Wind power operations off Nantucket Island are suspended after turbine blade parts washed ashore
The Associated Press 17/07/2024 NANTUCKET, Mass. (AP) — The federal government has ordered an offshore wind developer off Nantucket Island, a popular summer tourist destination in Massachusetts, to suspend operations after parts of a damaged turbine blade washed up on the beaches. A spokesman for the federal Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said Wednesday that operations at Vineyard Wind have been suspended until it can be determined whether the “blade failure” impacts other turbine blades on the development. As a result, power production on the lease area has been suspended and installation of new wind turbine generator construction is also on hold. Nantucket officials said all South Shore beaches have reopened on the island after the company said six truckloads of debris were collected. The company said that the...
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Sky Woman creation story told through contemporary dance
By Odette Auger, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Jim Adams’ “Sky Woman” performance with Porch View Dances is a fusion of contemporary dance and Indigenous teachings. It blends dance, storytelling, and an on-site creation of a turtle shell to transform performance into an art installation. Weaving in the creation story of Sky Woman, the piece addresses the damaged relationship between Indigenous peoples and the Earth, conveying a message of reconnection, responsibility and healing. As the story goes, Sky Woman fell through a hole in the sky. Birds caught her and brought her to rest on a turtle. The turtle’s shell becomes her home. Animals bring mud from the bottom of the ocean to add to the shell, which becomes the land we live on. Adams is a multi-disciplinary artist with roots...
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Rubaboo Arts Festival returns to Edmonton ‘to feed our spirits
By Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Rubaboo Arts Festival is returning to Edmonton for its 15th year from July 19 to 28, with something for everyone. Christine Sokaymoh Frederick, the festival’s artistic producer, told Alberta Native News that attendees “can expect a whole great big stew of lots of different kinds of offerings.” You Are Loved is the theme of this year’s festival, which Frederick said was inspired by a painting from local artist John “JCat” Cardinal. Frederick asked if she could use the painting as the event’s poster. When she asked Cardinal what the Cree syllabics at the bottom meant, Cardinal translated them as You are loved. “I immediately was smitten with this whole idea,” explained Frederick, whose family comes from Saddle Lake Cree Nation and Kikino...
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Nunavut throat singers to compete at Pan-Arctic Vision 2024 in Greenland
Ivaluarjuk Kathleen Merritt of Rankin Inlet and Charlotte Qamaniq of Iglulik may have a date with destiny in Nuuk, Greenland. Merritt said Qamaniq phoned her on Sunday morning, July 7, and asked her to team up throat-singing again and enter the Pan-Arctic Vision competition of the Alianait Arts Festival in Iqaluit. The festival ran from July 6-9 and was celebrating its 20th year. Merritt said to her and Qamaniq’s surprise, they won the competition and will now be travelling to Nuuk, Greenland, to compete in the Pan-Arctic Vision competition on Oct. 12. The event will feature 10 artists from 10 places in the Arctic, with this year’s slogan being song, community and independence. “Charlotte and I have known each other since 2008 and our very first performance was back then,”...
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AFN: Poilievre, Singh but Chief’s $47.8B child welfare reform takes the stage!
AFN, federal government confirm $47.8B child welfare reform settlement offer MONTREAL — The AFN’s finalized a deal with Ottawa last week to put $47.8 billion towards child-welfare reform. Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak got cheers as she made the announcement on the floor of the annual general assembly in Montreal. Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu stood beside chiefs and shed a few tears in a subsequent news conference as Woodhouse Nepinak said what a monumental agreement they had reached. The deal is worth more than double what was originally promised for long-term reform in a settlement agreement that resulted from a hard-fought human-rights complaint over underfunding of child-welfare services. Families who helped launched the initial court case stood with the minister and national chief as they shared the news. Ontario Regional Chief...
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Poilievre, Singh speak to Assembly of First Nation Chiefs
By Austin Evans Writer He was nervous. He stumbled over words. He wasn’t the bombastic Pierre Poilievre the country has come to know. Instead, the Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre giving his first ever live address to the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) was careful. The AFN began the third day of their Annual General Assembly (AGA) by inviting Poilievre to address the crowd and take questions. During his speech, the Conservative Party leader kept stumbling over his words and spoke in a stiff voice. His obvious nervousness may have been from facing a crowd whose members booed his December 2022 video message to the AFN. This was the first time Poilievre addressed the AFN directly. A crowd he has avoided appearing in person to since becoming party leader in...
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Chiefs pass resolution reversing course on forensic audit of AFN
The Assembly of First Nations passed an emergency resolution at its general assembly in Montreal Tuesday calling off a forensic audit that had been pushed by former national chief RoseAnne Archibald before she was ousted as national chief last year. The resolution said the audit of the AFN’s books was “not warranted and should not be undertaken” on the advice of accounting firm BDO which did a review. Archibald first called for the audit in 2022 as allegations of financial impropriety were levied at the AFN. At the annual general assembly that year chiefs voted in favour of a resolution to audit 10 years of AFN finances with special attention on salaries and contracts. After she was voted out in June 2023, Archibald said the audit should still go ahead....
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Six Nations Elected Chief pushes ISC to pay for new health building
Six Nations is either getting a new heath building or the current structure re-mediated at Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) expense. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) CEO Nathan Wright said ISC has agreed to pay for a building assessment and fund the costs of remediation or pay for a new building. Wright told SNEC ISC agreed to the costs after being pressured by Elected Chief Sherri Lyn Hill and her office. Wright provided an update on the building progress at the SNEC General Council meeting on July 9th. He said a number of the problems stem from ISC not claiming ownership of the building. He said SNEC has no record of a motion to accept ownership of the building. “Ownership is a big piece. ISC is insisting they’re not the owners, we’re insisting...
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Six Nations Elected Council updates itself
Six Nations members aren’t the only ones asking for updates about Six Nations Elected Council’s (SNEC) in-camera sessions and committee meetings, but after four months, it appears even councillors aren’t getting many concrete answers. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) members provided some updates at the General Council meeting on July 9th, but most said they weren’t sure who sits on what committee or what each committee’s mandate is or even how many committees there are. Councillor Audrey-Powless Bomberry told SNECshe’s been asking for a list or a chart, but hasn’t gotten one. To make sure she does get answers the councillor added an amendment to a motion ensuring SNEC receives committee updates, a list of all committees, who sits on them and the mandates of all committees. “Have all the...
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Mending fences and economic reconcilliation…not a bad idea
The Father knows best attitude was gone. Instead we saw obvious nervousness, humility and stumbles over issues Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre knew were outstanding and were important. In his first speech to the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Poilievre told them “your children can be the richest in the world.” He spoke to the economic potential of First Nations lands, a potential that has without any doubt benefitted the country for the past 157 years, and he said the Liberal’s reconciliation was nothing more than “performative.” A jab at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s drama teacher background? Or simply the blinding truth. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is polling high with youth, Millennial and Gen Y Canadians all of whom are angry about the high cost of living, housing and worried for the...
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Today in History
Today in History July 16: In 2003, Phil Fontaine returned as National Grand Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, defeating incumbent Matthew Coon Come, in a three-way leadership race. Fontaine served a three-year term as national chief of the group from 1997 to 2000. In 2007, the federal government reached a $1.4 billion agreement with the Crees of Quebec to settle decades of disputes over how the landmark James Bay agreement was to be implemented. The deal also set the stage for the creation of a Cree constitution, and future talks on regional self-government for the 16,700 Crees, most of whom live on the east coast of James and Hudson Bays. In 2021, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favour of northern Ontario’s Lac Seul First Nation in...
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Woodland Cultural Centre raising funds for new building
The Woodland Cultural Centre held a fundraising concert celebrating Robbie Robertson and continues to seek funds from Six Nations for a new building for the museum. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) Councillor Helen Miller attended the concert on July 5 and was the only councillor in attendance. She told SNEC she gave an impromptu speech and was asked to ask SNEC for funds. Miller relayed the report to SNEC at the General Council meeting on July 9 and said the concert was well attended. “The Gathering Place was packed,” she said. “It was a very good show.” The campaign called, Dwade’nyota’ Dwaga:’sho’oh (We Celebrate our Stories) held the Robbie Robertson Reflections Tribute event in honour of the famous Six Nations Musician (who played with Bob Dylan), who was the former...
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Six Nations Elected Council approves funding agreements and casino funds
Funding agreements and amendments for 2024-2025 are pouring in, totalling more than $66 million. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) approved several funding amendments and additions at the General Finance meeting on July 15 including four additional amendments from Indigenous services Canada (ISC). Jennifer Court, Director of Financial Reporting and Analysis presented SNEC with a list of all of its funding agreements, which SNEC plans to post-approve in August. The list included all of the agreements SNEC has approved since June 17 and all of the prior agreements. That list with the June additions totals more than $66,247 Million, which includes $4 million from the Brantford Charity Casino. SNEC agreed to a five-year comprehensive funding agreement with and funding amendments for this year include more than $500,000 with an additional $361,845...
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Six Nations’ Brandon Montour brining Stanley Cup home
By Sam Laskaris Writer Get ready to party with the Cup. That’s right. The Stanley Cup is indeed coming to Six Nations later this month for what will undoubtedly be a loud celebration. In a news release on Monday it was announced that Six Nations member Brandon Montour, who was a member of this year’s Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, would be bringing one of the world’s most famous trophies to his home community on July 24. The festivities, which will include a parade, will be held from 1-4 p.m. The parade will start at the Ohsweken Speedway and make its way to the Six Nations Sports and Cultural Memorial Centre. A celebration will then be held at the arena. The ceremony will include the presentation of the Six Nations...
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Rivermen and North Stars to square off in opening playoff series
By Sam Laskaris Writer It’s playoff time for the Six Nations Rivermen. The local Senior B men’s lacrosse squad will kick off its post-season schedule this Friday. The Rivermen will face the Owen Sound North Stars in a best-of-five Ontario Series Lacrosse (OSL) semi-final series. Game one on Friday will be at the Six Nations Sports and Cultural Memorial Centre. The opening faceoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. The North Stars will host Game 2 this Sunday at the Bayshore Community Centre in Owen Sound. And the series will resume with Game 3 in Six Nations on July 26. If necessary, Games 4 and 5, would be staged on July 27 and July 28, in Owen Sound and Six Nations, respectively. The Rivermen will be heavily favoured in their series...
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SPORTS BRIEFS: Arrows taking on Lakers
By Sam Laskaris Writer Arrows hoping to upset Lakers in opening round of playoffs The Six Nations Arrows came rather close to completing a playoff series upset on Monday. But the local Junior A lacrosse club came up a bit short as it was edged 10-9 in overtime by the host Peterborough Lakers. With that OT triumph the Lakers avoided having their 2024 Ontario Junior Lacrosse League (OJLL) campaign come to an end. Despite the loss the Arrows still lead their best-of-five OJLL quarter-final series against the Lakers 2-1. The Six Nations club is now hoping to wrap up the series when it hosts Game 4 on Thursday night. That contest, at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena (ILA), is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. If a fifth and deciding game...
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Thessalon First Nation finally submits election appeals to appeal board
By Kyle Darbyson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Thessalon First Nation’s election appeal board is finally reviewing appeals pertaining to last year’s chief and council election. TFN sent these appeals to the board on July 5, nearly eight months removed from a Nov. 17, 2023 election that resulted in a new chief (Joseph Wabigwan) and four new members of council. “I’m glad we get to finally review the appeals, but why is it taking place eight months after the fact?” election appeal board member Levi Laundrie asked in a recent interview with The Sault Star. “If we are allowed to see the appeals, shouldn’t we have been allowed to see them right away?” The Star reached out to TFN executive director Lesley Boulrice on Monday to inquire why the administration passed...
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A First Nation’s geothermal project shows how fossil fuels can power the next seven generations
By Matteo Cimellaro Local Journalism Initiative Elders and community members always knew something was bubbling under their feet on this remote B.C. First Nation territory. Long before contact, the hot springs throughout Fort Nelson territory were a source of healing, hygiene and rest for the Dene in what is now called northern British Columbia. In those early years of contact, during western expansion, there are stories of the local Dene teaching colonial explorers the benefits of hot mineral water for good hygiene. Now, not much has changed. Lodges and camping areas have been established across the province’s north, as tourists and locals escape for weekend spa getaways. “We have been harnessing this energy since time immemorial,” said Taylor Behn-Tsakoza. She’s the community liaison for Tu Deh-Kah, an Indigenous-led geothermal project...
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Conservative leader chastised at AFN’s annual general assembly
By Sam Laskaris Writer Pierre Poilievre’s first visit to the Assembly of First Nations’ annual general assembly did not go as well as the leader of the federal Conservative Party obviously would have hoped. Poilievre showed up to the final day of the assembly, which concluded last Thursday in Montreal, undoubtedly hoping he could secure numerous First Nations votes in the next Canadian election, currently scheduled for October of 2025. Things got off on a bit of a sour note for Poilievre as several assembly delegates, including First Nations veterans, turned their backs towards him once he was introduced and began speaking. No doubt many of those assembled were irked for Poilievre’s involvement in the last federal Conservative government headed by Stephen Harper. Harper, Canada’s prime minister from 2006 through...
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