Supreme Court rules against Navajo Nation in Colorado River water rights case
By Jessica Gresko THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP)- The Supreme Court ruled against the Navajo Nation on Thursday in a dispute involving water from the drought-stricken Colorado River. States that draw water from the river, Arizona, Nevada and Colorado, and water districts in California that are also involved in the case had urged the court to decide for them, which the justices did in a 5-4 ruling. Colorado had argued that siding with the Navajo Nation would undermine existing agreements and disrupt the management of the river. The Biden administration had said that if the court were to come down in favor of the Navajo Nation, the federal government could face lawsuits from many other tribes. Lawyers for the Navajo Nation had characterized the tribe’s request as modest, saying they...
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Hamilton’s founding history is changing
Hamilton is revisiting the city’s founding history to be inclusive By Lisa Iesse Writer HAMILTON -The City of Hamilton is working with Indigenous people in what could be seen as a step towards changing its image as the “Hate Capital of Canada.” The city has begun constructing a number of signs at important urban landmarks that are rewriting the city’s history to include the Indigenous perspectives. At the sites the city signs acknowledge the statues or monuments on site could be “problematic” for the Indigenous community. In Stoney Creek at the Augustus Jones statue a new sign is up that reads: “The City of Hamilton is working together with the community to provide a broader and more inclusive view of the past which may challenge some to rethink what they held...
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Six Nations Elected Council looking at environmental bylaws
Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) plans to make bylaws for the territory a priority for the next council by holding a referendum during council elections this fall. Phil Monture, former director of the Six Nations Lands and Resources Department told SNEC without environmental standards the community is risking one its greatest resources, the largest Carolinian forest in Canada. “What I’m seeking is that this council actually have a plebiscite set at the same time as the next election so we can see the next council coming in can at least have a mandate to start establishing rules and regulations on development and measures to protect the environment even from the dumping of contaminated soils outside of our territory, we know what chaos that has been,” he said. SNEC passed a...
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More housing coming for elders at Six Nations
Six Nations is getting more housing options for elders, in a place that won’t leave them isolated from the rest of the community. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) approved another housing development on Harold Road that will include 54 one and two bedroom units for elders in a semi-assisted living facility at its General Finance meeting on June 19. Lilly-Anne Mt. Pleasant, acting director of Housing said this project is a redesign of the semi-assisted living facility that was passed in December 2022. It was passed as a 20 unit facility for elders in need of some assistance, but not yet in need of the level of care offered in a long-term care home like Iroquois Lodge. “Originally, the plan was to offer a semi-assisted facility, which we currently don’t...
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Brant County getting heat for consulting with HCCC on lands
By Lisa Iesse Writer SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND – The County of Brant’s planning team is retracting claims they consulted the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council (HCCC) a month before submitting the plan to Ontario. The plan is aimed to guide county development into 2051. The proposed official plan would replace it’s 2012 plan now being updated by the county’s policy and planning team to “align with provincial plans, policies, and legislation.” The new plan is meant to “ensure policies align with changing community’s needs, and reflects the planning horizon of 2051,” said a statement from the official plan’s website. It was submitted to the province on May 31. The new official plan outlines ways the county should seek to heal relationships between Indigenous communities and settler communities. “(The plan)...
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Six Nations joins COO call to pause Metis self-governance bill
Six Nations sent its support for Chiefs of Ontario who were protesting a federal bill giving Metis self-governance rights and calling on the government to pause efforts to pass the bill. Six Nations Elected Chief Mark Hill read a statement supporting Monday’s protest on Parliament Hill at the Political Liaison meeting on June 19 and said Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) learned of the protest too late to fly to Ottawa and had already rescheduled its meeting from the week prior. “Earlier this year the government of Canada and Metis Nation of Ontario (MNO) carefully crafted an agreement and recognized large areas of territories as Metis homeland in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta parts of Ontario and northern US. This legislation affirm all Metis communities under MNO have the right to self...
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Time to ZOOM back to in-person meetings?
Things are amuck. The Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) while trying to wear an environmental cloak is trying to push the imposition of any environmental bylaws on the incoming council instead of dealing with it themselves. A controversial issue that if rushed could not just limit both economic growth and development but do more damage to the environment and end up hurting the economy by forcing economic regulations. A move this council should have dealt with three years ago, not with just five months left in its term and suddenly come up with the quick answer of approving a bylaw to make the next council deal with it. They haven’t appointed an election officer to oversee the coming band election and now the Six Nations Election Code Committee, instead of...
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Weekly Cartoon
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Rebels conclude regular season with perfect 20-0 record
By Sam Laskaris Writer It was a perfect year for the Six Nations Rebels. Well, at least the regular season was for the Rebels, the local Junior B lacrosse squad which registered a 20-0 mark. And now the Six Nations club is hoping to continue its successes in post-season play. The Rebels wrapped up their regular season action this past Friday by downing the visiting Hamilton Bengals 9-4 in a match held at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena. A year ago the Rebels had posted a 10-9-1 record. And they did not win a single playoff game. But 2022 has proven to be much, much different. “A lot of people probably had their doubts about this team,” said Rebels’ assistant coach Stevee General, who primarily oversees the Rebels’ defenders. But General...
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Six Nations Sports Briefs: From funding to Tom Longboat
By Sam Laskaris Writer Six Nations lacrosse association receives funding For the second time this year the Six Nations Girls’ Field Lacrosse Association (SNGFLA) has received some major funding. Back in early January it was announced that the local association was receiving $20,000 via the Jumpstart Community Development Grants. The grants program, operated by Canadian Tire, has two streams. For starters, the SNGFLA received the $20,000 through the Operational Support stream. And then this past weekend the association announced it would receive an additional $9,600 through the Programming Support stream. “This stream of funding assists organizations in delivering sports and recreational programming,” said SNGFLA president Tawnie Johnson. “This can include but is not limited to: covering costs of instructors, leaders and coaches, facility rentals, transportation and equipment needs.” The first...
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Sam Laskaris – BEHIND THE ACTION – Jace Martin
By Sam Laskaris Writer If you mention the name Jace Martin most Six Nations members would know that he’s a rather talented musician. But what many of those same community members probably don’t know is that Martin continues to be actively involved in lacrosse. Besides playing for the Six Nations Tomahawks, a Senior C men’s box lacrosse squad, Martin is also serving as the team’s president. Chances are if you didn’t know about Martin’s lacrosse exploits, you probably don’t also know that he’s related to two of the greatest players ever in the sport. Martin’s grandfather was Ross Powless. And his uncle was Ross’ son Gaylord. Both of Martin’s relatives are inductees into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Though he didn’t start playing in a lacrosse league until he...
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Rivermen split weekend games
By Sam Laskaris Writer The Six Nations Rivermen continue to sit atop their league standings after splitting a pair of weekend matches. But the local Senior B squad has plenty of company as squads jockey for positioning near the top of the Ontario Series Lacrosse (OSL). The Rivermen, the defending OSL champions, have 15 points courtesy of their 7-2-1 mark. Six Nations defeated the visiting Owen Sound North Stars 11-6 this past Saturday in a match held at the Six Nations Sports and Cultural Memorial Centre. But the Rivermen were then downed 13-7 by the host Oakville Rock on Sunday. That contest was at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre in Oakville. With the victory Oakville is right on Six Nations’ heels now with 14 points. The 7-1-0 Rock have played...
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OPP search house and property for evidence in Missing Amber Ellis case
OPP search last site where Amber Ellis was seen alive By Lynda Powless Editor It was the last place anyone knew that Amber Ellis, missing for over two years, had been seen alive. Last week Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) finally searched it. An army of OPP searched the grounds for evidence in connection with the case of missing Hagersville woman Amber Ellis. It wrapped up Friday but OPP aren’t commenting on it except to say investigators left the site on Friday June 9, 2023. Because the “investigation is on-going, there is no further information to be released at this time.” OPP launched what they described as an “evidence based search’ at a house and property at 3698 Sixth Line on Six Nations of the Grand River. Six Nations Police sent out...
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Six Nations Bingo Hall biggest earner for SN Development Corp
By Lynda Powless Editor Six Nations Grand River Development Corporation (SNGRDC) almost doubled its revenues in 2022 bringing in over $42 million from a variety of sources including green energy to the bingo hall. At the same time it also had an almost $3 million increase in salary and benefit costs in 2022. The vast majority of the $42,152,314 revenues are generated from what they have termed “nation” businesses that include the biggest revenue generator the corporation oversees on behalf of the community, the Six Nations Bingo Hall. The 2022 audit shows revenues of over $22 million generated by the bingo hall, Six Nations Tourism, the Gathering Place by the Grand, Chiefswood Mansion, Chiefswood Park and the Mohawk Chapel. However the audit does not break down how much each entity brought...
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Dollars found to renovate Iroquois Lodge but not for build
Iroquois Lodge Long Term Care Home is “long overdue” for renovations, but Six Nations Elected Council doesn’t know where the funds will come from. Six Nations Elected Council passed a motion to pay HDR Architecture and Associates Inc. $1.8 million to design the redevelopment and manage the project at its General FInance Committee meeting on June 5. The tender also includes a 10 per cent contingency fee of just more than $188,000. The motion says there are “compliance issues” from the Ministry of Long-term Care that will come up in the fall of 2024. Janet Gasperelli, Health Services Portfolio Lead, Family and Community Care said Health Services and the finance department have found deferred funds from health that they can use to cover the cost of the redevelopment plan and...
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Six Nations Elected Council approves a study on polio
Six Nations approved participation in a study of polio and fear surrounding polio on the territory. Tarah Brookfield Associate Professor, Wilfrid Laurier University submitted an application for the Ethics Committee and told Six Nations Elected Council she had conducted the study in Brantford and County of Brant previously and wanted to expand it to include Six Nations at the General Council meeting on May 23. Brookfield is a historian who specializes in the history of children and youth in the 20th century. “This project is collecting oral histories and archival evidence to try and understand what it was like to try and live between the 1920s and 1970s, which was a period that had local outbreaks of polio,” she said. Polio is an infectious disease caused by a virus that...
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And SN Elected Council approves professor’s tourism study
Six Nations tourism may get some help from the University of Waterloo. Anke Foeller Carroll, a University of Waterloo researcher was approved to co-create a course with Indigenous perspectives and explore how Indigenous Tourism Experiences are Created. Foeller Carroll’s application was approved at Six Nations Elected Council’s General Council (SNEC) meeting on May 23 after agreeing to share her research and physiological profiling with Six Nations Tourism. Darrin Jamieson, Six Nations CEO said Six Nations Tourism is now under SNEC. “I also think the results of the research, part of the ethics process to share that in Six Nations just in terms of the psychological profiling for the marketing, will be very helpful,” he said. Foeller Carroll said her goal is to help improve how future tourism students and tourists...
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Six Nations Police’s Project Dinero nets over $130,000 in illegal drugs two Hamilton people charged trafficking drugs at Six Nations
OHSWEKEN, ON- Two Hamilton people are facing drug trafficking and possesion charges after Six Nations Police launched Project Dinero, a drug trafficking investigation that yield over $130,000 in carfentanil, fentanyl, cocaine and oxycodone. Six Nations Police, with the assistance of Brantford and Hamilton city police, launched Project Dinero, an investigation into illicit drugs being actively trafficked on Six Nations and in surrounding areas, with all three forces raiding residences in both Hamilton and Brantford Thursday ( June 8 2023). Six Nations Police said three section 487 Criminal Code Search Warrants were executed on a vehicle and residences in Hamilton and Brantford with the assistance of the Brantford Police Service Tactical Unit. Police seized carfentanil, fentanyl, cocaine and oxycodone with a street value of approximately $130,000. In addition to the drugs,...
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The Feather Report Summer Blues
“The bluebird carries the sky on his back.” – Henry David Thoreau By Rachel A. Powless Feather Reporter Bird behavior is a curious thing. Field guides tend to mirror each other in their explanation of known behavior. What they don’t tell you is anything is possible within reason. So much so, that these birder field guides become standard and when something out of the ordinary happens, all bets are off! One such behavior stands out to Carl & I and it’s a big one, even huge. Here is our story: Four years ago, I purchased a wooden nesting box because I got a great price on it. Carl put it up and we waited, not sure what to expect. The wooden box was the type meant for larger birds but...
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Not on our land you won’t…
The Chiefs of Ontario are sending a clear message to the federal government. Simply put…not on our land you won’t! The federal government has decided,without consulting First Nations, it is going to bring in Métis self-government legislation and recognizing what the feds are calling Métis “historic communities,” that will directly affect Indigenous land holdings and the rights of the First Nations living there. A move that is being opposed solidly by First Nations across the province. Ontario Regional Chief Glen Hare says First Nations across the province are voicing not only concern but their opposition to the federal governments’ plan to bring in Métis self-government legislation and recognizing what the feds are calling Métis “historic communities.” Métis “historic communities? An idea that can’t help but raise the question of what...
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