Canada

Two Articles from Canada This Past Week

Kate Fort

The Macleans article on racism in Winnipeg.

For decades, the friendly Prairie city has been known for its smiling, lefty premiers, pacifist, Mennonite writers and a love affair with the Jets. Licence plates here bear the tag “Friendly Manitoba.” But events of last fall served to expose a darker reality. The Manitoba capital is deeply divided along ethnic lines. It manifestly does not provide equal opportunity for Aboriginals. And it is quickly becoming known for the subhuman treatment of its First Nations citizens, who suffer daily indignities and appalling violence. Winnipeg is arguably becoming Canada’s most racist city.

And a palate cleanser–

Young Indigenous Leaders to Watch (CBC)

We’re just a couple weeks into 2015 and already we’re catching wind of some young indigenous folks making great strides this year. They’re community organizers, big thinkers and creative types. We’ll be watching these movers and shakers and others just like them in the coming year.

So if you’re wavering on New Year’s resolutions, looking for some inspiration, or seeking some dynamic people to follow on Twitter, read on.

APTN Report on Number of Native Kids in Care in Canada

Kate Fort

The numbers are mind boggling, to say the least. Here.

Over 5,000 Aboriginal children are in care of the province of Alberta. They represent nearly 70 per cent of kids.

The number grows to 5,600 Aboriginal children in Saskatchewan or 83 per cent of all kids in care.

But it’s Manitoba that has the highest numbers.

More than 10,000 Aboriginal children, 87 per cent, are under the care of the province.

Report on Child Welfare from the Manitoba Chiefs Association

Kate Fort1 Comment

Article here.

Report  here

Short Video on the Recent Tar Sands Healing Walk

Kate Fort

Report of Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Indigenous Peoples in Canada

Kate Fort

Here (weblink) and here (pdf).

80. But despite positive steps, daunting challenges remain. Canada faces a continuing crisis when it comes to the situation of indigenous peoples of the country. The well-being gap between aboriginal and non-aboriginal people in Canada has not narrowed over the last several years, treaty and aboriginals claims remain persistently unresolved, indigenous women and girls remain vulnerable to abuse, and overall there appear to be high levels of distrust among indigenous peoples toward government at both the federal and provincial levels.

New Reports on Energy Resource Development and First Nations Communities in Canada

Victoria Sweet

Anyone who has been watching the news out of Canada is aware that numerous clashes have occurred between First Nations communities and various energy development companies. H/T to a post by First Peoples Worldwide for providing links to two reports released in December 2013 that are specifically about First Nations and resource extraction.

Report one was produced by The Charrette on Energy, Environment and Aboriginal Issues, comprised of a group of 21 leaders from First Nations, the extractive industry, the financial industry, environmental groups, and the Canadian government. The report begins with this quote:

We believe that the responsible development of our energy resources presents a substantial opportunity for Canada; however, virtually all proposed energy resource developments are mired in conflict which threatens that opportunity. We sense a growing frustration with this situation among industry, Aboriginal peoples, the environmental community and Canadians at large. We believe that we are all here to stay and it is imperative that we identify and build on the common ground that exists among us — or the current and future benefits that accrue to Canadians from all forms of energy resource development will be at risk.

Our desire is to change the substance, nature and tone of debates over energy resource development in Canada. We are inspired by the increasing number of innovative approaches being employed across Canada to avert or resolve conflicts or share benefits. Many of these are created outside of the regulatory process by people of goodwill who are trying to secure mutual benefits from energy resource development. It is these types of initiatives which we hope will define the future of energy resource development in Canada.

The report goes on to lay out some of the interests of industry, aboriginal peoples, and environmentalists and proposes some ways to reconcile these varied interests.

Report two was produced by The Fraser Institute. The executive summary of this report says:

It has been estimated that, over the next decade, more than 600 major resource projects, worth approximately $650 billion, are planned for Canada, and First Nations communities have a unique opportunity to benefit from these developments. As this study demonstrates, every oil and gas project currently proposed in western Canada implicates at least one First Nations community, giving them an opportunity to increase employment and eco- nomic prosperity through collaboration in energy development. . . .

Current unemployment rates in First Nations communities suggest that this group has much to gain from development in the energy sector. While the national unemployment rate is 7.1 percent, the unemployment rate for First Nations reserves is a staggering 23 percent. Unemployment rates are particu- larly high (20 percent to over 42 percent) in First Nations communities that are located in areas identified for oil and gas development.

The unique combination of population density in remote, resource-rich areas, a growing and young population, and a high level of unemployment places the First Nations in a unique position to benefit from energy develop- ment in Canada.

The report then goes on to document the geographic locations of First Nations communities close to proposed extractive development projects, unemployment rates, median ages within First Nations communities and the opportunities that this group believes energy resource development projects will bring to the communities.

These reports are important reading for anyone wanting to understand the current conversations going on within Canada regarding energy resource development and First Nations/Aboriginal communities. Like their conclusions or hate them, it is clear that industry and governmental leaders alike are recognizing that extractive industry development cannot move forward without more attention paid to the wishes and needs of these communities.

A question often comes to mind when reading about this issue – what happens if after all of the consultations and discussions and attempts to come to a compromise, a community still says no? What if it doesn’t care about the monetary benefits that may arise and it refuses to give consent under any circumstances? Is a community really free to withhold consent or only to determine some of the conditions under which it gives consent?

Order To Produce Documents in Fontaine v. Canada (St. Anne’s Residential School Case)

Kate Fort1 Comment

Here.

Via Jody Porter (@cbcreporter)

UN special rapporteur describes Canada as being in a crisis with respect to indigenous peoples

Ann Tweedy

James Anaya’s remarks came after a nine-day visit to Canada. Pressing issues include education reform and the epidemic disappearance of aboriginal women.

Here is a Huffington Post article, and here’s a CBC article.

Report on First Nations Representation on Ontario Juries

Kate Fort

Here is the full report (pdf), but if you’d like to listen to it in Ojibwe, Cree, Mohawk, or Oji-Cree, here is the link.

THUNDER BAY, ON, Feb. 26, 2013 /CNW/ – The Honourable Frank Iacobucci, former Supreme Court Justice and Independent Reviewer, today released his report on First Nations Representation on Ontario Juries. The report finds that the justice system and juries process are in a state of crisis for Ontario’s First Nations peoples, particularly those living in the North, and identifies 17 recommendations to improve the representation of First Nations individuals on juries and enhance their perception of the jury system.

“For Ontario’s First Nations peoples, particularly in the North, the justice system and juries process generally are in a crisis,” said the Hon. Frank Iacobucci. “As a result of our face-to-face meetings with leaders and community members from 32 First Nations from across Ontario, we developed 17 recommendations that will help ensure that the cultural values, laws, and ideologies of First Nations’ are better reflected in the Canadian justice system.”

The Attorney General of Ontario appointed the Hon. Frank Iacobucci in August 2011 to examine, report, and offer recommendations regarding the process for inclusion of First Nation peoples living in reserve communities on the provincial jury roll.

Key recommendations made by the Independent Reviewer include:

Establishing an Implementation Committee with First Nations membership, government officials and individuals (including a youth Aboriginal member) who would be responsible for the implementation of the report.
Establishing a First Nation Advisory Group to the Attorney General on matters relating to First Nations peoples and the justice system.
Providing cultural training for all government officials working in the justice system who have contact with First Nations peoples (e.g. police, court workers, Crown prosecutors, prison guards and other related agencies).
Determining promptly and urgently the feasibility and suitability of using existing government databases or other suitable sources (e.g. band residency information, Ministry of Transportation information, OHIP roles, and other records) to generate a database of First Nations individuals living on reserve for the purposes of compiling the jury roll.
Amending the questionnaire sent to prospective jurors so that it is more appropriate for First Nations communities.
Considering a procedure whereby First Nations people on reserve could volunteer for jury service as a means of supplementing other jury source lists.
Creating an Assistant Deputy Attorney General position responsible for Aboriginal issues, including the implementation of this report.

Certain readers might be interested to know the author of the report, Hon. Frank Iacobucci, also is a member of the board for Tim Horton’s.

 

Hearings on First Nations Child Welfare

Kate Fort

News article here.

OTTAWA – The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal begins hearings into a major case this morning about federal financing for First Nations child welfare.

Read it on Global News: Global News | First Nations child welfare funding in court