New First Nations Report Details Groundbreaking Dialogue around Native Stewardship of Lands, Natural Resources and Sacred Sites
Press Release LONGMONT, Colorado (April 18, 2019) – In November 2018 in Denver, Colorado, First Nations Development Institute (First Nations) convened representatives of 15 tribes and Native nonprofit organizations alongside natural resource professionals and experts in Native law and policy to begin a dialogue. That dialogue was about tribal stewardship of land, natural resources and sacred sites. It was about barriers to this stewardship. It was about how traditional ecological knowledge is uniquely adapted to local environments and essential to all conservation work, and to discuss steps for enhancing tribal control of natural assets. It also was about how non-Native allies can best provide assistance to this cause. This gathering was a rare opportunity for these groups to network, shine a light on how they approach their work, and learn...
Register
UNDER THE NORTHERN SKY – CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAYS WITH A BANG
By Xavier Kataquapit www.underthenorthernsky.com The holiday season is an exciting time in remote Native communities up the James Bay coast. This period is anticipated and celebrated in the same way as most southern non-Native communities but with just a few differences. The day leading up to Christmas Day or New Year’s Day was always a hectic period for the whole family. As a young boy, my younger brothers and I kept busy outdoors with our friends to avoid the chaos and anxiety at home. Most of my older brothers and sisters helped with the family business or assisted mom in creating a huge feast of traditional goose, moose, caribou and non-traditional foods such as salads, turkey, stuffing, cookies and Christmas cake. At the same time as cooking, mom cleaned our...
Register
UNDER THE NORTHERN SKY Christmas Was A Long Time Coming
By Xavier Kataquapit www.underthenorthernsky.com Christmas is upon us once again and everyone is running around shopping, buying gifts, decorating their house, attending church services to commemorate Christian holy days and generally, there is a lot of excitement and anticipation. We seldom wonder where all these traditions come from. No one questions why we celebrate the way that we do this time of year. For most people, myself included, it’s just a fun time of year during a very cold season. After all it feels good to look forward to something positive when it is cold and freezing outside. As a child, I have many positive memories of being with my family and friends, warm and cozy in our home in Attawapiskat in the isolated north of James Bay. Mom and...
Register
UNDER THE NORTHERN SKY Bottled Water Is A Poor Choice
By Xavier Kataquapit www.underthenorthernsky.com For some time now huge companies have been taking water from the ground, bottling it and selling it to make big profits. For the most part these companies like Nestle don’t pay all that much for the right to draw this water out of the ground and they do a good job of marketing it all across Canada. Many people believe that water as a resource is becoming the new gold and that future wars will be fought over it. We see wars now all over the world fought to control resources like gold, other precious metals and of course oil. As good drinking water becomes more scarce the demand by the public for water has become an opportunity to make lots of money. Some estimates...
Register
Road closure due to OPP investigation of triple homicide comes to end
SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND- Road closures here as a result of an OPP investigation into the triple murder of three local people have come to an end. OPP had announced as a result of an investigation at a Fourth Line Road house periodic road closures of Fourth Line would take place. The road closure are now complete. OPP have charged the first person in the triple murders. A 36-year-old Six Nations woman was charged with being an accessory after the fact in connection with murders of three Six Nations people whose bodies were found more than 100 kilometres from their home community in Middlesex County. OPP arrested Kirsten Bomberry last Friday. The Fourth Line Road home was swarming with OPP, including a tactical unit during the arrest. She was...
Register
Woman charged in triple murder
By Justin Lethbridge Writer After weeks of investigation the Ontario Provincial Police have made their first arrest in the triple-homicide investigation. On Friday November 23rd, 2018 the OPP along with members of the Six Nations Police arrested 36-year-old Six Nations resident Kirsten Gail Bomberry in connection with the ongoing investigation. Bomberry has been charged with three counts of accessory after the fact to murder. The arrest came at a house on Fourth Line Road, which is where the OPP and Six Nations Police have been focusing their investigation for the past several days. The OPP advised that there will be periodic road closures in the coming days in the area of Fourth Line at Tuscarora Road and Onondaga Road as they continue to investigate the area. The landfill will remain...
Register
UNDER THE NORTHERN SKY: Welcome Home Hunter
By Xavier Kataquapit Writer Recently I have been and the passing of family members and that certainly is a sad situation and does take its toll. However I am so happy to be able to welcome Hunter James John Francois Chum, a brand new baby boy into this world. Hunter was born on November 1 with the healthy weight of nine pounds. It is good to know that with the passing of loved ones hope springs eternal. I am so happy for my niece Marissa, her husband Tony and their two daughters Toni and Kailyn as they are joined by little Hunter. This little boy will be loved and spoiled by his grand parents Janie and Brian Wesley and Karen Chum and Francois Mongrain as well as Erik Gunner. He...
Register
Under the Northern Sky: Remembering John Bradley
Turtle Island News is proud to introduce noted writer/columnist Xavier Kataquapit to our readers. His columns will be available bi-weekly. We hope you enjoy them as much s we do. Editor By Xavier Kataquapit Writer I have always been amazed as an indigenous person how my people connect with each other. No matter where I have travelled in the world, indigenous people of the many different tribes I have met have always been quick to make me feel at home in their country, territory or region. The first time I encountered a warm welcome from Native people here in Canada that were different from the Cree and Ojibway that I was familiar with in northern Ontario was with the Mohawks of Six Nations. To be more precise I was introduced more...
Register
Six Nations Police assisting OPP in triple homicide
Police are seeking any information from the public on a truck similar to the one above that was found at the scene. (OPP Supplied Photo) Six Nations Police are assisting the OPP in a triple homicide investigation that claimed the lives of three Six Nations community members found deceased in an area in the Municipality of Middlesex Centre, near the Oneida First Nation Territory. Three people were found deceased in a pick up truck Sunday, November 4, 2018 shortly before 10 a.m. near the Oneida First Nation in the Middlesex Centre municipality. Six Nations Police are asking for the public’s assistance and have established a new police tip-line at 1-844-677-5050. Or you can contact the Six Nations Police Service at 519-445-2811 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or www.crimestoppers-brant.ca. Six...
Register
Three people found dead in a car near Oneida from Six Nations
MIDDLESEX COUNTY, ON – A woman and two men found deceased in a car near the Oneida First Nation are from Six Nations. Turtle Island News has learned the three bodies have been identified and families have been notified. The OPP discovery of three bodies in a car just outside Oneida First Nation has community members fearful and drawn attention to the community’s need for more police. Oneida First Nation Chief Jessica Hill said the community doesn’t have 24/7 policing. “ This incident is of great concern for our Nation and demonstrates an issue for our community safety and the greater need for additional policing and/or security personnel within our territory.” Chief Jessica Hill said the community needs its own police, not OPP. “Right now we don’t have a full compliment...
Register
OPP say bodies found in car near Oneida are two men and a woman
MIDDLESEX COUNTY, ON – The OPP discovery of three bodies in a car just outside Oneida First Nation has community members fearful and drawn attention to the community’s need for more police. Oneida First Nation Chief Jessica Hill said the community doesn’t have 24/7 policing. “ This incident is of great concern for our Nation and demonstrates an issue for our community safety and the greater need for additional policing and/or security personnel within our territory.” Chief Jessica Hill said the community needs its own police, not OPP. “Right now we don’t have a full compliment to do even 24/7 around the clock policing.” She said the community is seeking fundering for at least two more officers “but now with this new development and magnitude of this kind of a crime,...
Register
OPP say bodies found in a car near Oneida First Nation are of two men and a woman
MIDDLESEX COUNTY, ON – OPP have identified three bodies found near the Oneida First Nation, south of London, Ontario, as two men and a woman and have launched a major investigation into the discovery Sunday, November 4, 2018. Middlesex County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded Sunday, Nov., 4th, around 10 a.m. to an area near Bodkin Road and Jones Drive in the Municipality of Middlesex Centre, after the discovery of three deceased persons. The investigation has now expanded to include the Middlesex OPP Major Crime Unit, OPP West Region Criminal Operations and OPP Forensic Identification Services (FIS) who are investigating the circumstances of the deaths, under the direction of Detective Inspector Pete Liptrott of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB), with the assistance of the Office of the Chief Coroner and...
Register
SNEC donations
As the night of the Ganohkwasra Gala approaches, donations are being sought. Six Nations Band Councilhas donated $5000 to the event. One of the biggest things they are striving for is to better the sexual assault center in the community. Six Nations Band Council also donated $5000 to the annual Dreamcatcher Gala that is celebrating 14 years this year. The donation gives them a premium table at the event....
Register
Champion of Champions Pow Wow packs in crowds
Grand River Pow Wow fun in rain or sun shine By Rick DeVrie and Lynda Powless Writers Threats of rain certainly didn’t affect the crowds hitting the Six Nations Champion of Champions Pow wow this past weeked with record numbers of visitors hitting the event. The 39th annual event came off with pagentry and flair this past weekend with crowds packing in the seats and marketplace at the Chiefswood Park. “It was amazing and it gets bigger and bigger all the time,” said Bomberry, adding close to 8,000 people attended. Mito Yakuna, a visitor from Okinawa Prefecture, agreed, saying this was her first powwow ever. “It was fantastic. We have never seen something like this and it was worth taking in,” Yakuna said, adding her family had traveled with her...
Register
Six Nations marks annual “Bread and Cheese”celebration
By: Chris Pimentel Bread and Cheese day has become a lot of things for the community of Six Nations. For some it’s still a historical day, for others it’s a family reunion and that can also mean the community coming together. You had volunteers helping out since 6 a.m. cutting the bread and cheese and you had people outside at 10 a.m. waiting to get their hands on it. But they had to wait for a parade led by the Six For those who don’t know the history of the event, Bread and Cheese started in the 1800’s when Queen Victoria, who did not want her allies the Five Nations or the Haudenosaunee, to go hungry on her birthday, and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy oversaw the distribution. With her death the...
Register
Let the fun begin… It’s Six Nations Bread & Cheese & Community Awareness
Six Nations’ Grand River Development Corporation President Matt Jamieson gets a pie in the face as part of Community Awareness Activities continuing over the next two weeks. (Photo by Chris Pimenetel)...
Register
Earth Day Fun at Turtle Island News
By: Chris Pimentel The sun was out, and after a week of icy, rainy weather it finally dried out just in time for Turtle Island News to celebrate the 12th annual Earth Day Festival, and it was good timing for Dawn Smith who was able to pick up a tree. “This tree will be the first one that is planted in our forever home,” said Smith. Smith wasn’t the only person happy to get their hands on a tree on Friday afternoon. “I like the trees and being with my family,” said Jackson Francis. As for Dan Werner, he saw this as a chance to celebrate Mother Earth. “This is a day where we celebrate what Mother Earth does for us,” said Werner. Even some of the Six Nations Fire...
Register
Wind storm knocks out power to most of Six Nations
A wind storm knocked out power to most of Six Nations last Wednesday when a tree flew across a hydro line on Chiefswood Road near Third Line at Six Nations. Power was out for most of the day. The storm kept public works and fire departments running to a variety of scenes of lines down and trees across roads. (Photo by Jim C Powless)...
Register
Haudenosaunee Sing rocks hall
It’s called “The Sing” and aimed at helping By Chris Pimentel Writer Singing Societies from across Haudenosaunee territories converged on Six Nations this past weekend to join in fun, visiting and of course singing to help others. The Six Nations Community hall was packed Saturday. A dozen groups from the U.S. to Quebec and of course across Ontario attended the day long event. There was the Grand River, Old Mush, Kontihente Ohsweken Women, Ganieke Women, Kahnawake, Ohi40, Onawenda geh Henadyneta, Ganakdagweniysgeh, Tonawanda Women and Rolling Stones! In addition to the singing, raffles are taking place to help raise money to help families in the community. “The number one goal of the singing society is to help people.” said Dakota Brant. The “Sing” takes place twice a year, once in the spring...
Register
Elected Council Donates $10,000 to Presidents Cup
Jermie Jamieson has spent the better part of a year organizing and raising funds for the 2017 Presidents Cup being held at Six Nations. So far he has raised over $10,00 but it isn’t enough. “We’ve raised about $10,000 since we started, through our gate fee’s.” said Jamieson. He told Band Council, August 8th, he need over $40,000 to run the event with floor time being the biggest cost. A total of 39 games will cost $15,120. Councillor Terry General put a motion on the floor to match the funds raised. “I think this tournament is a good thing for our community. I’m willing to put a motion on the floor that matches what Jermie has raised so far.” said Councillor General. Councillor Carl Hill wanted clarification on how much...
Register
