Hundreds of people in Kashechewan are heading into the wilderness to avoid spring flooding in the James Bay community. The annual evacuation of the First Nation— that seese all 2,000 people flown out to wait out the melt in hotel rooms in places like Kapuskasing and Timmins— has been called off, with fears of COVID-19 in…

A short hold-up involving a shipment of food at a road block near Gull Bay First Nation this past weekend has revealed a disagreement between some band members and the community’s leadership over food security. Gull Bay First Nation is located about 200 kilometres north of Thunder Bay off Highway 527, and has six confirmed cases of COVID-19. On…

A Facebook group is creating space for Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists to express themselves while observing physical distancing measures because of COVID-19. The group, called Breathe, was started by two Métis women, Nathalie Bertin and Lisa Shepherd. It calls on bead workers and traditional artists to put their spin on the concept of a face…

As performance venues lie dormant across Canada due to public health orders to reduce the spread of COVID-19, some Indigenous musicians are continuing to connect with fans, old and new, through online concerts. One of them will be this Sunday, as a number of Canadian media companies, including CBC, collaborate on a 90-minute special featuring music and messages…

The herd of bison reintroduced to Wanuskewin lands late last year welcomed its first newborn bison on Earth Day.  Wanuskewin’s CEO Darlene Brander said in a news release that, amidst the uncertain times of COVID-19, Wednesday’s birth reminds people that nature continues to move forward and offer gifts of life. “This marks the first bison born on…

Schools in northern Quebec Cree communities will remain closed until at least the fall. The decision was announced late Thursday by the Cree School Board executive committee and made in collaboration with local government and health officials.  “Bringing the students back into our schools really does pose a risk to our communities,” said Sarah Pash, Cree…