On Aug. 18 and 19, the federal court in Saskatoon heard the case put forward by the Canadian government forcing five First Nations to abide by the First Nations Financial Transparency Act. Named by the federal government in the court action are Thunderchild, Ochapowace and Onion Lake bands in Saskatchewan and the Sawridge and Athabasca Chipewyan First Nations in Alberta; the five First Nations have yet to comply to the FNFTA. Cold Lake First Nation, in Alberta, had been listed, but did provide its financial details to Aboriginal Affairs Canada.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper traveled July 24 to La Ronge and Regina to meet with government officials, including members of Saskatchewan’s Wildfire Management Centre, and some of the first responders, who had been fighting a series of severe wildfires in many parts of the province. While in La Ronge, Harper received a briefing on the current situation and met with provincial and municipal government officials, firefighters and other first responders and volunteers to assess ongoing requirements and discuss the way ahead for affected communities.

The Assembly of First Nations and Congress of Aboriginal Peoples are encouraging Indigenous people to exercise their sovereign right and vote.

But not all Indigenous people believe that the way to have their voices heard is by marking an X on the ballot box.

John Borrows, law foundation chair in Aboriginal justice and governance at the University of Victoria, said he was at a recent powwow in Ontario where T-shirts declaring, ‘I’m not Aboriginal, I’m not Canadian. I’m Anishinaabe,’ were worn.

Candidates, leaders of national Aboriginal organizations, and academia all say that, to date, the federal election has been light on issues that impact the country’s Indigenous peoples.

The first leaders’ debate touched briefly on relevant issues, said Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde.

“We’ve got to really do a better job of getting our issues and priorities in front of the party leaders, in front of their caucus and political teams,” said Bellegarde.

On July 29, the BC Court of Appeal overturned a BC Supreme Court decision and found the province breached its duty to consult with the Kwakiutl Indian Band regarding Forestry decisions impacting on Kwakiutl Traditional Territory, and that Kwakiutl’s 1851 Treaty rights “occupy the high end of the spectrum of claims demanding deep consultation.” The Court of Appeal also upheld the finding of the BC Supreme Court that the Douglas Treaties did not extinguish Kwakiutl Aboriginal rights and title, and the Crown (BC) must proceed on a correct basis regarding the rights at issue and provide a meani

Kitselas First Nation, B.C. and Canada have also signed an Agreement-In-Principle. The agreement provides for 36,158 hectares of land east of Terrace, and a transfer of $34.7 million once a Final Agreement is reached. “It has been a longer road getting to this stage than we expected, but we have waited much longer, generations, to regain our self-governance,” said Joe Bevan, chief of Kitselas. “We realize this is a challenging process for all parties and are pleased with the commitment that the province and Canada have made in moving this along.

Kitsumkalum First Nation and the governments of B.C. and Canada signed an Agreement-in-Principle for treaty Aug. 5. The Kitsumkalum agreement provides for about 45,406 hectares of land, north and west of Terrace, and a transfer of $44.2 million once a Final Agreement is reached. The agreement covers a variety of chapters, including governance, taxation and resources,” reads a press statement from the provincial government. “This is a happy occasion and we are pleased to recognize and celebrate this important milestone,” said Kitsumkalum Chief Don Roberts.

The Steelworkers Humanity Fund will contribute $20,000 to help Aboriginal and northern families recover from forest fire evacuations. The money will go to Food Banks and Food For Fire Evacuees program. “The forest fires have disrupted and traumatized thousands in northern Saskatchewan and left many needing a helping hand to recover,” said Fund President Ken Neumann. Neumann praised United Steelworkers Local 8914 in northern Saskatchewan which advocated for Steelworkers Humanity Fund support for recovery efforts in the region.

Rice is at the centre of a fight between the First Nations’ right to harvest traditional foods and the recreational enjoyment of a body of water by cottage owners on Pigeon Lake, located north of Peterborough in Ontario. A First Nation man has been seeding the lake and harvesting rice, but cottagers said the rice is spreading, taking over the lake, choking out other plants and interfering with water use. James Whetung of Curve Lake First Nation said he plants and harvests the rice, selling it for $12 a pound. He said he has a right to access traditional foods.

One year has passed since the violent death of 15-year-old Tina Fontaine and now the Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde says little has changed to provide safety for other young Aboriginal women in Manitoba and across the country. While the province has decided to no longer allow foster children to be housed in hotels, and there was a high level meeting of Canada’s premiers to discuss murdered and missing women, Bellegarde said there has be little other progress made. “We still don’t know who killed Tina. We still don’t know what was the cause behind it.