Biden at last visits Indian Country, where he will apologize for 150-year-old boarding school policy
PHOENIX (AP) — President Joe Biden is using his long-promised first presidential visit to Indian Country to formally apologize to Native Americans on Friday for a government-run boarding school system that for decades forcibly separated Indian children from their parents. Democrats hope Biden’s visit to the Gila River Indian Community’s land on the outskirts of metro Phoenix in Arizona will also provide a boost to Vice President Kamala Harris’ turnout effort in a key battleground state. Biden, whose presidency is winding down, had promised tribal leaders nearly two years ago that he would make a visit to Indian Country. The president, in an exchange with reporters Thursday before departing for Arizona, said an apology for the U.S. government’s role in the abuse and neglect of Native children was “something that...
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Fort France town council loses second councillor with Olson resignation
By Ken Kellar Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Fort Frances town council has lost another sitting councillor, the second resignation to rock council so far this term. Former councillor Mandi Olson announced her resignation in a letter posted to Facebook on Friday, October 18, 2024. The resignation was officially accepted by Town of Fort Frances municipal clerk Gabrielle Lecuyer on Monday, October 21, 2024. Olson marks the second councillor to resign their position during this most recent term of council, which began in November 2022. Former councillor David Kircher resigned in May 2024, and Kaleb Firth was subsequently appointed to council to fill that vacancy. In her letter, Olson noted the decision to resign as a councillor was “not easy,” but stemmed from challenges she encountered at the council table regarding...
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Ontario’s highest court sides with young activists, paves way for reexamination of Ford’s climate policies
By Anushka Yadav Local Journalism Intiative Reporter Because of seven young environmental activists and their sheer determination, Ontario’s lower court will have to reconsider whether the Doug Ford PC government’s policies have increased emissions, in breach of Charter rights that protect their safety. “I’m feeling really great. I also feel like it hasn’t fully set in yet…because it’s been so long,” Beze Gray, one of the appellants, told The Pointer. Growing up, Gray, an Aamjiwnaang First Nationsmember, was taught by elders to think of the seven generations who lived before and the next seven generations who will live in the future, when making decisions. This deeply ingrained Indigenous value which had helped protect the land and air and water for thousands of years was under threat as they witnessed the...
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Canada wide warrant issued for federal offender serving time for Sexual Interference conviction
Roy Rogers Crawford BRANTFORD, ON – The Repeat Offender Parole Enforcement (R.O.P.E.) Squad is seeking the public’s help in locating a federal offender convicted of Sexual Interference charges now wanted on a Canada Wide Warrant after breaching his Statutory Release. Roy Rogers CRAWFORD is serving a five year six months and 15 days sentence for Sexual Interference Person Under 16 years of age and Luring a Child Under 16 years of age He is described as male Caucasian, 44, 5’8” (173cm), 150 lbs (68 kgs) with black hair and green eyes and usually has facial hair. Rogers has the several Tattoos; Left Forearm – Mom and Dad Left Hand – Snake Head Left Index finger – L Left Middle finger – O Left Ring Finger – V Left...
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Veterinarian and team come to northern FirstNation
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter EABAMET LAKE – Chief Solomon Atlookan says he’s always had a dog in his life. Nowadays, that special canine is his daughter’s chocolate lab, named Domi after a retired NHL player. But veterinary services have historically been hard to come by in their home community, 300 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay. And so the Eabametoong First Nation chief was happy to see the Matawa Animal Services pilot project come to his Ojibwe community. From Oct. 16 to Oct. 20, 176 animals were seen by a veterinarian, 97 were spayed or neutered, 79 had wellness exams and 348 got vaccinated. In addition, 40 dogs were transferred to adoption agencies – an important measure as the First Nation tries to control its animal population, according...
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Grassy Narrows elects its first female chief
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter GRASSY NARROWS – There’s a new chief in the Asubpeeschoseewagong First Nation, better known as Grassy Narrows, And, for the first time since introduction of the band system, the new chief is a woman. Sherry Ackabee won against longstanding incumbent Rudy Turtle in the race for the Anishinaabe community’s top job, winning on Monday by a slim margin. Ackabee edged Turtle by a margin of 10 votes, 109 to 99, in an election that also had other candidates for chief. “My priorities are to work with the community,” Ackabee told Newswatch in a conference call with her councillors in the room. “And, you know, I find the children are a very important part of the community, and so are the elders. Everybody is...
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We discovered a new fossil species of prehistoric fish
The Conversation What do the ginkgo (a tree), the nautilus (a mollusc) and the coelacanth (a fish) all have in common? They don’t look alike, and they aren’t biologically related, but part of their evolutionary history bears a striking resemblance: these organisms are referred to as “living fossils”. In other words, they appear to have escaped the transformations that normally come about over time, through evolution. For the past 85 years, the coelacanth has been dubbed a “living fossil” because it evokes a bygone era, the age of dinosaurs. These fish belong to the sarcopterygians, a group that also includes lungfish (fish with lungs) and tetrapods, a group to which humans also belong. Tetrapods are vertebrates (animals with a backbone) that share specific anatomical features, including the presence of a...
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Coast Guard begins removal of oil from historic war shipwreck
By Radha Agarwal, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A new expedition has begun to extract the oil stored in the USAT Brigadier General M.G. Zalinski Second World War shipwreck, aiming to reduce its ongoing threat to the surrounding environment. On Oct. 10, Diane Lebouthillier, minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard awarded Resolve Marine a $4.9 million contract to carry out the task. “A 2023 technical assessment suggests there is approximately 27,000 litres of oil remaining within the wreck,” said Kiri Westnedge, a spokesperson for the Coast Guard. The U.S. had employed the 77-metre ship M.G. Zalinski to transport army supplies and heavy fuel oil from Seattle to Whittier, Alaska, as part of the war effort in 1946. It struck a rocky outcrop and sank to the southeast of...
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Film from Mohawk actor/writer/director set for national release
By Sam Laskaris Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Kaniehtiio Horn was keen to display her acting abilities. And thus Horn, a member of Kahnawake Mohawk Territory in Quebec, decided to take matters into her own hands. Horn wrote, directed and is also the star of a comedic thriller titled Seeds, which will start screenings at theatres across Canada on Oct. 25. Seeds had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last month. “I think my inspiration was basically creating something for myself to showcase my abilities as an actress,” Horn said. “I was tired of waiting around for basically for someone to write a lead in a film for me to showcase my range.” Seeds is Horn’s directorial debut. The 83-minute film features Horn playing a character named Ziggy,...
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2021 Census data highlights Indigenous identity gaps in Squamish
By Bhagyashree Chatterjee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Did you know that 5.4% of Squamish’s population identifies as Indigenous? That’s 1,285 people—mostly people from First Nations and Métis —who call this scenic town home. The 2021 Census paints a picture of how Indigenous identity is growing and evolving in Squamish, revealing trends that go beyond just numbers. Let’s dive in. Indigenous identity and ancestry – what’s the difference? The census data shows that while 1,285 residents in Squamish identify as Indigenous, 430 more report having Indigenous ancestry but don’t actively identify as such. What’s going on here? Simply put, it’s a matter of how people feel connected to their heritage. Some people know they have Indigenous roots but may not engage in cultural practices or identify within the community’s legal or...
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McIntosh Indian Residential School research needs more funding
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter GRASSY NARROWS – The project to search for unmarked graves on the grounds of the closed McIntosh Indian Residential School has surveyed four hectares (10 acres) of land so far. But the school property comprised more than 840 hectares, Wiikwogaming Tiinahtiisiiwin Project consultant Janalee Jodouin said Wednesday. “It is the start of bringing the children home,” she said. “And that’s what this is about: bringing the children home. This is the beginning.” Additional ground searches are planned but require continued support from the federal government, the project said in a recent news release. The area that needs to be investigated on the ground could be narrowed down considerably by high-tech aerial surveying – but that, too, is dependent on funding, she said. The...
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Search of Manitoba landfill for remains of slain First Nations women on track: Kinew
WINNIPEG, MAN-(CP)The effort to find the remains of two slain First Nations women believed to be in a landfill is on track and excavation in the target area is set to start in early December, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said Wednesday. “I hope that everybody in the province and across the country sees that Manitoba values and honours Indigenous women,” Kinew told reporters as he stood at the Prairie Green Landfill north of Winnipeg. Kinew also addressed the families of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran, who joined him at the site. “I hope that as you see the progress that’s been brought here today that it brings you some measure of healing,” the premier said. Preliminary excavation of a four-metre-deep top layer of material — above the area that searchers...
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5 million adults without primary care, surgeries returning to normal: CIHI report
The Canadian Press-A new report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information says 83 per cent of adults in this country have a regular primary-care provider, but that still leaves 5.4 million adults without one. It says seniors 65 years and older are more likely to have access to a family doctor or nurse practitioner than younger adults between 18 and 34. Access to primary care is highest in Ontario and lowest in Nunavut. The CIHI report released Thursday morning measures the baseline of health priorities agreed upon by the federal government and the provinces and territories. Federal health minister Mark Holland says there will be a report every year to measure progress across the country. In addition to improving access to primary care, the priorities include reducing wait times...
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Sentencing to begin for man who pleaded guilty to killing partner, two children
Canadian Press-A sentencing hearing for a Manitoba man who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the killings of his common-law partner and their two young children is set to begin Thursday. Trevis McLeod, 52, admitted in September to the slayings after a forensic assessment found he had not suffered from a mental disorder. Shantelle Murphy, 32; Isabella Murphy, 6; and three-year-old Mason Murphy were found dead in the family’s duplex in Portage la Prairie, west of Winnipeg, on April 10, 2022. Fire crews were initially called to the home after neighbours reported the unit was ablaze. Firefighters would later find the three victims dead in two upstairs bedrooms. Court heard the woman and two children “suffered substantial blunt force trauma to the head and body.” McLeod had a history with...
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Federal ministers summoned over Fort Chipewyan contamination scandal
A federal committee will grill cabinet ministers over Transport Canada’s failure to inform Indigenous communities about water and soil contamination at a dock in Fort Chipewyan, Alberta. The federal Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development passed a motion by NDP MP Laurel Collins summoning cabinet ministers, Indigenous leaders and experts to testify about the contamination and communication breach. “It is particularly egregious that the government knew about the contaminated dock at least since 2017 and that there haven’t been steps to address it,” Collins told Canada’s National Observer in a phone interview. The health of First Nations must be given priority, she added. Sediment and groundwater samples from a 2017 Transport Canada study showed nickel, arsenic and harmful hydrocarbons exceeded guidelines in many samples near the dock where community...
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Iqaluit museum improves locks after break-in, theft
By Jeff Pelletier Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A break-in and theft, followed by another break-in attempt prompted Iqaluit’s Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum to improve its locks to prevent similar incidents in the future. “We haven’t had that type of break-in,” said Jessica Kotierk, the manager and curator of the museum, which houses Inuit artifacts, sells artwork and hosts community events. “Sometimes we have people during our open hours take things, but not this kind where they’re breaking in when we’re closed.” The first break-in, according to Kotierk, took place in the early hours of Sept. 27. In that incident, a person was caught on the museum’s security cameras forcibly entering the museum through a side door that is not usually open for visitors and taking items from the gift shop. The...
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Quebec First Nation wins court case to quash “Gold Rush” mining policy
By Matteo Cimellaro Local Journalism Initiative A First Nation in Quebec has won a case in the Superior Court over online mining claims in their territory. The decision issued late last week requires all prospective mining claim holders to consult with the Mitchikanibikok Inik First Nation — which sits 265 kilometres north of Ottawa and is otherwise known as the Algonquin of Barriere Lake — before a claim is granted. Before the decision, so-called free entry mining claims in Québec were made online for a small fee. The decision enforces the need for consultation when claims are made in the First Nation’s territory and will have knock-on effects for the operation of the province’s mining industry. It was a “huge win” for the Algonquins of Barriere Lake, said Chief Casey...
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Discussions during Kivalliq mayors meeting overwhelmingly positive, says host SAO
By Darrell Greer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Kivalliq News There’s a lot of work that goes into organizing an event such as the annual Kivalliq Regional Mayors Meeting that was held in Rankin Inlet from Oct. 8-10. The 2024 edition of the mayors meeting was organized by Chesterfield Inlet, which put the lion’s share of coordinating squarely on the shoulders of that community’s senior administrative officer (SAO) Paul Bosetti, who said it took about five months of work, off and on, to organize the gathering. Once meetings are held to create and, ultimately, finalize the agenda, including the final list of presenters at the event, the wheels start turning behind the scenes until everyone is comfortably seated around the table. Bosetti said he talked to about 30 organizations and individuals...
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Manitoban artist has fond memories of Baker Lake
They are portraits of beautiful images frozen in time. Manitoban photographer and pencil artist Gerald Kuehl spent a lot of time in Baker Lake at the turn of the century meeting Elders for the purpose of interviewing them and creating their portraits. Kuehl said while in Baker Lake, the Elders would come in off the land with amazing faces and incredible stories. He said thanks in part to Calm Air sponsoring him and being able to return a number of times to the community, he has 39 portraits hanging in Baker’s community hall. “Unfortunately, Baker Lake is so commercialized now,” said Kuehl, “with the mining and everything else going on up there. It’s not at all like it was when I showed up in 2002. “It was still very isolated...
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Group calls for for better pay, equipment for wildfire fighters
Last May, when Jenny Saulnier was home alone with her dog in Nova Scotia while her son and husband were at hockey, she scrolled through social media and saw there was a house fire some nine kilometres from her home, and was assured she would be fine. “I was safe where I was. I had no reason to worry that this would ever turn into a wildfire, let alone the mega-force wildfire that it turned into,” she told reporters in Ottawa Wednesday morning. Suddenly, she found herself racing for her life — until she was stopped in bumper-to-bumper traffic with a 911 operator saying she may need to leave by foot should the flames come closer to her. “The Nova Scotia government let me down that day. Their lack of...
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