APTN National News April 18, 2024 – MNS withdraws support of Bill C-53, Chief says lives are at risk

[Music] good evening I'm Dennis Ward welcome to APN national news more bad news for the true do government's embattled matey self-government recognition legislation the mate nation tkatch and has decided to withdraw is support for Bill c53 this leaves only the mate nation of Ontario and mate Nation Alberta still supporting the proposed legislation apn's Fraser NM has the story M nation scaton president Glenn mallum says after extensive meetings earlier this week the organization has decided to head in a different direction and negotiate directly with the Federal Government after assessing evaluating the situation that we're in we uh we decided our Council decided our government decided no we're we're going to do it alone bill c53 has been mired in controversy ever since it was introduced by the federal government last year the legislation formally recognizes mate governments in Alberta Saskatchewan and Ontario but first nations in Ontario and the Manitoba mate Federation have rallied hard against the bill because they don't see the mate nation of Ontario as a legitimate matey organization MMF representative for the southwest region will Gooden says MNS made the right move better late than never so I'm pretty happy that there was some cooler heads in the room with mation saskat on obviously in the last few days and uh that there was um uh the they saw the writing on the wall that this um bill is just seen so much opposition from um across the country mallum says the MNS is now confident the organization will be able to get its own self-government agreement with Ottawa I believe that the federal government is will be very supportive in regards to where we're going and hopefully in the near future that we we are going to we're are going to sign our own treaty as for the future of bill c53 which now sits in the House of Commons committee after passing two readings good and had some Choice words bill c-53 is in the coffin uh it's nailed shut um it's likely got um a stake through its heart and the Silver Bullet um and it's lowered into the ground and the dirt is being for on it now ap10 news reached out to the main agents of Alberta and Ontario for comment and was directed to a joint online statement which says our governments wish the M Nation scatch one well as it embarks on its continuing journey to have its self-government fully recognized in an emailed statement minister of crown digigen relations Gary Andis Andre's office says we will continue to work with the mate governments in Alberta Ontario and Saskatchewan to recognize their rights in ways that work for them and in the spirit of reconciliation Fraser NM ap10 National News Ottawa today at the United Nations permanent Forum on indigenous issues delegates declared the opioid crisis in British Colombia as a state of emergency and a hereditary Chief from Nicaragua says indigenous leaders lives are at risk there angel Moore reports here at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City the sil totin nation in British Columbia is celebrating an anniversary it's been 10 years since the Supreme Court of Canada agreed the nation holds Aboriginal title to part of its traditional territory while that's caused for celebration what's not is the state of emergency they're caused by the abuse of opioids Zena Lula is a youth our youth are taking drugs to try and stop the pain the trauma they have experienced our people are being poisoned just like our Waters and our lands we come here with heavy hearts but also with the message for Canada and the world we know the path to Healing it is decolonization Chief Joe alans says the youth will change the future our youth today they they're educated they're rich in their culture they're proud and they seek the spotlight so deal with us you think we're tough you wait till they come of age meanwhile in South America indigenous people's rights are criminalized Carlos hendi is a hereditary chief of the Moto people in Nicaragua he says he cannot return home after he spoke at The Forum last year alleging his son was murdered even though that you know our voice is not against the Nicaraguan government our voice is just to uh ask for the indigenous people's right but even so they see us as a um a legitimate um uh opposition to them you know that's what they see us and we are no opposition to to no government we are just the indigenous people asking for indigenous people's right now handy is living in the United States fearing for his life yes uh I'm afraid of myself even in the United States I'm afraid of myself I'm Exile in the United States Clen chte is the international Ambassador for the Manitoba mate Federation he says hendy's fears are Justified chte is at the Forum on behalf of indigenous leader Brooklyn Rivera who was arrested in Nicaragua after criticizing the Nicaragua government and we have not to this day heard a thing about where he is what his situation is like and I'm here and I did make an intervention to ask the UN to continue its efforts to have him produce to have proof of life and also to work towards his release the Forum continues on Friday with discussions to improve indigenous health and wellness and Empower youth voices Angel Moore APN national news New York City thanks Angel single occupancy hotels across the country are often used to house those who might not be counted as homeless or living on the streets in Winnipeg many of those dwellings are along the iconic Main Street including the McLaren Hotel built over a century ago it is now getting a facelift to better serve its 150 residents with more here's TR Wheatley Geraldine hcro has called the McLaren home on and off for years my my door's broken in maybe once or twice a week um I'm a woman I'm scared despite that Geraldine calls those that live here family she's one of 150 residents living in this old hotel turned into single dwelling homes now thanks to the Equal Housing Initiative this place will undergo Renovations for the next 2 years costing about 37.5 million no one will get evicted the renovations will happen one floor at a time the executive director says this approach allows for some stability in the tenants lives people that are dealing um uh with mental health with addiction with poverty it's a journey right and it's it's not a continue in One Direction it's a zigzaggy line James tower has lived here since 2011 the best part of the renovation for him they Clos Down The BLT Lounge downstairs and and the vendor too you know at least half of the tenants are indigenous that's why a common area was vital to do traditional medicines if they want to smudge in the meantime other programs have started here every Thursday tenants and volunteers alike prepare a hot meal and package food hampers that get delivered to every resident in the building Michael Miner is a master's in Social Work student who did his placement here last summer he still comes to cook on his own time because he believes in the holistic approach used here I think that uh the most important thing working with people who are housing insecure or or don't have Dependable food sources is finding ways to uh meet all of their needs at once and it's programs like at the McLaren where they're making sure all of those pieces can come together while the inside will change a lot the outside not so much the McLaren hotel is a Heritage building so basically what you see now is what it'll still look like when Renovations are done but just a few steps over here these buildings will be be torn down to build a transition housing that will be called recover Bridge uh they would have an option right next door because what we also learned from many people that live here is this is their home the dwellings will be more typical housing units ranging from Bachelor to one and two bedrooms both the McLaren and recover bridge should be completed by summer 2026 and will be staffed 24/7 TR weatley APN National News Winnipeg nice changes there this week's Federal budget has been widely panned by many indigenous leaders after the break our truth and politics panel will be here to provide their two cents stick [Music] around welcome back the Liberals dropped their budget for the next year on Tuesday a $50 billion orgy of spending according to opposition leader Pierre PV but many indigenous leaders are saying the budget doesn't address long-standing concerns so what does budget 2024 mean for First Nations Inu and mate peoples that's the topic this week for our truth and politics panel Negan Sinclair is a columnist with the Winnipeg Free Press Jennifer lewitz is a policy analyst for war shield Consulting Jennifer Negan thanks for being being with us this week to talk about the budget uh Jennifer in recent weeks we've talked a lot about safety and policing in our communities uh was there any specifics in the budget about this um yeah I saw that there was some budget items from last year just reann anced which seems to be An Occurrence with this government um but I did see um afn National Chief Cindy woodh house did come out and say that you know regardless of these announcements that are made year after year in the federal budget without the in ction of that legislation First Nations and anyway policing program communities are going to continue facing barriers and and at risk of security issues as well um so although I I'm sure communities do welcome those budget announcements when you don't see concrete action in terms of getting that legislation on the order paper and then passed there's really not much left to say about it uh you got another big thing of course was housing the Liberals have earmarked less than $1 billion for indigenous housing and infrastructure structure that comes just days after the afn was saying the Gap is $350 billion for First Nations alone uh thoughts on the funding there for housing in uh 2016 just after Justin Trudeau was elected for the very first time with the majority mandate unlike now with a minority mandate uh there was the large scale announcements of commitments to housing a bunch of other things as well but particularly to housing and unfortunately that money has been caught up in red tape the auditor general came out back in March saying that the money is inefficiently been used and has been sort of salted away with the different inefficiencies in government and one of the main problems is that this tremendous infrastructure Gap as the afn has pointed out involving hundreds of billions of dollars has now grown even though the federal liberals these Federal lials have removed the 2% cap uh which was problematic for years creating situations of emergent housing uh they've now increased the funding but yet oddly enough the money isn't leaving the government isn't getting two communities and so the announcement of more money for housing in this budget is in many ways addressing some of the infrastructure gaps that afn is talking about but the question is is will the money make it it certainly suggests that in the past this government has really had some trouble getting money out the door and it seems to be just spinning its wheels and money used in administration uh other governmental ministerial work and so on Jennifer much has been made about the deputy Premier in finance prime minister and Finance Minister making no mention of reconciliation or indigenous peoples in uh Tuesday's budget what does that say to you uh perhaps they're starting to learn that reconciliation isn't talking reconciliation is action and when we continue to hear year after year number one that the budget announcements aren't where they should be and not only that we're also hearing about how many First Nations and different First Nations organizations like the Chiefs in Ontario need to take this government to court over funding that is owed to them four things like First Nations policing amongst other things that's an issue and it just seems like no matter where we go this government is having a really hard time working with the Nations and you know even like the carbon tax is one of the biggest conversations right now and I heard it mentioned yesterday somebody had said why didn't they consult with the Nations on this so that they could have alleviated some of the problems we're now hearing where you know there's a mix of wanting to Advance environmental policies which we should be doing but also just the way that they're delivering it is not resonating with First Nations across the country consult consult consult and that was one of the things that the harbur government did not do and now that seems like this the liberal government is now heading down the same path of just no consultation and ending themselves up in trouble with Nations and First Nations people across the country and that's not reconciliation so talking is not reconciliation action is NE got anything else in the budget or not in the budget that sticks out for you uh no I think that this budget is the kind of budget that looks like a pre-election budget uh but is certainly not going to meet anyone's kind of expectations and I think particularly because of the long time kind of um political Capital that the federal levels have put on issues impacting indigenous communities to really see this as this budget is not uh committing further or perhaps backpedaling um tells you a couple things first is uh there's a lack of political will developing amongst the Liberals to engage this issue and to see this as an election issue and I think they're moving more towards affordability and particularly I think that's in direct relation to what the conservatives are driving the agenda um the second is there is a real failure amongst Minister and Des sang gangri uh the Mark Miller would not have let this happen Mark Miller was at least in the process of engaging with First Nations much more regularly than what has been a real absence in the ministerial leadership within the Liberals at the moment and then thirdly I think that when we are in a position in which uh um the government overall has lost faith I think in itself and this budget has really indicated that there is uh a real fracturing within the Liberal Party of really where to go on this issue I think Jennifer pointed out climate change is something that's been real fractured I also think that Israel and the ways in which Jewish Canadians are being engaged or not engaged within this Li party there's a real schism that are developing within the Liberals and we're seeing it played out on the impacts of the lack of attention to indigenous issues Jennifer neon will have to leave it there appreciate you both being here with us this week yeah me W thanks after seeing a gap in Alternative Health Care offered on First Nations three indigenous women have come together to bring the services where they're needed registered massage therapists Roberta Bey Jordan Leo and and Marilyn BD Martin saw that their services were hard for indigenous peoples to access all three women said they have heard people Express their wishes for massage services but have never had to access never had access to a therapist close enough to them the group created TAA therapy as a way to bring their services to First Nations who would otherwise not have access as many people may be experiencing their first massage co-owner Roberta Bey says it's all about making sure everyone is comfortable during their appointments people do have traumas as well so if something happens and they have that safe space to like back off if they need to and after starting their services last month First Nations can request taka therapy to come to their communities APN investigates continues its look inside the band office this week we've got a preview for you after the [Music] break welcome back time now for our photo of the day regular contributor Greg scriver submitted this mirror reflected sunset on Waters near Petri Island near on Ottawa Ontario studying as always Greg thanks for sharing for the chance to be our next next photo of the day you can send your photos to share at a.ca now let's take a look at tomorrow's weather forecast starting on the East Coast cloudy and nine in Halifax 15 in frederickton Cloudy and two for kuak and N 13 ma is in Montreal rain and eight for Valor three with snow in Sous St Marie eight with showers in North Bay five with snow in Thunder Bay flurries and two for Sue Lookout two with snow in Gods Lake Norway house and Thompson zero with snow for Winnipeg plus two and flurries in Dolphin minus one with snow in Regina one above in Saskatoon Suns out and six for meal Lake five in sunny and buffalo Narrows in Northern Alberta sunny and nine for Fort chip Fort Mack and Grand Prairie Suns out and three for Edmonton cloudy and three for Lethbridge 16 and sunny in Vancouver and Victoria 10 in Prince George Suns out and nine for Smithers five in Old Crow 13 in White Horse nine for Yellow Knife six in Norman Wells minus 9 in saaks Harbor snow and zero for po- 6 for Chester Field 8 Below with snow in Baker lakeus 20 in Resolute and Joe Haven time to head over to our Ottawa studio now where Anette Francis is standing by with a look get what's coming up tonight on our weekly political show tonight on Nation to Nation the 2024 federal budget tabled on Tuesday left indigenous leaders dissatisfied many say it doesn't come close to meeting the needs and priorities of indigenous communities and the PMP Lori OT shares the same frustration because we know uh that there for too many decades there's been not enough Investments to improve uh the lives of First Nations in in mate and this budget doesn't seem to indicate that there's going to be that much more Investments to ensure that we're able to lift ourselves up so that we can help contribute to Canada's economy for years members of om janong First Nation located near Sarnia Ontario have been living in the shadows of what is known as chemical Valley this week high levels of pollution left Chief and councel to warn members to stay inside on the other side of the road in the chemical Valley all of their workers are trained they're all protected from this particular chemical but uh you know and I'm closer to the refinery than the people in the same refinery on the other side of the refiner that's how close we are here there's that and more later on Nation to Nation looks good thanks senette you can catch nation to nation in about four minutes from now meanwhile members of a first nation in Alberta say urgent action is needed to increase Financial transparency in their communities in tomorrow night's special look inside the band office APN investigates reporters Britney guo and Tom ferio EX examine housing concerns and accountability on the Stony nikota Nation here's a preview good Stony is one of three bands that are a part of the Stony nakota Nation over the years and through different leadership administrations the names of these nations have changed but today good Stony chiniki and the bearspaw bands all make up the Stony nakota Nation hey are you Kenny yes I'm Kenny hey I'm Britney hi Kenny Hunter is a member of the good Stony First Nation back in the old days I think there was less political um opposition because it seemed like at that time people lived in harmony but nowadays we don't even have um bad meetings anymore regular band meetings uh people don't know what's going on let's just start from the beginning how did this all come to be for years Hunter has tried to get financial transparency for good ston First Nation I think the government structure here um within our own Community is uh confusing because we don't know um who's in charge of what in cities and towns you can call 311 where you'll be directed to the specific Department you need information about but on the res where can you go for financial transparency you can watch ap10 investigates inside the band office stonewald tomorrow night immediately following the APN national news and award-winning reporter britty guo will be here to talk more about it as well and you can catch up on the first part of inside the band office or any past episodes of APN investigates over on our APN News YouTube page you can also find much more excuse me over on our website APN news.ca that's the time we have for your APN national news for this Tuesday I'm Dennis Ward Marc MC witch thanks for being with us stick around Nation to nation is up next we'll see back here tomorrow [Music]

Channel: APTN News

Views: 1,214

Keywords: aptn, national, news

Id: o1K6-s8-oY0

Length: 23min 55sec (1435 seconds)

Published: Thu Apr 18 2024