Utoo Radio with Other News Sources - January 29 2025 - US President Trump plans to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian goods crossing the border, potentially causing 1,500,000 job losses.

Experts predict 1,500,000 Canadian job losses, particularly in resource extractive industries.

The Ontario Mining Association and Ontario Forestry Industries Association are working to assess the implications.

The Bingwi Neyaasi Anishinaabek (Sand Point First Nation) is facing an existential threat due to the rapid shift in trade winds. The mill, which employs only five people, is part of the supply chain for the Resolute sawmill in Thunder Bay.

The mill is expected to expand to produce structural lumber for members to return to their land. However, uncertainty and fear are creating fear for the community. Some business voices believe applying a 230-year-old law against Trump's proposed tariffs could represent the biggest opportunity for First Nations-owned resource companies in living memory.

The Jay Treaty, signed in 1794, recognizes the rights of Indigenous peoples born on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border to work and travel freely across it.

However, the Supreme Court of Canada declared the Jay Treaty provisions for Indigenous travel and trade didn't apply, and Parliament has never passed a legislative or regulatory framework for cross-border Indigenous trade.

The Indigenous Resource Network advocates for Indigenous workers and business owners in the Canadian resource sector, highlighting the precarious labor positions of Indigenous workers.

The mining industry employs 17,300 Indigenous people, but their economic health is tied to projects likely to be casualties of a trade war.

The Indigenous resource economy could develop an independent trade network, potentially benefiting even small players.