Articles on Indigenous land claims

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Tanien (Daniel) Ashini, far left, and Penote (Ben) Michel, far right, with family members arriving at Meshikamau-shipu, a traditional Innu travel route, during the author’s first visit in 1995 Colin Samson

The Innu have lived in eastern Canada for thousands of years, yet their rights to this land are increasingly threatened by the question: who is Indigenous?

The emergence of a well-resourced rival claim to Indigenous land rights is of growing concern to the Innu people of Labrador-Quebec.
Canoes are stacked for the winter on the Fort Hope First Nation in Northern Ontario, located in the Ring of Fire. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

Will debt, liability and Indigenous action see the sun set on the Ring of Fire?

Noront Resources share prices are climbing, but so too is Indigenous opposition to its proposing mining projects in the Ring of Fire. Now the mine’s viability is being called into question.
Eabametoong First Nation (Fort Hope), seen here in 2012, is one of the communities located near the proposed Ring of Fire development. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

Ottawa steps into ‘Ring of Fire’ debate with Doug Ford

Ontario’s approach to assessing the environmental impacts of mining in the Ring of Fire region couldn’t address concerns about the cumulative consequences of development.
Chief Archie Waquan responds to the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision on whether the government has a duty to consult Indigenous people on legislation. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Amber Bracken

Let Indigenous treaties – not the duty to consult – lead us to reconciliation

Rather than the duty to consult, governments should proactively engage with Indigenous treaties or other locally relevant treaties, agreements, laws and relationships at all stages of law-making.
A statue of John A. Macdonald in Montreal has been repeatedly vandalized with red paint to symbolize blood. As the debate continues about removing statues, what specific actions are needed to promote reconciliation? THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Reconciliation requires more than symbolic gestures

Removing statues of historical figures may be important symbolic statements when it comes to reconciliation, but action on important Indigenous issues like land claims and education are needed more.

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