Tag: Jasen Benwah

More Cards, Same Cage: How Bill S-2 Expands the Circle Benwah Sits In asks what Bill S-2 really changes beyond the feel-good talking points. Ottawa and the Senate amendments do fix real harms in Indian Act registration — enfranchisement and the second-generation cut-off — so more people can get status back on paper. But the article argues that the core structure doesn’t move: the Indian Act, Canada Lands, and an UNDRIP-based procedural shield that lets Ottawa and industry say, “we consulted, your leaders agreed, we’re covered.” I tie that directly to Newfoundland, where Jasen Benwah, Mildred Lavers, and Peggy White switch between “community” and “rights-holder” hats while advancing large territorial claims. The bottom line is blunt: expanding the registry can grow paper power for bands and the state more than it grows real sovereignty for ordinary people — more cards, same cage. Read More...

In October 2025, a Facebook page tied to Benoit First Nation and Jasen Benwah — Penwaaq L’nu’k – Kji-Wikuom — assured readers that “self-government has nothing to do with private or Crown lands.” It’s a comforting line, but legally false. Every self-government framework in Canada is rooted in land, because once the federal government recognizes a community under section 35, the discussion automatically moves into Crown-land jurisdiction.This piece explains why Newfoundland’s situation is no exception, and how the recent Cowichan Tribes v. Canada ruling in British Columbia shattered the idea that private property sits beyond Indigenous title. As the courts redefine ownership and governments scramble to catch up, the gap between “theory” and “fact” isn’t measured in years anymore — sometimes, it’s only a few hours. Read More...

This article examines how Newfoundland’s politics and activism are shaped less by policy and more by gatekeeping. Using the Port au Port water crisis as a stage, it shows how the Environmental Transparency Committee frames legitimacy through process, how Jeff Todd Young’s career has been carefully groomed across Franco-Jeunes, Mi’kmaw Cultural Foundation, and Liberal nomination, how Tony Wakeham’s silence operates as a deliberate strategy, and how Jasen Benwah leverages Indigenous authenticity as a form of power. The piece argues that reputations in Newfoundland are not won at the ballot box but managed by those who decide who is allowed to speak. Read More...

This piece exposes how “outrage” in Newfoundland’s environmental and political movements is often selective, serving alliances rather than principles. Using examples from Jasen Benwah’s shifting stance on wind projects, UNDRIP land claim gatekeeping, and Darrell Shelley’s opportunistic politics, it shows how ecological harm is condemned or excused depending on who benefits. The article ties these local double standards to global financial agendas like GFANZ, where narrative control matters more than actual environmental impact, and warns that until consistent standards are applied, the land will remain a bargaining chip and truth negotiable. Read More...