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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Chiefs warn they’ll fight any assault on First Nations rights in major projects push
By Alessia Passafiume First Nations chiefs say they’ll oppose any actions by federal and provincial governments to expedite major projects that would undermine their rights and environmental protections. They passed two resolutions at the Assembly of First Nations annual general meeting in Ottawa on Wednesday confirming that stance and committing the AFN to opposing legislation or policies that dilute their rights or undermine their decision-making processes. Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation Chief Veronica Smith said recent federal moves to speed up major projects “have raised concerns among First Nations across Canada that efforts to expedite project approvals may undermine the meaningful implementation of free, prior and informed consent, treaty relationships, environmental stewardship responsibilities and nation-to-nation decision-making.” Many First Nations have expressed concerns about Prime Minister Mark Carney’s major project...
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Northern Ontario fires prompt large-scale evacuations, destroy homes in First Nation
By Maan Alhmidi and Allison Jones Forest fires in northwestern Ontario have devastated several communities, forcing widespread evacuations and destroying homes and buildings in one First Nation as harrowing wildfire videos and images emerge on social media. The fires have prompted evacuation orders for several communities, including Armstrong, Lac La Croix First Nation, Collins First Nation, Whitesand First Nation, Gull Bay First Nation and Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation. Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Linda Debassige said a fast-moving wildfire has advanced toward Namaygoosisagagun First Nation, also known as Collins First Nation. The fire has caused extensive damage and destruction to homes and buildings, Debassige said in a statement. She said community members were forced to flee without the support of emergency services but all have been accounted for...
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Trump is taking longer to approve disaster aid and denying Democratic states more frequently
By David A. Lieb And M.k. Wildeman When major disasters strike, Americans are routinely waiting weeks — or even months — to receive presidential approval for aid. And if they live in a state that didn’t support President Donald Trump, chances are greater that aid will denied. Since taking office last year, Trump has approved about 65 requests for major disaster declarations and denied more than two dozen others from states, tribes or territories seeking federal financial assistance following hurricanes, tornadoes, storms, floods and fires. Trump has taken longer on average to approve disaster requests than any other president, according to an Associated Press analysis of data dating back to 1989, when a federal law setting new parameters for disaster determinations was implemented. And no other president has such a...
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Ministers to address Assembly of First Nations gathering in Ottawa
By Alessia Passafiume A handful of federal ministers are expected to address hundreds of First Nations chiefs as they gather in Ottawa today. They’ll be speaking in front of the Assembly of First Nations’ annual general meeting about public safety, the economy and natural resources development and social services for communities. The Assembly of First Nations is a national advocacy body that takes its direction from some 630 First Nations chiefs through special and annual general assemblies. Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty, U.S. Trade Minister Dominic Leblanc, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson are among the ministers set to address chiefs. First Nations chiefs passed two resolutions on Wednesday confirming that stance and committing the AFN to opposing legislation or policies that dilute their rights...
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Winds carrying wildfire smoke over Ontario force cancellation of music festival
Many regions of Ontario have traded heat warnings for air quality warnings as gritty, dusty wildfire smoke permeates the skies. Environment Canada has lifted many of the heat warnings spanning the province, though hot weather is expected to linger in some areas. Air quality warnings are now 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. The weather office has said winds from the northwest will continue to blanket southern Ontario with smoke from the northern fires until at least Friday. The smoke was so bad on Wednesday that it turned Toronto’s skyline an eerie shade of orange and forced the first night of an outdoor music festival in London to end...
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Chiefs of Ontario call on federal and Ontario government to provide immediate emergency support to communities hit by wildfires
The Chiefs of Ontario are calling on the federal and provincial governments to immediately provide coordinated emergency support as escalating wildfires threaten First Nations across northern Ontario. As of July 15, First Nations Leadership from the Ontario region have held several meetings to discuss the emerging wildfire crisis in the North. The sessions opened with Knowledge Keeper Fiddler offering a prayer for Namaygoosisagagun First Nation, Whitesand First Nation, Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek, Animbiigoo Zaagi’igan Anishinaabek, and all First Nations currently affected by or evacuating because of the wildfires. Chiefs across the region offered support for those directly impacted by the fires. Several First Nations are facing mandatory evacuation orders issued by their Leadership with support from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). As the situation rapidly unfolds, many other Nations are currently...
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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. Last week, Justice Michael Marion in Calgary granted a temporary injunction freezing up to $8.5 million in assets held by Jeffrey Rath. It’s part of an ongoing legal battle between Rath and Tallcree First Nation over control of a multimillion-dollar trust fund. The northern Alberta First Nation alleges Rath, its former lawyer, misappropriated millions from the fund. The allegations have not been tested in court. Justice John Gill of Edmonton has agreed to extend the injunction, saying there’s a risk Rath would “continue to take steps to frustrate the process of locating the missing money.” Rath has been a...
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Chiefs call on feds to criminalize residential school denialism as hate speech
By Alessia Passafiume First Nations chiefs say the federal government is enabling residential school denialism by failing to make it a crime. The chiefs passed an emergency resolution at the Assembly of First Nations general meeting in Ottawa on Tuesday calling on the feds to criminalize residential school denialism as hate speech. “Truth is not optional and reconciliation cannot exist without truth,” said Chief David Monias of Pimicikamak Cree Nation. “We must honour the survivors and we must honour every child who never came home.” The resolution comes not long after the Liberals passed a new hate crime law. Some senators tried and failed to amend that law to cover residential school denialism. Chiefs have passed similar resolutions over the years but the federal government has yet to change the...
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