Tribes honor the birth of a rare white buffalo calf in Yellowstone and reveal its name: Wakan Gli
The Associated Press 26/06/2024 20:12 WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont. (AP) — In a gathering near a picturesque lake outside Yellowstone National Park, hundreds of people cheered Wednesday as a Native American leader spoke the name revealed on a painted hide for a rare white buffalo that was born in the park earlier this month: Wakan Gli, which means “Return Sacred” in Lakota. The moment marked the highlight of a Native American religious ceremony to commemorate the calf’s birth that also featured dancing, drumming, singing and the retelling of how a mysterious woman brought a message of reassurance during hard times. Earlier this month, the white buffalo calf was born in Yellowstone National Park’s vast and lush Lamar Valley, where huge, lumbering bison graze by the hundreds in scenes reminiscent of the...
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‘Pivotal moment’: Trudeau and Tsilhqotʼin nation celebrate anniversary of land ruling
The Canadian Press Chief Joe Alphonse of the Tsilhqot’in First Nation says the 2014 court ruling that resulted in the first declaration of Aboriginal title in Canadian history triggered a decade of “huge” shifts. Alphonse said on Wednesday’s 10th anniversary of the Supreme Court of Canada decision that recognized the First Nation as the titleholder within their traditional territory that there had been a transformation in policy toward Indigenous people that “cut deeper than I ever imagined that one single case could.” Speaking in Tsilhqot’in territory in the remote Nemaiah Valley in British Columbia’s Interior, Alphonse said the “pendulum’s always swinging in politics,” looking back on the last decade while remembering the adversarial relationship with the Harper-era Conservatives. Alphonse said he feared a change in the federal government would mean...
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Lawyers looking for thousands of families owed money by Veterans Affairs
Lawyers are trying to get in touch with hundreds of thousands of people who are owed money through a class-action lawsuit against Veterans Affairs. The suit was launched after the Veterans Ombudsman found the government had been improperly calculating the disability pensions and benefits of some clients starting in 2003. The government reached an $817-million settlement in April with a group of former military and RCMP members. Around 117,000 veterans will get their payouts from the department directly, but another 215,000 eligible people have since died. Lawyer Michel Drapeau says if their surviving family members don’t file a claim they will miss out on the payment. There’s already been an exhaustive search involving social media and mailouts, and the law firms involved have hired management and consulting firm KPMG to...
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Federal offender at large for almost a year arrested at Ohsweken
Brantford, ON – A Federal Offender who was unlawfully at large for almost a year has been arrested in Ohsweken, Six Nations of the Grand River . The Repeat Offender Parole Enforcement (R.O.P.E.) Squad said Bryce Saunders had been unlawfully at large since September 13, 2023. A Canada Wide Warrant was issued for his arrest and police said, at the time, he was know to frequent the City of Brantford. Bryce Saunders, 22, was located at Ohsweken and arrested by the ROPE Squad. Saunders, who is Indigenous, was described as six-feet-tall, around 140 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes and tattoos n his right hand with the letters “OTF” and another his left forearm. He is serving a 3 year and 10-month sentence for Possession of a Firearm, Possession...
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Brantford man and woman facing child pornography charges
BRANTFORD, ONT- A city man and woman are facing child pornography charges as a result of a Brantford Police Service Internet Child Exploitation Unit (ICE) investigation. The Brantford Police ICE Unit executed a search warrant at a Brantford address after receiving a tip through the National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children. Police seized multiple computers, cellphones, and electronic devices during the course of the search and a follow up investigation. ICE Unit detectives found evidence of child pornography on the various devices. As a result of the investigation, on June 25, 2024, a 22-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman, both of Brantford, were arrested and held for a bail hearing. The two accused are each facing a charge of Accessing Child Pornography, contrary to the Criminal Code. The Brantford...
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Montour and Florida teammates capture Stanley Cup
By Sam Laskaris Writer The Stanley Cup will indeed soon be coming to Six Nations. That’s because local hockey player Brandon Montour and his Florida Panthers’ teammates are this year’s National Hockey League champs. The Panthers captured the Stanley Cup on Monday thanks to a 2-1 victory over the visiting Edmonton Oilers. With that Game 7 triumph the Florida squad won its best-of-seven league final 4-3. Each member of the winning organization traditionally gets to spend a day with the Stanley Cup and take it wherever he wants. During the television broadcast of the Panthers’ post-game celebrations, Montour confirmed he will bring one of the world’s most prestigious trophies to Six Nations once it is his day with the Cup. “Be ready for it to come home,” said Montour, a...
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Councillor’s concerns over closed meetings cut off as streaming goes black
By Lynda Powless Editor It was almost ironic. Just as Six Nations Elected Councillor Helen Miller was expressing concerns about the increase in closed council meetings with the current Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) the online viewing went black. The webcast last Tuesday of the live council session had been experiencing “technical difficulties” through the entire feed but it wasn’t until Councillor Miller raised concerns of transparency and closed sessions that all olf a sudden the live feed suddenly died. SNEC communications said it was a case of “technical difficulties.” Councillor Miller was voicing her concerns about the amount of closed meetings the current SNEC has started to host and the lack of agenda items on open meeting agendas. She told the General Council meeting on June 18, she was concerned....
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Six Nations Fall Fair gets $120,000 boost from community’s OFNLP gaming funds
Six Nations’ 155th annual Fall Fair will receive more than $100,000 from elected council, a donation Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) hopes will smooth over some community member’s frustrations with the bande’s new governance structure, a structure being blamed for an increase in closed SNEC meetings. SNEC approved a motion from the Community Committee to donate $120,000 to the Six Nations Agricultural Society (SNAG) for the Fall Fair at its General Finance meeting on June 17. Councillor Amos Key asked CEO Nathan Wright to send out a press release about the donation to quiet unrest in the community. “Because we’re giving out this public money, maybe we should have a press release going out that we’re donating that money to the fair board, just to get some brownie points because...
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Six Nations Councillors say they will be “out” in the open soon
By Austin Evans Writer Just as Six Nations Elected Councillor Helen Miller was warning band council it’s closed meetings violated its own communications’ policy councillor Miller became a victim of a live stream cutoff. Just 14 minutes into a short June 18th Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) meeting councillor Miller was voicing her displeasure with the lack of agenda items at the last three council meetings. “I’m getting upset,” she said in the sometimes delayed loading of the online stream with buffering issues, it also suffered sound echoing and bad resolution. “The last three council agendas, there’s been nothing on there. That’s not good,” she said. She told SNEC, “we have all these closed meetings, closed committees, closed political liaisons, we have nothing on the council agenda. It’s totally unacceptable...
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Chiefs frustrated with AFN’s child welfare work, say they’re not being consulted
The Canadian Press Three regional chiefs representing nearly half of First Nations say a national association is overstepping its mandate by making decisions that will directly affect children and families without consent. They also accuse the Assembly of First Nations of attempting to sideline an organization partly responsible for realization of a $40-billion settlement to address the matter. The chiefs, representing First Nations in Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Quebec-Labrador, said in a letter to the national chief that the organization is not being transparent in its negotiations for a final settlement agreement with Canada on First Nations child and family services. Chiefs Bobby Cameron, Terry Teegee and Ghislain Picard also said in the letter that the AFN’s legal counsel are attempting to exclude the First Nations Child and Family Caring...
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Cooling stations opened to beat the heat wave
Cooling stations on Six Nations open last week amid a week-long heatwave. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) announced that the Community Hall and the Sports Den will open as cooling stations on June 19 at its General Council meeting on June 18. Councillor Melba Thomas brought the matter to the table after several community members have voiced concerns about the “excruating” heat. “If they don’t have, or their air conditioner breaks down, or they just have fans, we don’t know what’s all out there in the households,” she said. CEO Nathan Wright said those locations will be open to assist the community and the information will go out on the radio and social media. “They can head down to the Community Stations and they will also have water available there...
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Six Nations departments start to receive funding agreements
Jennifer Court, Director of Financial Reporting and Analysis presented a list of funding agreements to Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) at its General Finance meeting on June 17. The presentation was not shown at the meeting, but Court said there are currently $4.1 million in funding agreements SNEC’s departments have received for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. The agreements are from many sources including Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) and Public Services Canada. “I’ve spoken a few times to this council and explained ministry agreements come late in the year,” she said. “That does not mean we haven’t received the funds, but we haven’t received the agreements, so this is representative of agreements we’ve agreed to.” SNEC also approved two ISC funding amendments, including an additional $84,192 for health accreditation services, and...
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Heated Solidarity Day fun, but rides and firefighters kept it cool!
By Austin Evans Writer The heat warning wasn’t enough to stop Six Nations from showing off its community spirit on Solidarity Day. Residents from Six Nations and beyond made their way to the community centre at noon on June 21, going on rides, eating candy apples, and getting sprayed on by a firetruck. It was the community’s annual National Indigenous Peoples’ Day/Solidarity Day celebrations with SNEC putting on the event to bring everyone together and help them enjoy the sunny day despite the heat warning. “Today, it’s about bringing the community together, being able to share a meal with everyone, have some fun with the kids,” said event coordinator Leigh Thompson. “It’s also about staying cool, beating in the heat. We got the splash pad and Fire here doing checks...
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Six Nations Elected Council sneaking behind closed doors
Now eight months into the current Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) no one will get to hear the opinions of the individuals they elected. SNEC is muzzling itself under the guise of saying they don’t want the community to see them bickering and they appear afraid of online streaming. They are using adjusted agendas and silence to do it. They are shortening agendas for council meetings with selected items on them. All other items that require discussion will be pushed into a closed political liaison meeting where they can say whatever they like without fear of having to answer to the people who elected them. Oh, and by the way, that would be you! Elected Chief Sherri-Lyn Hill is leading the parade to keep issues and council voices away from...
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New Ontario Regional Chief keen to focus on relationship building
The Chiefs of Ontario new Regional Chief Abram Benedict chats with our Sam Laskaris about taking on the mantle of Ontario Regional Chief By Sam Laskaris Writer Abram Benedict realizes he has challenging tasks ahead of him. But Benedict, who was elected as the Ontario Region Chief (ORC) at the Chiefs of Ontario annual regional assembly at Six Nations, is more than willing to be the one leading those challenges. “There is a lot of work to do,” Benedict told the audience the final day of the three-day assembly held at the Six Nations Sports and Cultural Memorial Centre. “And I will rely upon each and every one. Every one of you has expertise in various areas. And I will need your support to advance our priorities and so that...
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Local woman faces impaired charge
OHSWEKEN, ON- A Six Nations woman is facing an impaired driving charge after police spotted a vehicle been driven “erratically” on Tuscarora Road. Six Nations Police said officers on patrol activated their emergency lights and sirens and pulled over the vehicle Friday, June 14, 2024. Police approached the vehicle that had pulled over to the side of the roadway and found a woman, alone in the vehicle, they said was displaying signs of impairment. Police arrested and charged Holly Styres, 34, of Ohsweken, Ontario with the following crimina loffences: – Impaired Operation – Alcohol per se Offence Styres was also issued a Provincial Offence Notice under the Liquor Licence Act had her drivers’ licence suspended for 90 days, and the vehicle was impounded for 7 days. The accused is scheduled...
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Indigenous girls’ hockey camp set for August
By Sam Laskaris Writer Six Nations hockey players are being sought for the Girls Indigenous Summer Camp which will be held nearby in August. The camp will be led by Kalley Armstrong, the granddaughter of George Armstrong, one of the greatest players to suit up for the National Hockey League’s Toronto Maple Leafs. Armstrong, who died in 2021, played almost 1,300 games for the Maple Leafs between 1950 and 1971. He was a member of four Stanley Cup-winning squads. And he was the captain of the Toronto team when it last won the league championship in 1967. As for his granddaughter, she founded Armstrong Hockey, a skills development program, in 2019. Her summer schedule this year includes the Six Nations camp, which will actually be held at the Haldimand County...
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Champion curler provides inspirational advice during storytelling series
By Sam Laskaris Writer Kerri Einarson believes its worth setting some lofty goals. Einarson, who is Metis, is a four-time Canadian curling champion. This past Friday she hopped online and was part of the Storytelling Series: Celebrating Indigenous Sports Heroes, organized by Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. The event was part of the national hall’s commitment to highlight contributions of elite Indigenous athletes during June, which is National Indigenous History Month. Earlier in the month Six Nations resident Cindy Martin was featured in the storytelling series as she is the great great great niece of legendary local runner Tom Longboat. “It’s amazing to be a female Indigenous athlete,” said Einarson, who skipped her Manitoba-based rink to victory at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the national women’s curling championship, four consecutive...
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Jack Anawak stands up for Inuit youth not fluent in Inuktut
By Darrell Greer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Jack Anawak, originally from Naujaat and now living in Iqaluit, had a highly successful career as a politician for the most part and played a substantial role in the launch of Nunavut as its own territory. The Nunavut Implementation Commission, chaired by John Amagoalik, made recommendations to set up the Government of Nunavut (GN). Amagoalik is acknowledged as a founder of the territory. The commission’s work ended in 1997 and Anawak, a former member of parliament, was appointed as an interim commissioner to carry out its recommendations. Anawak recently made a post to Facebook saying that some young Inuit do not have the ability to speak Inuktut fluently, but that does not make them any less Inuk. He posted that “we” have ourselves...
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