Chiefs tell King Charles to remember his treaty obligations as he visits Ottawa
OTTAWA - Dozens of First Nations leaders from across the country gathered in front of Parliament Hill today with a message for the King as he arrives in the city — respect your treaty partners.
The leaders say they also want the federal Liberals to take action on reforming the child welfare system, protecting traditional lands and building infrastructure desperately needed in Indigenous communities.
King Charles and Queen Camilla touched down in Ottawa today to begin their first visit to Canada since the King's coronation two years ago.
Parliament also opened and MPs voted to elect the new Speaker of the House of Commons.
Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Vice Chief David Pratt says King Charles, and in turn Canada, should uphold and respect the treaty relationship they began with his ancestors.
He says the relationship between First Nations and the Crown was not intended to be one-sided and that the Crown should not be dictating to them on how to live their lives.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 26, 2025.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
32 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Got heart, no equipment: First Nations left defenceless against Manitoba fires
As wildfires continue to burn across Manitoba, First Nations leaders say their communities remain 'defenceless' due to a lack of proper firefighting equipment and resources. The province is experiencing one of its most severe wildfire seasons in decades, with 25 active fires. There have been a total of 106 already this season, far above the province's 20-year annual average of 84 at this time of year. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, at a press conference on May 30, explained that the province is throwing everything it has at the fires. 'We are using every firefighter that we have,' Kinew said. But Gordie Bear, chief of Mathias Colomb Cree Nation (also known as Pukatawagan), said the province is overlooking a key resource: his people. 'We have the ability. We have our courage. We have a lot of heart. But we got no equipment,' Bear said. 'Today, we do not even have a garden hose to fight fire.' Pukatawagan once had its own fire suppression team on standby — equipped with fire trucks, hoses and water pumps, he said. Now, they have two trucks built for house fires, not forest infernos threatening entire communities. They're forced to shuttle water back and forth from a distant station. 'We live in a boreal forest, and these fire trucks are not equipped to do that,' he said. 'This system, this is like a Mickey Mouse thing.' What is needed are powerful pumps that can draw water directly from lakes and modern, high-volume equipment capable of projecting water long distances, he said. But the support for local fire suppression teams and services was pulled out. The current lack of equipment means not only can they not protect their own community — they can't help others either. 'The hard part is that we cannot go and help Sherridon. We cannot go and help Cross Lake. We're not equipped to help anybody but run,' Bear said. Even if they had equipment, lack of certification among community members is a major barrier. There have been no certification courses offered at his reserve for the past three years, leaving the community without qualified personnel. Many young people are ready to help, Bear said, but cannot participate in firefighting efforts without proper certification. 'Until they're certified, you need to stand and watch your forest burn,' Bear said. Bear believes modifying regulations would allow more local residents — many of whom already possess essential skills — to help protect their land from wildfires. 'We hold water all our lives. We know how to stand in a line. A little training, and we'll be able to do it again — with equipment.' Bear is frustrated that the current system leaves communities 'defenceless' and 'useless,' forced to watch their homes burn without help. Evacuations across Manitoba and Saskatchewan Approximately 2,700 people are registered for evacuation from their community. Of those, around 1,700 had already been moved and about 800 people were still awaiting evacuation. Evacuations have been hard on elders and those with medical needs. Canadian Forces Chinook helicopters helped transport hundreds of residents to safety after smoke forced the closure of Pukatawagan's only airstrip, Bear said. Wildfires have forced evacuations across Manitoba and Saskatchewan. First Nations are hit the hardest — impacting entire reserves, like Pimicikamak Cree Nation (Cross Lake), Pukatawagan and Marcel Colomb First Nation. Other communities — Sherridon, Flin Flon and Lynn Lake — have had evacuation orders and advisories. Many evacuees spent days in crowded Winnipeg shelters before being relocated as far as Niagara Falls, Ontario, because there wasn't enough hotel space in Manitoba. Kyra Wilson, grand chief of the Assembly of First Nations Manitoba said First Nations communities like Pukatawagan should not have to rely on Indigenous Services Canada or outside governments to respond to crises. 'Our nations and our chiefs, that is our government. We need to ensure that all levels of government are recognizing that we take care of our own,' said Wilson. 'We just need the supplies and equipment to be able to do that.' 'Looking ahead, Manitoba is going to have to build our wildfire service in the future with the capacity to respond to seasons like this,' Kinew said at the press conference. The wildfires are also a reminder of the growing impacts of climate change. Manitoba has had an early heat wave with temperatures 13 C above seasonal average that increase the chance of wildfires, according to climate experts. 'I've lived on the land for the longest time… lots of things happen that are not normal,' Bear said. He is 71 years old and calls himself 'old school.' He struggles to fully understand climate change and isn't sure if he'll be able to adapt to it during his lifetime. 'All I see in front of me is my land burning, turning black.' Sonal Gupta / Local Journalism Initiative / Canada's National Observer Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sam Mitchell goes public with sad new revelation about former Hawthorn teammate
Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell says he didn't catch up with Cyril Rioli in Darwin recently and has had very little contact with his estranged former teammate. The pair won four AFL premierships together at Hawthorn but Rioli has distanced himself from the club and many of his former teammates after making racism allegations surrounding his time at the Hawks. The 35-year-old was conspicuously absent for Hawthorn's centenary celebrations at the MCG in May, despite dozens of his former teammates taking part. However, there were signs that Rioli was ready to start mending bridges with his former club after being spotted catching up with Hawthorn legend Luke Hodge before the Hawks' round 10 clash with the Suns in Darwin three weeks ago. Rioli lives in Darwin but declined an invitation to attend Hawthorn's training session before the game against Gold Coast. However, his surprise appearance at the round 10 fixture between the Suns and Hawks left the AFL community pleased to see Rioli associating with Hawthorn again. One man that didn't get the chance to catch up with Rioli though is Hawthorn coach Mitchell, who says the former Norm Smith Medallist will always be welcome back at the club that he achieved so much at. Speaking on Seven's The Agenda Setters, Mitchell acknowledged that it was a 'complicated' situation for Rioli says he's ready to catch up whenever his former teammate feels ready. "I didn't run into him in Darwin and I haven't reached out to him of that close a nature," Mitchell said. "He knows that he would be welcome back at Hawthorn if he wants to but it's obviously a complicated part of his life and whether he wants to come back. "If he does that would be great but like every club there are players that absolutely bleed the colours for the rest of their lives and there are players that maybe aren't that happy with things that happened at a club. And (with) Cyril, I'm always willing to chat if he wants to." "He (Cyril) knows that he would be welcome back at Hawthorn if he ever wants to."🗣️ Sam Mitchell on Cyril Rioli — 7AFL (@7AFL) June 3, 2025 Rioli's recent catch-up with Hodge delighted the AFL community after the former Hawks captain revealed he hadn't been able to contact Rioli for a number of years. And it prompted moves from Hawthorn president Andy Gowers behind the scenes to bring some of the former players together after recent events. In November last year, Hawthorn settled a federal court case with past First Nations players and their families, and issued an apology. Rioli was among a group of players who alleged they were racially vilified during their time at the club, and the case was settled without a determination of any of the parties' allegations. And Rioli's no-show at Hawthorn's centenary celebrations last month suggested he's ready to return to his former club. A number of Hawthorn Hawks and premiership winners paraded the club's 13 cups on the ground before the big round eight win over Richmond but Rioli was nowhere to be seen. "When you go through so much with a lot of guys, you want to see all their faces," Hodge said at the time. "We understand that Hawthorn and Cyril haven't come to the stage where Cyril feels comfortable back in the football club just yet. But time heals all wounds and we're hoping it gets to that stage with Cyril."
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bombshell as final seat in election called
The Liberals are poised to lose the blue ribbon seat of Bradfield to teal independent Nicolette Boele following a closely watched recount. Gladys Berejiklian-backed candidate Gisele Kapterian is currently trailing Ms Boele by 27 votes, despite winning the first count by eight votes, triggering an automatic recount. Sky News called the electorate for the Climate-200 backed independent, and the Australian Electoral Commission is set to officially announce the winner later today. An AEC spokesman said about 99.9 per cent of the vote had been counted with Ms Boele ahead by 27 votes. The seat was previously held by former Morrison-era minister Paul Fletcher who retired at the last election. Ms Kapterian and the Liberal Party now have the option to contest the result at the Court of Disputed Returns, which would most likely result in a by-election. Sussan Ley had also previously awarded the former Salesforce executive the shadow assistant portfolios for technology and the digital economy, however this was contingent on her winning Bradfield. More to come
