‘You are not my king,’ Indigenous Australian senator yells at visiting King Charles
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — An Indigenous senator told King Charles III that Australia is not his land as the British royal visited Australia’s parliament on Monday. Sen. Lidia Thorpe was escorted out of a parliamentary reception for the royal couple after shouting that British colonizers have taken Indigenous land and bones. “You committed genocide against our people,” she shouted. “Give us what you stole from us — our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people. You destroyed our land. Give us a treaty. We want a treaty.” No treaty was ever struck between between British colonizers and Australia’s Indigenous peoples. Charles spoke quietly with Albanese while security officials stopped Thorpe from approaching. “This is not your land. You are not my king,” Thorpe yelled as she was ushered from the...
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AFN votes on way forward after $47.8 billion child welfare reform deal is defeated
The Canadian Press First Nations chiefs have voted in favour of a new negotiation process to reform the child welfare system after a $47.8-billion deal with Canada was defeated Thursday evening at an Assembly of First Nations gathering in Calgary. It calls for the creation of a children’s chiefs’ commission comprised of leadership from all regions in the country, and for a new negotiation and legal team. The defeated deal was struck between Canada, the Chiefs of Ontario, Nishnawbe Aski Nation and the Assembly of First Nations after a nearly two-decade legal fight over the federal government’s underfunding of on-reserve child welfare services. The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal said that was discriminatory. It tasked Canada with reaching an agreement with First Nations to reform the system, and also with compensating...
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How will Indigenous voters cast their ballots in the upcoming provincial elections
By Matteo Cimellaro Local Journalism Initiative A year ago today, Wab Kinew was sworn in as the first First Nations premier in Canada. Kinew was a star in Indigenous circles and ran on a renewed relationship with Indigenous Peoples. First Nations voters saw themselves, and infinite possibilities, in him. Now, three provincial elections loom on the horizon, with British Columbia and New Brunswick heading to the polls this weekend. Saskatchewan will be close behind on Oct. 28. It’s unclear if the Indigenous voters in the provinces will vote for progressive candidates and follow in the footsteps of Manitoba’s Wab effect. In the case of Kinew’s historic run for premier, “people saw that as being part of history,” Chadwick Cowie, a University of Toronto professor who studies Indigenous participation in electoral...
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‘We are all treaty people’: Tanya Talaga and Mike Downie talk at Algoma Fall Festival
By Maggie Kirk Local Journalism Initiative At the 52nd annual Algoma Fall Festival, Canadian storytellers Tanya Talaga and Mike Downie engaged in a thought-provoking discussion about Talaga’s latest book and documentary series, The Knowing. Wednesday’s event featured a book reading, signing, and open conversation that underscored the pair’s shared commitment to truth and reconciliation. Talaga, an Anishinaabe author and freelance columnist for The Globe and Mail, and Downie, co-founder of the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund, engaged the audience with their reflections on The Knowing, Canada’s colonial history, and the path to healing. Talaga introduced The Knowing as “a story of women, mothers, community, and ultimately love, and reclamation.” The book begins at the grave of Annie Carpenter, Talaga’s great-great-grandmother and a key figure in her family’s history. Talaga’s...
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Testy B.C. election campaign sees leaders attacking each other more than policy
British Columbians go to the polls on Saturday after a too-close-to-call campaign that saw David Eby’s New Democrats and John Rustad’s B.C. Conservatives tangle over housing, health care and the overdose crisis — as well plastic straws and a billionaire’s billboards. The race has stood out for its negativity, with Eby and Rustad devoted to telling British Columbians why they shouldn’t vote for the other. The NDP’s election platform mentions Rustad more than 50 times, compared to only 29 times for Eby, while the B.C. Conservative platform names Eby 50 times, and Rustad only 11. “I hope we never see another election like this,” Eby said this week in Nanaimo, describing the tone of the campaign where he has felt compelled to tell voters about controversial public statements made by...
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N.B. election: Blaine Higgs says Indigenous people ceded land ‘many, many years ago
MONCTON NB-(CP)-New Brunswick is “ceded” land, the province’s Progressive Conservative leader said Friday on the campaign trail, highlighting his party’s position regarding a major lawsuit involving First Nations. In a speech in Moncton, N.B., Blaine Higgs said the fundamental premise of the lawsuit “is whether the land (title) is ceded or unceded, and certainly we have evidence to say it was ceded many, many years ago.” Higgs restated the party’s position while accusing the Liberals of failing to give an accurate costing of potential legal settlements with First Nations. Indigenous groups in the province, however, don’t see it that way. They say First Nations never relinquished or legally signed away their lands to the Crown. A land claim filed in December 2021 by the six chiefs in the Wolastoqey Nation...
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Ontario has never seen an MPP like Sol Mamakwa
By Jon Thompson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter “People are dying left and right,” Meno Ya Win Hospital staff told Sol Mamakwa as the Kiiwetinoong MPP toured the Sioux Lookout area’s largest health care facility. The backlog in the 55-bed acute care facility was worse than Mamakwa had ever seen it during his years as health system transformation lead for Nishnawbe Aski Nation, before he was elected. Many of those occupying 33 Alternate Level of Care beds at Meno Ya Win were members of the First Nations for whom he had aspired to make health services available in their own communities. “And then she says, ‘I want to ask you something,’” the NDP’s Mamakwa recalls, leaning in and lowering his voice. “She looks me in the eye and says, ‘can you...
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‘Error in judgment’: Province probes school board’s $45k Italy trip for $100k of art
TORONTO-(CP)-Ontario’s education minister has asked officials to conduct a governance review of a Brantford-area Catholic school board after trustees spent $45,000 on a trip to Italy to buy $100,000 worth of art. Trustees of the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board promised to pay back the trip expenses, not long after they were reported by the Brantford Expositor, but Education Minister Jill Dunlop said more answers are necessary. “While I acknowledge that the (board) is taking steps to fix their error in judgment, I remain concerned that accountability was only taken after my ministry and the public expressed clear concerns for the misuse of taxpayer dollars,” Dunlop wrote in a statement. “With that in mind, I have asked my officials to start the process to conduct a governance review...
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‘This is more than just an average shooting accident’
By Simona Rosenfield Local Journalism Initiative A man accidentally shot in the leg by a Northwest Territories wildlife officer has reached a settlement with the territorial government. Five years ago, Dennis Nelner – in his home at the time – was struck while the wildlife officer was trying to shoot a black bear that had strayed into a residential area of Fort Simpson. Nelner settled with the territorial government over the incident last month, as first reported by the CBC. However, Nelner expressed his dissatisfaction with the legal process, calling it “clinical” and “numbers crunching.” The Department of Environment and Climate Change, or ECC, declined to respond to questions regarding the settlement process. The wildlife officer who shot Nelner did not face charges, which Nelner supports, stating that “it’s not...
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New Nunavik program aims to help people access government services
By Cedric Gallant, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The creation of Services Nunavik, a new program that will allow Nunavimmiut to access provincial government services in their own communities in Inuktitut, English and French, was announced Thursday. A joint venture by Kativik Regional Government and the Quebec government, the program will start in three communities and eventually expand to all 14 of Nunavik’s villages. The provincial government provided $13 million to Kativik Regional Government over five years for the creation of Services Nunavik, Employment Minister Kateri Champagne Jourdain said at a news conference Thursday at the KRG main office in Kuujjuaq. Lydia Watt, KRG’s sustainable employment director, says that employment officers in all 14 communities will receive training to offer the best services for Nunavimmiut. (Photo by Cedric Gallant) “It will...
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Brantford Police Service release new photos in sexual assault case
By Austin Evans Writer BRANTFORD, ONT-The Brantford Police Service have released updated photos of suspects in a four-month-old sexual assault case and are asking the public for any information to help identify them. The suspects are wanted in the sexual assault of a woman by two different men at two separate times on June 25 between 10:30 pm and 1:30 am in downtown Brantford. On July 1, Brantford Police Service asked the public to help identify two male suspects and included photos of both. The second suspect was described as a 30-year-old black man with a narrow V-shaped face, stubble on his chin and short buzzed hair. He was seen wearing dark coloured pants, black shoes and a blue “Crooks & Castle” t-shirt the night of the assault. Brantford Police...
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Six Nations Police charge man with impaired and dangerous driving
SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER-A 23-year-old man is facing impaired and dangerous driving charges after a car speeding on Fifth Line Sept. 6th narrowly missed a Six Nations Police cruiser. Six Nations Police Service said officers were on general patrol when they saw a vehicle speeding on Fifth Line at 3:50 am and attempted to conduct a traffic stop but the vehicle failed to stop for police. Police ended their pursuit only to spot the vehicle again later that morning on Bicentennial Trail. SN Police blocked the car when it pulled into a parking spot and found a lone driver in the vehicle. Police said the driver showed signs of impairment when he exited the car. As a result of the investigation, police arrested and charged Jacob Harris with...
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Long-promised flood-prevention project in Manitoba under review with no timeline
(Canadian Press)-A long-promised $600-million flood prevention project in Manitoba is now under review, and the provincial government has opened the door to redesigning it with no timeline for starting construction. The NDP government said it has asked Ottawa to pause a decision on the plan, in order to fully consult First Nations and consider possible alternatives to the design. It would currently have two large outlet channels built to drain water from Lake Manitoba into Lake St. Martin then into Lake Winnipeg. “The federal government had already expressed significant concerns,” Lisa Naylor, Manitoba’s minister of transportation and infrastructure, said Thursday. “If the federal government had withdrawn the licence because of the environmental impact, the project would be dead. And so, I don’t want to see that happen.” The project has...
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NAN Statement from AFN Special Chiefs Assembly
October 17, 2024 CALGARY, AB: On behalf of the leadership of Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN), the NAN Executive Council has issued the following statement following today’s vote on the $47.8-billion Final Agreement on the long-term reform of the First Nations Child and Family Services Program: “We have travelled a long way to get where we are, not just this week, but throughout this lengthy process. We have heard from many voices across Turtle Island that have vested interests in this Agreement. There are diverse and conflicting views. We are disappointed that the Final Agreement was not ratified today, but we respect the decision of First Nations-in-Assembly. We are grateful for the tremendous work by our leadership and everyone who spent many years negotiating this Agreement. We acknowledge Dr. Cindy Blackstock...
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AFN vote on $47.8B child welfare reform deal doesn’t pass after lengthy debate
CALGARY- Canadian Press-First Nations chiefs have voted to reject a landmark $47.8-billion child welfare reform deal, reached in July with the Canadian government. At a special chiefs assembly in Calgary hosted by the Assembly of First Nations, 267 out of 414 chiefs voted against a resolution in support of the deal after a lengthy debate that at points was emotionally charged as they argued either for or against it. Resolutions remain on the agenda for the final day of the gathering on Friday, including for chiefs to be given another 90 days to review the deal, bringing another vote in January. “Our leaders have rejected this draft agreement because they know what’s at stake: our children,” said Mary Teegee, the chair of the Our Children Our Way Society, in a...
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Testy B.C. election campaign sees leaders attacking each other more than policy
British Columbia’s election campaign enters its final day in what is viewed as a too-close-to-call contest where David Eby’s New Democrats and the B.C. Conservatives led by John Rustad debated big issues of housing, health care, affordability and the overdose crisis, but also tangled over plastic straws and a billionaire’s billboards. The two main party leaders spent a lot of time telling voters why they shouldn’t vote for the other rather than presenting their own case for support. The NDP’s election platform document mentioned Rustad more than 50 times while Eby only received 29 mentions. The B.C. Conservative platform, delivered in the final week of the campaign, included more than 50 Eby references, while Rustad’s name was highlighted 11 times. “I hope we never see another election like this,” Eby...
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Mom urges chiefs to vote in favour of landmark $47.8B child welfare reform deal
CALGARY-CP-The plaintiffs who successfully sued Canada over discrimination in the child welfare system gave emotional speeches on Thursday urging First Nations chiefs to support a landmark $47.8-billion deal to reform that system. The deal was struck in July between Canada, the Chiefs of Ontario, Nishnawbe Aski Nation and the Assembly of First Nations after a nearly two-decade legal fight over the federal government’s underfunding of on-reserve child welfare services. The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal said that was discriminatory. It tasked Canada with coming to an agreement with First Nations to reform the system, and also with compensating children who were torn from their families and put in foster care. Chiefs are in Calgary this week for an Assembly of First Nations gathering where they are set to vote on the...
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Trudeau to shuffle cabinet as four ministers say they won’t seek re-election
OTTAWA-CP-With a simmering mutiny plot in the backbenches and four more cabinet ministers deciding not to seek re-election, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s attempt to right the Liberal ship and stay on as captain is becoming more challenging. Trudeau is expected to shuffle his cabinet again after the ministers informed the Prime Minister’s Office they won’t be running in the next election. Filomena Tassi, the minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, announced Thursday she won’t be running for personal reasons. Sports Minister Carla Qualtrough also issued a statement that she won’t be seeking re-election. She offered few details except to say that it is time for her to move on and she is excited to see what comes next. She also thanked her family and the...
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Six Nations Police charge driver after car hits tree
By Austin Evans Writer SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER-Six Nations Police have charged a woman after a car swerved off the road and a passenger was injured. Six Nations Police, Six Nations Emergency Medical Services and Six Nations Fire officers all responded to a report of a single vehicle collision at the intersection of Fifth Line and Onondaga Road at 4:30 pm on September 8. Police found the car in the ditch against a tree when they arrived. A vehicle passenger had sustained major injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Police said witnesses identified a woman on the scene as the driver of the vehicle. Police said when they spoke with the driver they observed signs of impairment. As a result of the investigation, police...
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Amos Residential School site gets historical-building designation
A pair of plaques recognizing the historical significance of the site of a former Residential School in Quebec were unveiled Monday as part of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. In a ceremony, Parks Canada, the Survivors of the Amos Residential School, and the Abitibiwinni First Nation Council recognized the national historic significance of the Amos Residential School. The former Residential School building had already been demolished, but in 2013, Survivors and the Abitibiwinni First Nation Council installed a commemorative stele and interpretive panels on the site of the former building with the aim of making it a place of remembrance and healing. The message from the director of the Pikogan Health Center was short and succinct. “We are still here,” said Malik Kistabish. The federal government first built...
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