By Martha Troian on January 29, 2012
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
By Penny Cadrain on January 24, 2012
Renewing the relationship between First Nations and Ottawa and a discussion on retiring the Indian Act. . . . → Read More: A Leap of Faith: Trust and the Relationship with Government
By Martha Troian on December 29, 2011
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
By Tim Fontaine on December 2, 2011
Your guide to Aboriginal politicians in provincial and territorial governments As I’ve pointed out in my previous ‘Who’s Who’ posts, a small but growing number of Aboriginal people have been running for and winning seats in the federal government. Now here’s a quick overview of how many Aboriginal people are already sitting in provincial and territorial [...] . . . → Read More: An Aboriginal Who’s Who of Canadian Politics: Provincial/Territorial Version
By Tim Fontaine on December 1, 2011
After a record number of Aboriginal candidates participated in the last federal election, just how browner is Canada’s parliament? As you can see in this updated ‘Who’s Who’ of Aboriginal politicians in Canada’s Parliament, the numbers have risen slightly, but the biggest gains have been within the Conservative ranks. Read on! The House of Commons Made up of [...] . . . → Read More: UPDATED: An Aboriginal Who’s Who of Canadian Politics
My family holds reunions at the St. Peter’s church virtually every summer, just north of Selkirk and on the banks of the Red River in southern Manitoba. Growing up, I never knew why we did, nor cared really; the homemade pie was far more of a concern. Last summer, we held races, a candy scramble, and [...] . . . → Read More: Manitowapow: A Preview
By Penny Cadrain on October 30, 2011
Truth and Reconciliation apology of another colour from University of Manitoba vice-chancellor. . . . → Read More: How to Apologise
By Penny Cadrain on October 28, 2011
Tribute to Blackfeet warrior Elouise Cobell and her 16 year legal battle for justice over government mismanagement of Indian Trust money. . . . → Read More: “No longer. No further. No more.”
By Penny Cadrain on October 25, 2011
A 2011 American Book Award pick that gives the absolute best and most horrifying description of a run-in with a bear guaranteed to make you sit back and reconsider the way we do the things we do. . . . → Read More: REVIEW: “Extra Indians”
By Sarah Hunt on September 20, 2011
Sigh. Today in the neighborhood coffee shop, I spotted a poster made by a local designer for an upcoming music festival. Hence the sigh. A tomahawk and feathers had somehow made their way onto the poster for a West Coast band consisting of three bearded white guys. As I stood in front of the poster, noting the [...] . . . → Read More: An Open Letter To My Local Hipsters
By Tim Fontaine on September 18, 2011
If you can speak any of this country’s 65 or so Aboriginal languages, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) may have a job for you. According to an ad on their website, Canada’s spy agency is seeking “Translators / Interpreters – Foreign and Aboriginal Languages” who among other things, “possess an excellent ability to work [...] . . . → Read More: Aboriginal language speakers: Canada’s spy agency wants you!
By Sarah Hunt on September 14, 2011
For more than fifteen years, I have been working on issues of violence in Indigenous communities in BC. I have become familiar with the state of the justice system in Canada, with its huge over-representation of Indigenous people in detention centres and an accompanying lack of concern for those of us who are victims of [...] . . . → Read More: Seeking the Breaking Point: Violence and Justice in Canada
By Rick Harp on August 12, 2011
If you are a young Aboriginal woman age 16-25 (or know someone who is ) interested in community leadership skill development, check out my UN Live interview below with Natasha Latter, coordinator of the “Indigenous Young Women: Speaking our Truths, Building our Strengths” project for details on how to apply. A joint initiative of the Native [...] . . . → Read More: INTERVIEW: ‘Indigenous Young Women: Speaking our Truths, Building our Strengths’ Project
By Rick Harp on August 10, 2011
Quickly thought I’d share yesterday’s Aug. 9 interview I conducted on UN Live with Craig Benjamin, Indigenous rights campaigner with Amnesty International Canada, on account of that day being International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. I invited Craig on to evaluate the present social, economic, political and ecological state of affairs for Indigenous people in the Americas, not [...] . . . → Read More: INTERVIEW: Amnesty International rates Canada on International World’s Indigenous Peoples Day
By Martha Troian on August 9, 2011
Seventeen years have passed since the United Nations proclaimed August 9 the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. It’s a day meant to promote and protect the rights of Indigenous peoples. To recognize the achievements and contributions they’ve made to the world around them. They’re achievements James Anaya knows like the back of his [...] . . . → Read More: Indigenous rights on the international stage: how far have we come?
By Rick Harp on August 3, 2011
Today on Urban Nation LIVE, home to my alter-media-ego on Winnipeg’s STREETZ FM, I had the opportunity to discuss the provocative thesis of my friend Chris Powell‘s new book, “Barbaric Civilization: A Critical Sociology of Genocide.” An assistant professor of sociology at the University of Manitoba, Powell’s thesis is provocative because he applies the book’s radical premise — that “civilization produces genocides” — not only to places like Rwanda and Nazi [...] . . . → Read More: INTERVIEW: Prof. Chris Powell on why ‘Canada’ and ‘genocide’ can and should belong in the same sentence
By Sarah Hunt on August 2, 2011
An Ontario government report released several weeks ago confirms what many Indigenous people already know: that First Nations children are still vastly overrepresented in Canada’s child welfare systems. In fact, statistics show that there are more First Nations children in government care today than at the peak of Indian residential schools. In his report, “Children First,” [...] . . . → Read More: Apprehending First Nations children: a Canadian tradition
By Rick Harp on July 8, 2011
As part of Urban Nation LIVE‘s on-site, week-long coverage of Women’s Worlds 2011 in Ottawa, I got to sit down with Bridget Tolley and Kristen Gilchrist, two of the driving forces behind Families of Sisters in Spirit, a “volunteer, grassroots, non-profit organization led by families of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls.” The following are [...] . . . → Read More: INTERVIEW: How Families of Sisters in Spirit works to help relatives of missing/murdered women cope
By Rick Harp on April 29, 2011
If you’re an eligible Aboriginal elector who does not subscribe to the notion that participation in Canadian elections is inappropriate, be it as a candidate or as a voter, you may be curious to know whether your vote could prove decisive in your local race. Certain ridings (officially known as federal electoral districts) have now [...] . . . → Read More: From marginal to margin of victory? Ridings where Aboriginal vote could make or break majority
By Waubgeshig Rice on April 24, 2011
With the Canadian federal election campaign officially in the third period, many of our beloved readers may be looking for another intense race to follow once the votes are in May 2nd. You may also be sick of the campaign by now, or even totally indifferent to it. Either way, the other big show going [...] . . . → Read More: The Spirit of George Armstrong: Aboriginal Players in the NHL Playoffs
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