Latest news with #Dene
Hamilton Spectator
3 hours ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Ground broken on $16.5-million cultural centre near Tulita
A new office and cultural centre at Naats'ihch'oh National Park Reserve near Tulita is a shovel closer to reality after Parks Canada announced $16.5 million to construct the building. Crown Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty made the announcement on behalf of the agency during Tulita's annual 'Fire Day' — a community gathering remembering the 1995 wildfires but also how the community came together in response to the crisis. Representatives from both Tulita and Norman Wells were on hand for the event. 'The government is committed to supporting Northern communities across Canada, including the Sahtu region,' said Alty. 'Today's groundbreaking is an important next step for the Naats'ihch'oh National Park Reserve. The project will serve as a permanent space for community members to gather and provide a landmark destination to welcome visitors exploring this incredible region. 'This space will also enhance Parks Canada's operational capacity to protect and present the natural and cultural heritage of this special place with the Naats'ihch'oh National Park Reserve Management Committee.' Once completed, the new facility will serve as both Parks Canada's base of operations for the park and as a living museum showcasing Metis and Dene culture. It will serve as a welcoming station for paddlers coming down the Mackenzie River. Ground has been broken and the tender to build the new facility has been awarded to Northern Industrial Construction out of Yellowknife. The building will be constructed to energy efficient standards and is predicted to reduce Parks Canada's greenhouse gas emissions by 89 per cent compared to the status quo. Parks Canada hopes to begin working out of the building by fall of 2026, and the full building is expected to be ready for a spring 2027 grand opening. It is hoped the structure will help expand tourism and help drive job creation in the Sahtu region. Situated around Mount Naats'ihch'oh, the park was established in 2014 and protects 86 per cent of the Tehjeh Dee (South Nahanni River) watershed in conjunction with the Nahanni National Park Reserve. It is a vital habitat for grizzly bear, Dall sheep, mountain goats, woodland caribou and trumpeter swans. It is also an important hunting ground for harvesters in the region. 'This is good for the people,' said Tulita Mayor Douglas Yallee. 'Parks Canada has listened to the Elders and the community about what is important. It took time, but this new building shows how we can work together. This is a good day for our community.' 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 .
Business of Fashion
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business of Fashion
Indigenous Designers Are Driving Brands to Collaborate, Not Appropriate
When Valentino debuted its pre-fall 2025 collection at the end of last year, the Indigenous community quickly took note. The collection included a black bag featuring beaded flowers and fringe, details commenters soon identified as closely resembling a 19th-century design by Métis beadworkers. The conversation escalated when actress Lily Gladstone called out the brand directly on Instagram, writing that the decision to recreate such a piece without Indigenous input 'baffled' her. 'Métis and Dene beadwork is stunning and deserves to be highlighted in a major way,' she wrote. 'But this isn't how to achieve that. Where other houses have taken meaningful steps forward, this is a major step back.' It wasn't an isolated incident. Just weeks after Gladstone's post, the Indigenous pop-culture news Instagram account spotlighted Fear of God's moccasin line, noting its similarity to contemporary Native styles. The brand's founder Jerry Lorenzo had recently worked with Alaska Native model Quannah Chasinghorse, a move critics described as confusing visibility with consent. (Fear of God declined to comment.) These moments reignited a long-running conversation around fashion's use of Native design language without credit, compensation, or collaboration. For decades, luxury brands have profited from a romanticised, decontextualised vision of Native aesthetics — often flattening centuries of innovation into vague bohemian motifs. Native designers, meanwhile, face a patchwork of protections ill-equipped to safeguard their intellectual and cultural property. 'Current legal protections for tribal designs remain inadequate,' said Susan Scafidi, fashion law professor at Fordham University. 'It's a patchwork of coverage that leaves many Indigenous creators vulnerable to exploitation.' Native design isn't merely visual — it's spatial, relational and symbolic. Diné weavers encode cosmology into pattern; Haudenosaunee beadworkers map lineage and ceremony into form. When these aesthetics are copied without context, they're stripped of meaning and collapsed into a generic, pan-Indian look. What's lost isn't just credit — it's cultural memory. Still, there are signs of positive change happening within the industry: Big-name brands like Ralph Lauren and Arc'tyrex have forged partnerships with Native creators, and Native designers themselves are seeing more attention. To chart a better course in the future, legacy brands should support Indigenous designers and find ways to collaborate with Native artists, and pay as much attention to process as they do the final result. 'The problem with most brand 'frameworks' is they focus on the end product rather than the relationship,' said cultural and ESG Consultant Matthew Yazzie. 'They want to know how to 'use' Native art correctly without doing the actual work of building genuine connections and relationships with Native artists and their communities.' A Demand for Accountability Increasingly, Indigenous designers are asserting their agency — and consumers are responding, drawn to the storytelling inherent to Native aesthetics. From direct-to-consumer models to limited-edition collaborations and intentional product drops, now Indigenous designers are shaping a dynamic fashion landscape — on their own terms. Notably, a flourishing Indigenous streetwear movement, including brands like Urban Native Era, 4Kinship and Here's To You, is capturing international attention, generating not only cultural capital but critical economic opportunities for artists, designers and entrepreneurs. There's also a new class of rising Native-owned fashion brands, including B. YellowTail, Navajo Spirit and Orlando Dugi, which have experienced recent sales spikes; Dugi is turning his focus from custom couture to ready-to-wear to meet demand. This fall, too, marks an upcoming milestone: Indigenous Fashion Week New York will debut in September. Contemporary Native designers are leveraging digital platforms to bypass traditional gatekeepers. Kwakwaka'wakw moccasin designer Jamie Gentry, for instance, uses Instagram to reach a broad customer base through direct-to-consumer sales, circumventing the geographic and institutional barriers that have historically marginalised Native artists. 'It's given artists a wider audience than they could reach from just a brick-and-mortar store in small communities where they don't have that opportunity to share their work broadly,' said Gentry. Plus, some Native designers are subverting traditional dynamics, putting their own spin on mainstream designs. Jamie Okuma (Luiseño and Shoshone-Bannock), known for her intricate beadwork, famously hand-beaded a pair of Christian Louboutin heels — a volte-face from the familiar pattern of luxury brands borrowing from Indigenous cultures without acknowledgment. Celebrity visibility has further bolstered this momentum. 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' star Jennifer Tilly, along with actors Wes Studi publicly supported Native-made designs at the 2024 Santa Fe Indian Market — an influential and high-end market among the many vibrant bazaars across Indian Country. Meanwhile, mainstream publications have been taking notice, too: New York magazine's Winter 2024 issue featured Jessica Metcalfe's Beyond Buckskin adornments in a holiday gift guide, while Vogue writer Christian Allaire wrote a piece last month about wearing Indigenous designers on his book tour. Still, significant barriers persist. Native brands remain underrepresented across major retailers, and viral social media moments rarely translate into long-term change. In the absence of sustained, industry-wide commitment to platforming Indigenous creators have expanded awareness of cultural appropriation, but its deeper systemic roots — and the artists from hundreds of tribes affected — remain largely overlooked. From Tokenism to Provenance While the industry still sees instances of appropriation, more legacy brands are taking steps to chart a new course, spotlighting Native designers and educating consumers on ethical collaboration. Amazon's Buy with Prime blog, for instance, has published guides to help shoppers identify authentic Native American fashion, while Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom have begun providing more detailed provenance information for Indigenous designed pieces. Outdoor companies, in particular, have emerged as natural allies. Already positioned at the intersection of humans and the environment, these brands deepen that connection by amplifying Indigenous designers and environmental stewards. Last July, REI piloted a partnership with Urban Native Era, initially placing products — including sweats, T-shirts and hats featuring the message 'You're On Native Land' — in just eight stores. The launch weekend exceeded sales expectations, prompting REI to rapidly expand UNE inventory to all 181 locations nationwide by the following month. 'Wanting something with such a strong statement shows they want to put Indigenous visibility on their shelves,' said UNE founder Joey Montoya. A shirt from Arc'tyrex's Walk Gently collection (Courtesy) That same month, Vancouver-based outdoor brand Arc'teryx, headquartered on Musqueam territory, launched 'Walk Gently', a platform to support Indigenous presence in the outdoor industry. It included a collection of T-shirts and shorts designed in collaboration with Cole Sparrow-Crawford, a Musqueam creative director. 'As a company in Canada, if you want to honour Truth and Reconciliation, represent that,' said Sparrow-Crawford. 'We aren't asking people occupying our territory to leave but to walk gently.' For some brands, the goal is to reconcile a problematic legacy. Ralph Lauren, long criticised for appropriating Native aesthetics, took a new approach in 2022, launching its Artist-in-Residence program. The inaugural designer was Gen-Z Diné weaver and skateboarder Naiomi Glasses, who received both financial and creative freedom to design a collection aligned with traditional Diné wearing practices. The program also featured a Native-led ad campaign. 'Because it was a pilot program, they told me we'd both be learning together,' said Glasses. Her ability to dictate material and design specifications faithful to intergenerational techniques shaped a collection that, in her words, 'looked like a naturally hand-woven piece — not like a design thrown on a sweater." The Artist-in-Residence initiative will continue this year with queer Diné weave Zefren-M, further expanding the program's commitment to community-led storytelling. According to Sasha Kelly, Ralph Lauren's head of design with intent, the brand is learning to work at a different pace. She advocates for a slower process, one outside the traditional fashion calendar, focused on 'learning to unlearn, platforming the creator, manufacturing with the community, and providing a design fee and royalties returned to benefit the community at large.' Such practices not only mitigate the risk of cultural appropriation— they often result in more authentic, resonant and innovative designs.
Canada Standard
21-05-2025
- General
- Canada Standard
Commission releases the final set of decommissioned Beaverlodge properties from licensing and revokes Cameco Corporation's Beaverlodge waste facility operating licence
May 21, 2025 - Ottawa Today, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) announced the Commission's decision to release the final set of 27 decommissioned Beaverlodge properties from licensing under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act (NSCA), and to revoke the waste facility operating licence held by Cameco Corporation (Cameco) for the decommissioned Beaverlodge mine and mill site. The Beaverlodge mine and mill site is located near Uranium City in northern Saskatchewan, situated within historic Treaty 8 (1899) and the Homeland of the Metis, and within the traditional territories of the Dene, Cree, and Metis peoples. The Commission concluded that the properties meet appropriate performance objectives and performance indicators to enable them to be transferred to Saskatchewan's Institutional Control Program. As part of its decision in this matter, the Commission exempted the Province of Saskatchewan from CNSC licensing for the properties. The Commission further concluded that it had fulfilled its constitutional responsibility to consult and, where appropriate, accommodate Indigenous rights in respect of its decision on this matter. In making its decision, the Commission carefully considered all submissions and perspectives received during a public hearing held in person in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on January 30, 2025. The record of decision, which contains the Commission's rationale for its decision, is available upon request from the Commission Registry by contacting interventions@ Once available in both official languages, the record of decision will be published on the CNSC website. The submissions considered by the Commission during the hearing are available on the CNSC website. As a lifecycle regulator, the CNSC focuses on continuous engagement and consultation with Indigenous Nations and communities, as well as other interested groups before, during and after Commission proceedings in respect of licensed activities. Related links Contact Media Relations Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission Tel: 613-996-6860 Email: media@
Hamilton Spectator
15-05-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Hay River turns the town red in memory of MMIWG2S
Close to 200 people marched in homage to missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirited people in Hay River on May 5. A sea of red progressed through the town as residents took to the streets to call for greater respect for people's bodily autonomy and to end violence against those who are most vulnerable. 'Violence against women and girls is a daily reality,' said K'atl'odeeche First Nation (KFN) Chief Elaine Auger in a speech. 'But we also have the opportunity to highlight our extraordinary resilience and need to remain dedicated to advocating for women's rights and freedoms. Each one of us need to acknowledge our role and become advocates in building our future by challenging the institutions to their ideologies that tend to govern them. 'Moving forward, we need to witness the strength and courage of the families and survivors who continue to share their truths. We have the opportunity to hold one another accountable, to campaign for healing and to be the role models to our young girls and youth.' Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre hosted the memorial ceremony. Executive director Danielle Antoine said preparations for the day started two days earlier with the efforts of volunteers from the centre, Family and Community Support Services, Victims Services, KFN and youth from the community. Joining in the march were students from Diamond Jenness Secondary School and Chief Sunrise Education Centre. Roy Fabian and Tristan Sanguez opened the ceremonies with traditional drumming and prayer before Fabian addressed the crowd about the importance of the day. 'One of the most important things in the Dene way is to raise children to eventually become Elders,' said Fabian following the prayer service. 'So they raise them in a certain way, to make sure that every child has a good heart. 'Today, I have a hard time saying I'm a Dene when I don't live a Dene life. I'm a colonized Dene, and it's hard to know that. Our people, through colonization, lost that good heart.' Since it began 15 years ago, Red Dress Day has served as an annual reminder of the plight numerous First Nations and Inuit women, girls and two-spirited people endure on a daily basis. Antoine said the dangers faced by vulnerable people are as real today as they were 15 years ago, noting that the search continues for Frank Gruben, originally from Aklavik, after he disappeared two years ago at age 30. However, the annual reminder of the crimes people face is having a positive impact, said Antoine, remarking that she's seen a noticeable change in both how people treat women and two-spirited people in the community and how they treat themselves. 'We have a youth lunch program, so I see a lot of the kids in here,' she said. 'They were quite happy this [event] happened — they're in that stage where they're trying to figure out who they are. So I just let them be. Seniors too. They talked about how important this was — some of them had daughters and granddaughters who were missing. 'It's hard to hear people talk about it, but we just let them talk about it so they know we're here for them for support. There's people willing to listen.'
CBC
01-05-2025
- General
- CBC
First Nations craftspeople gather to showcase skills, share traditional knowledge in Winnipeg
Social Sharing First Nations craftspeople from across Manitoba and Saskatchewan have gathered to showcase their skills in Winnipeg, at an event both the people learning and those teaching hope can help preserve and revive traditions. The three-day event, organized by Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak and titled "Revitalizing Our Roots," began on Tuesday at Winnipeg's Assiniboia Downs. At the first day of the event, Ovide McLeod introduced himself in Swampy Cree as he prepared a delicacy — a bull moose nose — over a crackling fire. "I'm burning off the hair first," McLeod said, gently rolling it over the grill as the smell of smoke and wood hung in the air. The Cross Lake fisherman and trapper explained in English how he learned hunting and skinning from his dad and uncles. They brought him "everywhere" during the spring and fall hunts, and taught him how to do it respectfully, he said. "This was a way of life for my family," McLeod said. "It's very important, because it's getting kind of lost, and we need to bring it back, because the younger generation today don't really have an idea how it used to be back then." It's the first time Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak has hosted a gathering of this kind. Grand Chief Garrison Settee says the organization, which represents 26 northern First Nations, hopes to do its part to bring people closer to their culture. This year's event saw about 600 delegates register, he said. First Nations craftspeople from around Manitoba showcase skills 4 minutes ago Duration 2:06 First Nations craftspeople from across Manitoba are gathering to showcase their cooking, medicine and mukluk-making skills in Winnipeg this week. Both those who are learning and the teachers hope the event helps preserve and revive traditions. Agnes Samuel from Lac Brochet, a Dene community of the Northlands Denesuline First Nation, attended the event to hear about different cultural medicines. Dylan Bignell with Tapwewin Health Inc. of Pimicikamak Cree Nation displayed an array of berries and plants, from fireweed to red clover, in clear jars on a table, teaching Samuel about their medicinal properties. "This one smells amazing," Bignell said after opening a jar of Labrador leaves. "This is harvested on the Churchill River." Samuel hopes to share some of what she's learned with her northwestern Manitoba community, which is about 150 kilometres south of the Nunavut border. "Where I'm from, right now, it's still snow," she said. "There's different parts where the medicine don't reach our area, so I want to learn more about all these different ones." 'Thousands of years of knowledge is here' At a different station, Stephanie Thorassie, from the Sayisi Dene First Nation community of Tadoule Lake — also in Manitoba's far north — cleaned caribou hide by scraping off muscle and tissue with a tool. She learned the skill from her parents and grandparents. Now, she's teaching her niece Novalee Alphonso-Larocque, 8, who lives in Winnipeg and has roots in Waywayseecappo First Nation. "Good job!" Thorassie said, applauding her niece. After rinsing, drying and scraping the hide, Thorassie planned to make a caribou hair jacket that her baby son can wear during their subarctic winters. "My grandma recently passed away two months ago, and this is my first hide I'm doing since she's passed, and I feel a little bit of sadness, but I also feel like she's here with us as I'm doing this," Thorassie said. "Thousands of years of knowledge is here being practised at this event, and it's really beautiful. It's really beautiful medicine to be around this." She celebrated the event, recalling a favourite gathering she had with Cree and Inuit friends where they prepared hides. "That was probably my most fun that I've had, because I got to learn from other cultures how they do something, and compare and try different techniques." Nearby, Marie Danttouze and her husband, Roger, who are from Lac Brochet, said they also hunt caribou for drums and mukluks. "Everybody has … [different] cultures," said Marie. "It's good to see and witness that." Meanwhile, McLeod said he hoped to brush up on preparing hides — learning and teaching, so his family's traditions can be savoured, too.
