Current Problems:
Exploring Theme: "Systemic Racism"
Updates on this page: 251
(Filtered by Indigenous Group "First Nations")
November 20, 2024
Quebec slammed for no plan to improve Indigenous education in nearly 20 years
Auditor general notes province has worked to narrow success gap for other groups CBC Indigenous: Quebec’s auditor general has released a damning report on its education of Indigenous students, finding the province has fallen short in many areas. The report, released Wednesday, found few school service centres in the province’s public system took any initiative to...
November 20, 2024
Sheila North recalls ‘dreadful feeling’ of having wrong hip operated on in Winnipeg
North shocked after Jason Kennedy had wrong leg amputated. Sheila North, a former journalist and grand chief, says she suffered her own surgical mistake at Winnipeg’s Grace Hospital. Photo: Submitted APTN News: Sheila North can still remember the shock of waking from surgery to learn her Manitoba doctor had operated on the wrong hip. She...
November 15, 2024
More checks and balances needed, says man who had wrong leg amputated in Winnipeg
APTN News: It’s been two weeks since Jason Kennedy went into the Grace Hospital in Winnipeg to have his right foot amputated because of an infection – and instead, leaving without his left. “I was under the impression that they were going to take the leg that had the infection and this could have been...
November 15, 2024
Parents of girl detained by security guards at B.C. mall allege she was racially profiled
APTN News: A video uploaded to social media shows a visibly Indigenous 16-year-old girl being surrounded and detained by six security guards at a shopping mall in Surrey, B.C. The guards eventually force her to the floor. One has their knee in her back and neck. “What are you doing to her man,” one person...
November 14, 2024
Manitoba launches investigation after Bloodvein man had wrong leg amputated
The Grace Hospital in Winnipeg. Photo: APTN file. APTN News: A “critical incident review” is underway to learn why a surgeon recently amputated the wrong limb of a First Nations man at a Winnipeg hospital. Manitoba’s health minister declined an interview request from APTN News but said in a statement the review would investigate whether...
November 7, 2024
Systemic Racism in Canadian Healthcare: The Tragedy of Brian Sinclair and Joyce Echaquan | NDN POV
NationTalk: Credit: TVO Today This episode of NDN POV delves into the systemic racism faced by Indigenous peoples in the Canadian healthcare system, as well as the longstanding inequities caused by colonization. Indigenous peoples in Canada suffer disproportionately from poor health outcomes, including higher rates of chronic disease, mental health challenges, and lower life expectancy compared...
November 1, 2024
Exoneree supports miscarriage of justice law for ‘other innocent people across Canada’
New wrongful conviction process would rely on commission instead of minister Clarence Woodhouse (right) speaks with Sen. Kim Pate in Ottawa on Oct. 24 as Brian Anderson looks on. Photo: Mark Blackburn/APTN News APTN News: Clarence Woodhouse was barely an adult when homicide detectives accused him of killing a man in 1973. The false confession...
November 1, 2024
Indigenous advocates hope a new national registry can help prevent more women from being forcibly sterilized
Senator Yvonne Boyer, a member of the Métis Nation of Ontario, said coerced sterilization is not only a historic problem in Canada but a current concern. Boyer arrives for a news conference on July 14, 2022 in Ottawa.ADRIAN WYLD/THE CANADIAN PRESS The Globe and Mail: Ottawa – A non-profit group is compiling a new registry...
November 1, 2024
New registry seeks to determine the national scope of forced sterilization of Indigenous people
Survivors Circle for Reproductive Justice hopes to of chronicle the history of First Nation, Inuit and Metis women and girls being forcefully sterilized and getting a better idea of how many people it affected. Toronto Star: newly-formed group is launching a national registry of Indigenous Peoples who were forced or coerced into sterilization, and is...
October 20, 2024
CMA apology a first step toward healing medical harms against Indigenous people, advocates say
Canadian Medical Association apologized last month for its role in the health-care system’s historic harms Unreserved – 52:20 Healing 150 years of healthcare harm Click on the following link to, listen to Unreserved: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/unreserved/medical-harms-indigenous-people-cma-apology-1.7355104 CBC Indigenous: Advocates are optimistic about a historic apology for harms experienced by Indigenous people in health care — but they say...
October 17, 2024
Red Rock Indian Band plans peaceful protest in fight to return ancestors home
NationTalk: ANISHINABEK NATION HEAD OFFICE— Red Rock Indian Band (RRIB) intends to facilitate a peaceful demonstration in Nipigon, Ontario, on October 21, 2024, should the search for its ancestors continue to be hindered by federal, provincial, and private representatives. The community has witnessed the remains of its ancestors being treated with indignity and impunity and...
October 15, 2024
Saskatchewan Health Authority launches ‘critical incident’ investigation after Elder’s ponytail cut off
Ruben St. Charles says his hair was cut while he was unconscious in hospital. APTN News: After Ruben St. Charles fell at home, his wife called 911 and he was taken to the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon. It was the week of Aug. 30 and St. Charles, 73, had fractured his hip. The Métis Elder...
October 15, 2024
Heiltsuk chief blasts Canada’s Indian status policy in UN speech
Chief Marilyn Slett calls for changes to second generation cut-off in address to discrimination committee CBC Indigenous: When Heiltsuk Elected Chief Marilyn Slett spoke at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday she wore an apron her grandmother had gifted to her, a button blanket and a cedar headpiece. The regalia, she said, gave her...
October 11, 2024
‘We have to call it out’: Glenn Joyal on wrongful convictions, racism and the justice system
APTN News: Just one day after exonerating a First Nations man for a wrongful murder conviction in 1974, the chief justice of Manitoba’s Court of King’s Bench said explanations and apologies are necssessary for judicial reconciliation. “We can’t gain the trust,” said Glenn Joyal of the Indigenous community believing in the justice system, “if we...
October 9, 2024
An investigation into anti-Indigenous racism in healthcare: Why the CMA’s apology is only the beginning
By Martha Troian – Opinion #6 of 6 articles from the Special Report: Surviving Hate “Juliette was a dying little woman. She was only 88 pounds,” Joyce Tapaquon says of her daughter, a cervical cancer patient who was escorted out by the police during a stay at Pasqua Hospital. Juliette died in 2014. Photo courtesy of...
October 4, 2024
First Nations leaders say Saskatchewan court workers sent home for orange shirts
First Nations leaders say the pride two Saskatchewan courthouse staff felt on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation turned to shame after they were told to change out of the orange clothing they wore to work. Toronto Star: First Nations leaders say the pride two Saskatchewan courthouse staff felt on the National Day for...
October 4, 2024
AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak and New Brunswick Regional Chief Joanna Bernard Condemn Racist Remarks by New Brunswick PC Candidate Sherry Wilson
NationTalk: (Unceded Algonquin Territory, Ottawa, Ontario) – Today, Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak and AFN New Brunswick Regional Chief Joanna Bernard have denounced the recent and past remarks made by New Brunswick Progressive-Conservative (PC) Candidate Sherry Wilson that support racist ideologies and disrespect the significance of the National Day for...
October 4, 2024
AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak and New Brunswick Regional Chief Joanna Bernard Condemn Racist Remarks by New Brunswick PC Candidate Sherry Wilson
NationTalk: Unceded Algonquin Territory, Ottawa, Ontario) – Today, Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak and AFN New Brunswick Regional Chief Joanna Bernard have denounced the recent and past remarks made by New Brunswick Progressive-Conservative (PC) Candidate Sherry Wilson that support racist ideologies and disrespect the significance of the National Day for...
October 4, 2024
The health of Indigenous people’s isn’t an Indigenous problem, it’s Canada’s responsibility
IMAGE BY: ELLA THOMAS NationTalk: The Queen’s University Journal – The declining life spans of the Indigenous community is a cry for Canadian healthcare systems to change their ways. However, their solution is a bit too simplistic for an issue that runs generations deep. The British Columbia First Nations Health Authority recently reported a six-year drop in life...
October 3, 2024
Charlottetown has no plans for boxed-up John A statue, but some want it shown again — differently
Mayor says removing statue was the right choice for ‘peace and good government’ CBC Indigenous: Three years after the City of Charlottetown removed its prominently displayed John A Macdonald sculpture, the mayor says there are no immediate plans for what to do with it — but the city is open to ideas. The statue of Canada’s...
October 2, 2024
First Nation treatment centres delay implementing Alberta’s addictions plan
Province took ‘colonialistic approach,’ to developing policy says Blackfoot doctor. Five Indigenous treatment addiction centres are delaying using a program designed by Danielle Smith’s government. Photo: Todd Korol/The Canadian Press. APTN News: Indigenous-led treatment centres in Alberta are not implementing the province’s addiction treatment policy according to records obtained by the Freedom of Information Act,...
October 2, 2024
INDIGENOUS GOVERNMENTS OF FORT CHIPEWYAN ARE INVESTIGATING WHY THE FEDERAL CROWN DID NOT INFORM FORT CHIPEWYAN RESIDENTS OF A CONTAMINATED FEDERAL SITE IN THE CENTRE OF COMMUNITY
NationTalk: FORT CHIPEWYAN, AB, – Residents of Fort Chipewyan were shocked to learn that the Federal Crown has concealed the existence of a federally contaminated site in the heart of our community. The Transport Canada dock, known locally as the ‘Big Dock’ is used to hunt, trap and fish by local residents. It is...
October 1, 2024
PC candidate compares N.B.’s original 2SLGBTQ+ policy to Indigenous residential schools
Sherry Wilson faces calls to withdraw after saying lack of parent oversight made residential schools possible CBC News: A Progressive Conservative candidate for a seat in the New Brunswick Legislature is facing calls she withdraw from the campaign after she compared protections for 2SLGTBQ+ students to the systematic taking of Indigenous children from their parents...
September 30, 2024
Opinion | Health care for Indigenous people in Canada is failing. It’s time to give us the power back
By Dr. Suzanne Shoush, Contributor Dr. Suzanne Shoush is a Sudanese/St’atl’imx physician, and the Indigenous Health Faculty Lead for the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. It’s been nine years since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission made 94 Calls to Action urging all levels of Canadian government to address the ongoing impact...
September 26, 2024
‘Not much has changed’: Indigenous physicians reflect on health care in Canada
Dr. Michael Anderson clearly remembers a First Nations child flown into the Toronto pediatric ward where he was working 30 years ago. Toronto Star: The Canadian Press – Dr. Michael Anderson clearly remembers a First Nations child flown into the Toronto pediatric ward where he was working 30 years ago. Standing in front of the...
September 24, 2024
‘Colonialist mentality:’ Indigenous groups challenge Quebec over new history museum
Several Indigenous groups are calling on the Quebec government to distance itself from the “colonialist mentality” as it designs a new $92-million history museum project in the provincial capital. Toronto Star: Several Indigenous groups are calling on the Quebec government to distance itself from the “colonialist mentality” as it designs a new $92-million history museum...
September 6, 2024
Yukon Supreme Court strikes down part of territory’s eviction law
APTN News: Yukon’s Supreme Court has sided with a First Nation’s woman’s Charter challenge of the territory’s SCAN Act which allowed for evictions with as little as five days notice. In a potentially precedent setting move, Chief Justice Suzanne Duncan struck down s. 3(2) of the act for failure to comply with s.7 of the Charter...
August 27, 2024
A ‘Gut-Wrenching’ Snapshot of First Nations Health
Toxic drugs and COVID have hit communities hard. But there’s still hope, resilience and a path to improve things, say top doctors. [Editor’s note: This story contains discussion about the wide-ranging health impacts resulting from settler colonialist policies against First Nations people in B.C. This includes references to self-harm and harm experienced by children.] The...
August 16, 2024
Jury at coroner’s inquest into death of First Nations woman begin deliberations
A coroner’s inquest jury looking into the death of an Ontario First Nations woman has begun deliberating its findings and recommendations after hearing closing arguments in the case Thursday. NationTalk: Global News: The Canadian Press – Ruthann Quequish died on April 1, 2017 from ketoacidosis, a complication associated with diabetes, at her home in Kingfisher Lake First...
August 12, 2024
Oilsands whistleblower says federal pledge is ‘bittersweet’
Dr. John O’Connor, pictured in the Fort McKay medical centre. File photo by Andrew S. Wright Canada’s National Observer: John O’Connor recalls when Indigenous harvesters brought in crates and crates of deformed fish that were kept on ice piled high in the band office. That was decades ago, when O’Connor was fresh in the region...
August 8, 2024
Lawsuit launched by family of Mi’kmaq woman in Nova Scotia claims negligence in her death
Family sues Nova Scotia health, 4 doctors after Destiny Rennie dies in hospital. A notice of action filed July 25 says Rennie, who experienced “brain death” on Aug. 3, 2023 was mistreated by doctors who thought she was an illicit drug user. Photo courtesy: Dana Rennie. APT News: The Canadian Press – The mother of...
August 6, 2024
Reflecting on the Status of Indigenous Child Welfare in Canada on the 10th Anniversary of Tina Fontaine’s Death
by Alexandra Champagne More posts by Alexandra » NationTalk: SLAW – On August 17, 2014, fifteen-year-old Tina Fontaine was found dead in Winnipeg’s Red River. It had been over two weeks since Tina was reported missing. Among the more disturbing details of Tina’s death was the fact that in the twenty-four hours prior to her disappearance,...
July 29, 2024
Inquest explores challenges of remote health care after death of First Nations woman
A sign on the Trans-Canada Highway west of Thunder Bay, Ont., is seen on Monday, April 23, 2018. A coroner’s inquest into the death of a First Nations woman in Thunder Bay, Ont., is expected to shed light on the challenges of delivering health care in remote communities. Photo: Colin Perkel/The Canadian Press. APTN News:...
July 19, 2024
AMC Demands Accountability for Rights Violations at Winnipeg Apartment
by pmnationtalk on July 19, 2024 JULY 18, 2024 NationTalk: Winnipeg, Treaty One Territory – The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) demands increased oversight and accountability in response to recent rights violations at a Winnipeg apartment block. This past weekend, dozens of residents at 285 College Ave. were forced to unlawfully vacate their building and their personal items...
July 18, 2024
Human rights concerns spark investigation into Kenora, Ont. jail
APTN News: Issues at the Kenora Jail have sparked an investigation by the Ontario Ombudsman over human rights concerns, APTN News has learned. Complaints about broken toilets in jail cells, better access to menstrual supplies, overcrowding, and the lack of traditional healing spaces for Indigenous female inmates top the list in the almost 100-year-old facility....
June 21, 2024
APTN Investigates: Orphans of Church and State
APTN News: Rod Vienneau reaches over and brushes away some of Paul St-Aubin’s hair from his temple. The gesture seems almost tender until Vienneau’s hand reveals what lies underneath St-Aubin’s thick head of hair… a grid of scars. “Here on this side of his head as well, look,” says Vienneau pointing to the other side...
June 14, 2024
Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) Criticizes the Lack of First Nations Representation and Calls for Dissolution of MVSD Board
NationTalk: Treaty One Territory, Winnipeg – The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) says the absence of First Nations representation on an oversight panel appointed by Education Minister Nello Altomare further underscores the need for the complete dissolution of the Board of Trustees for the Mountain View School Division (MVSD). The three-person oversight panel, announced this...
June 13, 2024
Why are Indigenous people over-incarcerated in Canada?
On TVO Today’s “NDN POV,” Indigenous experts discuss the causes of the problem — and what can be done to make change Written by Chris Beaver Indigenous people represent just 5 per cent of Canada’s population, yet 32 per cent of those incarcerated in federal prisons are Indigenous. (Jasmine El Kurd) NationTalk: TVO – Indigenous people...
June 12, 2024
Staggering’ rate of First Nations newborns involved in Manitoba child welfare system: study
‘Child welfare will and is changing as we speak,’ says Manitoba families minister CBC Indigenous: A new study says child welfare has had “an increasingly widespread presence” in the lives of First Nations newborns in Manitoba over the last couple decades, and its lead author says urgent change is needed. Published Wednesday, the study looking into the rate...
June 11, 2024
Human rights tribunal to hear expert opinion on Two-Spirit Indigenous prison case
Canadian Human Rights Tribunal Hearing continues for Nicholas Dinardo APTN News: The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, or CHRT, is hearing expert testimony in the case of Nicholas Dinardo, a member of Piapot First Nation has filed a complaint against Correctional Service Canada (CSC). Dinardo, who uses the pronouns they/them, is Two-Spirit. The complaint began on...
June 11, 2024
‘Nothing about us without us’: Mi’gmaq group still waiting for Indigenous-led inquiry into systemic racism
A #JusticeForBrady sign in Elsipogtog First Nation, June 2024. Community member Brady Francis, 22, was killed in a hit-and-run on Saint-Charles South Road on Feb. 24, 2018. The acquittal of the man accused of striking him, Maurice Johnson of Saint-Charles, prompted calls for a public inquiry into systemic racism against Indigenous people in the justice...
June 6, 2024
Tory MP says he misspoke after NDP MP accuses him of making anti-Indigenous comment
The comments were related to James Smith Cree Nation killer’s background CBC News: The Canadian Press – A Conservative MP apologized in the House of Commons on Thursday after an Indigenous colleague from across the political aisle called him out for linking an offender’s criminal record to his race. Brad Redekopp says he misspoke earlier...
June 5, 2024
Indigenous Students Say Law 14 Puts Their Education at Risk
NationTalk: A group of Indigenous CEGEP students are speaking up about the harmful and unjust effects of Law 14 on Indigenous young people and their communities in Quebec. Law 14, formerly known as Bill 96, aims to promote and protect the French language in Quebec. As of September 2023, all CEGEP students in anglophone colleges...
May 28, 2024
He spent two years in jail. His jury took two hours to find him not guilty
The evidence against T.C. Anthony was “essentially reliant on a witness who had all the reason in the world to lie,” his lawyer said. By Jacques GallantCourts and Justice Reporter Toronto Star: Timothy Clarke (T.C.) Anthony spent two years in jail awaiting trial for a fatal hit-and-run that shocked an Ontario community. It took a Cayuga...
May 24, 2024
Chiefs call for action after teacher questions Fredericton school’s powwow
Leaked email cites ‘spiritual’ nature of event, likens it to a priest holding a prayer vigil with communion CBC Indigenous: Indigenous students at Fredericton High School and First Nations leaders feel disgusted and discouraged after a teacher allegedly opposed a powwow held at the school earlier this week. St. Mary’s First Nation Chief Allan Polchies Jr. shared...
May 20, 2024
Two Indigenous nurses pave the way to overcoming a colonial past to lead in health care
Up until the 1930s, Indigenous women were ‘largely barred’ from attending nursing school in Canada. Lisa Bourque Bearskin of the Beaver Lake Cree Nation is an associate professor for the School of Nursing at the University of Victoria.UVic photo NationTalk: Times Colonist – Prior to colonization, Indigenous healers and midwives held significant roles in their...
May 10, 2024
Flesh-eating infection claims N.W.T. man’s leg after he was removed from hospital
Family says it’s an example of substandard health care for Indigenous people CBC Indigenous: According to his family, James Kochon went to the Stanton Territorial Hospital emergency room in Yellowknife on Tuesday last week complaining about leg pain. Though it’s unclear what his diagnosis was at the time, he was told he could go home. He...
April 25, 2024
Secwépemc family launches human rights complaint against Correctional Service Canada
APTN News: The family of Norman LaRue, a member of Tkʼemlúps te Secwépemc who is currently serving a life sentence in British Columbia, is speaking out about alleged discrimination from Correctional Service Canada (CSC) — but says the complaint process is too “manipulated” by the federal authority. In December 2022, Jenni LaRue, who is from...
April 24, 2024
Elderly dementia patient not handled appropriately says family
Family asks RCMP to review case at hospital in northern Alberta APTN News: A Dene family from the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation is unhappy with the treatment of their 80-year-old father, who has dementia, in a Fort McMurray hospital that resulted in an injury that required medical attention. The family complained to Alberta Health Services...
April 22, 2024
Racism, discrimination may lead to First Nations patients leaving emergency rooms: Alberta study
A Siksika Nation councillor says the study reflects community members’ experiences CBC Indigenous: Systemic racism and inequity in health care may be contributing to why First Nations patients in Alberta disproportionately leave emergency departments without being seen, or against medical advice, according to a new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The peer-reviewed paper builds...
April 22, 2024
‘We are quite sorry’: Inquest learns about Darla Skookum’s state the night she died
Darla Skookum, 52, died at the shelter last April A sign for the coroner’s inquest currently underway in Whitehorse. Photo: APTN News APTN News: Shelter staff who placed a First Nations woman on her stomach on the night she died now say it was not the best position to have placed her in. Darla Skookum,...
April 19, 2024
Race a factor in negligent care that led to Indigenous woman’s death at Winnipeg hospital, lawsuit alleges
Nurse put wrist restraints on 68-year-old hours before she died in April 2022, according to lawsuit CBC Indigenous: The daughter of a 68-year-old Indigenous woman who died at Winnipeg’s Grace Hospital in 2022 alleges her mother’s race played a role in negligent medical care that caused her death. Kelly Medwick, the daughter of Jean Kemash,...
April 18, 2024
Ontario Human Rights Commission announces development of policy to address Indigenous-specific discrimination in Ontario’s healthcare system
NationTalk: TORONTO — Today, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) announced its commitment to work with Indigenous partners to develop human rights policy guidance to address and combat long-standing and widespread Indigenous-specific discrimination in Ontario’s healthcare system. The OHRC’s policy guidance will: To inform this guidance, the OHRC will meet with Indigenous health professionals, organizations,...
April 12, 2024
An Indigenous Woman Was Found Dying on a Sidewalk. What Happened?
An advocate is calling for transparency in the Vancouver police investigation. The Tyee: Flowers marked the spot where a 37-year-old Indigenous woman was found dying on a Vancouver sidewalk just before dawn on March 30. Despite first responders’ efforts, she died at the scene. Two weeks after her death, an advocate for abused women is...
April 4, 2024
First Nations men wrongfully convicted in 1973 Winnipeg murder sue over ‘cruel and unusual treatment’
Crown, police colluded against Brian Anderson and Allan Woodhouse, suit against 3 levels of government alleges CBC Indigenous: Two First Nations men who were recently acquitted for the 1973 murder of a Winnipeg man are now taking all three levels of government to court, saying police officers and a Crown prosecutor colluded against them to...
March 27, 2024
‘Time for some action’: Review to look at systemic racism in Yukon education
First Nation Education Directorate, child and youth advocate team up to find things that ‘need to be changed’ First Peoples Law Report: CBC News – Melanie Bennett, executive director of the Yukon First Nation Education Directorate (YFNED), says there have been many reports and recommendations made over the years, about how the Yukon education system can better serve Indigenous...
March 25, 2024
Dozens show up to protest comedy troupe’s show in Vancouver
APTN News: People stand outside a gym in Vancouver on Sunday pushing against the booking of a comedy troupe known as the Danger Cats. The show was kept secret – for a spell – until word got out. The trio has made headlines across the country after several shows were cancelled. “This isn’t a joke,...
March 21, 2024
Mental health one affect of colonization says Mohawk psychologist
APTN News: Hundreds of delegates assembled at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg this week for the Southern Chiefs’ Organization’s First Nations Health Gathering. One of the issues discussed was Indigenous Peoples and mental health. Ed Connors, a psychologist from Kahnawake Mohawk Territory outside Montreal, highlighted the impacts of colonialism on the mental health of...
March 21, 2024
Ontario Regional Chief Glen Hare and Ontario First Nations Leadership Express Fear Surrounding Lack of First Nations Law and By-Law Enforcement
NationTalk: Ontario Regional Chief Glen Hare and First Nations Leadership from across Ontario have released the following statement: Yesterday, First Nations in Ontario warned provincial lawmakers that police will no longer be able to keep First Nations communities safe once Ontario’s new policing legislation comes into effect on April 1, 2024. “Criminals are getting more...
March 20, 2024
‘I Am on a Path of Discovering My Own Racism’
Returning to her home province, a settler physician seeks to improve healing approaches for her Indigenous patients. An excerpt. The Tyee: [Editor’s note: Though Dr. Jarol Boan grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan, she spent 20 years treating patients and working in academic institutions south of the border before deciding to return to her home province....
March 15, 2024
‘Our Children are not for sale’: Treaty 8 chiefs
Treaty 8 chiefs announce a new law that prevents adoption and private guardianship without parental or First Nation consent APTN News: First Nations leaders from Treaty 8 met today to announce a new law that supersedes previous legislation over First Nations children within that Treaty area. The law, called the Nehiyaw and Dene Nations of...
March 14, 2024
Edmonton police investigating death of Dene man in university hospital
APTN News: The Edmonton police have opened a probe into the death of Darryl Sabourin, a Dene man and father of four from Hay River, N.W.T., after he died in a local hospital. On March 4, Sabourin, 45, who was addicted to alcohol checked himself into the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton for detox...
March 13, 2024
First Nation says racism, doctor shortage persists in BC Interior
NationTalk: PrinceGeorgeNow – The Canadian Press – A British Columbia First Nation says racism in the health−care system persists despite efforts by the government and industry to combat the problem. The Tsilhqot’in National Government says in a statement that it met with officials from Interior Health, the Cariboo Regional District and the City of Williams...
March 8, 2024
First Nations Life Expectancy Has Plummeted. How to Change That
Solutions exist in culturally competent health care, safer supply, better recovery options and community connection, experts say. [Editor’s note: This story contains discussion of intergenerational trauma and the impacts of residential schools.] HELP IS AVAILABLE If you need support, call the Indian Residential School Survivors Society at 1-800-721-0066 or 1-866-925-4419 for the 24-7 crisis line....
March 7, 2024
Indigenous public health advocates share strategies for dismantling colonial structures
“Being subject to Canadian colonial practices and policies is bad for Indigenous people’s health. It violates their right to health, wellness, and discrimination-free living.” —Eryn Braley Top left is Jorden Hendry. Top right is Eryn Braley. Moderator is sine squawkin. Windspeaker.com: In a candid discussion hosted by University of British Columbia’s Centre for Excellence in...
March 2, 2024
No home. No options: Ontario Indigenous kids ‘damaged’ by system sending them south
A Global News investigation has revealed how First Nations youths from remote, northern communities like Grassy Narrows are allegedly targeted by some for-profit group home companies because their owners can charge more for Indigenous children or because the kids provide a steady source of revenue, according to interviews with more than 50 former group home workers, former...
February 29, 2024
Spouse seeking answers after young N.W.T. mother, prescribed Advil, dies of double pneumonia
Rachel Simpson was sent home from Whatı̀ health centre despite worsening condition CBC News: The partner of a young mother from Whatı̀, N.W.T., who died this week wants to know why the community health centre didn’t take her seriously for days before she was medevaced to Alberta. Rachel Simpson was the glue that held their family...
February 29, 2024
Victim of forced sterilization in Ottawa to push law that would penalize doctors
Senator’s private member’s bill aims to put an end to forced sterilizations. APTN News: Nicole Rabbit says she came to Ottawa to deliver a message for her mother. “She would have said ‘Someone has to be accountable for the act of genocide that we Indigenous people have faced and continue to face in regards to...
February 26, 2024
Indigenous youth want more Indigenous-led models, support to access health care in Winnipeg, report says
Discussion with 26 Indigenous youth highlights ‘deep mistrust’ of health-care system CBC Indigenous: Some Indigenous youth in Winnipeg say discrimination in the province’s primary health-care system is pervasive — and they want more Indigenous staff and fewer barriers to accessing care in order to help fix that problem, a new report says. The project OurCare...
February 22, 2024
Employment rates among Black, Indigenous groups in N.S. fall short of goals set 10 years ago
Some progress has been made, but community leaders say inequity remains NationTalk: Black and Indigenous Nova Scotians still face lower employment rates compared to the rest of the population — 10 years after a sweeping report on the province’s economy recommended change. A decade ago, the Ivany Commission made 19 recommendations to improve the economic...
February 12, 2024
First Nations man charged with five counts of first-degree murder
Ryan Howard Manoakeesick is accused of killing his young family and a relative in rural Manitoba on Sunday Warning: This story contains distressing details APTN News: A 29-year-old man accused of killing his wife, their three young children and a female relative in a crime spree on Sunday is charged with five counts of first-degree...
February 7, 2024
Feds’ labour data shows wage gap for Indigenous workers
Canada’s National Observer: Federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan launched labour data tool Equi’Vision on Friday. Photo from file by Carl Meyer. Listen to article A new tool created by Ottawa to reveal potential barriers in the workplace shows a significant gap in wages for Indigenous workers. On Friday, Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan launched a tool called Equi’Vision that...
January 24, 2024
Winnipeg hotel that zip-tied First Nations woman ‘Out of Order’
APTN News: A hotel in downtown Winnipeg that was the focus of a protest on Sunday is now closed to the public. Signs posted on the front doors of the Marlborough Hotel say “Due to maintenance – Hotel is out of order.” It’s not clear if the hotel has been cleared of paying guests –...
January 22, 2024
Video of First Nations woman restrained by hotel staff sparks outrage
Christmas Day video shows woman with her hands tied behind her back. The Marlborough Hotel in Winnipeg was flooded with angry protesters on Sunday after a video surfaced of a First Nations woman whose hands were tied behind her back. APTN News: The incident occurred on Christmas Day at the hotel which is located downtown....
January 22, 2024
Innu inquiry to hold 1st formal hearings, focusing on history of child welfare in Innu communities
Inquiry will hear from experts and institutional representatives CBC Indigenous: The Inquiry Respecting the Treatment, Experiences and Outcomes of Innu in the Child Protection System is set to begin formal hearings in Sheshatshiu on Monday after months of informal community sessions. The five days of hearings will focus on the history of child welfare in Labrador’s...
December 19, 2023
Far from home, Indigenous students face challenges getting education but there’s hope
NationTalk: Global News, The Canadian Press – Charla Moonias lost her friends, her language and the connection to her culture after she left her northern Ontario First Nation at 14 years old to go to school hundreds of kilometres away. There was little support available as she struggled with addictions, tried to cope with the...
December 18, 2023
First Nations leaders say Thunder Bay police handling of missing teen was ‘unacceptable’
Mackenzie Moonias, 14, was last scene on Dec. 13 in Thunder Bay. APTN News: First Nations leaders in northern Ontario are questioning the missing persons reporting process in Thunder Bay after the discovery of a teen’s body near the city’s waterfront. According to police, Mackenzie Moonias, 14, was last seen on Dec. 13. Thunder Bay police sent...
December 14, 2023
Indigenous students in Ontario still face inequities
Sol Mamakwa, Ontario NDP MPP for Kiiwetinoong, poses for a photo after speaking at the Matawa education conference. Photo by Matteo Cimellaro / Canada’s National Observer Canada’s National Observer: Indigenous students in Ontario still have lower attendance and graduation rates and are suspended twice as often as their non-Indigenous peers. The educational outlook was released...
December 12, 2023
Open Access: Exploring paramedic care for First Nations in Alberta: a qualitative study
John G. Taplin, Lea Bill, Ian E. Blanchard, Cheryl M. Barnabe, Brian R. Holroyd, Bonnie Healy and Patrick McLane CMAJ Open: December 12, 2023 11 (6) E1135-E1147; DOI: https://doi.org/10.9778/cmajo.20230039 Abstract Background: Prior work has shown that a greater proportion of First Nations patients than non–First Nations patients arrive by ambulance to emergency departments in Alberta. The objective of this study was to understand First Nations perspectives on...
December 5, 2023
AFN national chief candidates would back inquiry into Sixties Scoop
National inquiry into removal of Indigenous children could become a key task for next AFN leader CBC Indigenous: Some First Nations chiefs say the next national chief of the Assembly of First Nations should push for a national inquiry into the “Sixties Scoop” and the continued removal of Indigenous children from their families. About 22,000 Indigenous children were...
November 22, 2023
First Nations Children in Quebec Deserve Better
NationTalk: Wendake — On the occasion of Early Childhood Week, the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Health and Social Services Commission (FNQLHSSC), in collaboration with the Observatoire des tout-petits, is unveiling the results of a survey carried out among the Quebec population by the Léger firm. The results confirm that concerted actions must continue with a...
November 16, 2023
First Nations adults with disabilities living on reserve lack equal access to services, report finds
On-reserve services ‘underfunded, under-resourced and understaffed,’ report says CBC Indigenous: Jennifer Bercier says “an invisible line with a huge barrier” separates Manitoba First Nations like hers from the rest of the province, after her daughter lost all of her disability support and services upon turning 18. The mother from Opaskwayak Cree Nation says the disability...
November 14, 2023
Blackstock sees ‘imbalance’ between $55M lawyers’ bill, welfare victims’ compensation
Imbalance in cash for lawyers, victims: Blackstock Toronto Star: OTTAWA – Cindy Blackstock, one of the people responsible for bringing forward a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal case that led to a historic settlement agreement, says she is concerned about an “imbalance” between what lawyers and victims will be paid. The Federal Court approved a landmark...
November 14, 2023
‘So much work to do’: Indigenous women vastly overrepresented in federal penitentiaries and provincial jails in Sask.
National Vice-Chief of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples Kim Beaudin is calling for Indigenous involvement in oversight of the correctional system. NationTalk: Regina Leader-Post – Eighty-eight per cent of women held in federal custody in Saskatchewan are Indigenous, according to new data. Last week, federal correctional investigator Ivan Zinger released updated findings to his annual report dated June...
November 13, 2023
Disturbing reality about our prisons
“Life, on the instalment plan.” Toronto Star: That’s the way some Indigenous inmates characterize their prison sentences. They believe they’ll be released, but they also expect to be back — again and again, for the rest of their lives. And all too often, their expectations are fulfilled. Something is therefore very wrong with our prison...
November 9, 2023
Video of alleged police assault of Mohawk man raises questions about delay in watchdog’s probe
Ontario’s SIU took 13 months to open an investigation, eventually leading to charges Warning: Some details in this story are distressing CBC News: Ontario’s police watchdog initially balked at investigating an alleged police assault of a Mohawk man that was captured on camera and eventually led to charges against officers from Belleville, Ont., according to...
November 7, 2023
Feds say Indigenous staff have no right to sue over alleged racism, toxicity at oil and gas agency
Internal mechanisms ‘are the preferable procedure’: Indigenous Services Canada CBC Indigenous: The Canadian government says Indigenous staff have no right to sue over alleged racial discrimination, chronic toxicity and systemic bullying, harassment and intimidation at a federal on-reserve oil and gas agency in Alberta. Two Blackfoot women have launched a proposed class-action lawsuit against Indian...
November 1, 2023
Advocates say Calgary shelter no longer run by Indigenous women
APTN News: In the early ‘90s, Elder Ruth Scalplock founded Awo Taan Healing Centre which means shield in the Blackfoot language. The centre was created to meet the needs of Indigenous women in a traditional and spiritual way. But Scalplock says only one Indigenous person is in a decision-making role at the centre. “Women need a place...
November 1, 2023
Colonialism remains a health risk, MPP says
Wants health authority given to First Nations First Peoples Law Report: Timmins The Daily Press – A private member’s bill with the goal of improving healthcare outcomes for the province’s Indigenous population was defeated in the Ontario Legislature this week, much to the disappointment of a northern MPP. Motion 66 urged the Ontario government, led...
October 27, 2023
Northern Ontario First Nations call for help amid mental health crisis
By Liam Casey The Canadian Press NationTalk: Global News – Several First Nations and health officials in northern Ontario are asking for help after declaring a state of emergency over mental health crises across their territories. Cat Lake First Nation Chief Russell Wesley said 188 people of the 500 who live in his community are part of a mental wellness program, but...
October 23, 2023
‘I’m very emotional’: Family of Clarence Woodhouse reacts to bail release
A judge in Winnipeg released Clarence Woodhouse, 72, on bail Monday pending a ministerial review of his 1974 murder conviction. “I’m very emotional and really happy,” said Woodhouse’s sister Linda Anderson after the hearing. “It’s good to see my brother come back home.” Woodhouse, from Pinaymootang First Nation in Manitoba, was serving a prison sentence...
October 19, 2023
Death of Tyrone Blind triggers concerns over mental health support in prisons
By Danielle Paradis | Chris Stewart APTN News: The family of Tyrone Blind, a man who died by suicide in a federal prison in Edmonton, says more needs to be done to provide mental health services in Canada’s penitentiaries. Blind, 31, a First Nations man from Saskatchewan, died in the Edmonton Institution on Feb. 1, 2018, according to the...
October 18, 2023
Sask. asks court to penalize Anishinabe man over published jail videos experts say show torture
Province says information in CBC News report came from confidential material disclosed as part of lawsuit CBC News: Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe’s government is asking the provincial court to penalize an Anishinabe man for allegedly breaching court rules following the publication of information and video from inside a youth jail showing staff immobilizing him with a full...
October 6, 2023
People accused of killing Indigenous women less likely to be charged with first-degree murder: study
Several factors from funding to distrust of colonial systems may contribute to the sentencing decisions APTN News: A report from Statistics Canada shows that there’s a disparity in the way homicide cases involving Indigenous women and girls are handled in the Canadian legal system. Data between 2009 and 2021 indicated that first-degree murder charges, the...
October 5, 2023
FSIN appoints ombudsperson to investigate racism in health care
Dianne Lafond selected for the first-of-its-kind position in the country CBC Indigenous: The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) has selected a health ombudsperson to work against racism and discrimination against Indigenous people in the health-care system. Dianne Lafond, who was born and raised on Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, has been selected for the job....
October 4, 2023
Years after scathing report into mistreatment of Indigenous people in Quebec, few calls to action imposed
1st update on commission published Wednesday CBC Indigenous: Nearly four years after Quebec’s Viens report documented the mistreatment of Indigenous people, less than a third of the calls to action laid out in the commission have been implemented or are progressing as expected. Quebec’s ombudsman, Marc-André Dowd, published the first update on the commission Wednesday,...
October 2, 2023
Breaking the Cycle: Confronting Healthcare Disparities for Indigenous Peoples in Canada
It’s time to bridge the inequalities Olivia Shan NationTalk: McGill Daily – The government of Canada has worked over the years to achieve reconciliation with Indigenous peoples through a restored engagement between nations, governments, the Inuit, and the Crown, stemming from an underlying basic acknowledgment of rights, respect, cooperation, and partnership as the cornerstone for...
September 30, 2023
This should be a day when Canada rededicates itself to seeking justice
Toronto Star: “Hubert O’Connor: Child Molester.” That’s how the Victoria Times Colonist headlined the obituary for Catholic bishop Hubert O’Connor. He worked at the St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School in Williams Lake, B.C., where he began a career as a serial rapist of young Indigenous girls. In 1996, he became the highest ranking Catholic official...
September 28, 2023
3 years after Joyce Echaquan’s death, loved ones reflect on what’s changed — and what hasn’t
Health board appealing ruling to reinstate orderly fired after Echaquan’s death CBC News: Three paintings of women wearing braids and purple headbands in their hair with the words “Justice for Joyce” adorn the windows outside the Centre d’amitié autochtone de Lanaudièrein Joliette. Sitting on the porch at the friendship centre Thursday morning, Lorraine Echaquan and Regine Dubé...
September 28, 2023
Siksika man lodges human rights complaint against Alberta hospital after wife’s death
Myra Crow Child, in an undated photo, died in an Alberta hospital in 2022. APTN News: A member of Siksika Nation in southern Alberta has launched a human rights complaint against Alberta Health Services and Strathmore District Health Services. Ben Crow Chief claims “anti-Indigenous racism” played a role in the death of his wife, Myra...
September 28, 2023
Siksika Nation Member Brings Human Rights Complaint in Response to Systemic Anti-Indigenous Discrimination in Alberta’s Healthcare Sector
NationTalk: Siksika Nation, AB – A Siksika Nation member has filed a human rights complaint against Alberta Health Services and Strathmore District Health Services in response to systemic, anti-Indigenous discrimination in the healthcare sector. On August 24, 2023, the Alberta Human Rights Commission accepted a complaint filed by Benedict Crow Chief, whose wife, Myra, passed away in...
September 27, 2023
Haida elder in ‘extreme’ appendicitis pain was allegedly released from B.C. hospital without treatment
Penny Kerrigan says anti-Indigenous racism was behind her hasty discharge from hospital in Terrace This story is part of a series examining systemic discrimination against Indigenous patients within the nursing profession in B.C. To read Part 1 of the series, click here. CBC Indigenous: By the time Penny Kerrigan arrived at Mills Memorial Hospital in northern...
September 26, 2023
Indigenous man’s death after being left unattended in hospital spurs call for ‘culture change’ in nursing
Story of Keegan Combes’s neglect at B.C. hospital fuels nursing college’s anti-racism work Bethany Lindsay, Angela Sterritt · CBC News · Posted: Sep 26, 2023 7:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: September 26 This story is part of a series examining systemic discrimination against Indigenous patients within the nursing profession in B.C. CBC Indigenous: It’s been eight years since Keegan...
September 22, 2023
Indigenous veterans hold cleansing ceremony in Ottawa after Nazi flag appears on monument
APTN News: Indigenous veterans in Ottawa say they were disgusted with what they saw on social media after someone hung a flag with a swastika on the National Aboriginal Veterans Monument earlier in the week. “I will be very clear, the Nazi flag is a symbol of hatred and when I saw that, I saw...
September 19, 2023
Barbara Kentner has been failed again, says family after Brayden Bushby gets day parole in trailer-hitch death
First Nation victim’s family says they weren’t told man convicted in her Thunder Bay death was up for parole WARNING: This story contains disturbing details of violence against Indigenous women. CBC Indigenous: Melissa Kentner is angry. The man convicted of manslaughter in the death of her sister, Barbara Kentner, has been released from prison on day...
September 14, 2023
Anishinabek Nation responds to the desecration of Sacred Site in Bon Echo Provincial Park
NationTalk: BARRIE, ON – The Chiefs of the Anishinabek Nation Southeast Region are calling attention to the recently discovered vandalism of a Sacred Site in Bon Echo Provincial Park. Mazinaw Rock has been a designated national historic site of Canada since 1982. It is the largest rock pictograph site on the southern Canadian Shield and...
September 13, 2023
How biased courts and police support business by trampling Indigenous rights
The case of a convicted Indigenous elder who was performing a pipe ceremony inspired the play The Judge’s Daughter. Screen grab from Vancouver Fringe Festival website Canada’s National Observer:On July 25, the B.C. Court of Appeal ruled on a historic case that has been winding through the court system for more than three years. It...
September 13, 2023
Dissatisfaction grows among First Nations groups over Quebec Indigenous health-care bill
2nd day of committee hearings for Bill 32 sees walkout of Joyce’s Principle Office CBC Indigenous: The Joyce’s Principle Office walked out of a public hearing Wednesday morning held by a legislature committee reviewing a new bill that seeks to improve the treatment of Indigenous patients within Quebec’s health-care system. The office joined a growing chorus...
September 12, 2023
Racism partly to blame for unequal health care provided to Indigenous women: PHAC study
Indigenous communities are still deeply affected by the 2020 death of Atikamekw woman Joyce Echaquan in a Quebec hospital, where she filmed staff insulting her as she lay dying, Lee Clark said. The Canadian Press/Paul Chiasson NationTalk: Racism and the lack of primary care providers mean off-reserve First Nations, Metis and Inuit women and girls...
September 9, 2023
Headingley inmate said ‘I can’t breathe’ more than 20 times while restrained by guards, video shows
Court shown video of February 2021 altercation between officers and William Ahmo, who later died in hospital WARNING: This story contains disturbing video and details. CBC News: originally posted Sept. 8 – William Ahmo uttered the words “I can’t breathe” more than 20 times while officers swarmed and restrained him in a Manitoba jail, video...
September 8, 2023
Some staff at St. Catherines Hospital ‘fearful’ of treating Indigenous patients: report
Panel reviewing death of Heather Winterstein calls for collaboration with Indigenous community Heather Winterstein died in 2022 after two trips to the St. Catherines Hospital. APTN news: A report detailing the grueling final days of Heather Winterstein’s life says some staff are “fearful” of treating Indigenous patients because they are unsure of the cultural correctness...
September 7, 2023
Indigenous Women Continue to Face Abuse
In this century, forced sterilization in Canada is no longer in effect, but there have been recent reports of sterilization in some places, according to the President of Women of the Métis Nation. NationTalk: The Hamilton Spectator – In this century, forced sterilization in Canada is no longer in effect, but there have been recent...
September 6, 2023
More than 500 Indigenous classes won’t have a teacher this week: here’s what we should do
Amid national teacher shortages, Indigenous communities are struggling enormously to recruit and retain teachers. The Toronto Star: Students start school this week in Eabametoong First Nation, a community 360 km northeast of Thunder Bay, where seven teaching positions remain unfilled; this includes two all-important kindergarten teachers for students who are starting school for the very...
September 5, 2023
‘I can’t breathe’: Court sees video of guards overpowering inmate William Ahmo
Paramedic says there was no sense of ‘urgency’ when he arrived to help. A screen shot from a video played in a Winnipeg courtroom of William Ahmo confronting the jail’s riot police. APTN News: His mother’s sobs could be heard in a Winnipeg courtroom Tuesday as she watched video of a group of correctional officers...
August 28, 2023
Barriers like racism, distrust may be main cause of health-care disparities for Indigenous women, study says
National study quantifying health-care inequities is 1st of its kind, lead author says Brishti Basu · CBC News · Posted: Aug 28, 2023 4:27 PM EDT | Last Updated: August 29 CBC News: Just before Tina Campbell had a minor medical procedure recently, she remembered the discrimination she says she felt while trying to access health care nearly two decades...
August 25, 2023
Decision Of The Tribunal Administratif Du Travail: Insecurity Resurges Among First Nations
NationTalk: WENDAKE, QC, Aug. 25, 2023 – At a time when the Committee on Institutions of the National Assembly of Québec is preparing to begin its specific consultations on Bill 32, an Act to establish the cultural safety approach within the health and social services network, the decision rendered on Wednesday by the Tribunal administratif...
August 23, 2023
Hospital worker fired after Indigenous woman’s death should be reinstated: arbitrator
The arbitrator said that while the nurse made inappropriate comments toward Joyce Echaquan, she was not responsible for the bulk of the poor treatment the woman received prior to her death. When asked if the mother of seven would still be alive if she were a white woman, Quebec’s coroner replied: “I think so.” An...
August 10, 2023
Indigenous-led archaeology school ‘disheartened’ after dig site vandalized twice in 4 days
School says it will be limiting public access to weekdays only CBC News: Members of an Indigenous archaeological field school are “disheartened” after discovering their dig site in Gatineau, Que., was vandalized twice in the span of a few days. The team from Anishinàbe Odjìbikan said they first discovered damage and missing items on their site at Lac...
July 31, 2023
Québec’s cultural awareness training makes flawed assumptions that do not prioritize the safety of Indigenous people
NationTalk: The Conversation – Québec’s Minister Responsible for Relations with the First Nations and the Inuit, Ian Lafrenière, recently introduced Bill 32, which aims to “establish the cultural safety approach within the health and social services network.” The intent of the bill is for health and social service networks in Québec to adopt a cultural safety approach...
July 26, 2023
The AMC Calls on Manitoba to Commit to Providing Comprehensive and Culturally Responsible Competency Training for Newly Recruited Family Physicians
NationTalk: Treaty One Territory, Manitoba – The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) urges the province of Manitoba to work in partnership with First Nations leadership to provide comprehensive competency training for family physician recruits. This training is essential to address the existing gaps in healthcare service delivery, particularly for First Nations citizens living in urban,...
July 20, 2023
Indigenous people 17.7% more likely to be incarcerated in Sask.
Non-Indigenous people charged with crimes are more likely to receive bail than Indigenous people Jeremy Appel / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter / Alberta Native News Jul 20, 2023 10:00 PM NationTalk: Saskatoon Today: ALBERTA NATIVE NEWS — Saskatchewan has Canada’s highest rate of Indigenous over-representation in provincial custody, with Alberta in second place, according to new data...
July 19, 2023
Two men wrongfully convicted 50 years ago speak out about justice system
‘The justice system needs to change,’ says Allan Woodhouse APTN News: After 50 years of being sentenced for a murder they didn’t commit Brian Anderson and Allan Woodhouse are free. Now they are speaking out about being wrongfully convicted. “The justice system needs to change,” Woodhouse told reporters at a press conference outside the Canadian Museum...
July 19, 2023
Innocence Canada calls for review of decades-old Manitoba murder convictions following acquittals
Lawyers say all murder cases involving Indigenous offenders in last 50 years should be reviewed CBC News: Lawyers with Innocence Canada are calling for a review of several decades’ worth of murder cases involving Indigenous offenders after two First Nations men were acquitted of a murder that happened half a century ago. On Tuesday, Justice...
July 18, 2023
Two Indigenous men acquitted of murder after 50 years
It’s the first double acquittal for Innocence Canada, a national organization that work to overturn wrongful convictions. APTN News: Two Indigenous men were acquitted of 50-year-old murder convictions Tuesday with the help of Innocence Canada and Manitoba’s top judge. Chief Justice Glenn Joyal told a packed courtroom in Winnipeg that Brian Anderson and Allan (A.J.) Woodhouse were...
July 12, 2023
Indigenous women in Canada forcibly sterilized decades after other rich countries stopped
Nationtalk: TORONTO (AP) — Decades after many other rich countries stopped forcibly sterilizing Indigenous women, numerous activists, doctors, politicians and at least five class-action lawsuits allege the practice has not ended in Canada. A Senate report last year concluded “this horrific practice is not confined to the past, but clearly is continuing today.” In May, a doctor...
July 10, 2023
Influx of supporters join landfill blockade after ‘act of hate’ at MMIWG mural
‘I can’t see the blockade going down’: supporter CBC News: Protesters blocking the Brady Road landfill south of Winnipeg say their resolve is even stronger after a man shovelled a truckload of soil and debris onto an MMIWG mural near the blockade Sunday. The blockade went up last week after the province refused to fund a search...
July 5, 2023
Manitoba grand chief shocked after province says it won’t help pay to search landfill for remains
AMC’s Cathy Merrick says province’s concerns about searchers’ safety are addressed in feasibility report CBC News: The leader of the group pushing to search a Winnipeg-area landfill for the remains of two First Nations women says she doesn’t buy the Manitoba government’s explanation that it won’t provide funding for the initiative because of safety concerns for those...
June 22, 2023
Dr. Deena Hinshaw was hired by the AHS Indigenous health team, then removed against their wishes
Dr. Esther Tailfeathers resigned as team lead after saying she felt ‘disposed of’ CBC News: On June 2, a screengrab of an announcement welcoming Dr. Deena Hinshaw to her new position began circulating on social media. Hinshaw was Alberta’s chief medical officer of health until she was fired last November by Danielle Smith, shortly after...
June 8, 2023
B.C. government fighting to keep birth alert records from public eye
On June 12 and 13, the B.C. Supreme Court is set to hear a dispute involving MCFD, IndigiNews and the province’s privacy commissioner. APTN News: A dispute over birth alert records involving British Columbia, IndigiNews and the province’s privacy commissioner is heading for the B.C. Supreme Court. B.C.’s Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD)...
June 7, 2023
Halifax rally calls for public inquiry into the deaths of 2 Mi’kmaw people in custody
APTN News: About 80 people marched in Halifax demanding a “Mi’kmaw led” inquiry into the deaths of two people from the Eskasoni First Nation who died in the local jail. “I hope somebody hears and comes to the table and they talk about what needs to be done,” said Kathy Denny, mother of Sarah Denny...
June 7, 2023
Sask. gov’t should do more to support Indigenous students as grad rates remain stagnant: auditor
Gaps at Saskatchewan Polytechnic also identified in auditor’s report CBC News: Saskatchewan’s auditor has determined the province needs to do more to improve success for Indigenous students. Less than 50 per cent are graduating Grade 12 during the expected time period, according to a new report from the provincial auditor’s office. “Having a high school diploma...
June 5, 2023
Indigenous coalition urges Canada’s healthcare system to ‘Rise Above Racism’
NationTalk: themessage. Who: A coalition of Indigenous health organizations (First Nations Health Managers Association, First Peoples Wellness Circle and Thunderbird Partnership Foundation); with NationTalk for strategy, creative and media (supported by Cleansheet Communications). What: “Rise Above Racism,” a new government-funded awareness campaign highlighting the issue of anti-Indigenous racism within the Canadian healthcare system. This is the second...
June 3, 2023
Juliette Tapaquon’s tragic story exposes health-care inequality
NationTalk: Canada’s National Observer: Juliette Tapaquon spent her final months in unimaginable pain. It’s the thought that still keeps her mother, Joyce Tapaquon, up at night. A cervical cancer patient at Pasqua Hospital’s palliative care unit and a member of Carry the Kettle First Nation, Juliette was escorted out of the southern Saskatchewan hospital by...
May 29, 2023
First Nations man says racial profiling led to assault by security guard at Regina Canadian Tire
‘I didn’t think it would happen to me twice in my lifetime,’ says Ezekial Bigknife Warning: this story contains distressing content. CBC News: First posted on May 26, Updated on May 29 Five years ago, Ezekial Bigknife was racially profiled while shopping at a store in Regina. Now he says it has happened to him...
May 28, 2023
Isolation cells in women’s prisons used almost exclusively for Indigenous prisoners, panel finds
The Globe and Mail: Isolation cells in federal women’s prisons are being used almost exclusively for Indigenous prisoners, according to statistics collated by a government-appointed panel that show Indigenous peoples are seriously disadvantaged by a prisoner segregation regimen introduced in 2019. The government established Structured Intervention Units (SIUs) after courts in B.C. and Ontario ruled that a...
May 26, 2023
After spending 7 years detained in Turkey, Charman Smith is now home
Carcross/Tagish First Nation citizen Charman Smith denies she had any knowledge of the illegal substance found in her possession. A First Nations woman from Yukon charged with drug trafficking in Turkey has returned home after being detained there for seven years. Charman Smith, a Carcross/Tagish First Nation citizen, was greeted by loved ones at the Whitehorse airport...
May 15, 2023
Quebec sent Ottawa hospital hundreds of birth alerts despite Ontario ban
Hospital received 298 birth alerts since October 2020, when Ontario ended them CBC News: Despite the fact that Ontario put a stop to birth alerts in 2020, Quebec child welfare agencies continued to send hundreds of the controversial notifications — which can be used to threaten to or actually seize newborns from their mothers — to Ottawa’s largest hospital....
May 11, 2023
Opinion: To get Indigenous murder and suicide rates down, first face facts
Canadians need to agree on the hard fact of modern life that education is a prerequisite for economic success NationTalk: Financial Post – From 2017 through 2021, 1.45 non-Indigenous Canadians in 100,000 died from homicide. Among Indigenous Canadians the rate was six times that: 8.88 in 100,000. That average masks a stark regional difference, however....
May 9, 2023
Misprescribed and ‘Dumped’ at the Hospital’s Doors
Marilyn Johnson says she faced health-care discrimination because she is Indigenous and lives in the Downtown Eastside. Here’s what needs to change. The Tyee: Marilyn Johnson, a Gitxsan woman, is full of energy. The ends of her hair are dyed blue. She sips her Tim Hortons coffee and smiles from ear to ear when talking...
April 25, 2023
Indigenous girls overrepresented as victims of violence in Vancouver
Sgt. Val Spicer: “It’s not a trend that you can change overnight.” NationTalk: Vancouver is Awesome – Indigenous girls under 18 years old were the most overrepresented victims of violence in Vancouver over the past 12 months, according to new data compiled by the Vancouver Police Department (VPD). The next two groups of victims based...
April 24, 2023
Dawn Walker, First Nations woman accused of fleeing with child, to argue she was trying to escape alleged abuse
The Globe and Mail: A First Nations author and former political candidate accused of faking her death and fleeing to the United States with her child will argue at her criminal trial that she did so out of necessity to protect her child from alleged abuse when the authorities would not. The details of Dawn...
April 21, 2023
After outcry over baby’s apprehension, Manitoba Indigenous family gets newborn back
‘Wrongful, illegal apprehension,’ sister says after meeting in which Child and Family Services apologized CBC News: An Indigenous family is planning to pursue legal action after they say a newborn baby was apprehended by Child and Family Services without warning. A taxi was on its way to take the mother and baby home on Monday, when a child-welfare...
April 21, 2023
Report calls on feds to strip $1B from Correctional Service of Canada budget
Prisoner’s Legal Services says money should be shifted towards community healing. APTN: A prisoner advocacy organization in British Columbia says the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) should have a third of its budget stripped away and that money should be diverted towards Indigenous governments and organizations. In its report, Decarceration through Self-Determination, Prisoner’s Legal Services argues...
April 14, 2023
Family of Cindy Gladue says province has ‘misplaced’ her remains
Gladue’s partial, preserved remains were brought into the courtroom by the crown prosecutor Cindy Gladue was a mother of three when she died in June 2011. Photo: APTN file APTN: The family of Cindy Gladue says that Alberta Justice has lost her remains. A part of Gladue’s preserved remains were brought into the court room...
April 11, 2023
Analysis of anti-Indigenous racism in hospitals reveals pattern of harm, no tracking mechanism
Canada’s National Observer: “Sakihitowin means love,” Pearl Gambler says, recalling the day she gave her daughter her name. It was the day Sakihitowin was born — and died. From Bigstone Cree Nation, Gambler entered Edmonton’s Misericordia Hospital on June 11, 2020, and experienced a series of events that she can only characterize as traumatic and...
April 6, 2023
Lawyers want abduction charges stayed against Sask. woman, citing alleged human rights violations
Law professor says justice system continues to discriminate against Indigenous women CBC News: Lawyers for a Saskatchewan woman want the abduction and other charges against her to be stayed, citing alleged human rights violations including unnecessary strip searches and denial of medical care. In a court application, they list alleged individual violations against Dawn Walker, but say these...
April 4, 2023
Anti-racism policies in health care should be led by Indigenous staff: report
Federal report blasts anti-Indigenous racism in health care CBC News: More Indigenous practitioners are needed to address systemic racism, but that can’t happen without a supportive education system that also envisions them in leadership roles, says a report commissioned by Health Canada and touted as the first comprehensive review of the health-care workforce. The report, released...
April 2, 2023
74% of youth in care in Alberta are Indigenous. Here’s what 2 of them had to say
‘I strive to this day just to live a normal life,’ said Jesse Koenig, 28 CBC News:A new underground magazine circulating in Edmonton is sharing stories from youth in care — in their own words. Zine & Heard, edited by youth advocate Penny Frazier, shares stories, art, tattoos and more from former youth in care. ...
March 29, 2023
Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) Expresses Concern Over First Nations Over-Incarceration Rates
NationTalk: Treaty One Territory, MB – The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) issues the following statement on the over-incarceration of First Nations Citizens in Manitoba. On March 17, 2023, the Winnipeg Free Press published an article about Ethan Wildcat, a First Nation man who was handed a harsher sentence then a non-First Nations man facing...
March 27, 2023
Alberta has 8 Métis settlements. None of them have full-time doctors
Health board pushing for more doctors, nurses and other health-care providers CBC News: Every Wednesday, a registered nurse travels 39 kilometres from the northeastern Alberta city of Cold Lake to see patients on the Elizabeth Métis Settlement. Alberta Health Services rents an office inside the settlement’s community hall for appointments. A counter near the door...
March 24, 2023
An Rx against racist behaviour in Alberta emergency departments
After years of studying systemic racism in hospital emergency care, a team of researchers and First Nations organizations will create ways to ensure all patients are treated equitably and with dignity. Nation Talk: University of Alberta: For the last six years, First Nations organizations have supported a team of researchers including Bonnie Healy and Patrick...
March 8, 2023
Alberta’s mandatory oath of allegiance is systemic discrimination
The government should amend the Legal Profession Act to remove it or to make it optional. First Peoples Law report: The Canadian Bar Association – In April 2022, the Law Society of Alberta acknowledged that systemic discrimination exists in the province’s justice system and legal profession. Two months later, a Sikh articling student launched a lawsuit, challenging...
March 5, 2023
‘Really worrisome’: Survey suggests some Alberta doctors have anti-Indigenous biases
Toronto Star: Two University of Calgary researchers weren’t surprised when their survey of Alberta doctors showed biases against Indigenous patients, but they were shocked by some of the comments. Pamela Roach and Shannon Ruzycki sent a survey in September 2020 to every licensed doctor in the province to determine their biases following high-profile deaths of...
February 22, 2023
Mother gives birth to still born child and given the wrong baby to bury
‘I’m sorry to tell you we gave you the wrong baby,’ hospital to Maskwascis mother. APTN: A mother from Maskwacis in Treaty 6 gave birth to a child who was still born and was given the wrong baby to bury a week later. “I just can’t wrap my head around it. It’s devastating. Especially to...
February 22, 2023
Provinces lag behind Ottawa in offering crucial supports to those who’ve been switched at birth
The Globe and Mail: A man who was the first known switched-at-birth case in Manitoba says if it weren’t for the independent review and mental-health support ordered by the federal government, his life would’ve fallen apart. Luke Monias of Garden Hill First Nation said he would likely be unemployed and struggling with addiction. “I wouldn’t be...
February 17, 2023
Colonial governments continue to destroy Innu land and traditional culture, says longtime activist and elder
Innu are treated badly by police, nurses, and doctors, says Innu elder CBC News: Mistreatment of Innu people by colonial governments continues today, said an elder and activist who has fought for decades to protect the Innu’s traditional culture and land in Labrador. “I will start on how we have been treated by the white man,...
February 13, 2023
Mother files lawsuit alleging racist treatment led to beating death of Anishinaabe son at Headingley jail
Court filing alleges a dozen Manitoba corrections officers beat William Ahmo, shot objects at him WARNING: This story contains distressing details. CBC News: A Winnipeg mother is suing the province of Manitoba and corrections officers, claiming racist treatment and excessive force after she says the Anishinaabe father was shot at with objects and beaten by...
February 13, 2023
‘These are real people’: NDP MP slams Correctional Service Canada over systemic racism
Canada’s National Observer: On Thursday, the NDP MP for Edmonton Griesbach spoke at a public accounts committee meeting after the release of an auditor general’s report on systemic barriers facing prisoners in federal jails. “(Correctional Service Canada) acknowledged in November 2020 that systemic racism is present in the correctional system; it’s long overdue that CSC remove the...
February 12, 2023
After years of delay, the inquiry into treatment of Innu children in care begins hearings
First hearings will take place in Sheshatshiu, focus on Innu history CBC News: Nearly six years after it was announced, the inquiry into the treatment and experiences of Innu children in Newfoundland and Labrador’s child protection system will begin hearings in Sheshatshiu on Monday. The inquiry, led by retired Inuk provincial court judge James Igloliorte,...
February 8, 2023
Mother found dead after sharing video about struggles with Manitoba’s child welfare system, domestic violence
Anishinaabe woman pleaded with people to ‘listen to me’ WARNING: This story contains distressing details. CBC News: Family and friends of a woman who died by suicide are looking for answers after the woman posted a live video on social media saying she was a victim of domestic violence and sharing the frustration and trauma...
February 8, 2023
Indigenous man furious after mother put in ‘storage room’ after being discharged from Calgary hospital
NationTalk: Global News – An Indigenous man is furious after his mother was put in a “storage room” after she was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. Bradford Mistakenchief’s mother was only given 18 months to live with the diagnosis. She was immediately put into palliative care at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre at Foothills Medical Centre in...
February 2, 2023
Manitoba medical group apologizes to Indigenous people for racism
NationTalk: CHVN – 95.1FM – The organization that regulates medical care in Manitoba has apologized for racism directed toward Indigenous people when accessing health care. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba says it recognizes its failure to effectively regulate the medical profession to prevent racist and substandard medical care to Indigenous peoples. Grand...
January 31, 2023
Quebec Education Minister’s Priorities: Bernard Drainville must intervene to decolonize education laws that undermine First Nations autonomy
WENDAKE, QC, Jan. 31, 2023 – On the occasion of the return to Parliament, the First Nations Education Council (FNEC) Chiefs Committee reacted coldly to the seven priorities that will guide the Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, during the current mandate. “In his priorities, we would have liked to see Minister Drainville commit to integrating an eighth priority...
January 30, 2023
Mandatory Indigenous course at risk after group of lawyers aim to change Law Society rule
Vote to take place Monday and 11,100 Alberta lawyers eligible to register CBC News: The fate of a required Indigenous course for Alberta lawyers is at risk after a group petitioned the Law Society of Alberta (LSA) to remove a rule that allows the regulator to mandate legal education. Currently, all Alberta lawyers are required...
January 25, 2023
Fewer than half of Indigenous students graduate on time from Edmonton public high schools
83 per cent of Alberta students finish high school in 3 years, provincial reports show CBC News: Indigenous students in Edmonton continue to have lower high school graduation rates than their non-Indigenous peers. Annual education results reports, which include statistics from Alberta Education for 2021-22, show that more than 80 per cent of Edmonton public school and...
January 6, 2023
Sixties Scoop survivor reconnects with birth mom, discovers her culture, decades after separation
It took many years for the pair to develop a mother-daughter relationship WARNING: This story contains distressing details CBC News: Tauni Sheldon remembers the first time she saw her biological mom. Sheldon was 23 years old. It was 1993 and she was in the Winnipeg airport, having just flown in with her adoptive parents, Jim...
December 20, 2022
Province releases “Health Status of Manitobans Report”…the gap in health between Indigenous communities and other people is widening”
The life expectancy for First Nations people is 11 years lower than average and this gap is growing As of March 31, 2021 there were 9,8501 children in welfare service: 91 per cent of these children are Indigenous Premature Mortality Rate (PMR) for all First Nations in Manitoba is three times higher than for other Manitobans....
December 16, 2022
Systemic racism report calls for N.B. task force, not the inquiry sought by First Nations
Indigenous leaders say a public inquiry into systemic racism against Indigenous peoples is still needed CBC News: The province’s commissioner of systemic racism is calling for “a task force focused on dismantling systemic racism in New Brunswick policing” and more education for senior government officials and politicians “on the meaning of systemic racism.” But Commissioner Manju...
December 13, 2022
National Art Gallery’s decolonization strategy questioned after staffers abruptly dismissed
APTN News: It was not the meeting Greg Hill expected. “I go into it cold not expecting anything like that,” the former Indigenous art curator at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa said. “I was anticipating a discussion I’ve wanted to have and trying to have for a long time. Trying to understand how we’re...
December 9, 2022
The AMC Calls on Province to Reconsider Decision to Close E.M. Crowe Memorial Hospital in Eriksdale, MB
NationTalk: Treaty One Territory, Manitoba – The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) supports the Interlake Reserves Tribal Council in calling on Health Minister Audrey Gordon and Shared Health Manitoba to recall the decision to close E.M. Crowe Memorial Hospital in Eriksdale, MB, after it has been ‘temporarily closed’ for the past few months. The Assembly...
December 9, 2022
Panel to assess Indigenous patient care after the death of a young woman in St. Catharines
Heather Winterstein was only 24 years old when she felt ill and went to the emergency department at St. Catharines General Hospital for help, only to die from a treatable illness. One year later, Niagara Health announced it is beginning an external assessment of the emergency department (ED) to improve patient care and experiences for...
December 6, 2022
Race and Gender Discrimination Fuel Violence against Indigenous Women
NationTalk: Thunder Bay, ON – The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (White Ribbon Day) is a Canadian movement of men and boys working to end violence against women and girls, promote gender equity, healthy relationships and a new vision of masculinity. Indigenous women have the right to a future free from...
December 5, 2022
Native women’s association calls out Canada for doing little to stop genocide following killing of four women in Winnipeg
Canada’s National Observer: The Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) is not mincing words following the killing of four Indigenous women in Winnipeg at the hands of one man. “Let’s be clear, these crimes are part of the genocide that was declared in 2019 by the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and...
December 2, 2022
Alleged Winnipeg serial killer Jeremy Skibicki’s case will go straight to trial, without preliminary hearing
NationTalk: CBC: Treaty One Territory, Manitoba – The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) and Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Regional Office is saddened by the announcement that accused serial killer Jeremy Skibicki is being charged for the murder of two more First Nations women and one yet unidentified woman. In May 2022, the body of...
December 2, 2022
Bill on cultural safety in health coming, Quebec says, following forced sterilizations study
Report is latest to scrutinize treatment of Indigenous people in Quebec health-care services Verity Stevenson · CBC News · Posted: Dec 02, 2022 7:30 PM ET | Last Updated: December 7 Update: This story has been updated following a ministry spokesperson’s assertion the bill would be introduced in early 2023, not during the current session as Indigenous Affairs Minister...
November 24, 2022
Publication of a research report on free and informed consent and imposed sterilizations among First Nations and Inuit women in Quebec
RECOMMENDATIONS Includes 9 from the participants in the study and 11 by the research team including the following: Professional bodies in the medical professions: Review the training offered to the medical profession on free and informed consent, particularly in the fields of obstetrics and gynecology. Ask the Collège des médecins du Québec to take note...
November 24, 2022
‘We’re survivors’: Quewezance sisters reunite at Saskatchewan court
APTN News: Despite the shackles on her wrists and ankles, Nerissa Quewezance leaned into her older sister’s arms Thursday. It was their first hug in 18 years. “My sister,” Odelia Quewezance said soothingly as she embraced Nerissa in front of the Yorkton, Sask., courthouse. The lone RCMP officer who transported Nerissa, 48, to Yorkton from...
November 22, 2022
SCO Launches new survey seeking Citizen Input on Reforming Justice System
NationTalk: ANISHINAABE AND DAKOTA TERRITORY, MB — Today, the Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) is launching a new online survey with the goal of seeking input that will assist SCO in advocating for the creation of an effective, equitable, and safe justice system from a First Nations perspective. “One of my principal mandates is to reduce...
November 18, 2022
National Gallery of Canada lays off chief and Indigenous art curators
The Globe and Mail: The National Gallery of Canada has laid off four senior staff members including Greg A. Hill, its curator of Indigenous art, and chief curator Kitty Scott. The gallery has experienced a period of uncertainty in the wake of the departure of director Sasha Suda in July. She left only a year after unveiling a strategic...
November 17, 2022
Medical advice shouldn’t be different for Indigenous kids
The Globe and Mail: Tony Talaga – When the COVID-19 pandemic first struck, remote and northern Indigenous communities – which already lacked doctors, properly stocked and supplied health clinics and clean running water – had to scramble. First Nations leaders had to create public-health systems out of thin air. And in Northern Ontario, it seemed...
November 13, 2022
Statement from Premier Heather Stefanson and Indigenous Reconciliation and Northern Relations Minister Alan Lagimodiere on the Anniversary of the Death of Helen Betty Osborne
Today marks the anniversary of the tragic death of Helen Betty Osborne. Osborne was a 19-year-old student from Norway House Cree Nation who had dreams of becoming a teacher. A survivor of Guy Hill Residential School, Osborne chose to further her education through attending high school in The Pas. On the morning of Nov. 13,...
November 7, 2022
AMC Calls on Manitoba to Allocate More Money to Healthcare After CIHI States Manitoba Has the Third Lowest Healthcare Spending Per Person in the Country
NationTalk: Treaty One Territory, Manitoba – The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) issued the following statement in response to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) projections that Manitoba will have the third lowest healthcare spending per person in the Country. Manitoba Health has chronically underfunded First Nations in Manitoba, especially those living in northern...
November 3, 2022
Cree woman suing Edmonton hospital for ‘failing to provide medical care’ in birth of her daughter
Said the hospital failed that racism and malpractice led to the death of her newborn baby APTN News: A member of Bigstone Cree First Nation in Alberta says she gave birth in an Edmonton hospital while a nurse watched and did nothing to help. In a statement of claim filed in the Court of King’s Bench in...
November 2, 2022
‘Pandemic of suffering:’ Manitoba chiefs press governments to fund regional hospital
Toronto Star: Chiefs of four remote First Nations in northeastern Manitoba are calling for the provincial and federal governments to build a health facility that can treat ongoing mental health and addiction crises for their growing populations. The chiefs from the Island Lake region estimate 15,000 to 18,000 people live in the area, but none...
November 2, 2022
Northern health leader says language test is a barrier to Indigenous nurses
First People’s Law: CTV News – An English proficiency test for prospective registered nurses in Manitoba, even those who receive all their education in English, is a racial barrier that disproportionately affects Indigenous people, a health official in northern Manitoba said Wednesday. “They trained in English, they saw patients in English … and then suddenly...
October 26, 2022
Anishinabek Nation leadership encourage implementation of recommendations in Devon Freeman inquest
NationTalk: ANISHINABEK NATION HEAD OFFICE (October 25, 2022) – On behalf of the Anishinabek Nation, Grand Council Chief Reg Niganobe and Anishinabek Nation Children’s Commissioner Duke Peltier have issued a statement in response to the long-awaited inquest into the death of Devon Freeman from Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation. “We continue to stand with the...
October 21, 2022
Freeman inquest: ‘Devon’s Principle’ would give Indigenous kids in care a right to return to their community
Lessons from 16-year-old’s life and death form a legacy that is changing how Indigenous youth who are in contact with the child welfare system are treated Hamilton Spectator: The voice of Devon Russell James Freeman — Muska’abo — has been heard. Devon was many things: a 16-year-old Hamilton boy trying to find his way; a member of...
October 18, 2022
How School Trustees Can Lead on Reconciliation
Some districts have worked to support Indigenous students’ success while others lag. School boards can make the difference. The Tyee: School board election campaigns across B.C. saw a lot of attention focused on gender and sexuality inclusion and “parents’ rights.” But some candidates made reconciliation a major part of their platforms, and now comes the test. As...
October 13, 2022
How stereotypes led to the deaths of two Indigenous men in Thunder Bay police custody: expert
CTV News: A physician with expertise in Indigenous health care told a coroner’s inquest Wednesday that she heard stereotypes kick in from the first 9-1-1 call that led to a man being arrested for public intoxication before he died from medical conditions in Thunder Bay police custody hours later. Dr. Suzanne Shoush testified as an...
October 12, 2022
Nations of Blackfoot Confederacy File Claim Against Alberta Persons with Development Disabilities
NationTalk: On September 1, 2022, the Siksika Chief and Council, on behalf of Siksika Nation, Kainai Nation (Blood Tribe) and Piikani Nation, filed a complaint against Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) for systemic discrimination against adult members of the Blackfoot Nations living with developmental disabilities through the Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) program. The Claim has...
October 12, 2022
Call for Restructuring Medical Transportation System After Delayed Medical Response for First Nation Infant
NationTalk: Treaty One Territory, Manitoba – The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) and the Assembly of First Nations Manitoba (AFN) issued the following statement after an infant was not given prompt transportation from Pimicikamak Cree Nation to Winnipeg for emergency care. The ill infant waited 24 hours after triage at the nursing station because Medevac...
October 6, 2022
AMC sues Manitoba, Canada for $1B over damage caused by child welfare system
The lawsuit seeks to compensate children who were taken off reserve. APTN: The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) is suing the federal and Manitoba governments over what they say are far-reaching and damaging effects of the child welfare system. “Manitoba and Canada received consistent advice and warnings, including from their own experts, that they were...
October 5, 2022
New Reports Reaffirm Trends of Poor Health Outcomes and Under-Funded System for First Nations
Under the direction of the Chiefs-in-Assembly, Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority (SLFNHA) has released its Diabetes and Childhood Vaccination Coverage reports. The reports highlight the disproportionate burden of health outcomes and health inequities within northern First Nations. SLFNHA calls for improved resources to support diabetes and vaccination programs. “We are calling on the Federal...
October 5, 2022
New investigation into allegations of rights abuse of an Inuk child placed in isolation in a youth center
The Commission launched an investigation of its own initiative after being informed of the situation of an Inuk child who had allegedly been placed in isolation in a rehabilitation center of the CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal. NationTalk: Montréal – The Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse launched an investigation of...
October 4, 2022
Ontario Regional Chief Glen Hare Calls for Action to Address Systemic Inequalities in Ontario Education System
NationTalk: Toronto, ON) Ontario Regional Chief Glen Hare issued the following statement condemning recent actions of the Office of the Minister of Education that perpetuate systemic inequities in the Ontario education system: “Recent actions by the Office of the Minister of Education do not support Ontario’s commitment to work with First Nations as partners on...
September 29, 2022
Death of Joyce Echaquan: Family files $2.7 million lawsuit against Quebec public health agency
APTN: The family of Joyce Echaquan, the Atikamekw mother of seven who was mocked by staff as she lay dying in a Quebec hospital in September 2020 has filed a lawsuit seeking nearly $2.7 million. Echaquan, 37, filmed herself on Facebook Live as a nurse and an orderly were heard making derogatory comments toward her at...
September 28, 2022
Ministers Honour Joyce Echaquan and Re-Affirm Commitment to Addressing Anti-Indigenous Racism in Canada’s Health Systems
Indigenous Services Canada: Ottawa, Ontario (September 28, 2022) – The Minister of Indigenous Services, Patty Hajdu, the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Marc Miller, and the Minister of Health, Jean-Yves Duclos, issued the following statement today: “Health care is a human right, and should be free of racism and discrimination. But the systemic discrimination and racism that...
September 26, 2022
Quebec’s Indigenous sensitivity training falls short, say health-care workers
Training sparked by Joyce Echaquan’s death called ‘superficial’ and ‘cringe-worthy’ CBC: As the second anniversary of Joyce Echaquan’s death approaches this week, Indigenous health professionals say the measures taken by the Quebec government to address racism and discrimination in medical facilities have been inadequate. Echaquan, a 37-year-old Atikamekw mother of seven, died in a Joliette,...
September 26, 2022
‘We are truly sorry’: Leaders, health officials acknowledge Indigenous-specific racism in northern Manitoba’s health-care system
CTV News: Indigenous leaders and northern health officials in Manitoba say Indigenous people continue to face racism in the health-care system, and have signed a declaration committing to eliminate it. On Monday morning leaders from Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO), Keewatinohk Inniniw Minoayawin (KIM), and the Northern Regional Health Authority (NRHA), met in Thompson to sign...
September 22, 2022
Human Rights Tribunal Rejects Attempt to Derail UBCIC’s Challenge to Liver Transplant Discrimination
NationTalk: (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil Waututh)/Vancouver, B.C. – The British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal (BCHRT) has rejected an attempt by BC health authorities to dismiss UBCIC’s representative complaint against discriminatory access to liver transplants for Indigenous patients. The Provincial Health Services Authority, the BC Transplant Society and Vancouver Coastal Health Authority are...
September 21, 2022
‘The bond is broken’: Data shows Indigenous kids overrepresented in foster care
Statistics Canada released data from the 2021 census showing Indigenous children accounted for 53.8 per cent of all children in foster care. Toronto Star: WINNIPEG – A Winnipeg mother says she was scarred for life when her first child was taken away at birth by social workers, who told her she was unfit to parent...
September 21, 2022
Family wants answers after Mi’kmaw grandmother dies unexpectedly in Cape Breton hospital
APTN: Lynn Francis is looking for answers after her mother, Bridget Anne Denny, 65, died while in care at the regional hospital in Cape Breton. “I thought she had the care she needed when we left her that evening, so I was really in shock,” said Lynn Francis. Bridget Anne Denny, 65, died unexpectedly while...
September 19, 2022
Experts warn ending birth alerts not the only solution to keep Indigenous children with their family
Globe and Mail: Canadian Press – The number of newborns taken into care dropped dramatically as birth alerts ended across Canada, but child welfare experts warn ceasing the practice cannot be the only step governments take to keep families together. “(Birth alerts) really risk being kind of a red herring in the real issue of...
September 13, 2022
Niagara Health: Signs part of commitment to Indigenous community
Toronto Star: Visitors to Niagara Health sites across the region will notice signage on the health system’s properties in St. Catharines, Welland and Niagara Falls meant to show support for the Indigenous community. The signs include a variety of messaging that are geared to mark Niagara Health’s second Indigenous Inclusion Month. The first was marked...
August 8, 2022
New Brunswick Aboriginal Peoples Council calls for equal access to health supports for all Indigenous people
NationTalk: Fredericton, Revised – The New Brunswick Aboriginal Peoples Council has, once again, been confronted by the federal government’s discrimination against our members. This time, the federal government’s discrimination takes the form of denying Indigenous people who live off reserves and non-status Indigenous people access to health benefits that the federal government provides to reserve...
July 22, 2022
CMA condemns forced and coerced sterilization
In response to the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights’ report The Scars that We Carry: Forced and Coerced Sterilization of Persons in Canada – Part II Opens in a new window, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) unequivocally denounces the practices of forced and coerced sterilization. As the report details, forced and coerced sterilization have...
July 11, 2022
First Nations Health Managers Association to launch “RISE Against Racism” campaign
Akwesasne, Traditional Mohawk Territory, Ontario — Indigenous Services Canada: Accessing quality health services can be a stressful experience. Anti-Indigenous racism in Canada’s health systems, such as discriminatory language in interactions with patients and negative stereotyping that influences care decisions, can have a negative impact on health outcomes. That is why the First Nations Health Managers...
June 27, 2022
Reproductive control of Indigenous women continues around the world, say survivors and researchers
Survivors of forced sterilization and coerced contraception from Canada, Peru and Indonesia will meet with researchers to share stories, heal and advocate for change. University of Alberta: The full extent of reproductive control practices around the world is not known, but they have been historically — and continue to be — targeted at Indigenous, poor...
May 27, 2022
Manitoba First Nations leaders declare State of Emergency in Health Services in the north
NationTalk: (Brokenhead Ojibway Nation) – Late afternoon May 24, 2022, the Keewatinohk Inniniw Okimowin Council (KIOC) of elected leaders unanimously declared a state of emergency on health services. The elected leaders are Chiefs and Councilors who collectively represent 23 First Nations in Manitoba’s north. The motion calling for the declaration came about during a two-day...
May 25, 2022
Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health and Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition report finds systemic racism in Ontario Health Care
“The conclusions in this report are horrific but unfortunately, not surprising. Indigenous-specific racism is embedded in Canada’s colonial history, and only by taking responsibility can we achieve better health outcomes for Indigenous peoples in this country,” says Wabano’s Executive Director Allison Fisher. “And the time to take responsibility and swift action is now.” The findings...
February 3, 2022
“Remembering Keegan – a BC First Nations Case Study Reflection”
Feb. 23, 2022: First Nations Health Authority – FNHA today announced the public release of its report titled “Remembering Keegan – a BC First Nations Case Study Reflection”. Keegan Combes was a 29-year old First Nations man who died in hospital in 2015 following delayed diagnosis and clinical management of a treatable accidental poisoning. “Remembering Keegan” is part...
January 17, 2022
Niagara Health System Discrimination
Niagara Chapter-Native Women – The NCNW Board of Directors is asking for a full Coroner’s Inquest into the death of Heather Winterstein, 24, who passed away while in the care of Niagara Health System on Dec 10, 2021. We call for the Coroner’s Inquest to address the long-standing issues of discrimination against Indigenous people, particularly...
December 17, 2021
Niagara Health System Discrimination
Toronto Star – Niagara Ontario Health Team Planning Table (NOHT) has voiced its support for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Heather Winterstein, an Indigenous woman who collapsed and died in the emergency room at the St. Catharines site of Niagara Health. Carol Stewart-Kirkby, co-lead for the health team, said there is...
December 1, 2021
In Plain Sight Report
Victoria Times Colonist – Fewer than half of the 24 recommendations to address Indigenous-specific racism in the province’s health-care system have been fully implemented on the one-year anniversary of the In Plain Sight report. Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond said she’s been “closely” monitoring progress: apologies issued by health system leaders and regulatory bodies, a critical amendment...
July 12, 2021
Human Rights complaints
The Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) – fully supports the human rights complaints filed this week on behalf of First Nation citizens living in what is now Manitoba. Three human rights complaints were filed against the federal government this week alleging systemic discrimination as well as a failure to provide proper services where they were needed for...
May 17, 2021
Forced sterilization in Québec
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...
May 3, 2021
Alberta: Human Rights Strategy
The Alberta Human Rights Commission has released a “draft” Indigenous Human Rights Strategy to reduce systemic racism that Indigenous individuals and communities face in health, education, child welfare, housing, and justice (including policing and corrections) systems. Research, data, and information collected from consultations with key stakeholders indicate that systemic racism—in the health, education, child welfare,...
April 23, 2021
In Plain Sight Report
Budget 2021 invested $45 million over three years to respond to the recommendations of the “In Plain Sight” report on systemic anti-Indigenous racism in the healthcare system: Expand First Nations cultural safety and humility training and Indigenous liaisons within each regional health authority Address systemic racism against Indigenous people in the health care system through...
April 9, 2021
Nurses told to leave First Nation during pandemic
Globe and Mail – For the past two weeks, during a global pandemic, Pikangikum First Nation – a Northern Ontario community of nearly 3,600, located along the Berens River near the Manitoba border – has operated without a fully equipped police service or access to proper medical care…On March 19, Chief Owen and the band...
March 23, 2021
Premier’s racist comment
Sudbury.com – “The member flew in [to] get his vaccine, so thank you for doing that and kind of jumping the line,” Ford said. “I talked to a few chiefs that were pretty upset about that for flying into the community that he doesn’t belong to, but that’s not here nor there.” Premier Doug Ford...
March 2, 2021
Infant mortality and youth suicide
The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth (MACY) and the First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba – submitted a report that discusses “the international and national human rights framework as it relates to structural inequalities and Indigenous children’s right to continuous improvement of health with a particular focus on infant mortality and youth suicide...
February 26, 2021
Death of Joyce Echaquan
Montreal Gazette – Québec Indigenous Affairs Minister Ian Lafrenière, Health Minister Christian Dubé and interim Lanaudière health authority director Caroline Barbir announced along with Atikamekw chief Paul-Émile Ottawa announced the following changes: * the creation of a reconciliation committee * the addition to the health authority’s management of a liaison officer responsible for relations with...
February 11, 2021
Death of Joyce Echaquan
Indigenous Services Canada – Minister of Indigenous Services, the Honourable Marc Miller, highlighted funding of $2 million to the Conseil de la Nation Atikamekw and the Conseil des Atikamekw de Manawan, Joyce’s community, to advance their work and advocacy for the implementation of Joyce’s Principle. With this funding, the Atikamekw, including the community members of...
February 5, 2021
In Plain Sight Report
Toronto Star – Health Minister Adrian Dix provided an update on his government’s progress on implementing the original 24 recommendations. He said his government is providing funding for 32 Indigenous health liaisons in health authorities across the province, of which nine are already in place. It has also ensured that each health authority board has...
February 4, 2021
In Plain Sight: Supplemental Report
Toronto Star – Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond released a supplemental data report Thursday that shows Indigenous people in B.C. are much more likely to feel unsafe in health-care settings, to feel they are never included in care decisions and to feel they receive poorer service than others. “Taken together, these … reports clearly demonstrate the need...
February 3, 2021
Racism in Winnipeg Fire Dept.
Southern Chiefs Organization – SCO is asking Mayor Brian Bowman along with Fire and Paramedic Services Chief, John Lane, and all relevant officials to take immediate disciplinary action as it relates to an incident of systemic racism. City of Winnipeg firefighters ignored repeated requests for help from a paramedic who was trying to administer care...
January 28, 2021
Racism against Indigenous womern
Native Women’s Association of Canada – At a two-day meeting at which the issue of anti-Indigenous racism in Canada’s healthcare systems will be addressed by federal, provincial, and territorial governments as well as representatives of the First Nations, Métis and Inuit, NWAC is not being permitted to give more broadly based opening remarks Wednesday, along...
January 28, 2021
Emergency Meeting on Indigenous Health
Assembly of First Nations – AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde reiterated recommendations and called for urgency in addressing systemic racism in Canada’s health care systems at a two-day virtual meeting with federal, provincial and territorial ministers and Metis and Inuit leaders that ended today. The meeting, convened by Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller, Crown-Indigenous Relations...
January 26, 2021
Toxic environment at Royal BC Museum
The First Nations Leadership Council – FNLC is disturbed by several recent media reports outlining ongoing systemic racism and toxic working conditions within the Royal BC Museum (RBCM), a crown corporation established under the Museum Act (2003). Lucy Bell, former head of the Indigenous Collections and Repatriation department, who, in an outgoing farewell speech noted...
December 15, 2020
Death of Joyce Echaquan
Release of “Racism in Québec: ZERO TOLERANCE. Report of the Groupe d’action contre le racism” by the Québec government that had no Indigenous representation. The Atikamekw nation says the 25 recommendations to counter racism raises more questions than answers. “Concrete proposals were offered in the brief for Joyce’s Principle to achieve changes with an impact...
December 1, 2020
In Plain Sight Report
Toronto Star – The independent investigation – touted as the first complete review of racism in a Canadian health-care system – released its report “In Plain Sight: Addressing Indigenous-specific Racism and Discrimination in B.C. Health Care“. The investigation has found pervasive systemic racism against Indigenous people in this province based on the following findings: Widespread...
December 1, 2020
In Plain Sight Report
Métis Nations of BC is calling on the B.C. government to urgently implement all the recommendations found in Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond’s report…and its 24 recommendations in an expedited timeframe. This includes implementing the recommendation, “that the Ministry of Health establish a structured senior level health relationship table with MNBC, and direct health authorities to enter...
November 16, 2020
Death of Joyce Echaquan – Joyce’s Principle
The Council of the Atikamekw of Manawan (CDAM) and the Council of the Atikamekw Nation (CAN) – have submitted a brief for “Joyce’s Principle” to Francis Legault, the Premier of Québec and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Québec Government has rejected adopting Joyce’s Principle “a call to action and commitment to governments to facilitate the transition...
November 10, 2020
Death of Joyce Echaquan
Québec Government – is investing $3.1M in Joliette “to enable the relocation and enlargement of the Centre d’amitié autochtone de Lanaudière (CAAL), an Indigenous community organization founded in 2001. Its mission is to improve the living conditions of Indigenous people living in or passing through the Joliette region by providing a number of support services, assistance...
November 6, 2020
Death of Joyce Echaquan
The Québec government will invest $15 million to implement targeted actions to enhance cultural safety for members of First Nations and Inuit in the health and social services sector. This announcement follows several calls to action by the Public Inquiry Commission on relations between Indigenous Peoples and certain public services in Québec....
October 16, 2020
Death of Joyce Echaquan
Emergency meeting on racism in Canada’s healthcare system. AFN recommendations to all levels of government: Work directly with First Nations to ensure that Indigenous Peoples feel safe accessing health care services. Quebec needs to work with First Nations to fully implement the Viens Commission Report’s recommendations. Canada must conduct an immediate review of the Canada...
October 16, 2020
Emergency Meeting on Indigenous Health
Emergency meeting on racism in Canada’s healthcare system. AFN recommendations to all levels of government: Work directly with First Nations to ensure that Indigenous Peoples feel safe accessing health care services. Quebec needs to work with First Nations to fully implement the Viens Commission Report’s recommendations. Canada must conduct an immediate review of the Canada...
October 2, 2020
Death of Joyce Echaquan
Québec government announced the launch of a public inquiry under the coroner’s office....
September 30, 2020
Death of Joyce Echaquan
Montreal Gazette – “In her last moments, while tied to a hospital bed, Joyce Echaquan, a 37 year-old Atikamekw woman, pleaded for someone to help her. Instead, a video she recorded shows she received disparaging and condescending remarks — at a time when Québec continues to grapple with the larger question of systemic racism.” The...
August 5, 2020
Interim report on systemic racism at Canadian Human Rights Museum
Canadian Museum for Human Rights has released the interim report of the independent third-party review into allegations of systemic racism and other forms of oppression within the Museum. Harris’ report identifies systemic racism within the Museum which has had a negative physical, emotional and financial impact on employees who are Black, Indigenous or People of...
July 9, 2020
In Plain Sight Report
Government of BC – An independent investigation into Indigenous-specific racism in British Columbia’s health care system was launched today by former judge and provincial child advocate Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond. Appointed by Health Minister Adrian Dix on June 19 after highly disturbing allegations of racism in B.C. Emergency rooms came to light, Turpel-Lafond has now assembled...
June 19, 2020
In Plain Sight Report
NationTalk – First Nations, Métis and Inuit patients seeking emergency medical services in British Columbia are often assumed to be intoxicated and denied medical assessments, contributing to worsening health conditions resulting in unnecessary harm or death. This is according to information obtained by Métis Nation BC and the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres. Additionally,...
May 13, 2020
Premier Pallister ignores Métis and First Nations contribution to Manitoba History
Premier Pallister missed a golden opportunity to advance reconciliation by deliberately choosing to ignore the contribution of the Métis and First Nations peoples to the founding of Manitoba and its entry into the newly formed confederation of Canada. “Manitoba” derived from the Cree, Ojibwe or Assiniboine languages means “straits of Manitou, the Great Spirit”. (Canadian...
February 5, 2020
OHRC claims discrimination in accessing health services in Timmins
Timmins The Daily Press – On the second anniversary of the deaths of Joey Knapaysweet and Agnes Sutherland, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) announced it has filed an application with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) alleging discrimination based on Indigenous ancestry by public service providers in Timmins, Ontario. The February 2018 deaths...
December 17, 2019
Environment and Health
Canada’s National Observer – Repeated failure by government authorities to conduct a comprehensive baseline health study as recommended by the Alberta Cancer Board (supported by the province’s governing health authority, Alberta Health Services) in 2009. In Fort Chipewyan a community of roughly 1,200 people, the study found, you would expect to see 39 cases of...
November 9, 2019
Coroner investigating systemic racism at Thunder Bay Hospital
Toronto Star – A 19-year old First Nations man taken to the hospital by ambulance in obvious distress was escorted off the hospital property three hours later by security staff. Apparently, escorting Indigenous people who are seeking medical care off of hospital property is common practice. The would be patient ultimately committed suicide at a...
December 10, 2018
Forced Sterilizations
72 organizations endorse the joint statement from Amnesty International Canada, the Native Women’s Association of Canada, and Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, calling for government action to #DefendConsent and end #ForcedSterilization of Indigenous women in Canada Canadian Press – All the women interviewed felt that the health system had not served their needs,...
November 22, 2018
Call for national investigation into forced sterilizations
Senator Murray Sinclair, former Chair of the TRC, says Canada needs a national investigation to find out how common coerced sterilizations are among Indigenous women and how they’ve been allowed to continue for so long. http://nationtalk.ca/story/usw-joint-statement-calling-on-canada-to-end-sterilization-without-consent...
September 17, 2017
Ignored to death: Brian Sinclair’s death caused by racism, inquest inadequate, group says
Brian Sinclair, 45, was found dead in Health Sciences Centre ER 34 hours after arriving without being treated CBC: A group of doctors and academics from across Canada say an Indigenous man who died while waiting for care in a Winnipeg emergency room in 2008 was killed by racism, and say the subsequent inquest into his...
September 15, 2017
Death of Brian Sinclair
CBC – Brian Sinclair was killed by racism on Sept. 21, 2008. He was ignored for 34 hours, despite his need for urgent medical care, because medical professionals made negative assumptions about him based solely on his appearance. Anti-Indigenous bias is an endemic problem in Canadian health care: The hospital authority denied that stereotyping had...
July 22, 2017
Forced Sterilizations in Saskatoon hospitals
CBC – Indigenous women were coerced into having a tubal ligation in Saskatoon hospitals while still in labour. A class action lawsuit was initiated on October 5, 2017 by two affected women in the Saskatoon Health Region. Now about 60 women are part of the lawsuit. CBC – Nov. 18, 2018 – Authorities should very...