Thoughts on BC Politics and More

The rebrand has received criticism from longtime fans, many Inuit, and those who understand that a football team is more than just a logo — it’s a living symbol of community, grit and tradition. Ironically, the name wasn't offensive to most Inuit. In fact, a majority were against the change. A whopping 78% of western Arctic Inuit surveyed opposed altering the team name, while in Nunavut, that number was 55%.  Former Northwest Territories MLA Herbert Nakimayak said, "I'm proud to be Eskimo myself," and NHL alumnus Jordan Tootoo echoed that sentiment, calling the name "not objectionable." These aren't fringe voices — they're respected members of the community ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Hopes are high as it was announced that Nunavut, the land of the Inuit, officially took over control of the territory’s land, water and natural resources, becoming the equivalent of Canada’s eleventh province. The Prime Minister described it as the largest land transfer in Canada’s history – 2,000,000,000 square kilometres. But hopes were just as high when Nunavut was created in 1999, as the northern, Inuit portion of Northwest Territories. The agreement was hailed as something that could improve the lives of Nunavut’s troubled Inuit residents. Unfortunately, those high hopes have not been realized . . . CLICK HERE for the full story

The Office of the BC Auditor General has released their progress audit , on the Ministry of Education’s changes, since the 2015 report on the education of Aboriginal students in the B.C. public school system . In the original 2015 audit, there were gaps found between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in reading, writing and math assessments; in graduation rates; and in how safe they feel in school. These are strong indicators of a  student’s future well-being. The stakes are high for Indigenous students, their families and communities, and the province, because students who graduate from high school have improved life chances in areas such as employment and health. In 2015, twelve recommendations were made to assist the ministry in closing the gaps. In this progress audit, it was found that the gaps have gotten smaller, but are still substantial. In 2015, the graduation rate for Indigenous students was 24% lower than for non-Indigenous stu...