Six Nations Fire preparing for its inaugural lacrosse season
By Sam Laskaris Writer The bench staff is in place. And now the Six Nations Fire, a new Junior B lacrosse squad, is looking for a few more players ahead of its inaugural season. The Fire will compete in the First Nations Junior B Lacrosse League. The Six Nations club is the only Canadian entry in the league. Others participating in the league are all based in the state of New York. They are the Tuscarora Tomahawks, Allegany Arrows, Onondaga Redhawks, Tonawanda Braves and Seneca WarChiefs. Six Nations’ Johnny Powless, who won numerous amateur and professional championships as a player, will serve as the head coach of the Fire. Powless’ younger brother Marshall, who is currently playing for the National Lacrosse League’s Albany FireWolves, will be the offensive co-ordinator for...
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Fort Wall restoration underway in Kahnawake
By Eve Cable Local Journalism Initiative Reporter For many in Kahnawake, the Fort St-Louis Wall is an important piece of the community’s history. To some, it’s a reminder of the painful legacy of colonization, and should be torn down. To others, it’s a marker not to forget the past, and should be restored as a physical way to teach future generations about Kahnawake’s story. The wall has been crumbling for years, with sections of the wall removed in 2016 and 2019 after collapsing. Now, with funding from Parks Canada, the section of the wall that collapsed is being restored, with work having started at the beginning of this week. “It’s about preservation, not necessarily updating it with modern materials but rather trying our best to keep it to what it...
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Judge dismisses lawsuit of injured Dakota Access pipeline protester
By Jack Dura THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)- A federal judge in North Dakota has dismissed the excessive-force lawsuit of a New York woman who was injured in an explosion during the protests of the Dakota Access oil pipeline. In orders on Wednesday and Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Traynor granted motions to dismiss the 2018 lawsuit by Sophia Wilansky, whose left forearm was injured in the blast from an “explosive munition” or a flashbang during a clash between protesters and law enforcement officers at a blocked highway bridge in November 2016. The lawsuit named Morton County, its sheriff and two officers. The judge said Wilansky’s 2023 amended complaint “plainly shows the officers use of the munitions and grenades were set in place to disperse Wilansky from the...
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Six Nations solar eclipse viewing event for community members only
SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND-The Six Nations Elected Council is holding a solar elipse viewing event Monday, Apruil 8, 2024 for community members only. A statement released Friday said the event is limited to community members only. “As excitement builds for the upcoming solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, Six Nations of the Grand River (SNGR) is informing the public that our event to view the Total Solar Eclipse on the territory is intended for the benefit of community members.” The statement said SNEC is prioritizing community safety and has limited resources and infrastructure and is unable to “to support an influx of unexpected visitors. To keep everyone safe, we must ensure our roads are clear in case of an emergency,” the statement said. The event at Parks and Recreation...
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Former tribal leader in South Dakota convicted of defrauding tribe
(AP)- A jury on Thursday convicted a former tribal leader in South Dakota of defrauding his tribe out of thousands of dollars. After a three-day trial, the jury convicted former Oglala Sioux Tribal President Julian Bear Runner, 38, of Pine Ridge, of six counts of wire fraud as well as larceny and embezzlement charges. A 2022 federal indictment alleged Bear Runner submitted vouchers while he was president in 2019 and 2020 for work-related travel he didn’t go on, and received about $80,000 in checks, which authorities said he took for his personal use, including gambling and hotel stays. “When government leaders abuse positions of power for personal financial gain, it’s the public that pays the price,” South Dakota U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell said in a statement. “In this case, Julian...
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An earthquake centered near New York City rattles, and unnerves, much of the Northeast
By Jennifer Peltz And Mike Catalini THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK (AP)- An earthquake shook the densely populated New York City metropolitan area Friday morning, with residents across the Northeast reporting rumbling in a region unaccustomed to it. The U.S. Geological Survey reported a quake at 10:23 a.m. with a preliminary magnitude of 4.8, centered near Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, or about 45 miles west of New York City and 50 miles north of Philadelphia. The agency’s figures indicated that the quake might have been felt by more than 42 million people. People from Baltimore to the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border reported feeling the ground shake. While there were no immediate reports of serious damage, officials were checking bridges and other major infrastructure, Amtrak slowed trains throughout the busy Northeast Corridor,...
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Charlie Angus, Parliament’s ‘punk rock politician,’ joins federal NDP exodus
(From left to right) NDP MP for Timmins-James Bay Charlie Angus, NDP MP for Algoma–Manitoulin–Kapuskasing Carol Hughes and NDP MP for North Island-Powell River Rachel Blaney are pictured in a composite image. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby, THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick, THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang) By Mickey Djuric THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA- Charlie Angus felt so much love Thursday, he joked that it felt like his funeral. The outspoken, often combative New Democrat MP triggered the outpouring when he declared he would not be seeking re-election after two decades representing his far-flung northern Ontario riding. The news _ fellow NDP stalwarts Carol Hughes and Rachel Blaney are also standing down, will come as a body blow to the federal party, which faces a stout electoral challenge from Pierre Poilievre’s resurgent Conservatives....
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Federal government reaches $7M settlement with B.C. First Nation
CRANBROOK, B.C.- The federal government and a British Columbia First Nation have reached a $7-million settlement over a lumber grievance that dates back to 1942. Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree and ?aqam Chief Joe Pierre Jr. announced the settlement Thursday, where Canada will pay the cash to compensate the First Nation for its economic losses from the timber surrender. The Crown-Indigenous Relations Ministry says in a statement the socio-economic gaps between First Nations and non-Indigenous communities exist because of “decades of colonial policies” that “led to the denial and dispossession of land and resources.” Anandasangaree says the latest settlement is a step made by the federal government to “be a good partner” in the development of Indigenous communities. The grievance stemmed from the surrender and sale of timber on Aq’am’s...
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Downtown biz leaders told education is key on road to reconciliation
By Dave Baxter Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The leader of Manitoba’s largest First Nations advocacy organization spoke to downtown business leaders on Thursday about what can be done in Winnipeg’s downtown to create stronger relationships with Indigenous people and work towards reconciliation. Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) Grand Chief Cathy Merrick addressed an event hosted by Downtown Winnipeg Biz. Merrick said she believes there cannot be meaningful work done towards reconciliation in downtown Winnipeg until all downtown-based organizations, businesses, business owners, and employees have a full and complete understanding of the history of First Nations people, but she added many are still not educated on that history. “Reconciliation requires cultural competency and sensitivity,” Merrick said. “This includes a commitment towards education and training to increase understanding and awareness of First...
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B.C. orders a stop to ship breaking pollution in Union Bay
By Madeline Dunnett Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Deep Water Recovery, the company taking apart derelict vessels in Union Bay, has been hit with a pollution abatement order from the province. The company is illegally allowing toxic effluent to run off into Baynes Sound and the marine environment, B.C.’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy has found. Discharges from the ship-breaking operations are collected in sump pits, which occasionally overflow with untreated effluent. Testing of that runoff confirmed high concentrations of pollutants, including copper, iron, zinc and cadmium. “I am satisfied with reasonable grounds that a substance is causing pollution on or about lands occupied by Deep Water Recovery Ltd,” wrote Jennifer Mayberry, Director of Operations and Compliance for the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. The ministry has...
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“We don’t need saviours, we need conspirators” Time to move past land acknowledgements to solidarity statements, says educator
By Brock Weir Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Land acknowledgements have become a routine part of our public life, a regular feature at cultural and political events, concerts, and even ribbon-cuttings. But what do these words mean? Who wrote them? What do they convey? Those are questions Dr. Ruth Green, an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at York University, is asking the community to consider ahead of a talk later this month at the Aurora Public Library (APL). Dr. Green, a member of the Haudenosaunee nation, will explore these questions at APL on Thursday, April 18, at 7 p.m., encouraging a move away from Land towards Solidary Statements. Ahead of the talk, she shared as much as land acknowledgements are ostensibly to further efforts towards Truth & Reconciliation,...
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Survival clock ticks for trapped B.C. orca calf, as gear arrives for complex rescue
By Dirk Meissner THE CANADIAN PRESS ZEBALLOS, B.C.- Equipment for the rescue of a killer whale calf has started arriving in the remote community of Zeballos, ahead of a complex operation that could happen as early as next week. The timer has been set to save the young orca’s life, First Nations leaders and a federal Fisheries Department marine mammal expert said Thursday. A seine net more than 270 metres long was delivered Thursday to the Ehattesaht First Nation to help corral the calf into shallow water, where it will be placed in a sling, taken out of the lagoon and transported to an ocean net pen, similar to those used by salmon farms. The complicated move could involve a crane, a specially outfitted truck and a landing craft or...
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Dehcho negotiations nearing a conclusion, leaders say
By Simona Rosenfield Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Dehcho lead negotiator Mike Nadli says his team has made key progress on land and resource negotiations between the Dehcho First Nations and the Northwest Territories and federal governments. The negotiations are known as the Dehcho Process. Negotiators have been touring Dehcho communities to provide updates. Chief Melanie Norwegian Menacho of Jean Marie River says her community’s update, delivered in February, was a “very productive meeting.” “Previously they weren’t open to making any sort of agreement on working together, but now it’s looking very promising,” she said of negotiations with different levels of government. Nadli has been working with territorial and federal representatives to conclude a decade-long negotiation for an agreement-in-principle, the last major step before a finalized agreement. The agreement-in-principle, or AIP,...
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Plans to get a B.C. orca calf out of remote lagoon aim for two-week timeline
Plans underway to try to move the two-year-old orca By Dirk Meissner THE CANADIAN PRESS ZEBALLOS, B.C.- The timer has been set to save a young killer whale’s life, say First Nations leaders and a federal Fisheries Department marine mammal expert. Plans to get the stranded two-year-old orca out of a remote lagoon off northern Vancouver Island are aiming for a timeline of two weeks or less, they say. Paul Cottrell, a marine mammal co-ordinator with the Fisheries Department, said there is still much to organize before the rescue team tries to capture the calf and transport it out of the lagoon to the nearby open ocean. The plan also involves placing the orca calf in a large net pen in the ocean where its health can be examined and...
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Mercury exposure widespread among Yanomami tribe in Amazon, report finds
By Fabiano Maisonnave THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BRASILIA, Brazil (AP)- Many Yanomami, the Amazon’s largest Indigenous tribe, have been contaminated with mercury coming from widespread illegal gold mining, according to a report released on Thursday by Brazil’s top public health institute. The research was conducted in nine villages along the Mucajai River, a remote region where illegal mining is widespread. Mercury, a poison, is commonly used in illegal mining to process gold. The researchers collected hair samples from nearly 300 Yanomami of all ages. They were then examined by doctors, neurologists, psychologists and nurses. The vast majority, 84% of Yanomami tested, had contamination equal to or above 2 micrograms per gram, a level of exposure that can lead to several health problems, according to standards by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency...
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Police, border services seize 598 stolen vehicles at Montreal port, most from Ontario
By Jacob Serebrin THE CANADIAN PRESS MONTREAL- Ontario Provincial Police and the Canada Border Services Agency say they prevented nearly 600 stolen vehicles from being exported overseas after searching 390 shipping containers at the Port of Montreal. Around three-quarters of the 598 seized vehicles, with an estimated value of $34.5 million, were stolen in Ontario, police said. OPP deputy commissioner Marty Kearns told reporters in Montreal on Wednesday that investigations by police in Ontario led them to believethat a large percentage of stolen vehicles in that province “were destined for illegal export via the Port of Montreal.” As a result, he said, police and federal agencies in Quebec and Ontario launched Project Vector. “As our intelligence indicated, the vast majority of recovered stolen vehicles, more than 430, were taken from...
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BC Hydro wants more clean power to help meet demand, clean energy targets
VICTORIA- BC Hydro is looking for more clean power to add to its grids as electricity demands are expected to increase by 15 per cent in the next six years. The Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation says the Crown power utility has issued its first call in 15 years and is looking to acquire about 3,000 gigawatt hours per year. The ministry says in a statement that it would add about five per cent to its current supply, which would provide clean electricity to 270,000 homes or about a million electric vehicles per year. The added need is due to population growth, housing construction, industrial development and more homes and businesses switching from fossil fuels to clean electricity, the government says. The ministry says this will be the...
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‘What we need to get back to’: Food sovereignty event brings talk of barter economies
By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Port Alberni, BC – In late March Nuu-chah-nulth and surrounding communities gathered at Maht Mah’s for Ahousaht’s food sovereignty event. After a full day of presentations, attendees and presenters gathered to competitively trade teas, herbs, seeds, smoked sockeye, soaps, and other goods, representing an economy that traces back thousands of years. “Traditionally, we had vast trade routes,” said Nitanis Desjarlais, a traditional food advocate, noting there was language associated with trading. “It opened up our plates to this variety of foods, and it strengthened our relationships.” “It was a currency,” added Desjarlais. “And it still is now.” According to a University of British Columbia document, the First Nations of B.C. were the most “active and expert” traders in North America, in some cases...
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Lac Simon takes Quebec to task on mining
By Marc Lalonde Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Anishnabe Council of Lac Simon (ACLS) joined in the chorus of Indigenous voices criticizing Quebec’s to force mining companies to consult First Nations on mining projects that would take place on their traditional unceded territories. Last week, the Lac Simon council joined the Barriere Lake Algonquin community in blasting the province’s inability to live up to its responsibility to make mining companies consult with Indigenous communities before approving mining claims. Barriere Lake was one of the communities that filed suit in Quebec Superior Court earlier this year in an effort to contest the constitutionality of parts of the province’s mining regulations. Anishnabe Council of Lac Simon Grand Chief Lucien Wabanonik said it’s long past time Quebec follow other provinces’ lead and adjusts...
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Rescuers plan helicopter airlift of orca calf stranded in B.C. lagoon
By Dirk Meissner THE CANADIAN PRESS ZEBALLOS, B.C.- Plans are now underway to airlift a stranded killer whale calf out of a remote tidal lagoon off northern Vancouver Island in an effort to reunite the young orca with its extended family. Fisheries Department and First Nations officials say the plans involve placing the two-year-old calf into a sling, lifting it out of the lagoon by helicopter and putting it in a holding net pen in the ocean while they wait until its family pod is nearby before the young orca is released. The plan was agreed on Wednesday during a meeting between members of the Ehattesaht First Nation council, Fisheries Department officials and marine technical experts. Ehattesaht First Nation Chief Simon John said his people have deep cultural and spiritual...
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