What’s New in Indigenous Watchdog: 254 New Posts: Feb. 1 – Feb. 28, 2026

Press Release

Legacy Calls to Action include “Equity for Aboriginal People in the Legal System” (50-52) and “Education for Reconciliation (62-65) in order to keep all “Justice” and “Education” Calls to Action in one location

See also “Perspectives” post for a complete 8-page colour-coded Status Updates document summarizing all 94 Calls to Action

OBSERVATIONS

1. Indigenous court actions against federal and provincial governments (Ontario, BC, Alberta, Manitoba, Québec) are on the rise:
   • 5 additional First Nations have joined the original 9 First Nations taking legal action against federal (Bill C-5) and provincial (Ontario‘s Bill 5) laws that threaten Indigenous rights
   • Over 100 BC First Nations opposed amendments to the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) proposed by the BC Government who want to take away the rights of courts to interpret laws that the BC government does not agree with
   • First nations in Alberta have launched legal action against the Alberta separation petition and the province’s Bill 14
   • Multiple First Nations in Alberta are asking a federal court whether the Pathways Alliance MOU for carbon capture is unconstitutional. Cold Lake First Nation also has a lawsuit citing a failure to consult on a project that would store emissions under their traditional territory
   • Multiple lawsuits in Manitoba against Manitoba Hydro and the provincial government over treaty violations over years of flooding from dam development by Manitoba Hydro
   • First Nations in Québec have initiated legal action against the Quebec governments Bill 1, the Quebec Constitution Act that ignores Indigenous rights
2. International issues are becoming more dominant:
   • US Border issues with First Nations have occurred in BC, Manitoba, Ontario and Québec
   • Arctic security has brought much need focus to northern issues especially around the significant infrastructure gaps that plague Inuit and First Nations in the north
3. Policing in Indigenous communities continues to be a problem (see Current Problems: Justice)
4. Call to Action # 92 has never been about using UNDRIP as a framework to guide business reconciliation. That has now morphed into economic reconciliation as evidenced by the surge of business notices (see Business reconciliation: Background Content and C2A #92)

Indigenous Watchdog Updates for 2025

The following presents a year-to-date statistical snapshot of stakeholder actions across ALL themes that are either advancing reconciliation (Legacy and Reconciliation C2As and Government Commitments) or creating roadblocks (Current Problems)

Notes:

• Current Reality includes ALL 94 Calls to Action and Other Issues
• Legacy C2As, Reconciliation C2As, Government Commitments and Other Issues represent positive steps that are advancing reconciliation.
• Current Problems includes all those in “Calls to Action” plus “Other Issues” and “Government Commitments to Truth and Reconciliation
• “Other Issues” presents information on Drinking Water Advisories, Food Insecurity, Suicide Prevention, Urban Commitments to Reconciliation, Housing, Environment and Treaties and Land Claims
• Background Content provides additional context for Calls to Action and/or Themes

CORRECTION: The totals for Nov. 30 have been corrected from last months post

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