Turtle Island News is now providing the only national native news service delivered to your computer or cell each morning. Now for the first time you will get National Native News and get it every morning. Find out what is happening in Native News circles every morning when you start your day. For instant access, click on the image below and subscribe.
FIRST NATIONS GROUP TRIO WINS CANADA'S GOT TALENT The Canadian Press Sagkeeng's Finest, a three-man tap trio from Sankeeng First Nation, won the first season of Canada's Got Talent.
Canada voted and the winners were announced May 14th on the CGT season finale.
One out of three finalists, Sagkeeng's Finest beat out hip hop dance group "Freshh" and rock band "Angry Candy" with their performance, a mash-up of "Shake It" by Metro Station and "Fire" by Raghav.
The trio's winnings include $100,000, a Nissan sports car (valued over $100,000), a spot in a Las Vegas show, and an appearance of CityTV's New Years Bash.
According to Winnipeg Free Press one of the trio members, Vince O'Laney, 17, said "My mind went completely blank -- I was like 'Holy heck!' And then I started thinking about my family, and all the people across Canada who voted for us."
The competition ranged from beatboxers, to opera singers, to circus performers.
The self identified underdogs said "We worked really hard at it. We learned new dances. We broke some of the rules of the traditional steps and we made it, man. It's awesome. I think everybody for putting us in the underdog position because it pushed us even more. We came out on top because it made us work so hard."
Judge mulls arrests in dispute that has divided northern BC First Nation The Canadian Press SMITHERS, B.C. - A dispute that has divided a northern B.C. First Nation for more than five months is now in the hands of a B.C. Supreme Court judge.
The Gitxsan Treaty Society has asked the judge to order the arrest of dissident band members who have blockaded the society's offices in Hazelton since December, despite an court order issued in April to remove the protest.
The judge has reserved his decision in the case.
Protesters boarded up the society's office when the society announced support for the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway oil pipeline, and although the First Nation has since backed away from the support, the blockade remains.
The Gitxsan Treaty Society says four hereditary chiefs who have supported the blockade should be arrested, but some Gitxsan members have said they'll stand before the police and be arrested before the chiefs are taken away.
The dissidents are demanding an audit of the society's operations.
Ottawa is offering help to suicide pained Vancouver Island First Nation The Canadian Press ICTORIA - Two federal ministers have written to Vancouver Island's Cowichan Tribes First Nation pledging social and emotional help throughout a local declared state of emergency over a disturbing spike in suicides and attempted suicides.
Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq and Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan offered resources to the struggling First Nation in a letter to Chief Harvey Alphonse on Tuesday, promising "our top priority is to work with your health team to identify resources to help respond as quickly as possible."
"Health Canada can assist in making mental health professionals available to help in situations such as this," the letter said, adding a top B.C. bureaucrat will be on hand to help in any way possible.
Cowichan Tribes Chief Alphonse asked for help Monday from the federal and provincial governments after four suicides involving aboriginal males this year.
He said a pervasive sense of hopelessness that hangs over much of the Cowichan nation has also led to 52 suicide alerts in his east coast Vancouver Island community this year.
Alphonse said he wanted Duncan to visit Cowichan to view first-hand the threats to his community's primary asset, the youth.
B.C.'s aboriginal relations and reconciliation minister Mary Polak said the province has also been in contact with Cowichan Tribes with an offer of help.
Polak said one of her deputy ministers is meeting Friday with Cowichan Chief Harvey Alphonse and some members of his council and staff.
"It's deeply concerning, but we need to remember that along with our deep concern for Cowichan Tribes, there is an over-arching problem for First Nations. . . and that is that the rate of suicides in First Nations is extremely high," said Polak.
Cowichan Tribes acting health director Jennifer Jones confirmed the First Nation has been contacted by officials from the province and Ottawa.
Sports Headlines
REZ GOLF By Steve W Tooshkenig
Golf Pro
This article I want to
focus on four major
areas of the golf swing.
These four habits are
necessary from top to
bottom. Will go through
each area with clarity
and how each area will
benefit your golf swing.
The first area of focus is
your balance as in life
we all need a healthy
balance, this allows us
to be focused on our
goals and expectations.
Balance in your golf
swing doesn’t just start
before you hit the golf
ball it must be maintained
upon completion
of your golf swing. If
you swing too fast you
will find yourself falling
to the side our sometimes
falling backwards.
These are indicators
that your balance is off
kilter.
The second area to consider
is your direction.
Always pay attention to
where your feet and
shoulders are pointed
this will allow you to
get properly aimed.
Without your direction
then your golf game will
be made up of a bunch
of scattered golf shots.
You may hit the odd
great one but direction
allows you to hit more
quality directed golf
shots.
The third area to consider
is your visualization
of the golf shot you
intend on hitting. Do
you look for every opportunity
to hit a pond
located on the golf
course or do focus on
the fairway. I was golfing
in Miami and was
teamed up with a member
of the Miami Dolphins.
We were having a
blast and he asked me a
simple question “Steve,
what do you see before
you hit the golf ball” I
replied “what part of the
fairway I’m going to
hit”. It was a simple
reply and one that allowed
my partner to hit
the last three fairways
of the day. He thought
that was the coolest tip
ever but it only works if
you truly believe and
commit to that visual.
Brantford Golden Eagles will soon announce whether they are moving this fall to Caledonia
By Neil Becker
Sports Writer
In the next few days there
will be an important decision
made based on the Brantford
Golden Eagles.
The final step regarding them
possibly re-locating to Caledonia
will be made on
Wednesday night when the
Ontario Hockey Association
meets and votes on whether
to approve the move.
The Eagles who finished two
games short of winning the
Sutherland Trophy have already
received some promising
news as last week the
Greater Ontario Junior
Hockey League’s Mid-Western
Conference approved the
move.
If Brantford receives a unanimous
vote then they will be
known next year as the
Caledonia Pro-Fit Corvairs.
Knighthawks upset Rock
By Neil Becker
Sports Writer
Matt Vinc picked the perfect
time to shine as he
proved to be money in the
Rochester Knighthawks
East Division playoff upset
victory against the Toronto
Rock.
Playing against the NLL
champions Vinc stood tall
in making 51 saves and
Cory Vitarelli stared on offence
with four goals as
they made some franchise
history with their 17-13
win.
Rochester who were outshot
64-41 broke through
with their first ever playoff
win in Toronto. As a result
they will now be playing for
the first time since 2007 in
the Championship Cup finals.
Getting things started for
Rochester was their leading
scorer in Cody Jamieson
who scored a little over a
minute into play followed
not long after by Mike Accursi.
After Toronto tied things up
Rochester got the go-ahead
goal from Craig Point with
only one second left in the
first.
Six Nations Bantam 1 boys lacrosse undefeated after two games
By Neil Becker
Sports Writer
Terri Hill knows that there
will be some challenges
ahead for his Six Nations
Bantam 1 team.
Right now Hill who goes by
the nickname Bear is enjoying
the early season ride as
his club is currently undefeated
courtesy of a 9-3 win
against Hamilton and most
recently a 12-0 whitewash
at home against St.
Catharines.
Still he knows that there will
be some challenging games
in the future.
“We have a
good team
and did
things well
but we still
have to work
on a lot of
stuff,”
Hill who is the assistant
coach said following that
May 10th St. Catherines
game.
Once again in front of an enthusiastic
Gaylord Powless
Arena fan base Six Nations
were continuously flexing
their offensive muscles.
In only eight seconds they
had the arena crowd on
their feet cheering as Six Nations
forward Justin Martin
kick-started things with a
breakaway goal.
Local News Headlines
Vehicle rollover:
Fail to remain Staff
A blue 1991 Chevy pickup
truck almost caused several
accidents prior to rolling over
and crashing into a ditch half
a kilometer north of Indian
Line on Chiefswood Rd. The
May 8th accident saw no injuries.
Police responded at
7:30 p.m. While en route,
people involved in the crash
fled the scene. The investigation
is still ongoing.
Police cruiser hits deer
A Six Nations Police Officer was involved in a "motor vehicle accident" with a deer. The accident occured on Onondaga Rd near Third Line Rd while
enroute to a car fire. The officer was not hurt but the police vehicle sustained damaged to the right front corner. The deer fled the scene.
Denali evades
police While enroute to a domestic
dispute call on May 10th, Six
Nations Police spotted a
speeding Denali southbound
on Onondaga road. The officer
followed the vehicle to
Third Line Rd where it turned
East. The vehicle was spotted
on Highway 6, where after
several attempts to spot it,
the Denali cut through a field
back to Highway 6. The vehicle
was last seen on Fourth
Line Rd.
Editorial
Discovery Doctrine alive
There’s a little bit of irony in a report this week from
Elected Band Council chief Bill Montour on a recent trip
to the United Nations in New York.
He and other Assembly of First Nations leaders attended
the UN Forum on the Rights of Indigenous People. Also
at that forum were Confederacy representatives that have
been petitioning the UN for decades if not generations
and were in fact instrumental in writing the UN position
on Indigenous peoples.
The Elected Chief discussed how European dignitaries
were shocked at Canada’s treatment of aboriginal peoples.
But for a man who represents the very creature of
Canada’s subjugation of the Haudenosaunee it is ironic
that he should be in attendance at a forum seeking
restoration of the rights of the same people Canada’s
band system has put under thumb.
Bill Montour is well aware of the effect his council has
had on continuing that doctrine of subjugation. They in
fact participated in it when they pulled away from the
land rights table, withdrawing their support of the Confederacy
while continuing to ignore the Confederacy in
their attempts to lease out lands their council has no control
over or right to think they do,
Elected Chief Bill Montour shouldn’t have been surprised
at European dignitaries shock at Canada’s treatment of
First Nations.
As an Elected Chief in a federal band system, he should
have admitted his council’s complicity in denying the
Confederacy its rightful place and the, perhaps inadvertent,
human rights abuses his council imposes on the
Confederacy and its people through strong arm tactics
that destroy any movement forward on this community’s
land rights.
Elected Chief Montour will be the first to admit the system
he represent is a dismal failure in promoting First Nation
economic development or political growth.
But stepping away from the land rights table and in turn
belittling the Confederacy’s rightful place in the power
structure at Six Nations, that tactic his council will have
to own.
And that is no different that the “Doctrine of Discovery”
documents that sought to subjugate and deny the rights
of Indigenous people, regarding them as “sub-human.”
Until this band council gets back to that table and recognizes,
the Confederacy’s place, than the Doctrine of
Discovery is alive and well at Six Nations.
United Nations Declaration
UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: Please speak out! Within weeks, the United Nations General Assembly must make a decision on the long awaited and urgently needed UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Either the international community will move ahead with final adoption as has been urged by Indigenous peoples and their supporters worldwide, or adoption of the Declaration will once again be delayed due to the demands of a small, yet vocal group of states.
Please take this opportunity to support the Declaration.
More than 14,000 individuals and organizations have already signed a global petition hosted by Amnesty International Canada in support of the Declaration.
If you haven't already done so, please add your name and encourage many others to do so.
The petition, in English, Spanish, French and Russian is online at:
“There is no way we will agree to this pipeline … we will do
everything in our power to stop it,” Saik’uz Chief Jackie Thomas
told reporters. (Photo by Dennis Hannigan)
TORONTO - After Enbridge
shareholders voted last
Wednesday (May 9) at the
downtown King Edward Hotel
to pursue the Northern Gateway
pipeline through British
Columbia, a First Nations chief
emerged from the hotel and
told supporters outside “the
war is on.”
Nadleh Whut’en Chief Martin
Louie was referring to claims
made by several chiefs earlier
that day just blocks from the
hotel that legal means will be
pursued to stop the $5.5 billion
project which would see
two 1,177 km twin pipelines
running from Bruderhelm, Alberta,
to Kitimat, B.C.
The pipes would carry
525,000 barrels daily of raw tar
sands crude to the B.C. coast
through aboriginal lands to be
loaded onto oil supertankers
bound for Asia and other markets.
They would also cross
more than 785 rivers and
streams, including many
which are critical fish-bearing
habitat and also the headwaters
of the Mackenzie, Fraser
and Skeena rivers.
Louie was part of the “Freedom
Train” composed of the
Yinka Dene Alliance and allied
aboriginal leaders that set out
from northern B.C. for Toronto.
Along the way the group
gathered support in Jasper, Edmonton,
Saskatoon and Winnipeg.
In Toronto, the leaders held a
press conference then rallied
about 400 supporters who
marched five blocks chanting
anti-pipeline slogans and
banging drums as they passed
through the city’s financial district
to the hotel where Enbridge
shareholders were
meeting.
First Nations leaders attended
the meeting to voice their objections
to the project while
the number of supporters
standing outside in the offand-
on rain dwindled by about
three quarters over their threehour
vigil.
Before the march, aboriginal
leaders held a press conference.
“There is no way we will
agree to this pipeline … we
will do everything in our
power to stop it,” Saik’uz Chief
Jackie Thomas told reporters.
She said Enbridge wants to
talk to aboriginal leaders about
benefits the pipeline would
bring their communities.
“There is nothing to talk about
in terms of benefits. We will
tell them again that their project
is not going ahead and
they’re putting their company
and their reputation at serious legal and financial risk.
Building a memory of two little angels at Ronald McDonald House
By Donna Duric Writer
Kelsey Lana Hill. (Submitted photo)
It was no odd twist of fate.
For two sets of parents it
was closer to a miracle that
their daughters, both from
Six Nations, brought their
families together, as their
lives were coming to an end.
Kelsey Lana Hill and Kelsey
Louise Hill were both battling
for their lives at Mc-
Master Children’s Hospital
last year.
Unknown to each other,
they shared the same initials
and were both from Six Nations.
And sadly the girls shared
something else in common.
They both received their
angel wings last year while
their parents shared each
other’s agony at Ronald Mc-
Donald House in Hamilton.
Out of the immense pain
and sadness of losing a
child, a glimmer of peace
and hope was born.
The girl’s parents are
fundraising to have their
memories live on by having
the playroom at the newlyrenovated
Ronald McDonald
House in Hamilton named
for them.
It will be called the KLH
Playroom and will be a place
where children and families,
for just a few precious moments,
can forget about the
rigors and heartache of
fighting a terminal illness.
In September 2010, Kelsey,
who had just started Grade
7, complained of nausea,
headache and blurry vision.
She was diagnosed with a
rare, aggressive brain tumour
that had already
reached an advanced stage.
Treatments began at Mc-
Master Children’s Hospital:
radiation, chemotherapy,
over 600 needle pokes to
her body and countless
tests and scans. She never
complained, says her
mother, Lana Hill. “She always
maintained a positive
attitude.”
In fact, the courageous girl,
in the midst of her illness,
even helped raise $15,000
for the expansion of Ronald
McDonald House in the
summer of 2011. Those
who helped her with the
fundraising made t-shirts
and called themselves,
“Team Kelsey.”
For 15 months, Kelsey
fought. During that time,
her mother slept at her bedside
at hospital while her
dad, Derek, stayed at Ronald
McDonald House (RMH) – a
home away from home for
parents who need to be near
their very sick children.
Derek and Lana Hill live near
Fort Erie.
Kelsey even celebrated her
12th birthday at RMH,
where all family members
were able to attend the festivities.
Kelsey passed away on December
13, 2011. She was
13 years old.
“Kelsey would always say,
‘I just love it when we’re all
together.’”
Six Nations Band Council supports blockade of sludge plant
By Chase Jarrett
Writer
Dundalk residents have formed SPIRGE (Southgate Public Interest Research Group) to protest a
sludge plant in their area. Six Nations band council supported their blockade Monday.(Photo
by Donna Duric)
Six Nations Elected Council
is fully supporting a blockade
by a group of non-native residents
opposed to a sludge
plant located at the tip of the
Grand River in the small
town of Dundalk.
The blockade, now in its
43rd day, was initiated by a
group of residents who call
themselves SPIRGE (Southgate
Public Interest Research
Group) amid environmental
concerns of toxins leaching
into the Grand River and
contaminating farmers’ fields
wherever the processed
sludge is spread.
Elected council heard the
group’s concerns Monday
when it presented disturbing
findings of the possible contaminants
that processed
sludge contains, which included
a laundry list of cancer-
causing chemicals such
as benzene, arsenic, asbestos,
lead, DDT and nickel,
to name a few.
“This stuff is terribly deadly,”
said SPIRGE spokesman
James Cook.
Sludge plants take industrial,
commercial and household
sewage and turn it into a
mass-produced fertilizer that
farmers take advantage of
due its cheap cost, said
Cook.
The company that is building
the plant in Dundalk,
Lystek International Corporation,
is even telling local
farmers they’ll give them the
fertilizer free, he added.
Construction of the Lystek
plant was 75 per cent complete
when SPIRGE stopped
it last month, along with the
help of Six Nations activists
Wes Elliott and Floyd and
Ruby Montour. The plant
also sits on Six Nations’ unceded
land at the northern
tip of the Haldimand Tract.
Elected Chief Bill Montour
says he is worried about the
heavy metals and trace
amounts of pharmaceuticals
that are contained in the
sludge.
“I believe we’ve got a real
problem here,” he told the
delegation. He added that
the problem is compounded
by Dundalk being the highest
point in Ontario and there is
nowhere for the waste to go
but downstream.
Cook says the entire population
of Southgate Township
supports the blockade and is
against having the plant
built.
The Mayor of Southgate
Township, Brian Milne, supports
the Lystek project and
even met with elected council
secretly three weeks ago
to discuss it, said Cook.
Up until then, there had
been zero consultation with
Six Nations on the project,
said Cook.
“The mayor reported that the
meeting with Six Nations
was very successful.”
Elected Chief Montour, however,
says otherwise.
“He (Milne) has been nothing
but a thorn in my side.”
Cook said he became concerned
when Milne told
Southgate Council that
SPIRGE was spreading “erroneous”
information to Six
Nations.
“We came here to touch
base and clear up misinformation
being spread by proponents
(of Lystek) and our
council,” said Cook.
Community trust hoarding money, councillor says
By Donna Duric
Writer
Six Nations cash-rich community
development trust
came under fire again at band
council for what some councillors
called “hoarding of
funds,” and a lack of transparency.
The Six Nations Community
Development Trust,(SNCDT)
has $17 million in community
owned cash assets.
At last week’s general council
meeting a community
member wanted to know
why council approved
$200,000 for a new ball
hockey arena last month yet
two local tyke softball teams
have to play off reserve because
there are not enough
ball diamonds on the territory.
She wondered where
the money came from and
why she wasn’t aware funding
was available to community
members who want to
get community projects
going.
“Some people can access
money and some can’t,” said
Kathy Hill, who brought the
issue to council lamenting
the plight of the children’s
softball teams. “Why do we
have to send the kids off the
reserve? Let’s use (the
money) to build a third ball
diamond.”
The tyke teams play at 6:30
pm, she said, and those time
slots are already taken. The
kids need to play earlier so
they can get home to bed,
she said.
The money for the new ball
hockey arena is coming out
of uncommitted Ontario First
Nations Limited Partnership
(OFNLP) funds. OFNLP funds
are funneled to First Nations
communities across Ontario
from the Ontario First Nations
Partnership which distributes
Ontario Lottery and
Gaming Corporation proceeds
to all First Nations.
Council had voted last
month not to give the
SNCDT its 25 per cent share
of OFNLP dollars and used a
portion of that to go toward
the building of the new ball
hockey arena.
Council also used the OFNLP
funds to offset the costs of
the water treatment plant,
currently under construction.
Councillor Dave Hill said he
pushed for the new ball
hockey arena at the request
of community members.
Council told Hill she and
other community members
are always welcome to request
funding from council
for community projects.
“As a community member, I
didn’t know you could come
and ask for money,” she said.
Councillor Ross Johnson said
community members
shouldn’t even have to come
to council asking for money,
saying there is $17 million in
cash that the Trust is “sitting
on” that’s meant to be used
for community projects.
He accused the Trust board
of hoarding the cash.
Celebrate Six Nations Annual
Bread and Cheese
Day - Monday, May 21th, 2012, 12pm, Gaylord Powless Arena
by Turtle Island News
Staff
Miss Six Nations gives a hand.
Bread and Cheese Day is observed by
Six Nations on Victoria Day.
The day is marked with speeches, games,
and a gift of bread and cheese to
members of the community.
In appreciation of their allegiance to the
British Empire during the American Revolution
and the War of 1812, Queen Victoria began an
annual tradition of giving gifts to the
Six Nations community, namely blankets.
The custom ended with Victoria's death in
1901. In 1924, however, the council of the
Six Nations decided to revive the practice,
this time with gifts of bread and cheese, as a
commemoration of the close ties between
Six Nations and the British Crown.
Rebels feeling pretty confident after weekend victories against Brampton and Guelph
By Neil Becker
Writer
Rebels Wayne Hill fights off his check while looking for that open man against Guelph during what was a
Rebels victory at the ILA. (Photos By Neil Becker)
There may have been a large
turnover from last year but
that hasn’t stopped the Six
Nations Rebels from once
again being considered as
serious threats.
The Rebels who have lost
such talented players as
Alex Martin, Vaughn Harris,
Danny Vyse, Chris
Attwood, Brandon Montour
and Lucas Smith to
name a few haven’t missed
a beat on the floor as they
recently improved their
early season record to 7-1.
“We wanted to show the
league that we were ready
for the new season,” Rebels
veteran Greg Longboat said.
“We have a brand new
team and we’re showing
how good we are.”
That they have definately
been as their strong play
has continued right into
mid May.
Remarkably during weekend
games on May 11th
and 13th against Brampton
and Guelph they managed
to outshot their opponents
130-70 while outscoring
them 42-12 in earning consecutive
victories.
Coming off a 22-6 win in
Brampton the Rebels didn’t
show any signs of fatigue
two days later as they
treated the ILA Fans to a
couple of quick goals from
Longboat before the game
was even five minutes old.
Guelph who are a respectable
5-5 on the season
couldn’t sustain the
powerful Rebels offensive
attack as they also got
goals from Zed Williams
with his first of four, Brine
Rice with two of his three
and Tyson Bomberry which
quickly made it 6-0 half
way through the first.
“They are a real good team
and I thought it would be
closer,” Longboat who also
got into a fight said. “Our
coaches were telling us to
keep working and we came
out dominating and they
couldn’t match up.”
Following two consecutive
Guelph goals the Rebels
ended the first period with
an explanation mark as another
veteran in Ian Martin
scored the eighth goal with
only 19 seconds left on the
clock.
Six Nations who now leads
the Junior ‘B’ lacrosse circuit
with 127 goals scored
early and often in the second
led by Williams who
had two goals. Also getting
on the scoreboard was Brier
Jonathan, Daniel Henhawk,
Jacob Crans, Rice and Martin
with their second and
Wayne Hill with his first of
two.
Your guide to tourism, festivals and entertainment in aboriginal country nationwide!
Advertise your festival, powwow, event and tourism related business here in Canada's fastest growing Aboriginal Tourism Magazine. Read about where to find and enjoy aboriginal powwows, festivals events and tourism hotspots including cultural and eco tourism.
Fore Golf Magazine
Education Edition
Youth want to build a brighter future! They want to improve their lives and the lives of their families and friends. This magazine is geared to supporting our youth and features choices along their educational path that we hope will help them make their decisions for a brighter future.
Six Nations at the Cross Roads
The Day The Trust Died
April 20, 2006 OPP Raid Kanonhstaton
Exclusive Photos by Turtle Island News photographer Jim C Powless.
Written by Turtle Island News Editor Lynda Powless.
Order your copy today $17.99 Canadian.
Prime Minister China Agreements
