Indigenous

Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN) is pursuing the acquisition of a longstanding revenue-generating asset rooted in Hastings Park in Vancouver.

On Friday, the First Nation announced it has entered into a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Great Canadian Gaming Corporation for an agreement in principle to acquire the “casino business and related real property interests” at Hastings Racecourse & Casino.

This appears to signal that Great Canadian does not intend to pursue a renewal of its lease to operate the racecourse and casino at the site. The company’s lease began in 2004 and is set to expire next year.

Upon inquiry, the City of Vancouver told Daily Hive Urbanized today that Great Canadian’s current operating agreement runs until May 2026, with an additional five-year renewal option subject to mutual consent.

“Great Canadian Gaming Corporation is the operator of Hastings Racecourse and the City cannot disclose specifics of operating agreements,” the City stated.

As the property is owned by the City, this could trigger potential lease negotiations between the municipal government and the First Nation regarding the site’s future use beyond May 2026.

Before the Usual Time is a short book (180 pages) that spans multiple indigenous cultures. I appreciated getting a taste of each of the authors' experiences and cultures, and the poems are approachable for those new to poetry. The stories are inventive and the writing is excellent. I'd highly recommend it!

Featuring writings from:

• Leanna Marshall - Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (Ontario)
• Emma Petahtegoose - Atikameksheng Anishnawbek
• Joan Naviuyuk Kane - Inupiaq
• Ardelle Sagutcheway - Eabametoong (Ontario)
• Craig Santos Perez - Chamorro Guahan (Guam)
• Sherwin Bitsui - Diné of the Todich'ii'nii (Arizona)
• Chuquai Billy - Lakota Sioux/Choctaw (New Mexico)
• David Groulx - Ojibway (Ontario)
• Sy Hoahwah - Comanche/Southern Arapaho
• Cathy Smith - Mohawk
• Dennis Saddleman - Coldwater Reserve
• Craig Commanda - Kitigan Zibi
• Emily Clarke - Cahuilla
• Darlene Naponse - Anishinaabe from Atikameksheng Anishnawbek
• Lori Flinders - Couchiching First Nation, Lynx Clan
• Ajuawak Kapashesit - Cree, Ojibwe, and Jewish descent

I'm unfamiliar with this topic so I don't want to comment further, here are some key excerpts from the article:

Findings Our search identified 2037 studies, of which 42 peer-reviewed articles and nine grey literature reports met inclusion criteria: these studies were in Canada (n=3), Australia (n=17), New Zealand (n=9), and the USA (n=22). With the exception of Māori children in New Zealand, who seem to have similar rates of epilepsy to children of European ancestry, the incidence and prevalence of epilepsy seemed to be higher in Indigenous peoples in these regions than non-Indigenous populations. In the included studies, Indigenous peoples showed a higher number of epilepsy hospital presentations, decreased access to specialists, decreased access and longer waits for antiseizure medication, and increased prescriptions for enzyme-inducing antiseizure medications when compared with non-Indigenous peoples. In Australia, the number of disability-adjusted life years among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with epilepsy was double that for non-Indigenous people with epilepsy. Mortality rates for Indigenous peoples with epilepsy in New Zealand and Australia were higher than in non-Indigenous people with epilepsy.

Interpretation Although Indigenous people from CANZUS have unique cultural identities, this review identified similar themes and substantial disparities experienced by Indigenous versus non-Indigenous people in these nations. Concerningly, there were relatively few studies, and these were of variable quality, leaving substantial knowledge gaps. Epidemiological epilepsy research in each specific Indigenous group from CANZUS countries is urgently required to enable health policy development and minimise inequity within these countries.