Adventures await Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers on Tour
By Crystal St.Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers will make their way through Ontario this July as part of All Star Tour 2023. The Troublemakers currently include Derek Miller, Brock Stonefish and Howe Gelb, and while the make-up of the group has changed from time to time, Gary Farmer has always fronted the band, collaborating with the Troublemakers to produce six albums over 20 years and soon to release their seventh, Lucky 7, just before the All Star Tour commences. The group was the recipient of the Best Americana Album Award at the 36th Annual New Mexico Music Awards for Fool for Love, their sixth album, released in 2022. It picked up two additional nominations for Best Blues and Best Rock. The album also climbed the...
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Metis leaders want introduction, passage of self government legislation this spring
By Stephanie Taylor THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA -Metis leaders urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government on Thursday to speed up its plans to introduce and pass self-government legislation before Parliament breaks for summer. The leaders met in Ottawa as part of a summit between the Metis National Council and several government ministers. The council is comprised of Metis leaders from Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Ontario. At the start of the meeting, council president Cassidy Caron said the leadership has been working to sign self-governance agreements with Ottawa and “eagerly look forward to the introduction and passage of Metis self-government implementation legislation in Parliament this session.” Speaking afterwards, Metis Nation of Alberta president Audrey Poitras said “there is nothing more important to the Metis Nation than the swift introduction and...
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Hamilton-HDI Chedoke Creek Clean-up dispute, city residents want someone watching
Hamilton-HDI smooth edges over Chedoke Creek Clean-up dispute, but city residents want someone watching By Lynda Powless and Lisa Iesse Writers Hamilton and the Haudenosaunee Development Institute (Institute (HDI)) may be on the way to settling their dispute over the sewage-soaked Chedoke Creek, but city residents want someone watching their backs. The City of Hamilton reached a tentative agreement with the HDI last Wednesday heading off court action initiated by the city. The city wanted Ontario to force the HDI out of any environmental consultations involving the Chedoke Creek clean-up. If they couldn’t exclude HDI the city wanted the court to extend the Chedoke Creek clean-up deadline again. HDI spokesman Aaron Detlor did not return Turtle Island News requests for comment on the proposed settlement that headed off the June...
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Planned Power outage to hit parts of Six Nations
SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND – Six Nations is preparing for an overnight power outage so HydroOne can update its Caledonia station. An overnight outage will take place in Six Nations on Saturday June 3rd from 10 p.m. to Sunday June 4th at 6 a.m. The work will affect the majority of Six Nations households. Turtle Island News spoke with Elected Chief Mark B. Hill, who said plans are in place to ensure minimal disruption to homes and businesses and to offer support to anyone in need. “We are working closely with HydroOne and our teams. It is scheduled as an overnight outage, about 8 hours overnight. We think that’s a little bit easier in a sense because most people are sleeping. For those who do need the extra assistance...
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SNEC: Six Nations needs to maintain own Emergency Management
Six Nations may have to produce its own emergency management plan if the provincial and federal governments transfer the responsibility to Indige nous communities. Holy Smith, Six Nations Director of Service Excellence attended the First Nations’ perspectives on emergency management in Ontario meeting on April 27th, as an observer. She told Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) at its May 23rd meeting the province is looking for Indigenous perspectives on a “multilateral emergency management service agreement. The meeting was chaired by Gina Wilson, Deputy Minister of Indigenous Affairs and attended by provincial leadership and Indigenous Services Canada representatives as well as Indigenous Leadership. She says they are looking to create a plan for multiple communities to work together. “So essentially with the federal and provincial emergency management plans, First Nations communities...
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Awaiting vote: PSAC agreement includes new leave for Indigenous public servants and increase for language teachers
ARTICLE 70 – DURATION The new agreement, if ratified by the membership, will expire on August 4, 2025. Five days of leave including two days with pay for self-identified Indigenous employees to engage in traditional Indigenous practices including land-based activities such as hunting, fishing and harvesting. May 1, 2023 By Lynda Powless Editor In just two weeks two key markers for Indigenous federal employees could make history giving both recognition to Indigenous traditions and ceremonies and a long-awaited pay increase for Indigenous language teachers. The new tentative agreements reached between the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the federal government is undergoing a ratification vote ending June 16th. It includes an increase in pay for Indigenous language teachers and five days leave, two of which are paid, to attend...
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McMaster prof seeks more funding for Six Nations water study
A McMaster University researcher believes it’s time for Six Nations to cough up the cash promised to her Ohneganos project more than four years ago as “reciprocity.” Dr. Dawn Martin-Hill, the lead researcher of the water research program concerning the Grand River Watershed area told Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) she needed funds to continue work. She told the May 23 SNEC meeting during an update on the programs progress “I’m running out of cash.’ She told SNEC the study has received international acclaim, but despite her best efforts funding is running out. “I’m running out of cash,” she said. “We’ve been getting a lot of rave reviews for the skyworld piece.” Martin-Hill told council the last administration promised Ohnegonos $80,000, but never delivered, despite the program holding up its...
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Federal carbon tax hitting local gas home heating consumers
Six Nations is looking to tackle federal carbon charges levied against first nation community members through their natural gas bills. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) is also going to hatch a plan to go after the federal government for other taxes they say members of a First Nation shouldn’t have to pay, like carbon charges on their gasoline. SNEC, in the last six months of its term says it will now also fight to try to get the excise tax given to the council to help pay for the needs of the community, instead of going into the hands of the federal government. SNEC’s discussed the tax issue at its General Council Committee meeting on May 23 after Six Nations Natural Gas shared a memo with SNEC, sent in April,...
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When the choice isn’t really a choice…
Six Nations has an election code committee…again. It’s not a surprise. Almost every election one is struck. The difference is how they connect with the community. In the past the committees have held public meetings. Sent out notices in the mail, constantly by the way, and whether you agreed with their proposed changes or not they kept the community informed and they kept general council informed. They kept them informed because the community itself has yet to accept the concept of an elected band council. For most its just an organization that ensure band services are overseen and delivered and there is someone to complain to if there is a problem. It’s a process that normally is considered essential to ensure voices of the public or voters are hear in...
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Letter to Editor
By Helen Miller While Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council (SNGREC) spends most of its time dealing with important local issues, the political issues are often left by the way side. Speaking only for myself and not SNGREC, let’s look at the political front. Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) is bombarding First Nations leadership with their devolution plans. They’re moving ahead on new federal health legislation, revised drinking water legislation, water settlement legislation (SNGREC continues to try and become an active participant), new child welfare legislation, child welfare settlement, new Metis’ self-government legislation, Canada’s Action Plan to implement UNDRIP, re-vamping the 65 Welfare Agreement, re-vamping First Nations Emergency Management, re-vamping the ATR process, new Bill C-92, Bill-38, C-3, C-6 all ridding the Indian Act of discrimination against women who...
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Weekly Cartoon
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Six Nations is approaching naming streets with caution after the arena caused community controversy
By Turtle Island News staff “Don’t name it Powless Road, whatever you do,” Councillor Audrey Powless-Bomberry joked. Although the former Gaylord Powless Arena, now the Six Nations Sports and Cultural Memorial Arena, wasn’t mentioned during the Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) General Council meeting May 23, councillors and Elected Chief Mark Hill made references to the community “honouring just one” person, which was the argument for removing Gaylord Powless’s name from the arena in 2022. “We have to be very careful. We have had great controversy in our community and we still have strained relationships as a result,” Councillor Melba Thomas said. Lily-Anne Mt. Pleasant, acting director of housing came to council to address two streets intersecting Harold Road, where two accommodation projects are taking place. Social and Health Services...
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Sardine leads Ontario club to gold medal at national hockey tournament
By Sam Laskaris Writer Carly Sardine played a vital role as her Ontario squad captured a national championship. Sardine, an 18-year-old member of Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, was the captain of the Ontario female squad that captured the gold medal at this year’s National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC). The national tourney concluded on May 13 in Winnipeg. Sardine and her teammates edged Manitoba 2-1 in the gold-medal contest. “Winning the NAHC gold medal was an extraordinary and indescribable feeling,” Sardine said. “The amount of work, grit and effort the entire team and coaching staff put into the week led us to the gold medal is something I will never forget.” Ontario scored the game-winning goal with less than a minute remaining in regulation time of the championship final....
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Rivermen looking to regroup following pair of road contests
By Sam Laskaris Writer One thing is rather clear early on in this Ontario Series Lacrosse (OSL) season. The Six Nations Rivermen, the local Senior B squad, much prefer playing at home as opposed to road matches. The Rivermen, the defending OSL champions, kicked off their 2023 campaign, with three consecutive home victories. But the Six Nations side was not quite as successful in its first two road matches. For starters, the Rivermen suffered their first loss of the season this past Friday as they were edged 14-11 by the host Brooklin Merchants. That contest was held at the Luther Vipond Memorial Arena in Brooklin. Six Nations then had to settle for a 10-10 overtime tie versus the host Owen Sound North Stars on Saturday. The Rivermen and North Stars...
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When sports and leadership work for the greater good…it’s leadership
By Lisa Iesse Writer BRANTFORD – “Lacrosse, leadership, and climate change, at first you may scratch your head say, what do they have to do with each other?” For Rick Hill and Oren R. Lyons both onstage in Brantford last week the three are intertwined. Long-time friends and veteran lacrosse leaders, they both spoke before a crowd of community members, activists, teachers, students, and fans at Pauline Johnson Collegiate Thursday (May 18). Onondaga Royanni and Faithkeeper, Lyons met with Rick Hill with the plan to start a Haudenosaunee lacrosse team. Hill explained, “We were banned from competing in the world championship for about 100 years and then one day I got this phone call from you know who? And he said, ‘Let’s form an international lacrosse team.’ Hill hesititated for...
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Local lacrosse association hosts successful tournament
By Sam Laskaris Writer Another successful tournament run by the Six Nations Minor Lacrosse Association is in the books. The Six Nations Confederacy tourney, which attracted a total of 36 entrants in five age groupings, concluded on Sunday. Matches during the three-day event were held at three facilities. They were the Six Nations Sports and Cultural Memorial Centre, the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena in Six Nations and the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre in Brantford. Co-ed clubs were vying for top honours in Under 9, Under 11, Under 13, Under 15 and Under 17 divisions. The host association was represented by nine of its teams in the tournament. And five of those clubs ended up winning their championship finals. “I think that’s pretty good,” tournament convenor Tanya Henhawk said of the results...
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Solomon elected as Fort William First Nation chief
By John Nagy Local Journalism Initiative Reporter It was a “nail-biting” close vote, but when all the ballots were counted by Sunday at dawn, Michele Solomon was elected the new chief of Fort William First Nation. The reserve’s former three-term councillor collected 325 votes to former chief Georjann Morriseau’s 313, the closest vote for the chief’s job since 2015 when Peter Collins bested Morriseau by five votes. Solomon, who will be leaving her Ontario Native Women’s Association community development manager role to concentrate on the duties of the chief full-time, said it was a relief when the final vote was counted at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday. “It was only a 12-ballot difference, so that was a bit nail-biting for a while during the count,” said Solomon, who was a Fort...
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Ontario’s road to the Ring of Fire will undergo a federal environmental impact assessment.
By Matteo Cimellaro Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Northern Road Link Project, a highway leading to the region in northern Ontario, is part of a larger push to develop mining projects in the area and capitalize on critical minerals like copper, chromite and nickel that play a vital role in the energy transition. The federal Impact Assessment Agency (IAA) this week said an assessment was necessary for the Northern Road Link Project because of possible “adverse effects within federal jurisdiction, including potential effects on fish and fish habitat, migratory birds, and changes to the health, social, and economic conditions of Indigenous peoples.” Currently, the proponents responsible for the road are Marten Falls and Webequie First Nations, both of which support development in the region. If built, the Northern Road Link...
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Family fun packed Six Nations’ annual Bread and Cheese!
Six Nations annual “Bread and Cheese” celebration is back without COVID-19 restrictions With COVID-19 restrictions gone Six Nations turned out in droves marking a more than 157-year-old tradition that had its roots in a royal alliance . On Monday Six Nations marked its annual Bread and Cheese Day, an annual tradition that began in the 1860s when Queen Victoria, on her birthday, began gifting Haudenosaunee people blankets for their allyship during the War of 1812. The day has taken on a fair like quality with a parade, rides, activities all culminating in the great Bread and Cheese give-away. The parade was led by veterans and bagpipers whose music blared out in streams along the street. Paraders marched holding the Haudenosaunee flag (Hiawatha Belt), the Anishinaabe flag, the Canadian and American...
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Land acknowledgements or tokenism SNEC debates
By Turtle Island News staff When is a land acknowledgment support and when it is tokenism? Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) found itself debating the issue of land acknowledgments verses tokenism after receiving an invitation to a Caledonia business’s re-opening. Some councillors said they felt the invitations to events in nearby municipalities or private business openings sometimes feel more like an Indigenous representative is a “token” or is a performative gesture in lue of true efforts toward reconciliation. The issue arose during SNEC’s Finance Committee meeting, May 15th, when Elected Chief Mark Hill brought up an invitation to Rexall’s grand re-opening in Caledonia on May 19. Elected Chief Hill said he could not attend and asked if any councillors would consider attending to represent the community. Councillor Melba Thomas volunteered,...
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