Tag Archives: Judith Sayers

Indigenous Nations

DRIPA: Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council Says Its Time to Set the Record Straight!

Press release from the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council

April 14, 2026– Hupacasath and Tseshaht Territories, Port Alberni, BC
The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council (NTC) is relieved to hear that amendments to DRIPA are paused while the Premier looks for support with chiefs and opposition MLA’s. We know it is not because he is listening to the First Nations who have spoken out against amending DRIPA but rather his need to find enough MLAs to support his amendments. The premier needs to drop this initiative.

NTC says to the Premier, now it is time to work with First Nations and find solutions to what he feels is a huge problem. We would like good faith negotiations in person and no negotiating through the media. Also no short meetings and turn around times to respond to BC’s position. We want co-developed solutions. NTC has always been willing to look at options other than amending DRIPA.

Continue reading DRIPA: Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council Says Its Time to Set the Record Straight! →
Justice

RCMP introduce body-worn cameras this winter

Editor’s note: Body cameras might have invaluable in cases like the shooting of Jared Lowndes in Campbell River or the logging protests at Fairy Creek. Of course the next step is rectifying the situation in a way that restores public trust.

By Nora O’Malley, Ha-Shilth-Sa, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

In effort to increase transparency in policing and improve accountability, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Canada’s federal police force, will soon be equipped with body-worn cameras.

Frontline general duty officers that work in the communities of: Ucluelet, Ahousaht, Tofino, Mission, Prince George, Cranbrook and Kamloops will be amongst the first to start recording evidence from the first-person perspective or point of view (POV), according to B.C. RCMP, or “E” Division, senior media relations officer Staff Sgt. Kris Clark. 

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Indigenous Nations, Rivers & Oceans

Canada, First Nations take first steps to protect massive swath of deep ocean on West Coast

 Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The federal government and coastal First Nations took a significant step towards establishing a massive marine protected area off the West Coast of Vancouver Island on Tuesday.

The proposed Tang.ɢwan — ḥačxwiqak — Tsig̱isMarine Protected Area (MPA) covers a 133,000-square-kilometre swath of open ocean 150 kilometres off the island’s west coast. The area harbours a unique concentration of hydrothermal vents, underwater sea mountains and rich deep-sea biodiversity hot spots found nowhere else in the world.

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Indigenous Nations

Centuries later, the Doctrine of Discovery takes the spotlight

By Alexandra Mehl, Ha-Shilth-Sa, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Christopher Columbus, John Cabbot, and Jacques Cartier are just some of the names known for landing on North American soil as early explorers. Many of these explorers are known for their great discoveries. However, it is widely known that before European explorers, First Nations lived on the lands.

The complex legal history of Canada’s origins, and the Indigenous-Crown relationship, began with a series of Papal Bulls from the Pope of the Catholic Church. Presently, the weight that the Doctrine of Discovery has in Canada’s systems is being argued.

On September 9th the First Nation Leadership Council (FNLC) published a statement saying they believe renunciation of the Doctrine of Discovery should be King Charles III’s first official act. His coronations is set for May 6, 2023.

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Education, Indigenous Nations

UVic launches MBA in Indigenous Reconciliation with the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres

By Melissa Renwick, Ha-Shilth-Sa, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Victoria, BC – The University of Victoria (UVic) is set to deliver the world’s first custom master’s degree in business administration in Indigenous Reconciliation.

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