Tanya Talaga
While National Newswatch does not keep an archive of external articles for longer than 6 months, we do keep all articles written by contributors who post directly to our site. Here you will find all of the contributed and linked external articles from Tanya Talaga.
Canada must stand against residential-school denialism
After the orange T-shirts worn by Canadians to reflect and remember Indian residential schools (IRS) are washed and put away, there is still something else that everyone – especially those yearning to do more – can do. That is, to make sure the Canadian government stands up and supports survivors and their communities, and that it gives them the space...
The task of rescuing the Assembly of First Nations begins now
If you’re a fan of the high drama of politics, and you’ve never been to an Assembly of First Nations election, you are missing out. How could it be anything but dramatic, with more than 630 chiefs voting for one national chief, who is supposed to represent all the different nations – with so many diverse languages, dialects and life-or-death...
How have we grown numb to the suicide of Indigenous children?
In another world, the death of 11-year-old Elaina Cecilia Nancy Beardy would have shaken Canada’s smug belief that this country offers all its children a good and safe start. Her death would have been the lead story on newscasts and in newspapers, inspiring governments and all of society to move mountains to ensure this never happens again. Instead, Elaina’s death...
Those who pretend to be Indigenous only distract from the things that really matter
Growing up, I never felt Native enough. My father was Polish-Canadian and my mother was raised on the traditional territory of Fort William First Nation. She did not stay in her community or in Thunder Bay; she left and eventually settled in Toronto. I was born in Scarborough, Ont. I’ve never really moved from this city of glass and steel...
A high school in Northern Ontario reveals the long shadow of residential schools
Just off the side of a long dirt road, Norma Kejick, the executive director of the Northern Nishnawbe Education Council (NNEC), tells me that construction along this path leading to Pelican Falls First Nations High School is happening in stages. The reason, she says, is that the Bikiiwewining Nindawaashishiiminaanak (Bringing Our Children Home) initiative led by Lac Seul First Nation...