When Alvin Fiddler thinks back to the last time the federal government took a build-fast approach to major infrastructure projects, the first thing that comes to his mind is a small island on the Ottawa River, with a view of Parliament Hill. The Grand Chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation visited Victoria Island in Ottawa in 2013, after former Attawapiskat...
In 1999, the Supreme Court of Canada made a historic decision that transformed the country’s commercial East Coast fishing industry. At the time, First Nations had been locked out of the regional economy for several centuries, despite traditionally engaging in fishing for subsistence and for trade.
If anybody should have left Canada, it was First Nations. Secession: it’s a serious word for uniquely Canadian dumb ideas. Some Albertans are saying things about their unequal treatment, and, for the record, it’s not true. Alberta has not been treated badly, and neither has Quebec.
As the first Indigenous person ever to lead the federal department responsible for delivering services to First Nations, Inuit and Metis, Mandy Gull-Masty knows she has a daunting task ahead. But the newly-appointed Indigenous services minister also knows what it's like to sit at both sides of the table -- as a cabinet minister now and, until recently, as the...
The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations says talk of Alberta separatism is 'irresponsible' and it's "not smart" for politicians to make statements about it without consulting with First Nations first. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has introduced a bill that would make it easier for Albertans to launch referendums on various topics -- including splitting from Canada. Smith...
Canada’s best known school system founder Egerton Ryerson and the United States’ Horace Mann are each towering figures in the history of public education in North America. Both men received praise during their lifetimes – and for decades after – for leading the fight for universal tax-supported schooling. Their successes in Massachusetts and Canada West/Ontario, respectively, inspired the spread of...
If you don’t want “O Canada” downgraded from an anthem to a land acknowledgement, then Canadians need to work with First Nations to fight back against Trump. Unfortunately, that’s not the approach that some on Canada’s political right are proposing. While the proposed tariffs from the U.S. administration are on pause for now, the reaction to them was still revealing...
The first Indigenous candidate for prime minister says his fellow running mates in the Liberal leadership race can’t afford to become “prisoners of the moment,” running towards the day’s most pressing concern while losing sight of his party’s long-term goals and commitment to reconciliation and fighting climate change.
The Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak’s first year as leader has been one of unity, she said in an interview with CTV News. “Unifying, I think we’ve come together as First Nations. I see the AFN having unprecedented attendance at our assemblies.”
Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak says she expects to see support and collaboration from Ottawa to move forward on key issues when Parliament resumes sitting in January. “The Parliament, regardless [of who is in power], needs to make sure that they’re prioritizing things like Bill C-61 [the First Nations Clean Water Act], working on fixing procurement...
Two First Nations whose traditional territory west of Calgary is the site of next year’s G7 leaders summit are reconsidering their support for the event over what they say is Ottawa’s failure to meaningfully engage with their concerns. Canada takes over presidency of the G7 next year, and announced in June that the marquee event will be held in Kananaskis...
What’s the future of Métis National Council? The federal government has always dealt with Métis differently than First Nations, and scrip is a good example. On the one hand, the early Indian Affairs Department was busy signing treaties with First Nations communities in the late 1800s, but, on the other hand, would only offer scrip or land ownership to a...
A former auditor for the federal government’s Indigenous procurement program says Ottawa hamstrung auditors and repeatedly ignored warnings that the program was being abused by non-Indigenous companies. Garry Hartle was one of the auditors who regularly reviewed whether companies complied with a federal policy designed to encourage the flow of government contracts to Indigenous-owned businesses. He served as an auditor...
Grieving mothers whose children were killed by police made emotional pleas for the prime minister to act on Thursday, as Justin Trudeau found himself on the defensive during the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) annual winter meeting in Ottawa. First Nations leaders pressed Trudeau on everything from racism in policing, broken promises from 2015 and a lack of consultation, after...
