Latest news with #IdleNoMore
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Did Trump make Canada Day great again? Some observers say, in a way, yes
Just a few years ago, Canada Day was going through a serious identity crisis. Calls to #CancelCanadaDay were trending in 2021 after preliminary findings from a ground-penetrating radar survey at a former residential school in British Columbia had found some 200 potential unmarked graves at the now-national historic site. In 2017, protesters with Idle No More descended on Parliament Hill, calling for a national day of action called UNsettling Canada 150 on the country's 150th birthday. Enter, Donald Trump and his threats to annex Canada if the country doesn't voluntarily become the 51st state — something that's dominated headlines this year. "There is a switch this year suddenly," said historian Matthew Hayday. The threat to Canadian sovereignty has galvanized Canadians, the University of Guelph department chair said. This year, he expects celebrations with "the whole rhetoric of 'elbows up' and championing Canada." Trump's taunts and very real tariffs may be driving a resurgence of patriotism, but while some Torontonians are heading to Ottawa to celebrate, some Indigenous people say their concerns remain and shouldn't be forgotten. "July 1 can, in some ways, be a microcosm of a given year of what the national mood looks like," Hayday said. Earlier this year, Canadians across the country were boycotting American products and cancelling vacations plans to the U.S. Those sentiments may not be as potent now, but for many the sentiment lingers. Yao Ameyaw told CBC Toronto he's still avoiding spending money south of the border, and he'll be travelling to Ottawa for Canada Day. "There is a bit of bad blood whether spoken or not, between us and America," he said. Patrick Shea and his wife will also be heading from Toronto to the nation's capital. He agrees Canada-U.S. relations have "reinvigorated [Canadians] sense of nation and our sense of belonging together," but hopes the tensions die down soon. "It may pass like a kidney stone, but it's going to pass." For Tira Cardinal, who is Indigenous, the holiday is an opportunity to spend time with friends, but she won't be celebrating. "I'm going to be wearing an orange shirt on Canada Day," she said, adding that she isn't surprised Indigenous issues aren't front of mind for many Canadians this year. "People hop on the bandwagon for a lot of things. Unfortunately, I think that's how people in society are going to be." Brianna Olson-Pitawanakwat, a member of the member of Wiikwemkoong Unceded First Nation, said she'll be spending the day rallying around her community and highlighting their resilience and resistance. She's the co-founder of the Native Arts Society in Toronto, an art gallery and studio space dedicated to celebrating and showcasing Indigenous artists, many of whom are survivors of residential schools or the Sixties Scoop. "[They] are struggling with displacement, and deserve to be honoured on this day," Olson-Pitawanakwat said. "There's been a big push with what's happening south of the border for Canada to kind of relish in this hyper-nationalism. I think it's really important to recognize that like the boundaries of what we call Canada today would not exist without Indigenous peoples." Already, the surge in patriotism — and protectionism — has led to threats against Indigenous sovereignty, Olson-Pitawanakwat said. She compares Bill 5 in Ontario to Stephen Harper's Bill C-45, a controversial omnibus bill that made changes to the Indian Act, the Environmental Protections Act and Navigation Protection Act to make it easier for pipelines to be approved on Indigenous land without the consent of affected First Nations. That 2012 bill was part of what sparked the Idle No More movement that drove protests across the country and calls for Canada Day to be cancelled. Olson-Pitawanakwat says, like C-45, the Ford government's Bill 5 will also allow the government to expedite and approve energy project in Indigenous territories without local approval, namely when it comes to mining in the Ring of Fire. "We cannot approve these things without free, prior-informed consent," Olson-Pitawanakwat said. Similar tensions are playing out at national level, too. Prime Minister Mark Carney has signalled Bill C-5 could be used to greenlight and fast-track new energy projects, including pipelines, mines and other resource-related initiatives. There's already fear and pushback in some Indigenous communities about what it'll mean for the consultation process — though both Carney and Ford have vowed their governments will consult. "Right now, there is a lot more leeway for various actors to do things in the name of Canada," Hayday said. And as a result, "Indigenous concerns more broadly are kind of getting shunted," he said. With the pendulum in one direction, this could be the moment that it starts to move the other way, Olson-Pitawanakwat said. "This bill and the response are huge… and it's only going to become more present."
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
First Nations opposition to Bill C-5 draws comparisons to Idle No More movement
As more First Nations voice opposition to Bill C-5, some are drawing comparisons to the 2012 Idle No More movement. Hayden King, executive director of the Yellowhead Institute, an Indigenous-led research and education centre at Toronto Metropolitan University, said both the speed with which it was passed and ideas in the bill remind him of former prime minister Stephen Harper's omnibus bill that helped create the Idle No More movement. "It was trying to do the very same thing, right? It was trying to fast-track resource development and it got pushed back and it got resistance," said King, who is Anishinaabe from Beausoleil First Nation in Ontario. "And as basically [Prime Minister Mark] Carney's first act, he's taken up that mantle to really drive and push that extractive resource development." Passed into law last week, Bill C-5 aims to remove interprovincial trade barriers while another, more controversial, part of the law aims to speed up projects of national interest, including energy development projects, by allowing special "designated projects" to bypass some federal laws. "We're talking about species at risk laws, Fisheries Act, and I think importantly for Indigenous people, we're talking about… the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act," King said. Under the Impact Assessment Act, Indigenous people must be consulted and Indigenous knowledge and rights — and impacts on those rights — should be considered during a project's assessment. Each of these laws outline what consultation should look like, King added, so without them, communities are unsure how much they will be consulted. The federal government has said that Indigenous Peoples will be consulted during the process of choosing the projects to be designated and the review process for projects chosen will include further consultations with those potentially impacted by them. The federal government has also announced a series of "summits" that will take place over the summer with First Nations, Inuit and Métis. A statement from the Assembly of First Nations said it would be holding a virtual forum with chiefs on July 10 to discuss amendments made to Bill C-5, ahead of the prime minister's planned meeting with First Nations on July 17. National Chief Cindy Woodhouse's statement also thanked Mi'kmaw Sen. Paul Prosper who proposed an amendment last week to have free, prior, and informed consent included in the bill, though it was voted down. Many Indigenous communities and groups have put out statements outlining their concerns with the bill, in addition to demonstrations and other actions like a letter-writing campaign. Earlier this month, the Chiefs of Ontario released a statement saying that the bill was being pushed through Parliament "at an unprecedented speed." In the same statement, Temagami Chief Shelly Moore-Frappier said "this bill is about exercising power over the First Peoples and our lands and resources." Multiple nations in Alberta have also released statements, including Samson Cree Nation which called C-5 the "No Indigenous Rights" bill, adding that it cannot be used to bypass the need for free, prior and informed consent on projects. Similarly, Assembly of First Nations Québec-Labrador said the federal government chose confrontation rather than co-operation in its approach to passing the bill, and said it did "nothing about climate, biodiversity or a just transition." Idle No More Ontario, a grassroots group, called C-5 and similar provincial bills a betrayal of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and treaty obligations "In terms of respecting Indigenous rights, respecting Indigenous sovereignty, respecting Indigenous peoples jurisdiction — certainly to say no to unwelcome development in their territory — none of these pieces of legislation make any space for that," King said. John Desjarlais, executive director of the Indigenous Resource Network, an organization that advocates for workers, business owners and communities who support Indigenous inclusion in the natural resources sector, said he doesn't see anything in the bill that is "designed to bypass rights." Rather, he said, the bill is an opportunity to respond to world forces while respecting constitutionally protected rights. "We've never seen… government so willing and able to get to the table," Desjarlais said. Desjarlais said he's heard signals from the government that Indigenous equity and ownership of infrastructure projects will be outcomes of the bill. "There's a strong assurance there, which means that these communities can use these source revenues to to self-determine and to reinvest in their communities on their terms," he said. In light of the many statements brought forward by First Nations groups, Desjarlais said, "I err on the side of that maybe there wasn't enough [consultation]." "It's always a challenge to determine what's an appropriate level of consultation." Because of historical circumstances where projects were pursued without proper or adequate consultation of Indigenous rights holders, Desjarlais said, the current approval system has become risk averse with many sets of approvals to go through. "But this is where it becomes a little burdensome, layer upon layer upon layer," he said. The government has said the goal of the bill is to speed up the approvals process so that projects can complete federal review in under two years. Desjarlais said when projects reach a point where "we know 90 per cent of what we need to know" then more consultation only slows down the process. At that point, he said, it's OK for projects to move forward and then adapt later if needs arise.
30-06-2025
- Politics
Did Trump make Canada Day great again? Some observers say, in a way, yes
Calls to #CancelCanadaDay (new window) were trending in 2021 after preliminary findings from a ground-penetrating radar survey at a former residential school in British Columbia had found some 200 potential unmarked graves at the now-national historic site (new window) . In 2017, protesters with Idle No More descended on Parliament Hill (new window) , calling for a national day of action called UNsettling Canada 150 on the country's 150th birthday. Enter, Donald Trump and his threats to annex Canada (new window) if the country doesn't voluntarily become the 51st state — something that's dominated headlines this year. There is a switch this year suddenly, said historian Matthew Hayday. The threat to Canadian sovereignty has galvanized Canadians, the University of Guelph department chair said. This year, he expects celebrations with the whole rhetoric of 'elbows up' and championing Canada. FRONT BURNERWhat is this new Canadian patriotism? (new window) Trump's taunts and very real tariffs may be driving a resurgence of patriotism, but while some Torontonians are heading to Ottawa to celebrate, some Indigenous people say their concerns remain and shouldn't be forgotten. July 1 can, in some ways, be a microcosm of a given year of what the national mood looks like, Hayday said. Rosary Spence and Lena Recollet participate in the Every Child Matters Walk on Canada Day, in downtown Toronto on July 1, 2021. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press) Photo: (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press) A day shaped by tensions Earlier this year, Canadians across the country were boycotting American products (new window) and cancelling vacations plans to the U.S. (new window) Those sentiments may not be as potent now, but for many the sentiment lingers. Yao Ameyaw told CBC Toronto he's still avoiding spending money south of the border, and he'll be travelling to Ottawa for Canada Day. There is a bit of bad blood whether spoken or not, between us and America, he said. Patrick Shea and his wife will also be heading from Toronto to the nation's capital. He agrees Canada-U.S. relations have reinvigorated [Canadians] sense of nation and our sense of belonging together, but hopes the tensions die down soon. It may pass like a kidney stone, but it's going to pass. Fireworks explode in celebration of Canada Day. This year, the festivities touch a little closer to home. Photo: La Presse canadienne / Justin Tang For Tira Cardinal, who is Indigenous, the holiday is an opportunity to spend time with friends, but she won't be celebrating. I'm going to be wearing an orange shirt on Canada Day, she said, adding that she isn't surprised Indigenous issues aren't front of mind for many Canadians this year. People hop on the bandwagon for a lot of things. Unfortunately, I think that's how people in society are going to be. Brianna Olson-Pitawanakwat, a member of the member of Wiikwemkoong Unceded First Nation, said she'll be spending the day rallying around her community and highlighting their resilience and resistance. She's the co-founder of the Native Arts Society in Toronto, an art gallery and studio space dedicated to celebrating and showcasing Indigenous artists, many of whom are survivors of residential schools or the Sixties Scoop. [They] are struggling with displacement, and deserve to be honoured on this day, Olson-Pitawanakwat said. There's been a big push with what's happening south of the border for Canada to kind of relish in this hyper-nationalism. I think it's really important to recognize that like the boundaries of what we call Canada today would not exist without Indigenous peoples. Recent bills could move the pendulum of public opinion Already, the surge in patriotism — and protectionism — has led to threats against Indigenous sovereignty, Olson-Pitawanakwat said. She compares Bill 5 in Ontario to Stephen Harper's Bill C-45 (new window) , a controversial omnibus bill that made changes to the Indian Act, the Environmental Protections Act and Navigation Protection Act to make it easier for pipelines to be approved on Indigenous land without the consent of affected First Nations. That 2012 bill was part of what sparked the Idle No More movement that drove protests across the country and calls for Canada Day to be cancelled. Olson-Pitawanakwat says, like C-45, the Ford government's Bill 5 will also allow the government to expedite and approve energy project in Indigenous territories without local approval, namely when it comes to mining in the Ring of Fire. We cannot approve these things without free, prior-informed consent, Olson-Pitawanakwat said. Similar tensions are playing out at national level, too. Prime Minister Mark Carney has signalled Bill C-5 could be used to greenlight and fast-track new energy projects, including pipelines, mines and other resource-related initiatives. There's already fear and pushback in some Indigenous communities about what it'll mean for the consultation process — though both Carney and Ford have vowed their governments will consult. Right now, there is a lot more leeway for various actors to do things in the name of Canada, Hayday said. And as a result, Indigenous concerns more broadly are kind of getting shunted, he said. With the pendulum in one direction, this could be the moment that it starts to move the other way, Olson-Pitawanakwat said. This bill and the response are huge… and it's only going to become more present. Britnei Bilhete (new window) · CBC News
CBC
29-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Did Trump make Canada Day great again? Some observers say, in a way, yes
Just a few years ago, Canada Day was going through a serious identity crisis. Calls to #CancelCanadaDay were trending in 2021 after preliminary findings from a ground-penetrating radar survey at a former residential school in British Columbia had found some 200 potential unmarked graves at the now-national historic site. In 2017, protesters with Idle No More descended on Parliament Hill, calling for a national day of action called UNsettling Canada 150 on the country's 150th birthday. Enter, Donald Trump and his threats to annex Canada if the country doesn't voluntarily become the 51st state — something that's dominated headlines this year. "There is a switch this year suddenly," said historian Matthew Hayday. The threat to Canadian sovereignty has galvanized Canadians, the University of Guelph department chair said. This year, he expects celebrations with "the whole rhetoric of 'elbows up' and championing Canada." Trump's taunts and very real tariffs may be driving a resurgence of patriotism, but while some Torontonians are heading to Ottawa to celebrate, some Indigenous people say their concerns remain and shouldn't be forgotten. "July first can, in some ways, be a microcosm of a given year of what the national mood looks like," Hayday said. A day shaped by tensions Earlier this year, Canadians across the country were boycotting American products and cancelling vacations plans to the U.S. Those sentiments may not be as potent now, but for many the sentiment lingers. Yao Ameyaw told CBC Toronto he's still avoiding spending money south of the border, and he'll be travelling to Ottawa for Canada Day. "There is a bit of bad blood whether spoken or not, between us and America," he said. Patrick Shea and his wife will also be heading from Toronto to the nation's capital. He agrees Canada-U.S. relations have "reinvigorated [Canadians] sense of nation and our sense of belonging together," but hopes the tensions die down soon. "It may pass like a kidney stone, but it's going to pass." For Tira Cardinal, who is Indigenous, the holiday is an opportunity to spend time with friends, but she won't be celebrating. "I'm going to be wearing an orange shirt on Canada Day," she said, adding that she isn't surprised Indigenous issues aren't front of mind for many Canadians this year. "People hop on the bandwagon for a lot of things. Unfortunately, I think that's how people in society are going to be." Brianna Olson-Pitawanakwat, a member of the member of Wiikwemkoong Unceded First Nation, said she'll be spending the day rallying around her community and highlighting their resilience and resistance. She's the co-founder of the Native Arts Society in Toronto, an art gallery and studio space dedicated to celebrating and showcasing Indigenous artists, many of whom are survivors of residential schools or the Sixties Scoop. "[They] are struggling with displacement, and deserve to be honoured on this day," Olson-Pitawanakwat said. "There's been a big push with what's happening south of the border for Canada to kind of relish in this hyper-nationalism. I think it's really important to recognize that like the boundaries of what we call Canada today would not exist without Indigenous peoples." Recent bills could move the pendulum of public opinion Already, the surge in patriotism — and protectionism — has led to threats against Indigenous sovereignty, Olson-Pitawanakwat said. She compares Bill 5 in Ontario to Stephen Harper's Bill C-45, a controversial omnibus bill that made changes to the Indian Act, the Environmental Protections Act and Navigation Protection Act to make it easier for pipelines to be approved on Indigenous land without the consent of affected First Nations. That 2012 bill was part of what sparked the Idle No More movement that drove protests across the country and calls for Canada Day to be cancelled. Olson-Pitawanakwat says, like C-45, the Ford government's Bill 5 will also allow the government to expedite and approve energy project in Indigenous territories without local approval, namely when it comes to mining in the Ring of Fire. "We cannot approve these things without free, prior-informed consent," Olson-Pitawanakwat said. Similar tensions are playing out at national level, too. Prime Minister Mark Carney has signalled Bill C-5 could be used to greenlight and fast-track new energy projects, including pipelines, mines and other resource-related initiatives. There's already fear and pushback in some Indigenous communities about what it'll mean for the consultation process — though both Carney and Ford have vowed their governments will consult. "Right now, there is a lot more leeway for various actors to do things in the name of Canada," Hayday said. And as a result, "Indigenous concerns more broadly are kind of getting shunted," he said. With the pendulum in one direction, this could be the moment that it starts to move the other way, Olson-Pitawanakwat said.
CTV News
21-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Quebec marks National Indigenous Peoples Day amid tension
The regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador, Francis Verreault-Paul, in Lac-Beauport, on February 26, 2025. (The Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot) Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities came together on Saturday to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day. In Quebec, as across the country, feelings are mixed amid concerns that new federal and provincial legislation could roll back First Nations rights. More than a hundred people gathered at the Old Port of Montreal at noon to celebrate both the beginning of summer and local Indigenous cultures. Mohawk Elder Sedalia Fazio opened the traditional ceremony with the lighting of the day's fire in front of the Montreal Science Centre. Mohawk dancers then moved through the crowd, followed by a tobacco ceremony. 'The real importance of this day is that people are finally starting to realize we're here, we've always been here, and we're not going anywhere,' Sedalia Fazio told The Canadian Press. 'There's been a shift among both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Things are moving in the right direction, but non-Indigenous people still have a lot to learn.' She lamented that many people still don't know the history of colonial policies in Canada. 'They have no idea about the history, but they always have something to say,' said Fazio. 'It took the marches of Idle No More to start changing things. Back then, there were a lot of people against us, but now they're coming around and standing with us, because they're learning the real story.' The Mohawk elder said she feels optimistic about the younger generation of Indigenous people—and about a non-Indigenous youth that is increasingly educated. 'Young Indigenous people are happier to be Indigenous than we were when we were young,' she said. 'When I was little, I wanted to be blonde with blue eyes and I used to use bleach because I thought I was too dark. But today, young people aren't like that. They're proud to be Indigenous, proud of their black hair and darker skin.' Legislation raising concerns For Francis Verreault-Paul, Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL), the day is first and foremost a celebration of Indigenous cultures and a moment of exchange between nations—but, he added, 'we've more than reached the point where a legislative reconciliation process needs to begin.' 'We feel the pressure—there's a global geopolitical context putting pressure on everyone, and that pressure is being felt by First Nations here,' Chief Verreault-Paul told The Canadian Press. 'First Nations have ancestral rights to this land, and in order to move forward together, those rights must be respected.' Chief Verreault-Paul singled out Quebec's Bill 97, which includes proposed changes to forest zoning, as one source of concern. 'There's a broad consensus of dissatisfaction and unrest regarding Bill 97, which touches the heart of our nations,' he said. 'We need to stay mobilized as First Nations to make sure our rights are respected. People have every right to express their discontent—I just hope it doesn't turn into civil disobedience and that it's done peacefully and with respect.' He stressed the need to remind the Quebec government that forests represent 'the heart of our nations' for many Indigenous communities. 'This bill needs to be completely reformed,' added Verreault-Paul. 'It jeopardizes the long-term survival of our forests, the recognition of our rights, and biodiversity—so we need to find a balance.' Quebec's Minister Responsible for Relations with First Nations and Inuit, Ian Lafrenière, was present at the gathering. He declined to discuss the controversy surrounding Bill 97. 'This isn't the right day to talk about that,' said Lafrenière. 'It's a day of reflection, a day to celebrate languages and cultures. Of course, the laws we pass and the actions we take as a government do impact First Nations.' Also raising alarm is Bill C-5, adopted under closure in Ottawa, which many fear could once again sideline Indigenous peoples from consultation processes. 'In the past, consultation and consent were far from being respected, and now we're seeing a bill that will accelerate decisions,' said Chief Verreault-Paul. 'There may be opportunities in this geopolitical shift, where we're all rethinking our approach a little—but even so, the respect for Indigenous Peoples must not be cast aside, as it has been too often in the past.' According to one event organizer, several invitations were sent to Ottawa to attend the ceremony, but none were accepted. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 21, 2025.
