Tribes blast South Dakota governor’s claim that leaders are benefitting from drug cartels
By Jack Dura THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Relations between South Dakota tribes and Republican Gov. Kristi Noem have long been strained, but they have become even more contentious recently as Noem has pointedly criticized tribal leaders, accusing some of profiting from drug dealing and questioning their commitments to children on reservations. In speeches at community forums, Noem has slammed leaders of the tribes in the state as being more interested in hurting her politically and profiting from drug cartels than improving the lives of children and others amid persistent poverty on reservations. “We’ve got some tribal leaders that I believe are personally benefiting from the cartels being there and that’s why they attack me every day,” Noem said at a forum last month in Winner. “But I’m going to fight for...
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B.C. introduces bill for First Nations land acquisition, holding rights
VICTORIA- British Columbia’s government has introduced a bill that would give federally recognized First Nations the legal right to acquire and hold land in the province. B.C.’s Ministry of Indigenous Relations says in a statement that the changes to land title and property laws would allow First Nations to register at the land title office, “reducing discriminatory and racist barriers” for them to own land. The statement says First Nations in the province are currently not able to acquire, hold or dispose of land in their own names unless “enabled by specific legislation” such as a treaty. It means that First Nations without those pathways would need to set up corporations or alternative arrangements for land acquisition and holding purposes. Indigenous Relations Minister Murray Rankin says the proposed change is...
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Birtail Sioux First Nation funded for unique trades program
By Ryan Kiedrowski Local Journalism Initiative Reporter It’s an intense but effective initiative promising to propel participants from having no experience in the trades to being job ready, all in under two weeks. That’s the goal of a new study being funded by the federal government on the Birdtail Sioux Dakota Nation to the tune of $352,500, part of a larger announcement on March 6 that saw Indigenous Natural Resource Partnerships devote a total of $10.4 million to seven mining projects. “Government, over the last two decades, has done a pretty darn good job of training up Indigenous people and getting them ready for the workforce and the work environment,” said Greg Farney, co-founder of Straight Talk Advisory and Training. “The one thing that we’ve all failed at is we...
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Stranded orca calf remains in B.C. lagoon, breaching at regular intervals
ZEBALLOS, B.C.- A stranded killer whale calf is showing signs of regular activity as it breaches every seven to 10 minutes in a lagoon near the northern Vancouver Island village of Zeballos. The two year-old orca has been alone in the lagoon near Little Espinosa Inlet since March 23 when its mother became trapped by the low tide and died on the rocky beach. The orca calf is rising out of the water from a mid-section of the lagoon but it is staying clear of the narrow exit area that leads to the open ocean, which is also where its mother died. Efforts by members of the area’s Ehattesaht First Nation, Fisheries Department marine mammal scientists and others to coax the orca calf through the narrow channel area, using boats,...
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Reflecting on the significance of Nunavut’s 25th anniversary
By Kira Wronska Dorward Local Journalism Initiative Reporter It was 1999, I was 14 years old, the draw was between my best friend and me. Like most teenage boys we were fiercely competitive, wanting to best each other at every turn. But this one was a big one. We were in Ausuittuq (Grise Fiord). I had joined the Canadian Junior Rangers to try new things and learn new skills, but also because it came with opportunities for travel. I loved my tightknit community, but like most young people I was eager to visit new places and meet new people. The leader explained that only one of us could go to Iqaluit as a Junior Ranger for the celebration. At the time, I didn’t grasp the historic importance of the event,...
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Two sides battle over whether Wolastoqey are meaningfully consulted
By John Chilibeck Local Journalism Initiative Reporter New Brunswick’s provincial government and the Wolastoqey Nation battled in court Thursday as lawyers from both sides argued whether Indigenous communities were being properly consulted or given short shrift on big forestry decisions. For four days, legal teams representing the province, Ottawa, Indigenous leaders and big timber companies have been presenting arguments before Justice Kathryn Gregory of the Court of King’s Bench. She’s presiding over the Wolastoqey Nation’s big title claim for more than half of New Brunswick’s territory, on the western side, on what they consider their traditional lands. The province has presented a motion to strike out a portion of their lawsuit, asking the judge to remove more than 250,000 land parcels owned by everyday New Brunswickers and private property held...
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Secwepemc family launches human rights complaint about Correctional Service Canada
By Meral Jamal Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Content warning: This story includes details about the prison system and the overrepresentation and mistreatment of Indigenous inmates. Norman LaRue, a member of Tk?emlups te Secwepemc, is an intergenerational survivor of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School (KIRS). His father, who passed away when Norman was 17, had endured life at KIRS. But in 2021, when his nation announced it had found evidence of 215 unmarked graves on the grounds of the institution, Norman was away from his family in prison at the Pacific Institution, as he has been serving a life sentence. To cope with the news, Norman said he painted a mural on a wall outside of his cell depicting a teddy bear with a heart on one side and a...
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It’s up to the province to avoid ‘total chaos’: Wolastoqey lawyer
By John Chilibeck Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A lawyer for the Wolastoqey Nation has told a judge New Brunswick’s government could avoid “total chaos” if it stops neglecting its constitutional obligations and sorts out how a declaration of >Aboriginal title would affect property owners. Jaclyn McNamara, a lawyer with the OKT law firm, was responding Wednesday to a motion put forward by the province to absolve private property owners from the big title claim that includes more than half of New Brunswick’s territory on the western side. The provincial government insists that the property rights of the majority – close to half a million residents living in homes and running businesses – could be put at risk if the Wolastoqey leaders representing about 8,400 Indigenous people get their way. “Declaration...
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B.C. First Nation, Catholic Church announce ‘sacred covenant’ to be signed on Easter
KAMLOOPS, B.C.-Vancouver’s Catholic Archbishop says a ‘Sacred Covenant’ agreement has been reached with the First Nation in Kamloops, B.C., that announced the discovery the remains of more than 200 children at the site of a former residential school. Archbishop J. Michael Miller of the Catholic archdiocese of Vancouver says the agreement with the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc will open a “new chapter” in the relationship between the church and First Nations in B.C. Miller says the church recognizes its complicity in the Canadian government’s colonialist policies toward First Nations and the “resulting tragedies” from the residential school system. Chief Rosanne Casimir of Tk’emlups te Secwepemc says the covenant will see the church share records and information as the nation continues to investigate the site of a former Kamloops Indian Residential School where...
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With budget mostly silent on climate change, critics say Ontario lacks plan to adapt
By Jordan Omstead THE CANADIAN PRESS TORONTO- The Ontario budget’s failure to directly address climate change represents a “gross abdication of responsibility” by the government, some critics argue, saying the province rapidly needs to do more to adapt to a changing climate. The budget presented Tuesday cites investments in climate-friendly public transit, electric vehicle manufacturing and conservation, but critics say it’s mostly silent on how the government will specifically help communities mitigate the effects of climate change and adapt to the realities of it. “This is a gross, abdication of responsibility because the climate crisis continues to worsen,” said Keith Brooks, a programs director with Environmental Defence, an environmental advocacy organization. “Many of the tools that need to be used to fix the climate crisis are in the provincial toolbox.”...
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Manitoba budget, set for Tuesday, to include several tax breaks and hits
By Steve Lambert THE CANADIAN PRESS WINNIPEG- Manitoba’s NDP government is set to deliver tax breaks, and some tax increases, as part of its first budget since winning last October’s election. The government has already sent strong hints that the fiscal plan, which will be tabled Tuesday, may extend the province’s fuel-tax holiday for a few months. The government temporarily suspended the 14-cents-a-litre tax on Jan. 1 for six months, and has repeatedly said the door is open to a brief extension. The budget is also expected to fulfil some of the promises the NDP made during the election campaign: a doubling of the tax credit for fertility treatments, free prescription birth control, rebates of up to $4,000 for people buying electric vehicles and a $300 rebate for people buying...
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Laurentian University’s new president looks forward to tenure
By Hugh Kruzel Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Preparing for her installation as the new president of Laurentian University on April 1, Lynn Wells is more than willing to speak about her plans and mandate. Her contract is for five years, but already she says she would willingly look at extending that. `Yes, if offered a second term I would stay,” Wells said. Set for the move to Sudbury, she fondly recalls a childhood visit to the Big Nickel. More recently, she had a guided tour of the city and campus. Speaking from her then home at Brock University in St. Catharines, she says is looking forward to moving to Sudbury with her husband, who was a research officer in government and retired nearly a decade ago. “We were introduced to Sudbury...
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Wiikwemkoong actor building a reputation in Canada, across the world
By Laura Stradiotto Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Jonathan Fisher didn’t know it then but singing Stairway to Heaven for the WikyTV5 Christmas telethon in his last year of high school would be the beginning of a rewarding career in theatre. Fisher still calls Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory home but since that 1991 performance on his community’s television station, he has performed on stages across the globe, most recently with Native Earth Performing Arts in the role of Louis Riel in the all-Indigenous cast of the historical satire Women of the Fur Trade. After a sold-out premiere in January at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, the production will continue at Aki Studio in Toronto from April 9-21. Women of the Fur Trade is described by the production company as a story...
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Province, Wolastoqey argue over striking portions of big title claim
By John Chilibeck Local Journalism Initiative Reporter New Brunswick’s provincial government has asked a judge to toss key portions of the big Aboriginal title claim filed by the Wolastoqey Nation for more than half of the province’s territory. The province argues the Indigenous leaders who launched the court action in 2020 and amended it to include several large timber companies have over-reached. The government also says unrepresented, everyday New Brunswickers who own homes and businesses in the traditional Indigenous territory should be left alone. At issue is what the declaration would mean in real terms. Premier Blaine Higgs and Attorney General Ted Flemming have warned of impacts for all New Brunswickers if the six small Indigenous communities, with a population of 8,400 along the St. John River, succeed in establishing...
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Efforts Underway To Find Michel Band Descendants To Establish Michel Callihoo Nation
By Jeremy Appel Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Michel Callihoo Nation Society (MCNS) is in search of people who are descended from members of Michel Band #472 as it seeks to obtain official federal government recognition for a new band,,Michel Callihoo Nation. Chief Michel Callihoo signed onto Treaty 6 in 1878, resulting in the establishment of Michel Band two years after the Treaty was initially signed. In 1880, the nation received 40 square miles of reserve land on the Sturgeon River near St. Albert. Michel was disbanded in 1958 when former prime minister John Deifenbaker enfranchised the entire band’s membership as a means of forced assimilation, except for four women and one child, who lost their band membership but maintained their Treaty status. This was the first and only time...
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Police Seek Public Assistance: Repeat Offender wanted on Canada Wide Warrant
(WINDSOR, ON) – The Repeat Offender Parole Enforcement (R.O.P.E.) Squad is requesting the public’s assistance in locating a federal offender wanted on a Canada Wide Warrant as a result of a breach of his Statutory Release. Nicholas MCCULLOUGH is described as Caucasian male, 30 years of age, 6’0” (183cm), 187 lbs (84 kgs) with brown hair and brown eyes. MCCULLOUGH has a Scar on his right cheek, left elbow and shoulders. MCCULLOUGH has a Cross Tattoo on his chest. Nicholas MCCULLOUGH is serving a six (6) year, seven (7) month and one (1) day sentence for; Aggravated Assault Possession of a Prohibited/Restricted Weapon Knowing its Possession was Unauthorized. Discharge Restricted/Prohibited Firearm with Intent Possession of a Weapon Contrary to Prohibition Order Fail to Comply with Probation Order In addition, Nicholas MCCULLOUGH is...
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Federal cuts push NWAC to lay off staff
GATINEAU, Que., — The Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) has had to pay off 75 employees, half its staff after being hit with the termination of a government skills training program. NWAC says, like other Indigenous non-profit organizations across the country it does not receive stable core funding forcing it to lay off half of its workforce. `It is heart-breaking to lose so many talented and dedicated people,” says NWAC President Carol McBride. “We hope to create additional employment opportunities when this organization secures further work in the service of Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, transgender, and gender-diverse people. But, until that time, our financial hands are tied, and we simply do not have the money to sustain our current payroll.” With the ending of the National Apprenticeship Program (NAP),...
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$4.6M economic boost to the region from Alberta Winter Games
By Jesse Boily Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Alberta Winter Games created an estimated economic impact of $4.6 million for the Grande Prairie region. The estimate comes from a Sport Tourism Canada STEAM report. “Being a games city is something we’re very proud of,” said City of Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton. “It gives us an opportunity not only to highlight our incredible facilities but our northern hospitality, and these games did absolutely that.” She said on top of a great event, the fact that it brought a “significant economic development impact is incredible.” A city report states, “Municipal investment in sport tourism has proven to have significant direct and indirect benefits to the community while fostering youth sports development.” About 6,000 visitors came to the city for the games Feb....
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Supreme Court upholds First Nation election requirement, rules that Charter applies
Must live in community to sit on council OTTAWA- The Supreme Court of Canada is upholding a rule that requires members of a Yukon First Nation to live in its community should they want to serve on its council. Cindy Dickson had been fighting in the courts to have that requirement declared unconstitutional because it means council members must move back to the community within 14 days of winning a seat. Living about 800 kilometres away, Dickson was unable to move to Old Crow if elected because her son requires access to medical care not available in the community. The self-governing First Nation’s rule, however, was found by the majority of the court to constitute a specific government activity, and the court ruled that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms...
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MCK suit against Northvolt plant takes preliminary step forward
By Marc Lalonde Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The suit filed by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake against the construction of an electric-vehicle battery plant took a preliminary step forward when a judge was appointed to the case earlier this week. In addition, the MCK received notice that its request for Special Case Management in its suit against the construction of the proposed Northvolt battery plant near Saint-Basile-le-Grand was approved. Special Case Management is the appointment of a single judge to oversee all filings related to a particular suit. “It means we can move into case management,” MCK lead on the environment portfolio Ross Montour said. “It means we can present our case to the judge outside of the courtroom situation.” The advantage of a Special Case Management designation “is that...
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