Initiative ‘led by survivors to uncover the truth’
By Mike Stimpson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter THUNDER BAY- Residential school survivors gathered at a hotel on Highway 61 this week to discuss their experiences and how the Bringing Our Children Home Initiative should move forward. The initiative, also named Bikiiwewinig Nindawaashishiiminaanak, is investigating the possibility of unmarked graves where the Pelican Lake Indian Residential School once operated. Bringing Our Children Home “was created and led by survivors to uncover the truth,” Lac Seul Chief Clifford Bull said Thursday during a break in proceedings. He and his band council started the initiative after researchers concluded in 2021 that there are more than 200 possible unmarked graves at the old site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia. The Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority and Northern Nishnawbe Education...
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Six Nations Elected Council going behind closed doors “to better serve” Six Nations
Elected Chief Sherri-Lyn Hill is the first Six Nations Elected Council Chief to close politicial liaison meetings to the public. By Lynda Powless Editor SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER-Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) is going behind closed doors. SNEC announced today (Friday, April 19) that it is closing its doors to its Political Liaison meetings. It’s the first time in over three decades of Turtle Island News covering SNEC that the band council has closed its politicial liaison meeting to the public. SNEC says the closure or “in camera” meetings are part of a move to “streamline” its meetings. In the past SNEC Politicial Liaison meetings were open with closed sessions following the open meeting. Community members will no longer be able to sit in the audience at the...
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Indigenous tourism official applauds federal government’s budget support
By Sam Laskaris Local Journalism Initiative Reporter There are varying views from Indigenous leaders about the federal budget unveiled on April 16. Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak was among those who was critical of the budget, stating it did not adequately address the needs of First Nations peoples across the country. But Keith Henry, the president and CEO of the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC), had a different take. Henry praised federal officials April 17 for dedicating $2.5 million to Indigenous tourism through ITAC in the 2024 budget. “We’re pleased with the allocation of dedicated funds to ITAC in Budget 2024, signaling government confidence in ITAC and backing of a national co-ordinated Indigenous tourism strategy,” Henry said. Henry said he is hopeful the Canadian government will...
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Haida Elder, who survived residential `school,’ alleges defamation from Catholic priest
By Aaron Hemens Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Content warning: This article contains graphic details about residential “schools” including the deaths of children. Please read with care for your spirit. A Haida Elder and residential “school” survivor is leading a proposed class action lawsuit against the Catholic church and one of its priests over what she alleges are “false and deeply hurtful” denialist comments. Sphenia Jones is scheduled to appear in a “Calgary” courtroom on April 22 after filing a statement of claim against “Edmonton” priest Marcin Mironiuk, the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton, and the Oblate Fathers of Assumption Province. Jones is alleging that remarks Mironiuk made during a mass service in 2021, where he reportedly described the evidence of unmarked graves at residential “schools” as “lies” and “manipulation,” are defamatory...
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Violinist tries to serenade B.C. orca calf to freedom, as others ready nets and boats
Carol Love plays “Tennessee Whiskey” on her violin at a tidal lagoon near Zeballos, B.C., on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. The Nanaimo, B.C., woman says she is serenading a killer whale calf, hoping to entice the orca to leave the remote lagoon where she has been trapped alone for almost four weeks. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito By Dirk Meissner The Canadian Press Carol Love watches the tides at a Vancouver Island lagoon, and when the time is right, she starts to play her violin. She plays for an audience of one, a killer whale calf that has been trapped alone in the lagoon for almost a month. Preparations for more conventional efforts to save the whale continue, involving a large fishing net. But Love, from Nanaimo, B.C., stands and plays...
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Fire Seasons are Changing
By Carol Baldwin Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) has called up its wildfire crews to start training and preparing for what is expected to be another busy fire season. On April 8th, the SPSA announced an early call-up this year after a drier-than-normal winter. Type 1 Wildfire Crews began training in March and will be ready to respond to fires this week SPSA president Marlo Pritchard announced. Spring fires are primarily caused by human actions, and it is important that individuals act responsibly. Fire bans have been enacted in the Rural Municipalities of Hoodoo, Bayne, and Fish Creek, as well as on One Arrow First Nation. “I know that people think that wildfire season is the middle of summer, but a large number of fires...
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Brazil’s president creates two new Indigenous territories, bringing total in his term to 10
SAO PAULO (AP) — President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Thursday announced the creation of two new Indigenous territories for Brazil, bringing the total number of new reserves during this term to 10. The Cacique Fontoura reserve will be in Mato Grosso state and the Aldeia Velha territory will be in Bahia state. They will cover a combined total area of almost 132 square miles (342 square kilometers). Speaking at a ceremony in Brasilia, Lula’s said Indigenous peoples should be patient as he seeks to fulfill his pledge of creating 14 new territories. Lula’s predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, had encouraged widespread development of the Amazon — both legal and illegal — and made good on his pledge to not demarcate a single centimeter of additional Indigenous land. Lula took office...
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Canadian mining company granted exploration permit after filing petition with BC Supreme Court despite First Nation concerns for their land
By Rachael Lesosky Local Journalism Initiative Reporter After an almost two-year-long wait, a Canadian mining company has finally received a mining exploration permit despite concerns from Ktunaxa Nation who’s territory they are working on. Taranis Resources Inc. will continue its explorations of the Thor project near Trout Lake, northeast of Nakusp in Ktunaxa traditional territory. “We’re extremely happy,” John Gardiner, President and CEO of Taranis, told the Valley Voice. “It took two years and about $200,000 in lawyers’ fees to get to this point.” Usually, permits are approved in about three months, he says. The approval comes after the company filed a petition with the BC Supreme Court in October 2023. Gardiner said they believed that First Nations consultation and opposition were holding things up. In the petition, Taranis asked...
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Metis groups will trudge on toward self government as bill faces another setback
By Alessia Passafiume THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA- Metis organizations in Ontario and Alberta say they’ll stay on the path toward self-government, despite the uncertain future of a contentious bill meant to do just that. The Metis Nation, Saskatchewan withdrew its support Wednesday for federal legislation designed to recognize Metis governments in the province, as well as in Alberta and Ontario. President Glen McCallum said the legislation is holding the group back, and its members made the decision to pull support after a meeting with his council. The bill has faced fierce opposition from the Assembly of First Nations and academics, while the Metis Nations of Ontario and Alberta have both publicly and privately defended it, saying the entire process has been riddled with misinformation. McCallum stood by the decision to withdraw...
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Man arrested after ‘spring clean’ fire blows out of control in Lil’wat Nation
By Roisin Cullen Local Journalism Initiative Reporter PIQUE NEWSMAGAZINE A man was arrested last week after a “spring-cleaning” fire at a property on Main Street in Mount Currie blew out of control. Pemberton Fire Rescue and the Lil’wat Nation Volunteer Fire Department attended the scene on April 5. The man, who is not a member of Lil’wat Nation, has not been identified. The Lil’wat Nation previously urged people not to light fires when disposing of debris in their yards due to the dangerous risk of the blazes spiralling out of control. The Lil’wat Nation FireSmart program also organized a pick-up service for construction material, branches and bushes. The group will also erect notices around the community soon. The Lil’wat Nation’s FireSmart coordinator, Dillon Bikadi, said the property that caught on...
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Federal budget ignores Indigenous infrastructure needs: Assembly of First Nations
By Alessia Passafiume THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA- The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations is denouncing a federal budget that she says all but ignores the needs of the communities she represents. The federal government is neglecting a long-standing promise to close the widening First Nations infrastructure gap by 2030, Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said Wednesday in Ottawa. And her fellow chiefs are angry that they were not consulted on the federal government’s plans to transform federal land into housing for Canadians. “Now, more than ever, we need to be working together in a good way to make sure First Nations and Canada achieve our full potential by working together and continuing on the path of reconciliation,” Woodhouse Nepinak said. “Which, unfortunately, I did not hear in the speech...
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Metis Nation Saskatchewan pulls support for Liberals’ belaboured self government bill
OTTAWA- The Metis Nation, Saskatchewan is pulling its support for a federal bill that proposes to enshrine its self-government over concerns about the other two groups it recognizes. President Glen McCallum says the legislation is holding the group back, and its members made the decision to pull support after a meeting earlier today. Leaders of Metis organizations in Alberta and Ontario have defended the legislation, saying it would rightfully give them control over child welfare and other internal matters. But First Nations chiefs in Ontario have accused the federal government of overstepping its jurisdiction and alleged the legislation steps on their rights. The Manitoba Metis Federation has also opposed the extension of self-government to the Metis Nation of Ontario, saying its membership is not up to par with its definition...
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$100,000 up for grabs as Nunavut Quest begins after delayed start
By Kira Wronska Dorward Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Like other events this spring, the Nunavut Quest dog sled race began behind schedule due to shifts in the weather and concerns for safety on the ice. “Nunavut Quest dogs will have rough trails on soft snow,” commented Piuri Ikalukjuak on the Facebook group. The annual race, which is an estimated one-week trek between Arctic Bay and Pond Inlet, kicked off a day late on April 16 at 3 p.m. Support snowmobiles left an hour earlier to be on hand for what was expected to be 12 dog teams and their mushers departing, but that was quickly reduced to 10 due to two withdrawals. Weather conditions from the outset in Arctic Bay were described as “overcast with white snow and fairly white out.”...
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Six Nations Cannabis Commission board member fees haven’t dropped despite hiring staff
By Lynda Powless Editor SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER- The Six Nations Cannabis Commission continues to budget a large amount to pay Commissioner for administration fees and some Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) councillors are questioning why. At the same time the SNCC has refused to make the 2025 budget publically available. SNEC approved the Six Nations Cannabis Commission’s (SNCC) 2025 budget at the SNEC’s general finance meeting April 15th but with the condition that it comes back to SNEC with a reason for the $81,496 it has budgeted to pay Commissioners for administration fees. SNCC has in addition to not making the 2025 budget publicly available it has not disclosed the total amount of it’s budget. Kathy Mair, chief commissioner, told SNEC the administration fees paid to commissioners began...
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Legislative amendments would allow First Nations to own land
By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Victoria, BC – In early April the provincial government introduced legislative amendments to the B.C. Land Title and Property Law Act, that, if passed, will remove barriers for First Nation bands to acquire, hold and register land. “Many people in Canada do not know that First Nations could not own land in the province of British Columbia,” said Hugh Braker of the First Nations Summit. “Many people don’t know that in British Columbia, other provinces and in the federal system there are still laws that discriminate against Indigenous people that are founded in racism.” This year marks 150 years since the establishment of the B.C. Land Act which “explicitly forbid First Nation individuals from having interests in land,” said Murray Rankin, minister of Indigenous...
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NTI criticizes federal budget shortfalls in education funding, among other issues
By Kira Wronska Dorward Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Despite huge disappointment with the federal budget announcement on April 16, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) has indicated that it still looks forward to collaborating with the federal government on several initiatives. A huge disparity remains between what Canada announced with its 2024 budget and what Nunavut Inuit require in order to enjoy a quality of life similar to other Canadians, according to a news release from NTI. “Twenty-five years after the creation of the territory, the quality of life of the average Nunavut Inuk today is demonstrably worse than in 1999,” said NTI President Aluki Kotierk. “There is a continuing and worsening housing shortage, 70 per cent of Nunavut Inuit are food insecure, Inuktut fluency is decreasing and Nunavut Inuit are dying from...
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‘I never thought this is where we’d be’: Genier named woman of influence
By Amanda Rabski-McColl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Two influential women leading the way for awareness of the lasting impacts of residential schools had an emotional meeting recently. Quilts for Survivors founder Vanessa Genier was honoured by Women of Inluence+ in Toronto as one of the Top 25 Women of Influence 2024. While at the event, Genier met Phyllis Webstad, who founded the Orange Shirt Society and started Orange Shirt Day, which honours Indigenous children who were forced into residential schools. Meeting each Webstad came together through social media posts and felt like it was meant to be, said Genier. “We were only with her for about 20 minutes, but it just meant a lot,” she said. “It was very emotional to meet her, and just to chat with her, and...
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Federal budget ignores Indigenous infrastructure needs: Assembly of First Nations
OTTAWA- The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations says the latest federal budget all but ignores the needs of the communities she represents. Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak says Ottawa is neglecting a long-standing promise to close the First Nations infrastructure gap by 2030. And she wants Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland to explain themselves in person when the AFN meets in Montreal in July. A recent Assembly of First Nations report found that $349 billion is needed to close that gap, a price tag that is only expected to grow. But the federal budget only allocated a total of $918 million to upgrade First Nations, Metis and Inuit infrastructure across Canada. Woodhouse Nepinak says she’s also meeting with opposition parties to lay out the assembly’s...
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Federal budget ignores Indigenous infrastructure needs: Assembly of First Nations
OTTAWA- The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations says the latest federal budget all but ignores the needs of the communities she represents. Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak says Ottawa is neglecting a long-standing promise to close the First Nations infrastructure gap by 2030. And she wants Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland to explain themselves in person when the AFN meets in Montreal in July. A recent Assembly of First Nations report found that $349 billion is needed to close that gap, a price tag that is only expected to grow. But the federal budget only allocated a total of $918 million to upgrade First Nations, Metis and Inuit infrastructure across Canada. Woodhouse Nepinak says she’s also meeting with opposition parties to lay out the assembly’s...
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Let’s Celebrate Earth Day!
Turtle Island News annual Earth Day tree-give away is April 22nd, and through the years we have had so many enjoy the day. (Turtle Island News files) For details view our poster....
