Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council did not approve Brantford and Six Nations Elected Council Boundary Lands agreement
By Lynda Powless Editor The Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council (HCCC) says a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Brantford and Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) over the “Brantford Boundary Lands” attempts to reduce the HCCC’s relationship to its unsurrendered lands. The HCCC statement, issued late Friday, says it did not authorize the agreement, is not a party to it and has not seen it. Instead, the HCCC said the agreement attempts to reduce the Haudenosaunee lands at Brantford to little more than an “interest, economic benefit, or a seat at a table, but forgets the acres are unsurrendered Haudenosaunee lands.” The HCCC was responding to SNEC’s signing an MOU with Brantford over lands known as the boundary lands. The HCCC said “ Our relationship to these lands does not originate with...
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People returning to Kashechewan after 8-month evacuation
By Marissa Lentz-McGrath, Local Journalism Initiative, TimminsToday.com KASHECHEWAN — As hundreds of people return to their James Bay community, leaders are pushing to restart talks about permanently relocating it. Tyson Wesley, executive director of Kashechewan First Nation, said the homecoming has brought a mix of relief, happiness and grief for residents who have spent months living in hotels and other temporary accommodations. “I’m glad this is over because I was getting tired of sending our people home in coffins,” Wesley told TimminsToday. The community of about 2,000 people was evacuated in January after failures in its water and sewage systems contributed to the spread of cryptosporidium, a parasite that can cause gastrointestinal illness. The evacuation lasted about eight months, with about 1,700 residents staying in communities including Timmins, Kapuskasing, Sudbury,...
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Six Nations Police seize drugs and weapons in Caledonia search
(OHSWEKEN, ON) – August 20, 2026 – Two men are facing drugs and weapons charges after the Six Nations Police Drug Enforcement Unit launched “Project Flight” seizing suspected cocaine, firearms and more after a search of a Caledonia residence . The drug trafficking investigation was launched at a residence on Santos Drive in Caledonia, Ontario. Six Nations Police said two adult males were taken into custody without incident. As a result of the investigation and subsequent search, police seized: Approximately 47 grams of suspected cocaine Canadian currency A stolen motor vehicle A prohibited weapon Firearm ammunition Cellular phones Drug packaging materials As a result of the investigation, Alex Townsend, 25, of Caledonia, has been charged with: Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Cocaine Possession of Proceeds of Crime Under...
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Studies show year-round shipping potential from Port of Churchill
By Ian Bickis Manitoba’s premier says studies showing year-round shipping potential from the Port of Churchill boost the case for expanding the Arctic deepsea port. “This breakthrough means we can stop asking if year-round shipping from Churchill is possible,” Kinew said in a statement Friday. He said the studies address a key concern from shippers and will help attract investment. “Now is the time for industry, investors and governments in Canada and around the world to invest in Churchill.” The studies say advances in marine technology and declining sea ice due to climate change mean shipping can be greatly expanded from the current four-month window. They show the waterways could be navigated year-round by icebreakers costing between $100 million and $410 million, rather than the billions of dollars it would...
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Northern patients call for overhaul of Ontario travel grant
By Pam Fedack, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Kenora Miner & News For many people in northwestern Ontario, seeing a specialist begins with a road trip. It can mean hundreds of kilometres behind the wheel, an overnight hotel stay and meals away from home — sometimes while the patient is undergoing cancer treatment or dealing with a different life-threatening illness. A group of northern patient advocates says Ontario’s Northern Health Travel Grant (NHTG) helps but too often leaves patients paying costs the program doesn’t cover, while also navigating a complicated application process despite being sick. Now, the Community Patient Advisory Council of the All Nations Health Partners Ontario Health Team is calling for changes to the program, beginning with reimbursement rates, and eventually giving patients a formal voice in how the...
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National monument marking LGBTQ+ persecution unveiled in Ottawa
By Dylan Robertson Victims of state prosecution hope Canada’s new national monument for LGBTQ+ people will be a place to learn, grieve and celebrate. The monument officially opened Thursday morning in Ottawa, just west of Parliament Hill. “We’re telling the stories of what happened to so many of us, and making sure that Canadians know this is a time we should never return to,” said Michelle Douglas head of the LGBT Purge Fund, in an interview. Douglas speaks on behalf of members of the military and public service who were pushed out of their jobs on the suspicion they were part of a gender or sexual minority, a practice that was commonplace in the federal government during the Cold War. The Heritage Department website says “the Purge was a prolonged...
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N.S. fishers plan appeal after court dismisses lobster treaty rights case
A group representing commercial fishers in Nova Scotia says it plans to appeal after a court ruled it does not have standing to pursue a case involving Indigenous fishing rights. The Unified Fisheries Conservation Alliance was asking the court to rule that members of the Sipekne’katik First Nation do not have a treaty right to fish lobster out of season without commercial licenses. It claimed the commercial fishery in Nova Scotia’s St. Mary’s Bay was unauthorized and unlawful and has had a detrimental impact on other fishers and lobster stocks. Last month, the Nova Scotia Supreme Court dismissed the case, saying it’s up to Sipekne’katik — not the alliance — to decide if it wants to engage Ottawa over treaty rights. Alliance President Colin Sproul says his group plans to...
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Council protects ALR land from 10-unit subdivision
By Keith Lacey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Penticton Herald Penticton council has rejected moving forward with a proposed 10-unit subdivision on a parcel of land that has long been home to a peach orchard on land located in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) on Pineview Road in Penticton. The family that owns the property at 610 Pineview Road had applied to exclude a portion of their property from the ALR to move forward with construction of a 10-parcel housing project. The application was introduced to council two weeks ago on Aug. 4 and a public hearing was held Tuesday evening in council chambers. Staff had recommended forwarding the application to the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) because the portion of the property under consideration for ALR exclusion is identified for residential...
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‘You saved a lot of our people’: Four syilx Nation members honoured for contributions
By Aaron Hemens, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews With her family, colleagues and community surrounding her, an emotional nkwancinem Kim Montgomery was gifted a special fox pelt to honour her 20 years of service with the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA). A key and dedicated member of ONA’s wellness team, nkwancinem was honoured by her colleagues in her home community of the Lower Similkameen Indian Band. She was one of four syilx Nation members to have had their lifelong achievements and contributions to the community celebrated at the ONA’s 2026 annual general assembly, which took place July 22 and 23 in sməqmíx homelands. As the mental health lead for the Okanagan Nation Response Team, nkwancinem oversees a group of “community members who have received extensive training in the areas of suicide...
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N.L. government announces Team Labrador to secure economic benefits from energy deal
The Newfoundland and Labrador government says it wants to make sure Labradorians benefit from the province’s proposed multibillion-dollar energy deal with Quebec. The province has appointed three members of the provincial legislature to serve on a new team with a mandate to ensure the peninsula can capitalize on the deal. The two provinces’ public utility companies have proposed the construction of several energy projects around the Churchill River. But one local mayor says his community would need help to absorb the large number of workers arriving for some of the proposed projects. Mayor Bert Pomeroy of Happy Valley-Goose Bay said there would be an increased stress on housing and health care, and the infrastructure that supports it. The province says its new Team Labrador will engage with Indigenous governments and...
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Province announces $2.2 million for community environmental projects
By Paige Morgan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, River Valley Sun Western New Brunswick organizations included in funding More than $2.2 million is being distributed among 45 community-based projects across central and western New Brunswick through the Environmental Trust Fund. “Our government remains committed to supporting projects that deliver meaningful, lasting benefits for communities across the province,” said Environment and Climate Change Minister Gilles LePage. “By empowering local environmental leaders and community organizations, we are taking meaningful steps toward a cleaner, greener and more sustainable province.” Since its inception in 1990, the Environmental Trust Fund has supported community-based initiatives that focus on several priority areas: environmental protection, raising environmental awareness, waste management, addressing climate change and building sustainable communities. “Investments like these show what is possible when governments, communities and conservation...
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150 Years of Treaty 6
By Carol Baldwin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Wakaw Recorder In 1876, First Nations and the Crown entered into Treaty 6 at Fort Carlton on August 23rd. Commemorative events for the 150th anniversary are scheduled from August 20 to 23, 2026, at Fort Carlton Provincial Historic Park, and the original parchment will be on display. The original manuscript of Treaty 6, rarely displayed outside museums, is significant for its unique handwritten elements from the 1876 negotiations, including additions like the Medicine Chest and Famine & Pestilence clauses, offering insights into the discussions. Understanding Treaty involves looking beyond the text to its Spirit and Intent. This milestone event offers an opportunity to reflect on the commitments, relationships, responsibilities, and historical context related to the Treaty, while also emphasizing the importance of its...
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First Nation-led pilot turns forestry waste into foam with federal backing
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer As wildfires burn through BC forests, a First Nation is demonstrating what can be done with any damaged or leftover wood by turning it into biodegradable packaging and building insulation. Reg Ogen, a Wet’suwet’en leader who has been hearing helicopters over his Penticton home as crews fight a major wildfire near Summerland, said this latest disaster points to a larger supply of damaged wood across BC that could be put to use. The idea first came from Wet’suwet’en Elders who questioned why forestry companies left wood waste behind after logging, said Ogen, president and CEO of Yinka Dene Economic Development Limited Partnership, the business arm of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation. “Our elders saw big piles of brush being burned in...
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Six Nations Elected Council facing community storm over “secret” Brantford boundry lands MOU
Mayor Kevin Davis and Six Nations Elected Chief-Sherri-Lyn Hill sign what Brantford Mayor Davis called a “secret” MOU over “Boundry Lands “development . (Supplied Photo) By Lynda Powless Editor SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER-After facing a storm of community anger Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) is trying to cool the fires claiming it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City of Brantford over what’s known as the “Boundary Lands’ because Ontario has blocked First Nations from benefiting from their homelands. The controversial MOU sparked a barrage of angry comments in the community and flooded Face Book postings accusing SNEC of corruption, secrets and calling for Elected Chief’s Sherri-Lyn Hill’s impeachment and demands she step down. The anger also sparked safety concerns for SNEC members prompting the band...
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Calgary police officer charged in shooting death of Stoney Nakoda man will go to trial
By Leah Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Rocky Mountain Outlook ÎYÂRHE NAKODA – A Calgary police officer will stand trial for the shooting deaths of two men, including one from Îyârhe (Stoney) Nakoda First Nation, after an eight-day preliminary hearing determined there is enough evidence to move the case forward. Craig Stothard is facing two counts of second-degree murder after a 2023 shooting that resulted in the deaths of Levon Fox, 39, of Goodstoney First Nation and Wesley Davidson, 46. The preliminary inquiry wrapped up on Tuesday (Aug.18) after Justice Mark Mastel, who also ordered a publication ban on the hearing, ruled there is sufficient evidence to move to a trial. Levon Fox’s mother, Lena Wildman attended each day of the inquiry. “It’s been a tough week,” Wildman said. “Our...
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Mînî Thnî skateboard program empowering youth, looks to revamp community park
By Leah Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Rocky Mountain Outlook ÎYÂRHE NAKODA – On Wednesday nights in Mînî Thnî, you’ll find Mark Kaquitts and River Holloway at the skatepark. Holloway can land a mean ollie and makes a kickflip look easy but the skaters aren’t there for themselves, they’re there for the youth. “I’m using skateboarding as a tool for the youth’s hearts,” said Kaquitts, founder of Nakoda Skate and Snow, the longest running weekly skate program on the reserve. For Kaquitts, it’s about empowering Îyârhe (Stoney) Nakoda kids by placing a skateboard in their hand, showing up to the park every week – with free pizza and pop – and providing a safe place for them to shred. “A lot of these kids don’t have the right support system...
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B.C., federal governments announce $106.5 million investment for new fisheries fund
The British Columbia and federal governments have announced a joint investment of $106.5 million over five years to help restore salmon habitat and to support the province’s fish and seafood sectors. The governments say in a joint news release that the money will be allocated through the new British Columbia Fisheries Fund. The fund aims to support the conservation and recovery of wild Pacific salmon, which the release says are “woven into the economy and the culture of coastal and Indigenous communities.” The governments say it will build on the BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund, which was launched in 2019 and has invested in 170 projects related to the development of new technologies in salmon recovery and conservation. They say reaching new markets is now essential to becoming resilient...
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Ontario First Nation evacuated for second time this summer as nursing station flooded
By Maan Alhmidi Neskantaga First Nation had to be evacuated again after a sewage flood at the community’s only nursing station, the northern Ontario community’s chief said on Thursday. Gary Quisess said Neskantaga residents had to leave the community earlier this month for the second time this summer, just days after they returned home following a wildfire evacuation. “It’s not a good feeling to be displaced and a hotel is not a long term facility for a community to stay in,” he said during a press conference at Queen’s Park. “It’s heartbreaking. All of our plans, summer plans, are gone. Our community festival. Our family reunion, it’s gone. Youth retreat is gone. Everything.” He said families from his community are staying in crowded hotel rooms in Toronto and they want...
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Manitoba premier questions reliability of trade deal with erratic Trump
By Ian Bickis Manitoba’s premier says he is open to returning U.S. booze to provincial shelves but wonders how reliable any deal will be with a U.S. president known for breaking his word. Wab Kinew made the comments on Winnipeg radio station 680 CJOB Thursday morning as Canada and the United States work to finalize a new trade deal to ward off further punishing tariffs on Canadian goods. It reportedly includes a better deal on steel tariffs, which Kinew acknowledged would benefit the Gerdau steel mill in Selkirk, Man., and other workers in the industry. But he said he would rather keep pushing to remove tariffs entirely than cut a bad deal. “If I were leading the country, I’d fight. I think we should fight this guy,” he told the...
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New docuseries on Arctic life premieres next month on APTN
By Sam Laskaris, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com Terry Uyarak is an acclaimed Inuk singer/songwriter who has also worked as a performer and artistic director of an Inuit circus troupe. Even with all that entertainment experience under his belt, Uyarak, who lives in Igloolik, a hamlet in Nunavut, was nervous during one of his recent gigs. Uyarak is featured in the first episode of a new docuseries titled Go North! that will begin airing on APTN Sept. 3. Go North! is a series that celebrates Indigenous travel, resilience and life in the Arctic. In the initial episode, titled “Open Water,” Uyarak leads a group of Inuit youth on a walrus hunting expedition. When he’s not performing on a stage, Uyarak is out on the land hunting and harvesting food and...
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