after pleading guilty to forging documents to fraudulently obtain a bank loan of more than $300,000. House arrest is required for the first 18 months, after which Anne Marie Headrick must abide by a curfew. Headrick pled guilty on Jan. 30, and was supposed to be sentenced May 29, but her pre-sentence and Gladue reports were not received until shortly before her court date. Later delays were due to the Robinson-Huron Treaty settlement, so Headrick could make full restitution. She was sentenced on Dec. 3. Headrick admitted to forging the signatures of nine council members on two documents, enabling her...
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Historic images of Native Americans by a Swiss artist find their way back to North Dakota
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — More than two dozen historic prints that depict a slice of Native American life and culture on the Upper Missouri River nearly 200 years ago will soon be more accessible to the public thanks to a gift that enabled a North Dakota organization to buy the rare aquatints. The State Historical Society of North Dakota on Wednesday presented four of the 26 aquatints reproduced from 1839 to 1843 from works done by Swiss-born artist Karl Bodmer. He made the artwork during his journey from 1832 to 1834 with Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied across the U.S., as far west as present-day Montana. The Historical Society is reviewing the prints, which for some time had been stored at a San Francisco arthouse, and will develop a plan to...
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Diabo, Chiefs hold high-level meetings on Parliament Hill
By Marc Lalonde, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter With one eye on his own community’s affairs and one eye on what Canada is doing, Mohawk Council of Kahnawake Grand Chief Cody Diabo travelled to Ottawa earlier this week to hold high-level meetings on Parliament Hill. On Tuesday, Diabo attended the Iroquois Caucus General Assembly, as well as holding a second meeting in three weeks with Conservative Party shadow Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Jamie Schmale. Diabo said he hopes to leverage that relationship into a meeting with Tory leader Pierre Poilievre at some point in the future. “Yes, I met with him and seeing what’s happening in the polls, I thought it was important, and I’m hoping to meet with Poilievre at some point, too. Just seeing the way it’s going,” Diabo said....
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Germany hands over Australian ancestral remains held by museums for over 100 years
BERLIN (AP) — Five sets of ancestral remains from Australia that had been in German museum collections since the 19th century were handed back at a ceremony Thursday that a community representative described as a sad but “very joyful” moment. The restitution is part of ongoing efforts by German museums and authorities to return human remains and cultural artifacts that were taken during colonial times. In this case, three sets of remains that had been in Berlin since 1880 were handed over along with two other sets of remains held in the northwestern German city of Oldenburg. They were received by four representatives of the Ugar Island community, part of the Torres Strait Islands off the northeastern tip of Australia. “These ancestral remains were never meant to be here,” said...
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Hawaiian crow that went extinct in the wild decades ago released on Maui
MAKAWAO, Hawaii. (AP) — Five Hawaiian crows on Wednesday were released on Maui for the first time as part of an ongoing effort to return the species to its home, conservationists said. The Hawaiian crows, or alala, were last found on Hawaii’s Big Island, but they went extinct in the wild in 2002, officials with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said in a statement. The birds, described as intelligent and charismatic, are the last survivor of all the Hawaiian crow species. Habitat loss, predation and disease by introduced species are threats, among other factors. “The translocation of alala to Maui is a monumental step forward in conserving the species and a testament to the importance of partnership in reversing biodiversity loss,” said Megan Owen, Ph.D., vice president of conservation...
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AFN, mothers call on all parties to support inquiry into policing
Canadian Press-The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations is calling on politicians of all stripes to support a national inquiry into systemic racism in policing and police-related deaths of First Nations people, calling it a human rights issue that requires commitment from all leaders. “For too long, First Nations people have been subjected to colonial police violence in Canada. It’s not acceptable for First Nations people, and I don’t believe this is acceptable to other Canadians either,” Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said with two mothers directly touched by the issue standing behind her. A resolution passed by consensus at a special chiefs assembly Tuesday says despite 20 individual inquiries and commissions into the police and justice system since 1989, the federal government has failed to make substantive changes to...
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Chiefs vote for new negotiations on child welfare reforms, inclusion of N.W.T.
Canadian Press-First Nations chiefs agreed to launch new negotiations with Canada over child welfare after voting down a $47.8 billion deal in October. Chiefs at the Assembly of First Nations voted to start talks anew as well as to include Northwest Territories in any new agreements at a special assembly in Ottawa. The $47.8 billion was struck after decades of advocacy and litigation from First Nations and experts, seeking to redress decades of discrimination against First Nations children who were torn from their families and placed in foster care. That was because the child welfare systems on reserves were not funded to provide services that could keep families together. But chiefs said the negotiations on long-term reforms weren’t as transparent as they could have been, and worried the deal didn’t...
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Indigenous leaders voice hope and skepticism at COP29
While we are witnessing an ever-escalating cascade of climate disasters, leaders from the world’s most polluting countries were conspicuously absent from COP29, the United Nations’ annual climate conference. Others boycotted the conference because of host country Azerbaijan’s rampant human rights abuses, particularly its ethnic cleansing of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh last year. Papua New Guinea called the conference “a total waste of time.” Meanwhile, Azerbaijan appointed Elnur Soltanov, the head of its state energy company Socar, as its chief executive to the conference. Soltanov appeared to use the occasion as a forum to cut deals with international petroleum corporations. Nonetheless, there were still over 65,000 registered delegates – making it the second largest in COP’s history. One of those delegates was Chief Wesley Sam from BC’s Ts’il Kaz Koh Nation. The...
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