Ontario reports lowest number of COVID-19 cases in nearly two months with fewer than 1,700 infections logged
May 18, 2021
Health officials in Ontario are reporting fewer than 1,700 new cases of COVID-19, marking the lowest single-day total in almost two months. The 1,616 infections recorded Tuesday represent a significant drop from the 2,170 reported by the province a day earlier.
Dilico Anishinabek Family Care administers 10,000 COVID-19 vaccinations
May 18, 2021
Dilico Anishinabek Family Care’s nurses have now provided 10,000 COVID-19 vaccinations to Indigenous people in the 12 First Nations it serves and urban communities in northwestern Ontario.
Ontario to shorten COVID-19 vaccine dose interval starting with health-care workers
May 17, 2021
When asked about the time frame for administering second COVID-19 vaccine doses to Ontarians, associate chief medical officer of health Dr. Barbara Yaffe said Monday the province will eventually see shorter intervals between mRNA vaccine doses, particularly for frontline health-care workers and for people in certain high-risk groups.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/ontario-shorten-covid-19-vaccine-201753632.html
Timmins declares state of emergency as COVID-19 case numbers surge
May 17, 2021
Timmins Mayor George Pirie has declared a state of emergency for the northeastern Ontario city because of the rapid and unchecked spread of COVID-19 and its variants.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/timmins-state-of-emergency-may-17-1.6029941
Government of Canada progress update on improving access to clean water in First Nations communities
May 17, 2021
The Government of Canada and First Nations are working in partnership to improve access to clean drinking water and lift all long-term drinking water advisories on public systems on reserves as soon as possible.
Lametti announces nearly $9.5M in funding for 21 Indigenous-led legal projects
May 17, 2021
Federal Justice Minister and Attorney General of Canada David Lametti announced nearly $9.5 million in funding on Monday for 21 Indigenous-led projects aimed at developing governance laws “based on traditional Indigenous justice and normative symptoms, revitalizing traditional laws and developing legal education materials for Indigenous communities.”
Treaty #3/Feds/Province Sign Education MOU
May 18, 2021
An important deal has been struck to give Treaty #3 First Nations more control of education. Canada, Ontario and Grand Council Treaty #3 have signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
https://www.ckdr.net/2021/05/18/treaty-3fedsprovince-sign-education-mou/
Economic development a mutual goal of bilateral table in Ontario
May 17, 2021
After two years of negotiations with the Ford government to establish a bilateral economic growth and prosperity table, the Chiefs of Ontario (COO) have received just under $1 million to spend over the next two years to move forward.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/economic-development-mutual-goal-bilateral-231237049.html
Skills Ontario and Indigenous-owned ORIGIN bring skilled trades to life in ‘Trade Up! Be Proud, Be Skilled’ Virtual Reality Careers campaign
May 17, 2021
Skills Ontario and Indigenous-owned VR Production company, ORIGIN, have teamed up to develop 25 virtual reality “career tour” experiences as part of Skills Ontario’s “Trade Up!” campaign.
Indigenous Institutes Consortium receives funding to better virtual learning
May 17, 2021
The Indigenous Institutes Consortium (IIC) has formed a new partnership with eCampusOntario to develop and improve virtual learning in Ontario for Indigenous students.
Lakehead University announces honorary degree recipients
May 17, 2021
The Honourable Murray Sinclair is among three individuals named by Lakehead University on Monday to be recipients of honorary degrees at the convocation ceremony later this month.
‘Call Me Indian’ travels through trauma, triumph of NHL’s 1st Indigenous player
May 18, 2021
Fred Sasakamoose, the first treaty Indigenous player in the NHL, begins his memoir 200 years ago in northern Saskatchewan. Sasakamoose family history unfolds in the Sandy Lake area, where Fred’s great, great uncle, founding Grand Chief Ahtahkakoop, chose to live.
https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/book-review-fred-sasakamoose-call-me-indian-1.6026642
OPINION: Reconciliation means rethinking parks governance
May 17, 2021
Protection and restoration are two sides of the conservation coin—protection for spaces that haven’t yet been damaged or destroyed by large-scale human impacts and restoration for ecologically critical places that have.
Access to Indigenous history and culture is lacking. The ‘Grandmother’s Voice’ speaker series is changing that
May 17, 2021
The hosts of an online speaker series in Halton, which is drawing thousands of views from across the country, say the pandemic has created a “paradigm shift” in how Indigenous people are able to access information about their culture.
Habitat for Humanity building homes, skills at Saugeen First Nation
May 17, 2021
Construction of four Habitat for Humanity homes at Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation comes with the usual expectation that homeowners will work on their homes – building sweat equity – alongside volunteers and skilled tradespeople.
How this artist’s dream — and art — ended up in a film, totally by accident
May 17, 2021
I was taught that dreams are special. Some dreams are meant just for you. Some are meant to be shared. If you dream about someone you should tell them. And if someone shares a dream with you, you should listen carefully and thank the person for sharing.
How Indigenous people are promoting and learning their languages
May 14, 2021
The desire to preserve Indigenous languages is growing — and as more Indigenous people learn their languages, they are realizing just how challenging it can be. This week on Unreserved, we hear from language learners across Turtle Island who are promoting their language and helping make it more accessible to people who want to learn.
Indigenous patients face higher risk of death after surgery, study suggests
May 17, 2021
Indigenous patients who have had surgery are nearly a third more likely to die after their procedures than other populations in Canada and face higher risks of complications, new research suggests as doctors warn these inequities could worsen with the COVID-19 crisis.
Postoperative outcomes for Indigenous Peoples in Canada: a systematic review
May 17, 2021
Substantial health inequities exist for Indigenous Peoples in Canada. The remote and distributed population of Canada presents unique challenges for access to and use of surgery. To date, the surgical outcome data for Indigenous Peoples in Canada have not been synthesized.
https://www.cmaj.ca/content/193/20/E713
Aboriginal Law Report May 10-16, 2021 – First Peoples Law
May 17, 2021
This week’s edition includes Treaty rights, racism, land claims, consultation, consent, logging, mining, hunting, fishing and more.
https://www.firstpeopleslaw.com/aboriginal-law-report/cb2ce8f24183153109f5ebd088cca52d
Opinion: Time to address the age of #MeToo in First Nations organizations
May 17, 2021
Here’s hoping that this 2021 AFN election is all about rebuilding for balance. Here’s hoping that every single individual who chooses to run for national chief has a big plank in her or his platform regarding powerful actions to stamp out sexual harassment.
https://www.hilltimes.com/2021/05/17/the-age-of-metoo-in-first-nations-organizations/297582
Opinion: Hold off on UNDRIP until Aboriginal Peoples are consulted
May 18, 2021
A week from today the Liberal government plans to pass Bill C-15, which requires Canadian law to conform to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Minister of Justice and Attorney General David Lametti is accused of pushing ahead without meaningful consultation with Aboriginal Peoples, many of whom are strongly opposed. This is deeply ironic, a fundamental principle of UNDRIP being “free, prior and informed consent”
New look, fewer potholes: Northern Quebec highway pays tribute to former Cree leader
May 18, 2021
The main highway linking many Quebec Cree communities with each other and with the south, has a new look in honour of former Cree Grand Chief Billy Diamond.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/billy-diamond-highway-1.6030510
Michelle Latimer breaks silence, presents ancestry report following questions about Indigenous identity
May 17, 2021
An academic used by filmmaker Michelle Latimer to research her Algonquin and Métis identity claims is also providing expert evidence for a Quebec court case that, according to an Algonquin chief, could threaten the rights of the First Nation she initially claimed as her family’s community.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/michelle-latimer-ancestry-report-expert-1.6024508
Two dead after weekend shooting in Listuguj
May 17, 2021
When the police arrived to a house in the Mi’kmaq community of Listuguj Saturday morning, they heard gunshots. The man inside refused to cooperate with police. The Quebec provincial police were called for additional support and the street was blocked off to secure the area.
https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/two-dead-after-weekend-shooting-in-listuguj/
Indigenous company disconnected from talks of bringing internet, cellphone service to remote communities: firm
May 17, 2021
First Nation leaders are feeling disconnected after the Manitoba government dialled up faster internet and cell service for rural and remote communities without them. The board of directors at Clear Sky Connections, an Indigenous-owned telecommunications company, couldn’t get a meeting with provincial officials, the company’s CEO Lisa Clarke said.
Wasagamack First Nation in Manitoba call for new grocery store after several people fall through ice
May 17, 2021
Residents from Wasagamack First Nation are renewing calls for a new grocery store after several people fell through the ice attempting to get to the store, which is located on an island.
Manitoba man charged with impersonating police officer to gain access to locked-down First Nation
May 17, 2021
An eastern Manitoba man was arrested for driving a look-alike police car and impersonating an officer earlier this month, Manitoba’s First Nation Police Service says.
Tuesday is ‘Fred Sasakamoose Day’; ceremony to be held at SaskTel Centre
May 18, 2021
Fred Sasakamoose is getting his own day. The late Indigenous hockey trailblazer will be honoured by many local dignitaries along with Indigenous elders and leaders during a ceremony Tuesday at 10 a.m., at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon.
‘A profound time’ as Manitoba begins vaccinating youth, Indigenous health lead says
May 17, 2021
Charlene Hallett brought her three children and her niece to the urban Indigenous clinic on Higgins Avenue to be among the first teens to get their vaccines in Manitoba on Monday. “We’re hoping by doing this eventually, you know, we’re doing our part so that we can all get back to, quote unquote, something more normal,” said Herrera.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-covid-19-vaccine-youth-1.6029863
Calgary Indigenous clinic offering COVID-19 vaccines to youth, homeless, newcomers
May 17, 2021
An Indigenous vaccination clinic in Calgary is once again expanding its base to offer shots to youth and newcomers, who are now eligible under the province’s third phase of COVID-19 immunizations.
https://globalnews.ca/news/7870071/calgary-covid-19-vaccine-clinic-youth-newcomers-homeless/
Millions announced for Indigenous law reform will ‘breath life back’ into nations says Samson Cree Nation lawyer
May 17, 2021
A lawyer from Samson Cree Nation says the federal pledge of $10 million in support of Indigenous law initiatives to implement the TRC calls to action will help repair harms done in the past. “So much was taken away from Indigenous people. Revitalizing laws we can breathe life back into our nations and our societies,” said Koren Lightning-Earle a lawyer from the Samson Cree Nation in Treaty 6 territory in Alberta.
Alberta-based non-profit fights to hold First Nation chiefs and band councils accountable
May 17, 2021
An Alberta-based non-profit said it’s fighting to overcome financial and electoral corruption on first nations by giving band members a voice and legal support.
RCMP begin enforcement of Fairy Creek injunction
May 17, 2021
Mounties have established a restricted-access zone as they begin enforcing an injunction against protesters who are blockading logging activity in the Fairy Creek watershed on southwest Vancouver Island.
https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/rcmp-begin-enforcement-of-fairy-creek-injunction-1.5431039
Federal court orders chief in B.C. to hold band meetings
May 17, 2021
The Federal Court of Canada is trying to sort out the “somewhat confusing state of affairs” of a First Nation in northeastern B.C. A recent ruling orders Blueberry River First Nation (BRFN) council to meet and discuss a petition seeking to remove Chief Marvin Yahey.
https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/federal-court-orders-chief-in-b-c-to-hold-band-meetings/
Coastal First Nation gets a taste of success with seaweed
May 17, 2021
A small First Nation on the coast in B.C. is starting to reap the rewards of taking a risk on seaweed farming. The Klahoose First Nation is among the first coastal communities to partner with Cascadia Seaweed in an attempt to scale up kelp aquaculture along the West Coast.
Grassroots Cross-border Coalition Takes on MMIWG Crisis with House of the Moon’s Holistic Empowerment and Self-Defense Training
May 17, 2021
On May 5th, the newly designated National Day of Awareness for MMIWG, Native News Online held a forum, “Crisis in Indian Country: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.” One of the panelists was Chairwoman Shelly Fyant of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) from the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana. She spoke about a holistic empowerment and self-defense facilitator training program for Indigenous women of which she is one of the founding council members.
COVID-19 case counts fall among First Nations in B.C.
May 17, 2021
Daily new counts of COVID-19 among First Nations in British Columbia continues to fall and is at its lowest level since June 2020. According to the First Nations Health Authority’s (FNHA) latest Community Situation Report, more than 83,400 First Nations people, along with non-Indigenous people living in or near First Nations communities, have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as of May 6, 2021. More than 10,900 have received their second.
https://infotel.ca/newsitem/covid-19-case-counts-fall-among-first-nations-in-bc/it83073
Stories of forced sterilization of Inuit women in Quebec being gathered
May 17, 2021
The Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) and the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Health and Social Services Commission (FNQLHSSC), in collaboration with several partners gathered within a regional committee, call on everyone to participate in research on free and informed consent and imposed sterilization, including obstetric violence, among First Nations and Inuit women in Quebec.
