Indigenous rights on the international stage: how far have we come?

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?

PHOTOS: First Nations education rally

Photos from yesterday’s rally for First Nations education in Ottawa. Slide Show + -Full Screen Photography by Tim Fontaine & Martha Troian . . . → Read More: PHOTOS: First Nations education rally

Why are First Nations still paying Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) in Ontario?

Remember when I said that, beginning Sept. 1, the province of Ontario was going to be honouring point-of-sale tax exemptions for its (8%) portion of the 13% Harmonized Sales Tax (HST)?  Well, it seems some retailers didn’t get the message. While shopping today, I flashed my trusty Secure Certificate of Indian Status at both Walmart and [...] . . . → Read More: Why are First Nations still paying Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) in Ontario?

Fastest-growing population also the fastest to die

A disturbing new study coming out of the Journal of Rural Health shows that the infant mortality rate in Manitoba is twice the Canadian average. Led by University of Montreal researcher Zhong-Cheng Luo, the study looked at 25,000 Aboriginal births and 125,000 non-Aboriginal births. According to the study’s abstract, researchers divided the births into four [...] . . . → Read More: Fastest-growing population also the fastest to die

Calculating the Bottom Line for First Nations

A few days ago, the federal Conservatives proposed their new budget, totaling out at roughly $280 billion in expenditures (versus apx. $231 billion in revenues). And as we saw in Tim Fontaine’s overview, the 2010 federal budget included a few multi-million dollar programs and services aimed at Aboriginal people. Millions and billions: these are impressive, even incomprehensible [...] . . . → Read More: Calculating the Bottom Line for First Nations

Going to the dogs

On some reserves, they’re on the verge of taking over. They roam in packs, hunting indiscriminately and reproducing quickly and heedlessly. They threaten the safety of young and old alike and even challenge social order. Dogs have become almost like a new class of citizens in many First Nations communities across Canada. On a daily basis, [...] . . . → Read More: Going to the dogs

No Place Like Home for Humanitarian Harper

According to a Jan. 27 report from the Edmonton Journal, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said this week that his government would make the issue of maternal and infant health in developing countries a priority as Canada prepares to host the G8 economies meeting this summer. And as the PM considers how his government might help other countries [...] . . . → Read More: No Place Like Home for Humanitarian Harper