National Indigenous News July 6

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. One home has been lost in Fort Simpson Northwest Territories as firefighters battle a wildfire that forced residents from their homes on June 28th. The home is an Atco trailer located in the Noga Heights subdivision near the Wild Rose and Gil Crescent area, and officials say it burns Saturday night. A lot of the trees in the area are very burned, according to officials, but the Noga Heights home is the only primary residence to be lost to date. The village has arranged drivers for residents still in Fort Simpson to leave the wildfire-threatened community as of noon Monday. The fire is expected to continue to grow this week, but there is still no threat to the village itself as of yet. There is still a lot of work to do before officials can consider inviting residents to return. It is estimated more than 130 people are directly engaged with fire response, presenting a logistical challenge as well as a safety problem with the fire crossing near the highway at multiple points. The Clearwater River Denis Nation in Saskatchewan announced today that it will establish an industry monitoring checkpoint on Highway 955 with uniformed and deputized guardians on the Clearwater River Denis Nation Reserve north of Laloche, Saskatchewan, beginning in August. The checkpoint forms part of a broader nation-led initiative to improve accountability, communication, and awareness respecting industrial activities occurring throughout the Clearwater River Dene Nation's traditional territory in the western Athabasca Basin. Companies, contractors, and other industry representatives traveling through the checkpoint to conduct industrial activities will be requested by the Guardians to identify the company they represent, the general nature and location of their work, the anticipated duration of activities, and appropriate corporate and site contact information. Information collected will assist the nation in maintaining an up-to-date understanding of industrial activities occurring throughout its territory and an improving communication between industry and the nation. Chief Teddy Clark said the initiative has become necessary because of the unprecedented pace of uranium exploration occurring throughout the western Athabasca Basin. The Clearwater River Dene Nation emphasized that it is not opposed to responsible uranium exploration or mining development. The nation believes the rapid expansion of uranium exploration, combined with existing notification and consultation practices has created an unacceptable level of uncertainty regarding who is conducting work, where activities are occurring, and the accumulative level of industry activity taking place across their traditional territory. In BC, Thompson Rivers University's Chancellor Dee Dee DeRose has reinitiated a nationwide Indigenous University Chancellor's Working Group to address challenges faced by Indigenous learners and to celebrate their successes. The first iteration of the working group was spearheaded years ago by former Queen's University Chancellor Murray Sinclair to address people who fraudulently represent themselves as Indigenous. The group met several times to discuss what role they could play in addressing the problem, but it was short-lived. Now DeRose said she's decided to reboot it. The revamped working group plans to meet four times annually and they held their first meeting earlier this year. There are 14 Indigenous university chancellors across Canada. Topics of interest can vary at universities, like the Chancellor from Yukon University raising challenges around restorative justice, addiction, and student well being. The working group also discussed policy language that rejects residential school denialism. The group's work will be ongoing and will likely evolve over time, but the goal is to make sure Indigenous learners feel safe and welcome on Canadian campuses. That's a look at your National Indigenous News.