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National Indigenous News May 28 · National Indigenous Newscasts

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: This is a look at your national indigenous news.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Daryl Stranger.
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  SPEAKER_00: A judge has ordered the Yukon government to cover part of a First Nations legal fees tied to a years-long legal saga over an exploration project in the Beaver River watershed.
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  SPEAKER_00: The written decision from Yukon Supreme Court, issued May 14th, states the territory must fork over a lump sum payment of$45,000 to the First Nation of Nacho Nyakdun for legal services rendered in its fight against the territory's approval of the controversial project.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: Nacho Nyakdun first filed a petition against the territory about five years ago when the territory approved the proposed mining activity and part of the First Nation's traditional territory, which is located in north central Yukon.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: Vancouver-based Metallic Minerals Corporation had plans to explore part of the ecologically intact region, roughly 100 kilometers north of Mayo, for mostly lead, silver, and zinc deposits over a decade.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: At the time, a lawyer representing Nacho Nyakdan said the territorial government's consultation utterly failed.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: A couple years later, a judge sided with the First Nation, agreeing that the territory failed to consult and ordered a do-over.
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  SPEAKER_00: The Yukon government then filed an appeal, which the Yukon Court of Appeal dismissed in 2024.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: The judge said in the decision that the case isn't just a land dispute, but stands for much more, and that the application provided a basis for an increased understanding of the role of modern treaties in advancing reconciliation between First Nations and non-First Nations.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: Hydro Quebec, together with the Canada Infrastructure Bank and National Bank of Canada, has launched a flexible financing program worth over$5 billion intended for major wind energy projects carried out in partnership with Indigenous communities.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: The program is intended for Indigenous communities that have entered into a partnership agreement with Hydro Quebec as part of its wind powered development strategy for projects with a capacity of up to over 1,000 megawatts and scheduled for completion no later than December 31st, 2036.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: This first milestone will enable Indigenous communities to become investment partners in new energy infrastructure projects and generate recurring autonomous streams of income that can be allocated to priorities of their choosing.
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  SPEAKER_00: The program is hoping to foster a new model of energy development based on sustainable economic partnerships with First Nations and Inuit.
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  SPEAKER_00: The investment by Canada Infrastructure Bank will be made through two financial instruments.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: The first a construction loan, which can cover up to 20% of project costs and is repaid primarily through federal tax credits.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: The second is the Indigenous Equity Initiative, which can cover up to 90% of the required equity contribution with a$100 million cap per project.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: The National Bank of Canada will offer a financing program that covers the remaining 10% to provide up to 100% of the equity financing for First Nations or Inuit.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: An organization that helps families find indigenous children that went missing in the healthcare system is looking to extend its services to Nunavik.
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  SPEAKER_00: AWASAC was founded in 2021 after Quebec passed a bill that would give Indigenous families access to historical medical records for children who went missing in the healthcare system prior to 1993.
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  SPEAKER_00: Since Bill 79 was adopted, the organization has searched for 221 children for 129 different families.
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  SPEAKER_00: 21 cases have been closed.
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  SPEAKER_00: In some cases, they've managed to find a cause of death, a date, and a burial place.
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  SPEAKER_00: The organization facilitates searches by helping with asking for medical record access, offering legal support, and repatriating remains.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: The organization is now planning on visiting each of Nunavik's 14 communities over the next few months to try and help Inuit families close their own painful chapters.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: That's a look at your national Indigenous News.