Latest / National Indigenous Newscasts / National Indigenous News August 7

Transcript

National Indigenous News August 7 · National Indigenous Newscasts

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: This is a look at your National Indigenous News.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Daryl Stranger.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_00: The interim commissioner of Indigenous Languages says she knows her office has work to do on rebuilding trust with Indigenous communities and she is participating fully in a government ordered audit.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: Candace Saint Aubin, a former senior assistant deputy minister of strategic policy with Indigenous Services Canada, was appointed interim commissioner for a term of up to 90 days or until a permanent commissioner is selected.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: It was reported earlier this year that half a dozen sources, including former employees, said the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages was failing to move the needle on strengthening Indigenous languages and supporting research.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: They said the office had focused instead on extensive travel and hosting one big conference that cost$10 million.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: They also said the office was afflicted by a toxic work environment, bullying, and uncompleted projects, and that staff had been quitting in frustration.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: The terms of former Commissioner Ronald Ignassi and the office's directors expired in July.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: A permanent commissioner has not yet been appointed, and Canadian Heritage has not said when that will happen.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: The federal government ordered a financial audit of transactions and activities in the office after receiving anonymous complaints.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: The Canadian Heritage Department says the review can look at whether the office's books, records, systems, and practices are complying with standards in the legislation.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: The office is also undergoing a mandatory five-year review as required by the Indigenous Languages Act.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: While the Heritage Department didn't say when the audit might be complete, it said a summary of its findings will be posted on the office's website.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: St.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: Aubin said her office is participating fully in the external audits, and the recommendations generated by those probes could identify gaps that may have been missed when the organization was created.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: Nunavut hunters are set to receive a tenfold increase to the Baffin Island caribou harvest in spite of warnings from the Territory's Wildlife Management Board that it could pose an unusual and largely unprecedented level of risk.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: In a July 23rd decision released late last week, Nunavut Environment Minister Brian Kunu agreed to increase the total allowable harvest of the Baffin Island caribou for the 2026 season, which started July 1st, from 550 caribou to 6,000.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: That number will go up by 125 caribou each year up to a maximum of 6,500 caribou, though that could change once a formal basic needs level is established.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: That's a baseline that ensures Inuit have first right of access to harvest.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: The recommendation, which was originally put forward to the Department of Environment, was presented to the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board in June for the board's approval.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: The board ultimately approved the recommendation despite expressing some concerns.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: Aerial surveys conducted by the department in 2024 and 2025 show a dramatic recovery in the Baffin Island caribou population after a decade of strict controls on harvesting.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: The government's research found the population increased by 25% each year between 2014 and 2024.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: In Ontario and the city of Toronto, a new complex has opened which provides 20 new homes for Indigenous men who are transitioning out of the shelter system or experiencing homelessness.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: The NAMI Res building at 230 Coxwell Avenue is officially open and will feature 17 one-bedroom units and three studio apartments, offering on-site support for Indigenous men.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: According to a news release, using an Indigenous approach, NAMI Res Client Services will have components that focus on mental and physical health, community integration, as well as spiritual and general well-being.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: The City of Toronto invested more than$2 million in capital funding and incentives, including development charge exemptions and waived fees.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: One of the conditions of being a tenant is that you abstain from using substances and alcohol.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: NAMI RES has offered affordable housing since 2012, and there are five different sites across the city with 79 units.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: The City of Toronto's housing action plan calls for 5,200 units to be built by 2030 as Indigenous Affordable Housing.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: That's a look at your National Indigenous News.