Tiles painted to represent a child who attended a residential school – outlined in red if they survived the residential school and in black if they did not – is a way to promote understanding. “Project of Heart provides a more in-depth look at Indian residential schools beyond the facts and historical events,” said Jennifer McGillis, SIAST Aboriginal activity centre leader, in a news release.

North of Powell River, B.C., the ancient village of Tees Kwat may not have been occupied for centuries, but on March 15, Tla’amin (Sliammon) Nation’s original settlement hosted the signing of one of B.C.’s few modern treaties and a journey long in the making for the First Nation.

An incremental treaty agreement has been signed between the Province and Lake Babine Nation and will support new forestry and eco-tourism opportunities. The agreement supports economic development for the First Nation, but also demonstrates some of the benefits of treaty in advance of a final agreement. The agreement transfers to the Nation four parcels of land that will support opportunities for forestry and eco-tourism, as well as provide $100,000 in capacity funding to help develop these opportunities.

Actress Tantoo Cardinal (Dances with Wolves) was among a dozen or so women in West Vancouver  March 22 to protest the expansion of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline. The women were primarily Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish and Musqueam First Nations members. Greenpeace campaigners joined them. The Wall of Woman gathered at the Welcome Figure at Ambleside Beach to tell Kinder Morgan the expansion is not welcome in the territory. The proposed expansion will see Kinder Morgan’s output almost tripled to 890,000 barrels from the current 300,000 barrels of diluted bitumen per day.

The Liberal government has cut a summer ferry run between Port Hardy on Vancouver Island and Bella Coola on the Central Coast

On March 20, the Kwakiutl protest near Port Hardy  on Vancouver Island reached a 50-day milestone. Protesters are calling on Island Timberlands to suspend logging on Kwakiutl lands and asking the federal and provincial governments to honor the terms of the 1851 Treaty and implement ‘enclosed fields’ for the protection of village sites.

“Justice Grant M. Currie and his court cannot rule on matters of international concern when it comes to the Treaty No. 10 Buffalo River Dene Nation traditional territory” said Chief Lance Byhette. 

The National Reading Campaign announced a donation from Penguin Canada, publisher of Canada Read’s winning novel The Orenda by author Joseph Boyden. The donation will help the campaign’s advocacy for improved access to reading in Aboriginal communities. The National Reading Campaign will donate copies of the winning book to Aboriginal libraries across Canada. Of the 600-plus First Nations across Canada, only 200 have libraries because, in large part, a lack of stable funding, a press release asserts.

The National Post reports that the Canadian government was readying itself in the event that last year’s Idle No More activities “escalated.” An 11-page report — redacted heavily and missing a page— was obtained under the Access to Information Act by the publication. The report shows that Ottawa was being helped by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and was concerned by the “decentralized, leaderless nature of the protests and the multiple motivations and influences that drove them,” the Post’s article of March 23 reads.

Bernd Christmas, well-known Indigenous lawyer who is highly regarded for his work with government, business and First Nations in connection with Aboriginal economic development, has joined Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP. He will serve as “a critical resource to the Cassels Brock client base, which includes many of the country’s leading mining and natural resource companies, financial institutions and corporate entities, as well as international clients doing business in Canada.” Christmas became the first Mi’kmaw to become a lawyer in Canada.