10 candidates put their names forward for NTI presidential byelection
By Arty Sarkisian, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. published the list of candidates for next month’s presidential byelection, with 10 people vying for the organization’s top job. The unofficial list was published online Tuesday night. Candidates will have until Friday at 5 p.m. to withdraw from the election, which is set for May 27. Candidates are: Samuel Alagalak Okalik Eegeesiak Paul Irngaut Jerry Komaksiutiksak Andrew Nakashuk Willie Nakoolak Jerry Natanine Cathy Towtongie Jeremy Tunraluk Gloria Uluqsi NTI is the legal representative for Inuit beneficiaries in Nunavut. It is responsible for ensuring promises set out in the Nunavut Agreement are carried out by the federal and territorial governments. The organization called the byelection in January to fill the vacancy created by Jeremy Tunraluk’s resignation in January. At...
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New archaeological findings expand understanding of First Nations agricultural practices on the Plains
By Aaron Walker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com An archaeological presentation in Treaty 4 territory revealed findings that could reshape the understanding of First Nations’ life on the Prairies, suggesting plant cultivation long before European contact. The April 17 presentation at the Moose Jaw (Saskatchewan) Public Library was led by archaeologist Alan Korejbo of Respect Heritage Consulting. He directed excavation at the Garratt and Davies sites in the Wakamow Valley, named for former landowners Bill Garratt and Paul Davies. Early 2023 assessments, including more than 100 shovel tests, confirmed a high density of archaeological material, building on discoveries made by Davies in the 1950s. Located at what is locally known as “The Turn,” named for the river’s meandering shape through Wakamow Valley, the site has yielded more than 200,000 artifacts...
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4 Indigenous-led Earth Day events in the Parry Sound area
By Shania Tabobondung, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Parry Sound North Star In recognition of Earth Day on April 22, local First Nations and organizations are hosting community events to celebrate the environment. Sarah Noganosh, director of lands, resources and environment at Magnetawan First Nation, emphasized the importance of the day for Indigenous communities. “By having an annual Earth Day event,” Noganosh said, “we foster relationships with the land and our community members. We also support animals, plants and waterways by cleaning up pollution such as litter. It’s a meaningful way to reconnect with caring for the land and reflects our cultural roots of stewardship.” April 22: Magnetawan First Nation Earth Day clean up Magnetawan First Nation is hosting a community-wide cleanup on Wednesday. Bags and cleanup equipment will be provided....
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Eskasoni First Nation and federal government announce new addition to reserve and retail expansion
By Adam McNamara, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter – The Victoria Reporter, Victoria Reporter Eskasoni – The addition of over 38 acres of land to Eskasoni First Nation is taking place through the federal government’s additions to reserve process which will support space for both housing and commercial. The land addition, known as the McLaughlin Property, will be used for mixed residential and commercial purposes. The addition to reserve enables Eskasoni First Nation to support growing families with land to build modern housing and growing businesses with space to increase commercial opportunities. “Our community continues to grow, and with growth it comes a need for more space to build and support our people,” said Eskasoni First Nation Chief, Leroy Denny. “These additions to reserve will help us to expand our housing...
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AFN chief asks UN to support First Nations’ opposition to B.C. Indigenous law change
By Alessia Passafiume The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations is calling on the United Nations to condemn the “regressive” attempt by B.C. Premier David Eby’s government to amend or suspend parts of a landmark Indigenous rights law. That law, based on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, has come under fire from Eby’s government after it was cited in a court ruling against the province. Eby has said that a December court ruling meant that the DRIPA law put the province at significant legal risk. After changing his position on suspending or amending parts of the law multiple times over the past month, Eby said Monday he will work with First Nations to come up with a solution. National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak...
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Some people with medical needs are being taken out of Peguis First Nation
Some residents with medical needs are being taken out of Peguis First Nation in advance of anticipated flooding. Lisa Naylor, Manitoba’s infrastructure minister, says people with certain medical conditions or who need ongoing medical treatment are being moved out in case water makes roads impassable. Chief Stan Bird says the Fisher River has come up slightly since yesterday and warm weather today may add to water levels. The community has been sandbagging since last week, and Bird says it remains to be seen whether all of the 200 or more homes that might need protection will get barriers. There are no current plans to evacuate more people, but leaders in Peguis are preparing for the possibility. Tents and teepees have been set up inside the community’s arena complex, and Naylor...
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Manitoba summit to explore solutions to chronic truancy
By Maggie Macintosh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Free Press Winnipeg teachers are cutting class on Thursday to strategize how to improve student attendance and remove barriers so more children show up for lessons on a regular basis. The Winnipeg School Division has partnered with the University of Winnipeg faculty of education to organize a new conference on the downtown campus. The itinerary for the Student Absenteeism Summit, believed to be a first-of-its-kind in Manitoba, is packed with moderated panels and breakout discussions on student belonging and related topics. “Nobody’s coming with a silver bullet or a magic solution,” said Matt Henderson, chief superintendent of the largest public school division in the province. “We should all be leery of simple solutions to complex problems. This is a wicked problem and...
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Poilievre’s property rights push would shake Canada’s legal foundations
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called it “regrettable” that fee‑simple property rights are not enshrined in the Constitution, insisting that “property rights are human rights” and that Canada needs stronger protections to underpin a “thriving property‑owning democracy.” Poilievre’s comments, delivered in Richmond, BC last week, come as anxiety is rising in the Vancouver suburb over the interplay between property ownership and Indigenous rights. A 2025 court ruling on Cowichan land title has sparked fears that homeowners could lose their land — fears that experts say are unfounded and unprecedented — and has reignited a long‑running debate over whether Canada could adopt a constitutional property‑rights clause like that written into the US Constitution. Cowichan leaders have, however, said that their legal actions...
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Preparations underway Red Dress Day by local Indigenous-centric organizations
By , Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A pair of Indigenous organizations have made plans for people to gather and honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). Observed on Tuesday, May 5th, Red Dress Day is a day of remembrance and activism honouring MMIWG in Canada, according to Amnesty International. The first Red Dress display was publicized in Winnipeg in 2010 by Métis artist Jaime Black, who hung empty red dresses to represent victims. Statistics Canada data suggests the rate of homicide among First Nations, Métis and Inuit women was six times higher than non-Indigenous women between 2009 and 2021. At the Fort St. John Friendship Centre, a workshop will be held on Thursday, April 30th from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. to...
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‘Stay away from the water’: Communities across Canada on flood alert
By Eli Ridder Communities across the central and eastern parts of Canada are on high alert as officials warn of spring flooding caused by rainfall and rapidly melting snow. Medically vulnerable residents of a First Nation community located 180 kilometres north of Winnipeg, Man., are being moved out in advance of anticipated flooding. Manitoba Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor says Peguis First Nation is proceeding with the partial evacuation in case rising water levels of the nearby Fisher River render local roads impassable. The community has been sandbagging since last week but Chief Stan Bird said Tuesday it remained to be seen whether all of the 200 or more homes that might need protection will get barriers. Tents and teepees have also been set up inside the community arena, according to...
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AFN chief asks UN to support First Nations’ opposition to B.C. Indigenous law change
By Alessia Passafiume The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations is calling on the United Nations to condemn the “regressive” attempt by B.C. Premier David Eby’s government to amend or suspend parts a landmark Indigenous rights law. That law, based on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, has come under fire from Eby’s government after it was cited in a court ruling against the province. Eby has said that a December court ruling meant that the DRIPA law put the province at significant legal risk. After changing his position on suspending or amending parts of the law multiple times over the past month, Eby said Monday he will work with First Nations to come up with a solution. National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak told...
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Poilievre says Carney ‘pushing fear’ in address to Canadians on U.S. relations
By Catherine Morrison Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre accused Prime Minister Mark Carney of “pushing fear” in a recent address to Canadians on the relationship with the U.S. In a 10-minute video posted to social media on Sunday, Carney said Canada’s deep economic ties with the U.S. used to be a major strength, but are now a source of weakness. The prime minister said it would be wrong to wait for the U.S. to resume the co-operation of decades past and Ottawa must instead push forward with a plan to diversify its trade. In his own video posted to social media Monday, Poilievre argued Carney’s address was “strangely timed” and aimed at distracting Canadians from issues like inflation. “It’s not surprising that the prime minister wants to distract from his costly...
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Save our salmon: Indigenous leaders speak of Ottawa’s betrayal
By John Chilibeck, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Daily Gleaner Indigenous leaders in New Brunswick say Ottawa has betrayed their people by announcing the closure of the Mactaquac Biodiversity Facility, a hatchery that keeps their prized wild Atlantic salmon alive. But a top official at the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans says private talks are taking place with Indigenous organizations to take over the facility’s live wild salmon gene bank and with NB Power to ensure the big salmon can still make safe passage over the massive Mactaquac dam. Last week, Indigenous leaders gathered in the community closest to the dam and hydro station, Bilijk, or Kingsclear First Nation, not far from Fredericton, to talk to community members and the media about the urgency of saving their salmon, at...
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A criminal sentence for OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma clears the way for completing its settlement
By Geoff Mulvihill A judge is expected to sentence OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma to forfeit $225 million to the Justice Department on Tuesday, clearing the way for the company to finalize a settlement of thousands of lawsuits it faces over its role in the opioid crisis. The penalty was agreed to in a 2020 pact to resolve federal civil and criminal probes it was facing. If the judge signs off, other penalties will not be collected in return for Purdue settling the other lawsuits. After years of legal twists and turns, the settlement was approved by another judge last year and could take effect May 1. It requires members of the Sackler family who own the company to pay up to $7 billion to state, local and Native American tribal...
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Ontario’s solicitor general sorry for saying improperly released inmates were caught
By Liam Casey Ontario’s solicitor general and his No. 2 have apologized for “inadvertently” saying officials apprehended all 157 criminals who were mistakenly released from the province’s jails over the past five years. Michael Kerzner repeatedly said last week during question period at Queen’s Park, and afterward to journalists, that the criminals were caught immediately after being improperly released. On Monday afternooon, Kerzner told the legislature he was “imprecise” in his language. “I’d like to correct my record without reservation: I inadvertently referenced the immediate re-apprehension of improperly released inmates, rather than clarifying that the local police of jurisdiction were notified immediately,” Kerzner told the legislature “I apologize unreservedly to the members of this house for providing them with information that was not fully accurate.” Global News discovered through a...
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Carney names members of new advisory committee on Canada-U.S. economic relations
By David Baxter Prime Minister Mark Carney retooled an advisory committee on Canada-U.S. trade on Tuesday, adding a former Conservative leader and the former high commissioner to the United Kingdom to the team. The committee replaces the Council on Canada-U.S. Relations that was established by former prime minister Justin Trudeau in January 2025. Carney has renamed it the Advisory Committee on Canada-U.S. Economic Relations and has added several high-profile names. They include former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole, former Liberal cabinet minister and high commissioner to the U.K. Ralph Goodale, former Conservative cabinet minister Lisa Raitt and former Nunavut premier P.J. Akeeagok. Among the names retained from the original Trudeau committee are former Quebec premier Jean Charest, Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association president Flavio Volpe and Unifor president Lana Payne. “It’s a...
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War, climate change and AI: What’s at stake at this year’s UN Indigenous forum
By Anita Hofschneider/grist Hundreds of delegates are arriving at the United Nations this week for the world’s largest gathering of Indigenous peoples. But they arrive against an increasingly hostile global backdrop, facing an artificial intelligence boom driving new extraction on ancestral lands, a U.S. administration that has made it increasingly difficult for Global South delegates to secure visas to attend, and the twin challenges of climate change and green energy projects that have frequently run afoul of Indigenous land rights. This year’s United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is focused on the grim topic of survival in the midst of war, with its official theme “Ensuring Indigenous Peoples’ health, including in the context of conflict.” Experts emphasize that Indigenous peoples already face health inequities from colonialism and climate change,...
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Eby called changes to Indigenous law ‘non-negotiable,’ but series of backdowns ensued
By Canadian Press Staff The British Columbia government’s efforts to mitigate the impact of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act has resulted in a series of climbdowns in the face of opposition from First Nations. Here’s how it has played out: Nov. 28, 2019: The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, known as DRIPA, is unanimously adopted by the B.C. legislature. It is intended to reflect the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which says governments should obtain “free, prior and informed consent” from Indigenous peoples on legislation that affects them. Nov. 23, 2021: Then-attorney general David Eby introduces changes to the Interpretation Act, which governs how legislation is implemented in B.C. The changes say “every act and regulation must be construed...
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Poilievre says Carney ‘pushing fear’ in address to Canadians on U.S. relations
By Catherine Morrison Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre accused Prime Minister Mark Carney of “pushing fear” in a recent address to Canadians on the relationship with the U.S. In a 10-minute video posted to social media on Sunday, Carney said Canada’s deep economic ties with the U.S. used to be a major strength, but are now a source of weakness. The prime minister said it would be wrong to wait for the U.S. to resume the co-operation of decades past and Ottawa must instead push forward with a plan to diversify its trade. In his own video posted to social media Monday, Poilievre argued Carney’s address was “strangely timed” and aimed at distracting Canadians from issues like inflation. “It’s not surprising that the prime minister wants to distract from his costly...
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Eby ‘moving forward’ with First Nations after latest climbdown on Indigenous law
By Wolfgang Depner British Columbia Premier David Eby said that “moving forward together” with First Nations leaders is now his top priority, explaining why he withdrew plans to table legislation to suspend key parts of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act on Monday. Eby, who previously angered First Nations leaders by saying that changing DRIPA was “non-negotiable,” told reporters that he takes “responsibility” for taking the province in “different directions” on the Indigenous law. “Well, I certainly would have liked to have been right the first time — I was not,” he said. “This is challenging work. This is one of the hardest files that I have ever worked on.” Trevor Halford, interim leader of the Conservative Party of B.C., said Monday the premier made an “absolute...
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