The new position of assistant deputy Attorney General, Aboriginal Justice has been created by the province at the Ministry of the Attorney General and will lead the government’s work on Aboriginal justice issues as recommended by Justice Frank Iacobucci in his 2013 report First Nations Representation on Ontario Juries. Part of the effort to find the best possible candidate for this new position will include extensive outreach to Aboriginal organizations and communities across Canada.

The Chippewas of the Thames First Nation has filed a request to the Federal Court of Appeal seeking leave to appeal the National Energy Board’s approval of Enbridge’s Line 9 pipeline project. Enbridge wants to reverse the flow of Line 9 and increase its capacity from 240,000 barrels a day to 300,000. The 38-year-old pipeline runs between Sarnia and Montreal and will carry crude oil from oilfields in Western Canada and North Dakota eastward to refineries in Quebec. Final approval is contingent upon Enbridge meeting 30 conditions, mainly related to safety and emergency planning.

Eabametoong First Nation, a fly-in community, will be getting a new police facility to replace the existing detachment. The federal government has committed $1.82 million for this project, while the province has anted up $1.68 million. As part of that agreement, Ontario will invest $173.2 million over five years. Funding has come through under the First Nations Policing Program, which provides support for professional, dedicated and responsive policing services for First Nations and Inuit communities.

“We need high-level action from government and industry that brought these contaminants into our territories. We need them to take responsibility for cleanup,” said Ontario Regional Chief Stan Beardy following a recent two-day Chiefs of Ontario Contaminant Workshop held in Timmins. “While new business in forestry, natural gas, energy and mining are being considered, the mess left behind on our homelands the first time around remain there.

First Nations members and other organizations were out in protest at the open forum held in Thunder Bay on April 9 and 10 for the TransCanada Energy East Pipeline proposal. The proposed 4,600-kilometre pipeline is expected to carry 1.1 million barrels of crude oil daily across Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario to reach refineries in Quebec and New Brunswick. The pipeline routes will pass through a number of First Nation territories across the provinces.

Kawacatoose First Nation is the first band in the country to take full control of money earned from its land and natural resources. Under the Indian Act, First Nations communities have to go through Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada to get permission to use their own money and finalize business contracts related to oil and gas reserves. Now that the Kawacatoose First Nation has opted into the First Nations Oil and Gas and Moneys Management Act, it can manage its own finances, including royalties from oil, mining and gas.

A group of University of Saskatchewan art students showcased their work at the seventh and final national Truth and Reconciliation Commission gathering in Edmonton in March. Their creations are part of the Child Taken Project, meant to raise awareness about the history and effect of residential schools on Aboriginal youth through art. The project was a result of a partnership between the Saskatoon Tribal Council and the university’s Department of Art and Art History. A portfolio of the artwork was offered to the TRC as an expression of reconciliation and was placed in the Bentwood box.

Aboriginal Tourism BC (AtBC) has launched a full-service travel agency dedicated to the business and leisure needs of companies, First Nations bands, organizations and individuals throughout Canada. Developed as a social enterprise, Aboriginal Travel Services will use the latest technology, including a comprehensive online booking platform, that will provide the best rates with airlines, hotels and car rental companies. It will also offers full meeting and event planning.

The Gitxsan hereditary chiefs have set a deadline

The First Nations Education Steering Committee