Who gets to belong? The impact of Bills C-31 and S-3
By Bhagyashree Chatterjee Local Journalism Initiative Who gets to decide who belongs? Bills C-31 and S-3 changed the rules for Indian status, aiming to fix decades of unfair policies in the Indian Act. But these changes have brought new questions and challenges for communities like the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), where membership and identity are deeply tied to these rules. Here’s what these bills changed and why they still matter today. Bill C-31: correcting discrimination in 1985 In 1985, the federal government passed Bill C-31 to address discrimination that had been embedded in the Indian Act for decades. Before this amendment, Indigenous women lost their status if they married non-status men. By contrast, Indigenous men kept their status when marrying non-status women. What Bill C-31 changed: Women who lost their...
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New Urban Centre on Winnipeg Street replaces controversial homeless shelter
PENTICTON-A downtown building that was once a longtime church, then a controversial shelter for Penticton’s homeless, has metamorphosized into a sparkling new multi-purpose centre where the primary tenant attracts hundreds of smiling children every day. The former Victory Church was located at 352 Winnipeg Street and had a large congregation for many years. Prior to that time, it was used as banquet space for the old Penticton Inn. With numbers dwindling, the church closed and the site was approved in 2020 for redevelopment into a mix of commercial, residential and self-storage uses. Then the pandemic happened. Seeking a large, empty space near services downtown, BC Housing leased the building in 2020 to create a “hygiene centre” for Penticton’s homeless population. A decision was made to turn the hygiene centre into...
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Alberta creates homelessness advisory panel, changes grant process
(CP)-The Alberta government says it’s creating an advisory panel to inform the province’s approach to handling homelessness. The panel is to be co-chaired by United Conservative Party legislature member Justin Wright and Robin James, chief administrator of the Lethbridge Housing Authority. Community and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon says the panel is to assess government actions and funding. He also says the panel is to focus on needs of the homeless in rural areas and Indigenous communities. While the panel is to be established early next year, Nixon says the province will work to improve the accuracy of data collected on homelessness across Alberta. He says the province would also be changing how front-line agencies are funded, as grants are to be provided through the province directly rather than through...
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Amazon Indigenous community wins latest stage of court battle for lost territory
Associated Press-An Indigenous community in the Peruvian Amazon is celebrating a legal victory in the latest stage of its attempt to take back claimed ancestral rainforests. The Puerto Franco community of the Kichwa tribe say their territory was stolen to form the Cordillera Azul National Park in 2001. Companies such as Shell and TotalEnergies spent tens of millions of dollars on carbon credits in the park to counter emissions from their fossil fuel operations. The Kichwas got next to nothing and were left in hunger, despite a 2022 Associated Press investigation finding that it was almost certainly their ancestral territory, by the terms of a convention Peru signed decades ago. The community celebrated a dramatic legal victory last year, when provincial Judge Simona del Socorro Torres Sánchez ruled that creating...
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Innu survivor wants former Labrador residential school building turned into a museum
To get to the post office in North West River, for years Joanna Michel would pass the residential school where she spent eight years in the 1970s. “It’s a bad reminder of what happened, what took place there,” she says, sitting in an empty conference room at the Innu Round Table Secretariat office in Sheshatshiu. Having to walk by the school’s junior dormitory, with its boarded windows and chipped paint, led Michel to call for the building’s destruction in 2021. Now she’s had a change of heart and would rather see the building turned into a museum. Last year, Michel made the proposal to North West River’s town council, she told The Independent, in order to “have people’s stories in there so people can know what took place there, as...
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Indigenous Land Symposium to be held in Sault Ste. Marie February 2025
SAULT STE. MARIE-The third annual Indigenous Lands Symposium held by the Wahkohtowin Innovation Centre will be held in Sault Ste. Marie in 2025 from Feb. 3 – 7 at the Delta Waterfront Hotel. The event aims to bring together Indigenous leaders, land stewards, government representatives, and industry professionals to address problems related to land management, conservation, and cultural resurgence. The five-day event is funded through corporate, non-profit, and government sponsors, as well as grants for individual projects that tie in with the symposium. Attendees can expect keynote speakers, interactive workshops, networking opportunities and cultural experiences. Wahkohtawin is a Cree word that refers to the Indigenous philosophy that everything is connected. “It kind of flows with the vision of what the innovation centre is, and what the symposium is doing,” said...
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‘Race did not play a part’: Watchdog clears officers in arrest of Alberta chief
FORT MCMURRAY ALTA-(CP)-Alberta’s police watchdog says there’s no evidence an offence was committed when Mounties tackled a prominent First Nation chief and punched him in the face during an arrest outside a Fort McMurray, Alta., casino in 2020. The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team also said in a report released Thursday that there’s no evidence of racist treatment by the officers against Allan Adam, who has been chief of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation for about two decades. “A police officer’s use of force, in law, is not to be assessed on a standard of perfection nor using the benefit of hindsight and the opportunity to consider alternatives with the luxury of time,” ASIRT executive director Michael Ewenson said in the report. “Under these circumstances, the use of force employed...
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Universities shouldn’t rely on self-identification for Indigenous: report
The University of Winnipeg (UW) has released a new report, as post-secondary schools in Canada try to get a better understanding of Indigenous identity fraud, and what they can do to prevent it. In July of 2023, UW announced the launch of an Indigenous Identity Working Group (IIWG) to address the “complex issue of Indigenous identity fraud, which has been impacting post-secondary institutions across Canada.” The IIWG engaged with different groups to get feedback and insight on the issue and how to address it and has released the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Perspectives on Identity, Citizenship, and Safeguarding Opportunities: What We Heard Report. According to Dr. Chantal Fiola, UW’s associate vice-president of Indigenous engagement and co-chair of the IIWG, the study shows that if universities want to avoid Indigenous...
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National chief reflects on successes and challenges of past year
Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak became the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations just over a year ago. In a phone interview with Windspeaker on Dec. 18, Woodhouse Nepinak spoke about both the successes and challenges she encountered in 2024. “Like anybody else, there’s ups and downs,” said Woodhouse Nepinak, who was elected as the head of the AFN early last December. “There’s good days. There’s bad days.” Woodhouse Nepinak took some time to acknowledge others for the role she has served in during the past 12 months. “It’s been a great honour,” she said. “I continue to be very grateful and humbled by the support of First Nations, from the chiefs and Canadians. It’s something I never want to take for granted.” Woodhouse Nepinak said she was taken aback...
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Anti-racism policy moves forward
Peace River School Division (PRSD) recently implemented an Anti-Racism Policy, that the Division has been working on creating. An Anti-Racism Committee was established, with members of staff from across the Division, to create a more inclusive future for its students and staff. Supt. Jeff Thompson says the work completed by the committee was well thought out and executed over a long period of time. “This is work the board has been embarking on for quite some time,” Thompson explains. “The creation of the policy is to ensure inclusion of everyone in our system,” he adds. Thompson says PRSD will now be working on implementing the policy from a governance to operational phase, and the Division is dedicated to supporting key initiatives. These include enhancing communication about the policy with PRSD...
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Boy killed in Colorado reservation shooting was in bed when he was hit
DENVER (AP) — A 7-year-old boy who died in a shooting that left 24 bullet holes in a home on a tribal reservation in Colorado was lying next to his father in bed when he was hit, according to court documents unsealed Thursday. Zackieus Lang told investigators that his son was on the right side of the bed and he was sleeping on the left when he heard gunfire just after midnight on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation, according to an arrest affidavit for Jeremiah Hight, who is charged in the shooting. The FBI, which investigates serious crimes on the Ute Mountain Ute reservation in the Four Corners region where New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado meet, did not provide a motive. However, one person who was drinking with Hight...
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BRIEF: Eskasoni youth among four 2024 Nikanus Red Dress Leadership award recipients
Eskasoni’s Neylan Stevens is among the four recipients of the 2024 Kinanus Red Dress Leadership award, presented by the Genevieve Francis Memorial Fund. Stevens is a former North American Indigenous Games athlete, competing in swimming at the 2017 games. She is also an avid dancer, performer, and surfer. She is an alumni of Cape Breton University and is currently pursing law school at Dalhousie University. The award recognizes Indigenous women and girls aged 15-25 within Atlantic Canada who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in sport, culture and community. The other three recipients were Chelsey Arsenault and Kylie Francis from Elsipogtog First Nation and Desiree Isaac-Pictou from Ugpi’Ganjig First Nation. Stevens is the only recipient from Nova Scotia. Each recipient will receive $1027 to be used for educational purposes. Stevens shared that...
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BRIEF: We’koqma’q announces involvement in Indigenous Gaming Partners
By Meghan Dewar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter We’koqma’q First Nation has announced its involvement in the establishment of Indigenous Gaming Partners. The establishment was made alongside four other First Nations communities: Glooscap First Nation, Millbrook First Nation, Annapolis Valley First Nation and Paqtnkek Mi’kmaw Nation. Through the collaboration, Indigenous Gaming Partners has successfully acquired PURE Canadian Gaming from ONCAP, in partnership with Sonco Gaming Inc., a leader in Indigenous-owned casino development and management. Headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, PURE Canadian Gaming operates four casinos. With the new acquisitions, We’koqma’q First Nation will be able to generate revenue that will be directed back into the community. This will allow for the strengthening of education, health resources, housing, and economic independence for the community. Meghan Dewar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Cape Breton Post/LJI...
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Failing infrastructure needs fixing in Penticton
By Keith Lacey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Several expensive capital projects in the City of Penticton are needed to upgrade the city’s infrastructure, forcing the city’s five-year financial plan to be significantly amended. Kristen Dixon, the city’s general manager of infrastructure, and Kelsey Johnson, director of community services, made a presentation to Penticton council detailing numerous budget amendments on the various projects. Included in the presentation was a recommendation to submit an application to the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF) for the city’s wastewater treatment plant expansion and upgrades project to help pay for most of the $14-million project. There are four projects currently underway at the Advanced Waste Water Treatment Plant (AWWTP) expansion, including the third secondary clarifier, the nitrified mixed liquor recycle pump program, the bioreactor gate replacement...
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Eagle Lake First Nation challenges NWMO in court
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter EAGLE LAKE – Eagle Lake First Nation is challenging the Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s site selection in court, and that’s more than welcome news to Neecha Dupuis. “I love it,” Dupuis, a member of the Ojibway Nation of Saugeen (Savant Lake), said from Ottawa. “Just pure love.” Eagle Lake’s chief “came and walked with us” in this year’s Walk Against Nuclear Waste, she noted. “It’s all coming together, like one giant dream catcher,” Dupuis said. Dupuis said she doesn’t understand Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation’s decision to move forward with the NWMO on possibly constructing a deep geological repository, or DGR, for high-level nuclear waste. “For them to choose nuclear waste over the land, that doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t make sense at all.”...
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Churchill becoming a key attraction for tourists flocking to Manitoba
By Dave Baxter is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter A new study shows how important the Town of Churchill is, not only to Manitoba’s tourism industry, but to the overall economy, as visitors from around the globe flock to the northern town and spend tens of millions of dollars. “Churchill is becoming more and more of a year-round destination,” Travel Manitoba President and CEO Colin Ferguson said in a media release announcing results of a new study that looked at the “size and value” of Churchill’s tourism industry. The study, according to Travel Manitoba, shows “just how heavily” Churchill’s economy relies on tourism its impact on Manitoba’s economy. It shows tourism in Churchill contributes an estimated $99 million to the provincial GDP and creates an estimated 1,395 direct and indirect...
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No:ia! Happy New Year!
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Six Nations Elected Council committees discuss dumping
Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) has been fielding a series of complaints as Illegal dumping continues to plague the community. SNEC Elected Chief Sherri Lyn Hill urged community members, during the Dec. 10th council session to report illegal dumping to Six Nations Police (SNP) or SNEC. She warned “Companies and individuals could be fined.” She told the zoom meeting,. “please, as a reminder, if you see or suspect illegal dumping, call Six Nations Police or my office to report the location, company name or the license plate.” Hill said SNP received another report of dumping on November 27th on Fourth Line Road that has since been cleared up. During Hill’s Bi-weekly update she said between November 26 and December 10 she fielded 14 complaints from community members. She said many...
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Six Nations Elected Council’s new committee system continues to cause confusion
Six Nations continues to work out the kinks of its committee system. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) enacted its committee system in November 2023 after the 59th council was elected and it continues to cause confusion for councillors and the community. Councillor Greg Frazer, chair of the Unity Building and Government Relations Committee told SNEC the committee had amalgamated with the Justice Committee. Councillor Frazer said the move would strengthen information sharing among committees and to council. “As you know, we are working to streamline governance information,” he said. “We’ve also been rescheduling meetings and adding some new councillors to this committee.” The elected chief can attend any committee meeting. He said “committee members now include myself, Cynthia Jamieson, Leslie Greene, Melba Thomas and Dean Hill.” Elected Chief Sherri-Lyn Hill...
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Six Nations Elected Council passes motion to pay auditors
Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) passed a motion to pay its final invoice for the 2023-2024 financial Audit at its General Finance Meeting on December 16. SNEC entered into a five-year agreement with KPMG to perform its annual audit and granted a one-year extension for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. The fiscal year ended March 31, but the audit was not completed or released to the public until earlier this month, which SNEC has attributed to the late completion and submission of the Six Nations Natural Gas audit. SNEC approved a motion to pay KPMG’s final invoice of $34,026. Councillor Helen Miller said previous sitting councils have also released audits late because departments couldn’t get the information to the auditor. She said in that case SNEC was charged a late fee...
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