The Nations This Week

Friday, August 21, 2026

A parole decision reopens a wound Thunder Bay never closed, while First Nations move from minority stakes to majority control — from Baie-Comeau to the Golden Triangle

The one thing

Full parole for the man who killed Barbara Kentner draws a coordinated national response from First Nations leadership

The Parole Board of Canada granted full parole, effective August 13, to Brayden Bushby, convicted of manslaughter in the death of Barbara Kentner of Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation. Kentner, 34, died July 4, 2017, six months after Bushby threw a trailer hitch from a moving vehicle that struck her in the abdomen while she walked with her sister in Thunder Bay. He was sentenced to eight years; an earlier day parole was revoked in 2024 after he breached several conditions.

The board's decision documents state that release on full parole 'will not pose undue risk' and 'will contribute to the protection of society by facilitating your reintegration,' citing a Correctional Service Canada recommendation on his engagement in pro-social community activities. The response from First Nations leadership came quickly and in concert. The Grand Council of Treaty #3 said the board must 'confront the systemic failures that continue to deny Indigenous victims and their families meaningful justice.' On August 20, AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said Bushby 'committed a horrific act of targeted brutality and has a history of parole breaches,' and that the decision sends the wrong message about how the justice system values First Nations women's lives.

Kentner's death became one of the defining cases in the national conversation on violence against Indigenous women, cited repeatedly in the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The parole decision, and the statements from Treaty #3, Nishnawbe Aski Nation and the AFN that followed it, put the question of whether the correctional and parole systems have absorbed the inquiry's findings on systemic bias back in front of the institutions themselves — in a single, specific case rather than in the abstract.

Sources 1

Economic Sovereignty

Atikamekw Nation takes majority control of the proposed $30-billion Kino Aski LNG project

Kino Aski Inc., led by the Atikamekw Nation, and Norway's Marinvest Energy Canada Inc. announced on August 17 the joint development of Kino Aski LNG, a proposed $30-billion liquefied natural gas export project at the year-round Port of Baie-Comeau, Quebec. Kino Aski holds the majority ownership interest in the development company, with Marinvest in the minority position, keeping First Nations in control of governance, financing, design, construction and operations. The project proposes up to 15 million tonnes of LNG annually, sourced from Western Canadian gas via a roughly 1,000-kilometre mix of existing and new pipeline, with the Atikamekw Nation assembling a coalition of First Nations across Quebec and Ontario whose territories the corridor would cross. Constant Awashish of Kino Aski Inc. called it 'a unique opportunity to demonstrate that our communities can be leading economic partners while protecting our lands, our values, and our future.' The project is in early development with no formal regulatory process yet begun; Environmental Defence Canada has called it 'one of Canada's largest and most polluting gas megaprojects,' an opposing petition had gathered 29,195 signatures, and analysts cited by Canada's National Observer and The Energy Mix question whether European demand will materialize, with IEEFA projecting a global LNG glut even for projects four to five years out.

Why it matters

Most Indigenous equity deals to date — Enbridge Westcoast, TC Energy Coastal GasLink — have put First Nations in the 10-15 per cent minority-stake tier. Here the structure is inverted: a First Nation-led company controls the project and the industry partner sits in the minority seat. It tests whether an Indigenous nation acting as principal developer, rather than rights-holder or minority investor, changes how such a project is permitted, financed and contested.

Sources 2, 3

Five Ontario First Nations sign toward collective equity in the Kearney Graphite restart

Dokis, Henvey Inlet, Magnetawan, Shawanaga and Wasauksing First Nations signed a Letter of Agreement with Global Battery Materials Corp. on August 10, negotiating through a single vehicle — the Gizhe Manidoo O-Miigwewinan Limited Partnership. The LOA sets a process to negotiate a Partnership Framework covering potential equity ownership, an energy partnership component, and long-term stewardship of lands and waters around the restart of the previously-producing Kearney Mine in northeastern Ontario. Chief Shane Tabobondung said the LOA 'reflects how business is to be conducted in our traditional territories and lands – business that is conducted with and led by our First Nations.' GBM's Preliminary Economic Assessment for the project reports a 67 per cent internal rate of return and a 1.3-year payback period.

Why it matters

The multi-Nation limited-partnership structure — five communities under one vehicle — is emerging as a template for how First Nations approach critical-minerals deals: pooled negotiating leverage rather than five separate tables. With the project's economics disclosed publicly, the Nations enter the framework negotiation knowing exactly what the asset is worth.

Sources 4

Acho Dene Koe and Malahat Nation form an Indigenous-led alliance for Arctic defence energy systems

Acho Dene Koe First Nation, through its holding company ADK Holdings Ltd., and Malahat Energy Systems Inc., majority-owned by Malahat Nation, announced an Indigenous-led alliance with Aegis Critical Energy Defence Corp. on August 13. The alliance will deploy Canadian-made energy storage and microgrid systems across the Northwest Territories, Yukon, Nunavut and northern British Columbia, targeting defence and Arctic infrastructure, Indigenous community electrification, mining, marine electrification and remote critical infrastructure. The release ties the alliance to the federal government's $35-billion plan to expand Arctic airfields and modernize northern defence infrastructure, and to Canada's mandatory minimum 5 per cent federal Indigenous procurement target; revenue-sharing mechanisms return a portion of revenue to the Acho Dene Koe Group of Companies.

Why it matters

As Ottawa's Arctic defence spend ramps up, Indigenous-owned firms are positioning to capture procurement dollars directly through federal set-aside targets rather than waiting for benefit agreements from prime contractors — a shift from resource-royalty economics toward defence and infrastructure supply-chain ownership in the North.

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Land, Water & Rights

Gitxsan Huwilp Government withdraws support for the KSM mine after court finds BC breached its duty to consult a neighbouring Nation

The Gitxsan Huwilp Government voted unanimously on August 13 to withdraw its support — held since 2013 — for Seabridge Gold's KSM copper-gold-silver-molybdenum mine in northwest BC's Golden Triangle. The withdrawal is in solidarity with the Tsetsaut Skii km Lax Ha Nation, which challenged the mine's 'substantial start' determination over environmental risk to Treaty Creek Valley waterways from a planned tailings facility on its traditional territory. On June 8, BC Supreme Court Justice Emily Burke struck down the Chief Environmental Assessment Officer's decision that KSM was 'substantially started,' finding the province failed to adequately consult TSKLH and ordering a 90-day window for the Nation's written submissions before the determination is reconsidered. Gitxsan Huwilp Co-Chairs Gwiiyeehl and Moolaxan called on the BC government and Seabridge to 'collaboratively and meaningfully consult with all First Nations about major projects on our traditional lands, particularly where there is risk of environmental damage.'

Why it matters

This sits in the post-Haida, post-Mikisew line of consultation cases but extends it: the court found the Crown's own updated recognition of a neighbouring Nation's asserted territory triggered a fresh, unmet consultation obligation even after a project had operated with an adjacent Nation's consent for over a decade. It is also a rare instance of one Nation publicly withdrawing project support in solidarity with another's unresolved claim — overlapping-territory questions, already before the Supreme Court of Canada in the related Gitanyow, Nisga'a and TSKLH title case, are becoming a live constraint on project certainty rather than a legal abstraction.

Sources 6

Nova Scotia commercial fishers' group will appeal the dismissal of its case against Sipekne'katik's treaty fishery

The Unified Fisheries Conservation Alliance, a commercial fishers' group led by president Colin Sproul, said this week it will ask the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal to overturn the July 8 dismissal of its case targeting Sipekne'katik First Nation's self-regulated lobster fishery in St. Mary's Bay. The Nova Scotia Supreme Court found the UFCA lacked standing to seek a declaration that Sipekne'katik members hold no treaty right to fish outside the commercial season, holding it was 'up to Sipekne'katik — not the alliance — to decide if it wants to engage Ottawa over treaty rights.' Sproul is separately calling on Canada's Attorney General to submit a reference question to the Supreme Court of Canada rather than leave the litigation costs to fishing families.

Why it matters

The dispute traces to the Supreme Court's 1999 Marshall decision affirming a Mi'kmaq, Wolastoqey and Peskotomuhkati treaty right to fish for a moderate livelihood. The standing ruling signalled that third-party commercial interests cannot use the courts to force a First Nation to defend or renegotiate its own treaty rights — that is a matter between the Nation and the Crown. A reference question, if taken up, would shift the fight from a standing dispute to a direct request to redefine the scope of the Marshall right itself.

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Governance & Policy

Métis Nation of Ontario citizens back a path to a written constitution and continued treaty talks

The Métis Nation of Ontario concluded its 33rd Annual General Assembly on August 16 in the Greater Toronto Area, relocated from Thunder Bay so as not to strain hotel resources stretched by the northern Ontario wildfire emergency, President Margaret Froh said. Nearly 500 citizens and leaders attended. Citizens approved moving forward on an MNO Constitution, with province-wide consultations set for fall 2026 and a possible ratification vote in mid-to-late 2027, and adopted a resolution to continue Self-Government Treaty negotiations with Canada aiming for simultaneous ratification. More than 20 other resolutions passed, touching self-government, economic reconciliation and commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the Great Lakes Métis forced relocation.

Why it matters

A constitution and a ratified self-government treaty would give the MNO the kind of formal governing authority the Manitoba Métis Federation has already negotiated federally. The consultation timeline set this week is the concrete marker for tracking Métis self-determination in Ontario.

Sources 8

Métis Nation British Columbia's presidential by-election reaches its final day of voting

Voting in MNBC's by-election to fill the presidency closes at 8 p.m. on August 22, after running online and by mail since August 8. Four candidates are on the ballot: Michael Dumont, Tony Goulet, Kyle Mitton and Anthony Wingham. The vacancy followed the Board of Directors' removal of former president Walter Mineault this spring, after an independent investigation found serious breaches of fiduciary duty, including conflicts of interest, intimidation and conduct meeting the threshold for dishonesty, disloyalty or bad faith.

Why it matters

MNBC is one of Canada's largest provincial Métis governments. Whoever wins the presidency shapes how the organization handles the fallout from the misconduct findings and its relationships with Ottawa and the province.

Sources 9

Treaty 6 marks 150 years at Fort Carlton, with the treaty commissioner pointing to education gaps that remain

Treaty 6 First Nations and partners are holding four days of commemorations, August 20 to 23, at Fort Carlton Provincial Historic Park in Saskatchewan, with the original 1876 treaty parchment on display. Governor General Louise Arbour is scheduled to attend the August 23 commemoration, and Saskatchewan's premier and ministers plan to attend. Treaty Commissioner Dr. Kathy Walker noted Saskatchewan has mandated treaty education from kindergarten through Grade 12 since 2008 but significant implementation challenges remain — government attendance is a positive signal, she said, but 'we still have a long way to go' before the treaty relationship is fully honoured.

Why it matters

The commemoration puts a spotlight on whether governments are living up to Treaty 6's ongoing obligations, not just its history, as the Office of the Treaty Commissioner flags gaps in mandated treaty education 150 years after signing.

Sources 10

Closer to Home

Tla-o-qui-aht expands its tourism holdings with the Wildpod acquisition at Monks Point

Tla-o-qui-aht Development Corporation has acquired the assets of Wildpod Glamping at Monks Point in Tofino — six geodesic dome accommodations with ensuite bathrooms and kitchenettes — adding a third tourism property alongside Tin Wis Resort and Tsawaak RV Resort & Campground. Tofino's mayor and council approved the acquisition April 28, and the Nation held an opening ceremony August 12. The site, known in Nuu-chah-nulth as načiqs, 'looking out over the water,' was historically used as a guardian station. Chief Councillor Elmer Frank said the acquisition 'creates a meaningful opportunity to bring forward Tla-o-qui-aht values, identity, and presence in a highly visible location,' and Councillor Terry Dorward called it 'a step towards empowering our nation building process.'

Why it matters

A concrete example of a Vancouver Island First Nation building an independent economic base in the heart of BC's tourism industry — on a site the Nation identifies as a traditional guardian station reclaimed from settler development.

Sources 11

Coroner's inquest into the death of Julian Jones continues in Port Alberni

A coroner's inquest into the February 27, 2021 police shooting death of 28-year-old Julian Jones at his mother's home in Opitsaht heard testimony this week from RCMP Corporal Daniel MacIntosh, then a constable. MacIntosh testified that he and his partner proceeded to the dark home without waiting for backup from the Ahousaht satellite detachment, roughly 40 minutes away by boat, and that officers knew Jones had intellectual challenges and was protective of his brother John Lucas Jr. Jones emerged from a hallway holding objects officers believed were knives; they were later found to be files. MacIntosh testified he shouted 'Julian, don't do this!' before Jones continued advancing after being tasered, and both officers then fired.

Why it matters

The inquest is examining the RCMP's response protocols in a remote Nuu-chah-nulth community — the decision to enter without backup, and the misidentification of the files as weapons — in a week when police handling of cases involving Indigenous people is under scrutiny nationally.

Sources 12

Lower Similkameen Indian Band presses BC to pause new mining claims in the Ashnola watershed

Lower Similkameen Indian Band is calling on the province to halt new mineral claim registrations in the Ashnola watershed, which LSIB declared an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area — nʔaysnúlaʔxʷ snxaʔcnitkʷ — in 2022. Lead negotiator Lauren Terbasket said the Nation applied for a no-registration reserve in 2024 to pause new claims but was denied, and roughly 3,300 hectares of new claims have since been filed — 'a money grab,' she said, noting claims cost as little as $1.75 per hectare to stake but typically resell for $200 to $800 per hectare, meaning the province would have to buy them out to protect the area. The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship said it is 'considering interim measures to help protect important values.' LSIB has planted 1.2 million seedlings across 900 hectares since the 2023 Crater Creek wildfire burned more than 46,000 hectares of the watershed.

Why it matters

A direct test of how BC's land-and-resource framework functions on the ground in the southern Interior: a Nation-declared protected area with no legal mechanism to stop new provincial mineral tenure from being staked on top of it, ahead of any consent-based agreement like the one recently reached with Simpcw First Nation over the Yellowhead copper mine.

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The sweep

Business & economic development

Indigenous businesses are expected to be hit harder by Canada's retaliatory counter-levy than by U.S. tariffs themselves, APTN News reports — the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business's Trade Pathways in the Prairies report found only 7.2 per cent of Indigenous businesses export, against a 12.1 per cent national average. APTN News

Law & courts

An Alberta Court of King's Bench justice dismissed O'Leary Digital's bid to strike Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation's judicial review of the Wonder Valley data-centre water licence; the Nation says the Crown failed to consult before the licence was granted, and the review is expected to proceed later this year. CBC News

Politics & policy

A new Elections Canada report found just over 40 per cent of registered electors in Indigenous communities voted in the 2025 federal election, well below the roughly 70 per cent national turnout — 42.1 per cent in First Nations communities, 50.9 per cent in Métis communities and 30.2 per cent in Inuit communities, with some Nunavik polls closing early due to staff shortages. CTV News

Health & education

Ottawa announced $2.4 million through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to establish a Yukon First Nations-led NEIHR health research centre, extending the national network of Indigenous-led health research centres to every province and territory. Yukon News
Whitecap Dakota Nation received new federal funding to advance its virtual care facility and technology connecting Indigenous, rural and remote patients to specialist care. APTN News

Culture, language & arts

Go North, a new six-part APTN docuseries premiering next month, opens with Inuk singer-songwriter Terry Uyarak's life in Igloolik and a walrus hunt — contemporary Inuit life and subsistence practice in front of a national audience. Nunatsiaq News

International Indigenous

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon denied the Tohono O'odham Nation's request for an injunction to halt roughly 62 miles of border wall construction on its 2.8-million-acre Arizona reservation, ruling border-security interests outweighed the Nation's claimed harms; the Nation says it will keep fighting. Arizona Capitol Times
Māori iwi Waikato-Tainui, holding around AU$2 billion in assets, signed a letter of intent with Indigenous Business Australia to jointly invest in Traditional Owner-led projects spanning mining, agriculture, renewable energy, ports and infrastructure — IBA chair Darren Godwell called it a 'seismic shift' for Indigenous self-determination. ABC News (Australia)

The bright spot

'This is a resurrection': the Kivalliq Summer Games return to Chesterfield Inlet after twelve years

The Kivalliq Summer Games came back to Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut, August 13 to 16, after a 12-year absence — 26 athletes aged 12 to 34 from Arviat, Baker Lake, Rankin Inlet, Whale Cove and Chesterfield Inlet, competing in 14 traditional Inuit games including the one-foot high kick, six-foot Alaskan high kick, finger pull, arm pull and knuckle hop. Hamlet recreation co-ordinator Russell Mullins organized the revival after a conversation with Nunavut Sport Federation staff at the Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse this March, and called the event 'a resurrection of the Games.' The Kivalliq Inuit Association put in more than $30,000, with additional support from Sport North, and organizers have committed to holding the Games again in 2027, inviting other Kivalliq hamlets to take a turn as host. The same week, Nunatsiaq News profiled Chesterfield Inlet seamstress and former Arctic sports competitor Blair Boiteau, whose handcrafted sealskin targets are used in events like the two-foot high kick — her 14-year-old daughter Ashlynn won nine medals at the revived Games.

Sources 14, 15

Still watching

The West Coast pipeline comment deadline, extended to September 18 amid wildfire disruption, still runs toward an October 1 national-interest listing decision — with the Major Projects Office consultation process publicly contested by UBCIC and Nation-side critics.
Bill C-21, the Red River Métis self-government treaty legislation, remains short of second reading with no fall sitting date confirmed, and First Nations consultation concerns unresolved.
Ottawa has yet to respond to the August 6 coalition letter on renewing lapsing MMIWG2S+ program funding, with roughly half of Calls for Justice-linked initiatives at risk between 2026-27 and 2030-31 — a question given fresh weight by this week's Kentner parole decision.
MNBC's presidential by-election closes August 22 at 8 p.m.; results among the four candidates — Michael Dumont, Tony Goulet, Kyle Mitton and Anthony Wingham — are expected once voting ends. Meanwhile the KSM 'substantial start' determination heads back for reconsideration after Tsetsaut Skii km Lax Ha's 90-day submission window, now without Gitxsan support behind the mine.