Part 1 - Current Problems and Issues was posted on Nov. 13, 2020 Is the fact that so much is happening with Indigenous issues an indication that reconciliation is working or does all the activity indicate that reconciliation has gone off the rails? Putting aside for a moment the 53% of updates flagged as "Current... Continue Reading →
Indigenous Watchdog Status Update: Nov. 9, 2020 Part 1 – Current Problems and Issues
"Part 2 Status Updates - Calls to Actions" will be released on the weekend Indigenous Watchdog was officially launched on Feb. 25, 2020. Since then there have been 4 Status Update reports that have identified and documented 277 specific updates across all "Themes" and "Calls to Action". Of those, the greatest percentage (52%) have to... Continue Reading →
Why doesn’t the “Rule of Law” protect the Sipekne’katik First Nation?
We cannot have reconciliation until the extinguishment policy is off the table and our Aboriginal title and treaty rights are recognized, affirmed and implemented by Canada and the provinces. Not only in the Constitution but also on the ground. 1 Arthur Manuel. "Unsettling Canada: A National Wake-up Call." On the one hand, you have violent... Continue Reading →
How does systemic racism undermine Indigenous health?
First, let's start with the following facts: $8,400 vs $18,178. That’s the per capita gap between First Nations and other Canadians in federal, provincial and municipal spending for programs and services1First Nations fall between 63rd and 78th vs Canada between 6th and 12th on the UN Human Development Index. The federal government’s Community Well-Being Index... Continue Reading →
Is the UN Declaration dead or more to the point – has it ever been alive?
“The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples” (UNDRIP) is an international instrument adopted by the United Nations on September 13, 2007, to enshrine the rights that “constitute the minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of the indigenous peoples of the world.” All four countries initially opposed (Canada, United States, Australia... Continue Reading →
August 17, 2020 Updates to Indigenous Watchdog
What the hell is happening with Reconciliation? Indigenous Watchdog was launched on Feb. 25, 2020 primarily to track progress on the 94 Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action. In the past six months, that progress was delivered roughly every two months via three updates documenting a total of 153 specific actions as follows: SectionsApril 21June... Continue Reading →
Can Indigenous Leadership Help Save the Environment?
Indigenous people currently manage or have tenure on 40% of the world’s protected areas and remaining intact ecosystems. The deep connection to land and water that characterizes Indigenous cultures around the world suggests a natural alliance with conservationists working to protect those places. Mongabay. James Dinneen. Jan. 23, 2020 First Nations, Métis and Inuit people... Continue Reading →
June 15, 2020 Updates to Indigenous Watchdog
The June 15, 2020 Indigenous Watchdog update documents 49 actions across 10 Legacy and Reconciliation Themes and 15 Calls to Action since April 21, 2020 – seven weeks - that among other things should open Canadian's eyes to the following: COVID-19 and the recent killings of Indigenous people by police confirm how pervasive systemic racism... Continue Reading →
How much is an “Indian” life worth? Apparently, not very much.
What do the following Indigenous communities all have in common? Grassy NarrowsNorthwest Angle 33 First NationAamjiwnaang First NationMuskrat FallsAthabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Mikisew Cree First Nation,Kashetchewan etc. etc. etc. Decades of fighting the federal and provincial governments to address ongoing health issues "plaguing" Indigenous people across the country, going back to the founding - or... Continue Reading →
Is $46M COVID-19 funding enough for roughly 732,000 urban Indigenous people?
The most recent census in 2016 counted 1.67 million Indigenous people in Canada, or 4.9% of the total population. Almost half (44%) of the Indigenous population—representing 731,480 First Nations, Métis and Inuit people —lived in one of 49 urban areas large enough to be divided into neighbourhoods (or census tracts): 51% identified as First Nations (373,055)45% as Métis (329,166) 1% as Inuit (7,315)... Continue Reading →