Fort Resolution `totally unprotected’ without fire department, says MLA
By Tom Taylor Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Fort Resolution is still without a functional fire department, according to Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh MLA Richard Edjericon. Edjericon brought attention to the matter during the Feb. 8 session of the legislative assembly. In the process, he noted repeatedly that the community of about 500 people has been governed by a GNWT-appointed administrator since the local hamlet council was dissolved by the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) last June. The change came amid concerns of “mismanagement,” but Edjericon attributed it to a “modern-day colonial type of attitude” that makes residents feel “punished.” “Now the GNWT’s officially responsible for our Fort Resolution government,” the MLA said. “They can’t ignore the serious lack of services the community struggles with. “One of the most urgent services they...
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B.C. First Nation sues federal government over ban on herring spawn fishery
BELLA BELLA, B.C.- A British Columbia First Nation says it has launched a civil lawsuit against the federal government over its decision in 2022 to ban one of its commercial fisheries The Heiltsuk Nation says the Fisheries Department’s move to close the commercial harvest of herring spawn-on-kelp in the nation’s territory was an infringement of its Aboriginal rights. In a lawsuit filed in B.C. Supreme Court against the Attorney General of Canada, the nation says the department issued a management plan for Pacific herring in February 2022 for the central coast that closed the commercial fishery, where eggs are removed from kelp after herring have spawned. The lawsuit says the closure left its members unable to harvest the spawn-on-kelp for commercial purposes, disrupting “an economic lifeline” for the Indigenous community...
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Mamaweswen kicks off food sovereignty summit in the Sault
By Kyle Darbyson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Mamaweswen, the North Shore Tribal Council, invited its members to a community dinner at the Water Tower Inn Monday evening, which marked the beginning of its first-ever food sovereignty summit. This event is scheduled to run over the next three days with the aim of generating solutions to what continues to be a pervasive issue amongst all seven North Shore First Nations. CEO Allan Moffatt told The Sault Star that concerns surrounding food insecurity constantly come up during North Shore board meetings, which is why getting representatives from each community in a room together is such a necessity. According to a 2023 study from Algoma Public Health, nearly one in five households in the region suffer from food insecurity, with Indigenous families being...
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Indigenous man denied return of guns following seizure
By Tom Summer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Firearms seized by RCMP will not be returned to Benjamin James Jackson, a member of the McLeod Lake Indian Band, but his licence will. An appeal from Jackson was sought for the return of the 12 weapons, after he was arrested and released by RCMP on March 19, 2023 on an undertaking relating to an allegation that he uttered or conveyed a threat to injure an animal. The firearms and one possession and acquisition licence (PAL) were seized by police from Jackson’s residence, and he submitted that the RCMP failed to make an application extend the detention order and that there were no proceedings where the seized items would be required. The RCMP filed applied for the detention of the seized items on Apr....
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Ancestral beliefs reflected in modern day practice
By Matteo Cimellaro Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Indigenous Peoples have long believed that everyone in a community ought to be cared for and fed. These days, that ancestral principle can find itself reflected in the modern social economy and non-profit organizations, including friendship centres, which have successfully adopted it as a pathway to an economic structure, says Kelly Benning, president of the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC). “I think it aligns so well with our traditions and beliefs,” explains Benning. “The term social economy has more or less given us a name for the way that we conduct ourselves.” Last week, the inaugural Urban Indigenous Social Economy Forum in Ottawa brought together friendship centres, provincial and federal organizations and Indigenous social organization leadership from across the country to network and...
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Man to plead guilty in ‘killing spree’ of eagles and other birds for feathers prized by tribes
By Matthew Brown THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A Washington state man accused of helping kill more than 3,000 birds, including eagles on a Montana Indian reservation, then illegally selling their feathers intends to plead guilty to illegal wildlife trafficking and other criminal charges, court documents show. Federal prosecutors say Travis John Branson and others killed about 3,600 birds during a yearslong “killing spree” on the Flathead Indian Reservation and elsewhere. Feathers and other parts of eagles and other birds are highly prized among many Native American tribes for use in sacred ceremonies and during powwows. Branson of Cusick, Washington, will plead guilty under an agreement with prosecutors to reduced charges including conspiracy, wildlife trafficking and two counts of unlawful trafficking of eagles, according to court documents filed Tuesday. The documents did...
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“CATASTROPHIC HARM”: Manitoba First Nation calls state of emergency over drug abuse, overdose deaths
By Dave Baxter Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Long Plain First Nation (LPFN) is calling a state of emergency, as the local chief says drug abuse and drug overdose deaths continue to take lives and cause “catastrophic harm” in the community. “We are losing people, and sadly we are losing young people,” LPFN Chief David Meeches said on Tuesday, one day after LPFN put out a notice to community members that they are calling a state of emergency in the community located west of Winnipeg near Portage la Prairie. “We’re mobilizing now, because if we don’t more lives are going to be lost to the drug crisis.” Meeches said he does not have a number of how many drug-related deaths LPFN has had in the last few weeks and months,...
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B.C. First Nation sues federal government over ban on herring spawn fishery
BELLA BELLA, B.C.- A British Columbia First Nation is suing the federal government for banning one of its commercial fisheries back in 2022. The Heiltsuk Nation claims the federal fisheries minister’s decision to close the commercial harvest of herring spawn-on-kelp in the nation’s territory was an infringement of its Aboriginal rights. In a lawsuit filed in B.C. Supreme Court against the Attorney General of Canada, the nation claims it developed joint management plans for harvests with staff from the Fisheries Department for several years leading up to 2022. The Heiltsuk and the department’s joint plan for 2022 had called for the nation to be able to take nearly 138,000 kilograms of herring eggs for commercial purposes in that season’s spawn-on-kelp harvest. The harvest involves removing herring eggs from kelp after...
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Shooting stuns indigenous whaling village on Alaska’s desolate North Slope
By Mark Thiessen THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)- A shooting that killed two adults and severely wounded two others has stunned a tiny Alaska Native whaling village above the Arctic Circle, where parents were told they could keep their children home from school Tuesday to hug them. A 16-year-old boy has been charged as an adult with two counts each of first-degree murder and attempted murder in the late Sunday shooting in Point Hope, a remote Inupiat whaling community on Alaska’s northwest coast, bordering the Chukchi Sea. The teen, Guy Nashookpuk, made his initial court appearance by telephone Tuesday. He spoke only to say “Yes ma’am” when asked questions by Magistrate Judge Colleen Baxter. He was assigned a public defender, who entered not guilty pleas on his behalf. Baxter...
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First Nations want to lead baby eel fishery threatened with closure
By John Chilibeck Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Wolastoqey Nation says the only way to ensure a safe and sustainable baby eel fishery is to let Indigenous people lead its management and protection. The Nation, which represents the Indigenous chiefs of the six communities that hug the St. John River, or Wolastoq, in New Brunswick issued a statement in reaction to a letter sent Feb. 13 by federal fisheries minister Diane Lebouthillier, who told 12 baby eel, or elver, licence holders in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia she was probably going to suspend the fishery this season. It was set to begin in about a month. “As acknowledged by the minister of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, our Nation’s lack of access to the elver fishery continues to be...
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Six Nations residents confused over whether to apply for First Nations Drinking water settlement
Six Nations residents in a quandry over whether to apply for massive First Nations Drinking water settlement By Lisa Iesse Writer Should we or shouldn’t we apply? Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) wasn’t part of the First Nations Drinking Water court case or its $8 billion settlement, but they are still helping Six Nations community members apply for possible compensation. And that has Six Nations community members expressing “confusion” as they try to navigate contradictory information about “options” available to them to not only address unsafe drinking water locally, but whether they can even file a claim in the multi-billion dollar settlement. The quandry began now three years ago when SNEC attempted to address why they were not part of the successful lawsuit launched in 2019 despite being invited to...
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Compensation ranges depend on water advisory, remoteness and years
For individual applications deemed eligible for compensation, the amount a person receives is based on three factors. “If you are eligible for Individual Compensation, the amount you will receive is based on the type of water advisory you experienced, the remoteness of your community, and how long you lived there,” notes the First Nations Drinking Water class action website. A remote community is defined as one located over 350 km from the nearest service centre. Compensation ranges from $1,300 to $2,000 per person for each full year the applicant lived in a community that was under a drinking water advisory between eligible individuals may receive a payment for each year, or a portion of each year, that they lived under a long-term advisory that was in place November 20, 1995...
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Hamilton Police investigate damage to sign seeking information on murdered Indigenous woman
By Lisa Iesse Writer HAMILTON – It’s a hate crime. That’s how Hamilton City Police are investigating the recent defacement that hit a sign seeking information on the 29 year-old murder of an Indigenous woman. The sign had just gone up this year on Valentine’s Day. Helen Gillings was from the Kenora region believed, to have been of Ojibwa decent, she was adopted at four-years-old she was raised in Alberta until she became a teen and by 16 was on her own in Toronto and eventually Hamilton and was a mother of two young children. She was just 19 years old when she was murdered in Hamilton in 1995. Her body was found under a couch in an alley on King Street in Hamilton on Feb. 17, 1995. She had...
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Six Nations’ new councillors learning to balance work and life in the public eye
By Lynda Powless and Lisa Iesse Writers SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER-Being a politician means living your life in the public eye while balancing work and a personal life. Turtle Island News approached all six newly elected band councillors who are experiencing life under the public lens while juggling family. Four responded to our requests, Councillor Amos Keye, Dean Hill, Alaina VanEvery and Cynthia Jamieson. Since being elected in November, councillors have attended almost daily orientations, combined with regular council meetings, appointments, obligations and their regular jobs. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) positions are part-time and many of the councillors also work full time or in a combination of part-time work. Juggling so many roles, means time and energy can be stretched to its limits. For Councillor Amos Keye its...
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Apply or don’t apply for water settlement…?
Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) is encouraging or not discouraging the membership to apply for compensation from the First Nations $8 billion drinking water settlement reached in 2021. That settlement, for the First Nations that sued the federal government, has a deadline for applications coming March 7th. The problem is anyone from Six Nations should expect they may be turned down despite the fact that the community has suffered water issues for decades. Why? SNEC wasn’t part of the lawsuit. That’s right despite being asked to join the other First Nations in 2019 the council of the day didn’t. The letter, the phone calls, the requests all went unanswered. Six Nations didn’t say yes or no. SNEC just did not respond. That is until near the end of the previous...
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Six Nations elected councillors heading to Navajo Nation in Arizona to study self government
Six Nations may seize an opportunity to learn from the Navajo Nation. Trevor Bomberry, Six Nations’ director of Nation Building has proposed a delegation from Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) go visit the Navajo Nation in Arizona to learn more about their model for self governance and processes for land registry at the Political Liaison meeting on February 26. He submitted a report to follow-up from a meeting in December where he said he suggested going to visit the reserve in the USA to further their own plans for the future. “This would be in preparation for the upcoming litigation where we can see what successes and challenges they faced in the development of self government,” he said. SNEC passed a motion for him to start organizing a delegation that...
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Martin helps Rock to victory in team’s Indigenous Heritage Night game
By Sam Laskaris Writer Justin Martin had plenty of reasons to celebrate this past Saturday. For starters, Martin, a Six Nations member who is a rookie player with the Toronto Rock of the National Lacrosse League (NLL) helped his squad to a victory. Martin and his Rock teammates downed the visiting Vancouver Warriors 9-5. The match was held at the Rock’s home facility, FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton. The contest marked the Rock’s annual Indigenous Heritage Night. “It was very special,” Martin said. “Being Indigenous, it means a lot to me and my community and for all Indigenous people. It was a very special night for everyone. It was a good night. I’m glad they did this.” Martin, a defender who earned an assist in the match, was also selected to...
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Late rally propels RiverWolves to victory in Arena Lacrosse League action
By Sam Laskaris Writer The Paris RiverWolves saved their best play until the end of their Arena Lacrosse League (ALL) game on Sunday. The RiverWolves, one of three squads that play their home contests at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena (ILA), downed another local club, the Ohsweken Bears 15-13. The RiverWolves were able to register the victory by staging a fourth-quarter rally. The Paris side faced a three-goal deficit, 13-10, early on in the final quarter of play. But the RiverWolves earned the two points by scoring the final five goals of the match. “It was a pretty good game, kind of back of forth,” said RiverWolves’ head coach Jamie Dubrick. The Bears had led 3-2 after the opening 15 minutes of action. But the RiverWolves outscored their opponents 6-5 in...
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Bach focusing on pro hockey career after Teacher’s College
By Sam Laskaris Writer Victoria Bach’s juggling act is now over. And the 27-year-old, who is a member of Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte in eastern Ontario, can concentrate on her professional hockey career. Bach is a member of the Toronto franchise in the first-year Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). Though she was practicing with her teammates early on in this season, which began on Jan. 1, Bach did not play in Toronto’s first eight regular season contests. That’s because she was finishing up her Teacher’s College requirements. She earned her degree through Brock University. Bach played her first PWHL game on Feb. 3. “Honestly, it feels so good to be back,” Bach said in a post-game interview this past Friday, after her club edged New York 2-1, in...
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