Special Rapporteur Hears About First Nations Water Rights at International Seminar
By Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News Last week in Maskwacis, Samson Cree Nation and the International Organization of Indigenous Resource Development co-hosted the International Seminar on Treaties and Indigenous Laws, which featured presentations on upholding Treaty rights through national and international legal frameworks. Albert Barume, an international human rights law expert from the Democratic Republic of Congo who was appointed UN special rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples in December 2024, was in attendance via video-conferencing. On Jan. 24, the seminar’s final day, Kehewin Cree Nation Chief Vernon Watchmaker addressed the conference on behalf of the Chiefs Steering Committee on Technical Services, a group of chiefs from Treaties 6, 7 and 8 that has been harshly critical of the federal Liberals’ proposed Clean Water Act....
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With families ‘beyond their breaking point,’ watchdog calls on ‘B.C.’ to support young people with disabilities
By Amy Romer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews The province’s Representative of Children and Youth (RCY) says “B.C.” must do more to assist 83,000 young people with disabilities who aren’t receiving adequate supports as families are “beyond their breaking point.” On Wednesday, Jennifer Charlesworth released her latest report, Too Many Left Behind — the latest in several sparked by the tragic and preventable death of an 11-year-old First Nations boy in a “Fraser Valley” foster home four years ago. Referred to in her report as “Colby” — his name and community were withheld to protect his identity — the boy was born with severe, complex developmental disabilities and required ongoing, intensive medical care. Colby also needed special attention from his caregivers. He had difficulty swallowing and needed help eating; he...
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Chief Antoine urges flu-hit Dehcho to mask up and stay active
By Claire McFarlane, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio Chief Kele Antoine of the Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation knows how you feel if you’re a Dehcho resident under the weather this week. On Thursday, the Northwest Territories’ chief public health officer issued an advisory warning of an increasing number of influenza A and B cases in the region. The office of Dr Kami Kandola said a “significant spike” of flu virus had been found in the wastewater of Fort Simpson, where the First Nation is based. Chief Antoine said he himself started to develop flu symptoms such as chest congestion, achy joints and lethargy on Sunday evening. “It kind-of hit me hard, but I’ve been in good spirits and just trying to stay active and keep the body moving, keep...
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2 Navajo men and a business partner are indicted for illegal marijuana grow operations
By Susan Montoya Bryan ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A federal grand jury has indicted a Navajo man, his father and a business partner on charges that they were running illegal marijuana growing operations in New Mexico and on the Navajo Nation to supply the black market. The indictment was unsealed Thursday, a week after local, state and federal authorities raided the home of one of the defendants and two farms in a rural area east of Albuquerque that were no longer licensed by the state. Items seized included 8,500 pounds (3,855 kilograms) of marijuana, some methamphetamine, two firearms, $35,000 in cash, illegal pesticides and a bullet proof vest. The charges against Dineh Benally, 48; Donald Benally, 74; and Irving Rea Yui Lin, 73, of California, include conspiracy to manufacture and...
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Indigenous Art Heads for the Moon
By Carol Baldwin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Two Saskatchewan artists submitted their work to be part of The Lunar Codex. Nigel Bell, a multiplatform musician from La Ronge, Sask., is one of the Indigenous artists already selected to be part of the project. The second, Teagan Littlechief, a singer/songwriter from White Bear First Nation, said that including Indigenous people is another step towards reconciliation. “The recognition that Indigenous people work so hard every day in their artistic ways and just to be recognized in such a manner is a humble [sic] experience.” Teagan Littlechief’s name is familiar, not only because she is a rising artist who appeared on the province-wide Telemiracle 2024, but she also sat down with Funky Moose Radio’s Joel Gaudet and Mark Poppin for ‘The Sit Down...
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Wendy Cocchia sworn in as B.C.’s 31st lieutenant-governor
-CP-Premier David Eby has introduced British Columbia’s new lieutenant-governor, saying Wendy Cocchia’s lifelong leadership and dedication to community service sets an example for everyone. Cocchia, a longtime businesswoman and philanthropist, was sworn in at a ceremony at B.C.’s Parliament buildings on Thursday before an audience of family, friends, Indigenous leaders, members of the legislature and other dignitaries. One of Cocchia’s first acts in her role was to inspect a 50-person Guard of Honour provided by Maritime Forces Pacific and Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt. The Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy played The Viceregal Salute, consisting of the six opening bars of God Save the King, followed by the four opening and four closing bars of O Canada. A 15-gun salute was fired by troopers of the 5th Field Regiment,...
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Diabo sends letters to Trump, Trudeau
By Marc Lalonde, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Iori:wase LJI is a federally funded program Mohawk Council of Kahnawake Grand Chief sent official letters to both United States President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this week asserting Kahnawake’s independence from both countries. “It was an idea I got when Trump was elected last November,” Diabo said, and a lack of a good relationship with Canada’s federal government prompted the letter to Trudeau. “We have no interest in aligning ourselves with a government that has committed genocide upon us throughout history.” He called the community’s relationship with the federal government “non-existent.” Diabo added that the letter to Trudeau was sent in response to his call for First Nations communities to support the Canadian government’s efforts to lobby against Trump’s...
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B.C. fires Victoria School Board over ban on police in schools
By Marcy Nicholson -CP-British Columbia’s education minister has fired the entire Victoria School Board after a lengthy dispute over its refusal to allow police in schools except in emergencies, in a rare move the ousted chair called “profoundly undemocratic.” The elected board of School District No. 61 has said the ban, in place since 2023, was based on reports that some students and teachers — particularly those who are Indigenous or people of colour — did not feel safe with officers in schools. But B.C. Education Minister Lisa Beare said Thursday that students were at risk in the district from the board’s failure to implement a revised safety plan, as she fired the nine-member board and appointed a lone trustee to oversee the district until municipal elections set for the...
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A New Zealand mountain is granted personhood, recognizing it as sacred for Māori
By Charlotte Graham-mclay WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A mountain in New Zealand considered an ancestor by Indigenous people was recognized as a legal person on Thursday after a new law granted it all the rights and responsibilities of a human being. Mount Taranaki — now known as Taranaki Maunga, its Māori name — is the latest natural feature to be granted personhood in New Zealand, which has ruled that a river and a stretch of sacred land are people before. The pristine, snow-capped dormant volcano is the second highest on New Zealand’s North Island at 2,518 meters (8,261 feet) and a popular spot for tourism, hiking and snow sports. The legal recognition acknowledges the mountain’s theft from the Māori of the Taranaki region after New Zealand was colonized. It...
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Health minister calls on NDP to give Liberals more time to sign pharmacare deals
By Sarah Ritchie -CP-Health Minister Mark Holland is calling on the federal NDP to give the Liberal government more time in power to sign bilateral deals on pharmacare. “I would put it back to (NDP Leader) Jagmeet Singh … why are you in such a rush for an election? If pharmacare is the priority that you say it is, then why don’t you wait until October so that we can get the business of the nation done?” Holland told a news conference in Halifax, where he met with his provincial and territorial counterparts this week. Pharmacare and the national dental-care program were key parts of the supply-and-confidence deal that saw the NDP keep the minority Liberals in power for more than two years. The New Democrats pushed particularly hard for...
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Jaime Battiste drops out of running for Liberal leadership
By Kyle Duggan and Catherine Morrison Nova Scotia Liberal MP Jaime Battiste says he is dropping out of the Liberal party leadership race and backing former central banker Mark Carney. The MP for Sydney—Victoria made the announcement in a statement sent out late Thursday by his campaign. Battiste was the only Indigenous candidate in the running and sought to put First Nations issues on the agenda during the contest. He says the best way for him to advance the issues he cares about — reconciliation, the environment and affordability — is by supporting Carney’s leadership bid. “After careful consideration and many discussions, I believe that the best way forward to advocate and advance the priorities, which I outlined earlier this week during my campaign, of advancing reconciliation, protecting our environment,...
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Little NHL tournament to feature record number of participating teams
By Sam Laskaris, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Organizers of the Little Native Hockey League tournament will once again have an important reason to celebrate this year. Last March, the tournament which is often simply called the Little NHL, staged its 50th anniversary. A record number of 245 clubs participated in that event, which was primarily held in the Ontario city of Markham, located just north of Toronto. Another record will be established this year. That’s because a total of 276 squads have registered for the tourney, which will be staged Mar. 9-13. The majority of the games will once again be held at rinks throughout Markham. Arenas in nearby Stouffville will also be utilized for some matches. “It’s pretty amazing,” Chico Ralf, the president of the Little NHL executive said...
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Escalating costs for fans and venues strain Canadian live music industry: report
By Cassandra Szklarski -CP-An association representing the live music industry says budget-conscious concertgoers are getting pickier about which shows they go to and spending less money when they get there, posing “a worrisome trend” for an industry facing economic uncertainties and razor-thin margins. The Canadian Live Music Association released an economic report Thursday that touted $10.92 billion in contributions to gross domestic product in 2023, but also noted fan budgets are being squeezed by escalating ticket prices for top-tier acts, leaving them with less money to also see mid-range or smaller events. On top of that, the “Hear and Now Survey” found younger audiences drink less alcohol, putting a dent in what has traditionally been a steady revenue stream for venues, and that people are more frequently buying tickets last-minute,...
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New report focuses on how to achieve Indigenous sovereignty and shared prosperity
By Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter (ANNews) – A new report says Canada can advance Indigenous sovereignty by fostering respectful nation-to-nation relationships rooted in co-existence and non-interference, and giving Indigenous laws equal weight to Canadian law. The report, Honouring Indigenous sovereignty towards a future of collective prosperity, is the fifth and final edition of international consultancy firm Deloitte’s series that asked Indigenous youth leaders for their perspectives on various aspects of reconciliation beginning in 2022. The Indigenous youth leaders interviewed for this edition identified four priorities, which the report is divided into: Indigenous Peoples and Land, Self-Governance, Nationhood, and Truth-telling and Learning. Byron Jackson, the former CEO of Piikani Nation in Treaty 7, is Deloitte Canada’s director of nation building services. He told Alberta Native News that while there...
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Father convicted of manslaughter in killing of Métis hunters denied full parole
By Aaron Sousa -CP-An Alberta father convicted of manslaughter for aiding his son in the 2020 killings of two Métis hunters has been denied full parole. A trial heard that in March 2020, Roger Bilodeau and his son Anthony confronted Maurice Cardinal and Jacob Sansom, shot them and left them on the side of the road near Glendon, Alta. Anthony Bilodeau was convicted of second-degree murder and manslaughter, while his father was convicted of manslaughter. The Parole Board of Canada says the elder Bilodeau showed a “profound lack of judgment” on the day of the killings and made poor decisions based on unfounded assumptions. The board says he has shown good behaviour while on day parole, but to grant him full parole as he requested would be premature. Bilodeau is...
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Police issue warning fraudsters are posing as police to scam banking information
OTTAWA, ON – The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is warning the public fraudsters are using the OPP’s non-emergency telephone number in an attempt to legitimize fraudulent bank investigator scams. The scams see victims being misled into believing they must help catch a dishonest bank employee or resolve suspicious transactions by providing personal information or transferring funds. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) are also warning about ongoing phishing schemes where those behind the scams claim to represent the RCMP. The OPP has seen an increase in the spoofing of business, government and law enforcement telephone numbers, email addresses and websites. How the schemes work Individuals engaged in these fraudulent activities often impersonate financial institutions, claiming that unauthorized transactions have occurred on your account or...
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Saskatchewan report calls for more services to combat intimate partner violence
-CP-The Saskatchewan government is being urged to increase services for victims of intimate partner violence and to make the topic of healthy relationships a mandatory part of the school curriculum. They are among the recommendations in the Domestic Violence Death Review released Thursday — the second report of its kind from the Saskatchewan government since 2016. The report, compiled by people from different provincial ministries, reviewed 31 deaths that occurred between 2015 and 2020. It says many victims reached out for support before their deaths but faced barriers in receiving adequate help. “Tragically, family members noted that each of their loved ones had reached out to law enforcement, shelters, or other support services prior to their death. Their loved ones sought out the safety they needed, however, they did not...
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B.C. to see its first-ever Indigenous-led port logistics facility
By Radha Agarwal, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Canada Infrastructure Bank is loaning $60 million to the Metlakatla Development Corporation (MDC) and the Prince Rupert Port to develop the first-ever Indigenous-led port logistics facility in British Columbia. The funding will be used for extensive site preparations covering 56 acres for the upcoming South Kaien Import Logistics Park (SKILP) project. This flat, serviced land is close to the Fairview Terminal, CN Rail, and the CANXPORT transloading facility on Kaien Island. Most of the site preparation work is expected to be completed within two years and involves heavy civil construction, land clearing and levelling of bedrock. “This project is part of Metlakatla’s long-term vision for enabling regional growth and benefiting the next generation of its members,” said CIB in a Jan. 30...
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B.C. fires Victoria School Board over ban on police in schools
By Marcy Nicholson -CP-British Columbia’s education minister has fired the entire Victoria School Board in a dispute over a safety plan in which the board barred police from schools except in emergencies. Minister Lisa Beare said student safety was at risk in the district and she had appointed a lone trustee to oversee the district until the next municipal elections, set for the fall of 2026. “Our government has given this board multiple opportunities to act, and they have not delivered,” Beare said in a statement. She said the appointment was effective immediately, clearing the way for the completion of a safety plan for the district. “The decision to remove an elected board is a difficult one, but it is necessary to bring our collective focus in School District 61...
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Caregiver charged with murder of toddler on Manitoba First Nation
-CP-Manitoba RCMP say a woman has been charged in the death of a toddler in her care. Police say the injured two-year-old was brought last week into the nursing station on the Bloodvein First Nation, where she later died. An autopsy deemed her death a homicide. Police say officers searched the child’s home and charged her caregiver with second-degree murder. Burma Skye, 56, has been remanded into custody. Police say the death is a loss for the girl’s family and the entire community. “This is a senseless crime that will have a profound impact on the community, first responders and investigating officers,” Sgt. Laura LeDrew, lead investigator with major crime services, said in a statement Thursday. Bloodvein First Nation, a community of about 1,200, is about 200 kilometres north of...
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