Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, says not criminally responsible
By The Canadian Press A man has admitted in court that he killed four women in Winnipeg, but his lawyers are asking he be found not criminally responsible because of mental illness. Court of King’s Bench Chief Justice Glenn Joyal said Monday the question of Jeremy Skibicki’s mental capacity and intent will now be the focus of the trial. The Crown agreed that the trial, which was supposed to be with a jury, will instead be heard by a judge alone because of complexities with this type of defence. “Concluding this matter before a jury does pose some challenges,” said prosecutor Christian Vanderhooft. The trial is to start Wednesday. Skibicki, 37, has pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder. The partial remains of Rebecca Contois were found in...
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As US spotlights those missing or dead in Native communities, prosecutors work to solve their cases
BY SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — It was a frigid winter morning when authorities found a Native American man dead on a remote gravel road in western New Mexico. He was lying on his side, with only one sock on, his clothes gone and his shoes tossed in the snow. There were trails of blood on both sides of his body and it appeared he had been struck in the head. Investigators retraced the man’s steps, gathering security camera footage that showed him walking near a convenience store miles away in Gallup, an economic hub in an otherwise rural area bordered on one side by the Navajo Nation and Zuni Pueblo on the other. Court records said the footage and cell phone records showed the victim —...
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Red dresses make fashion statement about missing and murdered Indigenous women
By Kelly Geraldine Malone The Canadian Press KAMLOOPS B.C.-Models in uniquely designed red dresses are taking to the runway in British Columbia this weekend to make a powerful fashion statement about missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people. “The stories that come out through the fashion are deeply moving,” says Kim Coltman, organizer of the two-day Revolutions Red Dress Fashion Festival in Kamloops. The 63-year-old former model says the eight designers taking part in the festival have created items to honour Red Dress Day, the national day of awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls observed annually on May 5. “For the majority of them, they have been touched by this issue personally,” Coltman says. Red Dress Day was inspired by Métis artist Jamie Black’s installation...
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As US spotlights those missing or dead in Native communities, prosecutors work to solve their cases
The Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — It was a frigid winter morning when authorities found a Native American man dead on a remote gravel road in western New Mexico. He was lying on his side, with only one sock on, his clothes gone and his shoes tossed in the snow. There were trails of blood on both sides of his body and it appeared he had been struck in the head. Investigators retraced the man’s steps, gathering security camera footage that showed him walking near a convenience store miles away in Gallup, an economic hub in an otherwise rural area bordered on one side by the Navajo Nation and Zuni Pueblo on the other. Court records said the footage and cell phone records showed the victim — a Navajo...
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Leaders in remote Manitoba community put in new policies, curfew to combat influx of drugs, alcohol
By Dave Baxter Local Journalism Initiative Leaders in a remote northern Manitoba community are putting in strict new policies and a nightly curfew, as they desperately try to slow an influx of drugs and alcohol they say is bringing increasing violence and suffering. “We need community support to protect our children, Elders and members,” a notice released Monday by Chief and council of the Tataskweyak Cree Nation says. “We have the right to raise our families in a safe and healthy community.” TCN`s Band Council said in the notice, they are now declaring a state of emergency due to “violence and illegal activity” in the community, also commonly referred to as Split Lake, located more than 900 kilometres north of Winnipeg. With that state of emergency comes a list of...
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‘Treat the land right’: B.C. farmers search for solutions as another year of drought looms
By Matt Simmons Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The lines on Eugen Wittwer’s face are like the rings of a tree — they tell the story of a life lived subject to the whims of weather. Under his salt-and-pepper beard, the Swiss-born farmer keeps a warm smile at the ready. Putting a big glass jug into an old pickup truck outside the farmhouse on his family’s sprawling acreage near the village of Telkwa, B.C., he says he needs to milk his dairy cows. “I like my milk pasture-rized,” he quips. “They’re out in the pasture all day every day.” When severe drought took hold across much of Western Canada last year, many farmers saw their once-green pastures turn to barren brown deserts in a matter of weeks. As extreme heat set...
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‘We grieve and we are angry:’ Chiefs blame feds, province in wake of homicide
By John Chilibeck Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The six Chiefs of the Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick have reacted angrily to the death of Sheri Sabattis, the sister of an Indigenous chief who police say was a homicide victim last weekend. In a statement issued late Thursday, the chiefs blamed provincial and federal authorities for not ensuring First Nation laws were enforced. Sabattis, 54, a member of Oromocto First Nation, was the younger sister of Chief Shelley Sabattis. The accused, Jared Smith, 38, of nearby Burton, is not a member of Oromocto First Nation or any Wolastoqey community. He had earlier been banished by the Oromocto chief and council from entering the community, a measure police do not enforce. He made a brief court appearance Monday, but because he didn’t...
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Realities of new OPP board yet to be seen
Carl Clutchey Local Journalism Initiative reporter Whether a single, consolidated police service board for rural communities outside Thunder Bay will be better, worse or more expensive than the previous arrangement remains a question mark, those affected by the decision say. “We’ll have to wait and see how it goes,” Shuniah Mayor Wendy Landry said this week. “It’s a big group that we’re with now.” Police service boards advise police forces about community needs, and what locals would like to see officers focus on. Shuniah, which is policed under contract by officers based at Thunder Bay’s Ontario Provincial Police detachment, had for many years its own police service board. But about five years ago, the province said that in parts of the province served by the OPP, it wanted to have...
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AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak Calls for National Action for MMIWG2S+ on Red Dress Day
May 5, 2024 – Unceded Algonquin Territory, Ottawa, Ontario) – Today, Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak joined First Nations Survivors, families, and communities across Turtle Island to observe Red Dress Day to honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals (MMIWG2S+). “Red Dress Day is a reminder of the urgent work needed to ensure safety, justice, and equity for First Nations women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals,” said National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak. “With the upcoming anniversary of the Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the 231 Calls for Justice on June 3rd, I urge the Government of Canada to take meaningful steps to protect the lives and rights...
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Canada, Manitoba to develop Red Dress Alert for missing Indigenous women and girls
The Canadian Press WINNIPEG, MAN-Canada and Manitoba are partnering to launch an alert system that would inform the public when an Indigenous woman or girl goes missing, they announced Friday in Winnipeg, ahead of a national day to mark the crisis. The long-awaited Red Dress Alert system is a bid to prevent deaths and increase safe reunions with loved ones. Statistics Canada concluded in a report last year that the homicide rate for Indigenous women and girls was six times higher than the rate for their non-Indigenous counterparts. A national inquiry concluded five years ago that they are 12 times more likely to go missing or murdered. “In the lead-up to Red Dress Day, we keep those who have been stolen from their communities and this world in our thoughts,...
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Winnipeg judge rules trial of accused serial killer to start with jury
By Canadian Press A judge has decided the trial of a man accused of killing four women in Winnipeg will still be heard by a jury. Lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki had asked that his jury trial, which is set to begin Wednesday, be heard instead by a judge alone. The defence argued that two years of publicity surrounding the high-profile case may have biased the jurors. A U.S.-based psychologist who has studied jury bias told court this week that news coverage of the slayings of the four women has been consistent and emotional. Skibicki’s lawyers said they plan to argue he is not criminally responsible for the deaths because of a mental illness. Skibicki has pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Rebecca Contois,...
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Government of Canada Provides Funding for Virtual Health Hub
By Carol Baldwin Local Journalism Initiative Reporter OnTuesday April 23rd, Prime Minister Trudeau made a quick visit to Saskatchewan during which he highlighted the $21 million designated for the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) Virtual Health Hub which will be deployed from Whitecap Dakota First Nation. Whitecap Dakota First NationChief, Darcy Bear, President and CEO of SIIT, Riel Bellegarde, and Dr. Ivar Mendez, Professor of Neurosurgery and Director of the Virtual Care and Remote Presence Robotics Programs, along with other dignitaries were present at Wanuskewin for the media event. The development of the Virtual Health Hub has been ongoing for several years. Research conducted by Dr. Ivar Mendez and his team in the Virtual Care and Remote Presence Robotics Program at the University of Saskatchewan showed that pregnant women...
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Fire Bans Back in Effect
By Carol Baldwin Local Journalism Initiative A fire ban has been reinstated for the towns of Cudworth and Wakaw, Resort Village of Wakaw Lake, Wakaw Lake Regional Park, and the Rural Municipalities of Hoodoo #401 and Fish Creek #402. One Arrow First Nation has also instituted a ban on open fires. The bans came into effect on Friday, April 26thand includes small fire pits as well as the burning of brush piles, stubble, and the like. Barbecues, propane heaters, and propane fire rings are permissible, but caution is urged. Always have a fire extinguisher or a pail of water nearby in case of an emergency. Full fire bans are also in effect for the Rural Municipalities of Aberdeen #373, Duck Lake #463, and Prince Albert #461, as well as in the...
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Quebec court gives green light to Indigenous child-welfare class action suit
By Cedric Gallant Local Journalism Initiatve Reporter Quebec’s superior court has decided a class action lawsuit alleging discriminatory underfunding of Indigenous child welfare services in the province will go forward. The case’s proponents say the Canadian and Quebec governments are not abiding by their constitutional obligations to off-reserve Indigenous children and families. They also allege Canada is not ensuring adequate standards or funding for the provinces to take care of their Indigenous population. Sotos Class Actions filed the suit alongside two law firms, Kugler Kandestin LLP and Coupal Chauvelot s.a. in Montreal. Sotos announced Tuesday in a news release that the case had been certified. The lawsuit began with two petitioners, both of them having gone through the child welfare system in Nunavik. The release said Indigenous youth and their...
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Herbicides among Hydro One’s tools
By Carl Clutchey Local Journalism Initiative reporter As herbicide use in rural and forested areas remains a sore point with environmentalists, First Nation groups and some opposition MPPs, Hydro One continues to use chemicals as part of its efforts to control unwanted tree growth in transmission corridors. The utility says it does so in ways that minimize risk, though opponents to the practice maintain non-chemical methods are just as effective and safer for human health. “Herbicides are never used in proximity to open water courses, including rivers and creeks,” a Hydro One spokeswoman said this week in an email. Starting next week, the utility plans to include herbicide spraying as part of brush-control work along its transmission corridors in sections of Shabaqua, Conmee, Oliver Paipoonge and Finmark townships. Hydro One...
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Commemorating murdered and missing Indigenous women this Red Dress Day
By Mina Kerr-Lazenby Local Journalism Initiative Reporter It’s been 14 years since Canadian Métis artist Jaime Black hung red dresses in public spaces, raising awareness of the staggering number of Indigenous women missing and murdered across the country. The striking exhibition has since transformed into a full-fledged movement, with an annual event each year that provokes thought and honour from the public. Red Dress Day has ballooned in scale, but its message still remains as clear as it did that spring of 2010. “Red Dress Day is about raising awareness and recognition of violence against women, and honouring those who didn’t have a voice back then,” said səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) elected councillor Charlene Aleck. “It is an important day, but for First Nations communities it is especially significant because it...
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Smiles and laughter as a Nation rebuilds
By Matteo Cimellaro Local Journalism Intiative In Skwlāx te Secwepemcúl̓ecw First Nation, where last summer fires in B.C. destroyed homes and buildings, elders are smiling and laughing again. That’s what stood out most for Kukpi7 (Chief) James Tomma following a ribbon-cutting ceremony for this community last week. The ceremony celebrated a new subdivision that will house community members who lost their homes in August in the Bush Creek East wildfire. Dancing Fawn II is the newest subdivision to spring up after the fire. It is one of four that will house community members until more permanent residences are built, what Tomma calls “forever builds.” Tomma intends to have everyone who lost their homes back in the community by mid-June. Tomma has promised Skwlāx that he will be the last...
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Winnipeg judge to rule if trial of accused serial killer to start with jury
The Canadian Press A Winnipeg judge is expected to decide today whether the trial of a man accused of killing four women will still be heard by a jury Lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki have asked that his jury trial, which is set to begin Wednesday, be heard by a judge alone. The defence has argued that two years of publicity surrounding the high-profile case may have biased the jurors. A U.S.-based psychologist who has studied jury bias told court this week that news coverage of the slayings of the four women has been consistent and emotional. Skibicki’s lawyers said they plan to argue he is not criminally responsible for the deaths because of a mental illness. Skibicki has pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths...
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Quesnel, B.C., censures mayor, saying his actions jeopardize Indigenous relations
By The Canadian Press Councillors in Quesnel, B.C., have voted unanimously to censure their mayor, saying his actions related to a book denying the harms of Canada’s residential school system jeopardize the city’s relationship with Indigenous communities. Coun. Scott Elliott made the motion, telling council that all the work that has been done to rebrand the city has been “demolished” by Mayor Ron Paull’s actions. A report to council says Paull “attempted to distribute” a copy of the book, titled “Grave Error: How the Media Misled Us (and the Truth about Residential Schools),” at a Cariboo Regional District board meeting where he was representing the city. Paull denied “distributing” the book and told Tuesday’s meeting that his work on advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples is a matter of public record....
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Woman charged with impaired driving
SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND-A local woman is facing an impaired driving charge after Six Nations Police spotted a vehicle driving slowly along Cayuga Road and crossing the centre line Tuesday, April 30th. Police said the vehicle was spotted at about 11:40 p.m. operating below the posted speed limit and crossing the centre line several times. Police conducted a traffic stop and said both driver and passenger admitted to consuming alcoholic beverages that evening.. The driver was arrested for Impaired Operation after a roadside Approved Screening Device Demand was performed. Police said the driver complied with the request. The driver of the vehicle, Susan Williams, 63, of Ohsweken was arrested and charged with the following Criminal Code offence: – Impaired Operation The accused was later released and is scheduled to...
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