Items

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  2021-09-26

  ‘See us, hear us’: Residential school survivor on how to mark Sept. 30 holiday

  This is a news article documenting Geraldine Shingoose’s comments on how the new national holiday of Truth and Reconciliation must be observed; the article contains a video and conversations regarding how to teach children about Residential Schools in classrooms.
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  2021-09-30

  I hope you wear your orange shirt

  A post on Instagram about the need for continual support for Indigenous peoples when it comes to protecting their sovereignty; and in resisting colonialism.
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  2021-03-10

  #KeepOurLanguagesStrong: Indigenous Language Revitalization on Social Media during the Early COVID-19 Pandemic

  This is a paper by Kari A. B. Chew at the University of Oklahoma that reviews language revitalization efforts during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper focuses on revitalization efforts among Indigenous groups in the United States and Canada.
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  2021-03-31

  Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations rejects the Alberta K-6 curriculum

  This is a tweet of a statement sent out from the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations, rejecting the proposed Alberta K-6 curriculum which has become vastly unpopular for its blatant racist and white supremacist undertones. For example, one component of the curriculum would have students learning the slogan of the KKK; to be applied with learning “why some people would support” such a slogan. As I type this, this sounds unreal, or some kind of sick joke but I assure you this is real. Interestingly, when the initial flak was received for the nature of this curriculum, the Alberta government was quick to claim that there was First Nations oversight on the development of this document – this statement from the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations says otherwise. The curriculum itself has a very Anglo-centric programming, focusing on the history of Anglo-Saxons, the British Empire and the role of the Dominion of Canada in the empire. On top of this, there is little to no reference to residential schools; rather it has been removed in early grades, which goes against the call to education by the Truth and Reconciliation Committee. The Confederacy of Treaty Six Nations is writing in direct response to this, stating that a proper Alberta curriculum should be able to express the diverse nature of Alberta. It should account for the horrors of colonialism, a word which the current curriculum doesn’t mention once.
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  2020-05-28

  Covid-19 highlights lack of connectivity in first nations communities

  This article speak about the ‘digital divide’ in Canada; a reality in Canada where rural and First Nations communities don’t have access to the sufficient technology or infrastructure to use online platforms, or just the internet in general. This particular article tackles how the pandemic has exacerbated this divide, and has shown the need to give these communities access to high-speed internet. These communities often are left to ask private enterprises to provide these services, and these corporations which are profit oriented as all telecommunications giants often ignores these calls, as they would not see a financial return. Essentially, profits are being placed over people, which in turn breaks apart the social solidarity of these communities and complicates communication between First Nations communities and the Canadian state, as well as community organization at large. However, this article states that the government will be actively attempting to incentivize these private corporations to build telecommunications infrastructure as a means to abide by the UN’s declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples. While progress is being made, this article nevertheless identifies the material and logistical disparities between First Nations communities throughout the nation; which have been highlighted by the pandemic.
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  2021-03-20

  Deb Haaland Sworn in as the First Native American Cabinet Head

  Photos of Deb Haaland proudly wearing the ribbon skirt I designed for her brings me so many emotions that are difficult to describe.It is such an honor to see an Indigenous woman be sworn in as the first Native American Cabinet head. Deb Haaland is such a gracious, humble, and compassionate leader who exemplifies all the teachings that are pretty universal for Indigenous Peoples. The teachings of love, kindness, humility, honesty, truthfulness and courage can be felt every time someone meets Deb or each time we see her speak. Today not just as a ribbon skirt maker but as an Indigenous woman….I feel SO SEEN. I know that feeling echoes tremendously with relatives all across Turtle Island. I am so proud to have been a part of this historic moment in some way. Thank you and shoutout to my friends Margaret Gonzalez and Shane Balkowitsch for asking me to make her a ribbonskirt. ✨✨✨✨✨✨ The ribbon skirt reminds us of the matriarchal power we carry as Indigenous women. They carry stories of survival, resilience, adaption, and sacredness. As survivors of genocide we wear our ribbon skirts to stay grounded in our teachings, to stay connected to the earth and our ancestors. ✊🏽✊🏽✊🏽✊🏽✊🏽 Wearing it in this day and age is an act of self empowerment and reclamation of who we are and that gives us the opportunity to proudly make bold statements in front of others who sometimes refuse to see us. It allows us to be our authentic selves unapologetically. This is extremely important to me because when I was a little girl, the hate and racism I experienced as a First Nations person left me feeling shame. As the daughter of a Residential school survivor and a Sixties scoop survivor, sewing ribbon skirts has brought so much healing to my life. Expressing myself in a cultural and creative way that allows me to feel the strength of my ancestors has given me the space I needed to shed that shame I carried. Sewing is my love language. Extremely honored ~ Agnes Woodward @agneswoodward #ribbonskirts #ribbonskirt #IndigenouswomenEmpowered #DebHaaland #MatriarchalPower
• 
  2020-06-05

  How the COVID-19 crisis calls us towards reconciliation

  This brief article details the impact of COVID-19 on reconciliation with Indigenous people in Canada.
• 
  2020-12-03

  Manitoba premier wants extra doses of vaccine if Ottawa reserves portion for First Nations

  The federal government's proposed plan to reserve a portion of COVID-19 vaccine for First Nations would leave Manitoba with the fewest doses for the rest of the population, Premier Brian Pallister said.
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  2020-12-02

  Stuck in a hotel during a Christmas pandemic, Neskantaga members wait for water crisis to end

  Neskantaga has the longest-duration boil water advisory of any reserve in the country — 25 years and counting. Members of Neskantaga First Nation have been staying in Thunder Bay for over 40 days as water crisis continues.
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  2020-12-09

  'They're really struggling': Inside the Neskantaga First Nation water crisis

  The community was promised an upgraded treatment plant by 2018. Two years later, its members have once again been evacuated. Why doesn’t Neskantaga have clean water yet?
• 
  2020-10-20

  Photo of women playing music at Mi'kmaq protest

  This photo shows women, some wearing masks, holding up signs and protesting.
• 
  2020-10-24

  "I Stand with Mi'Kmaq"

  This photo includes two girls, one holding a sign which states "I stand with Mi'kmaq" while the other's says "Respect the Treaties."
• 
  2020-12-09

  Covid-19 Statistics for Western Washington Native Tribes (Olympic Peninsula)

  This is a collection of all of the western Washington Native American tribe’s Covid-19 information. Unlike other parts of the country, western Washington tribes have a low Covid-19 rate.
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  2020-09-24

  The subordination of Native Americans through underreporting Covid data

  The article reports that Native Americans have been historically unacknowledged in census data and other demographic studies. The author claims there has been a long suppression of Native American mortality rates and medical reports to systematically deprive them of medical access. According to the author, “American Indians and Alaska Natives are 3.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19." This shows us that some of the communities hit hardest by the pandemic are some that are receiving the least amount of support.
• 
  04/22/2020

  Stephanie Hebert Oral History, 2020/04/22

  This is an interview about the Social Distance Powwow group that was started during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The interviewee, Stephanie Herbert, gives information about the Native Powwows and how the Native People are coping during the Coronavirus Pandemic. They cannot gather together and dance in Powwows, so Stephanie and her cohorts have tried to find a workaround for that. They started a Facebook group to help foster connection with others from around the world, which immediately gathered thousands of followers.
• 
  2020-07-06

  Indigenous overdose deaths jumped drastically from January to May as COVID-19 crisis hit

  'Many of our community members have very specifically said they don’t feel safe going to the hospital or even calling for an ambulance for the fear that they will be treated badly and not receive any kind of support beyond the immediate need of treating an overdose,' Shannon McDonald, Acting Chief Medical Officer of the First Nations Health Authority, said Monday on a video-conference to discuss the data."
• 
  2020-06-25

  Resources for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Community Members

  A collection of resources regarding covid-19 produced by various government and community associations across the country specifically for indigenous people. It was produced by Ottawa Public Health. The resources are in a variety of indigenous languages including Cree, Ojibwe, Mi'kmaq, Inuktitut, and Algonquin, which touch on a variety of issues, including those which have uniquely cultural significance such as tobacco use.