Latest news with #IndigenousRights
SBS Australia
15 hours ago
- Politics
- SBS Australia
Morning News Bulletin 28 June 2025
Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts . TRANSCRIPT Two men who murdered Indigenous teenager Cassius Turvey receive a life sentence The US brokers a peace deal between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo Australian teenager Rocco Zikarsky one of four Australians selected in the NBA draft — Two men have been sentenced to life in prison over the killing of Aboriginal schoolboy Cassius Turvey in Western Australia's Supreme Court. The judge said the 15-year-old boy was robbed of his life in a brutal act which can never be made right. Jack Brearley and Brodie Palmer will need to serve at least 22 and 18 years respectively before they're eligible for parole. Cassius' mother Michelle spoke outside court after the sentencing. "The first thing that came to mind when Jack Brearley was sentenced to life was how he said my son had learnt his lesson after he had bashed him in the bush ... Well, he learnt a life lesson now." --- The US Supreme Court has issued a ruling that curbs the ability of lone judges to block the powers of President Donald Trump nationwide. In a 6-3 ruling stemming from the bid to end birthright citizenship in the US, the court says nationwide injunctions by individual district court judges likely exceed their authority. Critics say the decision will embolden Mr Trump's aggressive use of executive orders to further his agenda. Donald Trump, however rejects concerns about the concentration of power in the White House. He says the ruling is a giant win. "So thanks to this decision, we can now promptly file to proceed with these numerous policies, those that have been wrongly enjoined in a nationwide basis, including birthright citizenship, ending sanctuary city funding, suspending refugee resettlement, freezing unnecessary funding, stopping federal taxpayers from paying for transgender surgeries and numerous other priorities of the American people." The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have signed a peace deal facilitated by the US to help end decades of deadly fighting in the region. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio took part in the signing ceremony in Washington, along with the foreign ministers of the two African nations. The conflict has been described by the UN as "one of the most protracted, complex and serious humanitarian crises on Earth". With roots in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, it has displaced seven million people in the Congo, and escalated earlier this year with M23 rebels seizing major cities in the eastern part of the DRC. DRC Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner says the deal offers a rare chance to turn things around with real change on the ground. "With this peace agreement, we open a new chapter, one that calls not only for commitment, but for the courage to see it through. By signing this agreement, we reaffirm a simple truth. Peace is a choice, but also responsibility. To respect international law. To uphold human rights and to protect the sovereignty of states." A senior New South Wales Labor staffer has told an that inquiry Premier Chris Minns characterised the Dural Caravan plot as terrorism during a press conference because of a briefing provided by police. The Premier's Chief of Staff James Cullen is among five government political advisers appearing before the inquiry that is examining what the state government staffers knew about an apparent terrorist plot, which investigators later revealed to be a hoax. The inquiry is examining what the government knew about the caravan plot and when, amid concerns parliament may have been misled before passing controversial hate speech laws. Mr Cullen told the hearing the premier described the event as a terrorist attack because it was the language used by police in a briefing, despite police also alerting the public there were 'alternative lines' of inquiry. "Potential mass casualty event was not a term thrown around lightly at all. That was a very serious thing that was introduced by police in those briefings. I think that there has been a bit of a squashing here after the fact. The potential for that caravan with that explosives and so ignited could have been devastating and that had to be treated seriously." Australian teenager Rocco Zikarsky will start his NBA career at Minnesota, after being recruited with pick No.45 in the draft. Rising talent Zikarsky, who is 2.2 metres tall, was one of four players from the NBL's Next Star program to declare for the draft. The 18-year-old from the Sunshine Coast was overlooked on the first night of the event at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. But Zikarsky was snapped up with the 15th pick of the second round.
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
‘Agi idup, agi ngelaban': Honouring activist's death, Nurul Izzah urges protection of Sarawak indigenous land
KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 – PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar has today called for stronger protection of Indigenous land rights in Sarawak following the passing of long-time activist Dennis — which she called a key figure in the fight for Native Customary Rights (NCR). In a statement, Nurul Izzah paid tribute to Dennis' contributions and urged Malaysians to continue advocating for the indigenous Orang Asal communities in the state, many of whom face ongoing threats from land encroachment and displacement. 'Agi idup, agi ngelaban – as long as there is life, the fight continues,' the daughter of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said, referencing the rallying cry of Sarawak's Orang Asal rights movement. She recalled her first visits to remote villages in Sarawak, where she learnt how the Iban, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu, and Penan communities see land as their livelihood, a space for worship, and where traditions are upheld and families raised. She said Dennis' lifelong struggle, along with the efforts of other figures such as Harrison Ngau and the late Bill Kayong, exemplified unwavering courage and resilience in defending ancestral land and heritage. 'Although the nation's laws and the Sarawak Land Code recognise NCR rights, the reality is that only a fraction of these lands have been officially surveyed and granted ownership,' she said. Nurul Izzah highlighted that many Indigenous communities still face encroachment, forced evictions and exploitation as a result of land being leased to corporations without proper consultation or compensation. 'Palm oil plantations and logging activities continue to expand at the expense of Orang Asal sacrifice,' she said. She noted that courts have repeatedly affirmed NCR rights as consistent with customary law, the Federal Constitution and international human rights norms, but said enforcement remains inconsistent. 'I urge that the process of surveying and issuing titles for NCR land be expedited, and that no new licences be issued for lands still under dispute,' she said. She stressed that any development must obtain the free, prior and informed consent of original landowners and that affected communities must be fairly compensated. Nurul Izzah concluded her statement with a call for national solidarity, urging Malaysians to stand with Sarawak's Orang Asal peoples to ensure their voices are heard and their rights safeguarded.
CBC
a day ago
- Politics
- CBC
Bills 5 and C-5 spur Six Nations teach-in on Haudenosaunee rights
Social Sharing Speakers at a Haudenosaunee community event last weekend say they know their inherent rights and will assert them if provincial or federal legislation infringes upon them. Protect the Tract, a Haudenosaunee-led environmental initiative, organized a Solidarity Teach-in on National Indigenous Peoples Day on Six Nations of the Grand River, near Hamilton, Ont., in response to Ontario's Bill 5 and Canada's Bill C-5. Ontario passed Bill 5, a law aimed at speeding up the building of large projects, particularly mines, on June 4. Canada's Bill C-5, which gives cabinet the ability to pick certain projects to speed through the regulatory process, passed the House of Commons last week and is before the Senate. Both have been criticized for allowing governments to disregard laws to expedite development and potentially infringe on Indigenous rights. Leroy Hill, secretary for the Council of Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs and a Cayuga sub-chief, said at the event that it's Indigenous people who will pay the price for bills' promise of economic growth. He said in his 41 years working with the traditional Haudenosaunee council, he's seen the community work hard to reconnect with their traditions and regain their language despite the exploitation of their lands and water, shortage of land and housing and lack of clean drinking water on the Six Nations reserve. "We'll continue with that because we know that's part of our strengthening and if that intersects with these decisions [governments] have made; our people will not stand still," Hill said. Terri Monture, who is Kanien'kehá ka, Wolf clan from Six Nations, and a volunteer with Protect the Tract, said both Bill 5 and C-5 could create trample Indigenous rights protected in Canada's Constitution under section 35. "We have inherent rights that we're going to exercise and we're not afraid to exercise them because we have that inherent responsibility to our coming generations, but also to our ancestors," she said. She said they have considered themselves stewards of the land, since the Haldimand Tract was granted to them in 1784 for allying with the British during the American Revolution. The tract ran along roughly 10 kilometres on each side of the Grand River from its source around Waterhen, Ont., to Lake Erie, covering roughly 384,451 hectares. The land allotted to Six Nations has since dwindled to about 19,425 hectares. "Everything east of the Number 6 highway still along the Grand River was never surrendered and was literally squatted upon and then taken by the Crown and given to settlers," she said. In 2021, Monture said the Confederacy chiefs declared a moratorium on development on the tract because of the land dispute that is before the courts. She said Canada's foundation is predicated upon agreements and treaties like these the Crown made with Indigenous nations. Ford's comments reflect a 'lack of awareness' Last Wednesday Ontario Premier Doug Ford said of Bill 5, "This is like handing an opportunity on a silver platter to First Nations that, by the way, I have treated like gold." "When I first came into office, I told [Indigenous Affairs] Minister (Greg) Rickford, 'Treat them well, give them what they need, whatever they want for them to prosper.' But there's going to be a point that you can't just keep coming hat in hand all the time to the government, you've got to be able to take care of yourselves." Ford apologized the following day for his comments saying, "I get passionate because I want prosperity for their communities. I want prosperity for their children and their grandchildren." Rick Monture, who is Kanien'kehá ka, Turtle Clan from Six Nations and an associate professor in Indigenous Studies at McMaster University in Hamilton, said Ford's comments demonstrate a lack of awareness about treaty relationships. He said there was often diplomatic mishandling and a lack of good faith on part of settlers when they entered into these agreements, which continues to this day. The Trump administration's tariffs is the latest thing that "gives Canada licence to say, 'OK, we need to utilize all the resources in [our] own country," without consideration of Indigenous rights, he said. He said in Six Nations, it's land use for development and water protections that are the biggest concerns from the bills. Promises of prosperity by governments passing these bills are insincere, he said. Land claims need to be addressed meaningfully instead of each government just passing those obligations onto the next government.
CBC
a day ago
- Business
- CBC
Treaty 8 First Nations call for 2% resource revenues from projects on their land
Treaty 8 First Nations chiefs in Alberta are calling for a two-per-cent share of royalties from projects that develop resources from their land. The chiefs met with Premier Danielle Smith in Calgary on Thursday to raise various concerns, including revenue sharing. Trevor Mercredi, grand Chief of the Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta, said the meeting was urgently needed due to speed with which legislation is moving that could lead to major projects affecting Treaty 8 communities. "There has to be some sort of a relationship developed between Alberta and the nations, so we can move forward with some of these projects in a good way for our people," said Mercredi. "We're not looking for a handout, we're not looking for the province to come take care of our people, we don't need the province to take care of our people. We need our own people to serve and take care of our people" The meeting came on the same day that Bill C-5, Prime Minister Mark Carney's 'nation-building' projects bill, was passed by the Senate unamended. The legislation allows the prime minister's cabinet to streamline approvals for some projects that have the potential to boost the Canadian economy. But the bill has received criticism from some, including Mercredi, for the possibility it could lead to insufficient consultation with Indigenous peoples. Mercredi said resource revenue sharing is how his community can better support itself through funding education and health services, especially due to how profitable drawing resources from within Treaty 8 land, in northern Alberta, has been for the province. "You hear Premier Smith and all of the others talk about the millions and billions and trillions coming out of Alberta. That's from our backyards," Mercredi said. "Every day, we have industry and the province coming into our nations with hat in hand, looking for projects. It's not the other way around." Smith said the provincial government is looking for ways to ensure all First Nations in Alberta receive revenue from natural resources within the province. But instead of royalties, Smith said she believes this should be accomplished through equity. She pointed to the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation as an example. It's set up to facilitate investment by Indigenous groups in natural resource, agriculture, telecommunication and transportation projects. "Those are the kinds of things that will deliver the long-term revenue streams that I think that they're looking for," Smith said. "We share the aspiration, we just have a different way of supporting it." A seat at the table on emergency management Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta rejected Alberta's attempts to "assert jurisdiction through legislation like the Sovereignty Act," according to a statement the organization issued Thursday. It called for a formal recognition of Treaty 8 governance as a government-to-Nation partner. Thursday's meeting also saw First Nations chiefs raise emergency management as an issue to the province, Mercredi said. He specifically pointed to a need to reinforce fire-suppression services, as Alberta contends with destructive wildfire seasons each summer. More broadly, Mercredi said the group wants more input with the province about responding to crises, to find long-term solutions to problems First Nations groups in Alberta face each year. "It's a new world we live in. Alberta's on fire, and Alberta's been on fire for the last five or six years," he said. "Our people are really traumatized, our people are being removed, our nations are always looking at the smoke, the lightning. It's very concerning and Alberta has to pick up on their services when it comes to fire." He added that he believes Smith was receptive to the issues his group raised Thursday, but for too long, First Nations groups haven't had a sufficient seat at the table in these negotiations. Smith will meet with the group again in August in Treaty 8 territory.
CBC
2 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Carney's 'nation-building' projects bill passes Senate — but not without Indigenous pushback
Social Sharing The Senate passed Prime Minister Mark Carney's landmark 'nation-building' projects bill unamended Thursday, giving the federal government extraordinary new powers to fast-track initiatives that have the potential to boost the economy as Canada grapples with the U.S. trade war. Carney's cabinet can now streamline the approvals process by allowing some projects to bypass provisions of federal laws like the Impact Assessment Act, which has long been criticized as a hindrance to getting things approved in a timely manner. While the legislation doesn't dictate what should be built, Carney has signalled it could be used to greenlight new energy "corridors" in the east and west, including possible pipelines and electricity grids, new and expanded port facilities, mines and other resource-related initiatives. Carney has framed the legislation as a way for Canada to fight back against American trade aggression, which has already stunted economic growth, prompted job loss and caused exports to drop. While the bill was approved by members of the Red Chamber, some senators strenuously opposed it, most of them citing Indigenous rights as the reason. Some members proposed amendments that would have delayed the bill's passage if adopted, but all were voted down. The legislation itself states the government will recognize, affirm and "respect" Indigenous Peoples' constitutional rights when considering a project to fast-track. But there's a fear among some leaders that the consultation process with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities will be inadequate given Carney campaigned on making final decisions within a two-year timeline. These leaders want protections for what's called "free, prior and informed consent" in the Indigenous legal sphere. Paul Prosper, a Mi'kmaw senator from Nova Scotia, led the charge against the legislation in a speech to the chamber Thursday, quoting other First Nations leaders who called C-5 "not reconciliation" but a "betrayal of it." While saying he generally supports development, Prosper said he didn't want to quickly pass a bill that has been panned by some Indigenous leaders as the product of inadequate consultation with affected communities. WATCH | C-5 a 'betrayal' of reconciliation: Prosper: Bill C-5 a 'betrayal' of reconciliation, says Sen. Prosper in speech 3 hours ago Duration 6:39 He said the bill may empower government and industry to run roughshod over Indigenous rights when building a project. "No one wants to watch our children grow up in squalor, with no access to clean drinking water, no opportunity for good-paying jobs and no support for our sick and dying. However, we do not want success and progress to come on the backs of Indigenous Peoples. We want to be at the table, making decisions alongside Canadian politicians, because these decisions affect us. They affect our lands and resources," Prosper said. Prosper said it's the Senate's job to stand up for regional and minority interests and there's no reason to charge ahead after relatively little time to study C-5's provisions and the possible consequences. Prosper said his office has faced racist and abusive telephone calls in the days since he announced he would try to amend C-5 or slow it down. "The racist vitriol and threats my office experienced was so intense, staff asked for permission to not pick up unknown phone calls. That isn't right and it isn't acceptable," he said. WATCH | What is Bill C-5?: What is Bill C-5 and what might it mean for trade and pipelines? 3 days ago Duration 2:42 The federal bill takes aim at trade barriers between provinces and should make it easier to build big infrastructure projects. Some hope the bill will translate into pipeline development, but there is notable opposition to the legislation as well. Brian Francis, a Mi'kmaw senator from P.E.I., said there's no guarantee the promised economic benefits for fast-tracking projects will be "fairly shared with Indigenous Peoples." He said rushing through the bill could ultimately delay projects because of the potential for Indigenous-led lawsuits. "Are we truly in a crisis that warrants such exceptional and unprecedented measures?" Francis asked. Other senators questioned whether so quickly passing C-5 was necessary. Speaking of the economic threats, Sen. Bernadette Clement said: "This sometimes feels like an emergency, but is it?" "Growing our economy, nation-building. Yeah, that's urgent, it requires a timely and efficient response, but it doesn't require the trampling of Indigenous rights and our environmental protections," she said. In an address to the Toronto Board of Trade, Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson said C-5 is a "nation-defining piece of legislation" that will stand up a major projects office to move projects along quickly. Under this new regime, reviews will be "focused on 'how' the project will be built as opposed to 'whether' it will be built," to give proponents more certainty about investing in Canada, he said. "This act allows us to reset that narrative about building in Canada — so we can go from delay to delivery," he said.
