October 22, 2025

Auditor General of Canada Karen Hogan has released a report on Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), in which the auditor general says ISC has made unsatisfactory progress on implementing the results of past audits. ISC’s spending grew by 84% between 2019-20 and 2023-24, but failed to implement 53% of the auditor general’s recommendations. The auditor general noted continued issues on the fronts of health services, safe drinking water, and emergency management, but did note improved measurement and reporting on the front of education and socio-economic gaps. The Government of Canada’s Minister of Indigenous Services Mandy Gull-Masty released a statement acknowledging the Auditor General’s report and committing to presenting an action report in Spring 2026 that will “lay out the path forward.”

The Government of Manitoba has reportedly committed $4.5M to launch two new university-level degree programs that will train students to become fluent speakers and teachers of Indigenous languages. The University of Winnipeg will establish a bachelor of arts in Indigenous language immersion in Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe), while the University College of the North will offer a bachelor of Indigenous languages program focused on fluency development in Ininimowin (Cree). “Preserving the Indigenous languages of our province means passing them on to future generations. Indigenous youth will be healthier if they can speak the traditional language of their communities,” said MB Premier Wab Kinew. “These programs train a new generation of fluent Indigenous language speakers and teachers to carry on Manitoba’s Indigenous traditions.”

Several schools have unveiled new art installations by Indigenous artists. At the Bishop Strachan School (BSS) in Toronto, a new stained glass window by Inuit artist Ningiukulu Teevee has been installed in the school’s chapel. The window depicts the legend of the Owl and the Raven. “A chapel is an unusual space in a school nowadays,” acknowledged BSS Head Dr Angela Terpstra. “For us, it’s a place where we share what it means to have a spiritual being and for students to share their particular spiritual and religious beliefs.” Meanwhile in Alberta, SAIT has unveiled a new art installation that tells the story of SAIT’s Indigenous student support centre’s name: Natoysopoyiis or “holy wind lodge”. Artist Kristy North Peigan, a member of the Piikani First Nation, worked with Knowledge Keeper Daren Weaslechild and Elder Grant Little Mustache to create an immersive mural out of engraved wood panels that are illuminated by LED strips. Meanwhile, St Francis Xavier University’s Art Gallery’s permanent collection now includes an exhibition of Indigenous works by various artists.

CBC recently published an article on the findings of an investigation commissioned by First Nations University’s Board of Governors into allegations against FNU President Jacqueline Ottman. FNU Board Chair Sherry Saevil released a statement in response to the article, in which she explained that the investigation was commissioned as due diligence. Saevil further asserted that, “the Board has complete confidence in President Ottmann and we stand behind her.” A group of faculty members issued a written statement expressing concern about the university’s leadership style and financial management, as well as Saevil’s statement. The statement called for the suspension of the university’s executive team, the dissolution of the board of governors, and an end to “political interference by the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations.” CTV News states that the Government of Saskatchewan is following the situation.

The University of Manitoba has recently shared some of the initiatives it has embarked on to further advance reconciliation. The university has launched an Indigenous-led initiative called Researching in Good Ways, which will host a series of consultations and sessions with faculty, graduate students, and Indigenous community partners. UManitoba Project Director Kathleen Wilson, who is Métis, explained that the project team hopes that the resulting framework and associated resources will foster “meaningful and lasting change in how researchers engage and collaborate with Indigenous partners.” The university also recently updated its Traditional Territories Acknowledgement to better reflect the cultural identities of those Indigenous groups whose traditional lands and homelands include the university’s campus locations.

Grade 7 to 9 students from Ocean Man First Nation recently learned how to make salsa and preserve food through canning as part of their Practical and Applied Arts Course. “It actually teaches us how … to make our own homemade things,” said Grade 9 student Lexus Bigstone about the class. “We don’t have to go to the store.” The canning class is taught by Stephanie Dayman, who brought vegetables from her own garden for students to use in the class. The students made six jars of salsa, and Dayman shared that she plans to show students how to can tomatoes next. Carla Bison, a teacher and a grandmother to one of the participating students, said that she is happy that the students have a hands-on learning opportunity that teaches about food sovereignty.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University instructor Dr Lee Beavington—in collaboration with Indigenous educators and knowledge keepers—has co-developed a new online guide on decolonizing education practices. The guide is divided into three water-themed sections—Headwaters, Rivers, and Ocean—that cater to the different stages of decolonization that a person may go through. It is personalized to KPU and the First Nations that are local to the university. “The website is intended to be an entry point for those who want to engage in decolonial work and for anyone who wants to deepen their journey on decolonization,” said Beavington. “It’s not meant to simply be a list of links. We wanted this to be fulsome enough that you could get something out of just the website itself.”

Red Sucker Lake First Nation has celebrated the grand opening of its new Grade 7 to 12 school. The community previously operated a single K-12 facility, which has since been renovated to serve K-6 students. Together, the renovated school and the new school will provide over 300 students with dedicated, vibrant learning environments that reflect the First Nation’s values and traditions. The new school construction, old school renovations, and various related infrastructure projects were supported by an $89M investment from Indigenous Services Canada. “As an educator and a former student of the Manitoba school system, I’ve seen exactly how important it is for Indigenous students to have education that serves them,” said Government of Canada Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs Rebecca Chartrand. “I hope the students in Red Sucker Lake First Nation are inspired by truth and storytelling as I would be walking into the towering tipi library.”

Several postsecondary institutions have recently unveiled new spaces for Indigenous research and learning on campus. Laurentian University officially opened its Maamwizwing Indigenous Research Institute. Loyalist College opened the Tsi Titewaya’taró:roks Indigenous Centre (“Place Where We Gather As Family”). The University of New Brunswick opened the Wabanaki Eight Point Star Healing Garden. The University of Victoria opened its new Indigenous Law wing, which will provide classrooms and learning spaces for teaching and learning Indigenous Law. These openings will bring Indigenous knowledge and presence into the core spaces of postsecondary life.

Trent University and the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board are piloting a dual-credit program that allows high school students to earn an Indigenous Studies credit while completing their Ontario Secondary School Diploma. Students who are enrolled in two select high school credit courses will have the opportunity to earn 0.5 university course credits in INDG 1001H: The Foundation of Reconciliation. The university course also fulfils Trent’s Indigenous Course Requirement. The program will pilot at Eastside Secondary School, with participants engaging in land-based learning activities and events and learning from Trent faculty and staff.