Survivors call on Canada to criminalize residential school denialism
Residential school survivors are calling on Canada to criminalize residential school denialism, echoing one of the findings in a report about unmarked graves and burial sites associated with the institutions. Doug George, a survivor of the Mohawk Institute, said Canadians need to acknowledge the schools’ place in history and to ensure the children who died are not silenced. “Canadians might be, you now, maybe feeling as though it’s been a bit overwhelming over the past few years,” George said, referencing the announcements from First Nations about their efforts to locate their missing children. “But you can imagine what it’s like for us and our children and our communities? … You can’t hide behind these things. You’ve got to come to grips with it.” He was one of three survivors who...
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“It’s been a long fight, and we got this far,”: We’koqma’q to receive 125M from feds in land claim settlement
By Meghan Dewar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The federal government has announced a $125 million settlement to We’koqma’q First Nation for their land claim. They began the claim in 1982 and filed it in 2008 to settle a dispute that dates back to 1862. The land claim is in regards to approximately 400 acres of land that was absorbed by neighbouring community of Whycocomagh improperly. The $125 million settlement will be distributed to each We’koqma’q band member, amounting to $75,526 per resident and $30 million leftover for the community. For residents under the age of 19, their funds will be placed in a trust fund until they are the eligible age to access it. ‘WE WOULD HAVE BEEN EARNING THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY’ Chief John Leonard Bernard shared that the...
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Man who killed eagles on a Native American reservation gets nearly 4 years in prison
MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — A Washington state man accused of leading a wildlife trafficking ring on a Native American reservation that killed thousands of eagles and hawks to sell on the black market was sentenced Thursday to nearly four years in prison. The trafficking ring operated for years on the Flathead Indian Reservation in northwest Montana, exploiting high demand among tribal members for feathers and other bird parts that are used in powwows and sacred ceremonies. The defendant and others killed at least 118 eagles, 107 hawks and as many as 3,600 birds overall, prosecutors said. Juvenile golden eagles in particular were targeted because their black and white feathers are highly desired among Native Americans, officials said. The poaching operation centered on the Flathead Indian Reservation in northwestern Montana, which...
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Aquaponics project grows food in water with koi fish waste
By Nora O’Malley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter By using the waste of Koi fish to grow fresh produce, Vancouver Island University (VIU) engineering student Jayden Corbeil (Iversen) is hoping to improve food supply issues in remote communities with an open-source aquaponics project. A collaboration with the Haíɫzaqv Climate Action Team from Bella Bella in the central coast of B.C., the Hesquiaht member’s capstone project looks at manufacturing a small-scale, semi-automated aquaponics system. The project will be placed in a classroom at the Bella Bella Community School. Haíɫzaqv Climate Action Team hopes to eventually upscale Corbeil’s proof-of-concept aquaponics system to a larger unit to increase food security for their region. “The big goal is to remove reliance on external suppliers,” said Corbeil, the 2019 Alberni District Secondary School Valedictorian. “I don’t want people...
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Alberta introduces bills affecting transgender people, pronouns at school
Alberta has introduced a trio of bills focusing on transgender people and students using preferred pronouns. Premier Danielle Smith’s government proposed Thursday one bill that would require children under 16 to have parental consent if they want to change their names or pronouns at school. Moments after the legislation was introduced in the legislature, LGBTQ+ organizations Egale and Skipping Stone Foundation announced they will be taking legal action, calling it discriminatory. A similar law is on the books in Saskatchewan, where the government invoked the notwithstanding clause, a measure that allows governments to override certain Charter rights for up to five years. Smith told reporters she believes the Charter allows for limits on rights and that her government’s restrictions are reasonable. “We have all kinds of restrictions on the ability...
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‘Dances with Wolves’ actor is again indicted on sexual abuse charges in Nevada
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A grand jury in Nevada has again indicted Nathan Chasing Horse on charges that he sexually abused Indigenous women and girls for decades, reviving a sweeping criminal case against the former “Dances with Wolves” actor. The 21-count indictment unsealed Thursday in Clark County District Court, which includes Las Vegas, again charges the 48-year-old with sexual assault, lewdness and kidnapping. It also adds felony charges of producing and possessing child sexual abuse materials. It comes after the Nevada Supreme Court in September ordered the dismissal of Chasing Horse’s original indictment, while leaving open the possibility for charges to be refiled. The court sided with Chasing Horse, saying in its scathing order that prosecutors had abused the grand jury process. Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson quickly vowed...
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Saulteau First Nations embarks on province-wide engagement “Road Show”
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Saulteau First Nations (SFN) has announced a province-wide “Road Show” for community engagement with off-reserve members. According to a Facebook post and video on Monday, October 28th, the tour will include stops to the lower interior, the Thompson-Okanagan region, and the Peace region, with dates in Fort St. John and Dawson Creek. According to a statement from SFN, the event will feature a dinner and a meeting with Chief Rudy Paquette and councillors. The SFN “Road Show” will begin on November 5th in Kamloops at the Fairfield Inn and Suites with a dinner and meeting at 5:30 p.m., with the Vancouver stop scheduled for the following evening. Dinner and meetings will be held on Tuesday, November 12, starting...
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Canada’s youngest dangerous offender, who sexually assaulted baby, seeks prison leave
( Canadian Press)-A convict who became Canada ‘s youngest designated dangerous offender after sexually assaulting a three-month-old baby is seeking escorted leave from prison to attend Indigenous cultural ceremonies in Vancouver. Tara Desousa, now 43, has applied to Federal Court to overturn a decision by B.C.’s Fraser Valley Institution to deny her “escorted temporary absences” from the federal women’s prison. Desousa, then named Adam Laboucan, was 15 years old in 1997 when she sexually assaulted an infant she was babysitting in Quesnel, B.C. The baby required surgery to repair the injuries. Desousa, who underwent gender-affirming operations while serving an indefinite sentence, also admitted to drowning a three-year-old boy when she was 11 years old, which the judge in the sexual assault case said was below the age of criminal responsibility....
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Report on missing Indigenous children reveals truth: survivor
KENORA – The release of a final report on missing children and unmarked graves at former residential schools is progress, says Ed Mandamin. Mandamin, from the Treaty 3 community of Iskatewizaagegan #39 Independent First Nation, attended the Cecelia Jeffery Indian Residential School in Kenora from 1973 to 1977. Presently he is the city’s Indigenous relations adviser. “It just means another layer of history and truth has been peeled off,” he said Wednesday of the report, which was released Tuesday. The report calls for the federal government to establish an Indigenous-led commission with funding for a 20-year mandate. Special interlocutor Kimberly Murray, a lawyer from Kanehsatake Mohawk Nation, said Canada is legally and morally obligated to see that a full investigation is conducted. “I will continue to remain hopeful, but I...
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Survivors call on Canada to criminalize residential school denialism
Canadian Press-Residential school survivors are calling on Canada to criminalize residential school denialism, echoing one of the findings in a report about unmarked graves and burial sites associated with the institutions. Doug George, a survivor of the Mohawk Institute, said Canadians need to acknowledge the schools’ place in history and to ensure the children who died are not silenced. “Canadians might be, you now, maybe feeling as though it’s been a bit overwhelming over the past few years,” George said, referencing the announcements from First Nations about their efforts to locate their missing children. “But you can imagine what it’s like for us and our children and our communities? … You can’t hide behind these things. You’ve got to come to grips with it.” More than 150,000 Indigenous children were...
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Courses for firearm acquisition certificate extremely popular in Arviat
By Darrell Greer Local Journalism Initiative With the largest population in the Kivalliq region, Arviat has a good many people looking to obtain their firearm acquisition certificate (FAC) each year. Arviat Mayor Joe Savikataaq Jr. said the hamlet has received funding to offer FAC courses and it has held them all summer. He said more people are still waiting to take the FAC course so they can purchase their own firearm. “Inuit have to have a FAC just like everyone else,” said Savikataaq. “Hunting is a right for us but, to purchase a firearm or ammunition, you need to show that licence. That’s what it’s for. “Available funding dictates how often we can hold the FAC training course. Everything is dictated by funding and this is no different. “We had...
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U.S. historian’s book on North America’s Indigenous history wins Cundill prize
A U.S. historian’s book on North America’s Indigenous history, “Native Nations: A Millennium in North America,” has won the Cundill History Prize. The honour comes with US$75,000 for author Kathleen DuVal, a history professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Random House release was praised for the way it reframes 1,000 years of North America’s history in putting “Indigenous power and sovereignty at its centre.” Fellow finalists Gary J. Bass for “Judgement at Tokyo” and Dylan C. Penningroth for “Before the Movement,” were each awarded US$10,000. The Cundill History Prize celebrates a book of non-fiction written in or translated into English. It is open to writers of any nationality, for books from anywhere in the world. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct....
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Stream of Dreams organizes day camps for Indigenous children
The Burnaby non-profit Stream of Dreams is organizing weekend day camps for Indigenous children in Burnaby throughout November and December. The November camps, called “Salmon Saturdays,” will take place at Burnaby Lake, near the non-profit’s premises, and will be free of charge. Salmon Saturdays will take place on Nov. 9, 16, and 30 and are open to self-identified Indigenous children ages 6-12. Another group of camps will take place over the winter holidays on Dec. 23, 27, and 30 and Jan. 2 and 3. Each day camp will have a maximum of 15 children. According to education coordinator Krystal Brennan, Salmon Saturdays will educate children about salmon spawning, streams, and the natural environment through scavenger hunts and arts and crafts like weaving cedar bracelets, dancing, and gardening. There will be...
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Manitoba bill would require judges to undergo education on domestic violence and more
(Canadian Press)-Manitoba may soon require new provincial court judges to take continuing education on intimate partner violence, sexual assault, systemic racism and other topics. A bill now before the legislature would require judges to undergo the learning, which would also cover the experiences of Indigenous and LGBTQ+ persons in the justice system and in society. The bill is based on one originally proposed in April by Cindy Lamoureux, the lone Liberal in the legislature. The NDP government did not initially support the bill, but has now drawn up its own and has Lamoureux’s support. Justice Minister Matt Wiebe says unlike a private member’s bill, a government bill can come with money needed to ensure it is fully enacted. The bill may not pass before the end of the legislature session...
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Man who killed eagles and trafficked their parts faces sentencing Thursday
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A Washington state man who pleaded guilty to killing at least 118 eagles as part of a wildlife trafficking ring that operated on a Native American Reservation in Montana faces sentencing Thursday before a federal judge. The trafficking ring sold eagle feathers and parts on a black market that exploits high demand among tribal members who use them in powwows and other ceremonies. The yearslong poaching operation was centered on the Flathead Indian Reservation. The defendant and others killed at least 107 hawks and as many as 3,600 birds overall, prosecutors said. Travis John Branson of Cusick, Washington, pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy and wildlife trafficking charges. A second person has been indicted in the case and prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office have said...
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Six Nations Police Project Sideshow shuts down drug operation, over 20 charges laid
Six Nations and Brantford Police seized drugs and a firearm, ammunition in Project Sideshow. (Supplied Photo) By Lynda Powless Editor SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER- Six people are facing charges after a drug trafficking investigation by Six Nations and Brantford Police. Six Nations Police, with the aid of the Brantford Police department, launched an investigation dubbed Project Sideshow earlier this month resulting in over 20 charges being laid and a drug trafficking operation shut down. Police searched six homes in Brantford and at Six Nations and seized cocaine, hydromorphone, cash a loaded handgun and ammunition. Four people from Brantford between the ages of 23 and 46 and a 54-year-old man from Ohsweken were arrested. They have been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking: cocaine, possession for...
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Indigenous people march in Brazil’s capital against bill limiting land rights
Thousands march in Brazil defending Indigenous land rights (Twitter-Celia-Xakria) BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Bearing images of animals and covered in body paint, hundreds of Indigenous people marched Wednesday in Brazil’s capital, urging Congress to drop a proposed constitutional amendment that has the potential to paralyze and even reverse land allocations. The bill aims to add to the Constitution a legal theory, championed by the agribusiness caucus, that the date the Constitution was promulgated — Oct. 5, 1988 — should be the deadline for Indigenous peoples to have already either physically occupied claimed land or be legally fighting to reoccupy territory. Lawmakers from the caucus also claim it provides legal certainty for landholders. Indigenous rights groups have argued that establishing a deadline is unfair, as it does not account for...
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Alberta Government Gearing Up to Cull Wild Horses
ALBERTA, British Columbia, Oct. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Albertans who value their wild horse history and understand the animals’ value in the ecosystem will be outraged to learn that the Alberta Government is planning to cull wild horses this winter after a decade long reprieve. Zoocheck has just released a new, peer-reviewed, report by Wayne McCrory, a respected biologist and wildlife researcher. McCrory’s latest report follows up on a professional review of Alberta wild-horse management he wrote in 2015 which exposed the lack of evidence or science to support culling and after which the government stopped their highly controversial cull. In the subsequent years, a committee was reestablished by the Province to review the wild horse management program, however the Province’s Chief Scientist severely restricted the information available to...
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Native voters could swing US elections, but they’re asking politicians: What have you done for us?
DILKON, Ariz. (AP) — Felix Ashley’s red Toyota sends a plume of dust billowing along the sloping hills and boulders he traverses hours every week to pump water – the same roadway voters walk miles every four years to cast their ballots in presidential elections. Here on this forgotten swath of the Navajo Nation, the largest Native American reservation in the United States, hardship is embedded into day-to-day life. Nearly a third of homes like Ashley’s still don’t have running water. Soaring unemployment and poverty has pushed young Navajos, including most of Ashley’s children, to leave their sacred lands in search of jobs. Logistical and legal obstacles have long stood in the way of Arizona’s 420,000 Native citizens casting their vote. “People lose trust in the government and they don’t...
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Two Vancouver Island dispensaries raided by RCMP, thousands of cannabis-laced candy bars seized
By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter BC RCMP Federal Policing say they have taken down an organized crime group after raiding two Vancouver Island dispensaries, five residences and arresting six suspects who were believed to be involved in the distribution of illicit drugs, unregulated cannabis, and contraband tobacco. The take down was executed on Oct. 3 at the Green Coast Dispensary in Port Alberni located on Hupacasath First Nation land and Coastal Storm Dispensary in Lantzville. Search warrants were also executed at a suspected stash site in Port Alberni, and a storage and production facility adjacent to Coastal Storm Dispensary, according to RCMP. This included two modular trailers where cannabis edibles were being produced, stored, and distributed. Police say the raid led to the seizure of over 120,000 cannabis edibles...
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