News from around the Nations

TRIBAL NATIONS SET TO GAIN AUTHORITY TO MAKE DISASTER DECLARATIONS DIRECTLY TO U.S. PRESIDENT

Jan 29, 2013 - Washington, DC – Tribal nations will soon have the same ability provided to states to make disaster relief declarations and requests for assistance directly to the President of the United States. In a 62-36 vote on Monday night, the U.S. Senate passed H.R. 152, the Hurricane Sandy Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill, which includes amendments to allow tribal governments to make direct requests for emergency assistance to the President under the Stafford Act. Under current law, tribes must seek assistance through a state governor’s office, often causing critical delays in emergency response on tribal lands. 

“Some tribal nations in the U.S., many in remote areas, are larger than some states and every tribal nation has unique disaster response and recovery requests. The final passage of this bill marks a historic moment in tribal emergency preparedness and response,” said Jefferson Keel, President of NCAI.

The bill is now headed to President Obama’s desk for signature, which he already said he would sign when it got there.

SUPREME COURT OF CANADA TO HEAR LANDMARK TSILHQOT’IN ABORIGINAL TITLE CASE JANUARY 24, 2013

The Supreme Court of Canada announced that it will hear the Tsilhqot’in Nation’s landmark Aboriginal title claim, a decision welcomed by the Tsilhqot’in Nation and its members. This is the latest stage in a court battle sparked over two decades ago when Tsilhqot’in communities took to blockades and the courts to halt plans for clear-cut logging in the heart of Tsilhqot’in territory, in south central British Columbia.  After five years and over 300 days of trial, the B.C. Supreme Court found in favour of the Tsilhqot’in Nation in November 2007, declaring Aboriginal hunting, trapping and trade rights throughout the entire claimed area, and striking down the forestry plans.  The B.C. Supreme Court also held that the Tsilhqot’in Nation had proven Aboriginal title - something akin to ownership rights - to approximately 40% of this remote, wilderness area.  In June 2012, the B.C. Court of Appeal fully confirmed the Aboriginal hunting, trapping and trade rights of the Tsilhqot’in people and barred wide-scale industrial logging in the region.   However, the Court of Appeal also set aside the trial judge’s findings of Aboriginal title, holding that Aboriginal title can be established only to specific, intensively used sites, and not the core hunting and trapping grounds that were exclusively controlled and used by the Tsilhqot’in, year after year, to sustain their communities.   

This landmark case promises to be historic.  First Nations across Canada denounced the Court of Appeal’s judgment on Aboriginal title as outdated and discriminatory. Chief Joe Alphonse, Tribal Chairman and Chief of Tl’etinqox-t’in community said, “We’re grateful to have the opportunity to present to the Supreme Court of Canada a different path to reconciliation. And we are honoured to stand with the support of First Nations across British Columbia and Canada.  Together, our voices will be heard at last”.

NEXTERA ENERGY CANADA ENERGIZES INDSPIRE’S BURSARY AND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

TORONTO – NextEra Energy Canada, ULC announced a new partnership with Indspire that will enable hundreds of Indigenous students to attend colleges or universities in Canada with the help of bursaries and scholarship awards.

Under a new 20-year partnership between NextEra Energy Canada and Indspire, at least

400 students will receive financial support for post-secondary education. The most significant corporate donation of its kind for Indspire, NextEra Energy Canada’s commitment to Indspire’s Building Brighter Futures: Bursaries and Scholarship Awards will help transform Indigenous education and support First Nation, Inuit and Métis youth across Canada as they pursue post-secondary education.

Today’s partnership with NextEra Energy Canada represents a $1.1 million commitment over the next 20 years and will enable Indspire to award bursaries to youth annually.

Bursaries will be available to eligible First Nations, Inuit and Métis students from across

Canada, seeking to pursue post-secondary education in engineering, science, commerce, business or renewable energy. Bursaries will be awarded on an annual basis and the commitment will see that students receive bursaries through to April 2032.