Latest news with #AssemblyofFirstNations
Hamilton Spectator
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Doug Ford apologizes to First Nations for ‘hat in hand' comments
Premier Doug Ford has apologized to First Nations for comments he made while pushing his controversial Bill 5 that fast-tracks mining approvals. Speaking to reporters at Queen's Park on Thursday after a two-hour meeting with chiefs from the Anishinabek Nation, which represents 39 First Nations across Ontario, Ford was contrite. 'I just want to say I sincerely apologize for my words, not only if it hurt all the chiefs in that room, but all First Nations,' the premier said. 'I speak from the heart and sometimes my words don't come out properly, which I think you've all seen over a number of years. I sincerely apologize if that has offended anyone. I've never been too proud to sit back and apologize for something that I've said or if have offended someone,' he said. Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Linda Debassige, who was standing beside Ford as he spoke, accepted his apology. 'Our chiefs felt today that the apology was sincere. We are looking at today as a new day going forward,' said Debassige. 'The premier has corrected himself for the 'hat in hand' comment and has committed to be working with us as a good treaty partner and has owned what he said,' she said, 'and I'm not going to belabour that.' However, Debassige emphasized that while the chiefs appreciated the confab, the Anishinabek Nation still opposes Bill 5, the ' Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act ,' which was passed two weeks ago. 'We remain steadfast in the rights of our nations,' she stressed, noting other matters were discussed behind closed doors. 'It would be disrespectful to our First Nations communities to suggest their only concern is Bill 5 at this time.' The meeting came one day after Ford was accused by New Democrat MPP Sol Mamakwa of making 'racist' remarks about First Nations. On Wednesday in St. Catharines, the premier said 'there's an opportunity of a lifetime for them' if minerals can be extracted more quickly from remote regions. 'We're giving them $3 billion with a B … to be equity partners, to make their communities more prosperous and wealthier and have services they've never had before,' said Ford, noting' there's going to be a point that you can't just keep coming hat in hand all the time to the government. 'You've got to be able to take care of yourselves — and when you literally have gold mines, nickel mines, every type of critical mineral that the world wants, and you're saying, 'No, no, I don't want to touch that, by the way, give me money.' Not going to happen. It's simple,' he said. In a letter Thursday to Ford, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak accused the premier of 'pejoratively dismissing' Indigenous rights. 'Your remarks only serve to perpetuate racist stereotypes and are not acceptable in any way or circumstance,' she wrote. For his part, Mamakwa (Kiiwetinoong) said Thursday 'that's not the way we create relationships with First Nations' and had urged Ford to apologize. 'As First Nations, you know, we are not beggars,' he added. 'That type of thinking is not great … it belongs back in the 1950s.' Ford's mea culpa overshadowed a meeting that had been called as his Progressive Conservatives scrambled to fix Bill 5 in regulation following its speedy passage before the legislature rose for the summer break. Opponents charge the law breaches long-standing First Nation treaty rights as well as waters down environmental protections with of new 'special economic zones' designed to fast track project approvals. Ford's Tories argue the law — similar to the federal Bill C-5 being pushed through by Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberals — is needed to get projects approved quickly The premier and prime minister say U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war against Canada means that approvals must be expedited.
Hamilton Spectator
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
What is National Indigenous Peoples Day and is it a stat holiday?
Saturday, June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day. It's a date to recognize and celebrate the history, heritage, resilience and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. For generations, many Indigenous groups and communities have celebrated their culture and heritage on or around June 21, according to the Canadian government's description of the day , as this time of year is significant due to the summer solstice being the longest day of the year. In 1982, the National Indian Brotherhood, now the Assembly of First Nations, called for the creation of National Aboriginal Solidarity Day. In 1995, the Sacred Assembly called for a national holiday to celebrate the contributions of Indigenous peoples. June 21 was proclaimed as National Aboriginal Day in 1996 by then-Gov.-Gen. Roméo LeBlanc. In 2017, then-prime minister Justin Trudeau announced the federal government's intention to rename the day as National Indigenous Peoples Day. The government has been referring to it as such since. The day is now part of the Celebrate Canada program, which includes various cultural summer programs across the country. You can learn more about National Indigenous Peoples Day and look up a list of events across Canada on the government's website . National Indigenous Peoples Day is observed as a statutory holiday in the Northwest Territories and Yukon, but not anywhere else in Canada.
Calgary Herald
a day ago
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
Bruce Starlight honoured for work in preserving Tsuut'ina language with postage stamp
Starting June 20, Canadians buying stamps for their mail will notice new faces on the postage — including that of Indigenous leader Bruce Starlight. Article content Starlight will have his face on a stamp, alongside Julia Haogak and Sophie McDougall, as tribute for their work in preserving the culture and languages of their Inuit, Metis and First Nations communities. Article content Article content The stamps are to be unveiled separately, with the one featuring Starlight unveiled Thursday at the Seven Chiefs Sportsplex and Jim Starlight Centre in Tsuut'ina Nation. Article content The stamps featuring Haogak and McDougall were unveiled June 13 and 17, respectively. Article content Article content 'Not everybody gets the honour to be put on a postage stamp,' Starlight said during Thursday's unveiling. Article content One of the last remaining fluent speakers of the Tsúut'ínà language, Starlight founded an institution in 2008 dedicated to instructing others in the language and developing materials for Tsúut'ínà instruction, including dictionaries and recordings. He served numerous roles since the 1970s as councillor, language commissioner for the Tsúut'ínà chief and council, and the first elected Indigenous director on the Calgary Stampede board of directors. After his retirement in 2022, he continued to advocate and advise on Indigenous issues. Article content His most recent contribution is a collaboration on a collection of traditional narratives and historical accounts in Tsúut'ínà and a Tsúut'ínà-to-English glossary. Article content Article content 'There's very few of us left,' he said, of those who can speak the language. 'And of the 24, only 12 of us can get around. So we're saving an actual dead language.' Article content Article content Tyler Thomas, director of Indigenous and Northern Affairs at Canada Post, said the unveiling comes as part of the company's annual initiative to release an Indigenous leader stamp series. Article content Now in its fourth year, the company works with the Assembly of First Nations, Metis National Council and the Inuit Tapirit Kanatami to identify individuals worthy of being placed on the stamps. Article content
Global News
a day ago
- Politics
- Global News
Major projects bill amended to remove cabinet power to sidestep Indian Act
The federal government's major projects legislation was amended by opposition parties on Wednesday to withdraw the power the bill gave cabinet to sidestep the Indian Act, following weeks of criticism from First Nations leaders. But Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Nepinak Woodhouse said Thursday the 'limited changes' made to the bill don't go far enough. She still wants the government to give members of Parliament more time to study the legislation. The Liberal government's controversial legislation, which would allow cabinet to quickly grant federal approvals for big industrial projects like mines, ports and pipelines, was introduced on June 6, and sailed through the committee study in about eight hours on Tuesday and Wednesday. Amendments to the bill made in committee include removing the Indian Act from a list of laws the government can sidestep when determining whether a project should move forward. Story continues below advertisement Bloc Québécois MP Xavier Barsalou-Duval said in a media statement the change came from a sub-amendment his party posed, and that the Liberals did not vote in favour of it. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy In French, Barsalou-Duval said he regrets that the Liberals didn't vote for the amendment, but he is pleased it passed. From the moment the bill was first discussed, First Nations leaders warned the bill could violate their constitutionally protected rights. First Nations leaders also said Ottawa could face legal challenges, and its fast-tracked projects could be slowed down, if Indigenous communities are not meaningfully consulted. 1:54 More pushback for Bill C-5 from Indigenous groups Some First Nations leaders are warning of a wave protests if the bill doesn't fundamentally change. Prime Minister Mark Carney said respect for section 35 of the Constitution, which recognizes and protects treaty rights is 'at the heart of this legislation.' Story continues below advertisement He said it's also important that the bill doesn't approve projects, it just 'creates the possibility of these projects,' which must undergo 'full consultation with Indigenous Peoples to define what is a nation-building project.' 'And then, if something is one of those projects, then what are the conditions in order for that project to move forward, including participation — obviously, I would think, in almost every case, environmental, other conditions — and then only if those conditions are met would the project move forward.' Woodhouse Nepinak said it appears some other 'constructive suggestions' to amend the bill were voted down. 'These limited changes don't go far enough and were developed without input from rights-holders. We continue to call on Parliament to honour the Crown and have a full discussion with rights-holders before passing the bill, instead of ramming it through in a week,' she said. 'We will continue monitoring the debate closely and will have more to say as the situation develops.' The legislation, which has support from the opposition Conservatives, is expected to pass Friday. — With files from Michel Saba
Ottawa Citizen
a day ago
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
Doug Ford apologizes to Ontario First Nations for his 'passionate' comments
OTTAWA — Ontario Premier Doug Ford has apologized to Ontario First Nations for saying they cannot 'keep coming hat in hand all the time to the government' for more money. Article content On Thursday, Ford met with chiefs who are part of Anishinabek Nation, which represents 39 First Nations in the province. Before the meeting started, he issued an apology to them and repeated his apology in public during a press conference after the meeting. Article content Article content Article content 'I just want to say I sincerely apologize for my words, not only if it hurt all the chiefs in that room, but all First Nations,' he said. Article content Article content Linda Debassige, Grand Chief of the Anishinabek Nation, said the chiefs in the meeting felt that Ford's apology was 'sincere.' Article content 'We are looking at today as a new day going forward,' she said. Article content Ford made those comments on Wednesday over concerns that First Nations in the province have over the passage of Bill 5, which gives the province the power to suspend municipal and provincial laws for projects through so-called special economic zones. Article content Ford has said the mineral-rich Ring of Fire region in northern Ontario will be declared the first such zone. While First Nations have said they want to be part of economic development, they are outraged by the government's decision to proceed with legislation before consulting them. Article content Article content Ford dismissed those concerns during an unrelated press conference. Article content Article content 'This is like handing an opportunity on a silver platter to First Nations that, by the way, I have treated like gold,' he said. 'But there's going to be a point that you can't just keep coming hat in hand all the time to the government, you've got to be able to take care of yourselves.' Article content Ford continued: 'When you literally have gold mines, nickel mines, every type of critical mineral that the world wants, and you're saying, 'No, no, I don't want to touch that, by the way, give me money' — not going to happen.' Article content Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak urged Ford to withdraw his remarks in a letter sent Thursday, saying that his words 'only serve to perpetuate racist stereotypes and are not acceptable in any way or circumstance.'
