This week's edition features First Nation law enforcement, caribou, the Alberta referendum, an Aboriginal title appeal, and more.
IN THE NEWS
National headlines included major projects legislation, enforcement of First Nations’ laws, clean water legislation, and child welfare agreements
Senators question federal Bill C-39’s impacts on First Nations | The Narwhal
Proposed bill would push RCMP to enforce First Nations law | APTN News
First Nations' water bill heads to committee despite criticism over 'best efforts' language | iPolitics*
Are the feds overstepping its authority by negotiating a child welfare deal? | APTN News
Caribou protection made the news in Quebec
Quebec First Nation sues government over caribou protections | The Narwhal
A major lawsuit, concerns about colonial court processes, and major projects legislation made headlines in Ontario
Six Nations takes Canada and Ontario to court over Haldimand Tract | CBC News
SON chiefs call on treaty counterparts to negotiate outside of court process | Owen Sound Sun-Times
First Nations Leaders Reject Bill C-39 and the Rush to Force it Through: Rights Cannot Be Fast-Tracked | Chiefs of Ontario
In Nunavut, a project’s impacts on caribou was the top story
Nunavut hunters opposed to Grays Bay Road project may get answers by Oct. 23 | APTN News
In Manitoba, major projects legislation and moose protection took the spotlight
Bill C-39 Fails the Treaty Test: No Consent, No Fast Tracking of Projects | Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs
Bloodvein standing firm, won’t move blockade | Winnipeg Free Press
Major projects, self-government, and environmental protection were front and centre in the Northwest Territories
With major projects on the horizon, where do N.W.T. First Nations stand? | CBC News
Bill C-27 gets royal assent, giving legal force to self-government treaty | APTN News
Dene Nation sets up water council, leaders warn of tar sands tailings risks | APTN News
In Saskatchewan, the duty to consult was the top story
Bell denies consultation request as Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation seeks more details about AI data centre | CBC News
The referendum vote, treaty rights, and pipelines continue to top the headlines in Alberta
Treaty rights and voting access at centre of Alberta referendum | APTN News
Don't mistake attendance at a press conference as support for a pipeline, chief says | CTV News
Cold Lake First Nations seeks judicial review of Pacific Link pipeline designation | Global News
Yukon news included federal modern treaty commissioner legislation
Bill C-10: What it means for First Nations in Yukon | APTN News
DRIPA, an Aboriginal title appeal, pushback on lack of consultation, and Indigenous Protected Areas made the news in BC
B.C.’s Indigenous Rights law is now an election issue | The Narwhal
Supreme Court to hear appeal of First Nation's Nootka Island claim | APTN News
Major projects: B.C. First Nations frustrated by lack of consultation | CP24
B.C. election complicates future of Indigenous protected area | The Narwhal
*Denotes an article that is paywalled and may require a subscription to access.
HOT OFF THE PRESS
Read Kate Gunn's newest blog post on Bill C-39, Canada's newest major projects legislation, and how the bill represents the most recent example of the federal government prioritizing its economic agenda over the rights of Indigenous peoples.
Bill C-39: Expediting Development at the Expense of Indigenous Rights | Kate Gunn
FROM THE COURTS
The Federal Court of Appeal weighed in on UNDRIP, FPIC, and the duty to consult
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Ltd. v. Kebaowek First Nation, 2026 FCA 174
Appeal court refuses to expand duty to consult in pivotal federal UNDRIP case | CBC News
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
[Excluding First Nations from discussions] is not reconciliation – it is a continuation of the same pattern our people have fought against for generations. Our Chiefs have rejected Bill C-39, and we stand with our partners. We will not stand by while our rights are trampled on.
- Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler, Nishnawbe Aski Nation
OFF THE BOOKSHELF
See, the important thing about our stories isn't so much the listening, it's the time you spend thinking about them.
- Richard Wagamese, Keeper'n Me (1994)
