The $5 payment that still defines Treaty promises that must be upheld
By Kinnukana, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News Every year, Treaty First Nations members across Canada are reminded of the promises made generations ago between Treaty First Nations and the Crown. Among those promises is the annual $5 treaty payment, a symbolic amount that originates from the numbered treaties signed in the late 1800s and early 1900s. While the amount has not changed since those treaties were signed, the payment remains a visible reminder of the Crown’s obligations under those agreements. For many, the $5 is not about the dollar value, but about recognition, history, and the enduring nation-to-nation relationship. Former Chief, Leroy Wolf Collar, of Siksika Nation stated, “The $5 is a symbol of sovereignty of First Nations government – it represents a treaty agreement between two sovereign...
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Building bridges between lifestyles goal of fledgling company
By Rosemary Godin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cape Breton Post A Cape Breton-based event and media company is growing that aims to both showcase the LGTBQ2S+ community and also make it more accessible to the general public. Dawn Joe-Pierro and their business partner Desna Doucette are co-founders of “Rezerved Productions,” an event-based company that creates space for LGTBQ2S+ artists and performers to present their talents, skills and knowledge to all people. The venture aims to create a safe space for LGBTQ2S+ performers and act as a bridge between entertainers and the corporate/cultural world. Joe-Pierro says Rezerved Productions is an avenue for the public to engage with the LGTBQ2S+ community in order to learn and accept different lifestyles and cultures. At home in Eskasoni Dawn Joe-Pierro spends her time planning events...
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Far north tourism camp owners hoping for post-pandemic rebound
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com WEBEQUIE — Remote tourism camp operators and First Nations economic development officials say they want to see a revival in the far north’s wilderness tourism sector. There are several privately-owned wilderness camps in the far north under the auspices of a coalition called the Native Camp Operators Alliance, said Glen Wabasse, the economic development officer in Webequie. The alliance is under the economic development umbrella of Matawa First Nations, who Wabasse said would actively market the camps at venues like large outdoors shows in the United States. But the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to all that, Wabasse said. “When the COVID pandemic happened, that’s when everything kind of seized (up), and hasn’t picked up since,” he said. Wabasse...
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With court win, Quw’utsun Nation sees a ‘spiritual homecoming’ after 150 years
By David P. Ball, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews The shoreline at Tl’uqtinus village — once the annual home to more than a thousand people during salmon season — is today a tangle of blackberry bushes and shipping terminals in what is today ‘Richmond, B.C.’ The riverside village of Tl’uqtinus — once the annual home to more than a thousand people during salmon season — is today a sprawl of retail warehouses, mostly unused municipal lots, a Coca-Cola plant, and a fuel facility for the nearby Vancouver International Airport. Less than 15 kilometres up the “Fraser River” from the Salish Sea, the former fishing village’s once-busy shores are today host to shipping terminals and a tangle of thorny and invasive blackberry bushes. Last week, Tl’uqtinus village sparked an even thornier...
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Indigenous leaders on Trans Mountain lessons as Building Canada Act moves forward
By Émilie Bergeron Two former Indigenous leaders on both sides of the debate over the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion say the federal government can’t ignore First Nations on future infrastructure projects it seeks to approve. Their comments come as Prime Minister Mark Carney aims to fast-track major projects, such as pipelines and mines, through his government’s newly adopted “Building Canada Act.” Following years of delays and legal challenges, the expanded Trans Mountain pipeline, known as TMX, began operating last year. The project took more than 10 years to complete, after a court cited inadequate consultation with Indigenous groups in its decision to quash the federal government’s initial approval of the expansion. The Canadian Press spoke with two former Indigenous leaders — one who supported TMX and one who opposed it...
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Tlegohli Got’ine hails self-government agreement
By Eric Bowling, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWT News/North It’s been over 20 years of steady effort to get this far, and now the real work begins for Tlegohli Got’ine First Nation. After ratifying the Tlegohli Got’ine Government Final Self-Government Agreement on March 31, leaders, Elders and the next generation gathered together in Norman Wells for a celebration this summer. “Self-government is about the ability to make decisions for your own people, in your own way,” said NWT Premier R.J. Simpson on July 28. “This agreement recognizes that right, and reflects the laws, values and priorities of the Tlegohli Got’ine. “It also reflects the direction we are headed as a territory. In the Northwest Territories, we are not building toward a provincial model. We are building something unique — a...
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Wildfire season’s ‘not slowing down’: emergency management minister
By Kyle Duggan Western provinces and the East Coast should remain on alert for the possibility of more wildfire activity throughout the rest of summer, based on the latest federal government update. Wide swaths of B.C. and the prairie provinces are expected to be drier and hotter than normal. Federal government forecasters also see above-average seasonal temperatures for most of the country over the next three months. Typically in the more northern regions, fire activity starts to wind down around September as cooler weather sets in and the days grow shorter. Not this year. Federal bureaucrats said there’s a high likelihood that the large fires currently burning will continue well into the fall amid the higher temperatures. “Wildfire season’s not slowing down,” Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski said at a...
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Forestry audit scheduled for B.C. licence for land covering spotted owl habitat
British Columbia’s independent forestry watchdog says it will conduct an audit of a logging licence for more than 1,000 square kilometres of land that encompasses critical habitat for the endangered northern spotted owl. The Forest Practices Board says in a release that the licence, jointly held by the Skatin, Samahquam and Xa’xtsa First Nations as well as Lizzie Bay Logging, covers an area about 50 kilometres southeast of Pemberton, B.C. The board says the audit will begin on Aug. 25, and parties affected by the findings will have a chance to respond before the watchdog makes official recommendations to the province. The partnership acquired the licence in 2008 and currently manages an allowable annual cut of about 45,000 cubic metres on the land on the lower Lillooet River between...
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Forestry audit scheduled for B.C. licence for land covering spotted owl habitat
British Columbia’s independent forestry watchdog says it will conduct an audit of a logging licence for more than 1,000 square kilometres of land that encompasses critical habitat for the endangered northern spotted owl. The Forest Practices Board says in a release that the licence, jointly held by the Skatin, Samahquam and Xa’xtsa First Nations as well as Lizzie Bay Logging, covers an area about 50 kilometres southeast of Pemberton, B.C. The board says the audit will begin on Aug. 25, and parties affected by the findings will have a chance to respond before the watchdog makes official recommendations to the province. The partnership acquired the licence in 2008 and currently manages an allowable annual cut of about 45,000 cubic metres on the land on the lower Lillooet River between the...
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Forestry audit scheduled for B.C. licence for land covering spotted owl habitat
British Columbia’s independent forestry watchdog says it will conduct an audit of a logging licence for more than 1,000 square kilometres of land that encompasses critical habitat for the endangered northern spotted owl. The Forest Practices Board says in a release that the licence, jointly held by the Skatin, Samahquam and Xa’xtsa First Nations as well as Lizzie Bay Logging, covers an area about 50 kilometres southeast of Pemberton, B.C. The board says the audit will begin on Aug. 25, and parties affected by the findings will have a chance to respond before the watchdog makes official recommendations to the province. The partnership acquired the licence in 2008 and currently manages an allowable annual cut of about 45,000 cubic metres on the land on the lower Lillooet River between the...
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Nishnawbe Aski Nation deputy grand chief cleared of misconduct
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY — An independent investigation has cleared a Nishnawbe Aski Nation deputy grand chief of misconduct, his lawyer says. NAN chiefs-in-assembly met in closed session on Aug. 13 during the Keewaywin Conference in Moose Cree First Nation where they were presented with the final report by an independent investigator who was probing publicly unspecified allegations of misconduct against Deputy Grand Chief Bobby Narcisse, said Douglas Judson, a partner at Judson Howie LLP, in a statement to Newswatch. “The session was brief,” Judson said. “You may infer from that, and the outcome, that participants felt the matter had been satisfactorily resolved and wanted to move on.” All restrictions that were in place on Narcisse and his performing of his official duties were...
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The last dance? Organizers of North America’s largest powwow say 2026 will be the event’s final year
By Susan Montoya Bryan ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — For decades, tens of thousands of people have descended upon Albuquerque for what is billed as North America’s largest powwow, a celebration showcasing Indigenous dancers, musicians and artisans from around the world. Organizers announced Saturday that 2026 will be the last time the cultural event is held, saying via email and social media that it will end after 43 years without providing details on the decision. “There comes a time,” Gathering of Nations Ltd. said in a statement. The official poster for the 2026 event features the words “The Last Dance.” Organizers did not immediately respond to phone and email messages seeking comment. The New Mexico fairgrounds have hosted the powwow since 2017, but it’s unclear whether the venue would be available...
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Tsleil-Waututh paddler shares Indigenous war canoe culture
By Abby Luciano, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, North Shore News Canoes are deeply embedded in səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) history and culture, and one member is helping share that story in a museum exhibit. Mekwalya (Zoe George)’s exhibit táywilh | snəxʷəɬ is currently on display at the Vancouver Maritime Museum, featuring canoe and paddles, history and interviews she conducted with family members highlighting the importance of war canoeing. “I thought, what better way to do research than to share about canoeing and canoe culture, just because it is a really big part of my community’s life and a lot of other First Nations communities on the Lower Mainland,” George said, who also has Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) ties. George’s work is supported by the Clear Seas Indigenous Internship Program, which provides Indigenous post-secondary...
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Mexico, Guatemala and Belize to create tri-national nature reserve to protect Mayan jungle
By Sonia Pérez D. And Megan Janetsky GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — The leaders of Mexico, Guatemala and Belize announced on Friday that they were creating a tri-national nature reserve to protect the Mayan rain forest following a meeting during which they also discussed expanding a Mexican train line criticized for slicing through jungle habitat. The nature reserve would stretch across jungled areas of southern Mexico and northern parts of the two Central American nations, encompassing more than 14 million acres (5.7 million hectares). Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called the move “historic” and said it would create the second biggest nature reserve in Latin America, behind the Amazon rain forest. “This is one of Earth’s lungs, a living space for thousands of species with an invaluable cultural legacy that we should...
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Buhl Fire under control after recent rains
By Michael Oleksyn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince Albert Daily Herald More moisture over the past week has been a welcome sight for residents of Waskesiu. Parks Canada has lifted the pre-evacuation order and the Buhl Fire is no longer a threat. Waskesiu Community Council chair Jim Kerby Chair said on Friday that the recent rainfall was a welcome sight for northern residents. “A lot has happened in the last week or so, and for a change, all of it is great news for Waskesiu and our neighbouring communities,” Kerby write in an email. “The Buhl wildfire has been very well managed and it poses no threat to the community whatsoever. We have had a lot of rain, and the fire ban and pre-evacuation orders have both been lifted—a grand...
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Hundreds may have been exposed to rabies at bat-infested cabins in Grand Teton National Park
By Sejal Govindarao And Mead Gruver Health officials are working to alert hundreds of people in dozens of states and several countries who may have been exposed to rabies in bat-infested cabins in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park over the past few months. As of Friday, none of the bats found in some of the eight linked cabins at Jackson Lake Lodge had tested positive for rabies. But the handful of dead bats found and sent to the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory in Laramie for testing were probably only a small sample of the likely dozens that colonized the attic above the row of cabins, Wyoming State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist said. Other bats weren’t killed but got shooed out through cabin doors and windows. Meanwhile, the vast majority...
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‘Screaming into silence’: Parents of serial killer victim address special hearing
By Brittany Hobson The father of a First Nations woman who died at the hands of a Winnipeg serial killer told a special court hearing his family was left to “grieve in pieces” for three years before she was identified. The family and community of Ashlee Shingoose presented victim impact statements Friday during the hearing in Manitoba’s Court of King’s Bench. It came one year after Jeremy Skibicki was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life for killing Shingoose and three other First Nations women. Albert Shingoose described travelling from his home community of St. Theresa Point Anisininew Nation in northeastern Manitoba on a mission to comb Winnipeg streets looking for his missing daughter in 2022. “Sometimes my legs and feet could not take even one more step,” he...
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Nipissing First Nation calls on province to halt glyphosate spraying
By David Briggs, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, BayToday.ca Nipissing First Nation (NFN) hosted a rally today outside Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli’s office at 219 Main Street, in North Bay, urging the provincial government to stop spraying glyphosate-based herbicides over Nipissing Forest—which is Nbiising traditional territory. Fedeli was not at his office, and at the time of writing, has not issued a statement regarding the rally. Curtis Avery, Environment Manager for NFN, helped to organize the rally, which at around 10 a.m., had about 50 supporters lining the sidewalk in front of Fedeli’s office. “They’re spraying the herbicide directly over areas where people are using those resources and occupying the land. These are places where we bring our youth and our children to learn and play.” Glyphosate is the main chemical...
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Protect Ontario legislation ‘deeply flawed’: NAN
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source THUNDER BAY — The province’s Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act and a similar federal bill are both “deeply flawed” and unworthy of support without corrective action, says the political organization for 49 First Nations in northern Ontario. “Ontario’s Bill 5 and Canada’s Bill C-5 are deeply flawed pieces of legislation that have left First Nations out of the decision-making process about what happens in their territories,” a written statement sent by Nishnawbe Aski Nation to Newswatch on Friday said. Bill 5 was the Protect Ontario act’s number as it passed through the required three readings and committee hearings in Queen’s Park. The sprawling legislation’s many parts included allowing the provincial cabinet to create “special economic zones” to fast-track...
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Saint Andrews prepares public consultations for new municipal plan
By Andrew Bates, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Telegraph-Journal The Town of Saint Andrews is preparing to give its proposed municipal plan a public debut next week. For the last year, planners with the Southwest New Brunswick Service Commission and town staff have been working on a new municipal plan. On Aug. 18, the plan is set for a public presentation, as required by provincial legislation, at a special council meeting, followed by a 30-day comment period, according to an online notice. “We’re kind of using it to kick off the more extensive consultation on both the municipal plan and the zoning bylaw that will come with it,” senior planner Xander Gopen told Brunswick News last week. A municipal plan includes policy statements on land use, environmental conservation, transportation, municipal services,...
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