On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens looks at the debate over the second-generation cut-off in the Indian Act.

The Senate's Indigenous Affairs committee is reviewing Bill S-2, proposed legislation from the government that ends some discrimination against women in the Indian Act - but not all.

The committee also wants to add an amendment to end what is called the second-generation cutoff and replace it with a one-parent rule for status entitlement.

Lawyer and professor Pam Palmater joins us to share what's at stake for families like hers and talk about the fact and fiction in the information being shared.

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APTN National News, our stories told our way.

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On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens speaks with Canada's outgoing Correctional Investigator, Ivan Zinger, about why he's leaving the job early after eight years.

In his final annual report, he called for an overhaul of mental health services in federal corrections, arguing that they're ill-equipped to provide long-term care.

The minister of Public Safety and the commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada did not make themselves available for an interview.

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APTN National News, our stories told our way.

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On this episode of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens takes a closer look at the B.C. court decision that recognized Aboriginal title rights for Cowichan Tribes and the misinformation that followed.

Some residents of Richmond, B.C., now fear they'll lose their homes, despite clear public statements from Cowichan leadership that private landowners are not being targeted.

Vancouver-based lawyer Kate Gunn from First Peoples Law joins the show to walk us through the legal context of the ruling and what it could mean for future title cases.

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APTN National News, our stories told our way.

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On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens breaks down what Budget 2025 means for First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has called it a "generational budget" – a bold, nearly $90-billion in new spending plan he says charts a new path forward for Canada. But what makes this budget bold? And who does it leave behind?

Joining the show is Nation to Nation host and APTN's online correspondent in Ottawa Karyn Pugliese with analysis of the 493-page document and what it signals for Indigenous communities.

Also on the show, Lisa Gue from the David Suzuki Foundation weighs in on the budget's climate commitments and whether they live up to Carney's environmental promises.

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APTN National News, our stories told our way.

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On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens explores how Canada's proposed bail reform bill is stirring debate.

Justice Minister Sean Fraser says the Bail and Sentencing Reform Act is meant to restore public confidence in a system he admits is no longer working for many Canadians. But critics warn the bill could do more harm than good.

Among them is Sen. Kim Pate, who has spent over four decades advocating for people criminalized by the system. She shares her concerns about what she calls a "politicized" approach to reform and what real change would look like.

Also on the show, criminal defence lawyer Rheana Worme from Kawacatoose First Nation weighs in on how the bill could disproportionately impact Indigenous peoples, especially youth.

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APTN National News, our stories told our way.

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On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens examines why the Trump administration is attempting to erase Indigenous Peoples from U.S. history.

On Oct. 9, former president Donald Trump signed a proclamation restoring Columbus Day, calling the explorer "a true American hero" and suggesting that "every citizen is eternally indebted to his relentless determination".

To dig into the implications, Cierra talks with Brett Chapman, a Ponca and Pawnee lawyer based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His ancestor, Chief Standing Bear, was a civil rights activist.

Today, Chapman continues that legacy by defending Native American sovereignty in the courts. He shares his thoughts on what the Trump administration's policies mean for Indigenous Peoples in the United States.

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On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens explores why food insecurity in Nunavut has hit a breaking point.

In a territory where climate change and inflation are making food more expensive and harder to access, many families struggle to put healthy meals on the table. For some, even country foods like seal and caribou are out of reach.

A pediatrician working in the community says Nunavut's crisis is the worst she's seen. In 2022, Statistics Canada reported that 79 per cent of children under 14 in the territory lived in food-insecure households.

APTN News correspondent Jesse Staniforth recently published an in-depth article on the issue.

With demand at Iqaluit's food centre expected to hit 70,000 meals this year, Cierra talks with Jesse about what's happening and what needs to change.

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APTN National News, our stories told our way.

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On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens looks at a new law in Nova Scotia that could threaten Mi'kmaq treaty rights.

Land protectors at Hunters Mountain in Unama'ki have prevented logging and construction for more than a month. But the Protecting Nova Scotians Act could give the province power to remove their checkpoint and jail those who refuse to leave.

APTN video journalist Angel Moore shares what she's seen on the ground and Veldon Coburn joins to explore how laws like this, along with Bill C-5 and Ontario's Bill 5, are raising concerns about the future of Indigenous rights across the country.

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APTN National News, our stories told our way.

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This week on APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens examines the growing threat of residential school denialism in Canada.

Once confined to the internet's fringes, denialism has entered the mainstream with public speeches, book deals and online followings that continue to grow. Some deny the racist and genocidal legacy of residential schools, others call unmarked grave findings a hoax.

Survivors like Jennifer Wood say denialism is nothing new, it's something they've lived with for decades.

But a new generation is pushing back.

Benjamin Kucher, a Métis archaeology graduate student at the University of Alberta, is one of the them speaking out. Alongside Métis activist Tracie Leost, he's calling on Ottawa to treat residential school denialism as hate speech and take concrete steps to stop its spread.

Kucher joins us to talk about their calls to action and why confronting denialism is critical to reconciliation.

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APTN National News, our stories told our way.

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As summer winds down - hosts, producers and reporters at APTN News are ramping up.

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, we get a first look at what's coming up this season from three of our award-winning shows: Face to Face, Investigates and Nation to Nation.

Face to Face Host Dennis Ward joins us to talk about the upcoming 300-episode milestone and what he's got planned for the season opener on Sept. 30.

Then, APTN Investigates producer Cullen Crozier gives us a preview of the show's 17th season. The team is back with hard-hitting stories across the country.

And in Ottawa, long time journalist Karyn Pugliese takes the helm of Nation to Nation. She shares what it's like to be just blocks from Parliament Hill and how she'll be covering the political landscape.

From truth-seeking journalism to political deep dives, this season of current affairs shows is one to look forward to.

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APTN National News, our stories told our way.

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