Federal Indigenous employability investment unveiled in Kahnawake
By Marc Lalonde Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A $25 million federal investment into Indigenous employability in Quebec will go a long way toward getting Indigenous people to become full players in the national economy, Employment Minister Randy Boissoneault said at the unveiling last Thursday in Kahnawake. “Everyone benefits when Indigenous people are provided with the opportunities they need to fully participate in the workforce,” Boissoneault said at the announcement, which was held at the First Nations Human Resources Development Commission of Quebec offices in the Kahnawake Business Complex. “The Skills and Partnership Fund empowers more Indigenous people with the training and resources they need to shape their own career path. We need to be able to have Indigenous people and communities become full players in the federal economy, and this investment...
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Robinson Huron Treaty multi-billion-dollar annuities settlement finalized
By Kyle Darbyson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The 21 First Nations named in the Robinson Huron Treaty are finally on the cusp of receiving fair compensation after nearly 150 years of getting shortchanged by government officials. Leaders representing all of these Indigenous communities met and finalized the parameters of a multi-billion-dollar annuities settlement on Jan. 3. The final step of this process involved collecting signatures from representatives of the provincial and federal governments, which has now taken place according to a Tuesday update from the Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation Fund. Many of the First Nations governments involved in this case are now in the process of planning engagement sessions that will help determine how to distribute this settlement in each individual community. A follow-up post on the Litigation Fund’s Facebook...
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Two men convicted of kidnapping, carjacking an FBI employee in South Dakota
RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP)- A federal jury in South Dakota has convicted two men on charges related to the 2022 kidnapping of an FBI employee. The jury in Rapid City on Tuesday found 29-year-old Deyvin Morales and 25-year-old Juan Alvarez-Soto guilty of kidnapping, carjacking and other counts, the Rapid City Journal reported. Alvarez-Soto, who is from El Salvador, also was found guilty of unlawfully entering the U.S. after being deported. Sentencing dates have not been set. Both men could face up to life in prison. The men and a third suspect, 29-year-old Karla Lopez-Gutierrez, left Greeley, Colorado, on May 5, 2022, and were on a “drug trafficking trip” to South Dakota in a Ford Expedition, prosecutors said. The Expedition was chased by a South Dakota trooper at one point before...
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Southern chiefs pick leader to reform health care
By Miranda Leybourne Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Karlene S. Debance has been named the Southern Chiefs’ Organization’s first Chief Executive Officer for Health Transformation, a role which will see her work to reform health services to better serve Anishinaabe and Dakota people. “I am ready and committed to making a difference where it matters most in the improvement of the lives and health and wellbeing of First Nations citizens and their families and communities,” Debance told the Sun. Grand Chief of the SCO Jerry Daniels said in a press release on Jan. 10 that the organization was thrilled to announce Debance’s new position. “There is an 11-year and growing gap in life expectancy between First Nations and non-First Nations people in Manitoba,” Daniels said. “We look forward to benefiting from the...
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Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, families to speak about second landfill study
WINNIPEG- The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs is to discuss details about a report into the logistics of searching a Winnipeg-area landfill for the remains of two slain First Nations women. But the group and the women’s community of Long Plain First Nation are releasing a summary, not the report in its entirety. Police have said they believe the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran were taken to the Prairie Green Landfill, but that it was too dangerous to search for them. The federal government provided $740,000 to further research how to conduct a search safely after an initial feasibility study found it would be possible, but that toxic materials could pose a risk to workers. The initial study, also funded by the federal government, also determined it could take...
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First Nations in Ontario call for a one year pause on mining claims filed online
By Isaac Nay Local Journalism Initiative Reporter First Nations in Ontario are calling for a one-year pause on online mining claims, saying the system infringes on their right to proper consultation. Ontario has a constitutional duty to consult Indigenous Peoples before allowing mining on their land. But on Wednesday, the Chiefs of Ontario said the province’s Mining Lands Administration System (MLAS) has allowed prospectors to register mining claims online much faster than First Nations can respond. “A 365-day moratorium is necessary,” said Ontario Regional Chief Glen Hare in a press release. “It will give First Nations communities the time that is required to assess the impacts of the MLAS, the effects of the mine claims currently being staked, as well as develop a process whereby meaningful and fulsome engagement and...
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Vancouver approves high density Jericho Lands project criticized by some residents
Vancouver’s city council has approved a high-density development concept for a 36-hectare site on the city’s west side, involving13,000 new homes. The Council says the Jericho Lands Policy Statement sets the direction for development of the land owned by a joint venture that includes three First Nations. It says the project unfolding over 25 to 30 years will potentially house 24,000 residents and include 8 hectares of parks and 4 hectares of public space. The land is owned by the Canada Lands Company and MST Nations, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh. The council voted to advance the proposal after two hours of public comments at a meeting Wednesday, according to posts by the Vancouver City Clerk on social media. The project had been opposed by some residents, including the group Jericho Coalition...
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Church ringing bells each morning for six killed in N.W.T. plane crash
FORT SMITH, N.W.T. -People in the Northwest Territories town of Fort Smith continue to support each other and mourn after six people died in a plane crash. The Anglican Church in the community of 2,200 is planning to ring its bells every morning for six minutes. The town’s three churches came together for a candlelight vigil Wednesday night, which included prayer, song and calls from community leaders to support each other and stay strong. The charter plane had just taken off from Fort Smith and was en route to the Diavik Diamond Mine on Tuesday morning, when it hit the ground and caught fire. The territorial coroner’s office has not identified the victims of the crash, but some family members have. Clayton Balsillie says his sister Diane Balsillie was among...
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Conservative leader takes direct aim at Skeena Bulkley Valley in campaign style visit
By Seth Forward Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Federal opposition leader Pierre Poilievre continued his tireless campaigning ahead of an unscheduled election, holding a “Bring it Home” rally at the Lester Centre in Prince Rupert on Jan. 23. The Conservative Party leader used the opportunity to showcase Skeena MLA Ellis Ross as the next federal Conservative candidate for the Skeena-Bulkley Valley riding after the announcement was first made on Jan. 22. Poilievre said he was delighted to have Ross, a long-time fixture in Northwest politics, as the candidate to take on NDP MP Taylor Bachrach in the next federal election. “What an incredible victory for us, he is probably the most respected member of the B.C. legislature,” said Poilievre in an interview with The Northern View. “He is deeply respected, he...
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B.C. Supreme Court overturns Indigenous mother’s $150K discrimination award
By Brielle Morgan Local Journalism Initiative Reporter An Afro-Indigenous mother may no longer receive a $150,000 discrimination award after a B.C. Supreme Court judge overturned a ruling that found social workers violated her human rights. Justine (whose real name is protected by a publication ban) filed a complaint with the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal in 2017, after Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society (VACFSS) social workers took her four daughters and separated them into three different foster homes. In 2022, the tribunal found that VACFSS discriminated against “Justine” based on her Indigeneity and disabilities, violating section eight of B.C.’s Human Rights Code. Then VACFSS asked the B.C. Supreme Court to review the decision and consider tossing it out. In 2023, Justice Geoffrey Gomery spent five days hearing arguments from...
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Addictions and mental health are connected
By Mike Stimpson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter FORT FRANCES -Any discussion on mental health needs to include addictions, a regional Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) administrator said on Bell Let’s Talk Day. “We know that now we can’t separate addictions from mental health,” Charlene Strain, chief executive officer of the CMHA’s Fort Frances branch, said in an interview Wednesday. “Addiction is within the DSM-5 (reference book on mental disorders), so it’s a diagnosable mental health condition.” People with mental health issues are more likely than the general population to have substance use issues, according to the CMHA. Strain said there has been great progress in “reducing stigma in regards to mental health issues” but “we have a long way to go to reduce stigma in regards to substance use and...
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Montana man convicted of killing eagles is sentenced to 3 years in prison for related gun violations
By Matthew Brown THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BILLINGS, Mont. (AP)- A Montana felon previously convicted of killing eagles to sell their parts on the black market was sentenced to three years in federal prison on Wednesday for related gun violations. U.S. District Judge Susan Watters in Billings sentenced Harvey Hugs, 60, after he pleaded guilty in September to being a felon in possession of firearms. Prosecutors said the Hardin, Montana, man used the guns to shoot federally protected eagles over more than a year and then sold the birds’ parts to an informant for profit. A 2021 search of Hugs’ home and vehicles found eagle parts, two rifles and ammunition, according to court documents. Investigators recovered parts of 21 different eagles, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. “While it is unknown how...
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New Democrats say housing policy must address needs of lower income households
By Mickey Djuric THE CANADIAN PRESS EDMONTON- Federal New Democrats spent Wednesday seeking guidance from Albertans, who the party said are on the front lines of Canada’s housing crisis, to help them form policies around addressing the needs of lower-income households. NDP members of Parliament met with local housing experts in Edmonton seeking solutions for how Ottawa can respond. The city declared a state of emergency earlier this month amid a higher rate of homelessness following the COVID-19 pandemic. “It reinforced something that we’ve really believed for a long time, that when it comes to where we’re at with housing, we didn’t get here by chance,” NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said to The Canadian Press on Wednesday. “This is decades of neglect.” He said Liberal and Conservative housing policies favour...
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Trial for First Nations unregulated cannabis stores could have larger impacts
By Jacqueline St. Pierre Local Journalism Initiative Reporter SUDBURY-next week, the Ontario Superior Court will hear a precedent-setting case involving 10 First Nations defendants facing cannabis-related charges dating back to the early days of the legalization of recreational cannabis. Ontario made the substance legal on October 17, 2018. The caveat on the legalization was that permits from the Ontario provincial government must be filed for and granted to business owners. The constitutional challenge initiated nearly four years ago has faced delays in reaching trial, with the pandemic and a general backlog contributing to the prolonged process. All 10 defendants logged into a virtual trial of the Superior Court of Justice on Monday, January 15. Nine of the 10 who stand accused owned or worked at a cannabis dispensary on a...
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Lots of ground covered in first few days of inquest into James Smith Cree Nation, Weldon deaths
By Ryan Kiedrowski Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Kerry Vickar Centre in Melfort was transformed last week from a community recreation centre into a formal courtroom, accommodating the needs of a coroner’s inquest the likes the entire country has never seen. The inquest is seeking to not only provide a glimpse into the mass murder event on the James Smith Cree Nation and nearby community of Weldon during the 2022 September long weekend, but to come up with recommendations to possibly avoid a similar situation from ever occurring again. The Sept. 4, 2022 rampage had global attention focussed on an evolving situation in east-central Saskatchewan as conflicting reports about Myles and Damian Sanderson emerged. Fear gripped many across the province with unverified reports that the brothers had locations such as...
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First Innu nurse shares insights at Inquiry into the Treatment, Experiences and Outcomes of Innu in Child Protection in N.L.
By Sanuda Ranawake Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Mary Pia Benuen is no stranger to alcoholism. She’s lived through it, experienced it in her parents, and community, she told the Inquiry into the Treatment, Experiences and Outcomes of Innu in Child Protection, which resumed sessions Jan. 22. Benuen is the primary health director in Sheshatshiu, with over 30 years of experience in public health nursing under her belt. Benuen is also Labrador’s first Innu nurse. Before that, she had a much different life. “It really saddens me; I followed that route with them in my earlier years,” Benuen told the inquiry, referring to the alcoholism in her family and herself. “If there’s anything I could change about that, I probably would not drink.” Benuen also knew fear too well. She says while she...
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Mi’kmaq centre with huge waitlist for mental health services receives funding
By John Chilibeck Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Five First Nations with long waitlists for mental wellness programs will see nearly half a million dollars flow from the province to a special centre dedicated to serving Indigenous people. The Higgs Progressive Conservative government announced on Monday it would put $480,000 into the expansion project at the Natoaganeg (Eel Ground First Nation) Community Development Centre. The small blue building on the main drag of the First Nation beside Miramichi looks like a modest house from the outside, but inside it has several crammed offices. The provincial funds will allow it to double in size, with a groundbreaking in the spring and a completion date later in the year. “We have a 1,000 people in our database, so this extra space will be...
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Federal court set to determine the validity of Kwantlen First Nation vote to oust hereditary chief
By Cara McKenna Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A lawyer representing Kwantlen First Nation’s longtime chief and council told a federal court judge last week that there was “no good faith” by members who led a vote to oust their hereditary leader in November of 2022. However, representation for the Kwantlen people who prompted the vote told the court on Friday that a decision to remove Chief Marilyn Gabriel through a s???n?q (general assembly) was “an example of custom in action” and that community members were acting based on their Coast Salish law. Kwantlen’s system is unique in that its unelected chief and council are the sole leaders and the chief generally rules for a lifelong term. Most other First Nations with hereditary governments also have an elected government operating concurrently....
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Rio Tinto says Diavik diamond mine employees were on crashed NWT plane
By Amanda Stephenson THE CANADIAN PRESS The plane that crashed Tuesday near Fort Smith, N.W.T. was on its way to Rio Tinto’s Diavik Diamond Mine. The mine is one of four operating diamond mines in Canada. The Diavik mine is located 300 kilometres north of Yellowknife and 200 kilometres south of the Arctic Circle. It sits on a 20-square-kilometre island within a lake called Lac De Gras. Due to its remote location, workers at the mine site commute to the island by plane. As of November 2023, the mine had 1,230 employees, according to Rio Tinto’s website. Approximately 17 per cent of its workforce in 2021 was Northern Indigenous people. The mine produces diamonds from three kimberlite pipes through an open pit method. In 2020, it produced 6.2 million carats...
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Councillor posts anti Indigenous sign; P.E.I. minister orders quick inquiry
CHARLOTTETOWN- A Prince Edward Island cabinet minister has asked a law firm to conduct an inquiry into a village councillor’s decision to display a sign denying the existence of residential school graves. Communities Minister Rob Lantz issued a statement Wednesday saying Murray Harbour Coun. John Robertson had failed to comply with a ministerial directive to pay a $500 fine and issue an apology or resign, sanctions that were first imposed by the rural municipality. Lantz said that under provincial legislation, however, he couldn’t take action until an independent inquiry investigates Robertson’s conduct, even though the municipality has completed its own probe. As a result, Lantz has appointed Michael Drake, a partner with the law firm McInnes Cooper, to carry out an inquiry, saying such a move is unprecedented. “As a...
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