Category: indigenous

Feds Settle Residential School Day Student Class-Action Lawsuit for $2.8 Billion

The federal government on Jan. 21 announced it would pay $2.8 billion to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by members of two B.C. First Nations bands seeking compensation for students who attended residential schools as day scholars. Day scholars refer to students who attended residential schools during the day and returned home each day, as distinguished from…


A One Tribe Policy: Aboriginal Elder Locks Horns With Advocacy Group Over Tourist Site

Aboriginal groups have blamed an Indigenous advocacy organisation for promoting a “one tribe policy” after it managed to convince the New South Wales government to declare a popular tourist destination a “men’s site” and consider a ban on visitors. The New South Wales government has worked closely with a “Wollumbin Consultative Group” since 2000—according to…


A ‘One Tribe’ Policy: Indigenous Groups Lock Horns Over Popular Tourist Site

Aboriginal groups have blamed an Indigenous advocacy organisation for promoting a “one tribe policy” after it managed to convince the New South Wales government to declare a popular tourist destination a “men’s site” and consider a ban on visitors. The New South Wales government has worked closely with a “Wollumbin Consultative Group” since 2000—according to…


Saskatchewan Woman Accused of Faking Her and Her Son’s Death Intends to Go to Trial

An indigenous woman accused of faking her death and that of her son before illegally crossing the border into the United States has indicated her intention to go to trial. Through counsel, Dawn Walker told Saskatoon provincial court that she intends to have a judge-alone trial. Her lawyer Tara Boghosian said Walker has also waived…


Public Safety Minister Hopes to Table First Nations Policing Legislation in New Year

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says he hopes to introduce legislation declaring First Nations policing an essential service in the new year. In a year-end interview with The Canadian Press, Mendicino said the prospective law is under development with input from indigenous stakeholders and communities, who he said deserve “the same quality of policing” as…


B.C. Mom Who Sued School District Over Indigenous Ceremony Loses Appeal

A Vancouver Island mother sued her children’s school district for holding an Indigenous ceremony that she said was of a spiritual nature, allegedly violating her children’s right to religious freedom. After years of litigation, B.C.’s highest court dismissed her appeal on Monday. Candice Servatius of Port Alberni had enlisted the help of the Alberta-based Justice…


University Reinstates Marks for Student Who Was Penalised for Not Acknowledging Indigenous Rights

One of Australia’s top universities has overturned a decision to dock marks from a student after failing to acknowledge the traditional land rights of Indigenous people.  The move came after the engineering student filed a formal complaint at Melbourne’s prestigious Monash University on Oct. 7. A Monash university spokesperson told the Herald Sun newspaper that the…


Legal Memo Advised Ottawa Police to Be Aware of Indigenous Protesters During Convoy

In a confidential memo between legal counsel for the Ottawa Police Service and deputy chief Steve Bell, lawyers advised that police should take extra care with Freedom Convoy demonstrators who may be indigenous. The memo, portions of which were published by Blacklock’s Reporter, was written just a few hours before convoys and trucks started to…



Inquests to Be Held Into Saskatchewan Stabbings, Death of Suspect in Custody

Saskatchewan’s chief coroner says two public inquests are to be held following a deadly stabbing rampage northeast of Saskatoon on Sept. 4. One is to focus on 11 deaths on the James Smith Cree Nation and in the nearby village of Weldon. The other is to focus on the death of suspect Myles Sanderson in police…