Six Nations Police holding school safety and traffic blitzes
By Austin Evans Writer As another school year begins, the Six Nations Police advise the community to drive safe. Six Nations Police has increased the officers on patrol to monitor traffic during school hours in school zones and the village of Ohsweken. Additionally, school bus drivers have been asked to get the license plates of cars which ignore their stop signs. Any drivers who fail to stop for a school bus face a minimum $490 fine and six demerit points for a first offence. Police Chief Darren Montour said Six Nations Police will continue their heightened traffic monitoring for the first two weeks of the school year. After two weeks, Six Nations Police will release a report on how many traffic stops and charges they made. Speeding in school zones...
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First Nation councillor calls for resignations after teen killed in police shooting
The Canadian Press A band councillor with an Alberta First Nation is calling on two RCMP officers to resign after the shooting death of a 15-year-old boy. Izaiah Swampy Omeasoo of Samson Cree Nation says in an online statement that members of his community are mourning the death of Hoss Lightning. Speaking on behalf of Hoss’s family, he says the presence of the officers poses a “serious danger” to people living near Maskwacis, south of Edmonton. He also called for police reform, Indigenous-focused de-escalation training and greater access to mental health support funding. “We must … come together to stand up against the injustice Indigenous Peoples face (and) the justice Hoss Lightning deserves,” Swampy Omeasoo said. Wetaskiwin RCMP said they received a report Friday about a boy who had called...
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Ahousaht in mourning after two sudden losses, arrest made after fatal incident at residence
By Nora O’Malley & Eric Plummer Local Journalism Initiative Reporters A State of Emergency has been declared in Ahousaht following a heartbreaking weekend of two unexpected deaths in the community. Police are investigating the death of an adult man and Ahousaht leadership has confirmed the tragic passing of a female youth worker. In a statement Sunday, police say Ahousaht RCMP responded to a call on Saturday, Aug. 31 at 6:29 p.m. to a residence on Robinson Avenue. “When police arrived, they saw that BCEHS were on scene providing medical aid to an adult man. He was immediately transported to hospital where he was later pronounced deceased,” said Cpl. Madonna Saunderson in a media release. “A short time later an adult man was arrested in connection with the incident. He has...
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Rivermen upset their protest at Presidents Cup wasn’t heard
By Sam Laskaris Writer The British Columbia-based Ladner Pioneers won their third consecutive national Senior B men’s lacrosse championship this past Saturday. But members of the Six Nations Rivermen, who competed in the Presidents Cup tournament, believe the Pioneers did not play by the rules and should have been disqualified from the Canadian championships. Jeff Powless, a former general manager of the Rivermen who served as a team advisor this season, said the Rivermen did not follow a new rule that stated Senior B clubs could only have a maximum of five players on their roster that had played professionally in the National Lacrosse League this past season. The Ladner roster had five players who were NLL regulars in their lineup at the Presidents Cup tournament. They were Ryan Benesch,...
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Walkers oppose nuclear waste in Northwestern Ontario
By Mike Stimpson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter IGNACE – The fifth annual Walk Against Nuclear Waste concluded on Labour Day morning with about 30 participants from points east and west converging on a patch of land south of Highway 17 between Ignace and Dryden. Approximately 20 protesters began their walk in two groups Sunday morning, one heading east from Wabigoon and the other going west from Ignace. They were joined by about 10 more people along the way. They walked about 20 kilometres on Sunday, were driven to overnight accommodations, and then returned to finish their walks Monday morning, participant Sheila Krahn told Newswatch. “I was very proud of those people that did walk,” said Krahn, who trailed the group from Ignace in an RV. “I’m physically not able to...
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Deadly Shellfish Toxins Hinder Indigenous Food Sovereignty. How to Fix That
By Michelle Gamage The Tyee Local Journalism Initiative Reporter When it’s feeding time, Vancouver Island University biology student Chloe McLaughlin carefully scoops a palm-sized green sea urchin out of a tank. Flipping it upside down, she exposes the creature’s mouth and gently feeds it a biotoxin that is highly poisonous to humans. The biotoxin, also known as paralytic shellfish poison, affects only creatures with central nervous systems, she says. Potentially lethal to humans, it doesn’t hurt sea urchins or other bivalve filter feeders such as oysters, clams, scallops, mussels and cockles. This experiment is part of a larger collaboration between the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Vancouver Island University to improve testing for biotoxins in seafood and ultimately improve food security for remote and Indigenous communities along the coast, says...
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B.C. to open 13 new First Nation primary care clinics, 10 to open this fall
The Canadian Press 03/09/2024 15:22 British Columbia is moving ahead with 13 new First Nations primary care centres in the province, with 10 scheduled to start operating this fall. The province’s First Nations Health Authority and the Health Ministry say in a joint statement that there will be a total of 15 such clinics in B.C. once the 13 new locations are all opened. Health minister Adrian Dix says in a statement that the expanded slate of First Nations primary care clinics is another step in “dismantling and eradicating Indigenous-specific racism from B.C.’s health-care system.” The clinics combine primary care and social services with Indigenous health supports, and officials say they will be operated in partnership with the local First Nations. The 10 facilities scheduled to begin taking patients this...
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Nova Scotia conservation group announces its largest purchase of coastal land
The Canadian Press The Nova Scotia Nature Trust plans to complete its largest acquisition of privately owned coastline by the end of the month. The non-profit conservation group announced Tuesday that it had purchased Cape Negro Island, one of the province’s largest coastal islands at 317 hectares. No financial details were disclosed, but the group confirmed the purchase was made possible by the federal government, the Nova Scotia Crown Share Land Legacy Trust and community donations. As well, the Nova Scotia Nature Trust confirmed it has secured a deal to buy the adjacent Blanche Peninsula. But that deal won’t close until the required funds are raised — a goal the group hopes to reach by Sept. 30. Together, the two properties in Shelburne County amount to 1,034 hectares of coastal...
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NDP to have ‘tough conversations’ about its deal with Liberals at coming retreat: MP Slugline: NDP-Liberals
The Canadian Press The NDP’s supply and confidence deal with the Liberals in Ottawa will get heavy scrutiny when leader Jagmeet Singh meets with his caucus in Montreal next week, with the Liberals’ decision last month to force binding arbitration to end a work stoppage at the country’s major railroads potentially triggering the end of the pact. Liberal House Leader Karina Gould insisted last week that the deal will last until its planned end point next June. However NDP labour critic Matthew Green says the NDP has been re-evaluating the deal after Labour Minister Steve MacKinnon directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board to impose binding arbitration less than 24 hours after Canadian Pacific Kansas City and Canadian National Railway locked out their workers after failing to reach a contract deal...
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Nova Scotia conservation group announces its largest purchase of coastal land
The Canadian Press The Nova Scotia Nature Trust plans to complete its largest acquisition of privately owned coastline by the end of the month. The non-profit conservation group announced Tuesday that it had purchased Cape Negro Island, one of the province’s largest coastal islands at 317 hectares. No financial details were disclosed, but the group confirmed the purchase was made possible by the federal government, the Nova Scotia Crown Share Land Legacy Trust and community donations. As well, the Nova Scotia Nature Trust confirmed it has secured a deal to buy the adjacent Blanche Peninsula. But that deal won’t close until the required funds are raised — a goal the group hopes to reach by Sept. 30. Together, the two properties in Shelburne County amount to 1,034 hectares of coastal...
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Native Centre finds a ‘novel’ way to get kids into reading
By Julia Sacco Local Journalism Initiative Reporter There’s a vending machine at the Niagara Regional Native Centre, but it’s not packed with chips and snacks. This vending machine is filled with books — specifically, Indigenous-authored books, for community members to take home for free. The machine is sponsored by Start2Finish, a Canadian charity that provides educational support to the country’s at-risk children, intending to break the child poverty cycle. The Niagara Regional Native Centre received one of eight book vending machines provided to friendship/cultural centres and schools on Anishinaabe Algonquin, Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak, Attawandaron, Blackfoot Confederacy, Tsuut’ina, Îyâxe Nakoda Nations and Métis Nation lands. Wyller Fushtey, the Native Centre’s Akwe:go program coordinator, controls the book vending machine. “It’s an opportunity for our community to access Indigenous literature by Indigenous authors...
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ACFN chief slams AER’s $50K penalty against Imperial Oil for Kearl seepages
By Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 02/09/2024 15:41 The chief of Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) says the $50,000 fine the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) has levied against Imperial Oil for allowing wastewater to leak from its Kearl mine into the Athabasca River is insufficient to deter future leakages. Given the fact that Imperial made $1.1 billion in income in the second quarter of 2024 alone, it would have taken them just 35 seconds to make the $50,000 the AER fined them, ACFN Chief Allan Adam told Alberta Native News. “That was already just a small bucket in the magnitude of what’s going on here,” said Chief Adam. “We can’t allow this to happen anymore.” In May 2022, Imperial informed the AER that pools of discoloured water had surfaced...
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Two Akwesasne residents arrested in human smuggling operation that resulted in drownings
AKWESASNE- Two Akwesasne residents, including a woman alleged to have been a key player in a human smuggling operation tied to the drownings of eight migrants last year, have been arrested and are facing extradition to the U.S.. The Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service (AMPS) Joint Investigation Team, that includes AMPS, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), have been assisting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in coordinating the arrests of two individuals believed connected to the tragic drowning events in March 2023. AMPS said Stephanie Square of Akwesasne was arrested on August 22, 2024 and Rahsontanohstha “Storm” Delormier of Akwesasne was arrested on August 28, 2024. Both were arrested on provisional warrants and are facing extradition to the United States. Square is named in a...
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Cree writer and teacher Darrel J. McLeod has died, publisher says
The Canadian Press 31/08/2024 Award-winning Cree writer and teacher Darrel J. McLeod has died at the age of 67. Corina Eberle, Mcleod’s publicist at Douglas & McIntyre, says he died Thursday, adding his death was “sudden and unexpected.” McLeod’s debut memoir “Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age” won the Governor General’s Literary Award for non-fiction in 2018, when the jury praised his writing as “lyrical and gritty, raw and vulnerable.” The Sooke, B.C.-based writer spent the first part of his career in education, working as a teacher and school principal. He went on to serve as the executive director of education and international affairs at the Assembly of First Nations, and chief negotiator of land claims for the federal government. His writing was widely praised, and his second book, “Peyakow:...
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Cowesses receives the largest transfer of mineral rights in the province
By NC Raine, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 31/08/2024 19:00 Cowessess First Nation has been transferred new mineral rights from the Government of Saskatchewan as part of their Treaty Land Entitlement (TLE) Settlement Agreement. “The recent transfer of mineral rights to Cowessess First Nation is a signifiant step in supporting their continuing economic growth,” said Don McMorris, Government of Saskatchewan Minister for First Nations, Métis Relations, and Northern Affairs in a news release. The First Nation is to receive 336 hectares (829 acres) of mineral rights, which is the largest trasfer ever made. The province is calling it a movement toward greater economic growth for Cowessess. Ocean Man First Nation and Little Pine First Nation have both received mineral rights from the provincial government. Ocean Man received 63 hectares in 2023...
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Dancing under the sun at the Credit First Nation powwow
Three Fires Pow wow…dancing softly on Mother Earth By Austin Evans Writer MISSISSAUGAS OF THE CREDIT FIRST NATION-It didn’t matter if they were a lifelong dancer, a first-time visitor, or Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor everyone joined in the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation’s (MCFN) annual Three Fires Homecoming Powwow’s welcoming dance this past weekend. MCFN Chief Claire Sault welcomed attendees to the 36th annual event calling it, “a day that we celebrate our progress.” She told the crowd gathered under the shade of the trees at the community’s “Grove,” it was a time to mark the community’s perseverance. “We celebrate our unique heritage, diverse cultures, and our outstanding contributions we’ve made to Canada,” she said. “Our people and our families were very resilient and survived a lot of adversity, but today...
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Two dead, others injured after semi crosses centre line and collides with motorcycles
The Canadian Press 01/09/2024 14:41 FAUST ALBERTA-Two people are dead and at least six others were injured after police say a semi truck crossed the centre line of a highway and collided with a group of motorcycles in northern Alberta. RCMP say members from the detachment in Faust, Alta., responded to a report of the crash on Highway 2 — about 250 kilometres northwest of Edmonton — shortly before noon on Saturday. They say an off-duty RCMP officer was already on-scene helping the injured as other emergency services arrived. Police say two of the motorcycle riders — a 38-year-old resident of Drift Pile First Nation, Alta., and a 33-year-old from Edmonton — were killed. At least six additional riders with various injuries were taken to hospital. Police say their Initial...
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The increasing popularity of Indigenous clothing and designs can get complicated
By NC Raine Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Eunice Ketchemonia-Cote, who creates unique ribbon skirts and star blankets says social media can be a double-edge sword for home-based artists like herself. From the Keeseekoose First Nation, she often posts and sells her items on Facebook because it’s a quick way to showcase her work. As a result, Ketchemonia-Cote’s one-of-a-kind designs have been replicated without her consent more times than she can remember. “I think it’s a problem that happens a lot more than people realize,” said Audrey Dreaver, an artist and program co-ordinator of Indigenous Fine Arts at the First Nations University of Canada. She said misusing or outright theft of Indigenous people’s artwork or “intellectual property” has been happening for decades. “It’s a weird phenomenon that is claiming to honour...
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First Nations created wealth fund growing
The Ontario First Nations Sovereign Wealth Fund is in a solid position, but its funds won’t be available to any First Nation until 2030. Ron Jamieson, who sits on the Ontario First Nations Sovereign Wealth Fund (OFNSWF) board on behalf of Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) came to the General Finance meeting on August 19 to give the new council a better idea of the fund and its progress. The fund was an agreement between 129 Ontario First Nations, including Six Nations, that purchase more than 14 million shares of Hydro One six years ago. The fund has gained more than $200,000 since 2021, but Jamieson wants to see it get to $1 billion before the funds are divided between the 129 First Nations, who signed up for the deal...
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Elected Chief tells water conference Six Nations lacks access to clean water
By Austin Evans Writer Six Nations Elected Chief Sherri-Lyn Hill told the World Water Conference (WWC) last week the Canadian government is to blame for poor drinking water access at Six Nations and asked for their support in fixing it. The WWC, hosted by the International Water Association (IWA) brings professionals and companies in the water sector together bi-annually to discuss the future of water management. Elected Chief Hill welcomed the delegates from 140 countries around the world to the Toronto event August 11. In a short welcoming address armed with a power point she asked the crowd if they believed access to clean drinking water was a basic human right. When they raised their hands, she said the government of Canada did not agree with them. She told the...
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