Government of Canada COVID-19 update for Indigenous Peoples and communities
June 2, 2021
While the vaccine results are encouraging, Indigenous communities will be making measured decisions on the easing of public health measures. At an individual level, it remains essential that everyone follow these measures to keep our loved ones, our communities and ourselves safe. In First Nations communities, as of June 1, ISC is aware of 29,865 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases, 700 active cases, 28,822 recovered cases, and 343 deaths.
Ontario reports fewer than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases for fourth straight day
June 3, 2021
Ontario health officials are reporting fewer than 1,000 new cases of COVID-19 for the fourth day in a row as the positivity rate remains low.
Miller on COVID: numbers are solid
June 2, 2021
Numbers of active cases in Indigenous communities across Canada continue to drop and first-dose vaccination rates are reason for optimism, federal Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller said yesterday, as first-dose vaccination rates for adults breached the 80-per-cent barriers.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/miller-covid-numbers-solid-005409920.html
Auditor-General’s report on Indigenous Health Resources welcomed: Miller
June 2, 2021
Federal officials had to deal with a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and a host of other issues, but they moved quickly to ensure the health and safety of the country’s Indigenous population, the Auditor-General’s report on health resources in Indigenous communities found when it was released last week.
Remote Learning to Continue across Ontario for the Remainder of School Year
June 2, 2021
To best protect Ontario families from the fast growing B.1.617.2 variant, and to allow for higher rates of vaccination of students, staff, and families, the Ontario government has made the difficult decision to continue with remote learning for all elementary and secondary students across the province for the remainder of this school year.
Ontario Updating AstraZeneca Second Dose Guidance
June 3, 2021
The Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health and other health experts, is providing updated guidance for individuals who received the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine and who have not yet received their second dose, to allow for the mixing of COVID-19 vaccines if desired.
https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1000256/ontario-updating-astrazeneca-second-dose-guidance
UN seeks full probe into deaths of Indigenous students at residential schools
June 2, 2021
The United Nations Human Rights Office is calling on all levels of Canadian governments to investigate the deaths of Indigenous children at residential schools and to intensify efforts to find those who are missing.
Indigenous groups grapple with next steps after 215 unmarked graves found
June 2, 2021
First Nations communities and Indigenous groups across Canada are now grappling with what to do next after locating the remains of 215 children who were buried in unmarked graves near a residential school in British Columbia.
$27M will soon be available to communities to help locate children who died at residential schools: feds
June 2, 2021
Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett announced Wednesday that the federal government is ready to distribute $27 million in pre-announced funding to assist Indigenous communities in locating and memorializing children who died at residential schools.
Find unmarked graves, Powassan tells feds
June 3, 2021
Powassan council is calling on the federal government and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to implement all the recommendations in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, including looking for the unmarked graves of Indigenous children who attended residential schools.
https://www.baytoday.ca/local-news/find-unmarked-graves-powassan-tells-feds-3838996
Canada’s justice minister mulls legal protection of residential school burial sites
June 2, 2021
Federal Justice Minister David Lametti says he is open to considering different legal avenues when it comes to residential schools with burial grounds — in particular the possibility of protecting these sites and criminalizing anyone who might try to damage them or hide evidence.
Walpole Island First Nation demands probe into ‘legislated system of horror’
June 2, 2021
The Walpole Island First Nation council is demanding an investigation into the former “Indian policy” of the Canadian government and churches after the recent discovery of a unmarked mass grave at a residential school.
Indigenous Services minister demands Pope apologize for residential schools
June 2, 2021
The Pope should apologize for the Catholic Church’s role in Canada’s residential school system, Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller said Wednesday.
Ottawa says it’s not liable for cultural damage caused by Kamloops residential school: court documents
June 2, 2021
The federal government is heading toward trial on a class-action lawsuit seeking reparations for the devastation residential schools inflicted on First Nation cultures, languages and communities.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/reparations-residential-school-1.6050501
Growing calls to search Mohawk Institute in Brantford for missing Indigenous children
June 1, 2021
Six Nations of the Grand River is calling on the federal government for urgent action to search for missing Indigenous children.
Reginald Niganobe new Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief
June 2, 2021
Chief Reginald Niganobe has been elected as the new Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief by the Chiefs-in-Assembly following a virtual traditional stand-up election hosted by Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation via Zoom.
https://anishinabeknews.ca/2021/06/02/reginald-niganobe-new-anishinabek-nation-grand-council-chief/
2 years after MMIWG report, feds to move forward on calls for justice
June 3, 2021
Two years after the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls released its sweeping findings, a plan to move forward on its 231 calls to justice is finally being presented.
https://globalnews.ca/news/7917272/mmiwg-report-federal-government-calls-to-justice/
5 northwestern Ontario First Nations testing Starlink internet
June 3, 2021
Five First Nations near Kenora and Sioux Narrows in northwestern Ontario will have better internet connectivity at their community schools and administrative offices, after a pilot project brings Starlink internet service to the community.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/starlink-education-northwestern-first-nations-1.6050852
Government of Canada reopens call for requests, continues to support Indigenous communities and organizations
June 2, 2021
Today, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Indigenous Services Canada highlighted $760.8 million in funding proposed in Budget 2021, a portion of which will be allocated through the needs-based funding request process that just reopened. Of the total funding, $200 million is being directly allocated to communities in early June and a further $200 million will be directly distributed to communities in Fall 2021.
Court reserves decision on mineral exploration in First Nation’s traditional territory
June 2, 2021
A Superior Court judge has reserved her decision on Ginoogaming First Nation’s request for an injunction to stop mineral exploration on 260 square kilometres of its traditional territory.
Ousted Caldwell First Nation chief seeks reinstatement and legal fees, she says after hearing
June 2, 2021
Mary Duckworth, the former chief of Caldwell First Nation, appeared before a Federal Court judge Wednesday to challenge band council’s decision to remove her from the position, and a decision will be released later.
Partially paralyzed Indigenous man left in wheelchair he can’t operate outside Toronto ER files complaint
June 3, 2021
It felt like –7 C outside when Charles Hussin found himself kicked out of a downtown Toronto hospital’s emergency department in January and left on the sidewalk in a wheelchair he couldn’t operate.
Hayden-Taylor named Inifinitheatre’s first-ever artist-in-residence
June 2, 2021
One of the country’s top Indigenous theatre voices will make history when Montreal’s Infinitheatre kicks off its 2021-22 season with Drew Hayden-Taylor of Curve Lake Nation in Ontario carrying the torch of inspiration for the next 12 months or so.
Treaty #3 celebrates Pride Month
June 2, 2021
Leadership with Grand Council Treaty #3 is recognizing and celebrating Pride Month across northwestern Ontario. “I am extremely proud of the support I have found in our Pride initiatives here in Treaty #3,” said Ogichidaa Francis Kavanaugh, after attending a Pride flag-raising ceremony in Lac La Croix First Nation.
https://www.drydennow.com/articles/treaty-3-celebrates-pride-month
Justice Warrior continues to Indigenize the legal system
June 3, 2021
Eminent lawyer Tony Mandamin captured the attention of participants of the virtual Anishinabek Nation’s Migizii Doodem – Eagle Clan Forum when he spoke of the importance of his journey to Indigenize the legal system.
https://anishinabeknews.ca/2021/06/03/justice-warrior-continues-to-indigenize-the-legal-system/
Indigenous faculty call on Ryerson to change name
June 2, 2021
Indigenous faculty at Ryerson have written an open letter to university administrators calling on the school to change its name and remove a statue of its namesake, Egerton Ryerson, one of the architects of the residential schools system.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-indigenous-faculty-call-on-ryerson-to-change-name/
‘Not forgotten children’: Honouring the victims and survivors of residential schools
June 2, 2021
A child runs over from the Hollinger Park playground and looks silently at the display: moccasins, shoes, teddy bears, tobacco ties, and orange shirts lined up neatly near the entrance. Moments later, her mother joins her.
Blackstock on Trudeau: ‘How Much Money Does He Think a Child’s Life Is Worth?’
June 2, 2021
June was already a politically significant month for Indigenous Peoples. National Indigenous Peoples Day is this month. So is the sixth anniversary of the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s executive summary and 94 Calls to Action.
https://thetyee.ca/News/2021/06/02/Cindy-Blackstock-Indigenous-Children-Trudeau-Residential-Schools/
‘We must persevere’: Former chair of TRC says more programs, investigations needed into residential schools
June 2, 2021
Murray Sinclair, the former chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) says the country must “persevere” and push ahead with locating graves on residential school grounds in Canada.
Calls mount for Ontario to bring in more residential school, Indigenous education curriculum
June 2, 2021
With communities across the Greater Toronto Area creating memorials for the 215 children whose bodies were discovered at a former residential school in British Columbia last week, advocates are calling for Ontario do more when it comes to teaching children about Indigenous history and residential schools.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-indigenous-education-1.6049104
Residential schools are not a footnote in Canada’s history. They are its past and present
June 1, 2021
In a drawer of the desk I haven’t worked at for more than a year now, there’s a map of Canada’s residential schools. At some point, after having looked at it for months, it occurred to me: residential schools were as much a part of the Canadian national project as railroads, medicare, or fighting in two world wars.
Read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s final report
June 1, 2021
The final report from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada had a section on missing children and unmarked burials, 273 pages in length.
7 ways to learn about Indigenous culture in Toronto
June 2, 2021
We’ve put together a list of resources to help residents of Toronto educate themselves on the culture and history of the Indigenous communities that make up our country.
https://trnto.com/learn-about-indigenous-culture-toronto/
Sol Mamakwa – Learn about the Challenges and Successes During National Indigenous History Month
June 1, 2021
“Today marks the beginning of National Indigenous History Month. In regular times, we would be issuing a statement about the challenges and successes of our communities through the year. We might also talk about the roots of who we are as people, and the importance of our ways of life.”
Thousands gather to mark end of inquest into death of Joyce Echaquan
June 2, 2021
On Wednesday, hundreds – possibly thousands – of Indigenous Peoples and their supporters gathered in Trois-Rivieres to mark the official end of the “Echaquan commission”, the coroner’s inquest examining the issue of systemic racism in Quebec’s health care system.
After decades of searching, Indigenous families in Quebec push for answers about missing children
June 2, 2021
Laureanna Echaquan was just two months old when she was placed, completely alone, on a plane in Manawan, Que., bound for a Joliette hospital some 150 km away. The infant had bronchitis and her parents, who had sought medical treatment for her, were not allowed to accompany her.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/bill-79-families-advocates-call-for-change-1.6049362
First Nations artists process grief from Kamloops residential school discovery through their work
June 2, 2021
An artist from northern Quebec turned to art as a way to grieve after learning remains had been found at the site of a former residential school in B.C.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/artists-kamloops-residential-school-1.6048984
Opinion: It’s not a stark choice between Indigenous rights and economic development. We can have both
June 2, 2021
One of the more pervasive narratives in Canada is the idea Indigenous peoples are opposed to resource development. The Wet’suwet’en hereditary Chiefs’ challenge of the Coastal Gas Link pipeline is the most salient example, but there are others, from the TMX pipeline to the Mary River iron ore mine in Baffin Island.
Opinion: For healing, Canada Day 2021 needs to be set aside for Indigenous ceremony
June 2, 2021
It started last week. To be honest, in my everyday busyness, I almost didn’t notice. I heard there was a discovery of sorts. A grave using the latest ground scanning technology.
‘Long awaited’ $122.3M settlement paid to members of Clearwater River Dene Nation
June 2, 2021
Members of Clearwater River Dene Nation are receiving compensation from the Government of Canada for unfulfilled terms of Treaty 8 signed between the Crown and First Nations in the Athabasca Lake region in 1899.
Mi’kmaw opponents of Goldboro LNG say workcamp could be unsafe for women
June 3, 2021
Some Mi’kmaq say the plan to build a liquified natural gas plant in rural Nova Scotia — which would require a 5,000-person workcamp — poses an unacceptable risk to women’s safety and should be stopped.
Indigenous anthology Love After The End wins Lambda Literary Award
June 2, 2021
Love After The End, an anthology curated by Joshua Whitehead, is one of three Canadian winners of the 2021 Lambda Literary Awards. The annual awards celebrate the best in LGBTQ literature from around the world. The 24 winners were selected from more than 1,000 book submissions.
Muskowekwan First Nation recognizes 35 unmarked graves at residential school site
June 1, 2021
The Muskowekwan First Nation has laid out 35 pairs of children’s moccasins and shoes to honour each unmarked gravesite located at the site of its former residential school.
Confederacy of Treaty Six Nations dissolves historic protocol agreement with Alberta
June 2, 2021
The Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations are so disillusioned and upset with the Alberta government that they have dissolved their historic protocol agreement with the province.
National Indigenous Economic Design Forum – Who Wants To Play #Indigenomics? It’s Time
June 3, 2021
The Indigenomics Institute recently unleashed the $100 billion national Indigenous economic agenda setting the stage for the forward-looking growth and design of the Indigenous economy. Indigenomics is about Indigenous people driving business success at every level from major projects to entrepreneurship and collectively advancing economic growth that benefits all Canadians.
Identifying children’s remains at B.C. residential school stalled by lack of records
June 3, 2021
A lack of access to records and first-hand data would hinder the ability to identify the remains of 215 children found at a former residential school in Kamloops, says the director of the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre at the University of British Columbia.
Oil lease suspension in Alaska refuge ‘wonderful news’ but fight continues, say Gwich’in leaders
June 2, 2021
Gwich’in leaders are calling the suspension of oil leases in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) good news — but say they’re still fighting for permanent protection of the area.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/oil-lease-suspension-alaska-refuge-004313226.html
Work on Nunavik’s fibre optic network starts in July
June 2, 2021
The first leg of Nunavik’s fibre optic cable network is set to be installed along the Hudson Bay coast starting at the end of July, officials with the Kativik Regional Government’s Tamaani Internet said this week.
https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/work-on-nunaviks-fibre-optic-network-starts-in-july/
Tagish woman appeals to Global Affairs to get her out of Turkey, complete sentence in Canada
June 2, 2021
A Tagish woman is seeking to serve the rest of her Turkish prison sentence for drug trafficking at home in Canada. Charman Smith, a member of the Carcross/Tagish First Nation in the Yukon, appealed to the Trudeau government Wednesday to bring her home on humanitarian grounds.
‘Happy place’: Cree couple lives long-held dream to build, live in traditional dome dwelling
June 2, 2021
For Emily Hester, learning to build a Mitutisânâchinikimikw, or traditional Cree dome dwelling, was about reclaiming her culture. It also ended up bringing back into focus many happy family memories made before she was taken away to residential school at the age of seven.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/cree-dwelling-residential-school-waskaganish-1.6047749
