Indigenous women’s groups call out limited funding in new federal budget
By Alessia Passafiume Indigenous women’s groups say the new federal budget is harming the people they represent by not including funding targeted at violence and community support services. Native Women’s Association of Canada president Josie Nepinak says the safety of Indigenous women must not depend on short-term funding cycles or be treated as a secondary factor in broader programs. She says Indigenous women need sustained investment and Indigenous women’s organizations need to play a meaningful role in implementing that investment. The federal budget identifies $3.6 million in funding for Indigenous women, including money to address the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and to fund an alert system to help find women who go missing. Nepinak says while some of the funding in the budget is welcome, more needs...
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Shelter-in-place advisory issued near Squamish, B.C., due to flooding from heavy rain
A shelter-in-place advisory has been issued north of Vancouver, where roads have flooded due to dam run-off triggered by storms that have drenched parts of southern British Columbia with more than 300 millimetres of rain in 48 hours. The rains that are forecast to ease Thursday before a weaker system arrives Friday have also forced evacuation orders for parts of Vancouver Island, the Lil’wat First Nation in the central Interior, and parts of the Village of Pemberton, about 150 kilometres north of Vancouver. The entire Village of Pemberton is under an evacuation alert, while the District of Squamish about 90 kilometres to the south has told residents of Paradise Valley to shelter in place after dam discharge swamped local roads. British Columbia’s emergency information system says residents in areas including...
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Diabo keen to discuss Mercier Bridge with provincial officials
By Iori:wase Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Cody Diabo is hoping some upcoming talks with newly-elected politicians will bring some clarity on one of the community’s long-standing issues. Diabo, the Grand Chief of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake, is keen to meet with Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, who was elected as Quebec premier last month, and with Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, who was appointed as the provincial Minister Responsible for Relations with First Nations and Inuit, shortly after the October election. One of the main topics Diabo plans to raise is the state of the aging Mercier Bridge, especially the portion from the Montreal borough of LaSalle to Kahnawake. “I think that’s definitely a conversation that I’ll have with the new Quebec government,” Diabo said in a phone interview on November 10. “And I...
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Leaders from Nunavut and NWT representing Inuit at COP31 in Turkiye
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News The Inuit Circumpolar Council is taking part in the largest climate change meeting in the world, with leaders Aluki Kotierk and Herb Nakimayak travelling overseas to be in attendance. Kotierk was born in Iqaluit, grew up in Igloolik, and was president of the territory-wide Inuit association, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., from 2016 to 2024. She is now the chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council following a July election. Nakimayak was born in Inuvik, NWT and was raised in Paulatuk, before becoming an MLA there from 2015 to 2019. He’s now the president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council’s Canadian chapter after an election also held in July. COP31 in Antalya, Turkiye, from Nov. 9-20 is the United Nations’ annual climate change conference....
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Indigenous-owned wellness drink brand launches in Squamish
By Hilary Angus, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Squamish Chief A new drink brand has hit the shelves in the Sea to Sky Corridor, and its founders already have their sights set on expansion. Troubled Water was founded by Erin Rautenstrauch of the Syilx Nation, and Kear Porttris of mixed Métis and Chinese descent. Rautenstrauch said they wanted to develop something that is both healthy, but “gives you a little bit of that afternoon pick-me-up.” The drink, which Rautenstrauch described as being in the “functional beverage” category, blends a small amount of caffeine with collagen and B-complex vitamins, which she says help with collagen absorption. Rautenstrauch and Porttris launched Troubled Water just six weeks ago after about a year of development from their homes in Squamish and Victoria, respectively. They’ve...
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Trump administration wants to sell public lands and shrink the federal estate
By Matthew Brown BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration wants to sell public lands to states, tribes and local governments as part of an effort to “decrease the size of the federal estate,” according to a new plan presented by the Interior Department. Agency officials said the sale of federal property would allow the government to focus resources on “nationally significant” lands, which were not defined. They offered no details on what parcels could be sold, nor the scope or location of potential sales. The proposal drew quick pushback from some lawmakers, including Trump’s former Interior secretary, Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke, showing it faces strong headwinds in Congress even before Democrats assume the majority in January. The Interior Department’s five-year strategic plan also calls for land transfers and...
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Ottawa says new Arctic funding won’t lift drilling ban
By Eshana Gohil, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio The federal government is setting aside $11 million over four years for Arctic offshore oil and gas governance, while insisting the funding does not signal a move to lift the region’s drilling moratorium. Ottawa told Cabin Radio the money will support environmental monitoring, government capacity and shared decision-making under the Tariuq Accord, a 2023 agreement involving the Inuvialuit, Northwest Territories, Yukon and Ottawa. The funding comes as Prime Minister Mark Carney says Ottawa is engaging with northern governments and the Inuvialuit about the future of the offshore drilling ban, as reported by the CBC on Tuesday. In a statement to Cabin Radio, federal northern and Arctic affairs minister Rebecca Chartrand said the budget funding is “absolutely not, in any way, shape,...
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CFB Wainwright victims ‘in our thoughts’ this Remembrance Day, Carney says
By Kyle Duggan Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canadians will bow their heads Wednesday to honour those who served and sacrificed for their country as they gather across the country to mark Remembrance Day. In a media statement released Wednesday, Carney said Canadians will also extend their thoughts to the four soldiers who died in a tragic accident during a training exercise at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright last month. “With their bright futures still before them, they chose to safeguard ours,” Carney said Sgt. Morgan Wong of Edmonton, Pte. Shaun Farrell of Prince Albert, Sask., Pte. Aidan Goulding of North Vancouver and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark of Langley, B.C., were killed at the Alberta training base last month. They died and dozens of others were injured when strong winds suddenly swept...
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RCMP suspend search for Vancouver Island man — but community-led search continues
By Hope Lompe, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer Family and friends are continuing the search for a missing 34-year-old Ma’amtagila First Nation man and father of two on northern Vancouver Island as the RCMP suspends its search. James “Dakota” Smith, whose traditional name is X̱a’nalasis, was reported missing on Nov. 6 near Sayward. He took his canoe into the Johnstone Strait around noon to dispose of elk bones, a Ma’amtagila cultural practice. Smith left that afternoon from his village of Hiladi, where he lived and had been part of rebuilding for the past several years. “Dakota is a leader, someone who has been on the cutting edge of advocacy supporting the rebuilding of Hiladi,” said Smith’s cousin Andrew Ambers. After Smith failed to return a few hours later,...
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Magnitude 4.7 earthquake strikes off Vancouver Island, no reports of damage
A magnitude 4.7 earthquake has struck off the coast of Vancouver Island, although there are no reports of damage. Earthquakes Canada says the quake happened at about 6:45 p.m. Tuesday local time, with the epicentre 10 kilometres beneath the sea floor, about 130 kilometres west of Tofino, B.C. B.C.’s emergency information system says in a social media post that there were no tsunami threats from the quake. It was the third and strongest significant seismic event off the B.C. coast this month, after a magnitude 4.3 earthquake near Haida Gwaii on Nov. 3. A magnitude 4.2 earthquake was recorded about 190 kilometres west of Port Hardy on Nov. 2. Tuesday’s quakes occurred in the Cascadia subduction zone, an area of intense seismic activity. This report by The Canadian Press was...
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Dorothy Myo named new commissioner of Indigenous languages
By Alessia Passafiume Dorothy Myo has been named the new commissioner of Indigenous languages, replacing interim commissioner Candice St-Aubin. Myo, who was raised in Saulteaux First Nation in Saskatchewan, will serve in the role for five years. Her LinkedIn profile says she is a fluent speaker of Saulteaux, Cree and English and recently worked as the deputy chief of self-government and senior director of policy and research at the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan. She also led the Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Centre, where she worked to preserve, protect and promote First Nations languages and cultures. A cabinet decision announcing her appointment says Myo was selected for the role after consultations with Indigenous governments and organizations. The selection process for a new, permanent commissioner was delayed and St-Aubin’s 90-day term was extended last month....
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Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation invest $15M in bank
By Sam Laskaris Writer The Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN) is now one of the largest shareholders for the First Nations Bank of Canada (FNBC). The announcement came at last Wednesday’s (Nov 4) Canadian Club lunc heon event. MCFN announced it has invested $15 million into the country’s only Indigenous-owned chartered bank. MCFN’s investment means that it now has about a 10 per cent ownership position in the bank. The First Nation’s investment also enabled the FNBC to complete a $50 million capital raise, which will allow the bank to continue growing and further its ability to lend funds to boost Indigenous business opportunities across the country. MCFN Chief Margaret Sault is extremely supportive of her First Nation’s investment. “ It makes good sense,” she said, adding the...
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‘Petition wants library open ‘It’s a critical community service’
By Barbara Latkowski Writer Six Nations community members are petitioning for the return of the public library after its doors were suddenly closed without warning earlier this year. The library’s physical operations officially ceased on Feb. 13 affecting all in-person services, and since then, only digital resources have remained accessible on the library’s website. Library CEO Feather Maracle publicly apologized to community members who value the vital services and benefits tthe SNPL provides to the community, especially for its children and youth. According to a joint statement made by Maracle and the chair of the Six Nations Public Library, Don Lynch, the board has been unable to find another location and can’t commit to any arrangement until they know if or when the historic building at 1679 Chiefswood Road will...
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Six Nations Elected Council told it could operate a tax regime
By Barbara Latkowski Writer Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) was told it would be able to tax its people, get management certification and access bond financing if it joins the controversia First Nations Fiscal Management Act (FNFMA)? SNEC discussed the possibility of approving the legislation at its finance meeting Monday Nov. 2. SNEC was told the FNFMA is optional legislation. First Nations listed on its schedule can operate a property tax regime under the Act, obtain financial performance and management certification and access the Act’s bond financing regime for infrastructure and economic development. To become scheduled under the First Nations Fiscal Management Act, a First Nation must formally request inclusion through a band council resolution. Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada will then follow a regulatory process to add its...
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MCFN appeals Canadian Human Rights Tribunal dismissal
Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation-The Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN) is appealing a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal’s decision rejecting its claim that systemic inequities exist in First Nations education. The MCFN appeal charges the Tribunal’s decision was “unreasonable on multiple grounds, including applying an excessively high standard of evidence and concluding that equitable education could be achieved through negotiations with the federal government, despite decades of negotiations failing to deliver equitable outcomes for First Nations students. ”MCFN argues First Nations children are entitled to equitable access to quality education and says Canada must be held accountable for its obligations under human rights law. “The future of our children cannot depend on a system that continues to leave their needs unmet,” MCFN Chief Margaret Sault said. “We are...
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Editorial: Tread carefully when the government’s hand is out…
Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC), thanks to veterans on board the council, have put any move to join the controversial First Nations Fiscal Management Act or FNFMA on hold They didn’t say no. But, more importantly, they didn’t say yes. Veteran Councillor Helen Miller warned the newbies on SNEC to tread carefully when it came to any fiscal management issues with the feds or for that matter Ontario. And her reasoning was simple. It boils down to eventually taxing your people and trading one overseer for another. The acts at first glance appear to be a salvation around funding shortfalls and helping to build First Nation communities. Bands can send off resolutions and can added to the list of those seeking information and begin the move to operate property tax...
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Letters: Bill Stewart
Letters: I had the joyous opportunity to stick-build and set Prefab houses on both the SNTGR, and the Mississaugas of the New Credit reserve for more than a decade.. I made many friends who I still visit to this day, and they visit me and my wife as well.. I met so very many Elders, and had long conversations with them about the ‘Trauma’.. Almost all that wisdom has passed into the Spirit World, but those One-Of-A-Kinds are still around and thankfully still vocal. Helen Miller’s ‘Commentary’ in the September 30th edition made my eyes pop.. She nailed the land grabs dead on. Thank you for listening and reporting these wonderful observations from the Elders like myself.. I am 80 now, and still farming (wife 70) and I just bucked...
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Today in History
Nov 11 In 2008, Joseph Boyden won the $50,000 Scotiabank Giller Prize for his second novel “Through Black Spruce,” a portrait of contemporary aboriginal life and family struggles that ensue after a beautiful young woman goes missing. In 2021, Indigenous author Lee Maracle, who championed the stories of native women to change the face of Canadian literature, died. A family friend said the acclaimed author, poet and teacher died at a hospital in Vancouver at age 71. She was one of the first Indigenous authors to be published in Canada in the early 1970s. She held posts at a number of Canadian universities and won accolades. Nov 12 In 1992, Canada’s Inuit accepted a $580 million federal land claim settlement giving them control over a large part of the eastern...
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First Nations goaltender inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame
By Sam Laskaris Writer Carey Price admits he was a bit uncomfortable this past Saturday. Plenty of superlatives were being directed his way that day as part of the annual Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. Price, a member of Ulkatcho First Nation in British Columbia, is one of the six inductees this year into the Toronto-based hall of fame. Price, who spent all 15 of his National Hockey League seasons as a goaltender with the Montreal Canadiens, was officially inducted into the hall on Monday night. But on Saturday he received his hall of fame ring at a ceremony at the hall. And he also met throngs of media members to discuss his career that day. “I never really craved attention outside the crease,” Price said of why he...
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Ironmen register road victory in Akwesasne
By Sam Laskaris Writer The Six Nations Ironmen headed out on a 1,000-kilometre round-trip road journey on Saturday a bit shorthanded. But that didn’t seem to matter for the local squad. The Ironmen ended up registering a 7-4 victory over the host Akwesasne Wild in a Northern Premier Hockey League contest. The Ironmen left for Akwesasne, located about 500 kilometres from Ohsweken, with a pair of goalies and 14 skaters. Thus, the team was four players under the maximum of 20 that can be dressed for a contest. The Wild outshot the visiting Ironmen 57-42 in the game. But Ironmen goaltender Chris Hrabec was one of the main reasons the Six Nations club was able to emerge with the W. Hrabec made 53 saves and was selected as the first...
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