Top Indigenous Issues
Click on a topic to go to that section of this page:
A. Water
B. Treaty Rights
C. Social Justice
D. Health Care
E. Education
F. Economy
G. Indigenous / Aboriginal Culture
A. Water
Recent Articles
02/22/2017 – Water First Nation enjoys turning on the taps after 10 years without clean water
11/14/2016 – Water Contamination forces Ontario First Nation to close school, fly in bottled water
04/18/2015 – Water Huffington Post – It’s Time Canada Finally Put First Nations First
04/18/2015 – Water ‘We don’t ask for much’: Indigenous affairs minister grilled in Attawapiskat
10/14/2015 – Water Neskantaga First Nation: 5 people whose daily life revolves around getting clean water
10/14/2015 – Water CBC News – Bad water: ‘Third World’ conditions on First Nations in Canada
10/13/2015 – Water Providing safe drinking water on reserves is simple. Just do it … Note: Read the 67 comments
10/7/2015 – Water Maclean’s article – Why can’t we get clean water to First Nation reserves?
Older but worth a second look … websites … and undated articles
2/16/2011 – Water First Nations to alert UN to water woes … Minimum standards not being met: MKO
3/17/2009 – Water First-ever water standards promised to native reserves
N/A – Water Health Canada – First Nations and Inuit Health – Drinking Water and Wastewater
N/A – Water “No running water” – a collection of reports about water on Indigenous reserves
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B. Treaty Rights
Recent Articles
9/2/2017 – Treaty Rights Interview with former PM Paul Martin: What would Canada look like without the Indian Act?
1/18/2017 – Treaty Rights Trudeau government retreats from key promise to First Nations
7/21/2016 – Treaty Rights Development without Indigenous input illegal, says Rae
7/1/2016 – Treaty Rights AFN Chief Perry Bellegarde Comments on Northern Gateway Pipeline Decision
5/27/2016 – Treaty Rights Potential billion-dollar deal for Metis as feds address historic land dispute
4/16/2016 – Treaty Rights Feds, Ont. First Nations sign settlement over Camp Ipperwash
4/15/2016 – Treaty Rights Supreme Court decision clears way for Labrador land claim, says NunatuKavut leader
4/14/2016 – Treaty Rights Ruling says Ottawa has jurisdiction over all indigenous people (… Including the Metis)
2/13/2016 – Treaty Rights Modern day treaties fundamentally reshaping Canada for the better
11/4/2015 – Treaty Rights Cree Nation sues Ontario, Ottawa seeking $495M damages
Older but worth a second look … websites … and undated articles
10/14/2013 – Treaty Rights What Canada committed against First Nations was genocide. The UN should recognize it
1/8/2013 – Treaty Rights 6 landmark rulings on native rights
9/8/2012 – Treaty Rights First Nations leery of federal changes to treaty negotiations
12/6/2011 – Treaty Rights Lorne Gunter: The Indian Act sustains the problems on our reserves
5/30/2011 – Treaty Rights Aboriginal Peoples: Mapping the future – Special report on land claims across Canada
5/26/2011 – Treaty Rights Treaties from 1760 – 1923: Two sides to the story
2007 – Treaty Rights Movie – “The invisible Nation”
2006 – Treaty Rights Timeline – The Caledonia land claim
N/A – Treaty Rights & much more CBC Documentary – “Aboriginal Peoples, Canada and the Way Forward”
N/A – Treaty Rights & much more CBC Documentary – “Indigenous in the City”
N/A – Treaty Rights & much more CBC Documentary – “Aboriginal 101” (more links as well, but some are broken)
?? – Treaty Rights Off the reservation
?? – Treaty Rights Rights not a cure for Indian Act
?? – Treaty Rights Native reserves aren’t the problem
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C. Social Justice
Recent Articles
08/18/2017 – Social Justice Buildings renamed, monuments fall in recognition of oppression of Indigenous people
07/21/2017 – Social Justice Indigenous children are dying while Ottawa fights a ruling that calls for action
06/11/2017 – Social Justice Life under the Indian Act a ‘horrible existence,’ Indigenous senator says, but there’s hope
03/13/2017 – Social Justice CBC Investigates – First Nations child welfare facing reform a decade after abused teen’s suicide (scroll to the bottom for 9 other articles)
03/01/2017 – Social Justice SENATE REPORT – We can do better: Housing in Inuit Nunangat
02/27/2017 – Social Justice Residential schools predate Langevin
02/14/2017 – Social Justice Judge rules in favour of ’60s Scoop victims
01/25/2017 – Social Justice Justin Trudeau pressed on Indigenous support at Saskatoon town hall
8/04/2016 – Social Justice Historic power plan adds two First Nations … including PIkangikum!
4/02/2016 – Social Justice How energy poverty devastates Pikangikum First Nation
6/28/2016 – Social Justice Jurors: Deaths of three aboriginal youths accidental; four undetermined
6/28/2016 – Social Justice ‘No foul play’ found in deaths of dozens of Indigenous women, but questions remain
5/31/2016 – Social Justice Ontario premier officially apologizes for ‘silence’ on residential schools site:aptn.ca
5/31/2016 – Social Justice Wynne offers indigenous people ‘a formal apology for the abuses of the past’
5/31/2016 – Social Justice Ashby: Canada’s apologies without action
5/8/2016 – Social Justice Canada to shift position on UN Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples
4/29/2016 – Social Justice Minister says gov’t will get rid of the Indian Act ‘one community at a time’ site:aptn.ca
4/29/2016 – Social Justice Trudeau’s promises, First Nations impatience collide: Tim Harper
4/25/2016 – Social Justice A First Nations cry for help gets little government attention: Star investigation
4/13/2016 – Social Justice Justice Minister says it’s time for First Nations to shed Indian Act ‘shackles’
3/28/2016 – Social Justice Truth, Lies and Why We Need More Gandhi (Not about Indigenous issues, but applies)
3/18/2016 – Social Justice Liberal government under pressure to deliver funding for First Nations
2/18/2016 – Social Justice Canada’s prisons are the ‘new residential schools’
2/1/2016 – Social Justice $2B to fix dilapidated First Nations homes in Manitoba alone: government report
1/11/2016 – Social Justice Ugly stain on Canada’s aboriginal record: Goar
12/9/2015 – Social Justice A Justin Trudeau reset of First Nations relations aims sky high: Harper
8/25/2014 – Social Justice Coyne: Call for a public inquiry on murdered aboriginal women isn’t justified
6/20/2014 – Social Justice Survivors of residential schools push back against document destruction
5/21/2014 – Social Justice UN report on aboriginals misses the central dilemma
5/6/2014 – Social Justice Jonathan Kay: Atleo’s departure shows us everything that’s wrong with First Nations identity politics
Older but worth a second look … websites … and undated articles
11/28/2011 – Social Justice John Ivison: The rising toll of a ‘failed experiment’ with isolated reserves
11/8/2010 – Social Justice Minister downplays despair on reserves
2/9/2009 – Social Justice Housing issue muddied by neglect
4/27/2007 – Social Justice Aboriginal children treated ‘like Third World’: Dallaire
N/A – Social Justice The Truth and Reconciliation main website
N/A – Social Justice Truth and Reconciliation – Just the 94 “Calls to Action”
N/A – Social Justice Chiefs of Ontario website
N/A – Social Justice The James Bay Project and the Cree
N/A – Social Justice Truth and Reconciliation report calls for steps to improve First Nations’ lives
N/A – Social Justice Highlights, Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s recommendations on res. schools
N/A – Social Justice Special coverage of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
N/A – Social Justice Residential Schools – special focus
N/A – Social Justice Wikipedia article – “List of Indian residential schools in Canada”
N/A – Social Justice Mercury Rising: The Poisoning of Grassy Narrows – a collection of articles in CBC archives
N/A – Social Justice Davis Inlet: Innu Community in Crisis
?? – Social Justice Anti-racism’s dangerous dinosaurs
?? – Social Justice Problems of governance
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Recent Articles
5/1/2017 – Health Care Netflix series ’13 Reasons Why,’ about teen girl’s fictional suicide, raises alarm
2/8/2017 – Health Care Callous: Ottawa spent a fraction of promised money on First Nations health
6/3/2016 – Health Care Stifled Grief: How the West Has It Wrong
4/19/2016 – Health Care The National, with Peter Mansbridge – Attawapiskat suicide crisis: Panel Discussion
4/16/2016 – Health Care Neskantaga First Nation in 3rd year of state of emergency over suicides
4/13/2016 – Health Care Global News – Collection of articles – Latest “Attawapiskat Chief” news
4/13/2016 – Health Care Here’s What Young People In Attawapiskat Say They Need To Fight The Suicide Crisis
4/12/2016 – Health Care Extra police called to Attawapiskat after suicide pact of 13 youths foiled
4/11/2016 – Health Care BBC: Canadian Attawapiskat First Nation suicide emergency
4/11/2016 – Health Care CBC: Attawapiskat suicide emergency: Health Canada, province send in crisis teams
4/9/2016 – Health Care Attawapiskat declares state of emergency over spate of suicide attempts
4/5/2016 – Health Care CBC Radio One – Too easy to ignore indigenous people?
3/31/2016 – Health Care Chief blames ‘third-world’ conditions at reserve hit by deadly fire
3/30/2016 – Health Care Tragic fire in Pikangikum March 30, 2016
3/30/2016 – Health Care Fire kills 9 at Pikangikum First Nation in Ont.: local MP
3/21/2016 – Health Care Kashechewan children suffering from rashes, open sores
3/9/2016 – Health Care Manitoba First Nation declares state of emergency over suicide epidemic
2/25/2016 – Health Care Northern Ontario First Nations declare public-health emergency
10/17/2015 – Health Care Top 5 Indigenous issues all Canadians should care about
4/9/2015 – Health Care Why is Canada ignoring the health of aboriginal peoples?
2/3/2015 – Health Care Racism against aboriginal people in health-care system ‘pervasive’: study
Older but worth a second look … websites … and undated articles
3/30/2012 – Health Care Canada, home to the suicide capital of the world
2004 – Health Care Clip from Pikangikum Documentary – YouTube
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Recent Articles
1/14/2016 – Education Report examines barriers to success for Northern indigenous men
12/30/2015 – Education Aboriginal graduation rates moving up in B.C.
12/16/2015 – Education Inuit leaders call for healing and education in wake of TRC final report
12/21/2015 – Education Op-Ed: Indigenous studies is central to liberal arts education in Canada
8/22/2014 – Education Why fixing First Nations education remains so far out of reach
5/5/2014 – Education Deadlock in aboriginal education: Goar
4/28/2014 – Education Chiefs vow to do ‘whatever it takes’ to scrap aboriginal education bill
Older but worth a second look … websites … and undated articles
********* – Education Web Site Ontario Mininstry of Education web site about aboriginal education
12/3/2012 – Education Native-education logjam helps no one – New formula for funding essential step
Recent Articles
10/7/2016 – Economy Forty B.C. aboriginal ‘groups’ back pipeline megaprojects
9/24/2016 – Economy Jim Carr rejects idea First Nations are united against pipelines
9/19/2016 – Economy First Nation says Grand Rapids pipeline approval was ‘botched’
8/4/2016 – Economy No meetings, no assemblies, no audits regarding $500K payment to Liard First Nation
6/1/2016 – Economy Paul Martin Rejects Jean Chrétien’s Suggestion That People Should Leave Attawapiskat
12/18/2015 – Economy Feds considered third-party management for non-compliant bands: documents
12/8/2015 – Economy John Ivison: Trudeau’s embrace of First Nations laudable, but throwing money at their problems isn’t the answer
02/07/2015 – Economy First Nations Financial Transparency Act: median salary for a chief is $60,000
9/23/2014 – Economy Backgrounder – Third-Party Funding Agreement Management
8/2/2014 – Economy Why money won’t solve First Nations’ problems
2/20/2013 – Economy 7 questions about First Nations accountability
2/6/2013 – Economy How does native funding work?
1/25/2013 – Economy The successes and failures of self-governance for Canada’s First Nations
Older but worth a second look … websites … and undated articles
12/10/2011 – Economy True or False – Do Aboriginal People Pay Taxes?
12/9/2011 – Economy National Post article – Crunching Attawapiskat’s numbers
G. Indigenous / Aboriginal Culture
Recent Articles
06/15/2017 – Culture Why a Mohawk community chose to preserve a residential school building
04/10/2017 – Culture Archaeologists Dig Up An 800-Year-Old Native American Pot
02/28/2017 – Culture Joseph “Augie” Merasty, author and residential school survivor, dies at 87
04/16/2015 – Culture CBC “The Current” – Residential school survivor Augie Merasty, ‘We were treated like animals’
03/20/2015 – Culture Globe and Mail – Augie Merasty: 86, homeless and a first-time author
01/10/2017 – Culture CBC North to preserve historic Indigenous language programs
12/26/2016 – Culture Canada’s Project Naming: Identifying the unidentified
12/25/2016 – Culture From moose tongue to rabbit stew: some Indigenous holiday dishes
12/08/2016 – Culture Nunavut hunter’s caribou giveaway prompts flood of online love for elders
6/21/2016 – Culture Solving the legacy of indigenous sexual abuse: think globally, act nationally
6/21/2016 – Culture B.C. demands return of First Nations artifacts
6/21/2016 – Culture National Aboriginal Day prompts reflection on what’s changed, what hasn’t
4/16/2016 – Culture Powwow dancing provides hope in Attawapiskat
4/15/2016 – Culture Why Quebec’s Cree are thriving while misery reigns across James Bay at Attawapiskat
4/15/2016 – Culture Indigenous leaders offer solutions to suicide epidemics
4/15/2016 – Culture ‘It changes everything’: New Aboriginal relations manager strives for awareness
Older but worth a second look … websites … and undated articles
5/10/2004 – Culture Understanding health and illness: The interface between science and indigenous knowledge
Not Dated – Culture Jingle Dress, the movie – Read about it … Buy the DVD for $25 (Click “DVD for home”)
Not Dated – Culture What is “Culture” and why does it matter?
Website – Culture Aboriginal Links: Canada & U.S. – Many broken links, but still quite a few good ones
Website – Culture Aboriginal Worldviews – Website devoted to understanding the Aboriginal perspectives