Rock the Indigenous Vote: Treaty Chiefs, grassroots mobilization and the fight for Indigenous voices
By Chevi Rabbit, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News Cara Currie-Hall, a political organizer from Montana First Nation in Maskwacis, Treaty 6 territory, is the founder of Rock the Indigenous Vote. Her experience in political organizing includes serving as chief of staff to former Assembly of First Nations National Chief Matthew Coon Come and helping mobilize Native American voters during Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. In 2015, she brought that experience to Canada by founding Rock the Indigenous Vote, continuing her work to organize and encourage Indigenous people to participate in the political process. Her work has also included Indigenous sport. In 2023, she was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in recognition of her contributions as a multisport builder. Treaty Chiefs respond to the separation debate...
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Crow Legislature rejects bill to expand enrollment
By Nora Mabie/montana Free Press After nearly two hours of impassioned debate, the Crow Tribe’s Legislature on Wednesday voted down a bill that would dramatically change the definition of tribal membership. The bill, brought by Chairman Frank White Clay, would have revised the tribe’s “blood quantum” standard, effectively making more people eligible for tribal citizenship. Blood quantum, a concept created by White settlers and rooted in assimilation tactics, refers to the fractional amount of tribal affiliation in an individual’s ancestry. The concept is central to individual identity and is also highly controversial. Most tribes nationwide use a blood quantum calculation to determine eligibility for citizenship. Tribal enrollment, in turn, determines eligibility for certain health services, the ability to vote in tribal elections and whether a person can qualify for educational...
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B.C. could turn into ‘battleground’ without DRIPA as road map: First Nations leaders
The First Nations Leadership Council says British Columbia is at a crossroads with the incoming Conservative government that could result in either a “battleground” or reconciliation. Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson has said he will repeal DRIPA, or the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, because the legislation has failed but he promised to work with First Nations in the spirit of respect and friendship. The leadership council, made up of executives from three main First Nations groups in B.C., says in a statement that it’s ready to work with the government to advance reconciliation and uphold rights and title. Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs says outgoing Premier David Eby’s loss in Saturday’s election is “hugely disappointing,” and the province faces the choice...
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Port of Churchill owners and Dubai-based DP World looking to boost trade route
By Ian Bickis The owners of Manitoba’s Port of Churchill say they’re working with Dubai-based DP World Inc. to potentially boost traffic at the arctic port. Indigenous-owned Artic Gateway Group says the memorandum of understanding it has signed with DP World focuses on port operations and possibly creating a transportation corridor linking Manitoba to global markets. The supply chain memorandum also includes the CentrePort Canada inland shipping hub based beside the Winnipeg airport, as well as the Hudson Bay Railway that links it to the Port of Churchill. No dollar investment commitments were announced with the memorandum. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has championed a Port of Churchill expansion, which would include a liquefied natural gas export terminal that could cost more than $70 billion to build. The port has done...
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Record low turnout in B.C. election, dropping below half for first time
By Canadian Press Staff The vote count in British Columbia’s election on Saturday produced a massive majority for the B.C. Conservatives, but it’s also revealing other trends. Here’s a closer look at the numbers, based on preliminary results from Elections BC. TURNOUT PLUNGES TO RECORD LOW The early election saw preliminary turnout drop to 1,798,990, down about 14.7 per cent from the 2024 election when 2,109,658 people voted. Turnout was 48.1 per cent, a record low for B.C. since at least 1949, when suffrage was extended to Indigenous people and some previously excluded ethnic groups. It is also the first time that turnout has dropped below half, although the 2020 pandemic election came close at 53.9 per cent. Turnout has broadly been declining at B.C. elections since the 1980s when...
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Fort Simpson Dene woman advocates for more political matriarchs, Indigenous success
By Kody Ferron, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Yellowknifer After this year’s 56th Dene National Assembly, one Fort Simpson resident had some harsh words for leadership, including how regretful she was that she couldn’t attend, and sees a need for more women at the decision-making table. “I’m just so disheartened that there is no money to bring people who are members-at-large and are not directly involved in the regional or local Indigenous governance systems,” said Cheryl Cli, regarding the assembly, held at the Chief Lamalice Centre on the K’atl’odeeche First Nation from Sept. 29-Oct. 1. “If you’re not a chief or a councillor or an Elder, then you don’t get to go.” If she had been there, she would have had some questions for the current leadership. “I would love to...
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Prime Minister Carney says it’s time to move ‘beyond’ the Indian Act
By By Alessia Passafiume and Kyle Duggan Prime Minister Mark Carney says he will instruct his ministers to work with First Nations to move Canada beyond the Indian Act — which could mean reforming it or abolishing it altogether. Speaking to reporters after a meeting with First Nations chiefs and premiers in Ottawa today, Carney said the elimination of the Indian Act has been sought by many First Nations leaders, including Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew. Earlier in the day, Kinew told reporters Canada needs a relationship between Indigenous Peoples and the government “that reflects who Indigenous people are as Canadians.” Carney said “moving beyond” the Indian Act could involve abolition or reform. But he said it would only happen in partnership with First Nations leadership. Assembly of First Nations National...
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Youth go to court to make Canada legally accountable for its role climate crisis
By Brieanna Charlebois The first youth-led climate trial in Canadian history has begun at the federal courthouse in Vancouver, where 15 plaintiffs argue that federal legislation violates their constitutional rights by continuing the trajectory of greenhouse gas emissions. Catherine Boies Parker, who is representing the youth plaintiffs, said in her opening statement Monday that the case is not about the existence of climate change but rather whether the government is “constitutionally required to stop making it worse.” “The plaintiffs are asking this court to hold Canada legally accountable for its role in continuing and worsening the climate crisis that is causing harm,” she said. She said the Charter must provide youth a “degree of protection from their own government’s actions” that she says are contributing to the “greatest threat to...
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New wildfire management model aims to empower First Nations in Northern Ontario
By Carrie Ivardi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, SNnewswatch.com GULL BAY — A new wildfire management model in Northern Ontario aims to put First Nations communities in a position to train and support each other, but facilitators of the program say experienced firefighters will be needed to lead the work until the model can become fully Indigenous-led. “The goal of the model is to provide First Nations with an ability to grow their knowledge in wildfires so that if an emergency comes, they’re better trained than not trained at all, but not to make them instant firefighters,” Simón Bermudez said. Bermudez is the lead instructor of wildfire training with a company out of B.C. called Carmanah Wildfire, a partner of the International Wildfire Alliance (IWA). He was at Kab Lake Lodge...
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Paul St-Pierre Plamondon to meet with First Nations leaders this week
By Patrice Bergeron Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon is scheduled to meet with representatives of the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador on Wednesday. St-Pierre Plamondon was criticized for his absence from a summit on Monday in Ottawa between premiers and Indigenous representatives. A spokesperson for the new PQ government announced the planned meeting. Last week, St-Pierre Plamondon’s team had suggested that he would not attend the federally organized meeting due to scheduling issues. The Quebec government is in transition after the Oct. 5 election that gave the PQ a minority rule. In a social media post, the leader of the official Opposition Liberals, Charles Milliard, criticized the premier for leaving Quebec’s seat empty, even though he had promised to collaborate with the rest of Canada. But the...
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Chief Joey Pete to Boycott First Nations–First Ministers Meeting, Citing Treaty Rights Concerns
By Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News Chief Joey Pete has announced he will not attend the First Nations–First Ministers Meeting scheduled for October 26 in Ottawa, citing concerns about the federal government’s legislative agenda, the role of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), and the exclusion of sovereign Treaty Nations from decisions affecting their rights and territories. In a statement released October 25, Pete said he had chosen to remain with his Nation rather than participate in a meeting he believes could legitimize federal government decisions and processes that may affect constitutionally protected Treaty and inherent rights. “I made the deliberate decision to stay home with my people rather than attend a meeting that is not ours, that we did not organize, and where the federal government and...
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Cowichan Tribes to propose solution protecting private property in January: lawyer
By Wolfgang Depner The lawyer for the Cowichan Tribes said they will make a proposal in January that protects private property rights in the landmark Aboriginal title case that the B.C. Conservatives have said calls into question who controls British Columbia. Lawyer David Rosenberg said that if it has “the right attitude,” the incoming Conservative government will find it easier to resolve the Cowichan case than to repeal the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, known as DRIPA. The 2025 Cowichan ruling on a portion of Crown, city and private land in Richmond, B.C., found that Aboriginal title is a “senior interest” compared with fee-simple title, and sections of B.C.’s Land Title Act that establish fee-simple title as “indefeasible” do not apply to Aboriginal title. It has triggered...
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Wasauksing education director speaks to the role of NNDB Indigenous board trustee and call out for candidates
By Shania Tabobondung Local Journalism Initiative reporter for ParrySound.com. Wasauksing First Nation is calling for nominations for the Indigenous Trustee position on the Near North District School Board. It is a four-year role that represents the interests of Indigenous students and families across eight First Nations communities. The deadline for nominations is Friday, Oct. 30 at 1 p.m. All eight First Nation communities connected to the Near North District School Board (NNDSB) are invited to participate and submit candidate nominations. According to Dave McDougall, director of education at Wasauksing First Nation, which has approximately 40 to 45 students attending NNDSB schools, the position is crucial for Indigenous students and families. Dave McDougall is the Director of Education at Wasauksing First Nation. Credit: Dave McDougall photo In an interview, he explained...
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Rock the Indigenous Vote: Treaty Chiefs, grassroots mobilization and the fight for Indigenous voices
By Chevi Rabbit, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News Cara Currie-Hall, a political organizer from Montana First Nation in Maskwacis, Treaty 6 territory, is the founder of Rock the Indigenous Vote. Her experience in political organizing includes serving as chief of staff to former Assembly of First Nations National Chief Matthew Coon Come and helping mobilize Native American voters during Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. In 2015, she brought that experience to Canada by founding Rock the Indigenous Vote, continuing her work to organize and encourage Indigenous people to participate in the political process. Her work has also included Indigenous sport. In 2023, she was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in recognition of her contributions as a multisport builder. Treaty Chiefs respond to the separation debate...
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In Suriname’s rainforest, Saamaka woodcarvers face the pull of gold mining and logging
By Steven Grattan PIKI SEEI, Suriname (AP) — Standing atop a giant block of wood, 63-year-old Alingo Doekoe bent over and swung a traditional pick, skillfully chiseling away shards of timber. Bit by bit, a board for Adji-boto, a traditional Saamaka game with roots in West Africa, was taking shape. Here in Piki Seei — the Saamaka name for the village officially known in Dutch as Pikin Slee — tembe, the Saamaka tradition of woodcarving and decorative art, has long been part of everyday life. The Saamaka are one of six tribal peoples in Suriname whose ancestors escaped slavery during Dutch colonial rule, building independent communities in the country’s forested interior more than three centuries ago. Mostly practiced by men and passed from fathers and elders to younger generations, tembe...
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Carney says it’s time to move beyond Indian Act
By Alessia Passafiume and Kyle Duggan Prime Minister Mark Carney says he will instruct his ministers to work with First Nations to move Canada beyond the Indian Act, which could mean reforming it or abolishing it altogether. Speaking to reporters following a meeting with First Nations chiefs and premiers in Ottawa, Carney said abolishing the Indian Act has been requested by many First Nations, including...
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Horror writer Jamesie Fournier shares scares in print and on screen
By Daron Letts, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News Horror author Jamesie Fournier says he enjoys scaring children almost as much as they enjoy being scared. “It’s very entertaining to be terrified,” he said Saturday in an interview in his Inhabit Media office in Iqaluit. “That’s why we love horror.” The Inuktitut and English writer had just launched his latest children’s book, Lemming’s First Halloween, earlier that day at Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum. Dozens of costumed children and their families dropped by the event to create creepy crafts and hear spooky stories. The book is Fournier’s second in the series. He published Lemming’s First Christmas in English and Inuktitut in 2024. Lemming’s First Halloween marks Fournier’s first collaboration with Toronto-based Pakistani-Canadian illustrator Faiza Khan. The tale follows Lemming and her pup...
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Brantford Police Arrest Ohsweken Woman for Assault and Robbery
BRANTFORD ONT- The Brantford Police Service (BPS) has arrested and charged a woman with assault and robbery following an incident that occurred in the city’s downtown core. BPS said on Sunday, October 25, 2026, at about 11:45 a.m., a woman was seated inside a Dalhousie Street building when a woman attempted to steal the victim’s purse. A struggle occurred and the victim was assaulted. The assault continued outside of the building, where, BPS said the accused used the victim’s cell phone as a weapon during the assault. The accused woman ran from the scene but was quickly located and arrested by Brantford police officers and Wilfrid Laurier Special Constables at about 12:00 p.m. The victim was transported to hospital for treatment of serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Investigation revealed the accused...
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Kinew calls on Carney to abolish the Indian Act at meeting with chiefs
By Alessia Passafiume and Kyle Duggan Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says he told Prime Minister Mark Carney that Canada should abolish the Indian Act during a historic meeting with premiers and First Nations leaders. Speaking with reporters during a midday break in the meeting Monday, Kinew held up his First Nations status card, which he said identifies him as an “Indian within the meaning of the Indian Act.” “It’s time to abolish the Indian Act,” Kinew said. “It’s long overdue that we have a relationship with Indigenous Peoples in Canada that reflects who we are as Canadians today.” Carney and most of the premiers sat down with chiefs from the Assembly of First Nations in Ottawa for a discussion AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said is intended to help...
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Brantford Police Service has temporarily suspended use of Crime Stoppers
BRANTFORD, ONT-The Brantford Police Service (BPS) temporarily suspended its use of the Crime Stoppers program Oct., 26, 2026, while investigating a possible cybersecurity breach. BPS said it is seeking additional information about a reported cybersecurity breach and the safeguards in place to protect the security and confidentiality of submitted tips. The BPS said its service said is committed to community safety and values the role that confidential tips play in helping investigators gather information and advance investigations. The decision to temporarily suspend use of the program reflects the importance of ensuring appropriate safeguards are in place to protect the confidentiality of information and the anonymity of individuals who come forward. The Brantford Police Service have a longstanding partnership with Brant-Brantford Crime Stoppers and have been working closely with the organization,...
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