Every day a member of the Kinonjeoshtegon First Nation drives 70 kilometres from Lake Winnipeg’s western shore to a store in Dallas/Red Rose, Man. to buy 40 20-litre jugs of drinking water. That water is intended for elders and single mothers on the Jackhead Reserve, as Kinonjeoshtegon is also known, who don’t have access to […] More »

In the winter of 2011 in the small town of Watson Lake, a popular tourist destination near the B.C. border known as the gateway to the Yukon, an arrest warrant was issued for a 27-year-old Tahltan man. He had previous brushes with the law, mainly assault charges. This time, the man was wanted on eight […] More »

Shyra Barberstock was 21 years old when she met her Anishinaabe birth mother and finally gained Kebaowek status. Until then, she was unaware of her Kebaowek First Nation roots, having grown up with her nonIndigenous adoptive family. “As you can see I’m very fair skinned,” says Barberstock. “Had I not met her, I may never […] More »

There was a time when close to 30 million bison roamed the plains of what is now Canada and the United States. In the mid-1800s, after the influx of European settlers, the animal—once the most abundant large mammal on the continent—was hunted to near extinction. But the bison has returned to Canada’s oldest national park. […] More »

What do the Chicago Blackhawks, Washington Redskins, and Cleveland Indians have in common? Sport and its continued appropriation of Indigenous culture. Section 35, a B.C.-based apparel company, is pushing back. Founded by friends Justin Louis and Andrew Kazakoff, Section 35 tackles Indigenous stereotypes head-on with political statements people can wear. “You can still create conversation […] More »

In 2015, in response to decadeslong demands for action from Indigenous families, communities, and organizations, the federal government announced an inquiry into Canada’s missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people. But three years in, the commission is behind schedule, under-resourced, and struggling to retain key members. Here, we look back on the making […] More »

THE GOOD NEWS A First Nations-led initiative in Manitoba will receive $19 million from the federal government to set up much-needed diabetes-related foot care services in the communities. The initiative is vital considering numbers showing that First Nations experience diabetes at a rate 4.2 times higher than the general population, but 34 of the 63 […] More »

Just last year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said: “No relationship is more important to our government and to Canada than the one with Indigenous peoples.” He promised a renewed nation-to-nation relationship—one that would uphold the treaties and constitutionally protected rights of Indigenous people while fixing the many socioeconomic crises that often plague Indigenous communities. He also […] More »

Justin Trudeau has reached the midway point of his term as prime minister. But after two years in power, how much change has he truly made? In this special report, we grade Trudeau’s performance—and our PM has some serious work to do. TRUDEAU’S MEDIA PRESENCE: C- “When American news is dominated by a president with no […] More »

When night falls, the Bear Clan hits the streets in Thunder Bay, Ont. The volunteer group says its purpose is to protect the vulnerable—and after several Indigenous youth have been found dead in the city’s waterways over the years, many are thankful for the extra protection. Several children and teens who have died in Thunder Bay […] More »

Terrance Houle, whose Blackfoot name is Iinniiwahkiimah (Buffalo Herder), is searching for bricks from his junior high and parents’ residential schools. He will bring all three bricks back to the IXL brick factory in Medicine Hat, where he will film a performance of him smashing them until they become fine dust. His parents will sing a […] More »