Beyond the bands: The evolution of Stó:lō governance from the 90s to today
By Grace Giesbrecht, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Fraser Valley Current There is strength in numbers. But sometimes Stó:lō Tribal Council president Tyrone McNeil wonders if that strength is why it can be so tricky for all Stó:lō first nations to work together. While unity can help Stó:lō people, McNeil suggests it has historically led other levels of government to encourage First Nations to act alone. There are more than 20 Stó:lō First Nations but the communities aren’t on their own when it comes to delivering services and advocating for their members. Over the last half-century, the First Nations have formed various inter-nation organizations to support their members. But with the groups constantly evolving, it can be hard to keep those groups straight. Today, Stó:lō nations are generally represented by two...
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Baby eel poaching accusation bubbles to the surface again
By John Chilibeck, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Daily Gleaner A commercial baby eel license holder in New Brunswick says she was shocked when one of her workers told her that members of Sipekne’katik, or the Shubenacadie First Nation of Nova Scotia, were plucking the creatures from the Lepreau River. The Lepreau, a small river near Saint John that’s popular with kayakers for its white water and sightseers for its picturesque waterfall, is one of the more productive spots to find baby eels, also called elvers, that wash into the estuary during the springtime, according to Mary Ann Holland. The owner of Brunswick Aquaculture says on the night of April 25, one of her workers confronted the netters, who allegedly said they were from Sipekne’katik, a fourhour drive away in...
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Wife of Quesnel mayor claims defamation in lawsuit against city councillor
By Bob Mackin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince George Citizen The wife of Quesnel Mayor Ron Paull is suing a member of city council for defamation over the councillor’s reaction to a book that disputes the history of Canada’s residential schools. In a May 13-filed BC Supreme Court notice of civil claim, Pat Morton accuses Coun. Laurey-Anne Roodenberg of conduct that was “not only defamatory, but malicious, politically motivated and designed to publicly discredit me despite knowing or being reckless as to the truth.” Morton claims stress caused by Roodenburg made her fear for her safety and affected her mentally and physically, including her affliction with Crohn’s Disease. Morton is seeking damages, costs, a declaration that Roodenburg breached City of Quesnel’s code of conduct and an order for Roodenburg to...
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Liberal MP says Carney will run a more corporate-style government
-CP-Prime Minister Mark Carney has formed a number of new cabinet committees that reflect the government’s focus on shoring up Canada’s sovereignty and improving the quality of life of Canadians. They include a priorities, planning and strategy committee, which is chaired by Carney, and a new “Build Canada” committee, focused on strengthening Canada’s economy. Carney has also created a committee on government transformation and efficiency, aiming to reduce government spending. Other new groups include a committee on operations and parliamentary affairs, a committee for “quality of life and wellbeing” and a committee on a “secure and sovereign Canada,” which aims to reinforce Canadian sovereignty, manage Canada-U.S. relations and “advance Canada’s interests around the world.” The Prime Minister of Canada website says cabinet committees carry out most of the day-to-day work...
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Inuit village in Quebec’s Far North facing ‘severe’ water distribution challenges
By Morgan Lowrie Officials in Quebec’s Nunavik region are raising the alarm over water shortages in the Inuit community of Puvirnituq, where a frozen pipe and persistent blizzards have left residents without consistent water deliveries for nearly two months. The Kativik Regional Government says the village’s five-kilometre-long water pipeline froze during a blizzard in mid-March and has yet to thaw. As a result, the town of roughly 2,100 people has been forced to bring in water by truck in extreme weather on icy, snowy roads. Hossein Shafeghati, the Kativik Regional Government’s director of municipal public works, says persistent bad weather has left the trucks struggling through slush and snowdrifts to make deliveries. “In the past three weeks – and this might be a little bit of an exaggeration – my...
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Missing child in northern Alberta likely fell asleep in field, RCMP says
By Matthew Scace It took the efforts of 200 local volunteers, a helicopter, drones and ATVs to track down a missing two-year-old boy in the pitch-black night of Alberta’s Peace Country. And in the end, it’s likely the toddler had simply dozed off after wandering out into a field. “I’m guessing the kid just fell asleep,” RCMP Const. Lucas Lehman said Tuesday. A sweeping night-long search was triggered Sunday night when RCMP in Fairview, Alta., were called by the toddler’s family after they had searched the property for him. The child had likely left the home without either parent knowing, Lehman said, and the couple likely believed their child was with the other parent. The call prompted a search for the missing boy, bringing out more than 200 volunteers in...
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Connecticut Sun exploring all options, including sale of franchise according to team president
By Doug Feinberg The Connecticut Sun are looking at all options for the franchise’s future, including a potential sale, team president Jen Rizzotti said Tuesday. The team is owned by the Mohegan Tribe, which runs the casino where the team has played since 2003. The Tribe bought the franchise for $10 million and relocated it from Orlando that year. The Connecticut franchise was the first in the league to be run by a non-NBA owner and also became the first to turn a profit. Rizzotti, who took over in her current role four years ago, said that Mohegan’s decision was the move of “responsible business owners” and that “it’s more about being consistent about how they’re evaluating all of their businesses, the Connecticut Sun being one of them.” The news...
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Suspended Justice: Mystery of drowned fishermen reinvestigated in Tyendinaga
By Michelle Dorey Forestell, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Kingstonist.com In 2015, two young men went out to spearfish on the Bay of Quinte. On their return, they planned to teach a younger nephew the Mohawk way of preparing the fish. Instead, they disappeared. Matthew Fairman was 26 and Tyler Maracle just 21 when they drowned under mysterious circumstances. On May 5, 2025, the Toronto Police Service agreed to reinvestigate the 2015 drowning deaths of the two fishermen from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, a decision reached thanks to a two-year investigation by Kenneth Jackson, a journalist from Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) Ottawa, and a pair of families who refused to give up on their young men. Jackson has over 20 years of experience in the journalism industry, and his work covers...
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Ohsweken woman facing dangerous driving charges
OHSWEKEN-A 38-year-old woman sustained major injuries and is facing a number of charges including dangerous driving after a vehicle was seen performing stunts in the village of Ohsweken. Six Nations Police, (SNP), while on patrol, Wednesday, April 8th, 2025, at about 1:45 AM, in the village of Ohsweken spotted a vehicle travelling at a high rate of speed on Chiefswood Road. SNP began following the vehicle activating their emergency lights to perform a traffic stop. Before being able to stop the vehicle police said it was seen performing stunts at the intersection of Chiefswood Road and Fourth Line. Police said the vehicle failed to stop evading police until an officer was able to perform a de-escalation tactic to stop the vehicle. During the attempt to stop the vehicle police said the cruiser...
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Alberta separation a threat to First Nation sovereignty, say local chiefs
By Pearl Lorentzen, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeside Leader “Before Alberta was Alberta in 1905, we signed treaties in 1899,” says Loon River First Nation Chief Ivan Sawan. The treaties are nation-to-nation agreements between First Nations and the Crown and Canada, he adds. “We never ceded or surrendered our land,” says Sawan. Sawan was responding to the Government of Alberta’s proposed Bill 54, part of which makes citizen referendums easier. It’s expected – according to many reports – to result in a referendum on Alberta separating from Canada. Loon River is in Treaty 8 territory, as are the other First Nations within the region covered by the Lakeside Leader. This treaty includes portions of Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories. The southern border in Alberta is the Athabasca...
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5 companies selected in ‘milestone’ moment for NWMO
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source IGNACE — The selection of five major companies for design and planning work is a big step towards building a huge underground facility for spent reactor fuel in Northwestern Ontario, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s Craig MacBride said Monday. The organization wants to build a deep geological repository, or DGR, for long-term disposal of radioactive waste from Canada’s nuclear power plants. On Monday it announced that five firms have been chosen for essential design, engineering and planning work over the next three years: WSP Canada Inc., Peter Kiewit Sons ULC, Hatch Ltd., Thyssen Mining Construction of Canada and Kinectrics Inc. “This is a very exciting milestone for the Nuclear Waste Management Organization and for the deep geological repository that will...
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Pikangikum water woes decades-old, chief says
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source PIKANGIKUM — Water issues in Pikangikum First Nation are the same now as 39 years ago, Chief Paddy Peters said Monday. “I was elected into office (for) my first term as chief when I was 30 years old,” he said in an interview via Zoom. “And what we’re going through right now … those (issues) were on the table when I began as chief, when I was 30 years old. “Today I’m 69 years old. I was re-elected into office in January of this new year, and the same issues are still on the table. “And, you know, I thought everything would be all worked out (by now). “I was out of office for over 10 years. I was re-elected...
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Wildfires raging in northwestern Ontario trigger evacuation alerts
By Jordan Omstead Fast-moving wildfires in northwestern Ontario are triggering evacuation alerts as the region endures another day of sweltering heat. Officials say an out-of-control fire burning near the border with Manitoba has more than doubled in size since Tuesday to around 23,000 hectares. Provincial police say they are assisting with the evacuation of a First Nation located northeast of the fire. Residents and cottagers along several lakes near the border, including Malachi and Mantario, have also been strongly encouraged to evacuate. The fire started Monday near the community of Ingolf, Ont., where people were told to evacuate that same day. Another fire burning near the northern edge of Quetico Provincial Park has prompted officials to alert people in the area to prepare to evacuate on short notice. The first...
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Nicole Robertson’s Journey into Truth Telling
By Laura Mushumanski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News When Nicole Robertson was an iskwesis, a little girl, she knew what her calling was, “I always wanted to write,” she shared. “I knew at a very young age that writing was my path, my journey into truth telling, justice, and providing a platform all First Nations peoples to tell their stories—in our Indigenous ways and natural laws of knowing.” Robertson, founder of Muskwa Productions has been working in communications, creating space and platforms for Indigenous stories based on kinship values in everything she does, starting with her humility into understanding that, “[everyone’s] voice is just as important as my own.” As Robertson reflects over a 24-year career, she notes that, “I am community made, not self-made” – because without...
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Liberals planning for a fall economic statement but no budget just yet
-CP-Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne says the Liberal government will not table a budget when Parliament returns in the coming weeks but will instead put forward a fall economic statement. Champagne hasn’t offered a clearer timeline for the introduction of the government’s latest fiscal plans and has not explained the delay. The finance minister says the government will present a ways-and-means motion when Parliament returns in the coming weeks to introduce the tax cut the Liberals promised during the recent election. “What we have today is a middle-class tax cut. That’s step one. Step two, you’re going to have a throne speech where we will outline the Canadian government’s priorities, and there will be a fall economic statement to follow,” he told reporters after cabinet met. The Liberals sought to underscore...
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Nicole Robertson’s Journey into Truth Telling
By Laura Mushumanski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News When Nicole Robertson was an iskwesis, a little girl, she knew what her calling was, “I always wanted to write,” she shared. “I knew at a very young age that writing was my path, my journey into truth telling, justice, and providing a platform all First Nations peoples to tell their stories—in our Indigenous ways and natural laws of knowing.” Robertson, founder of Muskwa Productions has been working in communications, creating space and platforms for Indigenous stories based on kinship values in everything she does, starting with her humility into understanding that, “[everyone’s] voice is just as important as my own.” As Robertson reflects over a 24-year career, she notes that, “I am community made, not self-made” – because without...
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Historic first: Three Indigenous ministers join Canada’s cabinet
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer Canada’s new federal cabinet under Prime Minister Mark Carney is making history with the appointment of three Indigenous ministers, and taking a big step forward for reconciliation and Indigenous governance. Carney’s cabinet includes Rebecca Chartrand, who is new to federal politics as minister of northern and Arctic affairs. Mandy Gull-Masty, former Grand Chief of the Grand Council of the Crees, is now minister of Indigenous services. Buckley Belanger, a Métis politician, is secretary of state for rural development. “This is unprecedented,” said David Newhouse, professor of Indigenous studies at Trent University. “Not just in numbers but in expertise. These are people with deep knowledge of the communities they serve.” The cabinet has 28 ministers and 10 secretaries of state, more...
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Six Nations Police raid illegal tobacco operation
Six Nations Police raid massive tobacco operation operated by “non Indigenous criminal network” By Lynda Powless Editor Six Nations Police are continuing an investigation into a massive tobacco operation they said was being run by a “non-Indigenous criminal network who do not reside at Six Nations”. Six Nations Police Chief Darren Montour said police are going through documents and interviewing foreign workers from the operation with the aid of a Spanish interpreter. “It’s a slow process because they don’t speak English.” He said details are not yet available, but the tobacco being produced was bound for the Toronto area market. No estimate on the value of the tobacco was available. Sixteen workers were found on site during the raid, Police Chief Montour described as an “exploitation of our rights. Of...
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SNGRDC Celebrates 10th Annual Community Barbecue – “People love community awareness events”
By Tara Lindemann Writer Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation (SNGRDC) celebrated its 10th anniversary by hosting a free barbecue to live music on May 8 at Chiefswood Park. About 300 people rolled through, some to take advantage of their lunch hour, others to simply enjoy some family time at the bouncy castle, or stroll through the historic grounds. This year’s raffle proceeds, together with volunteer entry offerings, are being donated to the Youth Lodge. “People love community awareness events,” said Communications and Public Relations Officer, Katie Montour. “Calling it our 10th anniversary is an excuse to make it special, but really, we do this every year.” Montour said the official anniversary was on May 1, where staff enjoyed a catered breakfast, and then cakes were delivered to...
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Children’s Mental Health Week – event full of smiles
By Tara Lindemann Writer Veterans Park in Ohsweken was filled with life as dozens of families visited the Children’s Mental Health “Holistic Connections” event on May 8. Shrieks of delight burst over the din of conversations between dozens of families and community partners. Information booths offered interactive games with children and youth, giving caregivers an opportunity to learn more about options through Six Nations Social Services, Child and Family Services and partners. The event was so popular the hot dogs ran out in the first hour. Snacks, however, were plentiful, and children ran through the park freely, playing hide-and-seek around the cenotaph. “This is what mental health should look like,” said mother Andrea Skye. “How fitting they held an event about holistic healing for children at this particular park. “I...
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