Aboriginal Peoples

The head of a six-year study of Canada’s residential schools legacy used the closing ceremony to urge a high and urgent priority on reconciliation efforts.

Adoption of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982 made treaty and Aboriginal rights constitutional, though no one knew at the time what that meant. We are gradually finding out as the Supreme Court of Canada develops a new body of law.

Last week’s Supreme Court decision changed the rules of engagement between Canada’s aboriginal people and the federal and provincial governments, says the president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs.

It’s easier to think that violence is something that happens to someone else—in a different country, a different community, a different home. But the truth is that every day, everywhere, women are raped, beaten, and killed just because they are women.

It took the disappearance of a beloved cousin to bring Holly Jarrett and her estranged mother together after a year of silence.

While traditionally governments have bolstered their workforce through immigration, it would be wise for them to engage with Canada’s Aboriginal communities.

A federal loan guarantee enabled Newfoundland and Labrador to borrow $5 billion over 40 years for the Muskrat Falls project at a 3.8 percent interest rate.

Some who visit powwows or museums, such as the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Quebec, and the Vancouver Art Gallery, seem to admire aboriginal masks purely for their artistry and fine craftsmanship, while others are intrigued by the exotic and sometimes grotesque nature of the carvings. Yet others see a scholarly and psychological reason for people to make and use masks.

Critics slam Harper for failing to welcome Cree youth who walked 1,600km to raise awareness of aboriginal issues.