As we judge our neighbours to the South, it might be as good a time as any for more Canadians to check out people who have been speaking out continuously and persistently on those pesky racial justice issues occurring in our own back & front yards!
Also check out Walking Eagle News for some seriously funny indigenous zingers!
Walking Eagle News @TheEagleist Founded in 2017, we are proud purveyors of only the finest Indigenous news.
Apologies for any editing mix ups in outlining credentials for the individuals featured but Court Painter reminds all who care to listen that ,”we ain’t no wordsmiths…we is a picture factory!”
El Jones
El Jones is a spoken word poet, an educator, journalist, and a community activist living in African Nova Scotia.She was the fifth Poet Laureate of Halifax.El served as the 15th Nancy’s Chair of Women’s Studies at Mount Saint Vincent University for the 2017-2019 term. Her book of spoken word poetry, Live from the Afrikan Resistance! was published by Roseway Press in 2014.Recipient of the Dr. Allan Burnley (Rocky) Jones Individual Award at the Nova Scotia Human Rights Award (2016) for her “commitment to advancing human rights, equity and inclusion. El writes a weekly column for the Halifax Examiner, and was an Atlantic Journalism Award winner in 2018.
Cindy Blackstock
Cindy Blackstock @cblackst
Cindy Blackstock OC FRSC is a Canadian-born Gitxsan activist for child welfare and executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada. She is also a professor for the School of Social Work at McGill University.
An author of over 50 publications & a widely sought after public speaker, Dr. Blackstock has collaborated with other Indigenous leaders to assist the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child in the development and adoption of a General Comment on the Rights of Indigenous children. Recently, she also worked with Indigenous young people, UNICEF & the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to produce a youth friendly version of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of the Child. Her promotion of culturally based & evidence informed solutions has been recognized by the Nobel Women’s Initiative, the Aboriginal Achievement Foundation, Frontline Defenders and many others.
Desmond Cole
Desmond Cole is a Black activist and journalist who, in 2015, famously wrote “The Skin I’m In,” a Toronto Life article about being stopped by police more than 50 times and asked for ID in the controversial carding practice. Now, in a book titled “The Skin We’re In: A Year of Black Resistance and Power,” Cole chronicles 2017, a year that saw Dafonte Miller beaten,Black Lives Matter Toronto gain headlines, John Samuels attacked by Ottawa police, and protests during meetings of Toronto’s Police Services Board
Pam Palmater
Pam Palmater @Pam_Palmater
Native lawyer, prof, author, blogger, podcaster, YouTuber, speaker & advocate for native rights, social justice, earth justice & warrior living
Dr. Pamela D. Palmater is a Mi’kmaw citizen and member of the Eel River Bar First Nation in northern New Brunswick. She has been a practicing lawyer for 20 years and is currently an Associate Professor and the Chair in Indigenous Governance at Ryerson University.
Pam’s area of expertise is in Indigenous law, politics, and governance. She has numerous publications including her books,Beyond Blood:Rethinking Indigenous Identity, Rethinking Nationhood, Warrior Life; legal academic journal publications, magazine articles and invited news editorials. . She is frequently called as an expert before Parliamentary and United Nations committees dealing with laws and policies impacting Indigenous peoples.
