Residents learn about the history of pemmican
By Alex Noad, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter When the Buffalo roamed the land which is now known as Canada, the Blackfoot people relied on it for all of their basic needs. A single buffalo could produce up to 500 pounds of meat. Without fridges to keep the meat cold how were they able to utilize it to nourish their bodies? The answer to this question is pemmican. Pemmican is a traditional food from ancient Indigenous culture. While each tribe used meat native to their areas, the Blackfoot people used primarily buffalo meat. The three components to pemmican were meat, fat and berries. Each component played a vital role in both nutrition and preservation. The meat was first dried, this was not only to preserve the meat, but it also made...
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Salluit man describes 8-month struggle to find home for family
By Cedric Gallant Local Journalism Initiative Reporter been in an eight-month battle with the Nunavik Housing Bureau to obtain a home for himself and his family. James Tarkirk, 24, lives with his partner, Alaku Poassie, who is seven months pregnant, and their two children ages three and four. He said he has moved from place to place while struggling to get answers for when the housing bureau will have a home ready for his family to move into. Currently, he’s staying at his mother’s place short-term while she is in Montreal. He might stay in the south permanently if he can’t get a house in Salluit soon, he said. The Nunavik Housing Bureau takes care of accommodation for nearly 98 per cent of Nunavik Inuit, under the Quebec Housing Corp....
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Wildfires erupt in B.C. with lightning, heat fuelling fire behaviour across province
The Canadian Press The mayor of a British Columbia Interior community says the area’s long-term care residents have been moved out as a fast-moving wildfire looms nearby. Barbara Roden, mayor of Ashcroft, B.C., located about 360 kilometres northeast of Vancouver, said Saturday that community remains under an alert to be ready to evacuate on short notice. Roden said the anxiety among residents is “settling down a little bit” as the nearby Shetland Creek wildfire appeared to push northward Saturday. “In the early stages of a fire, there is of course a lot of stress, a lot of fear, a lot of nervousness,” she said. “(But) we’ve seen that the fire has largely stayed in a northerly course, not veering off to the east towards Ashcroft or Cache Creek, the more...
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Feds release flood of conservation funding
By Natasha Bulowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Nearly $90 million in federal funding for a slew of nature conservation projects intended to reverse Canada’s biodiversity loss and protect more land and waters was announced Thursday. The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society’s British Columbia Chapter (CPAWS) celebrated the federal government’s news, which advances Canada’s goal to improve biodiversity and protect thirty per cent of lands and waters by 2030. Three separate projects totalling $49 million will be in British Columbia, federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault announced at a press conference in Whytecliff Park Beach in West Vancouver. “This funding has the potential to make a massive impact by protecting ecologically and culturally important ecosystems that hold and sequester carbon while benefitting clean water, air and wildlife,” said Tori Ball, conservation director...
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Fishing communities welcome B.C. intention to reform licensing and quotas
By Hope Lompe, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Fishing communities, harvesters and advocates are welcoming British Columbia’s intention to work with the federal government to reform the purchase system for fish licences and quotas for B.C.’s commercial fishing industry. As part of the Coastal Marine Strategy unveiled last week, the province says it’s moving toward an owner-operator system for quota and licences. Under the new system, licence and quota holders would also need to be active fish harvesters — something advocacy groups and First Nations have been requesting for years. The current individual transferable quotas (ITQ) system allows corporations and foreign investors with deep pockets to buy the right to catch fish for the highest price, making it increasingly difficult for individual harvesters, First Nations and generational fishing families to stay...
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Province commits to ‘new vision for child welfare’ after 11-year-old’s preventable death
By Cara McKenna Local Journalism Initiative Reporter CONTENT WARNING: This story details abuse and neglect in the child “welfare” system that may be distressing or triggering. Please look after your spirit and read with care. The provincial government is committing to “a new vision for child welfare” after an investigation exposed dozens of failures that led to the preventable death of an 11-year-old First Nations boy in a “Fraser Valley” foster home. The Representative for Children and Youth (RCY) released a report this week that delves into the story of Colby — whose real name and specific community have been withheld to protect his identity — and the horrific abuse he endured that led to his untimely passing. The mistreatment of Colby and his eight-year-old sister — which included starvation,...
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Prophet River First Nation prepares for Chief and Council elections
By Ed Hitchings Local Journalism Initiative Reporter PROPHET RIVER, B.C. — Prophet River First Nation (PRFN) has published its final lists of candidates for the positions of Chief and Council. Shelley Chipesia, Sheree Reno, Kirk Tsakoza, and Brian Wolf will try to unseat incumbent Chief Valerie Askoty. Askoty has served as PRFN Chief since 2021, when she defeated Tzakoza and Reno. She recently told Energeticcity.ca about her ambitions for a potential second term, which included nominating a board to oversee PRFN’s economic development corporation. “It should be run as a business separate from the Nation, away from political interference,” said Askoty in an interview on July 10th. “At the end of the day, Nation members are the stakeholders.” Two officials will be chosen from a pool of 10 candidates for...
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Manitoba Métis president ticketed for fishing without a licence, province says
Canadian Press 19/07/2024 A recent interaction between a conservation officer and David Chartrand, president of the Manitoba Métis Federation, appears set to become the latest skirmish in the battle over Indigenous hunting and fishing rights in the province. Chartrand was given a ticket last month for angling without a licence on a lake near the northern community of Cranberry Portage, the government’s central communications agency said Friday. Chartrand has until Aug. 14 to respond. Such tickets can carry fines of $298. Chartrand said he has not been charged with anything, was not breaking the law, and was exercising his right to fish. “One of the officers was trying to figure out what he had to do, and I think he was not properly briefed,” Chartrand said in an interview this...
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B.C. Interior residents get ready to go as rapidly growing wildfire threatens
The Canadian Press 19/07/2024 15:53 It’s the first time The Inn at Spences Bridge has been empty since April. Dorothy Boragno, who owns the inn with her husband Michael Findlay, said Friday they watched thick smoke across the Thompson River from the out-of-control Shetland Creek wildfire that has already forced others to evacuate. “We’ve been through fires before, so we know what happens, and if they get close, usually we get firemen to stay at our hotel, so we’re not too worried yet. But it does bring back bad memories,” said Boragno. The Shetland Creek fire in the southern Interior more than doubled in size from Thursday to Friday, due to what the B.C. Wildfire Service said was “significant overnight growth” and more accurate mapping. The fire is now listed...
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Brant County Health Unit confirms mosquitoes collected test positive for West Nile
BRANTFORD, ONT. – The Brant County Health Unit (BCHU) has confirmed mosquitoes collected last week, as part of the unit’s surveillance program, have tested positive for the West Nile virus (WNV). The mosquitoes were collected from a residential neighbourhood in Brantford. It the first lab confirmed evidence of WNV in Brantford-Brant this year. BCHU explained mosquitoes can transmit WNV to humans after becoming infected by feeding on the blood of birds carrying the virus. Residents can take the following steps to protect themselves and their families from mosquitoes: Cover up. Wear light-coloured, long-sleeved shirts and pants with tightly woven fabric. Avoid being outdoors from early evening to morning when mosquitoes are most active and likely to bite, as well as at any time in shady, wooded areas. Reduce mosquito breeding...
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Top court says government can be held liable for making unconstitutional laws
The Canadian Press 19/07/2024 The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that the state is not immune from liability for drafting and enacting laws that are later found to be unconstitutional. In a ruling Friday, a majority of the top court said governments have a limited liability for laws that are found to violate the Charter. The decision paves the way for a New Brunswick man to take the federal government to court over two laws passed by the former Conservative government in 2010 and 2012. Joseph Power was convicted of criminal offences in the 1990s, served a prison sentence, and then went on to become a medical radiation technologist. He was suspended from work in 2011 when his employer learned of his criminal record, and he applied for a...
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A Conversation With Calgary Stampede First Nations Princess Margaret Holloway
By Deena Goodrunning, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 19/07/2024 13:27 The Calgary Stampede First Nations Princess holds many roles and responsibilities. Not only does she represent “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth” alongside the Calgary Stampede Princess, she also represents the First Nations of Treaty 7 and Elbow River Camp on a local, national and international scale. Elbow River Camp, previously known as Indian Village, has been a part of the Calgary Stampede since it first started in 1912. The tradition of the Calgary Stampede First Nations Princess began in 1965 when Gloria Littlelight from the Tsuu’tina Nation was crowned as the first Calgary Stampede First Nations Princess. Since then, a young woman from one of the five nations of Treaty 7 (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani, Stoney Nakoda, and Tsuut’ina) is annually...
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Wildfire near Spences Bridge, B.C., explodes in size overnight as heat wave continues
The Canadian Press 19/07/2024 The out-of-control Shetland Creek fire in British Columbia’s southern Interior has more than doubled in size due to what the wildfire service describes as “significant overnight growth” and more accurate mapping. The fast-growing fire, now listed at 124 square kilometres in size, up from 57 square kilometres, has prompted evacuation orders and alerts between the communities of Spences Bridge and Ashcroft, east of Kamloops. An update posted to the BC Wildfire Service website says conditions are hot, dry, and windy, and there’s potential for continued substantial growth of the fire today. It says the blaze advanced about six kilometres in the northwest direction parallel to Highway 1 Thursday night. The service says 71 firefighters and six helicopters are currently battling the blaze in addition to structure...
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Help to combat drug-addiction community emergency funded
Local Journalism Initiative 19/07/2024 12:50 Fort William First Nation has received federal funding to hire a public safety and emergency co-ordinator to help it deal with an ongoing drug-addiction emergency. “This will help address the state of emergency, and relieve some of the pressure off Chief (Michele Solomon), council and community as they co-ordinate a path forward,” a spokesman for Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) said on Thursday. The decision to create the position was made following a meeting this week between FWFN band leadership and Indigenous Services Canada Minister Patty Hajdu (Thunder Bay-Superior North). Last week Fort William First Nation declared a state of emergency over an “escalating situation” related to opioid drugs. Solomon said that in addition to reaching out to community, police and treaty partners, the community would...
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Liberal House leader Steven MacKinnon sworn in as labour minister, replacing O’Regan
The Canadian Press 19/07/2024 09:05 Government House leader Steven MacKinnon has been sworn in as the federal Liberals’ new minister for labour and seniors. He participated in a ceremony at Rideau Hall this morning alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Gov. Gen. Mary Simon. MacKinnon joined cabinet as the House leader in January to replace Karina Gould while she is on maternity leave. He previously served as the Liberals’ chief whip in the House of Commons. Outgoing labour minister Seamus O’Regan announced Thursday he was resigning from cabinet for family reasons, though he is staying on as a Newfoundland MP until the next federal election. The full cabinet is expected to meet virtually today for the first time since the Liberals’ surprising loss in a Toronto byelection last month. This...
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Kids Club Off to Nice Start
By Carol Baldwin Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 18/07/2024 The first cultural learning afternoon for attendees of the 2024 Kids Club in Wakaw was held on Wednesday, July 10. Forty-three young people learned about bannock making and the ribbon skirt from Val Gaudet, a citizen of Batoche Homeland of the MetisLocal #51. Val shares her knowledge and skills regularly at special events designed to acquaint people with Metis history and culture. Dwane Burke, Recreation & Community Development Manager, with the Town of Wakaw, asked the children, “How many of you have had Bannock?” Roughly half raised their hands, and nearly half of those again asserted they had made it. Although the Metisculture is one of the historic cultures of the area, with intra- and interprovincial migration and international immigration, significant numbers...
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‘Like lava’: Evacuee tells of frightening fire escape, as blazes spike across B.C.
The Canadian Press 18/07/2024 Nandini Villeneuve and other residents of the Saranagati Hare Krishna village were in a meeting with emergency staff from the Thompson-Nicola Regional District late Wednesday when it was announced that a wildfire bearing down on the religious community had worsened. “It kind of just took off and then we were told that the meeting is done, and you guys are getting out of here,” said Villeneuve. She said that when she and the 25 families living in Sarangati left for Cache Creek around 7 p.m. the Shetland Creek wildfire was descending the mountain “like lava coming down,” shocking evacuees with its speed. The rapid growth of the out-of-control Shetland Creek fire in the B.C. Interior came ahead of a major spike in the number of fires...
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Yukon government ready to step in after mine disaster, firm’s silence ‘unhelpful’
The Canadian Press 18/07/2024 Yukon’s deputy mining minister says it’s “unfortunate and frankly unhelpful” that the owners of the Eagle Gold mine have been “silent in general” about action to remedy a disastrous ore slide that spilled hundreds of millions of litres of cyanide solution. Lauren Haney said Victoria Gold had been “doing a lot of work” to treat and divert contaminated water, but it may not be enough, and the Yukon government was contemplating stepping in to “complement and supplement” the company’s work. She told a briefing on Thursday that officials were “relying heavily” on the advice from technical experts to keep them apprised of the situation at the disaster site, and the territorial government hasn’t ruled out taking on a greater role. “We are looking at all the...
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Mount Currie cold case reignited after new tip
By Roisin Cullen Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 18/07/2024 Sea to Sky RCMP’s General Investigation Section executed a search warrant at a property in Mount Currie on Wednesday, July 17 in cooperation with the Stl’atl’imx Tribal Police Service, and with the assistance of the RCMP Integrated Forensic Investigation Services and RCMP Tac Troop. The warrant is in connection to the historical disappearance of Stanley Peters Jr., who was reported missing from D’Arcy in 1987. According to a release, Pemberton RCMP received information related to the cold case on May 17. Since that time, the investigation has remained open and active, “with the goal of bringing Mr. Peters Jr. home to his family,” the release said. Police would not say what the warrant covered, or if anything was recovered during the search...
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How bootcamps are helping to address the historic gap in internet access on US tribal lands
The Associated Press 19/07/2024 There’s a home movie theater with orange walls and plush recliners at the top of a steep hill on Matthew Rantanen’s ranch in Southern California. But on a recent afternoon, people weren’t flocking to the room to watch a movie or to escape the scorching heat, they were shining a beam of light through more than 55,000 feet (17 kilometers) of fiber optic cable coiled up in the corner. The demonstration took place during a hands-on broadband training for tribal nations near rural Aguanga, about 53 miles (85 kilometers) north of San Diego. Participants handled fiber made up of strands of glass as thin as human hair that transmit energy through pulses of light. The session was part of an initiative founded in 2021 by Rantanen...
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