Your World Tonight - National Indigenous Peoples Day, Israel-Iran war latest, and Indigenous talent boom

Episode Date: June 21, 2025

Ceremony, song, and dance are ringing across Canada today. Hundreds of events are commemorating National Indigenous Peoples Day. The jubilant gatherings carry a message of self-determination and resilience. But also continued calls to action.And: Israel's military says it is preparing for a prolonged war against Iran. Meanwhile, Turkey says it is ready to facilitate nuclear talks between Iran and the United States.Also: A new generation of Indigenous creatives are ready for their spotlight, telling their stories on their own terms. But what's is behind this boom in representation in front of, and behind, the camera? Plus: The L-A Dodgers stand up for migrants, A 50 year long refugee crisis in Algeria, The B-C government calls on the RCMP to investigate blackmail allegations, and more .

Ten years ago, I asked my partner Kelsey if she would marry me. I did that, despite the fact that every living member of my family who had ever been married had also gotten divorced. Forever is a Long Time is a five-part series in which I talk to those relatives about why they got divorced and why they got married. You can listen to it now on CBC's Personally. This is a CBC Podcast. Welcome to Your World Tonight. I'm Julie-Ann Hazelwood. I think it's really important to recognize our Indigenous people and the land that we reside on.

It means everything to us. This is the land. It just means celebrating us, our culture and our heritage. Whether you're in Djiboutok in the east, Kemkemulai in the west, or Inuit Nunangat in the north, June 21st is a day to recognize and celebrate First Nations, Inuit and Métis people. You'll hear more about National Indigenous Peoples Day across the country. Also on the podcast, a major development in the Israel-Iran War. Donald Trump says the US military has

attacked three nuclear sites in Iran, directly joining Israel's military campaign. And? I've watched throughout the years, there was a lot of period pieces made, you know, leathers and feathers, so to say, a lot of the same things, and now we're making our own. Indigenous stories by and for Indigenous people. You'll hear about an explosion in young talent making a mark on the film and TV industries. President Donald Trump says that the US military has struck three sites in Iran, including

a controversial uranium enrichment site. That means the US has directly joined Israel in its war with Iran, a major development in the conflict. Briar Stewart is in Istanbul, Turkey tonight and joins us now. Briar, tell us what we know so far. Well, we do expect you as President Donald Trump to speak very shortly, but the details have started

to come out on social media and in reports with other broadcasters. And what US officials are saying, including Trump, is that three sites in Iran have been struck including the Fordow site. Now that's a site where the nuclear component is buried deep underground. It's believed to be as much as 80 meters actually. And so that is the site where much of the discussion had been about over recent days because the US military really is the only one that has the weaponry able to penetrate

that deep below. And I can tell you that there has been a flurry of diplomatic efforts by Europe and by other countries. I'm in Istanbul. There was a summit here today where there was a special session about Israel and Iran. And Trump had said on Thursday that he was going to take up to two weeks to make his decision. There are reports that Israel held a meeting with Trump, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with other officials saying they didn't want to wait the two weeks and that Israel was

prepared to try to go it alone. We will hear obviously more what what Trump has to say but Israel's military has announced that it's tightening public safety restrictions because obviously they are expecting a response to this some kind of retribution and they're essentially limiting activity in Israel so things are closed all except essential services. And what impact does this have on the Israel-Iran conflict going forward? I think the question is what impact is it going to have on that conflict and much broader. I mean there are a lot of relationships at tensions at play here.

Iran's foreign minister was in Istanbul today. He said that it was going to be very, very dangerous for the US to get involved in this way. You had Yemen Houthi rebels saying that if this did happen they were going to start targeting ships in the Red Sea. You could have a response from Iran that includes trying to attack US assets in the area. They could try to disrupt the flow of oil traffic. I think you know regionally you're going to see how a lot of tension in terms of how this is dealt with. But I think the other thing that will be interesting is to see how the US's allies react to this. I mean you had Europe that was very much pushing against this. Ministers from the UK,

Germany and France met with Iran on Friday and you know they had also discussed this with US officials last week so we'll have to see just what kind of response there is there but I can tell you that CBS News out of the US is reporting that US officials reached out to Iran on Saturday through diplomatic channels and they said that these strikes was all that the US had planned and that regime change was not part of the US's plan of course that's something that we've talked about a lot but whether that's Israel's ultimate goal but we will have to see what more Donald Trump has to say

when he addresses the nation. Briar thank you very much for this. You're welcome. Breyer Stewart reporting from Istanbul. Ceremony, song and dance are ringing across Canada today. Hundreds of events are commemorating National Indigenous Peoples' Day. The jubilant gatherings carry a message of self-determination and resilience, but also continued calls to action.

Phil Pleshianak reports. The day of celebration began with a sunrise ceremony. In Toronto, grandmother Kim Wheatley of Curve Lake First Nation sang as the light filled Nathan Phillips Square. Canadians need to know we're still here and we have something beautiful to offer and something beautiful to share that reminds each other about our sacred responsibilities and how to truly walk that path of partnership. On the Atlantic coast near Lewisburg, Nova Scotia, Eskasoni elder Lottie Johnson led the Mi'kmaq Sunrise Ceremony.

A residential school survivor, she said the summer solstice was a special day for other reasons. June 21st was freedom day that was the day you get to go home for the summer but not all the kids went home some of them had no places to go. From coast to coast to coast First Nations Inuit and Métis communities gathered to celebrate their culture and traditions but also to remember hardships many suffered under legislation like the Indian Act,

which forced assimilation and led to residential schools, as well as the deep-rooted violence and victimization of Indigenous women and girls. It's amazing to see. Molly Stott came to Canada 16 years ago from England. She was drawn to the ceremonies and performances at the forks in Winnipeg. The concept of being able to connect between cultures and see for myself and like just be around the energy that's pulsating through the ground is important beyond compare. Marcel French, who came from the Rosa River and Eshnabe First Nation, says teaching newcomers about his ancestors' traditions of harmony and respect was also an important part of the day.

I guess moments of reflection, you know, like where have we been and where are we going and what needs to change. Cody Grote teaches Indigenous Studies at Western University. He says much progress has been made since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission a decade ago, which included recommendations to improve child welfare, Indigenous education, and access to health care. We're still seeing Indigenous rights being discussed in ways that are more constructive than they might have been 10-15 years ago. He

says a push to develop nation-building projects in the face of annexation threats from US President Donald Trump is a chance to reset relations between Indigenous communities and governments. This intersection between very much a day of celebration and recognition at a time when Indigenous peoples are actively pushing back and combating against an action of a federal or provincial government. Including demands for consultation on national projects taking place on treaty lands. But growth cautions against thinking First Nations are a monolithic entity and to recognize that each community has its own distinct history and traditions.

So building relationships of trust will take time. Philip LeShannok, CBC News, Toronto. Alberta RCMP say two people are dead after a small plane crash in Vermillion, about 175 kilometres east of Edmonton. They say the victims are a 46-year-old woman who was piloting the plane and a 76-year-old man. Nobody else was on the flight. The Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

Quebec Provincial Police are searching for four people after a helicopter crash in the Natashkwan region. That's about a thousand kilometres northeast of Montreal. The helicopter belonged to the private air ambulance company Air Medic. In a statement, it says one passenger and four crew members were on board. One of those people has been found and taken to hospital. Specialists in land and water searches are on site, scouring the dense forest and surrounding rivers and lakes. Still ahead, mass immigration raids in the US, hardening nationalist politics in Europe,

and in North Africa, a refugee crisis that has been going on for 50 years. You'll hear three stories from three different continents about how migration and the backlash to it is shaping our world and our politics. In New Jersey. Supporters welcome Mahmoud Khalil, his wife and his infant son at Newark Airport. The pro-Palestinian activist is back home with his family after more than 100 days in a Louisiana detention center. A judge ordered his release on Friday, which angered the Trump administration.

Even though it's still trying to deport him from the U.S., Mahmoud Khalil says he'll continue his activism. Still, the fight is far from over. Israel is still waging a full war across Palestine. This is why I was protesting. This is why I will continue to protest with every one of you, not only if they threaten me with detention, even if they would kill me, I would still speak up for Palestine. Khalil and his supporters argue the U.S. government is violating his right to free speech, though

the Trump administration justifies its actions, arguing that Khalil's activism is harmful to U.S. foreign policy interests. administration justifies its actions, arguing that Khalil's activism is harmful to US foreign policy interests. It's a warm and sunny Saturday in Los Angeles, but daily immigration raids have sent a chill through the city. Some restaurants and car washes are closed. Immigrants are staying home, opting to get their groceries delivered for fear of arrest and deportation.

And now the Trump administration's immigration enforcement efforts appear to be expanding to sporting events popular with Latino communities. Steve Futterman reports. If you want to find a place to escape the sometimes challenging grind of daily life in downtown LA, just a few minutes away is Dodger Stadium. But this week Dodger Stadium has been caught in the crossfire of the immigration debate. The Dodgers have an enormous Latino fan base. By some accounts it amounts to more than 40 percent.

But after the ICE raids began, day after day went by with the Dodgers saying absolutely nothing. Began day after day went by with the Dodgers saying absolutely nothing This week it reached a boiling point when federal agents tried to use the stadium parking lot to process some of those detained The Dodgers went on social media to say they had denied entry to ice agents ice later said they were never there But some other federal agents were. Whatever happened, the fans wanted more. They wanted the Dodgers to condemn what was going on. And around 100 people gathered outside the stadium to make their feelings known, including Amanda Carrera. I am a lifelong Dodger fan.

I am a singer that made a song for the Los Angeles Dodgers. It's called Dodger Girl. Dodger Girl Proud to be a Dodger Girl. As much as I love the Dodgers, I love my people, my community more. And I feel like being out here for my people is what's right. Late yesterday, the team issued a written statement without specifically mentioning the daily raids and detainments.

The Dodgers announced a million dollar contribution to immigrant families who have been affected by what the Dodgers would only call recent events. Other areas in and around LA are feeling the impact in a more direct way, like Downey, California, with a thriving and affluent Latino population. Everybody is in shock. We never could have imagined that this would come literally to our doorsteps. The raids have at times turned down the central business district into a virtual ghost town. This woman owns a car wash.

I can't find people to work because everyone, even if they have a valid work permit, are afraid. I don't know how long I'm going to be able to survive. Yesterday, US Vice President JD Vance traveled to L.A. He praised the agents carrying out the immigration raids. I don't think that we've been too aggressive at all. I mean, it's not too aggressive. It's not, you know, not aggressive enough. It's just the right approach to make sure that we're enforcing our country's border laws.

Trump administration officials acknowledge that L.A., with up to a million undocumented immigrants living here, is the focus right now. And there is no indication that the daily raids and detainments will end anytime soon. Steve Futterman for CBC News, Los Angeles. To Algeria now, where one of the world's longest-standing refugee crises has been going on for 50 years. Tens of thousands of Serawis live in refugee camps in Algeria, forced to leave their homeland of Western Sahara which has been under partial Moroccan occupation

since 1975. Xavier Sauvard-Fournier visited a refugee camp in Algeria and brings us this report. Abdirahman Lejlifa is driving full speed on the paved road. The ex-soldier remembers that there was nothing here when he first came from Layoun, a city in western Sahara, almost 50 years ago. Layoun is now under Moroccan control. But on the horizon, there is now Asmara, one of the five Sahrawi refugee camps of thousands of tents and small houses.

The exact number of Sahrawi is disputed, but the latest UN census estimates around 173,600 refugees live in camps in Algeria. Thousands of others still live in Western Sahara. For the Sahrawis, their destiny lies in a vote of self-determination, which they have been calling for since the Spanish withdrawal from Western Sahara in 1975. This is also the UN's position, and since 1963, Western Sahara has been on the UN non-self-governing territory list to be included in the decolonization process. But the vote for self-determination has not taken place, due to ongoing conflicts over who owns the territory most recently between Morocco and the Polisario front.

A ceasefire brokered in 1991 by the UN, collapse in 2020 and say experts, both sides have politicized the question of the number of eligible voters. Dr. Joanna Allen is a member of the Center for International Development at Northern Bria University in Newcastle, United Kingdom. I don't think the movement of a settled population into the territory necessarily means that a referendum would be impossible because Polisario have already said that they'd even accept Moroccan settlers to vote. So that itself isn't the problem. I think it's always been Morocco that's blocked the referendum.

Morocco now controls 80% of Western Sahara and also claims the region as its historical territory. Waiting for us in Samara is the elected governor, Azabbebe. As you can see, I'm fat. It is not because we live in opulence. It's because of malnutrition, says Azabbebe right from the start of the interview. The World Food Program distributes food in the camps weekly via the Saudi red crescent. If we get potatoes and carrots, we're lucky, Bebe says. The quality of water and lack of medicines also add to the issues of chronic malnutrition

and underfunding in the camps. There's also the challenge of passing on to new generations the desire to fight a land they have never visited. In a classroom in Smara, the younger generation who grew up in the camps say social media has given them insight into the lack of opportunity compared to the rest of the world. Algetna Abdu is 21. Of course it's hard, like seeing someone who has a lot of opportunities. You tell yourself that you deserve more.

Her friend Khamina Al-Bib is 22. There's a negative side to the internet, but the beliefs are the same as our ancestors, sir Hamida. We're just fighting with new weapons, social media, in a more peaceful way to get our situation out of the silence. In an email statement, Morocco's ambassador to Canada, Soraya Otmani, stresses that the Sahara is an integral part of Moroccan territory and that the actual conflict is nothing less than a regional dispute created out of nothing by Algeria, with a view to dwarfing the completion of Morocco's territorial integrity.

Since 2007, Morocco has been proposing an autonomy plan for Western Sahara, which would be under its rule. This plan has since received the support of heavyweights on the UN Security Council. Xavier Savart-Fournier for CBC News, Dindouf, Algeria. Music Alberta is now the second province after Ontario with more than 1, 1000 confirmed cases of measles. Numbers released Friday show measles cases in Alberta have more than doubled in the span of a month. The province says most cases are among people who are unvaccinated.

Dr. Karina Taup is an Edmonton-based pediatric infectious disease specialist. This is out of control and I think we really need to be doing everything we can to engage with those communities that are affected and community leaders to be doing everything we can to engage with those communities that are affected and community leaders to see how best we can work with them to try to get people vaccinated to help contain this infection. The most recent data shows measles have sent 85 Albertans to the hospital so far this year. 14 of those people were admitted to the ICU. In British Columbia, political

infighting is spilling out into the open. The drama surrounds the Provincial Conservative Party, some former members of its caucus, and allegations of blackmail. As Katie DeRosa reports, the province is now asking the Mounties to get involved. Criminal activity by elected officials against other elected officials. The divorce between BC's official opposition and three elected officials who left the party is getting ugly. In a leaked letter, BC conservative leader John Rustad is accusing the three independent MLAs of blackmail.

Now the governing NDP is asking the RCMP to investigate the claims. Stephanie Higginson is the NDP's caucus chair. In the letter, John Rustad says blackmail 14 times and alleges criminal activity. Rustad accuses the three former members of his party of secretly recording conversations among conservative employees and taking screenshots of private text messages. He alleges those texts and recordings were used to try to blackmail BC Conservative caucus staff into quitting and coming to work for the departed MLAs. Rustad doesn't name them but he's talking about MLA Dallas Brody who was kicked out of the Conservative

caucus in March after Rustad said she mocked residential school survivors. The other two MLAs, Tara Armstrong and Jordan Keeley, left the Conservative Party in solidarity with Brody, slamming Rustad for diluting Conservative values. All three have denied the blackmail allegations. Higginson sent the letter to the commanding officer of the BC RCMP, saying an investigation is in the public interest because it involves elected officials. The easiest thing for me as the caucus chair to do right now would be to sit back and watch this sort of internal months slinging that's happening. But these are very serious allegations.

Premier David E. B agrees and is urging Rustad to provide evidence. He needs to bring the information that he has to the police. So far, Rustad to provide evidence. He needs to bring the information that he has to the police. So far, Rustad has not provided evidence of the blackmail and has refused our interview requests. The RCMP says it's reviewing the matter. Brody's chief of staff, Tim Tillman, questions how the NDP can call for an investigation when they don't have any evidence.

It's a perversion of our justice system because by David E. V.''s own admission, he doesn't have any evidence. Political scientist Hamish Telford says the NDP has a political motivation here. The NDP is just stirring the pot. Well, if there's some disarray and we stir the pot, maybe there will be more disarray. The backdrop to all this, Brody and Armstrong are forming their own political party called One BC and are trying to get other right-of-center MLAs

to join them. That's left Rustad on the back foot as he tries to hold BC's conservative party together. Katie DeRosa, CBC News, Victoria. It wasn't that long ago if you saw an indigenous character in a movie or TV show, it likely contained some harmful stereotypes. And more often than not, the people behind the scenes, the writers and directors, had no connection at all to any indigenous culture.

Well, those problems still exist, but now there are more opportunities for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis creators. And as Magda Cabrasalase reports, they're ready to tell their stories on their terms. Métis! This is Métis! Celeste reports they're ready to tell their stories on their terms. Hitting the ice, young Indigenous hockey players flex their acting chops on the set of Smudge the Blades in Edmonton. The film is about an under-18 Indigenous hockey team. Its players battle through their final year in a Northern Alberta hockey league.

And action. Cody Lightning is the director and co-writer. Lightning is a member of the Samson Cree Nation in Alberta. He spent 30 years in show business, mostly as an actor. Now he's part of a wave of creatives telling stories through an indigenous lens. I've watched throughout the years, there was a lot of period pieces made, you know, leathers and feathers so to say, a lot of the same things and there was like one project per year that everyone knew about that were everyone was trying to

be on those projects and now we're making our own. And making hits take North of North an APTN, CBC and Netflix series. The comedy centers a young Anuk mother and her Arctic community. Yep, that's us. The heart of the Arctic. Its star, Ana Lam, says it's capturing audiences around the world. You know, people are reaching out from Brazil. People are reaching out from Australia.

And it's just, I think at the heart of North of North is, you know, even though it's a very specific place and a specific people, it's just such a deeply relatable story. Recently, indigenous talent have also been making a mark in award categories. I ought to kill these white men who killed my family. Last year, Lily Gladstone made history with her Golden Globe win and Oscar nomination for Killers of the Flower Moon. And Emmy's acting nominations saw Gladstone, True Detectives, Kaylee Reese and DeFarah Wanatai from Reservation Dogs making headlines too.

Most people know Reservation Dogs. I think that that was such an incredible show. Jennifer Podemsky was on three episodes of the show about teens on a reservation in Oklahoma. First airing in 2021, it lasted three seasons and was applauded for being at the start of this new wave of Indigenous representation. Podemsky, who creates her own show, says she's noticed a shift in the industry following the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020. Everything that happened afterwards turned people's attention to the communities who had the least represented voice. It was also during a pandemic where the only way that people could mobilize was panels and you know discussions and I think it worked towards building an awareness so when people are casting for movies they're more inclined to you know question like is this am I doing this the

right way? Pademsky also gives credit to the Indigenous Screen Office here in Canada. With federal funding since 2021 it helps Indigenous creators bring their stories to screens supporting more than 300 projects along the way. That includes giving $750,000 to get Smudge the Blades made. Roll sound, roll it. The movie is now in editing and could be ready in time to hit the fall festival circuit. Makda Gebre-Selesa, CBC News, Toronto.

And finally... 🎵 Kiss me hard before you go 🎵 🎵 Summertime sadness 🎵 After months of dark, cold days, summer has officially begun. But did you know summertime sadness is an actual thing? Yes, Lana Del Rey's tune bears out some truth. We often think about seasonal depression in the winter but it also happens in the summer. Here's how clinical psychologist Simon Sherry describes it.

An unfortunate minority of Canadians know about winter seasonal affective disorder which is a depressive episode that coincides with changes in the seasons usually as we're making that transition into the fall winter period. Now a lesser known, but still important and disabling variant of this is summer seasonal affective disorder. The reason people experience this in the summer comes down to our circadian rhythm. The long days can throw off our sleeping patterns and that can dysregulate our moods and lead to depression. But what is perhaps

surprising is the similar yet opposite symptoms of seasonal affective disorder or SAD in the winter and summer. There's a hibernation like state occurring and that involves social withdrawal on the winter side of the symptoms whereas in the summer you might see more of a restlessness and an agitation. Another example, those with SAD in the winter may eat and sleep too much, and in the summer the symptoms fall along the lines of losing your appetite and experiencing insomnia. A tough part of SAD in the summer is the pressure to be out and enjoying the longer days,

even if you're not feeling up for it. So in the spirit of leaning into summertime sadness, here's more of Lana Del Rey on your world tonight for Saturday, June 21st, 2025. I'm Julianne Hazelwood. Thanks for listening. Even if you're gone, I'm gonna try. Try. I got that summertime, summertime sadness.

Summertime, summertime sadness. Got that summertime, summertime sadness. Summer time, summer time, sadness, oh, oh, oh.