Chiefs of the Tsimshian First Nation speak out against Enrbidge at a 2012 Prince Rupert rally VANCOUVER – Following months of hearings, years of debate and dozens of protests, the federal panel reviewing the controversial Northern Gateway pipeline will release its report later today. Much hangs in the balance. The
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Accidental Deliberations: Reconciliation fail
Shorter Joe Oliver: We Conservatives are so committed to building trust and relationships with First Nations, we feel we can safely ignore a report saying we’re failing miserably on all fronts and instead claim all the necessary work is done. So who wants to partner up with us?
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Misconceptions abound in Elsipogtog media coverage
Read this Nov. 14 opinion piece by Chelsea Vowel in the Toronto Star pointing out a number of often-ignored facts in the Elsipogtog First Nation protest of explorartory work for fracking in their New Brunswick territory. The Common Sense Canadian raised many of these issues in its first editorial on the issue,
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Fried Squirrels
It’s a crisp, foggy November Saturday morning in the south side of the city. Seventeen people sit in the large open area at the back end of an organic fair trade coffee shop run by a workers’ co-op inspired by the Mondragon movement in Spain. Meet-ups like this are quite
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Conservatives Are Not Responsible
Conservatives are not responsible for your neighbour’s children. Your neighbour’s children will be paying off debts incurred by Conservative Ministers, however. Conservatives only feel responsible for your neighbour’s children when they street race, have sex, use drugs, or are bullied. Full bellies are definitely not their responsibility, unless it’s unsafe
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Thomas Walkom points to Ontario’s experience with Kellogg’s as yet another example of the dangers of basing economic policy on blind faith that handouts to big business will benefit workers and the general public: Like Kellogg, the auto companies justify their apparent
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Neil Young’s 4-city concerts to benefit First Nation’s tar sands fight
Neil Young’s 4-city Canadian concert tour to raise money to support the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation’s legal defense against tar sands developments. The post Neil Young’s 4-city concerts to benefit First Nation’s tar sands fight appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: You Can Vote, But You Can’t Travel in Canada
This situation is BS. A Manitoba MP is crying discrimination after two aboriginal women were not allowed to board a plane with her, even though they had tickets. Niki Ashton, who represents the Churchill riding for the NDP, said Gail and Joyce Nepinak were scheduled to fly to Ottawa from
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Harper Govt approves Shell’s Jackpine oilsands mine despite ‘significant adverse effects’
ACFN Chief Allan Adam outside an Alberta court in 2012, challenging Shell’s Jackpine development Shell Canada’s Jackpine oilsands mine expansion plan has received the go-ahead from Ottawa, despite the environment minister’s view that it’s “likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.” In a statement late Friday, environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: First Nations Get $0.3M for Solar Research #skpoli
The Conservative government generously gave First Nations in Saskatchewan enough grant money to build one impressively sized solar array that could power a half dozen homes. Ontario is going with $5,000M. SaskPower gave 10 times this much to the UofR to research how to put CO2 underground so more oil
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Are We Good Allies to First Nations?
This is what solidarity looks like; make sure it’s authentic! Lots of us care about deepening relationships with and social/economic/political justice for first peoples. It’s hard to come in, though, sometimes as a person from an oppressor or settler class. But there is a good checklist to make sure we’re
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Andrew Jackson writes that Canada needs far more investment in infrastructure – rather than the austerity that’s constantly being prescribed by the Cons: The fiscal policy choice we face is often miscast as one between austerity to deal with public debt and short-term
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Does Racism Motivate Harper’s Aboriginal Education Funding Stance?
The Prime Minister’s slow clap. It could be racism. It could be concern that over time too many first nations citizens may get too educated and start demanding more in terms of inter-national justice. Or… It could be just that he thinks keeping government spending down is good for his
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: I’m No Expert On Aboriginal Issues …
But I’m pretty sure that the Harper Government(tm) isn’t doing it right. Carolyn Bennett has an excellent article on Huffington Post today on the subject in light of the most recent bunch of documents to be released from the RCMP’s investigation into the Senate mess: We now know the
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: First Nation in Ontario’s ‘Chemical Valley’ affected by pollutants
A new study is drawing attention to the health problems being faced by a First Nations community living near one of Canada’s most industrialized areas. Members of the Aamjiwnaang First Nation living on a reserve near Sarnia, Ont., have long suspected harmful chemicals were behind an unusually low male birth
Continue readingA Puff of Absurdity: A Little Hope is Effective…
A lot of hope is dangerous. – President Snow This may be a little hokey, but I think Catching Fire is an important film to see right now. And it’s awesome! I read the books ages ago, but even though I know how they each end, it didn’t stop me
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
This and that for your weekend reading. – In case anybody hasn’t yet seen Andrew Coyne’s takedown of anti-intellectual populism, it’s well worth a read: (T)here Mr. Ford sits, immovably: disgraced, largely powerless, but still the mayor. Is that his fault? The city’s? Or is it the fault of those
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Canada’s largest energy union wants national fracking moratorium
First Nations and supporters protest fracking in Vancouver last month (Damien Gillis) Canada’s largest private sector union, Unifor, has joined the growing chorus of concern over controversial shale gas development. The labour organization representing over 300,000 members in a wide range of economic sectors, including energy, is calling for a
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Dents, Sags, Structural Flaws Plague Keystone XL: Report
A new report by Public Citizen says the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline is riddled with structural flaws that could spark dangerous leaks and spills. The post Dents, Sags, Structural Flaws Plague Keystone XL: Report appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Brendan Haley discusses how the role of government should include both a concerted effort to innovate, and a proper share of the benefits when that innovation proves successful: To reinforce her argument, Mazzucato provides detailed histories of some of our most important innovations.
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