‘Deeply disturbing’: NDP MP reacts to report linking mercury poisoning at Grassy Narrows First Nation with attempted suicides two generations later
The First Nation in northwestern Ontario has been dealing with the effects of mercury contamination since a paper mill dumped nine tonnes of the neurotoxin into the English-Wabigoon River in the 1960s and ’70s, contaminating downstream fish populations.
Premier Stefanson needs to resign for interfering in landfill search
Elected leaders have dithered on the costs of searching a Winnipeg landfill for the bodies of three Indigenous women. This is what racism looks like. Indigenous people are not worth the cost or the risk. This is exactly what Heather Stefanson said, and she needs to resign.
Senate committee calls for hearing to get answers about withheld residential school records
An interim report by the Senate’s Indigenous Peoples Committee lists several government and religious institutions that have not released records on Canada’s notorious Indian residential schools system.
Federal Court forces Public Safety to do the right thing for First Nations policing
It should go without saying, but the lesson for today is this: don’t underfund Indigenous Peoples’ well-being.
Infighting at AFN shows it’s ‘largely detached’ from grassroots, says Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation member Coburn; former Neskonlith Indian Band chief Wilson says ‘there are no winners today’
Chiefs and proxies representing Assembly of First Nations members voted on June 28 to remove National Chief RoseAnne Archibald from office following the conclusion of a human resources investigation.
Why the Gwa’sala and ‘Nakwaxda’xw people give life and meaning to the word ‘resilience’
This is a story of defiance of seemingly impossible odds and of overcoming the worst of human experiences, of courage, resilience, and determination. It is a story of the triumph of culture over colonization, hope over great hardship, and love over immense loss.
Canada needs legal tools to deter emboldened residential school denialists, says special interlocutor
Indigenous Peoples need protection from hateful denialism, but education and precise reporting are required to put ‘truth before reconciliation,’ say professors Niigaan Sinclair and Sean Carleton.
The next steps for the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
A federal action plan to implement UNDRIP will not resolve some major challenges in the provincial and territorial realm. We need to bring all levels of government and Indigenous Peoples together to ensure coherent national standards.
Assembly of First Nations online meeting could include vote to remove national chief
Judy Wilson, former kúkpi7 (chief) of the Neskonlith Indian Band, says it’s possible the unexpected June 28 meeting is an attempt to separate discussion about Archibald from bigger accountability concerns within the AFN.
Names matter: we need a plan to bring in new monuments to better reflect Ottawa’s diversity
My ancestors had names for all the places they travelled and lived relating to descriptions of the land and legends of the tribe. These Indigenous names across Turtle Island have been erased, without the consideration of First Nations. This was the genesis of cancel culture.
