Windspeaker.com

· 3w ago

“There are still people who think about equity in terms of lowering standards for everybody. That's absolutely not the case. This is about creating systems that support everybody, hold everybody up…” #Indigenous #education #learning https://windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/small-changes-classroom-can-create-supportive-environments-individual-student

Small changes in the classroom can create supportive environments for individual student success

Small changes in the classroom can create supportive environments for individual student success

By implementing new assessment practices that emphasize Indigenous knowledge systems and perspectives, educators “can reclaim humanity…for all learners,” write co-editors Jo Chrona and Brooke Moore in their new bookSag̱aytg̱awdi: Grounding Assessment in Indigenous Knowledges for Equity and Well-Being.Assessment is the process of gathering information in order to understand a student’s learning. That information can either stifle learning or further that student’s learning, the book posits.

· 2w ago

“We're looking for the truth in gold that was being carried to put down an Indigenous resistance. So our story runs really deep. Just like my hope. It runs really deep.” Starts tonight! #Indigenous #Métis #television #history #gold https://windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/red-river-gold-series-returns-second-season

Red River Gold series returns for second season

Red River Gold series returns for second season

Season two of a popular treasure hunting documentary series will begin on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network on Sept. 24.The first season of Red River Gold was nominated for five Rosie Awards, annually presented by the Alberta Media Production Industries Association for various film and television categories.

#FirstNations #Alberta #separation #courts

· 6mo ago

"Whether the summer of 1812 or the spring of 2026, Canada's #Indigenous people have always been the first and last line of defense against American annexation… we will never bend the knee to foreign tyrants or their useful idiots." —Chief Allan Adam

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/opinion/athabasca-chipewyan-first-nation-welcomes-stay-alberta-separation-referendum-pending

Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation welcomes a stay in Alberta separation referendum pending the decision of their court challenge

Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation welcomes a stay in Alberta separation referendum pending the decision of their court challenge

Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) Chief and Council are pleased with the decision from the Alberta Court of King’s Bench to issue a stay in the Alberta separation referendum campaign.Justice Leonard's decision to issue a stay means that Alberta’s chief electoral officer cannot certify the separation petition until after the court has issued a decision in the court cases launched by Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation and the Blackfoot Confederacy.

#Indigenous #Toronto #housing #homelessness

· 3mo ago

“It's very profound when you can move a bunch of men that have been chronically homeless for quite some time and get them into really nice affordable housing, a place that they can call their own…”

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/na-me-res-strives-against-all-odds-house-indigenous-men-toronto

Na-Me-Res strives against all odds to house Indigenous men in Toronto

Na-Me-Res strives against all odds to house Indigenous men in Toronto

Steve Teekens believes he is facing increasingly more difficult challenges.Teekens has served as executive director of Na-Me-Res in Toronto for the past 15 years. It’s an Indigenous-led organization that provides shelter space and housing developments to unhoused Indigenous men.“I think we're among the few male-serving Indigenous organizations in the country,” said Teekens.It’s no secret that when it comes to homelessness in Toronto, Indigenous men face this challenge at higher rates, as emphasi

#Indigenous #FirstNations #climate #UN #environoment #RingofFire #Ontario #resourcedevelopment

· 5mo ago

‘Where I come from, the land, the water, the earth is not given to us by our parents. It is loaned to us by our children.’

https://www.windspeaker.com/under-northern-sky-xavier-kataquapit/first-nation-youth-speak-united-nations

First Nation youth speak at the United Nations

First Nation youth speak at the United Nations

Northern First Nation youth addressed the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues Twenty-Fifth Session held at United Nations headquarters in New York. Pictured (L-R) are Kohen Mattinas, Jeronimo Kataquapit, and Ramon Kataquapit. Photo courtesy of Jeronimo Kataquapit.

· 3mo ago

“The company’s own estimate is six billion litres of #water each year… Alberta waived the environmental impact assessment. Human beings need water. Data centres should not be taking it from our own mouths.” #Indigenous #FirstNations #BillC37 #cdnpoli #abpoli #ISC https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/can-bill-c-37-deliver-real-authority-first-nations-over-water

Can Bill C-37 deliver real authority to First Nations over water?

Can Bill C-37 deliver real authority to First Nations over water?

As First Nations leaders challenge one of Canada’s largest proposed artificial intelligence data centres over its potential impact on fresh water, many say Ottawa’s newly introduced clean water legislation leaves a fundamental question unanswered: Who ultimately decides what happens to waters in First Nations territory?

#Indigenous #FirstNations #conservation #SpeciesatRisk #Owls

· 5mo ago

“I used to tell people that burrowing owl populations in B.C. are basically on life support. If it weren’t for programs like the one at Upper Nicola … we wouldn’t have any owls in B.C.”

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/upper-nicola-program-gold-standard-effort-save-bcs-burrowing-owls

Upper Nicola program a ‘gold standard’ in effort to save B.C.’s burrowing owls

Upper Nicola program a ‘gold standard’ in effort to save B.C.’s burrowing owls

A decade after the first burrowing owls were released onto its reserve lands, the Upper Nicola Band is marking what leaders and partners describe as a rare conservation success in a province where the species remains on the brink.On April 22, community members, knowledge keepers, and conservation partners gathered on the Douglas Lake reserve to release six more captive-raised burrowing owls as part of an ongoing recovery effort that has quietly become one of the most productive breeding sites fo

#Indigenous #FirstNations #books #art #BC

· 3mo ago

“I wondered why I was so afraid of becoming an artist and leaving a good job. I started to cry. I realized that I had just been in a country where there was no unemployment insurance, there was no welfare, yet the people were happy. I was no longer afraid.”

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/artist-80-has-stayed-true-his-gift-throughout-his-career

Artist at 80 has stayed true to his gift throughout his career

Artist at 80 has stayed true to his gift throughout his career

Visual artist and storyteller Roy Henry Vickers considers his artwork to be his children and, just like his six human children, they are all special.So, as a celebration of his 80th birthday, when Vickers was asked to choose 80 pieces from a career that has spanned 52 years to include in his newest book, The Best of Roy Henry Vickers: 80 Selected Works, he had to refuse.

· 3mo ago

“She’s got a knack for telling stories, putting the lyrics together, and she doesn’t always have to rhyme. I do like her style. It’s atypical.” #Indigenous #FirstNations #music #songwriting #BC #Alberta https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/young-singersongwriter-launches-career-new-ep

Young singer/songwriter launches a career with new EP

Young singer/songwriter launches a career with new EP

Mercedes Brown, a Wet'suwet'en and Tsimshian singer/songwriter living in Red Deer, Alta., has debuted her first single “Playing With Fire” from her debut four-song EP Light the Fire.The 15-year-old’s passion for music began when she was just a toddler, she said. She enjoyed listening to her family play music, and she developed her own love for poetry, drawing and playing instruments.

#Indigenous #FirstNations #books #CAF #LastPostFund

· 2mo ago

“It just horrified me that he was buried in a pauper's grave… That's what surprised me that #Canada would treat a #veteran, a World War I veteran, in that way.”

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/indigenous-veterans-fought-country-were-mistreated-after-service-new-book

Indigenous veterans fought for country, but were mistreated after service new book recounts

Indigenous veterans fought for country, but were mistreated after service new book recounts

Lynn Gehl was in her thirties when she finally started to learn the story of her great-grandfather Joseph Gagnon from Golden Lake Reserve (now known as Pikwakanagan First Nation) in Ontario.In Joseph Gagnon: An Algonquin World War 1 Veteran, Gehl outlines the way her great-grandfather suffered from discrimination when it came to Canada’s implementation of policies for Indigenous veterans. “I reconnected with my grandmother and her brother Gordon, and they told me where (Joseph) was buried and th

· 2mo ago

“I was greatly impressed by these young representatives, as their advocacy and bravery reminded me of the work of First Nations leaders in northern Ontario in the 1970s and 1980s….a new generation of grassroots Indigenous leaders and it makes me proud to know that they are working hard to represent our people as best they can.” #Indigenous #FirstNation #UN #EMRIP https://www.windspeaker.com/under-northern-sky-xavier-kataquapit/first-nation-youth-are-making-world-listen

First Nation youth are making the world listen

First Nation youth are making the world listen

By Xavier Kataquapit First Nation youth representatives are letting the world know that Indigenous people are ready to stand up and protect the land. Keira Spence, Kohen Mattinas and Ryan Fleming are attending the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) in Switzerland. This special gathering began its 19th session on July 13 and ends today, July 17, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

#Indigenous #FirstNations #energy #infrastructure #Ontario

· 3mo ago

“They reached out to us really, really early on. We were really impressed with that early engagement … So, we had that time to kind of develop a relationship and were able to formalize our partnership in time to get a bid in.”

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/first-nation-equity-partner-battery-facility-add-energy-ontarios-power-grid

First Nation equity partner in battery facility to add energy to Ontario’s power grid

First Nation equity partner in battery facility to add energy to Ontario’s power grid

Eagle Lake First Nation in northern Ontario is the latest partner of Neoen, a renewable energy company that focuses on solar, wind and battery projects.Details were made public on June 23 that Neoen and the First Nation have been awarded a 20-year 190 MW/8-hour capacity contract by Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO)

· 3mo ago

“Do we ever fully have a decolonized state? …That's a really big question. And I guess I don't know it because there's no kind of evidence or even what are we working towards?” #Indigenous #books #Canada #decolonization #reconciliation https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/book-explores-fully-decolonized-canada-and-whether-dreams-been-dreamt

Book explores a fully decolonized Canada and whether that dream’s been dreamt

Book explores a fully decolonized Canada and whether that dream’s been dreamt

On Settler Colonialism in Canada: Relations & Resistances was released in May marking the 30th anniversary of the Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal People (RCAP). “These efforts (like RCAP) seek to address these historical foundations that contribute to ongoing injustices that Indigenous Peoples face as a result of settler colonialism,” write co-editors Emily Grafton and David B.A. MacDonald.“I'm trying really hard to see the progress,” Grafton told Windspeaker.com.

#Indigenous #FirstNations #economy #nuclear #SMRs #Ontario

· 3mo ago

“It's about creating opportunities for future generations. It's about creating long-term economic benefits that will help to support the priorities identified by our First Nations.”

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/historic-investment-first-nations-nuclear-generation-project-announced

Historic investment by First Nations in nuclear generation project announced

Historic investment by First Nations in nuclear generation project announced

A day after the federal government revealed Canada's new nuclear strategy, leaders from seven First Nations in Ontario were beaming with pride as details of an historic agreement were announced.At a June 23 press conference held in Clarington, Ont. it was announced that the Williams Treaties First Nations were investing more than $700 million in Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington New Nuclear Project, specifically the first of four Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).

#Indigenous #FirstNations #education

· 3mo ago

“During those years of high school, they were home and they had the chance to be on the land, to hunt and fish, or to just wander into the wilderness with their families, Elders and traditional people. They were exposed to the language and the culture, and they were made to feel proud of who they are…”

https://www.windspeaker.com/under-northern-sky-xavier-kataquapit/celebrating-graduates-attawapiskat

Celebrating graduates in Attawapiskat

By Xavier Kataquapit My home community of Attawapiskat First Nation is celebrating the annual graduations of students from Kattawapiskak Elementary School and Vezina Secondary School. These are proud moments for our community as families get to celebrate their children.These moments are especially important for our First Nation communities as education in my parents' time was a traumatic event that affected the lives of young people.

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/bc-first-nations-create-their-own-justice-path-after-decades-calling-police

· 3mo ago

“Seeing a decline in instances of police violence against #Indigenous people would show #police are taking the (Police Accountability Unit) seriously and that they know they cannot get away with actions that are not respectful.”

#FirstNations #BritishColumbia #RCMP #policing #justice

BC First Nations create their own justice path after decades calling for police accountability

BC First Nations create their own justice path after decades calling for police accountability

Indigenous people have long called for greater accountability following police-involved deaths, misconduct and concerns that existing oversight systems have failed to deliver justice to them.Governments have responded with inquiries, commissions and reviews. Police agencies have introduced reforms. Yet Indigenous leaders say many of their people continue to find complaints processes intimidating, difficult to navigate and disconnected from their lived realities.

#Indigenous #FirstNations #climate #infrastructure #housing #wildfires #Alberta

· 6mo ago

“The language in the settlement agreement was very strategic and specific about climate resiliency, being culturally appropriate and sustainable. That’s what allows us to do these unique Lubicon standards that we know aren’t being applied in other Indigenous communities.”

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/first-nation-establishes-lubicon-standard-new-climate-resilient-housing-and

First Nation establishes 'Lubicon standard' for new climate-resilient housing and infrastructure

First Nation establishes 'Lubicon standard' for new climate-resilient housing and infrastructure

A small, remote First Nation in northern Alberta is undertaking a major initiative to build climate-resilient structures in response to the increasing regularity of debilitating smoke from wildfires and the impacts of environmental change.On evenings when new building plans are discussed with members of the Lubicon Lake Cree Nation, the process often begins not with blueprints, but with a shared meal. Residents gather to talk about where a doorway should go, how a kitchen should feel, or how a s

#Indigenous #FirstNations #books #Cree

· 6mo ago

“I had no intention of anything. I just wrote down what I had in my mind. I didn't even intend it to be a book. It’s just simple language, just simple writings of me and when I was in the bush.”

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/new-life-past-aboriginal-literature-puts-eeyou-writer-front-todays-mainstream

New life for past Aboriginal literature puts Eeyou writer in front of today’s mainstream audience

New life for past Aboriginal literature puts Eeyou writer in front of today’s mainstream audience

Eeyou (Cree) writer Margaret Sam-Cromarty’s work captured in James Bay Memoirs and Other Stories is the eighth and newest offering in the First Voices, First Texts series from the University of Manitoba Press.Seeing her work collected and printed 30 years after publishing her first book is a “good feeling,” said Sam-Cromarty, and wholly unexpected. “I didn't think it would happen because...I lived in a different era.”

#Indigenous #Métis #arts #Toronto

· 3mo ago

“I honour our ancestral artists and their art practices while also trying to bring in something new so it's fresh for me as well as for the audiences. I try to bridge both of those experiences intentionally.”

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/jason-baerg-bridges-indigenous-fashion-and-visual-art-worlds

Jason Baerg bridges Indigenous fashion and visual art worlds

It's been an exciting spring for Cree-Métis artist Jason Baerg, whose newest immersive exhibition of visual art is titled aen nistwayr mayshkotoonikayhk/First Story. Its launch in May at A Space Gallery in Toronto at 401 Richmond Street West was presented at the same time his multidisciplinary clothing designs were showcased at Fashion Art Toronto and the Textile Museum of Canada.

#Indigenous #FirstNations #Ontario #summer

· 3mo ago

“…our play areas were the small gravel parking lots near our homes or the muddy wet muskeg patches that dotted our neighbourhood... Active ditches filled with wastewater were everywhere and we all knew how to navigate past every outhouse...”

https://www.windspeaker.com/under-northern-sky-xavier-kataquapit/hot-summer-days-attawapiskat

Hot summer days in Attawapiskat

By Xavier KataquapitHot summer days have finally arrived, and we are all enjoying the warm weather. These hot days remind me of growing up in my home community of Attawapiskat on the James Bay coast in the 1980s.

#Indigenous #FirstNations #MooseJaw #Saskatchewan #agriculture #cultivation #pottery

· 5mo ago

“There’s more bone tools here than I’ve ever seen in any other project I’ve ever worked on.”

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/new-archaeological-findings-expand-understanding-first-nations-agricultural

New archaeological findings expand understanding of First Nations agricultural practices on the Plains

New archaeological findings expand understanding of First Nations agricultural practices on the Plains

An archaeological presentation in Treaty 4 territory revealed findings that could reshape the understanding of First Nations' life on the Prairies, suggesting plant cultivation long before European contact.The April 17 presentation at the Moose Jaw (Saskatchewan) Public Library was led by archaeologist Alan Korejbo of Respect Heritage Consulting. He directed excavation at the Garratt and Davies sites in the Wakamow Valley, named for former landowners Bill Garratt and Paul Davies.

#Indigenous #FirstNations #legends #Artemis2

· 6mo ago

“The story of Chikabesh that I remember from my childhood describes how his family tells him not to look at the full moon because it is dangerous…One night, when he goes about his work, a voice from high above gently calls out to him...”

https://www.windspeaker.com/under-northern-sky-xavier-kataquapit/chikabesh-speaks-tapiskapeesim-night-sun

Chikabesh speaks to Tapiskapeesim, the night sun

Chikabesh speaks to Tapiskapeesim, the night sun

By Xavier KataquapitWhen I was a boy growing up in my home community of Attawapiskat on the James Bay coast, I was deathly afraid of looking at the full moon.I grew up in a very traditional Cree environment in my home community of Attawapiskat in northern Ontario. In the 1980s, my family and I only spoke Inineemoon or ‘James Bay Cree’ because it was the language our parents and grandparents spoke.

#Indigenous #FirstNations #history #books #language #Maliseet

· 6mo ago

“Our language is really struggling and I came to the realization that if our language died, that would be our history too.”

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/first-nation-established-after-crooked-dealings-and-land-theft-new-book

First Nation established after crooked dealings and land theft, new book documents

First Nation established after crooked dealings and land theft, new book documents

More than 20 years of work, which included a period of great personal loss, has culminated in the publishing of the English version of Bilijk: A Documentary History of Kingsclear First Nation, 1783-1950, which was released in late March.“It's kind of strange,” said editor and scholar Andrea Bear Nicholas. “My husband passed away (in 2025)…and the day the book came, I was suddenly overwhelmed with sadness that he wasn't around…because he was really my sidekick and everything…He was kind of the mo

#Indigenous #hockey #Sports #U21championship #Toronto

· 3mo ago

“The grind is coming. But there is excitement all over the place.”

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/sports/national-tournament-more-doubles-participation-second-year

National tournament more than doubles participation in second year

National tournament more than doubles participation in second year

Stephane Friday realizes his days are about to get extremely busy, but he’s not complaining.“The grind is coming,” said Friday, the main organizer of the U21 National Indigenous Junior Hockey Championships. “But there is excitement all over the place.”This marks the second year the tournament will be held in Toronto. Featuring Indigenous players under the age of 21, it will be staged at Westwood Arena from July 16 to July 19.

#Indigenous #FirstNations #books #career #coaching

· 3mo ago

“I think people resist things until they know the benefits that they can get from doing something…Everybody listens to a radio called WIIFM. What's In It For Me?”

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/build-self-awareness-foundation-books-four-management-containers

Build on the self-awareness foundation with book’s four management containers

Build on the self-awareness foundation with book’s four management containers

For the last 10 years, Dallas Pootlass has coached Indigenous learners on how “to stay horizontal in a vertical world,” as he states in his new book The Four Steps to A Deadly Career: Creating Community & Discovering Confidence.

· 3mo ago

“We've already come through so much and we finally make it out west… finally are settled with the people for quite some time, and then it happens again.” #Indigenous #Métis #books #children #buffalo #language #culture https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/metis-cree-writer-shares-culture-and-history-buffalo-racing-childrens-story

Métis Cree writer shares culture and history in buffalo racing children’s story

Métis Cree writer shares culture and history in buffalo racing children’s story

Growing older with16 grandchildren was all the impetus Métis Cree writer and artist Sherry Leigh Williams needed to produce her first children’s picture book.“As the (Elders) die off, there isn't anybody left to tell the story,” Williams said. “It felt to me really important to do something for the kids.”In Papaashi Bufloo: The Buffalo Who Raced Horses, Williams tells the story of her great-grandmother Mary Anne Deschamps Rabaska, who was born in 1875 near Pigeon Lake, Alta.

#Indigenous #FirstNations #CHRT #childwelfare #Ontario #discrimination

· 6mo ago

“While we celebrate this approval, the work of implementation is just beginning. We’re moving from a system of crisis to a system of care.”

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/first-nations-leaders-praise-agreement-child-welfare-reform-ontario

First Nations leaders praise agreement for child welfare reform in Ontario

First Nations leaders praise agreement for child welfare reform in Ontario

Correction made to the date of press conference, held March 30, not March 29 as previously reported.First Nations leaders from across Ontario were in Toronto March 30 to celebrate a plan for the long-term reform of First Nations Child and Family Services in the province.

#Indigenous #tourism #business #economy #ITA

· 5mo ago

“It was risky to start the business. But we just stumbled upon Indigenous Tourism #Alberta and they really helped propel us forward and remove some barriers right in the early stages...”

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/metis-attraction-shares-love-outdoors-continues-grow-and-thrive

Métis attraction that shares a love of the outdoors continues to grow and thrive

Métis attraction that shares a love of the outdoors continues to grow and thrive

It started as a simple dream to share a family’s love of the outdoors with others. And now, almost half-a-dozen years later, The Woods Experience Ltd. is a thriving Métis business located in Yellowhead County in central Alberta.The business is co-owned by four people—Kendra Dudzic and her husband Jesse, his mother Wendy Poseluzny and stepfather Gary Poseluzny.“We've been building this little dream of ours for the last five years,” said Kendra Dudzic.

#Indigenous #Inuit #music #Vancouver #throatsinging #PIQSIQ #SusanAglukark

· 6mo ago

“You know, the music business itself 30, 35 years ago was this incredible machine that was quite a beast… It's a machine that once it starts to roll, it rolls like crazy and you're just hanging on for dear life.”

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/two-styles-music-inuit-performers-be-experienced-chan-centre

Two styles of music from Inuit performers to be experienced at the Chan Centre

Two styles of music from Inuit performers to be experienced at the Chan Centre

Singer/songwriter Susan Aglukark and throat singing duo PIQSIQ, two generations of Inuit artists, will take the stage at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts in Vancouver as part of the Made in Canada Series.The concert will be held April 12 at 7:30 p.m. on the Chan Shun Concert Hall stage and will feature two programs spotlighting pioneering Inuit artists who have played roles in elevating Inuit identity on the global stage.

#Indigenous #FirstNations #film #documentary #PowellRiver #BC

· 6mo ago

“I'm certain that we will teach and we will help people unlearn their baloney because, my gosh, those racist tropes and generalizations about us are alive and well in Canada.”

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/hots-docs-screen-film-documenting-endeavour-change-horrific-city-name

Hots Docs to screen film documenting endeavour to change “horrific” city name

Hots Docs to screen film documenting endeavour to change “horrific” city name

A documentary about a First Nation’s request to have the name of Powell River, B.C. changed will have its world debut at Toronto’s Hot Docs Festival this month.

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/new-indigenous-storyteller-vancouver-library-hopes-encourage-community-arts

· 6mo ago

“Art can be a very valuable destabilizing agent” to culture and “shake up the foundations a little bit.”

#Indigenous #FirstNations #storyteller #acting #art #VPL #Vancouver #libraries

New Indigenous Storyteller for Vancouver library hopes to encourage community arts

New Indigenous Storyteller for Vancouver library hopes to encourage community arts

Cee Peal will bring his love of theatre, storytelling and image-making to the Vancouver Public Library as the 2026 Indigenous Storyteller in Residence.The actor, director, writer, dancer and producer from Nisga’a First Nation in northern British Columbia has a passion for Indigenous studies and cultural revolution and will provide a unique learning opportunity for visitors to the library.

#Indigenous #Métis #music #women #composers #orchestra #Toronto #HearingherVoice

· 5mo ago

“We’ve been told when we’ve met with Elders before that we really need to be putting Cree into our work and so that’s what we’ve been doing.”

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/new-work-metis-composer-karen-sunabacka-be-performed-tafelmusik-hearing-her

New work from Métis composer Karen Sunabacka to be performed by Tafelmusik at Hearing Her Voice

New work from Métis composer Karen Sunabacka to be performed by Tafelmusik at Hearing Her Voice

Karen Sunabacka, a Métis composer, will premiere a commissioned work at the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra’s Hearing Her Voice performances from April 30 to May 3 at the Jeanne Lamon Hall in Toronto.“This piece has been a really fun project to work on, and I’m just really honoured that Tafelmusik asked me to write the piece,” Sunabacka said.Her work, titled nitatisipwētānān: We are Leaving, is set to text written by her mother Joyce Clouston. It’s rooted in Métis intergenerational collaboration an

#Indigenous #FirstNations #Inuit #theatre #TSO #Toronto #RedSky

· 6mo ago

“Working with the horse puppet, specifically, it feels like a real horse. (The puppeteers) have this amazing control over where they can breathe together and they can make the ears move and the tail move. They’re just so synchronized in the way that the three of them move this giant puppet.”

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/life-sized-horse-puppet-will-have-young-audiences-connecting-indigenous

Life-sized horse puppet will have young audiences connecting to Indigenous identity rediscovery story

Life-sized horse puppet will have young audiences connecting to Indigenous identity rediscovery story

Red Sky Performance will stage the world premiere of She Holds Up the Stars at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra venue Roy Thomson Hall with two performances April 19. School shows are scheduled for April 13 to April 18.The Indigenous-led stage production is based on the award-winning novel of the same name by Red Sky’s founding artistic director Sandra Laronde. The show is an original coming-of-age story about identity, belonging and connection.

· 3mo ago

Job Board: Secondary Math and English/Language Arts Teacher - Kisiko Awasis Kiskinahamawin School https://www.windspeaker.com/job-board/14922

#Indigenous #FirstNations #separation #courts

· 6mo ago

Efforts to equate provincial political disputes with the inherent and constitutionally protected rights of First Nations misrepresent the legal foundation of this country and disregard the role of Treaty as the basis upon which #Alberta exists today.

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/opinion/blackfoot-confederacy-chiefs-defend-blackfoot-treaty-7-court-halts-alberta-separation

Blackfoot Confederacy chiefs defend Blackfoot Treaty 7 as court halts Alberta separation petition process

The Chiefs of the Blackfoot Confederacy acknowledge the decision of the Court of King’s Bench granting a stay on the certification of a citizen led petition seeking to advance a referendum on Alberta separation. This decision represents a necessary step in ensuring that the constitutional and Treaty-based relationship governing these lands is upheld and that matters of this magnitude are subject to full legal scrutiny.

#Indigenous #FirstNations #art #theatre #Vancouver

· 6mo ago

“I want them pondering what they've just seen and thinking about it—who is right and who is wrong and… how could this have been handled better.”

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/conversation-fake-morrisseau-paintings-spawns-latest-project-first-nation

Conversation on fake Morrisseau paintings spawns latest project for First Nation playwright

Conversation on fake Morrisseau paintings spawns latest project for First Nation playwright

A Christmas party conversation at a famed art gallery a number of years ago led to Drew Hayden Taylor’s latest work.Taylor, an award-winning playwright from Curve Lake First Nation in central Ontario, will have his play The Undeniable Accusations of Red Cadmium Light presented at Firehall Arts Centre in Vancouver from April 18 through May 3.The play focuses on famed artist Norval Morrisseau and his paintings using Red Cadmium Light, a paint created in 1982.

#Indigenous #FirstNations #business #training

· 6mo ago

“I am able to help businesses get from point A to point Z, literally overnight pretty much. And I have so many skillsets in terms of being able to train and develop my staff, which are now actually doing the capacity building.”

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/first-nation-entrepreneur-provides-details-business-growth-cohort-economic

First Nation entrepreneur provides details of business growth cohort at economic summit

First Nation entrepreneur provides details of business growth cohort at economic summit

Chelsee Pettit has found herself once again in the spotlight at this year’s Reservation Economic Summit in Las Vegas.Pettit, a member of Aamjiwnaang First Nation in southwestern Ontario, attended last year’s Summit where she was presented with the 2025 Native Woman Business Owner of the Year Award for aaniin Retail Inc., a company that she founded in 2021. It sells a variety of products made by other Indigenous entrepreneurs.

#Indigenous #FirstNations #tariffs #JayTreaty #economy

· 6mo ago

“We worked for a year-and-a-half to circumnavigate all of their rules so that we could use their rules for our benefit rather than against us.”

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/akwesasne-based-customs-house-going-tariff-free-under-jay-treaty

Akwesasne-based customs house going tariff-free under Jay Treaty

When the U.S. administration implemented President Donald Trump’s tariffs on countries worldwide last year, global supply chains went into disarray.Since then, manufacturers have sought creative solutions to survive resulting cost hikes.

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/metis-artist-sees-medicine-colour-communicating-love-international-audience

· 6mo ago

“I have many different disciplines, it's true, but I think the vehicle in which I'm really telling story is through colour… I see the medicines in the colour, rising our dopamine levels.”

#Indigenous #Métis #art #Mexico #Canada #culture

Métis artist sees medicine in colour communicating love to international audience

Métis artist sees medicine in colour communicating love to international audience

As the Canadian government increasingly showcases the cultural contributions of Indigenous peoples, creators like Jason Baerg are finding new international audiences for their work.

#Indigenous #Métis #sports #curling #RockLeague #Toronto

· 6mo ago

“It's been amazing. This opportunity is pretty special… We're having a lot of fun and enjoying it.”

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/sports/metis-curler-among-those-competing-inaugural-rock-league-event-toronto

Métis curler among those competing at inaugural Rock League event in Toronto

Métis curler among those competing at inaugural Rock League event in Toronto

Updated April 16, 2026Métis curler Kerri Einarson already had a lengthy list of accomplishments. This month she added another when her rink Shield Curling Club won the inaugural Rock League championship. Einarson joined Rock League, the first professional curling bonspiel, for competition at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, located at the old Maple Leaf Gardens.

· 2mo ago

“When Auntie took me and began teaching me and showing me (in 1990), I was ready. My mind was awakened. It was connected to my heart. And I was so humbled and honoured at the time." #Indigenous #FirstNations #plants #recipies #books #culture https://windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/lifetime-plant-knowledge-serves-foundation-new-book

A lifetime of plant knowledge serves as foundation of new book

A lifetime of plant knowledge serves as foundation of new book

Wistfulness and joy seep into author Geraldine Manson’s voice when she talks about her new book, Plant Teachings from My Auntie: Gathering Coast Salish Plants for Medicine, Textiles, Nourishment and Ceremony.“I had Auntie’s picture in my office up by my computer. (I’d say) ‘Well, Auntie, did I say the right thing, Auntie? Is it okay? Let me know.’ So I believe she has always been with me when I was writing it,” said Snuneymuxw First Nation Elder Manson.

· 3mo ago

Job Board: Community Investment Program Specialist https://www.windspeaker.com/job-board/14942

· 6mo ago

Job Board: Social Work Care Manager https://www.windspeaker.com/job-board/14743

#Indigenous #FirstNations #MapleLeafs #Toronto #NHLdraft

· 3mo ago

“I love those fans already. It’s one of the most passionate fan bases out there. So, I’m looking forward to getting started and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/sports/maple-leafs-select-first-nations-player-first-over-all-nhl-draft

Maple Leafs select First Nations player first over-all in NHL draft

Maple Leafs select First Nations player first over-all in NHL draft

While speaking about one of the best days of his life—being chosen first over-all in the National Hockey League (NHL) draft June 26—Gavin McKenna, a citizen of the Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin First Nation in Yukon, took time to discuss the achievement’s possible impact on Indigenous youth.“I think it will show them that anything is possible,” McKenna said in his first press conference after being drafted by the Maple Leafs. “I want to make those young kids believe in themselves and I want to be a good rol

· 6mo ago

Job Board: Registered Practical Nurse https://www.windspeaker.com/job-board/14742

· 3mo ago

Job Board: Manager, Knowledge Mobilization and Communications https://www.windspeaker.com/job-board/14902

· 6mo ago

Job Board: Senior Program Advisor / Conseiller principal en programmes; conseillère principale en programmes https://www.windspeaker.com/job-board/14725

· 6mo ago

Job Board: Peer Support Worker Part-Time https://www.windspeaker.com/job-board/14741

#Indigenous #FirstNations #Sports #lacrosse #Ontario #halloffame

· 3mo ago

“Cornwall is just a hop, skip and a jump away from us and that was considered a hotbed for minor lacrosse back in my younger days. But they would not allow us to play over there.”

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/sports/first-nations-lacrosse-legend-be-inducted-ontario-hall-fame

First Nations lacrosse legend to be inducted into Ontario hall of fame

First Nations lacrosse legend to be inducted into Ontario hall of fame

Though some of his greatest accomplishments were about three decades ago Larry King continues to be recognized for his lacrosse exploits.King is one of the six individuals who will be inducted into the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame this year. Induction ceremonies will be on Nov. 24 in St. Catharines, Ont.King, 64, is a member of the Mohawks of Akwesasne, which is located on the Ontario/Quebec border and straddles into the state of New York.

#Indigenous #FirstNations #Attawapiskat #Ontario #addiction #harmreduction

· 6mo ago

“In a recent public post by Joe Louttit, a community leader and organizer of the Peacekeeping program, an estimated $3.5 million street value of drugs and alcohol was prevented from entering the community this past year.”

https://www.windspeaker.com/under-northern-sky-xavier-kataquapit/every-step-towards-future-counts