National Indigenous News June 25

Darrell Stranger takes a look at some of the latest Indigenous news making headlines across the country. 

Transcript

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This is a look at your National Indigenous News. I'm Daryl Stranger. A three-decade journey toward Mi'kmaq self-determination in education has reached a historic milestone as Millbrook First Nation joins Mi'kmaq Ginaumutnawe, bringing all 13 Mi'kmaq communities in Nova Scotia under a single education authority. Mi'kmaq Ginaumutnawe is a community-led education authority that supports Mi'kmaq control over education. The organization oversees on-reserve schooling decisions, promotes Mi'kmaq language immersion, cultural programming, and develops curriculum rooted in Mi'kmaq knowledge. The milestone comes as Mi'kmaq leaders recently marked the 30th anniversary of the agreement in principle that eventually became the agreement with respect to education in Nova Scotia. The agreement aimed to place the education of Mi'kmaq youth under Mi'kmaq control, focusing on principles like language revitalization and cultural preservation. The agreement was followed by the Mi'kmaq Education Act and Mi'kmaq Guinea Mutnawe was established to support delivery of the agreement. While only nine of the 13 communities in the province joined Mi'kmaq Guineau Mutnawe initially, the remaining communities gradually became members over time. Millbrook First Nation is the final community to join. Their membership will take effect April 2027. The Banff Center for Arts and Creativity is an arts and cultural education institution in Banff, Alberta. The center has recently opened applications for a youth leadership program, and Benjamin Dureau is here with more details.

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The Mountain Buffalo Warrior Program is a program offered by the Banff Center. The program starts on October 4th and ends on the 9th. Registration is currently open, but only about a third of the registration is currently filled. The program offers young Indigenous people a culturally grounded space to expand their leadership skills and build confidence. We got to speak with Simon Ross of the BAM Center and asked about how the program helps the young Indigenous people with leadership skills.

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Land-based outdoor classroom, understanding the impacts and the relationship to the land as one of the core pillars. The other sort of core pillar is really understanding how do you navigate Western systems and indigenous ways of being and doing? And how do we look at that through personal growth and development or professional development, depending on where they may be within their career?

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In Banff, I'm Benjamin Giraud.

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Manitoba Hydro will consider up to 11 proposals to build new wind farms over the next nine years, all owned by partnerships between Indigenous nations and experienced wind power developers. On Monday, the Crown Corporation published a list of Indigenous-led partnerships qualified to submit proposals to increase its generating capacity by 600 megawatts by 2035. Seven Indigenous nations are participating in what is, in effect, a competition to sell power to Manitoba Hydro either on their own or with other nations. Those nations are the Fisher River Cre Nation and Panamutang First Nation, Dakota Tepe First Nation, Kisikuan and Ojibwe First Nation, Gambler First Nation, Swan Lake First Nation, and the Manitoba Metis Federation. While all 11 wind farm proposals are at least 51% indigenous owned, that ownership ratio is described as a minimum requirement. The actual indigenous ownership of the successful partnerships might be higher. The 11 partnerships have until July to submit proposals to build wind farms and sell power to Manitoba Hydro. The successful partnerships will be announced in the spring of 2027. That's a look at your national Indigenous News.