Our lead story: The National Children's Chiefs Commission and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society claim their plan for long-term First Nations child welfare reform is more thorough than the federal government's.

NOTE: APTN NEWS BRIEF WILL BE ON HIATUS OVER THE HOLIDAYS, RETURNING TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2026.

MUSIC: 'Abundance' by 1000 Handz is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

Our lead story: the Carney government submits its new plan for long-term reform of the First Nations child and family services program to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, pledging $35.5 billion to the end of 2034, then $4.4 billion annually after that.

Our lead story: the Saskatchewan Health Authority says the security guards who evicted an Indigenous man from a Prince Albert hospital out into the cold are now barred from work at any SHA facility.

Our lead story: the same day Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford sign an agreement meant to speed up construction of major projects in the province, Treaty 9 First Nations hold a press conference on their lawsuit against such fast-tracking.

Our lead story: a major Mi'kmaw-led, Aboriginal title claim in the works at Sipekne'katik First Nation in Nova Scotia, the scope of which would include a good chunk of the province.

Our lead story: a Mi'kmaw organization representing over 60 cannabis retailers in Nova Scotia meets to strategize on a provincial crackdown on their operations.

Our lead story: a decade after the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was released, some mark the anniversary with reflection and renewed calls to tackle residential school denialism.

Our lead story: RCMP in northern Manitoba arrest 27 people and lay 51 drug trafficking related charges under the police operation known as Project Derry.

Our lead story: Treaty 8 First Nations leaders gather in Ottawa to voice their opposition to a recently signed federal/Alberta MOU promoting a future tar sands pipeline to B.C.'s west coast, a proposal they were not consulted on.

Our lead story: citing a variety of issues, the chief and council of Sipekne'katik First Nation vote to ban the premier of Nova Scotia from their lands, along with two of his cabinet ministers.