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Alex Boutilier

Federal government boosts scrutiny of businesses claiming to be Indigenous-owned

Indigenous Services Canada is promising stricter enforcement against businesses falsely claiming to be Indigenous-owned in order to gain preferential access to billions worth of federal government contracts, according to a document reviewed by Global News. In a letter sent late last month to the House of Commons’ Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee, Mandy Gull-Masty, the minister responsible for the Procurement...

Marco Vigliotti

Union of BC Indian Chiefs says it won’t participate in government consultations on second-generation cutoff

One of Canada’s largest Indigenous groups says it won’t participate in consultations with Ottawa on potential changes to the second-generation cutoff, accusing the government of working to delay ending the controversial law that designates who can be awarded Indian status. In an email sent last week and shared with iPolitics, the Union of BC Indian Chiefs called the justification for...

Neepawa: Manitoba’s Fast Growing “Land of Plenty”

Neepawa, a rural Prairie community of just over 6,000 people west of Winnipeg, has long been shaped by its agricultural roots. It is a place made famous by author Margaret Laurence, whose Manawaka novels drew inspiration from Neepawa and its landmarks, including the stone angel monument in the Riverside Cemetery. But today’s Neepawa is no longer the small, homogeneous town...

Michael Fox

Contracts vs. Credentials: Why IPPs and PAIR Are Not the Same Thing

Marc Fawcett-Atkinson

Juno News scraps plan to run residential school denial film after investigation by CNO

Days after former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney slammed prominent right-wing platform Juno News for hosting a white nationalist, it has now walked back plans to release a feature-length documentary-style film denying the atrocities of Canada's residential school system. The film, entitled DIG, was announced publicly in a Feb. 10 email sent to Juno News subscribers and was going to focus...

Rose LeMay

Reconciliation is not dead, but Indigenous Peoples are still dying in Canada’s hospitals

On Jan. 9 in Saskatoon, Trevor Dubois died after an altercation with security at the Royal University Hospital. Dubois was receiving chemotherapy, and a security guard thought he had an imitation gun and so Dubois was restrained to the point of unconsciousness. He died. The 36-year-old was from Muskoday First Nation. His friends talked about his infectious laugh, and his...

Catherine Morrison

Feds warn First Nations people to carry passport when crossing U.S. border

The federal government has updated its travel advice for the United States, urging First Nations people to carry a passport in addition to a status card when crossing the border. Before this week, the government website said First Nations people could "freely" enter the United States for the purposes of employment, study, retirement, investing or immigration. As of Thursday, the...

Brent Jang

First Nation withdraws support for B.C. energy export project

The Metlakatla First Nation has withdrawn its support for an energy export project under construction on Ridley Island in British Columbia, escalating tensions after the Prince Rupert Port Authority’s decision to block the Indigenous group’s diversification plans.

Alessia Passafiume

First Nations warn members to be cautious when entering U.S. following ICE actions

Several First Nations are warning their members to be wary of crossing the border into the United States in response to immigration enforcement raids and the detention of some U.S. tribal citizens. The Kashechewan First Nation in northern Ontario -- which was forced to evacuate earlier this month when local water and sewage systems failed -- posted on social media...

Alessia Passafiume

First Nations chiefs call out Ottawa over pipeline deal that doesn't mention water

Some First Nations chiefs are demanding answers from Ottawa after the federal government signed a pipeline agreement with Alberta that failed to make any mention of fresh water. The memorandum of understanding -- which opens a door to building a pipeline to transport bitumen from Alberta to the B.C. coast -- does not touch on the high level of water...

Coastal First Nations call on Carney to defend the B.C. tanker ban in pipeline talks

Coastal First Nations president Marilyn Slett says she called on Prime Minister Mark Carney in a meeting Tuesday to maintain and protect the oil tanker moratorium in his government's pipeline talks with Alberta. The meeting between Carney and Coastal First Nations in Prince Rupert, B.C. was held to restart relations with the advocacy group, which works to protect the B.C...

Tom Summer

First Nation expresses opposition to major projects ahead of prime minister's visit to Prince Rupert

Prime Minister Mark Carney is in Prince Rupert today to meet with Coastal First Nations to discuss major projects in northern B.C. A unnamed government official told CBC News Monday the meeting is intended to address projects underway and potential partnerships between the federal government and Indigenous communities in the region.

Emily Haws

Federal government won’t say whether it will criminalize residential school denials

The federal government is not revealing whether it will act on calls to pass a law that would criminalize denying that Indigenous children suffered abuses in Canada’s residential school system. The issue has bubbled in the background of Canadian politics for several years and gained prominence after several First Nations announced they had located potential unmarked graves at former school...

Alessia Passafiume

Minister not promising source water protection in new First Nations clean water bill

With her government under pressure to finally eliminate boil-water advisories in First Nations communities, the federal minister responsible for Indigenous services isn't committing to bringing back a defunct clean water bill in the new year as written -- after two provinces objected to it. That bill, which died when the last federal election was called, was drafted with input from...

Alessia Passafiume

Gull-Masty reflects on first months of job Indigenous leaders were wary of her taking

When Mandy Gull-Masty took up the role of Indigenous services minister last spring, one question loomed over her appointment: why would a Cree woman want to administer the Indian Act, when another First Nations woman before her turned down the role? Gull-Masty was named to the cabinet job in May after being elected as a member of Parliament for the...

Rose LeMay

A decade of delays on Indigenous rights

On Dec. 15, 2015, I stood in a hotel in downtown Ottawa as the commissioners of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission shared the 94 Calls to Action. I remember the room with auras of super-bright colour as if the children who were lost had travelled from the stars to share in the moment. We stood in awe of these leaders...

Eleanor Wand

Chief says feds’ engagement with First Nations ‘needs to improve,’ after ‘very limited’ contact on major projects

On the heels of adopting a resolution against Ottawa’s new energy deal with Alberta at an annual meeting of First Nations chiefs, a Manitoba grand chief says engagement with the government is “very limited” on a major project proposed in that province. “There’s a lot more work that needs to be done in terms of consultation; duty to consult; free...

Olivia Stefanovich

Ottawa, First Nations prepare competing child welfare reform plans

Canadian Human Rights Tribunal set Dec. 22 as deadline for long-term proposals. Ottawa is staring down a court-ordered deadline to submit a new plan to reform the on-reserve child welfare system, as a group of First Nations leaders and children’s advocates prepare a competing proposal. The federal government has until Dec. 22 to make its submission to the Canadian Human...

Indigenous Services minister to address Assembly of First Nations gathering today

Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty will address hundreds of chiefs gathered in Ottawa today for a special meeting of the Assembly of First Nations. She's expected to discuss proposed changes to the Indian Act after Senators made sweeping amendments to a bill that would see an unknown number of new people eligible for status.

Alessia Passafiume

Carney vows to meet Coastal First Nations after chiefs vote against pipeline to B.C.

Prime Minister Mark Carney promised to meet with Coastal First Nations after chiefs voted unanimously Tuesday to press the government to uphold the oil tanker ban off the northern British Columbia coast and withdraw an agreement signed with Alberta last week that clears a path for a new oil pipeline. B.C. Regional Chief Terry Teegee, speaking to Carney during the...

Alessia Passafiume

Carney says First Nations clean water legislation will come next spring

Prime Minister Mark Carney says his government will introduce clean drinking water legislation in the spring, delaying a bill that had been promised to come this fall. Carney promised to revive the legislation during an address to the Assembly of First Nations gathering in Ottawa today, saying he will host a joint meeting with federal, provincial, territorial and First Nations...

Miller says government needs to start Indigenous consultation on B.C. pipeline

Heritage Minister Marc Miller says his government needs to "sit down and start working now" on consultation with Indigenous people and stakeholders about a potential pipeline in B.C. On his way into a cabinet meeting this morning, the former minister of Crown-Indigenous relations told reporters he expects a difficult road ahead for any pipeline project.

Alessia Passafiume

Chiefs vote to reject changes to B.C. coastal oil tanker ban

First Nations chiefs voted unanimously Tuesday to press the government to uphold the oil tanker ban off the northern British Columbia coast and withdraw an agreement signed last week that clears a path for a new oil pipeline to the B.C. coast. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith signed a memorandum of understanding on Nov. 27 to...

Olivia Stefanovich

Alberta Metis eying ownership stake in proposed oil pipeline

Metis Settlements of Alberta president says project could help Metis communities achieve full sustainability. The Metis Settlements of Alberta say they’re interested in purchasing a stake in a proposed oil pipeline to the West Coast and want to work with First Nations in British Columbia who oppose the project and plan to bring forward an emergency resolution at the Assembly...

Shiri Pasternak

Federal budget’s focus on extraction and fossil fuels does little to help average Canadians and First Nations

The political strategy of “flooding the zone” is designed to disassemble people’s ability to react effectively to change. It was coined by Stephen Bannon and implemented by U.S. President Donald Trump when he came to office in January. But it is a strategy that has also landed in Canada with a dull thud. Prime Minister Mark Carney tipped his hat...

Patti Sonntag

Canada’s Indigenous contracting program funnels billions to Ottawa-area firms

Billions of dollars in federal contracts meant to support Indigenous businesses across the country are flowing to two dozen firms in the Ottawa region, a joint IJF investigation has found. Over the last few years, more than 60 per cent of roughly $1 billion in contracts annually intended to boost Indigenous entrepreneurs and their communities have stayed in the capital...

Tasha Kheiriddin

Cowichan decision exposes toxic 'colonizer' narratives

This week, over 100 homeowners in Richmond, B.C., got a notice no one wants to receive: Mayor Malcolm Brodie warned that due to a recent court decision, the title to their homes may be worthless.

Rose LeMay

A note about protecting Indigenous Peoples in the 2025 budget

Much has been said about this year’s budget, and its coming in a time of austerity, a time of economic pressures. But there’s the issue. This federal government maintains and moves money for First Nations health care, but doesn’t pay nearly the amount per person that all other Canadians receive. This federal government also moves this money with a shocking...

Tanya Talaga

The Indigenous over-incarceration crisis can only be addressed if Canadians act

Canadians know that the over-incarceration of Indigenous peoples is a national shame. About 30 per cent of federal inmates are First Nations, Métis and Inuit, according to the most recent data available. A staggering half of all female federal inmates are Indigenous. We are a country that loves reports. Canadian governments love to measure people and trends – and, too...

Heather Exner-Pirot

Indigenous consent is an objective, not a standard, for resource development

In Canadian resource development, the concept of “consent” has become a litmus test for ideological and philosophical divides. While such debates may be intellectually stimulating, they pose a serious obstacle to project development. Proponents seek clear expectations and standards when committing capital and building things. The Canadian legal and political systems have plodded along inelegantly on the question of Indigenous...

Wendy Kaur

“A Subjugation”: First Nations Chiefs Blast Carney’s Nation-Building Scheme

FOR ALL HIS TALK OF RECONCILIATION, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s push to accelerate the next wave of nation building has exposed a familiar fault line in Canadian politics: when economic ambition collides with Indigenous consent, ambition usually wins.

Alessia Passafiume

Carney marks 'devastating legacy' of residential schools in Ottawa event

The federal government will "match remembrance with responsibility," Prime Minister Mark Carney promised on Tuesday, as he addressed the crowd assembled on Parliament Hill to mark the fifth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Sept. 30, known as Orange Shirt Day or the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, is meant to honour survivors of the residential school system...

Dale Smith

Implementing UNDRIP

While progress has been made since the federal government enshrined its commitment in law in 2021, observers say there’s still some way to go to have respectful, meaningful consultation and shared decision-making

Alessia Passafiume

Events in Ottawa, Toronto planned for 5th annual Truth and Reconciliation Day

Today is the fifth National Day for Truth and Reconciliation -- a day where Canadians reflect on the legacy of residential schools and remember the survivors and those who never made it home. The residential school era refers to a period between 1857 and 1996 where 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend church-run, government-funded schools where they were barred...

Daniel Otis

‘It’s going to take us 150 years’: Canada still working to implement Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations

A decade after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission issued 94 calls to action, Canada still has a long way to go to address the impacts of the residential school system on Indigenous people. “Think about it, 150 years it took for us to get here to this very dysfunctional, toxic relationship that is highly problematic,” University of Manitoba Indigenous studies...

Tanya Talaga

This Orange Shirt Day, let’s protect the Indigenous children who are still with us

How many more Indigenous children have to die because they are living away from their families, languages and cultures, before we collectively act? How many more will take their own lives, or be denied medical care, or be neglected and even abused by those appointed to take care of them, before courts, governments, federal agencies and First Nations leaders stop...

Robert Jago

Residential schools still exist in our world today. This is the lesson Canadians can draw from that disturbing truth

Canadians think about residential schools as if they were a creature of the past, an ancient moral failing from which we have since evolved. But around the world new residential schools are still in use, showing the truth of what residential schools are: a tool of colonialism. Many Canadians are not aware of the existence of residential schools abroad, but...

Michelle Good

Only 14 of the 94 Calls to Action have been implemented. This is the key roadblock that must be fixed

On this the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, we must look both back and forward. It is ten years now since the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission‘s report and its 94 Calls to Action. The TRC was established after intense negotiation and as a legal requirement of the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement. For six years, starting...

John Ivison

First Nations gear up to fight Ottawa over a peculiar fuel export deal

On this national Truth and Reconciliation Day, the federal government is facing the prospect of a meltdown in its relations with two B.C. First Nations that could bring the development of the Prince Rupert Trade Corridor to a grinding halt.

Eva Jewell

The Missing Indigenous Women Canada Refuses to See

TWO THINGS are true about Indigenous girls, women, and gender-diverse people in Canada. First, as Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg writer Leanne Betasamosake Simpson notes, they “reproduce and amplify” Indigeneity, the definitive characteristics of Indigenous peoples and culture, diverse as they are. Second, she writes, it is this quality that has made them targets of violence in a country that seeks to...

Rose LeMay

Reconciliation is a value, not a policy

In a time of fiscal restraint, why is it that inclusion and reconciliation are so easily dropped? Is it because it costs, and the inclusion of minorities is not worth the money? Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke after the recent United Nations meetings, and it was a speech for the history books, one of the best that Canada has done...

Jamie Sarkonak

Even Americans are getting Canadian Aboriginal rights now

It may surprise you, citizen reader, that there are Americans out there who hold deeper constitutional rights in Canada than you. It’s because they’re Indigenous, and because the Supreme Court decided in 2021 that they should receive special privileges. Now, despite being foreign, they’re using their newfound esteem in Canadian courts to intervene in what kids are taught in school...

Tanya Talaga