Two Indigenous-led organizations in Vancouver, the Aboriginal Front Door Society (AFDS) and Watari Counselling and Support Services, are facing potential cutbacks to their vital drop-in services for unhoused residents in the Downtown Eastside. Established with provincial funding during a 2022 encampment decampment process, these services are now at risk as the City of Vancouver has […]

Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice has ruled in favor of residents at a Kitchener encampment, preventing the Region of Waterloo from evicting them before a November court hearing. The region had passed a bylaw to clear the encampment by December 1, to make way for Metrolinx’s transit hub. However, the court decision stops enforcement of

The B.C. Supreme Court has mandated that the Canadian government must modify the Indian Act by April 2026 to align with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This ruling stems from a legal challenge by descendants of individuals who renounced their Indian status, with the court determining that provisions denying status based on family history

The Yorkton Tribal Council (YTC) has been awarded $335,000 in federal funding to train 35 new wildland firefighters, aimed at expanding its firefighting capacity. This funding will allow the training of Indigenous firefighters, incorporating traditional cultural burning practices alongside modern firefighting techniques. Bonnie Austman, the council’s emergency management coordinator, emphasized that First Nations often lack

The City of Calgary has launched its first Indigenous-led affordable housing initiative, Maa’too’maa’taapii Aoko’iyii’piaya, aimed at addressing the housing needs of Indigenous people in the city. With a $30 million investment, the project will create between 150 and 350 units, marking a historic step in reconciliation. Elder Jackie Bromley of Kainai Nation, who gifted the

Neskantaga First Nation has launched a new child and family services program aimed at reducing the number of Indigenous children in foster care, a system that disproportionately affects Indigenous communities. Chris Moonias, the program’s manager and former chief, emphasizes that the program will be run by community members for the community, focusing on prevention and

The B.C. Supreme Court recently ruled that the Quw’utsun (Cowichan) Nation holds Aboriginal title to Tl’uqtinus — a once-thriving fishing village near Vancouver’s Fraser River — and has the right to fish nearby waters. The landmark decision came after a record-breaking 513-day trial and followed over a century of failed petitions, negotiations, and legal efforts

B.C.’s Housing Minister Christine Boyle has rejected Nanaimo City Council’s request to make a new supportive housing building on Terminal Avenue drug and alcohol-free. The city council had urged the province to implement a ban on substances, citing concerns from the local neighborhood and residents in recovery. Councillor Erin Hemmens explained that individuals who have

After 80 years, the Cree community of Kahkewistahaw First Nation revived the tea dance during their week-long traditional gathering earlier this month. The tea dance, once banned under the Indian Act, was taught by Ken Saddleback, a lodge keeper from the Samson Cree Nation. Originally called the “drunk dance,” it’s a lively, carefree dance meant

Thunder Bay City Council has selected the Hillyard lands at the end of Alloy Place as the location for a temporary shelter village after months of deliberation and rescinded decisions. The shelter is part of the city’s Enhanced Encampment Response plan aimed at addressing homelessness. In May 2023, council adopted a human rights-based approach to