Week of August 3rd Edition

2 months ago

6 Min Read

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“Land is a spiritual entity. It’s not just a resource to be exploited; it’s a living, breathing entity that sustains us and deserves our respect. We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… and then we return home.”

This week’s edition has articles with potpourri of subjects to inform and help create understanding as we move forward on the journey of reconciliation.

Enjoy the articles:

The Ktunaxa Nursery Restoring BC’s Interior | The Tyee

Eskissoqnik: In relation with land and language – APTN | Our Stories

Dene Nation and Alberta Treaty 8 First Nations unite to defend water rights

We are all treaty people | PNI Atlantic News

https://www.canada.ca/en/housing-infrastructure-communities/news/2026/07/federal-government-and-ten-first-nation-communities-invest-in-renewable-energy-in-nova-scotia.html

Dene leaders call for policy acknowledging Indigenous procurement rights : My North Now

Nipissing First Nation dedicated to wellness at Nayaashing Mshkikiiwan – Anishinabek News

Glooscap First Nation celebrates submarine announcement | CBC.ca

Xatśūll First Nation urges Canada to better protect endangered mountain caribou | CBC News

First Nations opt into renewable energy | PNI Atlantic News

Jay Treaty and Native American rights

Article III states, “It is agreed, that it shall at all times be free to His Majesty’s subjects, and to the citizens of the United States, and also to the Indians dwelling on either side of the said boundary line, freely to pass and repass, by land or inland navigation into the respective territories and countries of the two parties on the continent of America, (the country within the limits of the Hudson’s Bay Company only excepted) … and freely carry on trade and commerce with each other.” Article III of the Jay Treaty declared the right of Native Americans, American citizens, and Canadian subjects to trade and travel between the United States and Canada, which was then a territory of Great Britain.[25] Some legal experts dispute whether the treaty rights were abrogated by the War of 1812.[26] In Canada, the Supreme Court ruled in 1956 that the Jay Treaty is “currently not in force”.[27] Nevertheless, the United States has codified this right in the provisions of Section 289 of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 and as amended in 1965. As a result of the Jay Treaty, “Native Indians born in Canada are therefore entitled to enter the United States for the purpose of employment, study, retirement, investing, and/or immigration” if they can prove that they have at least 50% blood quantum, and cannot be deported for any reason.[28][29] Article III of the Jay Treaty is the basis of most Native American claims.[30] Unlike other legal immigrants, Canadian-born Native Americans residing in the US are entitled to public benefits and domestic tuition fees on the same basis as citizens

Pomerleau, First Nations partner to deliver infrastructure

Striking Photographs That Capture Native American Life Over 100 Years Ago

https://www.ctvnews.ca/london/article/first-nation-and-health-partner-launch-innovative-addiction-and-mental-health-centre-model

Indigenous investigator to be hired by police watchdog in Atlantic Canada

James Ratling leaf

Reconciliation is often spoken about as a relationship between people. I believe it is also a relationship with the land.

Climate adaptation cannot succeed if it ignores the first peoples of a place and the knowledge systems that have sustained landscapes for thousands of years. Indigenous Peoples have always practiced adaptation—not as a reaction to crisis, but as an ongoing responsibility rooted in reciprocity, observation, stewardship, and accountability to future generations.

Today, we face unprecedented environmental challenges. Drought, wildfire, biodiversity loss, and changing ecosystems demand more than technological innovation alone. They require a different way of thinking about our relationship with the natural world.

Reconciliation and climate adaptation are inseparable.

True reconciliation means recognizing Indigenous Peoples as rights holders, knowledge holders, and governance partners. It means creating ethical space where Indigenous Knowledge and Western science can work together without one diminishing the other. It means respecting Indigenous data sovereignty, supporting Tribal-led stewardship, and investing in long-term relationships rather than short-term consultation.

Across North America and around the world, Indigenous communities are demonstrating what sustainable futures can look like through buffalo restoration, cultural fire, watershed stewardship, regenerative economies, language revitalization, and community-led climate action. These are not simply conservation projects—they are expressions of governance, responsibility, and hope.

The question is no longer whether Indigenous knowledge belongs in climate adaptation.

The question is whether our institutions are ready to transform themselves enough to work in true partnership.

A sustainable future will not be built by looking only forward. It will be built by remembering what has always connected us—to each other, to the land, and to the generations yet to come.

Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ — We Are All Related.

New Indigenous languages commissioner says her job is to support incoming leadership

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/bathurst-caribou-mine-sold-9.7288049

Pimicikamak Cree Nation proposes class action on Manitoba Hydro

Yukon University developing territory’s first law degree program

Bill C-21 delay won’t halt Red River Métis self-government, MMF says – Windspeaker.com

Why a New West Coast Pipeline Still Faces Big Hurdles | The Tyee

The federal government announces major milestone for the Crawford Nickel Project – Canada.ca (“The project assessment benefited greatly from the participation of Indigenous communities in northern Ontario and their Indigenous Knowledge”

Federal government invests in clean energy projects across Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories to secure affordable, reliable, clean power – Canada.ca

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump celebrating UNESCO anniversary | Calgary Herald