Latest / National Indigenous Newscasts / National Indigenous News May 4
Transcript
- 0:00SPEAKER_00: This is a look at your National Indigenous News.
- 0:02SPEAKER_00: I'm Darrell Stranger.
- 0:04SPEAKER_00: Canada has filed an application for a judicial review to appeal part of a decision by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal that approved a child welfare deal between the federal government and First Nations in Ontario.
- 0:15SPEAKER_00: The agreement is meant to end discrimination in First Nations Child and Family Services by transferring jurisdiction and money to communities in the province.
- 0:23SPEAKER_00: The tribunal approved the Ontario final agreement as the long-term fix in March.
- 0:27SPEAKER_00: However, the tribunal also exempted two First Nations in Ontario from the deal at their request, Georgina Island First Nation and Taekwa Tagamoo Nation, and ordered Canada to consult, establish, and implement custom interim remedies for those communities pending longer-term solutions.
- 0:44SPEAKER_00: Canada is asking the federal court to quash those exemption orders because they are, quote, unreasonable.
- 0:49SPEAKER_00: The agreement was supposed to end the tribunal's authority over this case in Ontario, but by allowing two First Nations to opt out, it still has the authority to order the government to work with them to end discrimination.
- 0:59SPEAKER_00: In a statement released on X Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gilmasti said that while the legal process moves forward, she remains committed to engaging with both communities.
- 1:07SPEAKER_00: She added that the government's approach is grounded in partnership and that its goal is to ensure fewer First Nations children are put in care, that stays are shorter, and that children stay connected to their families and communities.
- 1:20SPEAKER_00: The BC government has signed new restoration agreements with seven Treaty Eight First Nations, committing$283 million over the next 10 years to environmental restoration projects across northeastern British Columbia.
- 1:33SPEAKER_00: The province says the agreements aim to restore damaged ecosystems while supporting local economies and upholding Treaty 8 rights.
- 1:40SPEAKER_00: Projects will be led by individual First Nations and tailored to each community's priorities, with coordination and oversight shared with the province.
- 1:47SPEAKER_00: The funding will support a wide range of restoration work, including habitat recovery for species at risk, post-wildfire restoration, wetland and fish habitat improvements, cultural burn planning, and the reclamation of historic industrial sites where no legal obligations exist.
- 2:01SPEAKER_00: Climate change mitigation efforts are also included.
- 2:04SPEAKER_00: The agreements also provide funding for cultural and community initiatives, including language revitalization, cultural education programs, community events, and the revival of traditional land management practices.
- 2:16SPEAKER_00: A First Nations security company will begin patrolling North Battleford, Saskatchewan's downtown core later this month under a pilot project supported by the city.
- 2:24SPEAKER_00: The downtown business improvement district said it had signed an agreement with Mosquito Grizzly Bearshead Lean Man First Nations Security to provide an increased presence in the area.
- 2:34SPEAKER_00: The company will offer culturally sensitive low-level security services, with officers patrolling public spaces on foot and in branded vehicles at varying times each day.
- 2:42SPEAKER_00: The announcement follows City Council's approval in March of a$106,000 one-year pilot program as part of the 2026 budget to fund security services through the Business Improvement District.
- 2:54SPEAKER_00: The initiative is meant to support and not replace existing services, and it is not to do RCMP work, but rather do things in a more friendly, culturally sensitive way.
- 3:03SPEAKER_00: The pilot project will run until December 31st.
- 3:06SPEAKER_00: That's a look at your national Indigenous News.