Wilderness advocates delay removal of tree ‘Yellowstone Forest Reserve’ surveyors inscribed in 1893
By Mike Koshmrl/wyofile Public opposition will slow plans to remove and display a section of a dead Shoshone National Forest tree that surveyors mapping Yellowstone Forest Reserve boundaries inscribed 133 years ago. The dead Engelmann spruce still stands about 28 miles from the nearest trailhead in the Washakie Wilderness. Plans to recover the artifact via helicopter have been underway for years, and there’s even a place in the Wyoming State Museum to display it. But as plans advanced, federal land managers did not loop in the general public nor advocacy groups whose mission it is to uphold the Wilderness Act. When they ultimately learned about the project, advocates publicly objected — and let Shoshone National Forest Supervisor Ken Coffin know it. “I got probably somewhere around 200 emails from people...
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Bank CEOs maintain positive credit outlook despite Canada-U.S. trade war escalations
By Daniel Johnson Canadian bank CEOs say their credit outlooks are still generally positive despite Canada-U.S. trade tensions ratcheting up, though they’re taking some precautions. “I’m a little cautious because of the escalation of the trade war right now, but what we’re seeing outside of that, consumer, commercial, U.S. commercial is getting better,” RBC president and CEO Dave McKay said on Wednesday at the Scotiabank Financials Summit in Toronto. However, he says tariff-impacted sectors are facing a significant degree of uncertainty and the bank is maintaining a robust capital buffer to absorb potential losses. Scotiabank president and CEO Scott Thomson says he doesn’t think tariffs will have a large effect on the lender’s credit performance. “A relatively small amount of trade is tariffed, and so I don’t think that’s going...
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From Colonial Force to Treaty Partner? The RCMP and a changing relationship with Treaty 6 Nations
By Chevi Rabbit, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News For 150 years, the relationship between the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Indigenous peoples has been intertwined with the history of Canada itself. That history is complicated. The institution now known as the RCMP began in 1873 as the North-West Mounted Police, created by the federal government as it extended Canadian authority into the West. The force marched westward in 1874, establishing posts and detachments across territory that was already home to First Nations and Métis peoples. For Treaty 6 First Nations, that history cannot be separated from the Crown’s broader relationship with Indigenous peoples. Treaty 6 was entered into in 1876 at Fort Carlton on August 23, at Chief Beardy’s campsite on August 28 and at Fort Pitt on...
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Brantford Police arrest man in three year old sexual assault and abduction
BRANTFORD, ONT- The Brantford Police Service (BPS) have arrested and charged a 53-year-old man wanted in connection with the April 27, 2023 abduction of a woman from the Barton Street East and Wellington Street in Hamilton area. BPS said the man was arrested as a result of continued investigation, and the advancement of investigative techniques. Brantford Police Service detectives arrested a 53-year-old Brantford man Sept., 9, 2026 and charged him with: Sexual Assault Kidnapping Assault Overcoming Resistance to Commit Indictable Offence (Attempt to choke) Forcible Confinement The accused was held for a bail hearing. The arrest came after a joint investigation with Hamilton Police Services. Detectives with the Brantford Police Service sought the public’s help at the time of the abduction and sexual assault that occurred Thursday, April 27, 2023 ...
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Canada ends Indigenous rights talks with unrecognized Inuit group in Labrador
The Canadian government says it is ending talks about Indigenous rights and recognition with the NunatuKavut Community Council in Labrador. Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada says it reviewed information provided by the group and found it did not meet established tests for rights under section 35 of the Constitution. Section 35 of the Constitution Act recognizes and affirms Indigenous and treaty rights. In response, the community council accused the federal government of bowing to pressure from other Indigenous groups. In a statement Wednesday, the NunatuKavut Community Council said it is a strong Inuit government committed to having its rights recognized. The council says it represents about 6,000 Inuit in southern and central Labrador, though it is not recognized by the Inuit Nunatsiavut government in northern Labrador, nor by the...
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A private Indigenous-owned company wants funding from Quebec for a data centre in Cree community
By Ghazal Azizi Kashi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Investigative Journalism Foundation An ex-mayor in Quebec who was convicted of fraudulent electoral maneuvers is now lobbying the provincial government to finance an Indigenous-owned data centre in Cree territory. For the last year, Robert Milot, the former mayor of Sainte-Adèle, Que., has been representing E-New Data Corp. , an Indigenous-owned private company from Waswanipi Cree First Nation. On July 21, 2026, Milot also registered to lobby on behalf of Yab Management, a consulting firm specializing in remote Northern and Indigenous regions. E-New Data Corp is privately owned by Sam Gull, whose address also appears on the business registration for Yab Management. The two companies want funding from Quebec’s Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy for a data centre in Waswanipi, their registrations...
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N.B. gives conditional approval for natural gas plant
By Nathalie Sturgeon, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Saint Croix Courier The provincial government has attached 45 conditions to the construction and operation of a natural gas plant (RIGS project) set to be built in Tantramar. An environmental impact assessment (EIA) was conducted on the proposed facility to determined what conditions would need to be met before moving forward. “Before ProEnergy can begin construction, seven conditions must be met and further five conditions before operating can begin,” Gillies LePage, the Environment Minister, said. He said some of the conditions continue throughout the lifespan of the project. The U.S.-based company is proposing to install 10 refurbished jet-engine turbines near Sackville, which are intended to support NB Power’s electricity needs. NB Power has said it could face rolling blackouts if this plant was...
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B.C. forestry sector says industry at ‘breaking point’ in letter to Premier David Eby
British Columbia forestry groups have written to Premier David Eby saying the industry is at a “breaking point” and calling for urgent action to address challenges ranging from provincial permitting delays to U.S. tariffs. The letter is co-authored by groups representing contractors, manufacturers, unions and others dependent on forestry, including the BC Council of Forest Industries, BC First Nations Forestry Council and the Truck Loggers Association. The groups acknowledge that international trade pressures are beyond the premier’s control, but say many challenges are “homegrown.” The letter asks Eby to take swift action to form a crisis group with a mandate to cut costs, remove regulatory barriers and get economically viable wood moving. The groups say the group should be led by Eby’s office and bring together senior government decision makers...
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Congratulations Ava!
Six Nations’ own Ava Hill has been named the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient by the Women Empowerment Awards! Ava is being celebrated for her lifetime dedication to leadership, advocacy and creating opportunities for future generations. From promoting First Nations youth in sports to politics, her career has spanned work with the federal government, the Assembly of First Nations and working for her community. Her dedication to her community included 15 years on Six Nations Elected Council with two terms as Elected Chief from 2013–2019, and earned her respect as Six Nations’ hardest working female elected chief!...
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Six Nations Elected Council running $3.4 million deficit
By Lynda Powless Editor With a nudge from Turtle Island News, Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) is getting better at releasing its annual audit. This year the audit is again only three months late and again was quietly posted to its website after Turtle Island News questioned why it wasn’t publically available. What the 2025-2026 audit shows is SNEC continuing to bail out underfunded government programs with the community’s own source revenues. The 2025-2026 SNEC audit shows the band would be running a $3.4 million deficit without the community’s own source revenues kicking in to bail out government underfunding. The band brought in a total of $179,905,709 in total revenues in the 2025-2026 budget year but only $134,375,867 was government funding for various band program and services. Another $40,368,106 in revenues that...
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Six Nations Elected Council costs still hitting highs
Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) is heading into its last term of office in November and still sits as one of the most expensive band councils in its history. The 12 member elected council’s costs soared in the 2024-2025 audit year to a skyrocketing $934,939. SNEC is a part-time council with only the Elected Chief full-time. But the 2025-2026 audit just released shows costs dropped last year to $885,604, a $49,335 drop in the current audit. The current council was sworn in November 7,2023 and included six veterans and six new councillors The 2023-2027 council is made-up of Elected Chief Sherri-Lyn Pierce-Hill (who has since dropped the hyphenated name to just Hill). It was her first term as an elected chief. The 12 councillors include: Alaina VanEvery, Amos Key, Audrey...
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Upgrades to septic service equipment, ongoing
Upgrades to septic service equipment, ongoing work on the community’s waste bylaw and a series of road repairs were among the issues at the Built Environment, Climate Adaptation, Lands and Membership Committee. Councill Dayle Bomberry, chair of the committee presented an update from the Aug. 13 meeting to Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) at its General COuncil meeting on August 25. One of the items moving forward to Council is a proposal to purchase a new septic truck to help address the community’s needs and replace aging equipment. The Six Nations Public Works department currently has three vehicles, but some are becoming increasingly old, with one about 12 years old. “There’s quite a big need in the community, and they are working on it,” Bomberry said. The proposed purchase is...
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After three years cable infrastructure nearing end
After more than three years of construction, First Nations Cable’s fibre-to-the-home project on Six Nations is nearing the finish line, with the remaining areas scheduled for completion by the end of September. Jeff Thomas owner of First Nations Cable told Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) during its General Council meeting Aug. 25 that the majority of the fibre infrastructure is now in place, with only sections of Second Line Road, Townline Road, Sixth Line Road, Seventh Line Road and Highway 54 still needing work. “It’s been a long three and a half years on this project that we’ve been working on with the internet, and it’s finally coming to a close here,” Thomas said. The project was designed to bring high-speed fibre internet infrastructure to homes throughout the community and...
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Karihwanó:ron finally home
By Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door Watakerená:wi Dunkley grew up grounded in her language and culture – and that made all the difference. Not every child in the early 2000s, or even today, had that opportunity. But Dunkley was a student at Karihwanó:ron Mohawk Immersion School, which, at nearly 40 years old, is one of Kahnawake’s most enduring success stories in the drive to transmit Kanien’kehá:ka teachings and perhaps one day restore Kanien’kéha as the community’s common language. “It had such a positive impact on my life because growing up I always had the cultural teachings,” said Dunkley. She carried these sensibilities through her young life, choosing to attend Six Nations Polytechnic, where she studied language and culture in hopes of becoming a teacher in town....
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B.C. boaters warned to avoid floating island that has mystified experts
By Nono Shen Geologist John Joseph Clague said when he first heard that a floating island, bigger than a football field, had been spotted on a lake in British Columbia’s northern Interior, he dismissed it as an “AI stunt.” But Clague — a professor of earth sciences at Simon Fraser University and an emeritus scientist of the Geological Survey of Canada — is now convinced that the island is very real, but is mystified by its origins. Boaters have been being warned to stay off the island that reappeared on Monday on Williston Lake, the reservoir for the W.A.C. Bennett Dam, after BC Hydro confirmed its existence in mid-August but then lost track of it.. BC Hydro spokesperson Bob Gammer said it had travelled about 30 kilometres, adding to the...
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Ava Hill, stands out as Indigenous Woman leader…
Six Nations has had only three elected female chiefs since the band system was imposed in 1924. And of those three, no one stands out more than Ava Hill. A former councillor turned Elected Chief, there was never any question about her loyalty to working for the community. Ava took the helm of the community with just a two- vote lead, but she turned that narrow margin into a victory for the community with simple hard-core advocacy work. She had hopes during her term of seeing the many factions that exist within the community move to unify, but didn’t let those barriers stand in her way of promoting and working for all of Six Nations. As a veteran councillor, she knew the needs of the community. She often said her...
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Today in History
Sept 6 In 1995, Dudley George, one of a group of aboriginal protesters occupying Ipperwash Provincial Park on Lake Huron in Ontario, was shot dead by police. The protesters were claiming the park occupied a sacred burial ground. (A police officer was later convicted of criminal negligence causing death). In 2023, the remains of two Innu children were exhumed from a Quebec cemetery to help give closure to families who had long-standing questions about the identities of the bodies they buried in 1970. In 2024, Manitoba Grand Chief Cathy Merrick died after suddenly collapsing outside the Winnipeg Law Courts building. She had been speaking with reporters about two court cases when she said she felt dizzy and fell to the ground. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said flags at the legislature...
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UNDER THE NORTHERN SKY: Opening The New St Francis Xavier Church In Attawapiskat
By Xavier Kataquapit I was happy to see my home community of Attawapiskat on the James Bay coast announce the opening of the new St Francis Xavier Parish Church on August 25. The community enjoyed the celebration together, filling the new church for the official opening. The ribbon-cutting event began with a traditional drumming ceremony led by Danny Metatawabin and dancers led by Janie Kataquapit on the riverbank next to the new church. The gathering then took part in a Catholic ceremony to consecrate the new church. The ceremony was led by local parish priest Father Kingsley Njoku, S.M.M.M., of St Francis Xavier Church and was joined by Bishop Pierre Olivier Tremblay, O.M.I., Diocese of Hearst-Moosonee and Bishop Alan Edward Campeau, Diocese of Thunder Bay. The event was also attended...
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Chiefs preparing to host Adanacs in Mann Cup series
By Sam Laskaris Writer The 2026 Mann Cup champions will be crowned at some point next week. It remains to be seen, however, if it will be the host Six Nations Chiefs, the three-time defending national champs who will make history and win their fourth straight title, or if British Columbia’s Coquitlam Adanacs will capture Canadian bragging rights. All games in the best-of-seven Mann Cup series will be held locally, at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena. The series opener is scheduled for Friday at 8 p.m. The Chiefs, who have been operating since 1993, are hoping to win their 10th Mann Cup in franchise history. As for the Adanacs, they were founded in 1965. But they only have won the national title once, exactly a quarter century ago, in 2001. For...
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Rivermen coach proud of his players’ efforts at The Prezzy
By Sam Laskaris Writer The Six Nations Rivermen did manage to come up with some victories at the Presidents Cup, the national Senior B lacrosse tournament. But unfortunately for the Rivermen they were not able to come up with a win when they needed it most to keep their medal hopes alive at the Canadian championships, which concluded this past Saturday in Edmonton. The Six Nations squad did manage to emerge victorious in two out of its three round-robin contests at the eight-team tourney, which is often simply called The Prezzy. But the Rivermen had their medal aspirations disappear when they were downed 16-12 by British Columbia’s Ladner Pioneers in a quarter-final match last Wednesday. Despite that loss, the Six Nations side did have one more game. But it was...
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