At the height of Idle No More protests, members of Aamjiwanang First Nation blocked a rail line into Sarnia, Ontario’s “Chemical Valley,” so-called for the petrochemical industry there.

Now, blockader Ron Plain, 51, has been ordered by a judge to pay CN railway $16,000 in fines for the 13-day protest that captured the country’s attention and was one of the first signs of the movement’s potential impact. A judge refused CN’s demand for $50,000 from Plain.

Despite lacking the funds to pay the bill personally, he has vowed to continue struggling for his people’s rights.

It’s been an odd week for me, Aboriginally speaking.

First things first, I was trying to figure out something interesting to do last weekend when a friend of mine suggested I head down to Toronto’s Lake Ontario and look at some of the tall ships that had recently taken up berth.

I thought about it for about a second before I told her that as somebody who is First Nations, the sight of a fleet of tall ships anchoring off a city, in a province, in a country, all three with Aboriginal names, it brings back too many racial and historical memories.

“I was nervous and I was scared because I’m actually going to follow through with something. It was like a choiceless choice in that moment. It was something that needed to be done. It was like my heart’s calling. It was saying ‘this is the opportunity to do it. You’ve been waiting for the opportunity. Do it.’ And there is no arguing against it. I couldn’t argue against it. And I did it.”

Premier Alison Redford was absent when provincial leaders from across the country met with Aboriginal organizations on the first day of a three-day Council of the Federation meeting in Ontario. Redford instead met with officials from the Insurance Bureau of Canada to discuss Alberta’s recent flooding. Also absent was Newfoundland Premier Kathy Dunderdale. Discussed was support for a national inquiry on murdered and missing Aboriginal women and girls.

The Blood Tribe and Fort McKay First Nation have developed an employment partnership, creating viable training and employment opportunities. The Blood Tribe, Canada’s largest First Nation community in southern Alberta with approximately 12,000 members, has an available labour force which can be utilized in partnership with Fort McKay First Nation, a community of just over 650 members, located north of Fort McMurray. The Fort McKay First Nation requires a large work force for a number of upcoming capital projects which will serve as a training ground for members of both communities.

The Treaty 7 Management Corporation and supporting Chiefs have bestowed the Blackfoot name of Mak-Koyii-Sa-Pii (which means Wolf Charger) on Aboriginal Relations Minister Robin Campbell. Campbell was recognized on July 12 in Calgary with Piikani Nation Elder Reg Crowshoe conducting the special ceremony. In a news release, Campbell said he was “humbled more than I can say by this profound and moving honour that signifies the spirit and strength of our friendship. This moment has great personal significance for me, as a representative of the Government of Alberta, and as an Albertan.”

TransCanada has announced it will move forward with its $12-billion Energy East pipeline project, which will carry Alberta crude to New Brunswick. The company said it will seek the necessary regulatory approvals in order to begin construction. If the proposed Energy East pipeline project meets regulatory approvals, 3,000 km of existing natural gas pipeline, beginning in Hardisty, will be converted to carry crude oil, as well as an additional 1,400 km of new infrastructure built.