Indigenous newsmakers of 2017: people whose stories we followed this year

From the ongoing fight of Indigenous children's advocate Cindy Blackstock, to the political challenges and triumphsof WabKinew, to the tragic death of Barbara Kentner, these names made headlines in 2017.

Here are a few of thetop Indigenousnewsmakersof the year.

Cindy Blackstock

Child health advocate Cindy Blackstockscored avictory this year in the ongoing fight to havethe federal governmentfully implement Jordan's principle.

Jordan's principle is meant to prevent First Nations children from being denied essential public services or experiencing delays in receiving them due to jurisdictional squabbles.

In 2007 the Assembly of First Nations, and Blackstock, the executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission, alleging Canada was discriminating against First Nations children by underfunding child welfare services on reserves. In January 2016, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal sided with Blackstock and the AFN.

In November, the federal government announced that it was no longer going to fight the human rights tribunal ruling, havingreached an agreement withthe First Nations Child and Family Caring Society and the Assembly of First Nations over reasonable time frames for care.

WabKinew

It was a challenging year for the former broadcaster andAnishinaabepolitician. WabKinewthrew his name in to lead Manitoba'sNDPparty in early April. In August, it surfaced that he had been charged in 2003 with assaultinghis former partner and the charges were stayed.

He denied physical violence butsaidthat in his early 20s "I was not in the best place in my life" and apologized for doingthings to hurt the familyemotionally.

The allegations of abuse caused a rift within the Indigenous community, with Senator Murray Sinclair calling it a "witch hunt."

Kinewwon the NDP leadership race in September. In November, he announced that he and his wife are expecting a baby in the new year.

JosephBoyden

A week before 2016 ended, investigativereporter Jorge Barrera published a story for APTN that put celebrated author JosephBoyden'sIndigenous identity into question.

The question of whether or notBoydenwas Indigenous sparked many heated online discussions, a number of opinion pieces, and was a divisive issueamongIndigenous Peoples. The conversation also piqued interest among non-Indigenous folks.

A few weeks later, Boydenspoke with CBCRadio'sq, saying he was a "white kid fromWillowdale with Native roots" and that "a small part of me is Indigenous, but it's a big part of who I am."

He also said that he was guilty of taking too much of the air time talking about Indigenous issues. "I should be allowing those with deeper roots in their communities to speak for their communities," he said.

BarbaraKentner

BarbaraKentner, 34, was hit in the stomach by a trailer hitchthrown from a moving vehicle in Thunder Bay, Ont., in January.

Kentner's sister called it a hate crime and many Indigenous people said they had had similar experiences on Thunder Bay's streets of people hurling things at them from passing vehicles.

Brayden Bushby, 18, was initially charged with aggravated assault, however the charges were upgraded to second-degree murder when Kentner died of her injuries in July.

Bushbyis currently out on bail awaiting trial.

Arthur andKanahus Manuel

Arthur Manuel, who died in January,was one of the most influential Indigenous activists in the country. He co-wrote the booksUnsettling Canadaand 2017'sThe Reconciliation Manifesto.

His daughter, Kanahus,is continuing the family legacy of standing up for Indigenous rights. She is one of the main drivers behind the Tiny House Warriors project, where people are building tiny homes on the proposed route of the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Pipeline.

KanahusManuel was involvedin the Standing Rock protests. InOctober, shehad all of her charges dropped by the state of North Dakota, includingcriminal trespass, engaging in a riot, obstruction of a governmental function, disobedience of a public safety order during riot conditions and disorderly conduct.

Honorable mentions:

Eden Robinson

Eden Robinson released her critically acclaimed bookSon of a Trickster in 2017. The author was awardedthe$50,000 2017 Writers' Trust of Canada Fellowshipand was short listed for the ScotiabankGiller Prize. The book took Robinson eightyears to write.

Autumn Peltier

The Anishinaabe teen has been receiving international recognition for her advocacy relating to clean waters. She was the only teen in Canada who was nominated for the 2017International Childrens Peace Prize. She has also been invited to the United Nations General Assembly next year to speak about protecting water.

The OnamanCollective

The OnamanCollective is comprised of Christi Belcourt, Isaac Murdoch and Erin Konsmo. Together, the trio have created resistance campaigns to Canada's 150th, used artand spirituality to create environmental awareness, and have also used their art to help fund an Anishinaabe language camp in Ontario.