Tag: indigenous

$120 Million Investment to Help Young Indigenous Australian Kids

Indigenous children in Australia, particularly in remote and regional areas, are more likely to be behind non-Indigenous children when they begin their education. This is why the federal government announced on Aug. 4 its investment of more than $120 million to expand existing early learning services and trial a new “explicit teaching” early learning model….


Vancouver Police Looking for Suspects in Vandalism of Catholic Church

The Vancouver police are looking for two women who were seen splattering paint over the front of a Christian church in British Columbia last week, as similar acts of vandalism continue to target religious institutions in Canada. Videos posted on Facebook show two women wearing masks splashing orange paint on the front of St. Jude’s…


Counter-Theme to Victimhood: Canada’s Indigenous Peoples Need Not Be Defined by Past Injustices

Commentary Following the announcement of 215 unmarked graves at a former Kamloops residential school in late May, the city of Victoria in B.C. announced the cancellation of its Canada Day celebrations. When an estimated 751 graves were then discovered at a former Saskatchewan residential school site, #CancelCanadaDay began to trend on Twitter. The activist group…


John A. Macdonald Statue Removed From Ontario’s Kingston City Park

A statue of Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, was removed from a public park in his home town of Kingston City, Ontario, the latest city to take down monuments of Canada’s founders. The Kingston City Council voted on Thursday night in favour of relocating the statue from the city park to the…


Bill to Embed UN Declaration into Canadian Law May Do More Harm to Indigenous Economy: Experts

Experts on indigenous affairs voiced disapproval of a federal bill that would incorporate the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) into Canadian law, saying it has neglected the economic developments which indigenous communities need to further pursue self-determination. On Tuesday, the Liberals, NDP, and Bloc Quebecois had worked in concert to…


Rates of Australian Indigenous Children Put Into Protective Care a ‘National Shame’

New figures show indigenous children form a disproportionately large number of kids who have received child protection services, including for substantiated child abuse and neglect, children on care and protection orders, and children in out-of-home care. A report released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), titled “Child protection Australia 2019–20”, shows one in every 18…


N.B. Crown Rules Out Charges in RCMP Shooting of Indigenous Man Rodney Levi

FREDERICTON—New Brunswick’s Public Prosecutions Service has concluded no charges will be filed against police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Rodney Levi last year. Levi, who was from the Metepenagiag First Nation, was shot dead by the RCMP on the evening of June 12 after police had responded to a complaint about a disturbance…


Jacinta Price Calls for Forgiveness and Healing on Australia Day

A Sydney MP’s request for a minute’s silence for Indigenous Australians on Australia Day has been countered by Alice Springs councillor Jacinta Price, who suggested that the day could instead provide a time for forgiveness and healing. “Why don’t we use the morning of Australia Day to … forgive?” Price told 2GB radio on Tuesday. “Why…


‘One and Free’: Australia Changes One Word in National to Be More Inclusive

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on New Years Day announced a change to the national anthem in an effort to reflect a “spirit of unity” by acknowledging Indigenous people’s history and togetherness through the COVID-19 pandemic. Governor-General David Hurley confirmed the amendment to “Advance Australia Fair” on Thursday, the government said in a statement. Effective from…