Indigenous

The Tlicho Government’s 22nd annual gathering in Whati reviewed its four‑year plan to advance economic self‑sufficiency—including a push for the Arctic Economic Security Corridor—while addressing housing, health, addiction and youth capacity building; the event also highlighted citizen participation challenges and showcased cultural traditions such as a two‑week canoe trek.

The NWT and Nunavut governments declined to sign Canada’s new direct‑to‑consumer alcohol agreement, arguing the measure clashes with local restrictions and self‑determination priorities in the territories.

The premiere of Aaron Tambour’s documentary showcases twelve Hay River Elders’ childhood memories, offering a rare unscripted look at traditional High North life and preserving cultural heritage for future generations.

Kugluktuk residents report a dramatic drop in their local fish harvest—down from over 34,000 in 1997 to just over 5,200 by 2023—highlighting urgent sustainability concerns that are driving community and regional authorities to revisit fisheries management.

The Fort Simpson wildfire was closely watched by Dehcho Grand Chief Herb Norwegian, who stayed during the nearly three‑week evacuation to offer support and later shared how a rain‑making ceremony coincided with rainfall as residents returned to assess the damage.

The 65th World Eskimo Indian Olympics wrapped up Saturday after four days of competition in Alaska, Canada, and Greenland, featuring record‑breaking feats such as new world records in the greased pole walk and one‑hand reach. The event celebrated Indigenous traditions of hunting, strength, and community solidarity.

An Inuit MLA addressed the Nunavut government about a policy that would impact the territory’s resources and communities.

A wildfire pushed across Wrigley’s southern flank, forcing around 20 essential workers to evacuate toward Fort Smith while local authorities prepared shelters and deployed fire retardant.

Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) secured leases for 368,000 acres in ANWR’s 1002 Area at $16.5 million and is funding seismic studies, aiming to develop a field that could hold up to 16 billion barrels of oil—an effort that may substantially increase state revenue under a production‑sharing agreement.

Patrick Scott, who died at 77 on July 15, 2026, had become a leading advocate for Indigenous rights after covering the Berger Inquiry in the North. He helped negotiate the Thaidene Nëné protected‑area agreement and Dehcho First Nations’ self‑government deal, leaving a legacy of community leadership and storytelling.

Interim president Herb Nakimayak and former Nunavut Tunngavik CEO Kilikvak Kabloona are contesting the Inuit Circumpolar Council Canada presidency, with the election slated for July 21 during the AGM in Iqaluit.

Chief Louis Balsillie flew the wooden caskets of Denise Boucher (age 8) and Alice Abel (age 13), former residential‑school victims from Fort Resolution, to Łutselk’e, where they were buried beside family members in a cemetery near the Snowdrift River.

The GNWT and Canada Water Agency signed a non-binding two-year memorandum to strengthen collaboration on northern waters, aiming to improve data sharing, research, and stewardship of the Mackenzie River Basin while integrating Indigenous knowledge and science-based decision-making. The agreement underscores the role of Indigenous knowledge in guiding policy and aims to enhance water quality monitoring.

Wildfires across the NWT now cover over 1.7 million acres, with 180 out‑of‑control fires threatening Wrigley and Fort Simpson as strong southerly winds push blazes closer to communities.

Alaska’s four‑year brown‑bear cull around the Mulchatna caribou herd has gained support from local subsistence hunters who say it protects their food supplies.

Alaska Federation of Natives has partnered with Alaska Native Rural Veterinary Inc. to bring vaccinations, spay/neuter and treatment services to rural villages across Alaska, addressing long‑standing gaps in animal health care.

A wildfire north of Wrigley has moved roughly one kilometre closer to the community as temperatures topped 30 °C under extreme fire‑weather conditions, prompting continued evacuation orders for Wrigley and Fort Simpson.

Typhoon Halong remnants struck Alaska’s Yukon‑Kuskokwim Delta in October 2026, flooding Kwigillingok and Kipnuk villages and displacing over 1,600 residents. The disaster has sparked rising mental‑health crises among evacuated youth, prompting calls for expanded support and policy action.

A 12‑day Students on Ice voyage from Greenland to Iqaluit brings former Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault and Inuvik teen Reese Wainman together to discuss climate impacts observed along the route, while urging Canada’s federal government to balance northern investment with stronger emission reductions.