FIVE STORIES ON TURTLE ISLAND
1. This week, Chiefs from several northern First Nations abruptly walked out of a meeting with provincial officials citing a conflict over the make-up of the Manitoba Crown-Indigenous Corporation (MCIC), which will oversee the potential expansion of the port of Churchill.
The meeting, hosted by the northern chiefs organization Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO), came to a sudden end as chiefs stated they felt unrepresented and left out of the work of the MCIC. The MCIC was created by the Manitoba government to facilitate projects such as the Churchill port expansion, the construction and delivery of roads, a natural gas shipping corridor and other northern mining projects.
Meanwhile, the Port of Churchill work is expanding, with the first shipment of prairie grain since 2020 taking place this week.
2. The province of Ontario and two First Nations recently announced the groundbreaking of road construction projects necessary to move forward on the very controversial Ring of Fire project.
First there was Aroland First Nation and then this past week, Marten Falls First Nation.
First made public in 2007, the “Ring of Fire” is an area spanning the traditional territorial use and occupancy of fifteen First Nations and is rich in copper-nickel and chromite — critical minerals needed to manufacture things such as electric vehicles, batteries, modern defence technologies and advanced manufacturing. The vast majority of those impacted First Nations have been protesting the project, the provincial and federal government’s lack of adequate consultation and the potential environmental impact of mining in the area for years.
So, having two First Nations commit to these first steps is notable, however there continues to be outright resistance to the “Ring of Fire.”
3. It appears the anti-Indigenous rhetoric and promises to repeal the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) by a British Columbia Conservative leader is disliked as much by Indigenous conservatives as most Indigenous communities on the west coast.
This week, Áʼa:líya Warbus, a Chilliwack-Cultus Lake MLA and member of the the Stó:lō Nation, resigned from the B.C. Conservative caucus to sit as an Independent, becoming the seventh MLA to exit while citing leadership concerns this month.
Conservative leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay has split her party over her populist stand on several issues, drawing comparisons to Alberta premier Danielle Smith.
The most controversial of all is her stance on Indigenous rights — even going so far as to question other Conservatives on having a “conflict of interest” owing to being married to an Indigenous person.
Findlay regularly stokes fear of Indigenous rights, calling advocates “radical” while framing First Nations land claims as a threat to private land ownership.
4. Winnipeg fans of the hit TV series North of North — an amazing comedy series about Inuit in the Arctic — will have a chance to attend a special screening and have a Q&A with series stars Anna Lambe (who plays Siaja), Zorga Qaunaq (Millie) and co-creator and executive producer Alethea Arnaquq-Baril.
Anna Lambe, who stars as Siaja in the series North of North, will be at the Park Theatre on September 14 for an exclusive screening event. (Jasper Savage-APTN / The Canadian Press)
The event, which occurs on Sept. 14, will also partner with Crafted — a great exhibit of Inuit jewelry and art at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.
For anyone who has missed the very funny North of North, check it out on many streaming platforms but here is the link through APTN.
5. Heat is building for the American mid-term elections, with some states relying on the Indigenous vote and Native Americans being at the centre of trying to make a fair election possible despite recent gerrymandering and re-districting.
Check out the fight being led by the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, the Spirit Lake Tribe and individual Native American plaintiffs in North Dakota who are re-arguing their successful challenge of discrimination due to the remaking of the state’s 2021 legislative map. They claim it unlawfully dilutes Indigenous voting power and violates the U.S. Constitution.
IN PICTURES
Connie Kentner, sister of Barbara Kentner, participates in a march following the decision to grant full parole to the man who was convicted of her sister’s manslaughter, in Ottawa, on Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. Barbara Kentner, a member of Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation, died after complications to her injuries after she was struck by a trailer hitch thrown from a moving vehicle by Brayden Bushby in Thunder Bay in 2017. (Justin Tang / The Canadian Press)
RECONCILI-ACTION OF THE WEEK
Every week I highlight an action, moment, or milestone forwarding reconciliation, illustrating how far Canada has come — and how far the country has yet to go.
The reconciliaction of the week is the uplifting work of Viv Ketchum, who made news this past week for calming the conflicts happening at a downtown Winnipeg discount store between security officers and local customers.
Last February, a security officer working at a Dollarama at the intersection of Donald Street and Smith Street was charged with assault with a weapon after beating an alleged shoplifter with brass knuckles.
Now, the president and CEO of Impact Security Group — the security company who hired Ketchum — has promised to expand the program and have a local Indigenous elder work with their staff during shifts.
Ketchum, who has overcome many obstacles to become a community leader (including getting a high school diploma at 57), has been doing work bringing people together for years. Check out some of her story here.
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