Fraudulent claims of Indigenous identity are risking community for the rest of us
OTTAWA—Picture Canada in 1958: the time of the baby boom, the Dodge Regent, growing influence of unions, the new unemployment insurance, and first version of health insurance. Does your history of Canada include Indigenous Peoples? In 1958, the number of residential institutions for Indigenous children in the south was decreasing. The UN Declaration on Human Rights in […]
From paternalism to partnership: how to close the Indigenous infrastructure gap
The infrastructure gap between First Nations and the rest of Canada continues to expand with each passing year despite Canada’s good intentions. Ottawa can partner with the First Nations Finance Authority to develop a solution.
‘No one-size-fits-all approach’: House committee tackles improving Indigenous graduation rates
‘Self-determination is the key out of this mess,’ said Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu during her March 6 committee appearance.
Energy transitions: away from diesel, or towards sovereignty?
Indigenous off-grid communities in Canada are exploring their own solutions to move towards cleaner energy generation that are aligned with their worldviews and sovereignty objectives.
To advance electrification and climate change action, Canada must advance reconciliation
In pursuing these opportunities, we must acknowledge and learn from our past, including the negative impacts the build-out of our legacy hydro projects had on Indigenous Peoples.
The emotional tax of being Indigenous in Canada
There are reconciliation expectations on governments, Crown corporations and all citizen-serving entities. Some are actually legal requirements—ensure the safety of Indigenous workers and leaders. Some are moral—do your part for reconciliation now. Delaying reconciliation is just so res-school-era.
Languages in self-governing First Nation communities critically endangered, it’s time to act
Work cannot wait until the economy improves or inflation is under control—by then, many more speakers will have been lost. If Canada’s relationship with Indigenous peoples is truly its most important, then now is the time to provide support for the hard work we’ve done, to follow through on words with action.
Bill creating reconciliation council ignores Indigenous voices
The Liberals’ failure to adopt a House committee’s recommendation to include the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples on the national council is a disrespectful political attack that triggers trauma for Indigenous peoples who have experienced social exclusion because of government policy.
The RCMP is never held to account for its own tragic, devastating wrongdoing
If we don’t do the heavy lifting of fundamental change in the RCMP, we are condemning more Indigenous people to high-risk interactions with the police. We are sitting idly by, knowing that a number of neighbours and relations will die at the hands of officers in the future, and without consequence. And that’s on us.
The last thing Ontario Liberal Party needs is walkover Liberal
There are four putative candidates considering a run at the Liberal leadership. Shockingly, they are all current Liberals and each has something unique to offer. So it’s insulting to assume that their talent is ignored by 38 ‘insiders’ looking for another saviour.
