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This is the latest National Indigenous News on the Windspeaker Radio Network. The new commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada says he is focusing on establishing more healthy lodges to help Indigenous inmates reconnect with their communities. Talal Dakobab was named to the position in March but says he's well versed in issues facing indigenous peoples behind bars. Half of the women locked up in prison are First Nation, Inuit or Metis, while a third are Indigenous men. This despite the fact that Indigenous peoples make up only 5% of the population. The list of issues facing the CSC is long and has been pointed out in dozens of reports issued by the Auditor General, House of Commons committees, and the Office of the Correctional Investigator, among others. Concerns include the overrepresentation of Indigenous inmates, the fact that they are less likely to receive early parole, and are often screened to be high security level. Healing lodges are facilities outside of prison that are designed specifically for indigenous offenders, according to the CSC. They offer culturally appropriate services and programs to offenders in a way that incorporates indigenous values, traditions, and beliefs. There are currently six community-run healing lodges across the country. A sixty-six million dollar settlement has been reached in a birth alert class action in BC. The proposed settlement addresses a practice that operated for decades, often without people's knowledge, during one of the most vulnerable times in their lives, and if approved, the proposed settlement would create a process for people to seek information about whether a birth alert was issued about them, provide compensation, and offer trauma-informed support throughout the claims process. Birth alerts involve the exchange of information between a social worker and a hospital. When the social worker feels an expectant mother may put their newborn at risk, they issue a birth alert by informing the hospital of the pregnancy. The hospital in turn will notify the social worker when the baby is born. The lawsuit said that birth alerts shared private information without the person's knowledge and that the practice disproportionately affected indigenous families. The province's records reported that 3,000 people were the subject of a birth alert in BC before the practice was ended in 2019. A new children's picture book titled Okus Kinawa Maku, meaning teacher in Cree, is set for release soon, offering a deeply personal reflection on Cree language, land-based learning, and the teachings passed down through generations. Created by Tammy Ray Lamouche, the book is rooted in childhood memories and the lasting influence of her late Muslim, whom she describes as one of her most important teachers. Lamouche says the book is a way to honor her Muslim Raymond along with other many grandparent elders and knowledge keepers who continue to guide families and communities through teachings that are both practical and spiritual in nature. While the book is a children's picture book designed for early learners, Lamouche says its message is not limited by age. Instead, she hopes it resonates with anyone who has been shaped by the guidance of a teacher, family member, or elder. Now in its final stage of production, Okus Kinwaha Maku is expected to be released soon, offering what Lamouche hopes will be both a teaching tool and a lasting tribute to the knowledge shared by her Muslim and other elders. That is the latest National Indigenous News.