The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating effects on the already fragile Indigenous economy, making the Indigenous economic recovery that much more important. Gaming – including Indigenous-owned casinos – plays a significant role in Indigenous economies, especially...
Years ago, I was given a great opportunity to be the lead reporter and do the editing work for a national Indigenous newspaper based in Winnipeg. It was called the Drum/First Perspective newspaper and it covered Indigenous news in Manitoba and around Canada. The paper...
It’s easy to forget that at the beginning of the year, Canada was right in the middle of another crisis triggered by a series of protests over a natural gas pipeline being built through northern B.C. The issue of Indigenous reconciliation was front and centre in our...
There’s a television series called First Contact that’s put out by the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, and recently broadcast by TV Ontario. The series takes a few people who have had little or no contact with Indigenous people on a tour of Indigenous...
The recent unhappy news that Canadian taxpayers will soon be at least partially bailing out the government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the owners of Nalcor, which is completing the massively over-budget and behind-schedule Muskrat Falls power plant, may be the least...
When Artur Pawlowski came to Canada in 1995, he did not think it would turn out as it has. The pastor of Calgary’s Street Church, famous for his confrontations with police, says Canada looks too much like the Communist Poland he grew up in. “I grew up seeing police...
With the recent implementation of the First Nations Financial Transparency Act (FNFTA), this may be an excellent opportunity to raise another issue of contention—that of First Nations taxation. If First Nations governments were to tax their reserve base and...
The resignation earlier this year of Shawn Atleo as National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations strongly confirmed the need for reform of this important organization. Internal divisions are preventing the AFN from being as effective as it should be. First Nations...
The First Nations Financial Transparency Act, which was passed by parliament in 2013, helps band members take steps to improve the governance of their communities. It requires the Chief and Council to post audited financial statements including their salaries and...
Early last week was the deadline for First Nations to comply with the divisive First Nations Financial Transparency Act (FNFTA). The FNFTA requires First Nations all over Canada to post their audited financial statements and the salaries and benefits of elected...
The post-Shawn Atleo Aboriginal landscape is a perfect opportunity for Ottawa to embark on some bold new First Nations policy. Finally introducing a First Nations Property Ownership Act would certainly count as a bold move. In 2011, the federal government announced...
Originally appeared in the Winnipeg Sun. Does the type of First Nation treaty negotiated with the federal government make a difference? Is there any advantage in signing a modern treaty today as opposed to having a historic Numbered Treaty, as in the case of Manitoba?...
It truly is a sad day when a sitting national chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) feels he must resign from his position. This brings an end to the career of a national chief who has distinguished himself as being diplomatic and conciliatory in his approach...
Custom band elections on First Nations are difficult for many Canadians to understand. Recently, the Garden Hill First Nation in Manitoba adopted new election rules that prevent anyone under the age of 50 from running for chief, and anyone under the age of 40 from...
Custom band elections are more difficult to understand than most Canadians realize. Take for instance Garden Hill First Nation in Manitoba, located 300 kilometres southeast of Thompson. Recently, the First Nation adopted rules preventing anyone under 50 from running...