Chiefs on verge of capturing Mann Cup in British Columbia
By Sam Laskaris Writer They started the way they intended to finish. The Six Nations Chiefs took a commanding lead in their Mann Cup championship series. It began with the Chiefs eked out an 8-7 victory over the host New Westminster Salmonbellies on Monday night. With that triumph Six Nations is now enjoying a 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven series, which will determine national Senior A lacrosse bragging rights for the year. The Chiefs were hoping to sweep the series as Game 4 Tuesday. The Salmonbellies are hosting all of the matches in the national series at the Queen’s Park Arena. For the Chiefs its would be their seventh Mann Cup title this year. The franchise last captured the prestigious national trophy in 2016. “We’re in a good spot,” said...
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What’s at stake for the Assembly of First Nations in the upcoming election?
OTTAWA- The next leader of the Assembly of First Nations will be tasked with unifying hundreds of chiefs at a time when reconciliation appears to be less of a priority in Canada, says an Indigenous policy expert. Hayden King, executive director of Indigenous-led think tank Yellowhead Institute, says the assembly’s influence has been vaulted under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, but its internal politics have been an issue in recent years. Chiefs are expected to choose a new national chief in December, after RoseAnne Archibald was removed from the job amid allegations that she created a toxic work environment. Archibald continues to deny those allegations. The next permanent leader will need to restore some of the organization’s credibility and engage with the federal government in a way that reprioritizes First...
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Ohsweken man facing Dangerous Driving charges
SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER- A 39-year-old Ohsweken man is facing charges including Dangerous Driving after a vehicle was involved in a single-vehicle collision after Six Nations Police received a number of complaints over erratic driving. The charges came after Six Nations Police and Six Nations Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to a single vehicle collision on Second Line Road Tuesday, September 5, 2023, at about 8:45 AM. Police had received multiple complaints that the vehicle had been involved in a fail to remain accident just moments before, was driving in the wrong lane and had passed a school bus with the lights activated. Police said callers were able to provide a description of the vehicle and the driver. Six Nations Police said once on scene they were...
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Many can breathe “sigh of relief” as B.C.’s wildfire risk lowers, minister says
The end is near for British Columbia’s fire season, but the provincial emergency management minister says the “sleeping giant” in the season of natural disasters is drought. Bowinn Ma’s comments came as she announced disaster financial assistance is available for local governments and First Nations areas that have been burned by the province’s largest fire season on record. Ma says mid-September traditionally marks the end of the peak wildfire season and the province is “in the home stretch” but must remain prepared. Adding to the record season where an estimated 2.2 million hectares of land has been burned, the minister says drought conditions this year are unlike any other the province has ever seen. After a peak last month when an estimated 30,000 people were ordered out of their homes...
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Six Nations asks why can’t they have an immersion school
Infrastructure Canada says no to funding for Six Nations language school but won’t say why By Lisa Iesse Writer SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND – They said no…again. The Kawenni:io/Gaweni:y (KG) immersion school has been trying to build a school for over 37 years and recently had applied to a federal program for funding. Now after being turned down a second time by Infrastructure Canada for funds they want to know why. The school had applied to Canada’s Green and inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program for just under $30 million to build their school. It was part of their push to build what could become Six Nations only fully environmentally friendly immersion school. And they had every reason to expect approval of their application. It was their second application and one...
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Six Nations biggest “Walk the Tract” sponsor a union while SNEC fighting local firefighters right to unionize
By Lynda Powless Editor Six Nations Elected Council’s (SNEC) biggest “Walk the Tract” event sponsor is one of the country’s biggest unions. The event, supported by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) comes as SNEC is in the middle of a Canada Industrial Relations Board hearing challenging Six Nations firefighters right to form a union. The Six Nations Firefighters and captains and SNEC concluded the hearing two weeks ago. SNEC argued it was “sovereign” and had the right to deny the firefighters and captains the right to join or form a union. OPSEU is the trade union representing 180,000 Ontario public sector employees. OPSEU is also a $50,000 platinum level sponsor of SNEC’s Walk the Tract event. OPSEU did not respond to Turtle Island News requests for comment on the...
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Six Nations investigating why septic systems are failing
Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) says it will investigate complaints from communtiy members over faiing septic systems. Several community members are having serious issues with their septic systems, councillor Michelle Bomberry told SNEC at its Aug., 22 meeting. She said it has been a problem as long as she has been a councillor and now eight individuals have come forward complaining of serious issues with their septic systems including sewage flooding their properties. “I had a community member come forward about septic issues in regards to [Six Nations Housing Department] recommended 10-12 years ago a specific system to be done in the community. Then members installed them and they’ve got sewage on their front lawn, back lawn and it was suggested to them to put in big raised beds. Those...
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Six Nations holds Drug Overdose Awareness event
By Lisa Iesse Writer SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND – Six Nations community members held up candles remembering victims of drug overdoses during a Drug Overdose Awareness event at Veterans Park Thursday (August 31) The park was filled with booths and entertainment as over a hundred people strolled from booth to booth and heard from leaders and speakers or gathered on lawn chairs and picnic tables to hear the inviting, soulful music of Jace Martin. “Today we gather not just in remembrance but in unity and hope,” Eve Kahama, Six Nations Health Services integrated drug strategy coordinator told the crowd. “Today is a reminder of the countless lives lost to overdoses and the devastating impact it has in our community.” “Today is an opportunity for us to reflect, to educate,...
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Council says not approving audit without run through
The Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) 2022-2023 audit is complete, but hasn’t been made public yet. Up until SNEC’s General Finance meeting on August 23, councillors hadn’t seen the audit, performed by KPMG. Councillor Helen Miller had previously asked about the audit’s status and Wayne Staats, the finance manager, told her when she asked, it wasn’t ready, but had recently been finished. “So, at the last agenda prep review last Wednesday ( Aug 16) the final audit draft was not prepared, thus was not put on the agenda. The subsequent final audit is ready for presentation and I did share info with Darrin [Jamieson, CEO],” Staats said. Representatives from KPMG were present and ready to give an in-camera presentation to SNEC about the audit. Miller protested saying she wanted time...
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SNEC trying to streamline Hydro meetings
Six Nations is looking into new ways to approve hydro modifications on the reserve. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) and Hydro One Networks Inc. plan to discuss moving to a model where one person in the community would approve new assets added to the territory by Hydro One at the General Council meeting on August 22. Chris Grol, Indigenous Relations Coordinator for Hydro One presented a plan for SNEC to approve to upgrade a community member’s property with 100 amp service. In order to do that Hydro One would need to add a transformer to an existing hydro pole and add a new 35 foot wooden hydro pole on the customers side of the road. He said Hydro one would add a line from the transformer pole to the new...
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Six Nations is home to birds almost extinct in Ontario
By Lisa Iesse Writer SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND- Six Nations may hold the living secrets behind the survival of birds almost extinct in the rest of the province. These winged beauties are more often heard than seen within a diverse ecosystem teaming with life. Six Nations Wildlife and Stewardship manager Lauren Jones told Turtle Island News, ultimately, she hopes lessons learned from these winged creatures can guide conservation action. “The challenges that wildlife faces today are just astronomical in terms of habitat loss, in terms of the fragmentation that happens with their habitat, the continued impact of invasive species and humans,” she said. ‘If you look down on a map and you compare Six Nations in comparison to everything around it, it’s a wonderful, beautiful, lush green spot, ”Jones...
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Six Nations Elected Council looking to gain support?
Six Nations Elected Council is moving to gain support for its multi billion dollar lawsuit aimed at seeking restitution for the loss of Six Nations lands along the Grand River. A huge tract of land that extends six miles on either side and an amount every Six Nations’ person knows about and grows up knowing is owed to them. The council isn’t looking to get money for Six Nations people to pop into their personal pockets. Anyone thinking they will get a cheque in the mail needs to stop waiting. The councils over the years have made it clear any monies received from the lawsuit are aimed at providing services to the community, not to individuals. With over 26,000 band members and Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) creating new “Indians” every...
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Chiefs to battle Salmonbellies for Mann Cup
By Sam Laskaris Writer The Six Nations Chiefs are about to get down to business. The Chiefs will square off against British Columbia’s New Westminster Salmonbellies in this year’s Mann Cup championship. The Salmonbellies will host all of the matches in the best-of-seven national Senior A lacrosse series, which begins on Friday. New Westminster’s home rink is the Queen’s Park Arena. The Chiefs are on a roll heading into the Canadian finals. The Six Nations squad had finished atop the standings of its five-team Major Series Lacrosse (MSL) regular season standings by compiling a 14-2-0 mark. The Chiefs then began their post-season by downing the Cobourg Kodiaks 4-1 in their best-of-seven MSL semi-final series. Six Nations then qualified for the Mann Cup by sweeping the Peterborough Lakers 4-0 in their...
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Street hockey tournament coming to Six Nations
Six Nations is expanding their sports and tourism through hosting a new tournament. SIx Nations Elected Council (SNEC) approved a request from the Parks and Recreation department to host Play On! Canada, a street hockey tournament in 2024. Cheryl Henhawk, director of parks and recreation, said Indigenous Sports and Wellness Ontario contacted her to see if Six Nations would be interested in hosting the street hockey tournament, which is scheduled to run May 10 to 12, 2024. The tournament was first held in Halifax in 2003 and grew to include more than 41 other communities. The tournament went on a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and relaunched in 2022, but there were no events held this summer. Prior to COVID-19 events in surrounding areas were seeing large crowds...
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Longboat preparing for third season with Brock University lacrosse squad
By Sam Laskaris, Writer Vince Longboat can start concentrating on coaching again. The Six Nations member is entering his third season as the head coach of the St. Catharines-based Brock University Badgers men’s field lacrosse squad. The Badgers are one of 14 squads that will participate in the Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association (CUFLA) this year. Longboat guided the Badgers to the CUFLA championship in his first year with the program in 2021. The Brock squad, however, was unable to defend its crown last year, losing to Peterborough’s Trent Excalibur in the CUFLA championship final. The Badgers will commence their 10-game 2023 regular season schedule this Saturday with a road contest against North Bay’s Nipissing Lakers. That match has an opening faceoff scheduled for 2 p.m. Longboat is itching to...
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Markham wins bid to host the 2024 Little Native Hockey League tournament
By Connor Simonds, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The City of Markham has secured the opportunity to host the 2024 Little Native Hockey League (LNHL) tournament, cultural festival, and gala celebration. This annual tournament, held during the March break, brings together approximately 3,500 young male and female players from First Nations communities in Ontario, accompanied by their families, friends, and avid spectators. The significance of the 2024 edition lies in its celebration of the tournament’s 50th anniversary. The history of the LNHL is rooted in a desire to combat anti-Indigenous racism that excluded First Nation players from mainstream hockey tournaments. In 1971, five individuals decided to create a hockey tournament in Little Current, Manitoulin Island, to provide First Nation children and youth with an opportunity to play. Over five decades later,...
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Six Nations members to lead historic women’s lacrosse squad
By Sam Laskaris Writer A pair of Six Nations men will be a part of history next year. Officials with the Haudenosaunee Nationals program announced this past week the staff that will lead it in the inaugural women’s world box lacrosse championships in 2024. Six Nations’ Jason Johnson has been appointed as the team’s head coach. And another local member, Jeff Powless, has been chosen to serve as the team’s assistant general manager. Next year’s tournament will be held in Utica, N.Y. and run from Sept. 20-29. Johnson said he hasn’t really given much thought to the fact he will be involved with a historic tourney next year. “I haven’t really thought about it,” he said. “I’ve been busy planning practice schedules and tryouts. I’m sure that will sink in...
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Border infrastructure bolstered as Ottawa reviews response to Emergencies Act inquiry
By Laura Osman THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA- The Canada Border Services Agency has bolstered the infrastructure around 11 ports of entry to Canada as part of the government’s response to border blockades associated with the “Freedom Convoy” protest last year, Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Thursday. In a letter addressed to the prime minister, LeBlanc provided a six-month update on work underway to respond to recommendations from the federal inquiry into the government’s use of the Emergencies Act last year. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the legislation last year in an attempt to put an end to the weeks-long “Freedom Convoy” protests that blockaded streets in downtown Ottawa and several U.S. border crossings. It was the first time the law, which replaced the War Measures Act, was used since its...
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Inmates in Newfoundland jail say they feel hopeless, alone and increasingly unwell
By Sarah Smellie THE CANADIAN PRESS JOHN’S, N.L.- Two men incarcerated at Newfoundland and Labrador’s largest jail say inmates are struggling with hopelessness, desperation and worsening mental health as they allegedly spend days locked in their cellblocks without family visits, counselling or trips outside. Kevin Reid said men inside Her Majesty’s Penitentiary feel they can’t show any vulnerability or emotion. As their distress grows, they have nobody to turn to about their mental state. “To be honest, there are guys here whose mental illnesses are deteriorating by the day,” Reid said in a recent phone call from inside the St. John’s jail. “Guys here are feeling like they’re lost, like there’s no hope. I mean, we’re not having contact with family, we’re not being able to see our friends.” Those...
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