Indigenous Services minister to address Assembly of First Nations gathering today
Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty will address hundreds of chiefs gathered in Ottawa today for a special meeting of the Assembly of First Nations. She’s expected to discuss proposed changes to the Indian Act after Senators made sweeping amendments to a bill that would see an unknown number of new people eligible for status. The chiefs will also debate issues ranging from child welfare reform to the impact of major projects on First Nations communities. Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke at the event Tuesday and promised to meet with Coastal First Nations leaders after chiefs voted unanimously to press the government to uphold the B.C. oil tanker ban and withdraw an agreement with Alberta that clears a path for a new oil pipeline. Carney also said his government will introduce...
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Feds commit nearly $22m to Labrador renewable energy projects
By Sean Ridgeley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Telegram The federal government is investing nearly $22 million in Inuit-led Labrador clean energy projects focused on solar, wind, and tidal power. The first is the Nain Wind Microgrid Project, the over $22m in federal funding for which will support installation of two 1.5 kW wind turbines and battery storage. The result: 1.6 million litres or 63 percent less annual diesel consumption in the region. “I think is just an incredible win for the community, for the environment, for Canada,” said Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Rebecca Alty told The Telegram. Apart from the obvious environmental benefits, it’s said power will become more affordable for Nain residents, and combined with increased power availability, more economic opportunities will open up. An unspecified region near...
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The 1.3 Billion Cubic Meter Problem: Why ‘Treat and Release’ is a Broken Promise to Treaty 8
By John Wirth, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News Treaty 8 Chiefs from Cree, Beaver, Fort Chip Métis, and Chipewyan First Nations communities are gearing up to defend their people against continued damages from the waste “water” produced by tar sands developers. A collective statement declares their opposition that, “‘Treat and release’ remains of critical concern to all First Nations across Treaty 8 territory, especially those living downstream who experience the daily impacts of industrial development.” For decades now, these people have been living with the cost of our economy as crude oil and methane gas extraction remains a major source of Canada’s GDP. Grand Chief Trevor Mercredi (Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta) notes that, “When it comes to the health of our people, we’re being ignored. development...
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What do snowboards and mountain goats have in common? Indigenous weaver knows
By Ashley Joannou Meghann O’Brien used to feel connected to the mountain through her snowboard, but now she finds that link through the wool of a mountain goat used in her weaving for the last 15 years. O’Brien said she looked for years to find someone who had killed a goat and was also willing to let her use its wool, a material of great importance to many Northwest Coast Indigenous communities, but it isn’t used much anymore. The artist, who uses the name Jaad Kuujus in her work, has been weaving with the mountain goat wool in projects ever since, but not before the mountains helped her make a name for herself as a professional snowboarder. “It was the process of working with the mountain goat wool that felt...
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In the news: Indigenous Services Minister meeting with coastal B.C. First Nations
Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed … Gull-Masty to address Assembly of First Nations Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty will address hundreds of chiefs gathered in Ottawa today for a special meeting of the Assembly of First Nations. She’s expected to discuss proposed changes to the Indian Act after Senators made sweeping amendments to a bill that would see an unknown number of new people eligible for status. The chiefs will also debate issues ranging from child welfare reform to the impact of major projects on First Nations communities. Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke at the event Tuesday and promised to meet with Coastal First Nations leaders after chiefs voted unanimously to press the government to uphold the B.C....
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Matthew Wildcat offers “Indigenous realist” view of Alberta separatism
By Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News The forces that Alberta’s separatist movement represents pose a far greater threat than the prospect of Alberta separating from Canada, according to a scholar in the University of Alberta’s Department of Native Studies. “It might be better for us to shift our energies from trying to foreclose the possibility of Alberta separation from a legal standpoint,” said Prof. Matt Wildcat, “to thinking through what the Alberta separatist movement is and how it should be responded to.” Wildcat, a member of Erminskine Cree Nation in Maskwacis, made these remarks at the Parkland Institute’s annual conference at UAlberta on Saturday. He emphasized that all 48 First Nations in Alberta — either individually or via the organizations that represent them — have spoken...
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CP NewsAlert: Carney says First Nations clean water legislation will come next spring
By Alessia Passafiume OTTAWA-Prime Minister Mark Carney says his government will introduce clean drinking water legislation in the spring, delaying a bill that had been promised for this fall. Carney’s promise to revive the legislation came in an address to the Assembly of First Nations gathering in Ottawa today, where he also said he will host a joint meeting with federal, provincial, territorial and First Nations leaders early in the new year and that co-ordination on water solutions will be a key agenda item....
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Assembly of First Nations: First Nations Chiefs vote against Prime Minister’s proposed pipeline
By Carley McHugh Writer OTTAWA First Nations Chiefs from across Canada voted unanimously against the proposed pipeline from Alberta to B.C.’s North Coast, after an emergency resolution came forward at the Special Chiefs Assembly in Ottawa on Dec. 2. Moved by Chief Donald Edgars of Old Massett Village, on Haida Gwaii, and seconded by proxy Merle Alexander of Kitasoo/Xaixais First Nation, the resolution sought to affirm the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act (OTMA), as well as support the North, Central and South Coast, and any other affected territories, in rejecting any proposed oil and bitumen pipeline along the B.C. coast. The resolution came in response to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed last week between the Government of Canada and the Province of Alberta, to advance pipelines west to the coast...
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Fort Nelson First Nation Chief denies conflict of interest allegations
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca FORT NELSON, B.C. — The Chief of a northeast B.C. First Nation says the matter of owning local businesses in the area is not only not a conflict of interest, it’s also untrue. Fort Nelson First Nation (FNFN) Chief councillor Archie Harrold submitted a written affidavit on the nation’s Facebook page, denying allegations he is in conflict of interest in owning several local establishments. Harrold was elected to FNFN’s council in August 2024. He was later elected by councillors to the role of Chief councillor, as is the custom of the election code of FNFN. However, allegations have been levied against Harrold that he is financially benefiting from several companies – including ones involved in logging and energy – committed to projects...
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Miller says government needs to start Indigenous consultation on B.C. pipeline
By Sarah Ritchie Heritage Minister Marc Miller says his government needs to “sit down and start working now” on consultation with Indigenous communities and stakeholders about a possible new pipeline in B.C. “The work starts now. It should have started yesterday. We need to engage with Indigenous communities in a respectful, thoughtful way,” Miller said Tuesday. On his way into a cabinet meeting Tuesday morning, the former minister of Crown-Indigenous relations told reporters he sees a difficult road ahead for any pipeline project. “If everyone thought Thursday was difficult, that was probably the easiest day in the life of that pipeline,” Miller said. On Thursday, the Liberal government signed a memorandum of understanding with the Alberta government that could clear a path for a pipeline to the West Coast. The...
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Advocates demand clarity from Carney on status of feminist foreign policy
By Dylan Robertson Dozens of advocates for women and LGBTQ+ people in Canada and abroad are demanding clarity from the Carney government on its message shift on feminism. In an open letter co-ordinated by Oxfam Canada, 92 organizations and 162 individuals say they’re deeply concerned by Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent statement that Canada supports equality but no longer has a feminist foreign policy. “Anti-rights actors are organizing and looking to roll back gains and make future progress more difficult. Women, girls and gender-diverse people are looking to Canada for support,” reads the letter, dated Monday. “To back away from this position of leadership at a time of dramatic global rollbacks sends the wrong message to the world.” Carney told reporters last month that while Canada no longer has an...
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AFN vote against northern pipeline shows there are better ideas to move oil, Dix says
By Wolfgang Depner British Columbia’s energy minister says a vote from chiefs at the Assembly of First Nations gathering in Ottawa to uphold the oil tanker ban is more support for the provincial argument that there are better alternatives than a northern coast pipeline. Chiefs representing more than 600 First Nations voted unanimously to ask Ottawa to uphold the oil tanker ban off the northern coast and withdraw the MOU signed last week between the federal and Alberta governments. Adrian Dix says the assembly’s vote reflects the historic position of First Nations, and the memorandum was signed “in spite of the fact that there is no project, no proponent, no possibility of the project going forward.” Dix says a new pipeline across northern B.C. doesn’t make economic sense and no...
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Assembly of First Nations National Chief criticizes Carney at annual assembly calls budget a “setback”
OTTAWA-National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak did not hold back in highlighting the missteps of Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Canadian government towards First Nations people, in her opening address at the Special Chiefs Assembly on Dec. 2. “I can’t think of a better place to discuss the future of this country,” she said. From the Rogers Convention Centre in Ottawa, Woodhouse Nepinak used her platform to address a variety of issues the federal government has continuously ignored, despite requests from First Nations leaders across the country—especially with regards to the incoming federal budget. She also criticized Canada for missing their chance to make good on their expedition and lack of consultation on the major projects Bill C-5 earlier this year. “Last month’s budget was an opportunity to demonstrate through...
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National chief rips Carney government’s approach to consultation with First Nations
By Alessia Passafiume National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak is slamming Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government over what she calls its failure to consult meaningfully with First Nations and cuts to federal investments in First Nations communities. Speaking to the Assembly of First Nations’ December meeting today, Woodhouse Nepinak says First Nations will continue to protect their rights, in and outside of the courts. This afternoon Carney will address hundreds of chiefs gathering in Ottawa for the three-day assembly. Carney’s appearance before the chiefs comes just days after Ottawa signed a pipeline agreement with Alberta, which some First Nations leaders have condemned over environmental risks and a lack of consultation. Prime ministers and their cabinets traditionally attend the December AFN meeting to gauge the outlook of First Nations leadership and field...
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Writers weigh in on the premise that colonialism, genocide of Indigenous peoples is a structure, not a past event
By Shari Narine, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com Settler colonialism and genocide against Indigenous people continue today, contend numerous contributors to On Settler Colonialism in Canada. “I think it is a shock…and it is this moment of clarity,” said Emily Grafton of those claims. Grafton, who is Métis, co-edited with David B. A. MacDonald the collection of 20 submissions to the book. MacDonald is Indo-Trinidadian and Scottish settler. Contributing writers are Indigenous, as well as White, Black, Asian, South Asian and Jewish settlers. They all bring unique perspectives to the subject matter. Settler colonialism as “a structure and not an event” is a statement put forward by scholar Patrick Wolfe in 2006, and a concept drawn on repeatedly by contributors. “What Patrick Wolfe does…(is) he offers this moment for people...
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‘The border crossed us’: Parallax(e) exhibit unveils the human cost of colonial boundary-making
By Aaron Walker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com A new exhibition at The Reach Gallery Museum in Abbotsford, B.C. is confronting one of the enduring legacies of colonial mapping in Canada: The drawing of the 49th parallel and its impact on First Nations communities whose territories, cultures, and ceremonial travel long pre-date any border with the United States. Running until May 30, 2026, Parallax(e): Perspectives on the Canada–U.S. Border presents historical materials with new works by Indigenous artists that reveals what official maps omitted. “The border created divisions and conflicts between our communities and within our family,” said Skwxwu7mesh storyteller and artist T’uy’t’tanat–Cease Wyss, one of the exhibit’s Indigenous curatorial collaborators. “The border crossed us with no … acknowledgment of our existence with the lands and waters that were divided....
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Carney to address Assembly of First Nations gathering in Ottawa
By Alessia Passafiume OTTAWA-Prime Minister Mark Carney will address hundreds of First Nations chiefs gathered in Ottawa today for the December meeting of the Assembly of First Nations. Carney’s appearance before the chiefs could be a tense moment, coming just days after Ottawa signed a pipeline agreement with Alberta, which some First Nations leaders have condemned over a lack of consultation and environmental risks. “Canada is at a crossroads in its relationship with First Nations,” Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak told The Canadian Press. “Our rights are being threatened in new ways, but we’re not afraid. Far from it. First Nations across the country are stronger than ever.” Prime ministers and their cabinets traditionally attend the December meeting to gauge the outlook of First Nations leadership...
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Thomson, Weston families’ bid for Hudson’s Bay charter to go uncontested: source
By Tara Deschamps No competing bids for Hudson’s Bay’s royal charter have emerged, paving the way for the Thomson and Weston families to purchase the artifact for $18 million, a source says. The Canadian Press is not naming the source familiar with the auction process because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The charter signed by King Charles II in 1670 is one of the oldest documents connected to Canada and even predates the country. It created Hudson’s Bay and gave the business a fur-trading monopoly along with control of one-third of modern Canada and Indigenous relations for decades to come. It has been in need of a new home since HBC filed for creditor protection in March and began selling assets, including its leases and 4,400 pieces of...
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University says event with One BC leader on residential schools not permitted
The University of Victoria says it isn’t allowing an event involving the leader of the One BC political party and two people who have publicly questioned suspected unmarked graves on the grounds of a former residential school in Kamloops. A letter from the university to One BC Leader Dallas Brodie, Jim McMurtry and Frances Widdowson says the event, scheduled for Tuesday, is not permitted because it did not go through the appropriate booking process and there isn’t enough time to ensure proper safety planning. The Union of BC Indian Chiefs says it is deeply concerned the event, under the guise of freedom of speech, will promote residential school denialism and cause further harm to survivors. Both McMurtry and Widdowson have questioned a May 2021 announcement that more than 200 suspected...
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US air travelers without REAL IDs will be charged a $45 fee
Air travelers in the U.S. without a REAL ID will be charged a $45 fee beginning in February, the Transportation Security Administration announced Monday. The updated ID has been required since May, but passengers without it have so far been allowed to clear security with additional screening and a warning. The Department of Homeland Security says 94% of passengers are already compliant and that the new fee is intended to encourage travelers to obtain the ID. REAL ID is a federally compliant state-issued license or identification card that meets enhanced requirements mandated in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Obtaining the ID — indicated by a white star in a yellow circle in most states — means taking more documents to the motor vehicle agency than most...
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