Perspectives

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

“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

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

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 services1 First 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

“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

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: Sections April

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

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

What do the following Indigenous communities all have in common? Grassy Narrows Northwest Angle 33 First Nation Aamjiwnaang First Nation Muskrat Falls Athabasca 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