Ontario First Nation leaders call for disbandment of Thunder Bay police
TORONTO-First Nation leaders are renewing calls to dissolve the Thunder Bay police as the force’s former leadership faces charges in a widening misconduct probe. Nishnawbe Aski Nation, several chiefs of northern Ontario First Nations and several families with loved ones who died in the city say Thunder Bay police can no longer conduct credible investigations. Several reports since 2018 have documented systemic racism in the Thunder Bay police force and outlined how investigations into the sudden deaths of Indigenous people have been tainted by racist attitudes and stereotyping. Thirteen of those investigations were so poorly handled they had to be reinvestigated. The Ontario Provincial Police announced criminal charges this month against the former Thunder Bay police chief and another high-ranking member. Current Thunder Bay police Chief Darcy Fleury vowed last week...
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First Nations on cusp of more self sustaining project financing
TORONTO- The chair of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition says Indigenous people are set to become true partners in big projects that will help lead to a future of self-sustaining financial independence. Speaking at the coalition’s annual conference Monday, chair Sharleen Gale, chief of the Fort Nelson First Nation, says to get there though, First Nations need access to competitively priced capital. She says the coalition came together close to a decade ago in part because First Nations were being offered credit card-level interest rates for project financing, making it hard to get anything off the ground. Gale says the $5-billion Indigenous loan guarantee announced last week in the federal budget is an exciting step to make capital cheaper and get more projects started, the profits of which could...
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$10 million for Kahnawake Cultural Arts Centre
By Marcus Bankuti Local Journalism Initiative Reporter An agreement between Hydro Quebec and the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) was finalized this week, establishing shared ownership of a major energy transmission line in a deal heralded as a form of “economic reconciliation” that is the first of its kind. A contribution of $10 million from Hydro Quebec to the Kahnawake Cultural Arts Center (KCAC) was also announced at the signing ceremony. “This is all historic. This is all trailblazing,” MCK grand chief Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer said of the Hertel project. “We are proud of ourselves for always taking that leap and trying to establish new ground, not only for ourselves, but setting the stage for other brother and sister communities to get involved and do something historic as well.” Hydro Quebec...
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Funding dries up for Interlake’s crisis support program
By Dave Baxter Local Journalism Initiative Reporter An organization that supports survivors of sexual violence could be forced to stop offering a critical program after federal funding was not renewed earlier this month. The organization’s executive director says it would be a significant loss for the people they serve. “We are established in these communities as a trusted support,” Survivor’s Hope Crisis Centre (SHCC) executive director Coral Kendel said. “And we already know that survivors of sexualized violence are hesitant to share their experiences for a number of reasons, including stigma, the possibility of not being believed, or because they don’t have a trusted person they can confide in.” SHCC is headquartered in Pinawa, and Kendel said they are the only organization in the Interlake-Eastman region that works specifically with victims...
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Whale experts confident orca calf will survive, find family if rescue plan succeeds
The odds of a two-year old killer whale calf surviving in the open ocean on its own and eventually reuniting with family members remain solid if a rescue team manages to free the orca from the Vancouver Island lagoon where she’s been trapped for nearly a month, whale experts say. A second attempt to rescue the orca was put on hold Friday when the young whale ate an 18-kilogram portion of provided seal meat for what was believed to be the first time since getting stranded in the tidal lagoon in Little Espinosa Inlet near Zeballos, B.C. The large-scale rescue effort is expected to involve boats, nets, divers and drones and centres on a plan to catch the female calf in a large net, place her in a sling, transport...
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First Nations patients more likely to leave ER without care, study says
Researchers say First Nations patients are more likely to leave Alberta emergency departments before receiving care than non-Indigenous patients. They say a new study shows that anti-Indigenous racism is part of the reason why. Lead author Patrick McLane of the University of Alberta says provincial data from 2012 to 2017 showed 6.8 per cent of First Nations patients left emergency departments before being seen, or against medical advice. That’s compared to just 3.7 per cent of non-First Nations patients. McLane says after controlling for variables such as other patient demographics, geography or type of diagnosis, First Nations status was the only apparent explanation for the difference. That conclusion was backed up by interviews conducted from 2019 to 2022with First Nations people who reported being asked stereotypical questions about substance use,...
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Native American chiefs reveal THOUSANDS of drug cartel gangsters have infiltrated reservations and are using them as bases to traffic fentanyl – as they reveal the shocking number of tribal cops they have to fight them
By ISABELLE STANLEY DAILYMAIL.COM PUBLISHED: 10:53 EDT, 21 April 2024 | UPDATED: 21:08 EDT, 21 April 2024 Native American tribal leaders have issued an urgent plea for help as thousands of drug cartel gangsters flood their isolated lands and ‘rape and murder’ their people. The groups say that Mexican cartels take advantage of their sparsely populated reservations to traffic fentanyl and other drugs into the US as they do not have the police or funding to stop them. Testifying in Congress, President of the Fort Belknap Indian Community in Montana Jeffrey Stiffarm said: ‘We are fighting a losing battle. The cartels are winning, the drug dealers are winning.’ Stiffarm’s 652,000-acre Montana reservation has just nine police officers, meaning the gangs can operate with impunity, he said: ‘They know we’re short-staffed, underfunded, under-trained and outnumbered.’ The groups are calling for...
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Six Nations News Alert: Six Nations firefighters on scene of trailer fire
SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND- Six Nations fire fighters are on the scene of a trailer fire on Onondaga Road between Third Line Road and Second Line. Details are not available at this time, 2:20 p.m. Sunday, April 21, but motorists are asked to avoid the area....
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Police to search Saskatoon landfill for woman missing since 2020
By Kelly Geraldine Malone Canadian Press Saskatoon police are planning to search the city’s landfill for a woman who has been missing for more than three years. Mackenzie Lee Trottier was 22 when she last seen in December 2020. “I must stress that Mackenzie is still considered a missing person and will be until we have direct information otherwise,” Deputy Chief Cam McBride said at a news conference Friday. Police said a substantial amount of data was collected last year as part of their investigation. Devices were seized and information was extracted, leading investigators to a specific area of the landfill, said McBride. The search area is about 930 cubic metres in size and one metre deep. A multi-agency search, including specialized dogs from Calgary police and RCMP, is expected...
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Cap on plastic production remains contentious as Ottawa set to host global treaty talks
By Mia Rabson THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA- Negotiators from 176 countries will gather in downtown Ottawa this week for the fourth round of talks to create a global treaty to eliminate plastic waste in less than 20 years. Ottawa is hosting the fourth of five rounds of negotiations, with the aim of finalizing a deal by the end of the year. The proliferation of plastics has been profound, as it is a preferred material largely for its affordability and longevity. But that also means it never goes away, and the impact on nature and growing concerns about human health are leading a push to get rid of plastic waste and eliminate the most problematic chemicals used to make it. Canada’s environment minister, Steven Guilbeault, played a crucial role in getting...
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Whale experts confident orca calf will survive, find family if rescue plan succeeds
By Dirk Meissner THE CANADIAN PRESS ZEBALLOS, B.C. -The odds of a two-year old killer whale calf surviving in the open ocean on its own and eventually reuniting with family members remain solid if a rescue team manages to free the orca from the Vancouver Island lagoon where she’s been trapped for nearly a month, whale experts say. A second attempt to rescue the orca was put on hold Friday when the young whale ate an 18-kilogram portion of provided seal meat for what was believed to be the first time since getting stranded in the tidal lagoon in Little Espinosa Inlet near Zeballos, B.C. The large-scale rescue effort is expected to involve boats, nets, divers and drones and centres on a plan to catch the female calf in a...
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Initiative ‘led by survivors to uncover the truth’
By Mike Stimpson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter THUNDER BAY- Residential school survivors gathered at a hotel on Highway 61 this week to discuss their experiences and how the Bringing Our Children Home Initiative should move forward. The initiative, also named Bikiiwewinig Nindawaashishiiminaanak, is investigating the possibility of unmarked graves where the Pelican Lake Indian Residential School once operated. Bringing Our Children Home “was created and led by survivors to uncover the truth,” Lac Seul Chief Clifford Bull said Thursday during a break in proceedings. He and his band council started the initiative after researchers concluded in 2021 that there are more than 200 possible unmarked graves at the old site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia. The Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority and Northern Nishnawbe Education...
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Six Nations Elected Council going behind closed doors “to better serve” Six Nations
Elected Chief Sherri-Lyn Hill is the first Six Nations Elected Council Chief to close politicial liaison meetings to the public. By Lynda Powless Editor SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER-Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) is going behind closed doors. SNEC announced today (Friday, April 19) that it is closing its doors to its Political Liaison meetings. It’s the first time in over three decades of Turtle Island News covering SNEC that the band council has closed its politicial liaison meeting to the public. SNEC says the closure or “in camera” meetings are part of a move to “streamline” its meetings. In the past SNEC Politicial Liaison meetings were open with closed sessions following the open meeting. Community members will no longer be able to sit in the audience at the...
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Indigenous tourism official applauds federal government’s budget support
By Sam Laskaris Local Journalism Initiative Reporter There are varying views from Indigenous leaders about the federal budget unveiled on April 16. Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak was among those who was critical of the budget, stating it did not adequately address the needs of First Nations peoples across the country. But Keith Henry, the president and CEO of the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC), had a different take. Henry praised federal officials April 17 for dedicating $2.5 million to Indigenous tourism through ITAC in the 2024 budget. “We’re pleased with the allocation of dedicated funds to ITAC in Budget 2024, signaling government confidence in ITAC and backing of a national co-ordinated Indigenous tourism strategy,” Henry said. Henry said he is hopeful the Canadian government will...
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Haida Elder, who survived residential `school,’ alleges defamation from Catholic priest
By Aaron Hemens Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Content warning: This article contains graphic details about residential “schools” including the deaths of children. Please read with care for your spirit. A Haida Elder and residential “school” survivor is leading a proposed class action lawsuit against the Catholic church and one of its priests over what she alleges are “false and deeply hurtful” denialist comments. Sphenia Jones is scheduled to appear in a “Calgary” courtroom on April 22 after filing a statement of claim against “Edmonton” priest Marcin Mironiuk, the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton, and the Oblate Fathers of Assumption Province. Jones is alleging that remarks Mironiuk made during a mass service in 2021, where he reportedly described the evidence of unmarked graves at residential “schools” as “lies” and “manipulation,” are defamatory...
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Violinist tries to serenade B.C. orca calf to freedom, as others ready nets and boats
Carol Love plays “Tennessee Whiskey” on her violin at a tidal lagoon near Zeballos, B.C., on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. The Nanaimo, B.C., woman says she is serenading a killer whale calf, hoping to entice the orca to leave the remote lagoon where she has been trapped alone for almost four weeks. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito By Dirk Meissner The Canadian Press Carol Love watches the tides at a Vancouver Island lagoon, and when the time is right, she starts to play her violin. She plays for an audience of one, a killer whale calf that has been trapped alone in the lagoon for almost a month. Preparations for more conventional efforts to save the whale continue, involving a large fishing net. But Love, from Nanaimo, B.C., stands and plays...
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Fire Seasons are Changing
By Carol Baldwin Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) has called up its wildfire crews to start training and preparing for what is expected to be another busy fire season. On April 8th, the SPSA announced an early call-up this year after a drier-than-normal winter. Type 1 Wildfire Crews began training in March and will be ready to respond to fires this week SPSA president Marlo Pritchard announced. Spring fires are primarily caused by human actions, and it is important that individuals act responsibly. Fire bans have been enacted in the Rural Municipalities of Hoodoo, Bayne, and Fish Creek, as well as on One Arrow First Nation. “I know that people think that wildfire season is the middle of summer, but a large number of fires...
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Brazil’s president creates two new Indigenous territories, bringing total in his term to 10
SAO PAULO (AP) — President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Thursday announced the creation of two new Indigenous territories for Brazil, bringing the total number of new reserves during this term to 10. The Cacique Fontoura reserve will be in Mato Grosso state and the Aldeia Velha territory will be in Bahia state. They will cover a combined total area of almost 132 square miles (342 square kilometers). Speaking at a ceremony in Brasilia, Lula’s said Indigenous peoples should be patient as he seeks to fulfill his pledge of creating 14 new territories. Lula’s predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, had encouraged widespread development of the Amazon — both legal and illegal — and made good on his pledge to not demarcate a single centimeter of additional Indigenous land. Lula took office...
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Canadian mining company granted exploration permit after filing petition with BC Supreme Court despite First Nation concerns for their land
By Rachael Lesosky Local Journalism Initiative Reporter After an almost two-year-long wait, a Canadian mining company has finally received a mining exploration permit despite concerns from Ktunaxa Nation who’s territory they are working on. Taranis Resources Inc. will continue its explorations of the Thor project near Trout Lake, northeast of Nakusp in Ktunaxa traditional territory. “We’re extremely happy,” John Gardiner, President and CEO of Taranis, told the Valley Voice. “It took two years and about $200,000 in lawyers’ fees to get to this point.” Usually, permits are approved in about three months, he says. The approval comes after the company filed a petition with the BC Supreme Court in October 2023. Gardiner said they believed that First Nations consultation and opposition were holding things up. In the petition, Taranis asked...
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Metis groups will trudge on toward self government as bill faces another setback
By Alessia Passafiume THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA- Metis organizations in Ontario and Alberta say they’ll stay on the path toward self-government, despite the uncertain future of a contentious bill meant to do just that. The Metis Nation, Saskatchewan withdrew its support Wednesday for federal legislation designed to recognize Metis governments in the province, as well as in Alberta and Ontario. President Glen McCallum said the legislation is holding the group back, and its members made the decision to pull support after a meeting with his council. The bill has faced fierce opposition from the Assembly of First Nations and academics, while the Metis Nations of Ontario and Alberta have both publicly and privately defended it, saying the entire process has been riddled with misinformation. McCallum stood by the decision to withdraw...
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