Brantford City Council expected to approve motion to assign judge to massive Six Nations land lawsuit
By Austin Evans Writer Brantford’s Committee of the Whole unanimously voted in favour to request the Canadian government assign a judge to a 30-year old Six Nations lawsuit. Six Nations of the Grand River took the governments of Canada and Ontario to court in 1995 in a case which continues to this day. Six Nations’ stance is the British Crown set aside roughly 950,000 acres of land for Six Nations before improperly selling most of it to settlers. The band cites the 1784 Haldimand Proclamation which it considers a treaty and seeks compensation from the governments of Canada and Ontario. Canada and Ontario argue that the Proclamation was not a treaty and did not obligate them to establish a reserve. They also claim the Six Nations people made a series...
Register
Brantford General Hospital group to have Indigenous reps
By Austin Evans Writer Six Nations of the Grand River and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation will each have one seat on Brantford’s hospital working group. Brantford councillors voted during the September 10 Committee of the Whole meeting to create an advocacy group for a new Brantford hospital. Brantford General Hospital serves 150,000 people in the city of Brantford, the County of Brant, Six Nations of the Grand River and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Since the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care closed St. Joseph’s Hospital in 2001, Brantford General has been the only hospital servicing Brantford and its neighbours. Councillor Dan McCreary brought the resolution to the Committee asking for a working group to build the case for a new facility. “It has become increasingly obvious...
Register
OPP Fatal Collision in Norfolk County sparks attempted murder charge
NORFOLK COUNTY, ON – An individual is facing a series of charges including Attempt to Commit Murder in the fatal collision in Port Dover this past weekend. Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said at about 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 14, 2024, Norfolk County OPP, along with the Norfolk County Fire Department and Norfolk County Paramedic Services, responded to a collision involving three motorcycles, a Sports Utility Vehicle, and a pickup truck on Highway 6 near Blueline Road in Port Dover, Norfolk County. A passenger on one of the motorcycles was pronounced deceased at the scene. The operator of the same motorcycle sustained serious injuries, while the operator of another motorcycle sustained minor injuries. OPP said after the collision, an altercation took place that saw one person taken to hospital with...
Register
SN Elected Council donation fund changes under review
Healthy adults may no longer qualify for a donation from Six Nations. The Internal Systems Committee presented changes to the Six Nations Community Donation, Grant and Sponsorship Fund Policy at the Six Nations Elected Council’s (SNEC) General Council meeting on September 10. Those changes included age eligibility, mandatory volunteer hours and expanded the activities that qualify. SNEC did not pass the amended policy, but the change to eligibility age was not challenged. Chair of the committee, Councillor Alaina VanEvery said most changes to the policy were minor. “Some other notable changes, aside from the little house keeping things… focusing this policy now on youth and added vulnerable persons, so anybody that is fitting in that vulnerable person definition whether they are over the age of 19 can still apply,” she...
Register
Controversial incinerator demolished
By Austin Evans Writer Six Nations’ controversial incinerator has been demolished nearly a decade after it shut down. Made to get rid of trash, the long-dormant incinerator at the Six Nations landfill was itself trashed the week of September 9. The incinerator had been left beside Six Nations Fire Station #5. The fire department had the incinerator removed so they could use the space. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) Communications said the incinerator sat there for 10 years due to a lengthy legal battle between them and John Kearns, the man who sold SNEC the incinerator. The Kearns Disintegrator System as Kearns called it was built in 2014 with the promise it would create zero emissions as it burned waste to ash. Kearns claimed the incinerator’s heat was high enough...
Register
An important day is coming…
Canada is about to mark the fourth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, 2024. The federal statutory holiday came in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Call to Action 80 that called on the federal government to work with Indigenous people to establish a statutory day to “honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.” As a result, September 30th, already known as Orange Shirt Day since 2013, became a federal holiday. While today we participate in a variety of functions and events on the federal holiday let’s not forget where its roots began. It was born as a result of an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day created...
Register
Weekly Cartoon
...
Register
Six Nations Police laid over 100 charges in school zone traffic monitoring
By Austin Evans Writer The Six Nations Police Back to School Traffic Safety Initiative led to 108 charges laid in two weeks. Six Nations Police increased traffic monitoring in local school zones during the first two weeks of school to ensure the roads were safe for students. Six Nations Police laid 38 speeding charges in the second week for a combined 97 speeding charges between both weeks. Officers also laid a charge for operation while prohibited, adding a second charge to one laid the week before. By the end of the initiative, Six Nations Police laid 108 traffic-related charges. Police also issued 10 warnings for stunt driving, adding onto the 12 warnings from last week. One vehicle was towed and one vehicle was impounded for 45 days. While the increased...
Register
UNDER THE NORTHERN SKY : Conversations On The Land
By Xavier Kataquapit www.underthenorthernsky.com There is this new duck on the lake here at my far north wilderness camp. I am sure that Shee-sheep, the Cree word for ‘duck’ is a mallard and so I decided to call her Daisy. She seems to be frantically searching the lake for something. I am guessing that she is looking for her partner and ducklings. She likes to sit on my freshly renovated dock. I sent her away the other day and now I regret it. The other day she woke me at six in the morning with alarming quacking that went on for a half hour. I gazed out the window of my camp and could see her perched in her spot on the dock obviously complaining about my behaviour in chasing...
Register
OPP warn: Online scam cost resident $65,000
(HALDIMAND COUNTY, ON) – Haldimand County OPP are warning the public to be alert after a county resident lost $65,000 in an online trading investment scam. On September 13, 2024, Haldimand detachment of the the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) launched an investigation into a fraud complaint. OPP said the victim registered for what appeared to be a legitimate online trading website in July 2024. Soon after creating the online account, the victim was contacted by someone claiming to be a financial advisor who convinced them to increase their investments. Over time, further recommended investments were made and to withdraw funds, a brokerage fee was demanded. Realizing they had been scammed, with an approximate dollar value of $65,000 lost, the victim contacted police. OPP said frauds and scams are attempted daily...
Register
Dozen players from Chiefs’ championship roster gearing up for world championships
By Sam Laskaris Writer It’s already been a rather successful month for several local lacrosse stars. The Six Nations Chiefs captured their second consecutive Mann Cup title last Wednesday. Six Nations defeated the visiting Victoria Shamrocks 4-1 in a best-of-seven series – all matches were held at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena – to determine the Canadian Senior A men’s champs. And now a dozen members from the Chiefs’ championship roster are setting their sights on winning some more hardware this month. They’ll participate for the Haudenosaunee Nationals squad at the world box lacrosse tournament, which runs Sept. 20-29 in Utica, N.Y. All four players that made up the Chiefs’ leadership squad are also on the Haudenosaunee roster. They are captain Cody Jamieson and assistant captains Randy Staats, Brendan Bomberry and...
Register
Chiefs defend Mann Cup by downing visiting Victoria Shamrocks
By Sam Laskaris Writer After the Six Nations Chiefs captured the 2023 Mann Cup championship in British Columbia last September thoughts immediately turned to whether they could defend their crown. And if the Chiefs were to win a second consecutive national Senior A title, they would have the luxury of doing so on their home floor. Well, that’s exactly what happened. The Chiefs ensured the Mann Cup would be staying in Six Nations for another year by downing the Victoria Shamrocks 13-9 last Wednesday, in a match held at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena (ILA). With that victory the Chiefs won their best-of-seven national championship series versus the Shamrocks in five matches. All of the games were held at the ILA. “Victoria did a great job,” said Chiefs’ head coach John...
Register
Arrows selected in National Lacrosse League Entry Draft
By Sam Laskaris Writer Four players that suited up for the Six Nations Arrows this season are now a step closer to realizing their professional dreams. That’s because they were selected on Sunday in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) Entry Draft. Arrows’ goaltender Ethan Robertson was picked in the fourth round, 44th over-all, by the Colorado Mammoth. And Six Nations’ defender Louis Alfred was chosen in the fifth round, 67th over-all, by the Halifax Thunderbirds. Meanwhile, two individuals who spent the majority of the season in the Junior B ranks with the Akwesasne Thunder but joined the Arrows as affiliate players late in their campaign were also drafted. They were forward Landen Sinfield and defender Vance Adams. Sinfield was scooped up by the Toronto Rock in the fourth round, 47th...
Register
Could it work? A guaranteed liveable basic income
By Brenda Sawatzky, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Leah Gazan is the NDP Member of Parliament (MP) for Winnipeg Centre. She’s also the primary reason Bill C-223 is currently being considered by the federal government. Introduced as a private member’s bill in 2021, Bill C-223 calls for the federal government to create a national Guaranteed Liveable Basic Income (GLBI), a model which she and others believe would help end poverty in the country. The bill would ensure that not a single Canadian lives below the poverty line. The primary objective of Bill C-223 is to put pressure on the Canadian government to create a national framework for implementing the GLBI within one year. The bill has since passed first reading and is scheduled to go to its second reading later this...
Register
Fire destroys 105-year-old post office on Standing Rock Reservation
The Associated Press 17/09/2024 17:25 SELFRIDGE, N.D. (AP) — A fire destroyed the 105-year-old post office in Selfridge, North Dakota, early Monday. State and federal authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, KFYR-TV reported. Five trucks, a tanker and multiple volunteers responded to the fire. No one was injured and the fire did not spread to anything else, said Selfridge Rural Fire District Secretary Debbie Vollmuth. A video she filmed shows flames leaping out of the building’s roof and windows. The Associated Press left a phone message with the Sioux County sheriff, and emailed a spokesperson for the state attorney general as well as a spokesperson for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Selfridge is a town of about 125 people on the Standing Rock Reservation,...
Register
After four-year negotiation, Sts’ailes reaches child welfare agreement with ‘B.C.’ and ‘Canada’
By Amy Romer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter IndigiNews After wrapping up a long and sometimes frustrating four years of talks to regain child welfare rights in his community, Sts’ailes Grand Chief William Charlie felt a weight lift off his shoulders. “People have told me I look much better this week,” Charlie, who is chief executive officer of Sts’ailes First Nation, told IndigiNews in an interview earlier this month. On Sept. 3, Sts’ailes signed a co-ordination agreement with “Canada” and “British Columbia,” supporting the First Nation’s inherent rights to care for its children and families through its own law — Snowoyelh te Emi:melh te Sts’ailes. Siyam te Sts’ailes (Sts’ailes leadership) signed the agreement along with Patty Hajdu, federal minister of Indigenous Services, and Grace Lore, the province’s minister of Children and...
Register
Health Canada approves updated Moderna COVID-19 vaccine
The Canadian Press Health Canada authorized Moderna’s updated COVID-19 vaccine that protects against currently circulating variants of the virus on Tuesday. The mRNA vaccine, called Spikevax, has been reformulated to target the KP.2 subvariant of Omicron, the agency said. It replaces the previous version of the vaccine that was released last year, which targeted the XBB.1.5 subvariant of Omicron. Health Canada recently asked provinces and territories to get rid of their older COVID-19 vaccines to ensure the most current vaccine will be used during this fall’s respiratory virus season. Health Canada is also reviewing two other updated COVID-19 vaccines but has not yet authorized them. They are Pfizer’s Comirnaty, which is also an mRNA vaccine, as well as Novavax’s protein-based vaccine. Like Moderna’s vaccine, the Pfizer vaccine under review targets...
Register
Prisoner advocacy group calls on Nova Scotia to launch independent review of jails
The Canadian Press 17/09/2024 16:40 A prisoner rights group is calling on the Nova Scotia government to pass a law requiring independent monitoring of the province’s jails. In a report released Tuesday, the East Coast Prison Justice Society says provincial inmates complain of issues such as prolonged lockdowns and poor access to health care. The group’s annual report is a compilation of comments gathered from nearly 800 phone calls with inmates in the jail system from Sept. 1, 2022, to Aug. 31, 2023. Its findings also come after six people died while in provincial custody since January 2023. “Nova Scotia’s provincial government should no longer be permitted to enjoy executive discretion on whether to hold a public inquiry when a death in custody occurs,” the report reads. The report criticizes...
Register
Prisoner advocacy group calls on Nova Scotia to launch independent review of jails
The Canadian Press A prisoner rights group says the Nova Scotia government must pass a law requiring independent monitoring of the province’s jails. In a report released today, the East Coast Prison Justice Society says provincial inmates complain of issues such as prolonged lockdowns and poor access to health care. The group’s annual report is a compilation of comments gathered from nearly 800 phone calls from Sept. 1, 2022, to Aug. 31, 2023, with inmates in the jail system. Inmates also complained of little access to cultural and spiritual support programs, particularly for African and Indigenous Nova Scotians. The group issued 42 recommendations, including that the province launch an independent review to identify necessary changes to the jail system, including on issues such as health care. Barbara Adams, the province’s...
Register
Health Canada approves updated Moderna COVID-19 vaccine
The Canadian Press 17/09/2024 13:28 Health Canada authorized Moderna’s updated COVID-19 vaccine that protects against currently circulating variants of the virus on Tuesday. The mRNA vaccine, called Spikevax, has been reformulated to target the KP.2 subvariant of Omicron, the agency said. It replaces the previous version of the vaccine that was released last year, which targeted the XBB.1.5 subvariant of Omicron. Health Canada recently asked provinces and territories to get rid of their older COVID-19 vaccines to ensure the most current vaccine will be used during this fall’s respiratory virus season. Health Canada is also reviewing two other updated COVID-19 vaccines but has not yet authorized them. They are Pfizer’s Comirnaty, which is also an mRNA vaccine, as well as Novavax’s protein-based vaccine. Moderna’s vaccine is approved for adults and...
Register
