Yes it is Christmas…
We have finally hit that time of year when like the Winter Solstice that marks the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, the holiday season seems all too short. The “Christmas” season has become even more intriguing as the years go by with as many traditions for Christmas as there are those who observe it. But it all has one commonality. Everyone sees it as family time. Time to chill out, relax and spend time with loved ones. To take a break from the politics, and try to enjoy, the sights, sounds and smells that remind us all of our childhood memories with parents and grand parents at this special time of the year. For Indigenous people it is a special time of the year to be...
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Border guards wrong to search Indigenous man’s vehicle, court upholds acquittal
An Ontario court has ruled border guards at a crossing between a Canadian island and the rest of the country were wrong to search an Indigenous man’s vehicle on grounds that he had a criminal record and associated with others convicted of breaking the law. In a decision released last Friday, Ontario Superior Court Justice Nathalie Champagne said Kanawakeron Jody Swamp’s criminal record didn’t justify the earch that led him to be charged under the Customs Act in 2017. What’s more, the judge said, nearly everyone on Cornwall Island, situated in the St. Lawrence River with bridges linking it to the U.S. and Cornwall, Ont. ,has a relative with a criminal record, which means that also cannot be considered reasonable grounds for a search. Neither can the fact that Swamp,...
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SN Elected Council to hold community meeting on cannabis
By Justin Lethbridge Writer Cannabis meetings are coming. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) says a community meeting on cannabis will be held early in 2020. The meeting is coming after issues surfaced with implementing its Cannabis Control Law and internal issues erupted with its appointed commission. During a discussion on cannabis, council heard from local businessman Ben MacDonald who wanted the chance to manage the medicinal side of cannabis on the Six Nations. He said despite knowing for years that cannabis legalization was coming, SNEC did not take the necessary steps to prepare and implement any regulations. “Six Nations has been aware of the coming cannabis industry for years. From local experts to our own Ec Dev Corp, information on new business ventures and investment opportunities have been submitted but...
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Kids Giving Kids a Chance to Play Hockey
50 tonnes of new and gently used hockey equipment to remote First Nations By Justin Lethbridge Writer BRANTFORD, ONT-For five years the Rotary Club, along with minor hockey teams across the GTA, have delivered over 50 tonnes of new and gently used hockey equipment to remote First Nations communities. The equipment is sent to schools in northern communities like Rankin Inlet, Nunavut and Sandy Lake, Ontario where the cost of buying equipment prevents many hockey-loving kids the chance to play. “These are places where a case of water is $27,” Chris Szarka told the Turtle Island News, “so the cost for hockey equipment is prohibitively expensive. For parents to buy hockey equipment for their kids the decision comes down to does the family eat this week or do we get...
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Emotions flare at Minor League Hockey
By Josh Giles Sports Writer When the Six Nations Peewee Rep and Midget Rep teams met to play against the Paris Wolfpack teams, emotions got the better of a lot of players and coaches alike. The Peewee team was dominating on both sides of the puck in route to a 6-1 win over Paris. Although they didn’t start as strong. With the score keeping close up until the third period when everything unraveled for Paris. Six Nations started scoring goal after goal to pull ahead by a very wide margin. Dennis MacDonald is the coach for the Peewee team and said, “I felt on score wise it might’ve been close, but I felt possession wise we had the puck but just didn’t score. Once we started hitting the net, it...
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Six Nations Rivermen get championship rings
By Josh Giles Sports Writer Sunday recently saw the Six Nations Rivermen accept their championship rings for winning the President’s Cup back in August of this year. Looking back on the amazing year that led to the President’s Cup team trainer Wade Thompson said, “We were really re-focusing as a team. We got beat out in the semi-finals last year by Oakville and coming into the season the guys were a lot more focused.” That proved to be accurate of the Rivermen as they had the best season anyone could ask for. Winning it was amazing according to Thompson, “It was pretty electric watching the clock tick down and knowing that you finally accomplished what you set out for.” After claiming the President’s Cup, Thompson would never forget what the...
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Building basketball at the Dajoh
By Josh Giles Sports Writer The Six Nations area basketball scene is changing. Six Nations has never had a youth basketball team to compete against other local towns. That changed recently when they started up both U12 and U14 teams that will be playing games at the Dajoh. They recently had a practice for their U12 team. The U14 team played a game against Haldimand where they were blown out 66-22. Team coach Matt King said, “the team played with good effort and improvement but Haldimand was more experienced and it showed.” And that is what King wants to emphasize. “The other centers have their teams start when kids are about 10-years-old. We’re going against teams that have three or four years of experience so the energy and commitment have...
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Assumption wins back and forth game
By Josh Giles Sports Writer It was a close game when the Assumption Lions Jr. Girls volleyball team visited the BCI Mustangs. The game was close in nearly every set as the Lions climbed their way out of a hole. In the first set, ACS took the victory 25-18 with Assumption pulling away slowly to win it. The second and third set went to BCI with close scores of 26-24 in the second and 25-23 in the third. In the fourth set, the Lions came back with a vengeance in the fourth set and dominated it with a score of 25-13. The fifth and final set saw more domination from the Lions winning the game 15-8 and sealing the victory. After the game both coaches were optimistic about their teams....
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Escape of non native salmon on B.C. coast puts farm phase out plan in spotlight
By Amy Smart THE CANADIAN PRESS VANCOUVER- The escape of an estimated 20,000 non-native fish off Vancouver Island demonstrates the urgent need to phase out ocean-based farming and calls into question the federal government’s own five-year deadline, say wild salmon advocates. Stan Proboszcz, science and campaign adviser with the Watershed Watch Society, said the salmon escape may have ecological impacts on already struggling wild stocks. “It’s incidents like this that make it pretty clear that we really do need the federal government to move on removing farms from British Columbian waters. This is just another stressor on wild fish, so we just hope that we see a plan very soon,” he said Monday. He said Atlantic salmon can compete with wild Pacific salmon for food and habitat, as well as...
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Holiday Wishes from all of us at Turtle Island News
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Public safety minister asks RCMP for clarity over Indigenous blockade strategy
OTTAWA- The federal public safety minister’s office says they have spoken to the RCMP over concerns about language reportedly used by the agency in planning how it would deal with First Nations protesters blockading natural gas pipeline construction in northern B.C. A spokesman for Bill Blair says they are concerned by a report by British media outlet the Guardian allegedly outlining the RCMP’s strategy to remove the blockade. “We are committed to protecting the constitutional right to peaceful protest and are concerned by the unacceptable words and phrases that the Guardian reported were used,” Blair’s spokesman Scott Bardsley said in an email. “Our office has raised this matter with the RCMP.” In late 2018, Wet’suwet’en members had set up checkpoints preventing pipeline project workers from accessing a worksite for LNG...
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Search Warrant executed in Cornwall: CRTF
On December 4th, 2019, members of the Cornwall Regional Task Force stopped a vehicle suspected of being involved in contraband smuggling activity. As a result of the investigation, a Search Warrant for a mini-storage unit located in the city of Cornwall was obtained and executed. The search lead to the seizure of 318.1 kg of fine cut tobacco not stamped in accordance with the Excise Act (2001). A 2002 Chevrolet Silverado was also seized under the authority of the Excise Act (2001). The suspect was arrested, charged and released from custody on a Promise to Appear. He is scheduled to appear at Cornwall Court on January 14th, 2020. Benjamin Roundpoint (50 years old) of Akwesasne, ON is facing the following charges: – Possession of unstamped tobacco, Excise Act...
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POLICE EXECUTE CANNABIS ACT SEARCH WARRANT
On Tuesday, December 17th, 2019, Six Nations Police executed a search warrant at #1061 Chiefswood Road on the Six Nations Territory. The search warrant was executed on the Green Dreams dispensary business that was known to be an illicit cannabis dispensary as well as a DVD store. Police entered the building and located two adult males that were identified as an employee and a customer, and then arrested. Police searched and seized illicit cannabis evidence resulting in the formal charges of: Andrew Donald McAulay (34 years) of Ohsweken: – Possess Cannabis unlawfully for the purpose of selling – Distribute Illicit Cannabis – Possess Cannabis for the Purpose of Distribution Allan Scott Hill (54 years) of Ohsweken: – Possess Cannabis unlawfully for the purpose of selling – Distribute Illicit Cannabis –...
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ROAD RAGE INCIDENT OVER PARKING SPOT RESULTS IN SEVERAL CHARGES
(NORFOLK COUNTY, ON) – On Tuesday, December 17, 2019, approximately 11:42 a.m., the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Norfolk County Detachment investigated a road rage incident at a Queensway East, Simcoe, Norfolk County, Ontario address. It was determined that two drivers engaged in a confrontation over a parking spot at a local business. As a result, one of the drivers fled from the area with the other driver following. Both vehicles then stopped on Ireland Road when one of the drivers exited their car and damaged the other vehicle and then fled from the area. Investigators subsequently located the vehicle after it had collided with a parked vehicle and business at a Norfolk Street South address. As a result, police have charged 24-year-old Jordie SMITH of Norfolk County, Ontario with...
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Ottawa funding mental health services for Saskatchewan Indigenous youth
SASKATOON – The federal government is committing $2.5 million over the next two years to support mental-health services and suicide prevention programs for Indigenous youth in Saskatchewan. Federal Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller and Chief Bobby Cameron of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations made the announcement in Saskatoon. A number of young people in several Indigenous communities in the province have taken their own lives in recent months. The Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation at Loon Lake, for one, has raised concerns about what it has called “cluster suicides” _ three deaths over three weeks, including that of a 10-year-old girl. While in Saskatchewan, Miller met with Makwa Chief Ronald Mitsuing and members of the community, about 360 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon. Chief Louis Mercredi of the Fond du Lac...
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Annual Christmas Concerts in full swing
Jamieson Kindergarten students belt out a Christmas tune during their annual Christmas concert. Photo by Donna Duric....
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SNEC seeking $200,000 from farmer after promising to look at removing injunctions against Six Nations People
By Justin Lethbridge and Lynda Powless Writers The same night Six Nations Elected Council agreed to look at removing injunctions imposed on Six Nations people the band council agreed in a closed session to settle a $1 million damage suit against Six Nations Farmer Kris Hill for $200,000 last Tuesday night. Turtle Island News has learned SNEC was given the option by its lawyers to either walk away from the suit, seek the lesser amount of $200,000 or continue the action seeking $1 million. The damages came after SNEC sought and was granted an injunction against Kris Hill and John and Jane Doe of Six Nations over the controversial farming of the Burtch lands. Hill had been farming the lands on a three year lease from the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs...
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SNEC says it’s exploring options to get out of injunctions against community members
By Justin Lethbridge Writer Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) says it is exploring options to vacate or eradicate at least two injunctions the previous council sought against community members. The decision came after community members flooded the SNEC chambers last Tuesday night. An Ontario Court granted two injunctions against Six Nations people after the previous band council petitioned the court to remove people from outside the council building and local farmer Kris Hill from the controversial Burtch lands. In addition the former Six Nations Band Council and the Six Nations Grand River Development Corporation were both instrumental in supporting Hydro One who sought and was granted an injunction, against community members and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council, to remove a protest from the Niagara Reinforcement Line. Following a statement delivered by...
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Six Nations Election hangs in the balance council reviewing concerns
By Justin Lethbridge Writer Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) is taking another week to look at concerns raised over the recent election, two appeals and the fate of the Chief Election Polling Officer ((CEPO)). The council chambers were packed with community members last Tuesday as Alaina VanEvery told council her appeal had been rejected but she had concerns with the legitimacy of the election and the CEPO. SNEC said they needed more time to look at the complex issue. Councillor Wendelyn Johnson said Council is not debating the merits of the concerns brought forth by multiple community members. “At the end of the day the accountability lies here, with this system. We’re having big discussions about that and what that means in terms of legal ramifications and so on…” She...
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The Perfect Storm: Homelessness in the city
By Donna Duric Writer BRANTFORD – At least two dozen homeless people in Brantford were left scrambling to find a place to stay for the winter after their tent city was shut down. In a city struggling with overflowing shelters and a lack of affordable housing, homeless people are sleeping in ATM lobbies, stairwells, and finding brief respite in overnight shelters. Although the camp seemed to provide a homelessness solution from the perspective of the people who lived there, at least one shelter manager in Brantford believes otherwise. “I think the camp being shut down is a good thing,” said Tim Philp, executive director of Rosewood House, a 24-hour co-ed shelter. “I guarantee you that if that camp continued, someone would’ve died there.” The six-month long encampment came to an...
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