Wendake, le 13 septembre 2020 – L’Assemblée des Premières Nations Québec-Labrador (APNQL) souhaite souligner, comme elle le fait chaque 13 septembre, l’anniversaire de l’adoption par l’Assemblée générale des Nations Unies de la Déclaration reconnaissant et affirmant les droits des peuples autochtones.
Nous ne pouvons pas réécrire l’histoire, mais nous avons le devoir d’essayer au moins de la comprendre et de ne pas répéter les injustices historiques. La Déclaration peut nous aider tous à le faire, elle a une valeur indéniable. Par exemple, lorsque le premier ministre François Legault déclare que son gouvernement est réticent à reconnaître la Déclaration parce qu’il craint de “donner” aux Premières Nations un droit de veto sur le développement économique du Québec, il se trompe. Il ne s’agit pas de donner des droits, mais plutôt de reconnaître des droits préexistants, de cesser de les nier, et de chercher avec les Premières Nations des solutions qui profitent à tous. C’est ce que confirme la Déclaration.
L’APNQL lancera bientôt une invitation à tous les Québécois et à toutes les institutions à s’engager avec les Premières Nations dans la lutte contre le racisme et la discrimination. Le plan d’action que nous proposerons fera largement appel à la Déclaration, à sa diffusion et à l’adhésion des municipalités et institutions québécoises.
La Déclaration est un formidable outil de progrès, de rapprochement et de réconciliation. À l’anniversaire de son adoption, l’APNQL invite tous et chacun à en apprendre davantage sur la Déclaration afin qu’ils comprennent pourquoi il est si important pour les gouvernements de s’engager à ses principes.
À propos de l’APNQL L’Assemblée des Premières Nations Québec-Labrador est l’organisme régional politique qui regroupe 43 chefs des Premières Nations au Québec et au Labrador. Suivez l’APNQL sur Twitter @APNQL.
Wendake, September 13, 2020 – The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL) wishes to mark, as it does every September 13, the anniversary of the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the Declaration recognizing and affirming the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
We cannot rewrite history, but we have a duty to at least try to understand it and not repeat historical injustices. The Declaration can help all of us do this, it has an undeniable value. For example, when Premier François Legault states that his government is reluctant to recognize the Declaration because it is afraid of “giving” First Nations a veto over Quebec’s economic development, he is wrong. It is not about giving rights, but rather recognizing pre-existing rights, stop denying them, and finding solutions with First Nations that benefit everyone. This is what the Declaration is about.
The AFNQL will soon launch an invitation to all Quebecers and institutions to engage with First Nations in the fight against racism and discrimination. The action plan that we will propose will be inspired by the spirit of the Declaration and will call on the support of Quebec municipalities and institutions.
The Declaration is a formidable tool for progress, rapprochement and reconciliation. On the anniversary of its adoption, the AFNQL invites everyone to learn more about the Declaration so they can understand why it is important for governments to commit to its principles. About the AFNQL The Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador is the political organization regrouping 43 Chiefs of the First Nations in Quebec and Labrador. Follow us on Twitter @APNQL
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan: The Métis Nation – Saskatchewan (“MN-S”) has filed a claim against NexGen Energy Ltd. (“NexGen”) (TSX: NXE; NYSE MKT: NXE) in the Court of Queen’s Bench for Saskatchewan stating that NexGen is in breach of its obligations under the Study Agreement that was signed between NexGen and MN-S (including on behalf of the Locals of MN-S Northern Region II). MN-S efforts are being led by MN-S Northern Region II leadership, with the full support of MN-S President Glen McCallum and the MN-S executive.
MN-S is seeking from the Court: a declaration that NexGen is in breach of its obligations to negotiate an Impact Benefit Agreement (“IBA”) with MN-S in good faith and on a best efforts basis; an interlocutory injunction restraining NexGen from filing its draft environmental impact statement in respect of the Rook 1 Project (the “Project”); damages; and costs.
The Project is located within the heart of MN-S Northern Region II and the Métis Northwest Land Claim. Métis people represent a majority or near-majority of the potentially impacted population. In 2018, Canada agreed to a process to address the Northwest Land Claim.
MN-S and MN-S Northern Region II leadership are concerned that the Project will have significant and long-lasting impacts on Métis communities, Métis lands, and Métis rights and culture, particularly in MN-S Northern Region II.
Leonard Montgrand, Regional Director of MN-S Northern Region II, stated:
“We are concerned that NexGen is moving ahead with the Project without first meeting its obligations under the Study Agreement.
The Project is going to be huge and will impact our communities, culture, lands and rights for generations, and in ways we will not know or understand for years to come. It will also strip away a key resource from the Northwest Claim and leave a hazardous
legacy. NexGen’s commitments to negotiate an IBA under the Study Agreement provided an opportunity for us to work together for mutual benefit, and in a way that would respect, protect and advance Métis rights and interests and the health and wellbeing of the communities in MN-S Northern Region II.
We are disappointed by NexGen’s behaviour and how things have worked out. I was particularly upset when they refused to meet with us if we had counsel or advisors present. That type of attitude is offensive, paternalistic and has no place in 2020. Given no other option, we agreed to meet on these troubling terms, since we believed it was critically important that they understand how the Project will impact our lands, communities, and rights. That meeting, and the events around it, further reinforced our concerns with NexGen’s behaviour to- date.
We are asking the Court to prevent NexGen from making its regulatory filings until it has met its Study Agreement obligations.”
MN-S President Glen McCallum stated:
“The Study Agreement provides a pathway to protect and advance the rights and interests of Métis in MN-S Northern Region II and to find opportunities to collaborate through a potentially long and challenging regulatory process. NexGen’s behaviour to- date raises serious concerns as to whether those objectives and opportunities can still be achieved.
MN-S is committed to protecting Métis rights, interests, and lands in Saskatchewan, and ensuring governments and proponents live up to their promises. The rights and concerns of Saskatchewan Métis have been marginalized for too long. The Government of Saskatchewan has encouraged this approach through its unconstitutional 2010 First Nation and Métis Consultation Policy Framework, which discourages or outrightly rejects consideration of Métis rights-based concerns. This must, and will, change.”
The Project will be subjected to an environmental assessment conducted by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, a federal agency. In 2019, MN-S and the Government of Canada signed the “Metis Government Recognition and Self-Government Agreement”, which, among other things, recognizes that MN-S is mandated to represent the Métis of Saskatchewan.
(Ottawa, ON) – National Chief Perry Bellegarde of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) welcomes today’s release of a study by the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy (IFSD) that outlines an effective and fair bottom-up approach to funding First Nations child and family services.
“How First Nations child and family services are funded will have a direct effect on Canada’s promise to bring change to the tragedy faced by tens of thousands of First Nations children in government care and their families. This report by the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy outlines a bottom-up approach towards understanding the needs of First Nations children and families, and how to fund the services that support them, that puts the well-being of the child at the forefront,” National Chief Bellegarde said. “This study will form the baseline of the AFN’s advocacy to Ministers when it comes to improving child and family well-being and affirming First Nations authority over the social programs that support their families.”
A requisite of An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families (the Act) is to determine funding alternatives that address long term positive outcomes and substantive equality for First Nations children and families. In alignment with the Act, the new IFSD model also encourages First Nations child and family services agencies to focus on early intervention and prevention services.
As an expert on government funding and policies, the IFSD was asked by the AFN and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society to define a new funding approach and implementation plan for First Nations child and family services. The IFSD released Phase 1 of its research in 2019, identifying the real needs that First Nations child and family services agencies have and analyzing the costs of addressing these needs.
The IFSD’s research highlights that increased support in prevention services will not only reduce the number of First Nations children in care now, but will support long-term positive life outcomes of First Nations, including improving education and employment outcomes. The IFSD’s model measures what First Nations children, families and communities need to thrive, including connection to culture, community engagement and education. This is a marked shift from the current practice based on the number of children in care, which incentivizes the placement of children into care.
AFN Regional Chief for Manitoba, Kevin Hart, said the proposed funding approach also addresses the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal’s orders on long term reform and the need for a funding model that replaces Indigenous Services Canada’s (ISC) discriminatory funding practices.
“Today’s report is the culmination of decades of work of Elders, experts and First Nations leadership who have pushed for better futures for our children,” said Manitoba Regional Chief Kevin Hart, who holds the Social Development portfolio at the AFN. “First Nations children have been subjected to a discriminatory child and family services system for generations. I look forward to taking this report to Canada as the pathway to supporting First Nations children and families to thrive.”
11 August 2020 – On Friday 11 September, Celebration of Nations will begin virtually with a profound short film entitled Starbornthat captures the essence of our current existence. Delivered in the form of an Elder’s observation with a gentle but firm admonition, this remarkable short film by ally Olivia Mater will provide a compelling start to this year’s gathering as well as a reckoning of human responsibility to the land and to one another.
“The situation humanity currently finds itself in — living under a confluence of conditions that when considered together are unprecedented — has been both challenging and unnerving. Not only is a microorganism reaping souls at an alarming rate, but our global ecosystem, like Canada’s last Arctic ice shelf, is collapsing,” says Tim Johnson, Celebration of Nation’s Artistic Producer.“All of these problems have been preventable or treatable were the collective intelligence of wise and principled peoples applied to the creation and implementation of practical solutions. We felt that to treat this year’s gathering without applying serious thought and context would have been irresponsible and inconsistent with our teachings.”
Celebration of Nations will take place virtually from 11 – 13 September in a continued commitment to supporting the vital voices of the creative and intellectual community.
“Since COVID-19 broke this past March we have learned a lot of things about ourselves and about how necessary the arts are to maintaining healthy minds and hearts,” said Michele-Elise Burnett, Celebration of Nation’s Artistic Director. “Artists are often at the forefront of speaking truth to power while also providing purpose for humans to gather and fulfill our ancient and ingrained need for contact, socialization, intellectual engagement, and expression.”
The virtual program will feature a livestreamed performance from Six Nations of the Grand River of Blood Water Earth by renowned Indigenous creator Santee Smith of Kaha:wi Dance Theatre. Music also continues to remain a vital component of Celebration of Nations this year as 2020 Indigenous JUNO Award winners LeE HARVey OsMOND (aka Tom Wilson), Celeigh Cardinal and 2020 Polaris Music Prize shortlisted artist Lido Pimienta are set to share livestream performances.
“When we were reviewing the Indigenous music scene to curate this year’s concert, we never could have predicted the outcome,” said Tim Johnson. “By serendipity, good fortune, and perhaps a little skill our two choices both ended up winning 2020 JUNO Awards! Celeigh Cardinal won for Indigenous Artist of the Year and Lee Harvey Osmond won for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year. Their music is some of the most compelling to be found anywhere in the world, showcasing once again that Indigenous artists continue to influence and shape popular music and culture.”
The theme for this year’s Celebration of Nations is Mighty Niagara and the Great Lakes Watershed. To address this theme a range of intellectual and artistic programs have been curated. Renowned Mohawk Elder and Midwife Katsi Cook will present on environments of meaning where concepts of reproduction of body, culture, and ecosystem health intersect. Rob MacDonald and Martin Cooper of Archaeological Services Inc. will explore the Niagara landscape through the lens of archaeological evidence revealing in detail Indigenous inhabitation in the Niagara Peninsula reaching back 13,000 years. A team of professionals from the Niagara Parks Commission and the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority will give a presentation on environmental challenges and stewardship responsibilities along the Niagara River and its tributaries. Victoria Poet Laureate Janet Rogers returns to curate the Empathic Poetry Café with a group of creative and vocally expressive Indigenous writers.
This year’s Her Moccasins Talk panel discussion will focus on the health and well-being of our waters. The panel, composed of inspirational and visionary women, including celebrated artistic luminaries Christi Belcourt, Angela DeMontigny and Santee Smith, will share traditional insights on the relationships and bonds humans have with the living earth and the inescapable consequences of natural law.
In addition, this year’s Celebration of Nations will introduce the Indigenous Niagara Living Museum Tour, an online experience that will transport visitors to several significant cultural and historical Indigenous locations within the region. From archaeological sites, ancient geologic landmarks, and unique ecosystems, to amazing art installations, important battlegrounds, and Niagara Falls itself, visitors will have the opportunity to follow Niagara’s Indigenous trails in search of knowledge and adventure.
Celebration of Nations is proud to also feature One Dish, One Mic, a dynamic duo and Canadian Journalism Foundation and CBC Journalism Fellowship Award winners Karl Dockstader and Sean Vanderklis. The virtual edition will also feature Teepee or not Teepee, the latest media project of CBC featured Anishinaabe comedian, writer, actor and media maker Ryan McMahon.
For more information on programming, visit celebrationofnations.ca. Additional programming to be announced in coming weeks!
Celebration of Nations is part of a long-term vision of the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, Kakekalanicks and the City of St. Catharines to build on the Two Row Wampum that promotes all Nations walking together, in parallel, with respect, compassion and understanding to cultivate an inclusive community for our shared future. It is intended to provide opportunities for national and international visitors to actively participate in an inclusive and engaging community gathering that will foster a greater sense of belonging, support meaningful reconciliation, and leave a lasting legacy of goodwill for future generations.
For additional information, please contact:
Jordy Yack, Communications Coordinator at FirstOntario PAC
jyack@stcatharines.ca // 905-688-5601 x 3614
Kakekalanicks’ mission is to promote Indigenous art and artists to broad-based audiences and acts to educate the public about the deep-rooted beauty and uniqueness of each Nation’s culture, heritage, and traditions through the medium of the Arts.
The FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre is located downtown St. Catharines, Ontario on the shared traditional lands of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the Neutral Peoples and many other Indigenous people from across Turtle Island. We offer our sincere gratitude and respect to the original and continued stewards of this land. We also acknowledge Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, and 2SLGBTQQAI+ that have been marginalized for centuries and more – and our collective responsibility to take action for a better world free from oppression, discrimination and racism.
The FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre acknowledges the Department of Canadian Heritage, the province of Ontario, the City of St. Catharines and our longtime partnership with Brock University for their ongoing support of Celebration of Nations.
OTTAWA – The head of the national organization that represents Indigenous women in Canada says the Covid-19 pandemic will not stop the annual vigil for the thousands of First Nations, Métis and Inuit women who have been murdered in this country.
Lorraine Whitman, President of the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC), says the event honouring the dead and missing will go ahead on October 4, as it has for the past 15 years, but the ceremony will be conducted online to ensure the safety of participants.
“We have to recognize the knowledge of our sisters, our mothers, our grandmothers who have told us that those we have lost cannot be forgotten,” Ms. Whitman said. “We need to be able to support the families of those who have been taken from us and to let them know that that we will continue to do that even though we are in a pandemic. We are not going to forget them.”
The Sisters In Spirit Vigil, which was first held 2005, began as way to draw attention to the disproportionately high number of Indigenous women and girls who are murdered or go missing in Canada. Last year, it was held in more than 100 communities across the country.
In Ottawa, the vigil has previously been marked with a march through the downtown streets followed by a gathering on Parliament Hill. This year, however, it will take the form of a webcast that will begin at 2 pm EDT and will be broadcast on the NWAC website and on Facebook.
Ms. Whitman will emcee, but the main speakers will be family members, from all corners of Canada, who have lost loved ones.
Those watching the vigil from the safety of their homes or community centres will be asked to light one candle during the event, and then another after sundown that night, to honour the lives that have been taken.
Ms. Whitman has spent much time over the summer consoling mothers and other relatives of recent victims of the tragedy that the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls determined to be genocide.
“Their grief is raw and their tears are many,” she said. “The webcast may actually allow us to reach more people than have been able to participate in previous years, and it will let the families know there is someone in every corner of Canada to help them.”
NWAC raised concerns when the federal government failed in June to keep a commitment to release a National Action Plan for meeting the Calls for Justice of the National Inquiry that would have mapped a strategy for ending the violence.
The organization had provided Ottawa with a list of actions, based on consultations with its grassroots members that could have been the basis of such a plan. It is now forming a committee of Indigenous experts and leaders to provide additional input in the hope that a plan can soon be tabled.
“Until governments take strong and decisive action, the killing will continue,” said Ms. Whitman. “It truly saddens me that we are still having these vigils because our women and girls are still being murdered and disappearing,” she said. “It breaks my heart to know this is continuing. That is why we had the National Inquiry. Why is this still happening?”
The Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK) wishes to issue the following statement about the municipality of Oka’s attempt to turn Kanesatake’s stolen ancestral lands, situated in the Pines, into a Provincial Heritage site without the free, prior and informed consent of the people of Kanesatake.
We share this communication sent out by the municipality of Oka about Shateionkwáwen (common lands) which if Oka gets its wishes, will be passed on to the Province in order to make our lands into a provincial heritage site.
The municipality, not being a constitutional body, has NO right to give away our ancestral title. As a matter of fact, NO constitutional body has a right to give away our ancestral title without the free, prior and informed consent of the community as a whole.
Shateionkwáwen is, since time immemorial, Mohawk ancestral territory and Oka will not keep us from exercising our rightful title. Shateionkwáwen is our heritage by treaty and by historical right, which is also supported by international law.
MCK’s interpretation is that this is another attempt by the municipality of Oka to prevent MCK and Kanesatake from repatriating our stolen land.
The community was neither consulted nor informed by Oka on the matter, and the people did not give its consent. MCK will fight for the rights of the people of Kanesatake.
In 2020, a supposed time of reconciliation, less than a week after John A. Macdonald’s statue was taken down and beheaded, we are appalled that such policies take precedent over the inherent rights of our people.
Rest assured that MCK will not let Oka undermine our historical title, this matter will not go unchallenged, and we will bring our historical constitutional grievances to the attention of Federal and provincial governments.
TORONTO, Sept. 4, 2020 /CNW/ —The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) and Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the Ontario Provincial Police’s decision to arrest and lay charges against an award-winning Indigenous journalist.
On September 2, Karl Dockstader, the co-recipient of the 2020 CJF-CBC Indigenous Journalism Fellowship, was arrested and charged with mischief, and failure to comply with a court order. Dockstader was covering a land dispute between members of Six Nations, the band council, and a development company, on land known as the Haldimand Tract. The arrest bans him from the site under threat of more charges.
“The OPP are well aware that journalists have an established constitutional right to be present and cover matters of public interest,” said Brent Jolly, CAJ president. “Attempting to prevent a journalist from documenting a moment of contentious action is impermissible in a country like Canada. Journalism can never be silenced.”
“It is particularly disappointing at this time to see another police force not only exceeding its powers, but undermining the efforts of Canadians and their governments to pursue reconciliation with our First Peoples,” said Phil Tunley, CJFE president.This arrest marks the third time in recent years police have attempted to lay charges against journalists for covering land conflicts between Indigenous people and the Crown.
In March 2020, independent filmmaker Melissa Cox was arrested while covering a land dispute related to the Wet’suwet’en territory, at a railway blockade in New Hazelton, B.C. Charges of mischief and trespassing were thrown out of court last month.
As well, in 2016, civil and criminal charges were laid against reporter Justin Brake, whilst he was reporting on Indigenous opposition to a construction project, on Crown land, at Muskrat Falls.
In 2019, the Newfoundland and Labrador Court of Appeal issued a landmark decision that reaffirmed that special considerations apply to journalists working in good faith and reporting on matters in the public interest—even when an injunction is in place, or events occur on private property. The case also recognized the significant role the media must play in reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
Docktstader has been reporting on the dispute most of the summer, filing two reports for the podcast network Canadaland, and multiple reports for the podcast One Dish, One Mic which airs on AM 610 CKTB. Docktstader co-hosts the podcast with Sean VanderKlis.
The CAJ is Canada’s largest national professional organization for journalists from all media, representing more than 700 members across the country. The CAJ’s primary roles are to provide high-quality professional development for its members and public-interest advocacy.
CJFE monitors, defends and reports on free expression and access to information in Canada and abroad. Rooted in the field of journalism, we promote a free media as essential to a fair and open society. CJFE boldly champions the free expression rights of all people, and encourages and supports individuals and groups in the protection of their own and others’ free expression rights.
(Ottawa, ON) – It is with great sadness that Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Perry Bellegarde extends his condolences to the loved ones of Elder Stephen Frost Sr. and all those who were taught by his stories and example.
“It is always tragic when family and friends lose an Elder, but a man like Stephen Frost Sr. had an impact that reached farther than most,” said AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde. “A Vuntut Gwitchin storyteller, historian, dog team racer and trapper, Mr. Frost was an ambassador for the Yukon. In his later years, he loudly warned about Climate Change and the changes that someone who lived as close to the land as he has experienced and witnessed. Mr. Frost is preceded by his wife and the mother of his 11 children, Ethel Frost, who was also a leader within the community and a person of great influence. Old Crow has lost a great and well-loved man. Please know, there are many who share in your sorrow.”
Growing up, Mr. Frost lived largely in the Bluefish River area, but moved to Old Crow, YK, when it was time for he and his wife to raise their children. He truly enjoyed being on the land and was a champion dog team racer and a trapper. In his later years, he loved to share stories from Vuntut Gwitchin history and culture.
Yukon Regional Chief Kluane Adamek also sends her thoughts and condolences to Mr. Frost’s loved ones.
“We stand with the Frost family, Vuntut Gwitchin, Gwitchin Nation, and friends of the late Stephen Frost Sr. as we mourn the loss of a great leader, said Regional Chief Adamek.
“He was a truly extraordinary man who led a remarkable life. He lived through many world changes, but throughout this time he remained steadfast in his commitment to climate action and the protection of the porcupine caribou herd, and Gwitchin culture and way of life. His commitments and actions had a profound impact on his people, and so many of us who live in the North. I will continue to cherish these memories, but what I will miss most of all is his openness and kindness – taking the time to welcome people with a smile and visit over a cup of tea. Mahsi Cho to the Frost family for sharing this special person with us.”
(Ottawa, ON) – Today, the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is releasing a Nanos poll that shows support for the direction of the AFN’s advocacy and that Canadians give First Nations issues high priority, including supporting improvements in social and economic outcomes. AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde is encouraged by the poll’s numbers.
“These figures prove that most Canadians understand that First Nations need better infrastructure and services to build healthier families; that more resources are needed to better link First Nations to Canada’s economy; and that the United Nations’ Declaration on Indigenous Peoples presents a path towards a better relationship. Almost 80 per cent of Canadians polled say Governments must continue to move forward on First Nations issues because First Nations issues are also a priority for Canadians. This is incredibly encouraging,” said National Chief Bellegarde.
In April 2020, Nanos Research conducted polling for the AFN, surveying 1021 Canadians, 18 years of age or older through both telephone and online surveys. Canadians were asked their views on the relative importance of First Nations issues, and for opinions on the environment, languages, education, economic development, housing, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and lands and treaties.
In general, the figures show governments must continue to move forward on First Nations issues as First Nations issues are also a priority for Canadians. When asked, 79 per cent of Canadians support First Nations issues as a priority for Canada, this opinion was strong even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Canadians are twice as likely to say Canada is doing a better job at addressing Indigenous issues now, as compared to 2015.
