• 'It's time to abolish the Indian Act,' Manitoba premier tells PM in historic meeting with chiefs

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-10-26 19:39:49.0
  Tags: [National, Manitoba, Indigenous, Governance, Justice]

  During a historic first ministers' meeting in Ottawa alongside Prime Minister Mark Carney and Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew called for the federal government to abolish the 150-year-old Indian Act. Kinew argued that the race-based legislation and status card system are incompatible with modern Canadian human rights and self-determination, stating that the act must be dismantled in cooperation with First Nations people and governments. The closed-door summit marked the first gathering of its kind between First Nations leaders and first ministers since the 2005 Kelowna Accord talks.

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• Yukon government asks court to toss Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in lawsuit over mining regulation changes

  Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
  Date: 2026-10-23 18:41:15.0
  Tags: [National, Indigenous, Mining, Resources, Justice, Governance]

  The Yukon government filed a statement of defence in the Yukon Supreme Court asking to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation regarding temporary amendments made in May 2025 to placer-mining, quartz-mining, and water-use regulations. The amendments, set to remain in effect until December 31, 2028, allow the territorial government to extend soon-to-expire permits and licences for eligible operators to mitigate a major permitting backlog. Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in's January lawsuit alleges that the territory failed to consult the First Nation in violation of its final agreement and seeks financial compensation, whereas the government argues it had no duty to consult during the legislative process and that the First Nation delayed legal action.

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• Ottawa ends NunatuKavut bid for Indigenous rights recognition, NCC says

  Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
  Date: 2026-09-09 12:58:41.0
  Tags: [National, Newfoundland and Labrador, Indigenous, Governance, Justice]

  Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty announced that the federal government is terminating the 2019 Memorandum of Understanding and the Recognition of Indigenous Rights and Self-Determination process with the NunatuKavut Community Council (NCC). The federal Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) stated that evidence and documentation submitted by NCC to support claims under Section 35 of the Constitution Act did not satisfy court-established legal tests for Indigenous rights and title. The termination of the MOU takes effect on October 4, though CIRNAC noted the decision does not preclude NCC from applying for federal programs that do not require Section 35 recognition. The decision was welcomed by the Innu Nation and the Nunatsiavut Government, while NCC criticized the move and stated it will pursue all avenues, including potential legal action.

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• Vuntut Gwitchin citizen files petition with Yukon court to pause election for chief and council

  Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
  Date: 2026-09-05 00:35:00.0
  Tags: [National, Indigenous, Governance, Justice]

  Erin Linklater, a citizen and former executive director of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, has filed a petition with the Yukon Supreme Court to pause the upcoming September 15 chief and council election. The petition challenges the validity of a new election law and governance act amendments passed earlier in the year, arguing they violate the First Nation's constitution and were enacted without proper accountability measures such as a preceding general assembly. The Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation has dismissed the legal action as a distraction and issued a cease-and-desist letter regarding Linklater's public statements, while a closed-door court hearing is scheduled for the same day as the vote.

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• Chief in Łutselk'e, N.W.T., says community should consider banishing bootleggers

  Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
  Date: 2026-08-29 13:00:00.0
  Tags: [National, Indigenous, Justice, Public Safety, Governance]

  Chief James Marlowe of the Łutsel K'e Dene First Nation in the Northwest Territories is proposing a community banishment law to counter a rise in illegal bootlegging and alcohol-related harms affecting the dry community. The proposed law, which requires approval by First Nation members at a scheduled meeting on September 29, aims to remove non-compliant members or outside bootleggers for one to two years. Legal experts note that while trespass laws can apply to non-members, banishing First Nation members requires strict adherence to internal rules and the Indian Act or modern treaties to withstand court challenges.

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