The First Nations Leadership Council in B.C. is calling for the federal government to declare a state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  “Prime Minister Trudeau must take immediate and sweeping action to declare a national state of emergency before the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps through First Nations and vulnerable communities,” said B.C. AFN…

The Six Nations Fire Chief is currently in self-isolation, along with 17 of his colleagues, as a member of the fire service awaits the results of a test for COVID-19. “A member of our fire platoon is concerned about a potential exposure to COVID-19 and notified us right away, which allows us to take immediate steps…

More First Nations in Manitoba are locking down entry points to their communities and declaring their own states of emergency as the COVID-19 pandemic escalates. Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation leadership announced Saturday it is declaring a state of emergency and will patrol entry to the First Nation.  Chief Lance Roulette said staff will be “heavily…

Yukon has two confirmed cases of COVID-19 — the territory’s first — according to health officials.  At a news conference Sunday evening, Yukon’s chief medical officer, Brendan Hanley, said a Whitehorse couple has tested positive for the coronavirus. They had travelled to the U.S. to attend a convention and later, were notified there was a COVID-19 case…

The late Dakota Elder Doris Pratt spent most of her life preserving and teaching the Dakota language. Now a new book, Trailblazer in First Nations Education, tells the story of her life through her own words.  Pratt died a year ago at age 83. The book is written through 10 interviews in which Pratt tells her story, from…

The jingle dance is being performed on social media platforms across Canada and the United States to heal and offer prayer for the world facing the COVID-19 pandemic. One could even say the videos are going ‘viral,’ although that internet definition now takes a backseat to the word’s original meaning in the face of dangerous coronavirus. Shyla Tootoosis has received…