Category: Indigenous Issues

Canada’s Lost Indigenous Girls, a Nationwide Epidemic

6 min read
On June 3 of 2019, the report exposed that between 2014 and 2018, 23% of all missing and murdered women across Canada were Indigenous. This fact is especially concerning given that Indigenous women only account for about 4% of Canada’s female population. As the country continues to struggle with deep-seated racism and sexism against Indigenous women, it is imperative that the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women be taken more seriously.

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Alessandra Munduruku: A Symbol Hope for the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil

6 min read
Above everything, the 2020 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights prize has revealed the importance of Alessandra Korap Munduruku and other Indigenous peoples’ claims and has officially marked her place as a relevant figure for human rights activism. The award may be perceived as just another step closer to the recognition of Brazilian indigenous’ rights.

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Canada’s Waterless Indigenous Communities

5 min read
Many Indigenous communities across Canada do not have access to safe drinking water. Currently, there are 61 communities that remain under drinking water advisories that require people to boil water before use or to avoid consumption altogether. Moving forward, there must be more partnership and collaborative planning amongst the federal government and Indigenous communities. The Canadian government must allow Indigenous voices to be heard within processes of water governance development.

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Echoes of Settler Colonialism in Canada’s Trans-Mountain Expansion Project

6 min read
There is a need for increased two-way-dialogue between the Government of Canada and Indigenous peoples across the country. Both groups must be viewed as equals while making decisions regarding development projects in Canada. This can only be achieved when the government accepts Indigenous peoples as partnered occupants on Canadian soil within and beyond legal spheres.

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A Pipe Dream? – Pipelines and Indigenous Sovereignty in Canada

14 min read
Although all 20 Indigenous band councils (elected leadership) have agreed to the project, there still remain many individuals and leaders who oppose the project - in particular, the hereditary chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en Nation and the Unist'ot'en camp, which have faced brutal force from the RCMP in the past, as well as injustices in judicial cases around Indigenous territory and sovereignty.

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