UPDATE: Comment from education department spokesperson Jasmine Flemming added Friday, June 18. The correspondence course material arrived on shalan joudry’s doorstep in the spring, requested from Nova Scotia’s education system for joudry’s teenage daughter, Malaika. But it wasn’t until Wednesday night, June 16, that Malaika felt ready to tell her mom about the blatantly racist […]
Indigenous
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Over 500 people march in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en in Halifax
The energy was palpable as hundreds of people gathered at Cornwallis Park in Halifax on Sunday to listen to community leaders speak about the importance of Indigenous sovereignty and voice their support for the Wet’suwet’en nation. Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs have been opposing a pipeline project that would cut through their traditional territory in British Columbia. […]
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The North American Indigenous Games are coming to Halifax this summer
NAIG Volunteer Launch Halifax City Hall, 1841 Argyle Street Feb 21, noon-1pm, naig2020.com I n July—a mere 143 days away—thousands of youth from across North America will be in Halifax, celebrating the largest sporting event the Maritimes has ever seen since European contact. Five thousand athletes, 756 Indigenous nations, 16 sports, 21 venues—all with the […]
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Defending Indigenous sovereignty from Wet’suwet’en Territory to Mi’kma’ki
Since last week, the RCMP has been executing almost daily raids and arresting Indigenous land defenders on Wet’suwet’en territory in BC, enforcing a court order to remove people from the land granted to Coastal GasLink for its pipeline construction. Since the raids began, people in Halifax have been taking action—at MP Andy Fillmore’s office and […]
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Letters to the editor, July 25, 2019
Statue quo Archaeologist Jonathan Fowler dug deep to denigrate Edward Cornwallis, pointing out “many of our citizens fail to recognize the image of Pharaoh in the sword-clad, bronze Cornwallis with his puffed-out chest” (“Why Halifax’s Cornwallis should follow Montreal’s lead on the path to reconciliation,” Voice of The City, July 11). I suspect career soldier […]
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MMIWG report says government is responsible for race-and-gender-based crisis
After two-and-a-half years the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls released its final report June 3, laying out the role that all levels of Canadian government play in the race-and-gender-based crisis that is facing and has faced Indigenous and Inuit women. It calls for immediate transformative legal and social changes to […]
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Time for Canada’s own green new deal
We have just 11 years to cut global emissions in half in order to avoid climate catastrophe. Young people like myself are justifiably scared for our futures. This year is critical—and terrifying—as the federal election is under 180 days away. Our prime minister, who was elected mostly by young people on a platform of climate […]
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SCIENCE MATTERS: Government should heed Unist’ot’en message
I visited the Unist’ot’en camp near Kitimat, BC, a year ago. The people, led by Chief Freda Huson, are trying to re-establish a sustainable relationship with territory that has enabled them to flourish for millennia. Ever since colonization and settlement, much of that traditional way of life has been lost or seriously constrained. These are […]
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SCIENCE MATTERS: Indigenous input on energy matters
Energy is inextricably linked to a range of community issues, from health to housing. That was one message that emerged from a four-day gathering in Calgary of more than 200 young Indigenous leaders from every province and territory, organized by Disa Crow Chief of the Siksika Nation and Cory Beaver of the Stoney Nakoda Nation. […]
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SCIENCE MATTERS: Pipeline blockade is a sign of deeper troubles
Recent controversy over a natural gas pipeline blockade and the differing priorities of hereditary chiefs and elected band councillors illustrates a fundamental problem with our systems of governance and economics. Elected councils for the Wet’suwet’en and other Indigenous bands have signed lucrative “impact benefit agreements” with TransCanada (now called TC Energy), builder of the Coastal […]
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White noise
This summer, I was walking along a street in the south end of Halifax with a few pals. As we walked down the tree-lined streets next to houses I couldn’t fathom of ever owning, they started hollering and causing a ruckus. It was late, they had been drinking, I was DD and I immediately felt […]