Kuujjuaq sculptor turns ice into art at Quebec’s Winter Carnival
By Cedric Gallant Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Sammy Kudluk’s ice sculpture depicting two Inuit women holding a qulliq was viewed by thousands of people at the Quebec Winter Carnival. The Kuujjuaq artist created the piece Feb. 11. Kudluk said he has been honing his craft as an artist for nearly 50 years, doing painting, sculpting and soapstone carving. “I have not done that much ice sculpting,” Kudluk said in a phone interview, after returning from Quebec City. Kuujjuaq’s river ice, he explained, has too much air in it and tends to crack, but the ice at the carnival is made specifically for t the art. Kudluk’s first foray into ice-sculpting was five years ago, at the ice hotel created each year in Sainte-Foy near Quebec City. For this festival, Kudluk said...
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Activists demand action during Montreal MMIWG march
By Cedric Gallant Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Chants resonated along Montreal’s Saint-Catherine Street on Valentine’s Day as hundreds of people converged to march for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. “When I say Nuna, say back, `Nuna Back!” the crowd shouted. For 33 years, Feb. 14 has been dedicated to calling governments to action to provide safety for Indigenous women and girls in their communities. Kinngait-born Sarah Carriere led the nighttime march, screaming the chants until her vocal chords gave out. Carriere has been an active member in Montreal’s Indigenous community ever since she moved there from her hometown seven years ago. “It is super important that everyone keeps showing up,” she said in a speech at the end of the march. “We need all the love and support...
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Cultural burning stokes debate on wildfire defence
By Jessica Lee Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Joe Gilchrist’s grandmother used to tell him if you can’t walk on the land barefoot, you know something is wrong. A forest overgrown and covered in wildfire fuels is unhealthy and hurts to walk on, much like a grassland that’s overdue for a burn and covered in prickly, dead vegetation. “That forest isn’t healthy, it’s sick. There’s no food for the animals, the predators have lots of places to hide,” he said. “Spiritually speaking, there’s always a battle between the light and the dark. If the forest is dark, it’s because it’s too thick and it hasn’t been looked after.” Gilchrist is a member of the Skeetchestn Indian Band, part of the Secwepemc Nation in British Columbia. He is a traditional fire keeper...
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First Nations emergency alert app launched
By Shari Narine Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The James Smith Cree Nation in Saskatchewan is implementing an emergency alert system created by Indigenous people for Indigenous people. “We were just walking around sort of in chaos, responding to this emergency, thinking it was an isolated incident,” said Chief Robert Head of Peter Chapman Band. He was speaking of the September 2022 stabbing spree carried out by Myles Sanderson that resulted in 11 people being killed and 17 injured at James Smith Cree Nation and in the nearby village of Weldon. “(We were) not knowing the full picture of a larger attack in the community in many places and towards many people, so an emergency alert app could have given the membership heads up that morning,” said Head. Peter Chapman is...
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Crown asks New Brunswick judge to stay charges against Indigenous lobster fisherman
THE CANADIAN PRESS CAMPBELLTON, N.B- A judge in northern New Brunswick granted a stay of proceedings Thursday in the trial of an Indigenous lobster fisherman who recently launched a constitutional challenge aimed at asserting Indigenous and treaty rights. Cody Caplin, a member of the Eel River Bar First Nation, was fishing for lobster in the Bay of Chaleur in September 2018 when he was arrested by federal fisheries officers. He was charged a year later with 10 offences, including trapping lobster out of season. When his provincial court trial in Campbellton, N.B., began in November of last year, Caplin cited the Peace and Friendship Treaties signed by the Mi’kmaq and the British Crown in the 1700s, which recognize the Indigenous right to hunt and fish for personal subsistence. As the...
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‘Economic reconciliation’: Mi’kmaw communities invest in Nova Scotia battery plants
By Alessia Passafiume THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA -A corporation co-owned by 13 Mi’kmaw communities is investing in new battery plants with Nova Scotia Power in what both parties are calling a step toward reconciliation. The project, announced Thursday by Wskijinu’k Mtmo’taqnuow Agency Ltd., is expected to draw and store electricity during off-peak periods and release it back to the grid when needed. The company is getting up to $18 million for an equity loan from the Canada Infrastructure Bank to help facilitate the partnership. Crystal Nicholas, its president, said creating a greener future is a priority for the Mi’kmaw Nation, and the investment in the storage facility marks “true economic reconciliation.” “I’m very optimistic that this will continue to open doors for the WMA to partner with a lot of...
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`Here we are talking about drought in February
By Rochelle Baker Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Water security groups in B.C. are rallying to face another summer wracked by drought and wildfire after the province revealed the snowpack is 40 per cent lower than normal. And they are urging the provincial government to do the same. Extremely low snow levels across most of B.C., ongoing drought in certain areas of the province and unusually warm weather are increasing the risk of widespread drought and wildfire this spring and summer, according to the BC River Forecast Centre’s snow bulletin released Thursday. Drought hazard levels are pronounced on Vancouver Island, the south coast and the Lower Fraser due to low snowpacks. The risk of water shortages in the Okanagan, Kalamalka and Wood lakes, Nicola Lake and the Nicola River regions are...
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B.C.’s lack of snow foretells summer drought woes
By Rochelle Baker Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The persistent lack of snow across much of B.C. is setting the stage for a possible repeat of the record-breaking provincewide drought experienced last summer, watershed experts worry. Despite a short blast of arctic weather in January, unseasonably warm temperatures coupled with rain have been melting already stressed snowpacks, particularly in parts of southern B.C. and Vancouver Island, said Coree Tull, co-chair of the BC Watershed Security Coalition. “If you look at local ski hills, many are all closed,” Tull said. “From my front window, I can see the North Shore Mountains and Grouse Mountain right in front of me and the main run is completely bare.” This year, drought concerns are surfacing even earlier than last, Tull said, noting snowpacks act as...
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Manitoba premier says he’s confident landfill search for remains will start this year
WINNIPEG- Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says he is confident a landfill search for the remains of two slain First Nations women will begin this year. Kinew would not reveal details about how much progress has been made in preparing for the search, but says the province will work with families of the women and with Indigenous leaders. The NDP government has promised to search the Prairie Green Landfill, a privately run facility north of Winnipeg, where the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran are believed to have been taken after they were killed in the spring of 2022. An operational report, prepared by the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs earlier this year, said a search could begin near the end of October if funding was in place by Feb. 1....
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B.C.’s lack of snow foretells summer drought woes
By Rochelle Baker Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The persistent lack of snow across much of B.C. is setting the stage for a possible repeat of the record-breaking provincewide drought experienced last summer, watershed experts worry. Despite a short blast of arctic weather in January, unseasonably warm temperatures coupled with rain have been melting already stressed snowpacks, particularly in parts of southern B.C. and Vancouver Island, said Coree Tull, co-chair of the BC Watershed Security Coalition. “If you look at local ski hills, many are all closed,” Tull said. “From my front window, I can see the North Shore Mountains and Grouse Mountain right in front of me and the main run is completely bare.” This year, drought concerns are surfacing even earlier than last, Tull said, noting snowpacks act as...
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Chief Dean Nelson says Prince Harry was ‘sincere’ and ‘down to Earth’ during visit to Lil’wat Nation
By Roisin Cullen, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visited the traditional territory of Lil’wat Nation this week as part of their trip to British Columbia, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent time meeting with members of the Nation in Mount Currie on Feb. 15. Prince Harry previously met with Lil’wat Nation Chief Dean Nelson in November 2023, and was invited to visit the Lil’wat and speak with Chief Gelpcal (the cultural chief) and other councillors. Harry took part in a wheelchair basketball game with local youth during his visit, with Nelson even joining in on the court. Nelson told Pique the visit was positive and sincere. “He dropped by the community,” he said. “We had a lot of fun with the youth and our...
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WestJet agrees to rebook flights for family of murder victim Ashley Simpson
By Richard Hutton Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The family of Ashley Simpson will be able to attend a sentencing hearing for the man responsible for the St. Catharines woman’s death after a change of heart by a major Canadian airline. “Last night, WestJet called me and booked all the flights for June 11,” Ashley’s mother, Cindy, said Thursday after receiving the news from WestJet that the flights had been rebooked. “They apologized and sent condolences.” The family had been booked to be on a flight from Toronto to Calgary and then on to Kelowna, B.C. The flights were originally booked via the travel site FlightHub and it said any changes were WestJet’s responsibility. WestJet had initially refused to rebook those flights as it could not find the booking, said Madison...
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Kebaowek First Nation brings radioactive waste fight to Parliament Hill
By Natasha Bulowski Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Kebaowek First Nation and opponents of a recently approved radioactive waste disposal facility took the fight to Parliament Hill on Wednesday with a peaceful rally urging the federal government to stop the project. “We stand united in safeguarding the well-being of our shared environment and the fundamental right of all Canadians to access clean and uncontaminated drinking water,” said Kebaowek Chief Lance Haymond at a morning news conference. Shortly after, more than 100 people rallied at the Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill to oppose the project, which would hold up to one million cubic metres of radioactive waste about one kilometre from the Ottawa River. Following the rally, Algonquin leaders watched question period from the gallery where Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet pressed...
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‘Economic reconciliation’: Mi’kmaw communities invest in Nova Scotia battery plants
OTTAWA- A corporation co-owned by 13 Mi’kmaw communities is investing in new battery plants with Nova Scotia Power, in what both parties are calling a step toward reconciliation. The Indigenous-run agency announced the project today, which is expected to draw and store electricity during off-peak periods and release it back to the grid when needed. It is getting up to $18 million for an equity loan from the Canada Infrastructure Bank to help facilitate the partnership. Crystal Nicholas, the president of the corporation, says creating a greener future is a priority for the Mi’kmaw Nation, and the investment in the storage facility marks “true economic reconciliation.” Construction of what will be the largest energy storage project in Atlantic Canada is to begin this year in White Rock, Bridgewater and Waverly,...
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Jordan’s Principle upheld by Supreme Court
By Marc Lalonde Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The unanimous decision by the Supreme Court of Canada to uphold Bill C-92 and ensure First Nations’ direct involvement in the care of the communities’ young people was met with approval and optimism from local community groups late last week. The decision paves the way for Canada to continue to recognize First Nations’ jurisdictional rights to self-govern their child and family services without conflict with provincial law, as promised in the original Jordan’s Principle class-action settlement. In the past, Indigenous children who were removed from their homes for safety reasons were often placed in non-Native homes where they were often subjected to physical abuse and, at times, worse. With this ruling, the Supreme Court said once and for all that First Nations family-services...
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First Nations, Jim Balsillie slam government over lack of consultation on AI bill
By Anja Karadeglija THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA-The Assembly of First Nations is warning it could take the Liberal government to court over its proposed privacy and artificial intelligence bill. And former tech executive Jim Balsillie told MPs studying the bill that he considers the legislation “anti-democratic.” The government has already been criticized for failing to consult widely and early enough on Bill C-27, which updates privacy laws and introduces the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act. Balsillie, the former co-CEO of BlackBerry pioneer Research In Motion, said Wednesday the government did no public consultations and relied too heavily on feedback from industry rather than civil society. Indigenous leaders said First Nations weren’t consulted at all. “As a result, the minister did not hear First Nations, does not understand First Nations, and...
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North Dakota takes federal government to trial over costs to police Dakota Access Pipeline protests
By Jack Dura THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)- North Dakota is set to take the federal government to trial Thursday for the costs of responding to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests, the culmination of an unusual and drawn-out court fight. The state filed the lawsuit in 2019, seeking $38 million from the federal government for policing the protests. Years of legal wrangling followed before the trial date was scheduled in December. The bench trial before U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Traynor is expected to last 12-13 days. In an interview, North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley said the trial will show examples of numerous requests to the federal government for help and the “complete refusal” to offer resources and financial support in response. “It ought not be one of...
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Manitoba man who was switched at birth receives Metis citizenship
WINNIPEG- A Manitoba man who was switched at birth and raised without being aware of his Indigenous heritage for more than 60 years says he feels a sense of belonging after receiving his Metis citizenship. “My identity is something I lost a long time ago,” Edward Ambrose said in a news release. “I’m 68 now, so being welcomed into the Red River Metis family really touches my heart.” Ambrose received his Manitoba Metis Federation citizenship card in Winnipeg on Tuesday. He was accompanied by his daughter, Eileen, and his biological sister Leona. “I am proud to be with my family, and it feels so powerful and meaningful to receive my card,” Ambrose said. “I will always love my other family too, but I feel like this is where I belong...
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First Nations call on feds to oppose nuclear waste disposal site near Ottawa River
OTTAWA-First Nations leaders are calling on the federal government to oppose a nuclear waste disposal site near the Ottawa River that they say threatens drinking water and their rights. Last month, a federal regulator approved a proposal from Canadian Nuclear Laboratories to build a near-surface disposal facility for nuclear waste close to Chalk River, Ont. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission said the project isn’t “likely to cause significant adverse environmental effect.” But multiple First Nations and dozens of municipalities in Ontario and Quebec object to the project. The facility is located on the traditional territories of Kebaowek First Nation, and it says the federal government breached its duty to consult by failing to obtain consent for the project. The First Nation has submitted a judicial review to challenge the project’s...
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It’s Official. Climate Change Has Brought Deadly Health Risks to BC
By Michelle Gamage Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Vancouver Coastal Health warned Tuesday that we’re not ready for extreme weather caused by climate change. What “urgent” risks you face depend on where you live, with poorer and racialized neighbourhoods and communities at particular high risk, according to Dr. Patricia Daly, Vancouver Coastal Health’s chief medical health officer. VCH serves a region that includes Vancouver, Squamish, Whistler and the Sunshine Coast, as well as coastal areas farther north, such as Bella Bella and Bella Coola. In a report released Tuesday, VCH analyzed how hazards such as wildfire smoke, droughts, heat, storms and flooding will affect our health and identified ways to mitigate future harms. “The existential threat to our population is climate change,” Daly said. A lot of the issues and solutions in...
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