Nuuk’s progress ‘aspirational’ to Iqaluit
By Jeff Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter With a new seasonal air link to Nuuk, Greenland, travellers from Iqaluit will find a city that in some ways is similar but bigger, faster-growing and with services not seen in the Nunavut capital. They will land in a fly-in city with a similar climate and array of colourful buildings, owing to a discontinued tradition of colour-coding structures based on their function. However, they will also discover Nuuk as a capital city that has grown much vaster and taller than Iqaluit and includes businesses and amenities Iqaluit lacks. “It feels like Nuuk has grown from a small town where everybody knew each other, to something that feels more like a capital or a larger European city to live in, even though it isn’t,...
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Kanesatake community members angered by paddlers
By Eve Cable Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Back in May, members of Kanesatake’s Longhouse listened as Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK) grand chief Victor Bonspille and MCK chief Valerie Bonspille shared with them information about a group of paddlers that had scheduled a six-day trip, including a stop in Kanesatake. At the time, Longhouse members had said they were uncomfortable with the visit – the group, who called themselves the Pinesi Paddlers, wanted to put down a plaque for the late Pikwakanagan grand chief Pierre-Louis Constant Pinesi in the graveyard in Kanesatake, and they kept referring to Kanesatake as “Oka.” The people in attendance felt that the paddling group had simply shared their schedule with MCK, rather than asked for permission from the Longhouse. Karihohetstha Eliza Cupples, a Kanehsata’kehró:non involved...
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Two women and three young kids dead in separate Saskatchewan crashes
RCMP say two separate crashes within a few hours of each other on highways in northwest Saskatchewan have claimed the lives of two women and three young children. Police say a 48-year-old woman who was driving a van, along with two boys aged 5 and 6, died when the vehicle collided with a truck early Friday afternoon on Highway 4, south of Cochin, Sask. All were from Flying Dust First Nation. Less than three hours later, a 29-year-old woman who was the driver of an SUV and a six-month-old boy who was also in the vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene of a crash with a motorhome on Highway 4, about seven kilometres south of Battleford. Police say both the woman and the boy were from Red Pheasant First...
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Cathy Bellefeuille elected new Chief of NFN
By David Briggs, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Six were in the running, but Cathy Bellefeuille was elected Chief of Nipissing First Nation for the next three-year term. Scott McLeod, who has served as Chief for nine years, will step down when this council term ends at the end of July. Bellefeuille’s campaign focused on working for both on and off reserve members, protecting Nipissing First Nation’s Inherent and Treaty Rights and promoting economic development to build the community. “I am a strong advocate for health care, education, economic stability, culture, language and social development,” Bellefeuille detailed in her platform. “I believe our First Nation has a solid foundation with a fantastic future that has been built over the years of hard work of the previous Councils.” See: Votes rolling in...
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Whale researcher says orphan orca ‘likely’ seen off Vancouver Island at Friendly Cove
A killer whale calf whose struggle for survival captured international headlines when she became trapped in a Vancouver Island tidal lagoon earlier this year only to escape on her own has likely been spotted swimming further south along British Columbia’s coast. Jared Towers, executive director of Alert Bay’s Bay Cetology, said he can’t be 100 per cent sure a video he received from a boater in Nootka Sound is indeed the formerly trapped whale, but said a number of circumstances make it highly likely. “Just given the location and the behaviour, it seems quite likely, and the lady was approached by the whale and the whale just had a quick look at the boat and then carried on,” he said. “She has been known to do that. She would come...
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‘Nobody has these stories’: Canada’s longest river at record low levels
The Canadian Press 08/07/2024 04:00 Canada’s longest river is at historically low levels, stranding communities that rely on it for essential goods and alarming First Nations along its banks who have never known the mighty Mackenzie to be so shallow. “This has never been seen before,” said Dieter Cazon, looking out at the water from his office as land and resources manager for the Liidlii Kue First Nation at Fort Simpson, N.W.T. “We’ve asked elders, ‘Does anybody have stories about water being this incredibly low?’ Nobody has these stories.” From Great Slave Lake to the Beaufort Sea, the Mackenzie River is 1,738 kilometres long. Its watershed covers parts of five provinces and territories. But the Northwest Territories government reports flow rates at most locations along the river are either well...
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Chief calls for independent investigation of mine slide and leach pad failure
By Odette Auger Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 05/07/2024 07:27 The First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun is demanding an independent investigation into the June 24 leach pad failure at Victoria Gold Corp.’s Eagle Gold Mine, 85 kilometres north of the First Nation in Mayo, Yukon. There is a serious risk of cyanide contamination, said Chief Dawna Hope, and more than one nation is downstream. Hope is the first female chief of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun and holds a degree in Northern Environmental and Conservation Sciences from Yukon University and the University of Alberta. She said the failure occurred on the mine’s leach pad itself, causing a landslide. “The severity of contamination from cyanide, as well as other chemicals, has not been publicly conveyed. This event has implications on all life in...
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Why researchers are racing to restore B.C.’s kelp forests
By Hope Lompe Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 05/07/2024 05:55 Restoration of kelp forests lost to ocean heat waves and overgrazing sea urchins is underway off Vancouver Island’s coastlines with guidance from local researchers. Experts from the University of Victoria have teamed up with the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre on the project, known as the Kelp Rescue Initiative. To kickstart their restoration work, divers are planting two species of canopy-forming kelp in Barkley Sound at the research centre in Bamfield. The project will also happen in the North Salish Sea at multiple locations around Hornby and Denman Island with support from Vancouver Island University’s Deep Bay Marine Field Station. Kelp forests are quickly declining around the world from a combination of sea urchin predation and warming ocean temperatures due to climate...
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Sharing Our Stories: Echoes of a Proud Nation / Kawennotátie’ rotira’sè:se’ raotinakeráhsera’
Story told by: Lori Beauchamp, Edited by: Owen Mayo Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Translated by: Sahawisó:ko’ Arquette 05/07/2024 05:10 After the summer of 1990, the Siege of Kanehsatà:ke, the cultural center was on K1037 Radio, speaking about future initiatives to help the community come together. They spoke of powwows and gave information on what it is. During that time, few people had much knowledge of powwows. I thought that it was a good idea because of everything our people went through the previous year. We needed something to help uplift our spirits. I attended the first meeting they held which had about 25 people in attendance. Our committee began with 18 members. Amos Key and Donna Phillips from Six Nations came down to host a powwow workshop and shared information...
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New system alerts coastal First Nations about hazardous spills on land and water
By Madeline Dunnett Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 04/07/2024 20:19 K’ómoks First Nation is one of 12 nations that assisted in the launch of a new emergency spill alert system. Photo by Madeline Dunnett/The Discourse A new notification system and app that alerts coastal B.C. First Nations about oil or hazardous chemical spills on their lands and waters was recently launched. The initiative was developed collaboratively between 12 First Nations and the province’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. The process was coordinated by Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative. The system uses technology from Alertable, an emergency alert system that is used by various local governments to notify residents about critical alerts in their communities such as those related to floods or fires. In 2021, when planning for a Reconciliation...
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Ceremonial walk of residential school survivors to launch this year’s Weengushk film festival
By Sam Laskaris Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A procession of residential school survivors will precede an Indigenous film festival on Manitoulin Island in Ontario. The eighth annual Weengushk International Film Festival will run July 11 to July 14. Films throughout the festival will be screened at the Four Directions Complex located in Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation. Aundeck Omni Kaning is one of six First Nations on Manitoulin Island. Before the films are screened however, the festival will commence with an event titled Blanket of Stars: A Tribute To Resilience. About 50 residential school survivors, who are being brought to Manitoulin Island from across the country, will be wrapped in star blankets. These survivors, described by festival organizers as residential school warriors, will walk across the island’s famous swing bridge...
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Yukon minister says cyanide found in creek near mine spill, after firm issues denial
The Canadian Press Elevated levels of cyanide have been detected in a waterway after an equipment failure and slide of ore at Victoria Gold’s Eagle Mine last week, the Yukon’s minister of energy, mines and resources said. A government expert said at the same briefing on Thursday that 300 million litres of cyanide solution had escaped containment in the June 24 incident and there was “significant” risk of a further slide at the mine. The briefing by mines minister John Streicker and other officials came hours after Victoria Gold issued a statement saying it had detected no cyanide in surface water after the slide. The firm also announced it had received notices of default from its lenders related to a US$200-million credit agreement. But Streicker said elevated cyanide levels of...
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Security review needed after Inuk women highway deaths near lodge in Quebec: coroner
The Canadian Press 04/07/2024 13:07 A coroner says a Montreal-area Inuit health centre should review its security measures in light of the deaths of two patients who were struck and killed on highways within a 24-hour span in 2022. Coroner Éric Lépine examined the death of one of the two women — Mary-Jane Tulugak, 22 — and issued a series of recommendations in his report released today. Tulugak and Nellie Niviaxie, 26, had travelled to Montreal for medical treatment and had been staying at the Ullivik health centre in Dorval, Que., which is overseen by the health board in Nunavik, the northern Quebec territory where the two women lived. Tulugak was in a wheelchair after surgery, and on Aug. 19, 2022, was barred entry to Ullivik’s living quarters by security...
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Disqualified driver charged
OHSWEKEN, ON- A 42-year-old man is facing charges after Six Nations Police said they spotted the man, known to be a disqualified driver, driving a vehicle on Tuscarora Road at about 2:10 p.m. Tuesday, July 2. Police said they activated emergency equipment and conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle as it pulled a residence along Tuscarora Road. Police said after stopping and checking the vehicle they found both a male driver and female passenger in the vehicle, who were both known to police as disqualified drivers. Police said the male driver was successfully arrested without incident but, police said the man became “actively resistant while in custody and verbally threatened the officers.” As a result of the investigation, police have arrested and charged Trevor McNaughton ,42, of Ohsweken, ON...
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Teenager facing First Degree Murder charge in death of Mississauga Road resident
Six Nations Police and OPP are cotninuing a murder investigation at a home on Mississauga Road. (Photo by Auston Evans) SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER- A 17-year-old has been charged with First Degree Murder in the death of a Mississauga Road resident Wednesday, July 3. Six Nations Police and Ontario Provincial Police were called to the scene of the death at about 2:05 p.m. Wednesday and upon arrival found a deceased individual at the scene. Officers secured the scene and a suspect was arrested at the scene. Police said there is no further risk to the public at this time. As a result of the investigation, a 17-year-old from Hagersville, ON has been charged with First Degree Murder. Police said because of the age of the accused no...
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First Nations win Quebec Superior Court decision
By Marc Lalonde Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 04/07/2024 08:44 A recent Quebec Superior Court decision agreed that the provincial government has an obligation to consult with First Nations on wildlife considerations on their traditional unceded territory, it said in a decision late last month. The June 21 decision from Quebec Superior Court Justice Marie Cossette ruled the government not only failed in its duty to consult First Nations on matters of caribou hunting and conservation – but also ruled the consultation must be launched by September 30. “In addition to violating their right to be consulted, the situation of the caribou deteriorates further during this time and the government is still not in a position to indicate to the tribunal when the proposed protection strategy will be communicated,” she said...
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Kahnawake Mohawk Council joins AFNQL in denouncing Northvolt
By Marc Lalonde Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 04/07/2024 08:40 The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake came out publicly in support of a recent Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador resolution condemning the provincial and federal governments’ failure to consult First Nations on a new electric-battery recycling facility near Hemmingford. The AFNQL resolution denounced Canada and Quebec’s failure to fulfill their obligations to consult and accommodate Indigenous people in regards to the Northvolt project — and demands that the governments of Canada and Quebec fully respect their obligations to Indigenous people regarding the Northvolt Project and all related activities along the battery production chain, from mining to recycling. Specifically, the MCK and the AFNQL are alleging the government’s failure to consult Indigenous people constitutes a violation of the United Nations...
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Three Individuals Charged in Major Drug Bust on M’Chigeeng FirstNation
By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 04/07/2024 01:58 M’Chigeeng, ON, June 24, 2024 — On June 20, 2024, a coordinated effort between the United Chiefs and Councils of Manitoulin (UCCM) Anishnaabe Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) led to a significant drug bust on Hill Street in M’Chigeeng First Nation. The operation, which involved the OPP’s Community Street Crime Unit, Emergency Response Team (ERT), and K9 unit, resulted in the arrest of three individuals and the seizure of illicit drugs valued at approximately $15,000. The individuals arrested have been identified as Shayla Debassige and Savanah Eshquib, both from M’Chigeeng, and Tasin Rahman from North York. They face multiple charges, including: Production of a Schedule I Substance (CDSA 7(1)) Possession of Fentanyl for the Purpose of...
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Expert Witness Cross-Examined Amid Controversy Over Unregulated Cannabis Stores
By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 04/07/2024 02:02 SUDBURY June 13, 2023 — Cross examination of expert witness Dr. William Newbigging, a professor of History and Anishnaabemowin, began last week in the controversial case involving ten defendants charged with operating unregulated cannabis stores in the communities of Wahnapitae, Henvey Inlet and Garden River First Nations. On January 24 of this year, the Expositor reported on the potentially precedent setting case involving ten First Nations defendants who filed a constitutional challenge four years ago. The defendants contend that that after the legalization of cannabis in 2018, the charges against them violate their rights as First Nations to trade the substance as a means of economic development. The accused are charged with breaking the Cannabis Act and the Controlled Drugs...
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Ojibwe Spirit Horses Return to Their Ancestral Lands in Wiikwemkoong
By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, 04/07/2024 01:55 WIIKWEMKOONG – Marcia Manitowabi’s dream of welcoming her peoples nearly extinct Ojibwa Spirit Horses, also known as Lac La Croix Indigenous Ponies, back to Wiikwemikoong has came true as of sJune 4, of this year. An official welcoming ceremony was held on June 8, inviting Wiky members to reconnect with these sacred horses. Three mares named Lucy, Three Sisters and Thundercloud, along with a gelding named Kind Moon Dancer, nicknamed Giizis (Ojibwe for “moon”), now call Wiikwemkoong home. Canada’s only Indigenous horse breed, the Ojibwe Spirit Horses, are both precious and endangered. By 1977, only four mares stood as the last sentinels of their kind. Their population had dwindled to a mere whisper on the wind, making the dream of...
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