For the past six years, families who have lost a loved one have been brought together from across the country at special, commemorative events by the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC). Known as ‘Family Gatherings,’ they’re an opportunity to honour a missing or murdered Aboriginal female family member, to ‘give voice’ to their story and [...] . . . → Read More: Sisters in spirit? NWAC hit by division, funding crunch

A horrific but too often ignored situation in Canada received some very high profile attention this past month. The Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) and the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA) announced that the United Nations will be conducting an inquiry into the hundreds of murders and disappearances of Aboriginal women and girls [...] . . . → Read More: The Missing and Murdered: A Week of Domestic and International (In)Action

It’s been just over half a century since First Nations gained the right to cast a ballot in Canadian federal elections back in 1960. Back at the time of Confederation, members of First Nations were originally not recognized as Canadian citizens and therefore could not participate in federal elections without giving up their treaty rights and [...] . . . → Read More: Should First Nations be part of Canadian elections? 50 years after getting the vote, debate rages on

Despite millions upon millions of dollars supposedly going toward clean drinking water for First Nations, monies spent by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) seem to have largely come up dry. Between April 2006 and March 2010, the department allocated apx. $1.25 billion to water and waste water infrastructure. But according to documents received from Health [...] . . . → Read More: Four years and $1.25 billion later, nearly 1 in 5 First Nations still lack safe drinking water

In less than a decade, Ontario’s Liberal government has more than doubled the number of senior staff in the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs, according to the province’s public salary disclosure website. In 2005, there were just 4 senior staff in what was then known as the Ontario Secretariat of Aboriginal Affairs. But by 2009, the number [...] . . . → Read More: Bureaucrat salaries grow while Ontario land claims stall

Just a 20 minute drive west of Parliament Hill in the nation’s capital lies Beaver Pond, an old-growth forest that according to First Nations is of historic and spiritual significance. The forest is also home to what archaeologists estimate to be a 10,000 year-old stone circle. But according to reports, as of this morning, the 1,100 [...] . . . → Read More: Outrage as Ottawa company clear-cuts traditional Algonquin land

The Seattle police officer who shot and killed a partially-deaf First Nations woodcarver testified on Wednesday at an inquest hearing. John T. Williams, 50, a member of the Nuu-Chah-Nulth Dititdaht First Nation on Vancouver Island was gunned down by officer Ian Birk on August 30, 2010 in downtown Seattle. At the time, Williams, who was known for carving small totem [...] . . . → Read More: Did a Seattle police officer have to shoot a partially-deaf First Nations man?

In yesterday’s post, we told you about new research that takes a critical look at differences in news coverage of Aboriginal women and non-Aboriginal women who are missing/murdered. Kristen Gilchrist examined six such cases falling between the years of 2003–2005. Three of the women were of Aboriginal descent, three were not. Her research reveals sharp [...] . . . → Read More: More on why missing & murdered Aboriginal women are not considered “newsworthy”

In Canada, Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week kicks off today; globally, it’s World AIDS Day. To mark both, we offer this profile of one woman’s life with HIV, sharing her struggles and successes. For most expectant mothers, sharing the news of their pregnancy is usually welcomed with warm words of congratulations. Not so for Krista Shore. “I’ve been [...] . . . → Read More: Krista Shore: A ‘Positive’ Aboriginal Woman