Smudging ceremonies part of expanded Indigenous healing efforts at Markham Stouffville Hospital
By Scarlett Liu, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Markham Economist & Sun Patients at Markham Stouffville Hospital can request Indigenous smudging ceremonies as part of a broader effort by Oak Valley Health (OVH) to incorporate Indigenous cultural practices and awareness into health care. While smudging has long been available at the hospital, OVH says updated policies and increased staff awareness are helping integrate the practice more fully into care at Markham Stouffville Hospital, Uxbridge Hospital and the Reactivation Care Centre. Patients, families and community members can request smudging ceremonies, which are supported by the organization’s spiritual and religious care team. “Smudging provides a sense of comfort, safety and serenity connecting people to their surroundings and to all that is higher and beyond their own capacity,” said Elizabeth Yorski, spiritual and religious...
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Six Nations Marks Solidarity Day With Water Fun in the Sun!
By Alex Murray Writer The crowd may have been small but this year’s Solidarity Day celebrations had a little something for everyone. Sprawled colourfully at the Six Nations Community Hall grounds the Six Nations Elected Council’s (SNEC) Solidarity Day celebration on June 21 had everything from food to water fun to music. But underneath all the fun activities on offer, Solidarity Day at Six Nations is about something more important. SNEC councillor Dean Hill told Turtle Island News, “we’ve got us.” “You just do a 360 right now, and you can see what Solidarity Day is, why everybody comes out for it,” Hill told Turtle Island News as he looked out on the many tents, booths, and bouncy castles. “That’s the amazing part about this is all the people coming...
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FIFA: Indigenous people from across Canada part of opening
Indigenous representatives from across Canada gathered in Toronto ahead of the FIFA World Cup opening events to share teachings, songs, dances and cultural traditions in a celebration of Indigenous cultures from coast to coast. Councillor Greg Frazer updated SNEC at the General Finance meeting on June 15 and said he attended a cultural exchange and gift-sharing event at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel on June 11 before the FIFA opening festivities, on June 12, where Indigenous participants involved in the tournament’s opening celebrations came together to learn from one another. Hosted by the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the gathering brought together representatives from Six Nations of the Grand River, Mi’kmaq communities from Atlantic Canada, the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations from the West Coast, representatives of the Métis...
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Chiefs of Ontario assembly items from audit to child welfare reform
By Alex Murray Writer RAMA FIRST NATION-First Nations leaders from across Ontario converged at Casino Rama on Rama First Nation for the 2026 Chiefs of Ontario (COO) Annual Assembly last week. The organization’s audit, an update on Ontario Final Agreement committees, and a speech from the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) were on the menu. On Day 2 of the three-day assembly running from June 16 to June 18, AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak made remarks to the 60+ chiefs assembled in the Casino Rama ballroom. She began by recognizing the leadership and expertise of Chief Benedict and applauding him for his tireless work in reforming the country’s “racist child welfare system.” While the national agreement on First Nations child welfare reform fell through, the...
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Brantford says land acknowledgements respect relationships
Six Nations Elected Council says political bodies making land acknowledgements are not “virtue signaling.” The comments came after Brantford city councillor Greg Martin said he didn’t agree with land acknowledgements calling them “virtue signaling.” SNEC said land acknowledgements help educate the public on the “history and origins of lands that are occupied today.” The acknowledgements also “formally recognize that the original inhabitants of this land, First Nations and their rights holders – continue to exist, govern, and maintain their inherent treaty rights.” SNEC said the “rights are not historical artifacts—they are living and ongoing.” The comments came after veteran Ward 3 Brantford city councillor Greg Martin defended omitting a land acknowledgement at the beginning of the city’s June 2nd committee-of-the-whole meeting calling it “empty virtue-signaling.” The incident occurred at a...
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Six Nations Senior Health Fair: it’s about Decolonizing the Brain
By Alex Murray Writer For Semiah Smith, the Wholistic Brain Health Assessment Bundle (WBHAB) project hits close to home. “We’re working to decolonize brain health assessments and personally, I feel really connected to this work and this team because my family has been personally touched by dementia,” Smith said in between her jobs emceeing and organizing the Six Nations Senior Health Fair on June 12. The event held at the Six Nations Community Hall, was hosted by the WBHAB team in collaboration with the Six Nations Senior Support Hub. The fair brought together organizations from across Six Nations as well as Canada at large. 20+ healthcare booths were set up to provide Six Nations seniors with health information and supports that they might not even know are available to them....
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Editorial: Six Nations Fire Department 60 years and counting…
Six Nations Fire Department has marked six decades of service to the community. It’s hard to believe that the little engine that could has come so far and one can’t help but applaud the fire chiefs and firefighters from over the decades who have worked so hard to keep the community safe and build the Six Nations Fire Department into one of the most progressive and successful Indigenous owned and operated fire departments in the country. There is only one way to mark their 60 years and it’s a simple one…Nia:wen/thank you!! Every single day firefighters, first responders and our emergency personnel sacrifice their time and risk their lives and safety to serve their communities. But Six Nations Fire department’s sacrifice goes a step deeper. Unlike towns and cities that...
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Today in History
June 22 In 1980, Kateri Tekakwitha, a Mohawk woman, became the first North American Indigenous person to become a candidate for sainthood. Known as the “Lily of the Mohawks,” she was born in what is now New York state in 1656. She was persecuted after being baptized in 1676 and she left home for a Christian native village at what is now Kahnawake. There she became known for her sanctity. She died in 1680. Numerous miracles have been reported at her shrine in Kahnawake. (In 2012, she was made Canada’s first native saint.) June 23 In 1683, English Quaker William Penn signed his famous treaty with the “Indians” of Pennsylvania that became a universal symbol of religious and civil liberties. In 1990, the deadline for ratifying the Meech Lake accord...
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UNDER THE NORTHERN SKY: Celebrating Graduates In Attawapiskat
By Xavier Kataquapit My home community of Attawapiskat First Nation is celebrating the annual graduations of students from Kattawapiskak Elementary School and Vezina Secondary School. These are proud moments for our community as families get to celebrate their children. These moments are especially important for our First Nation communities, as education in my parents’ time was a traumatic event that affected the lives of young people. My parents, Marius and Susan Kataquapit, both attended residential school as children and it was terrible for them and their families. Their parents were forced to give up their young ones for the entire year in order to go to school and the children were separated from their families and communities. For the government, it was a form of assimilation that was designed to...
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Rivermen anticipate stiff challenges this weekend
By Sam Laskaris Writer The Six Nations Rivermen have yet to lose a game in regulation time this season. But Rivermen captain Rodd Squire is fully aware things will in all likelihood get a bit more challenging for the local Senior B lacrosse squad, starting this weekend. The Rivermen registered another convincing victory this past Saturday, downing the visiting Belleville Kodiaks 13-4 in a match held at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena. The Six Nations squad has now won seven of its eight contests this season. Its lone setback was an 8-7 overtime loss versus the Owen Sound North Stars. The Rivermen will face a pair of formidable opponents this weekend. For starters, the club will hit the road on Saturday to square off against the Hamilton Bengals, a club Six...
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Chiefs extend winning streak to eight
By Sam Laskaris Writer The Six Nations Chiefs will hit the midway mark of their 18-game regular season schedule this Saturday with a road contest versus the Brooklin Lacrosse Club. And the Chiefs, who are not only the three-time defending champs of their Ontario-based league, Major Series Lacrosse (MSL), but have also captured the national Mann Cup crown the past three years, continue to prove that there is a good chance they’ll be adding more hardware to their collection this season. Six Nations improved its 2026 record to a perfect 8-0 this past Saturday with a 10-6 win against the Owen Sound North Stars. That tilt was actually played in Collingwood as the North Stars’ home rink was being utilized by the local Junior B team for a playoff match....
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Sports Briefs: Attack drop pair of games in Waterloo
By Sam Laskaris Writer It was not quite the weekend that members of the Grand River Attack were hoping for. The Six Nations-based club was yearning to register some victories to prove that it should be considered among the contenders this season for the Women’s Major Series Lacrosse (WMSL) championship. But the Attack, which had won three out of its first four league contests this year, saw their record drop to .500 after losing a pair of games held at the Albert McCormick Community Centre in Waterloo. For starters, the Grand River squad blew a 3-1 second-period lead and was downed 6-3 by the Whitby Rush. The Attack was then downed 9-4 by the Peterborough Lakers, league finalists in 2025, in an afternoon tilt. The Lakers took control of the...
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Former NHLer Jordin Tootoo to attend Mi’kmaw Summer Games in August
By Rosemary Godin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cape Breton Post All five First Nation communities in Cape Breton are gearing up – literally – for the upcoming Mi’kmaq Summer Games 2026 to be held in Sipekne’katik (Shubenacadie) from August 13-23. Widely known as the Olympics of Mi’kmaki, the games attract thousands of athletes and sports enthusiasts of all ages for ten days of gathering, competing, and cultural activities. A highlight of this year’s games will be the presence during the last weekend of National Hockey League veteran Jordin Tootoo, who made history as the first Inuk player to play in the NHL, skating a 13-year career with 723 games across teams like the Nashville Predators and Detroit Red Wings. Off the ice, Tootoo is an author, a recipient of the...
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Separate drownings over two days in British Columbia’s Interior
By Chuck Chiang A kayaker has drowned in British Columbia’s Okanagan Lake, while another is presumed dead after being swept away in the Columbia River near Castlegar, both within a two-day span. Police in West Kelowna say two kayakers went into the water on Friday near the Westbank First Nation beach. The kayakers faced sudden windy conditions that overturned their boats, and one person went under and didn’t resurface. Central Okanagan Search and Rescue was able to find the body several hours later, and police say that person has been identified as a U.S. citizen. On Saturday night, police in Castlegar say they received reports of a man in distress in the Columbia River, with witnesses telling investigators that he was seen being carried downstream. Police say no trace of...
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Petition seeks Ramara’s support for safety review of aerodrome
By Danielle Pitman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, OrilliaMatters.com An advocacy group in Ramara, requesting that Lake Country Airways aerodrome at The Cape Resort be shut down until federal authorities conduct a safety review, wants the township to step aboard. Jen Dundas, spokesperson for the group who started the change.org petition and executive director of Camp Couchiching, stood before council on Monday. She was joined by neighbours and residents, both in person and virtually, who live near the Lake Country Airways’ operations on Rama Rd. The group made quick work following parliamentary parameters for a paper petition, which Simcoe North MP Adam Chambers brought to the House of Commons last week. Citing serious gaps in the ways aerodromes are regulated in Canada, Dundas asked Ramara to support an independent safety review...
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Saskatchewan auditor finds public safety agency lacks planning to fight wildfires
By Jeremy Simes A report from Saskatchewan’s auditor says the province’s public safety agency needs to do a better job at preparing for the wildfire season. Tara Clemett’s report, released Tuesday, says the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency doesn’t plan for the right amount of resources it needs each year to fight wildfires. It says the agency also isn’t properly budgeting before the season begins. “Having that money up front allows you to make sure that you probably have the resources in place,” Clemett told a news conference. “By basing budgets on robust resource plans … the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency can make sure it has the necessary resources to manage and mitigate the risks associated with wildfires.” Planning could also save the agency money on contracts, she added. Her report...
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‘Whatever it takes:’ Indigenous group seeks help repatriating items from Switzerland
By Brittany Hobson Sacred pipes, intricately beaded regalia and firearms believed to be associated with the period of the Battle of the Little Bighorn are some of the thousands of Indigenous artifacts a group of First Nations leaders and advocates are trying to repatriate from Switzerland. The items have been housed at a privately owned museum near Zurich, which closed its doors late last year after the collector decided he wanted to retire. A delegation travelled to the country to visit the museum before it closed, and is now urging federal, First Nations and tribal governments in Canada and the United States to intervene and help bring these artifacts back to North America. “We’ve got to do whatever it takes to reconnect our ancestral, sacred bundles back into our communities,”...
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Métis Nation British Columbia announces by-election dates to replace president
By Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca SURREY, B.C. — Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC) has finalized the date of its byelection to replace its president. An announcement by MNBC on Tuesday, June 23rd, said “an important by-election” will be held between Saturday, August 8th, and Saturday, August 22nd, with membership allowed to vote either online or via mail. Candidacy nominations opened on June 23rd, with the last day to submit names for the ballot on Monday, July 13th. According to the statement, MNBC will unveil the full list of candidates on Saturday, July 18th. The by-election notice is to replace Walter Mineault, who was removed as MNBC president earlier this year after an independent investigation regarding multiple allegations of misconduct. Mineault had been suspended in the summer of 2024, and...
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Ottawa to peg first national interest projects in territories: sources
By Nick Murray Ottawa is expected to announce Wednesday that it will begin the process of designating two key Arctic infrastructure projects as being in the national interest, say government sources. The projects are the first Ottawa has signalled it will elevate to become projects of national interest under the Building Canada Act, which allows the government to fast-track approvals and allow them to skirt some environmental laws. Three federal and territorial government sources, who were not authorized to speak about the announcement before it’s public, provided details to The Canadian Press. They said the Grays Bay road and port project in Nunavut and the Mackenzie Valley highway project in the Northwest Territories are to be announced at a news conference in Yellowknife. The Grays Bay road and port project...
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First Nation opens affordable housing in Kenora
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, SNnewswatch.com KENORA — A 24-unit affordable housing development on Eighth Street has had its official grand opening. The Kekekoziibii Development Corporation (KDC), owned by Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, constructed the units for Indigenous people and held the grand opening Tuesday morning in Kenora. A news release describes the housing project as “a significant investment in affordable housing, Indigenous-led economic development and community well-being.” The building includes 13 studio suites and 11 one-bedroom apartments, along with shared amenities, a program room and on-site supports designed to foster housing stability and opportunity. Federal funding for the project was announced in July 2024. Through a partnership with Niiwin Wendaanimok (Four Winds), 15 of the units will provide housing for people participating in education and employment...
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