Current Six Nations Elected Council loses its second finance director
Six Nations finance department is again without a leader at its helm after SIx Nations Elected Council (SNEC) confirms Ana Cecil Perez no longer works for Six Nations of the Grand River. The loss of the finance director surfaced when Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) passed a motion to update its signing authority during Monday’s General Finance Committee meeting. Councillor Michelle Bomberry, who took over chairing the meeting after Elected Chief Mark Hill left to attend a premier’s meeting, read the motions, but the motion was passed with no discussion. “There are changes within the finance department and we need to remove a signing authority on all business accounts at RBC as one current signing authority is no longer employed with Six Nations of the Grand River,” she said. The...
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Six Nations farmers saying corporations taking over, shifting from farming to teaching and grocery store
The Six Nations Farmers Association (SNFA) is looking for funds to build a $5.6 million agricultural resource centre and grocery store on the territory and are hoping Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) will support the idea, despite having presented more than a year ago. Ruby Jacobs spokesperson for the SNFA, along with members Frank Montour, Jesse Porter and others gave SNEC a presentation on the association’s The Six Nations Agricultural Resource Centre (SNARC) and supermarket at the General Finance Committee meeting on June 5. They want a Band Council Resolution to help support their search for funding for the project they’ve been working on since 2017. Jacobs said SNARC and its grocery store would need to have a central location to sell locally-grown produce with the possibility of meat, dairy...
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Six Nations Food Bank gets $20,000 donation
The Six Nations Food Bank got a $20,000 boost, thanks to Hagersville Lions Club’s Catch the Ace jackpot. After the Hagersville Food Bank received 30 per cent of the jackpot winnings from the coveted Catch the Ace prize, they very generously decided to share their winnings with five other local banks, including the Six Nations food bank. Turtle Island News spoke with Six Nations Food Bank Chair Mary Monture who said the funds are greatly needed, and will go directly towards the purchase of needed items. “We’ve already put in place an order for this coming month,” she confirmed. Monture explained that after receiving the donation on May 23, the Six Nations food bank put in an order for food staples such as vegetables, fruit, pasta, juice, sauces, beans, and...
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Six Nations annual Tom Longboat Run about Family and Fitness
By Lisa Iesse Writer SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND – The Tom Longboat Run swept through Six Nations Sunday June 4th) with over 100 community members and visitors running, biking, strolling, and walking to a shared finish line. They ran, jogged, strolled, and glided on bicycle wheels from the starting line at the Six Nations Community Hall down 4th Line to Mohawk Road and back. Six Nations has honoured one of their own with a statue in front of Six Nations Community Hall. Six Nations Parks and Recreation Director Cheryl Henhawk is one of the original organizers of the Tom Longboat Run. She told the crowd of runners its difficult to describe the greatest long distance runner of his time, and perhaps of all time? He was called “The “Bronze...
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Cost to produce Six Nations 154th annual fair going up
Six Nations’ 154th annual Fall Fair’s midway could cost more than $100,000. Six Nations Agricultural Society (SNAG) vice president Leslie McDougall said the community asked for a larger midway with more rides for adolescents and adults in addition to rides for small children this year. McDougall gave Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) an update on the fair at its General Finance Committee meeting on June 5 and said the cost has risen beyond the society’s means and they asked SNEC for $60,000 to help fund the midway and 24-hour security for the event from a reputable security company or the Six Nations Police. The contract for the midway will cost $130,000 for the three-day fair. “We had a couple incidents at the fair last year, we’d like to try and...
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How many fish from the Grand River should you eat?
Six Nations is trying to help the federal government determine how many fish they should recommend people eat from “areas of concern.” Lauren Jones, Wildlife Management Assistant, Lands and Resources helped administer an anonymous survey during Community Awareness events that addressed where Six Nations community members are fishing. Jones told Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) the survey was designed to tell the government and SNEC if community members are fishing in waterways deemed concerning at the general council meeting on May 23. “The ethics application largely just revolved around an anonymous survey… to determine Six Nations use of the areas of concern within southern Ontario,” she said. The waterways of concern were listed as the Toronto waterfront, Hamilton Harbour, Niagara River and Jones asked that the Grand River be included....
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SN Elected Council approves professor’s tourism study
Six Nations tourism may get some help from the University of Waterloo. Anke Foeller Carroll, a University of Waterloo researcher was approved to co-create a course with Indigenous perspectives and explore how Indigenous Tourism Experiences are Created. Foeller Carroll’s application was approved at Six Nations Elected Council’s General Council (SNEC) meeting on May 23 after agreeing to share her research and physiological profiling with Six Nations Tourism. Darrin Jamieson, Six Nations CEO said Six Nations Tourism is now under SNEC. “I also think the results of the research, part of the ethics process to share that in Six Nations just in terms of the psychological profiling for the marketing, will be very helpful,” he said. Foeller Carroll said her goal is to help improve how future tourism students and tourists...
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What has the AFN accomplished lately?
RoseAnne Archibald is heading into her final year as the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief and it has been a controversial two years. Elected in July 2021 to a three year term the first female leader has faced controversy throughout her term. Right from her election during COVID-19 questions arose after the AFN had to go to a second day of voting and a fourth ballot when none of the candidates reached the 60 per cent threshold they needed to take the helm. Add to it Chiefs raised concerns that online voting was creating a “data glitch” in the voting process. And there were chiefs who express concern that chiefs in British Columbia, a huge voting block, were unable to participate with wildfires forcing evacuations of their communities....
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Indigenous housing to increase in Hamilton
By Lisa Iesse Writer HAMILTON – Ontario is going to provide $2 million in funding to build supportive housing units for Indigenous parents in Hamilton. The 12 housing units will be located on 180 Ottawa Street North, in a historic building that will be restored and renovated. “Hamiltonians may remember a small hotel at the corner of Ottawa and Cannon, that was followed by the former CD Sports Bar. Indwell, with help of Social Services Relief Funding from the provincial government, completely transformed the building into supportive permanent housing for 12 people who are in partnership with Hamilton Regional Indian Centre and Sacajawea Non-Profit Housing. Working together, we continue to create supportive homes that are the solution for people who are unhoused or precariously housed,” said Jeff Neven, CEO of...
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Six Nations players among those celebrating Bandits’ championship season
By Sam Laskaris Writer A pair of Six Nations players were among those who helped the Buffalo Bandits capture a National Lacrosse League (NLL) championship. Tehoka Nanticoke and Adam Bomberry were in the Bandits’ lineup on Saturday as the host Buffalo squad downed the visiting Colorado Mammoth 13-4 in a game played at the KeyBank Center. With that victory, the Bandits won the best-of-three NLL championship final series 2-1. Buffalo had won the opening game in the series, edging the visiting Mammoth 13-12 back on May 27. Colorado then downed the visiting Bandits 16-10 two days later to set up a third and decisive contest in the series. The Buffalo squad this season also had another Six Nations connection. The Bandits’ head coach is John Tavares, who is also the...
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Montour and teammates need massive rally to capture Stanley Cup
By Sam Laskaris Writer Six Nations’ Brandon Montour and his Florida Panthers teammates now have the formidable task of trying to keep their Stanley Cup hopes alive. The Panthers were downed 7-2 by the host Vegas Golden Knights on Monday. With that victory the Vegas squad now leads the Florida side 2-0 in their best-of-seven series to determine this year’s National Hockey League playoff champions. The Golden Knights had also hosted Game 1 in the final series and emerged victorious by a 5-2 score. As a result, Montour, who is a defenceman, and his fellow Florida teammates would now have to capture four out of the next five games in the series in order to hoist the Stanley Cup this year. The Panthers will no doubt be hoping to capitalize...
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Sam Laskaris – BEHIND THE ACTION – Lyle Thompson
By Sam Laskaris Writer Do yourself a favour. Get to a Major Series Lacrosse (MSL) game involving the Six Nations Chiefs within the next few months. That’s because for a relatively cheap night out you’ll have the opportunity to see one of the world’s top lacrosse players in action. The Chiefs’ roster this season includes several world-class players. But one guy especially worth keeping an eye on is Number 4. That would be Lyle Thompson. Thompson is a bit different than the others. A bit better than the others. If you’re having a conversation about the top players in the world right now, Thompson’s name is most assuredly part of that discussion. Having close-up views of some MSL players can leave one in awe. The speed at which these athletes...
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Tomahawks leading standings in Senior C lacrosse loop
By Sam Laskaris Writer They didn’t bring their A game this time around. But the Six Nations Tomahawks still managed to win three out of their four contests at a tournament in London this past weekend. As a result, the Six Nations side, the local Senior C men’s box lacrosse squad, finds itself sitting atop the standings in the eight-team Senior Series Lacrosse (SSL) loop. Teams in the SSL do not compete in regular league action. Instead they can participate in up to four weekend tournaments that are staged throughout the spring and summer across the province. Clubs are then eligible to compete in their Ontario championship. The Six Nations side will host this year’s provincial finals, Aug. 18-20, at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena. The Tomahawks had steamrolled over all...
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Adventures await Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers on Tour
By Crystal St.Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers will make their way through Ontario this July as part of All Star Tour 2023. The Troublemakers currently include Derek Miller, Brock Stonefish and Howe Gelb, and while the make-up of the group has changed from time to time, Gary Farmer has always fronted the band, collaborating with the Troublemakers to produce six albums over 20 years and soon to release their seventh, Lucky 7, just before the All Star Tour commences. The group was the recipient of the Best Americana Album Award at the 36th Annual New Mexico Music Awards for Fool for Love, their sixth album, released in 2022. It picked up two additional nominations for Best Blues and Best Rock. The album also climbed the...
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Metis leaders want introduction, passage of self government legislation this spring
By Stephanie Taylor THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA -Metis leaders urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government on Thursday to speed up its plans to introduce and pass self-government legislation before Parliament breaks for summer. The leaders met in Ottawa as part of a summit between the Metis National Council and several government ministers. The council is comprised of Metis leaders from Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Ontario. At the start of the meeting, council president Cassidy Caron said the leadership has been working to sign self-governance agreements with Ottawa and “eagerly look forward to the introduction and passage of Metis self-government implementation legislation in Parliament this session.” Speaking afterwards, Metis Nation of Alberta president Audrey Poitras said “there is nothing more important to the Metis Nation than the swift introduction and...
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Hamilton-HDI Chedoke Creek Clean-up dispute, city residents want someone watching
Hamilton-HDI smooth edges over Chedoke Creek Clean-up dispute, but city residents want someone watching By Lynda Powless and Lisa Iesse Writers Hamilton and the Haudenosaunee Development Institute (Institute (HDI)) may be on the way to settling their dispute over the sewage-soaked Chedoke Creek, but city residents want someone watching their backs. The City of Hamilton reached a tentative agreement with the HDI last Wednesday heading off court action initiated by the city. The city wanted Ontario to force the HDI out of any environmental consultations involving the Chedoke Creek clean-up. If they couldn’t exclude HDI the city wanted the court to extend the Chedoke Creek clean-up deadline again. HDI spokesman Aaron Detlor did not return Turtle Island News requests for comment on the proposed settlement that headed off the June...
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Planned Power outage to hit parts of Six Nations
SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND – Six Nations is preparing for an overnight power outage so HydroOne can update its Caledonia station. An overnight outage will take place in Six Nations on Saturday June 3rd from 10 p.m. to Sunday June 4th at 6 a.m. The work will affect the majority of Six Nations households. Turtle Island News spoke with Elected Chief Mark B. Hill, who said plans are in place to ensure minimal disruption to homes and businesses and to offer support to anyone in need. “We are working closely with HydroOne and our teams. It is scheduled as an overnight outage, about 8 hours overnight. We think that’s a little bit easier in a sense because most people are sleeping. For those who do need the extra assistance...
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SNEC: Six Nations needs to maintain own Emergency Management
Six Nations may have to produce its own emergency management plan if the provincial and federal governments transfer the responsibility to Indige nous communities. Holy Smith, Six Nations Director of Service Excellence attended the First Nations’ perspectives on emergency management in Ontario meeting on April 27th, as an observer. She told Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) at its May 23rd meeting the province is looking for Indigenous perspectives on a “multilateral emergency management service agreement. The meeting was chaired by Gina Wilson, Deputy Minister of Indigenous Affairs and attended by provincial leadership and Indigenous Services Canada representatives as well as Indigenous Leadership. She says they are looking to create a plan for multiple communities to work together. “So essentially with the federal and provincial emergency management plans, First Nations communities...
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Awaiting vote: PSAC agreement includes new leave for Indigenous public servants and increase for language teachers
ARTICLE 70 – DURATION The new agreement, if ratified by the membership, will expire on August 4, 2025. Five days of leave including two days with pay for self-identified Indigenous employees to engage in traditional Indigenous practices including land-based activities such as hunting, fishing and harvesting. May 1, 2023 By Lynda Powless Editor In just two weeks two key markers for Indigenous federal employees could make history giving both recognition to Indigenous traditions and ceremonies and a long-awaited pay increase for Indigenous language teachers. The new tentative agreements reached between the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the federal government is undergoing a ratification vote ending June 16th. It includes an increase in pay for Indigenous language teachers and five days leave, two of which are paid, to attend...
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