Aboriginal News

Aboriginal people face many obstacles in the struggle to become fully integrated citizens in an increasingly multicultural Canada. The challenges can be daunting, but one way to meet them is to become well informed. This is more than simply reading the words in a book or a newspaper article or hearing them in a news clip on television. It is also about being able to grasp the meaning and implication of texts through critical analysis, then applying the knowledge gained to real-life situations. The following news summaries are designed to help readers do this.

There are too many news stories about national aboriginal issues to cover adequately here. Therefore, we have narrowed the focus to a few articles of particular relevance to Manitobans on issues that have national significance. These are summarized and organized, so that readers may acquire information about selected topics and the various perspectives people have concerning them. In addition, questions are posed for each article, as a model for the critical reading skills that every informed citizen needs to acquire to support and maintain our democratic institutions.

To model critical reading, each article has been reviewed and summarised with the following questions in mind. How informative is it? Does it clarify issues? Does the writer display bias? Are any questions left unanswered? What new information is revealed? How does it add to the topic at hand? Is the reader left hanging?

1. Governance Issues

• Land Claims: What are they?
  • Traditional Lands: How does this concept affect current land claim issues?
  • Rethinking the Reserve: Since the current system doesn’t appear to be working, what should replace it?

2. Economic Development

• Partnerships: What can aboriginal people do to forge partnerships that encourage economic development?
• BiPole III: What is it and what kind of an impact could it have on Aboriginal economic development on the east side of Lake Winnipeg?
  • The Ryan Proposal: Would this proposed route for BiPole III work?
  • Reaction to Proposal: Readers weigh in with their opinions.
• Parks: What is the impact of parks (provincial, federal, world heritage) on Aboriginal economic development?

3. General Interest

• Ward Churchill: An ‘Indian” activist or something else?
• Media Influence: Is Aboriginal News shaped by media spin?
• Current Stereotypes: Have the old been replaced by new ones?

Last updated: April 20, 2011

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