Cherokee Nation integrates culture into new treatment center built with opioid settlement funds
By Sarah Liese And Sierra Pfeifer TALEQUAH, Okla. (AP) — Culture is vital for recovery. That’s a lesson Juli Skinner, a citizen of the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma, learned during her time in foster care, years later working in child welfare and now, as the senior director of the Cherokee Nation’s behavioral health center. Tribal traditions have given her a healthy way to self-regulate and strengthen her connection with Spirit. “Culture is such a protective factor,” Skinner said. “Historical trauma has hit a lot of people — Native Americans, tribes — hard. Lost language, lost traditional ways, and we’ll never get all of that back.” Despite seeing the benefits, culture has never been baked into the inpatient treatment options available to citizens of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma, a tribe...
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Alberta’s timing targets for West Coast pipeline ‘best-case scenario’: CIBC analysts
By Lauren Krugel Analysts at CIBC World Markets say the timeline the Alberta government set out for construction to begin on a potential new West Coast oil pipeline reflects a best-case scenario. The province aims to submit a proposal to the federal major projects office by July 1, have it designated a project of national interest by Oct. 1 and have shovels in the ground as early as Sept. 1, 2027. The Alberta government laid out those targets after it and Ottawa finalized one of the last outstanding elements of their energy accord signed late last year — an agreement on how the market price on carbon is to gradually increase to $130 a tonne by 2040. The last remaining side-agreement to sew up is between the province, federal government...
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Hands-on career expo gives Lakeland students a look at opportunities close to home
By Chantel Downes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeland This Week The expo took place May 13 and May 14. Organizers expected just under 1,000 students from Cold Lake, St. Paul, Kehewin, Cold Lake First Nations, Bonnyville, and surrounding communities to attend the event. Now in its third year, the Lakeland Regional Career Expo has continued to grow, with organizers planning to make it an annual event. Jasmine Arndt, program coordinator with Careers Next Generation, said the event is organized by a planning committee that includes local school divisions, Community Futures, and Portage College. Arndt said the expo is meant to help students discover career options in the Lakeland that they may not have been exposed to through family or friends. Unlike a traditional career fair, the event focuses on interactive...
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People for Education explore convergence of public education and truth and reconciliation
By Maggie Macintosh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Free Press A national charity is putting Manitoba’s school system under the microscope as it develops a plan to protect and bolster publicly funded classrooms across Canada. “Winnipeg is a site of a lot of learning for the rest of the country on reconciliation in the school system and more broadly,” said Paris Semansky, co-executive director of People for Education. “That doesn’t mean it’s perfect. That doesn’t mean it’s done, but there’s clear and demonstrable progress that — really critically — seems to cross partisan lines.” People for Education, founded by a group of Toronto parents in 1996, has typically focused on research and policy-making initiatives in Ontario. The non-partisan organization’s latest project broadens its scope while acknowledging that education is under...
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Chiefs respond to the separatist petition being squashed
By Alexandra Noad, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lethbridge Herald Chiefs from both Piikani and Blackfoot Nations have responded to the squashing of the separatist petition. Last Wednesday, Justice Shaina Leonard ruled the Stay Free Alberta never should have been issued, citing the provincial government’s failure to fulfill its duty to consult with First Nations and the outcome of a successful referendum would create direct and adverse effects on First Nations Treaty rights. This decision comes after a commenced joint legal proceeding from the Blood Tribe, Piikani Nation and Siksika Nation, which began in January. Following court augments from all parties, Mitch Sylvestre, chief executive officer of Alberta Prosperity Project, which is a leader in the Alberta separatist movement, put forward an application which asked Justice Leonard to remove herself from...
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Here’s why Resolute Bay has the cheapest groceries in Nunavut
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News Resolute Bay has the cheapest groceries in the territory, according to a Government of Nunavut study. In Nunavut, the average grocery haul is $198.75, but in Resolute Bay those same items go for $165.83. The community of 183 people only has one grocery store, the Tudjaat Co-op, where prices are 16.59 per cent below the territorial average. Matt Teed, a former manager at the Tudjaat Co-op from 2012 to 2014, said Resolute Bay gets higher Nutrition North subsidies than some other communities because it’s more remote. “The more isolated the location, higher subsidies,” Teed said of the federal program for groceries. Teed, who has been a manager at Co-ops and Northern stores owned by The North West Company, said Co-ops...
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Nunavut community harbour would see improvements under federal government plan
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News The federal government plans on investing in small-craft harbours around the country, including in Pangnirtung, where improvements have been proposed to improve the commercial fishery and community vessel access. Installing corrosion protection on the fixed wharf, replacing floating wharves, improving the harbour’s launch ramp and dredging of the channel and basin are all part of the plan for the Pangnirtung harbour. In its Spring Economic Update, the federal government is suggesting $957.8 million be spent across Canada to improve and repair small-craft harbours like the one in Pangnirtung. “Strengthening our small craft harbours through targeted investments, such as those in Pangnirtung, will improve our ability to monitor activity in the region, respond to emergencies and safeguard our territory in an...
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Candidates for Nunavut Inuit association president explain why they’re running in the election
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News The 10 candidates for Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) president in the May 27 election told Nunavut News the top reasons they are running to become leader of the Inuit land claims organization. Social programs, language, airlines, food security and the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement were all mentioned by the candidates. Samuel Augaajuk Alagalak Alagalak said he wants to improve the daily lives of Inuit through a change in policies. “Reduce cost of living so Inuit can afford to eat and house themselves,” Alagalak said. He wants to instill pride and independence among Inuit through the hard work that they do. Getting Inuit back what they’re owed and repairing past wrongs was another reason Alagalak said he’s running. “Implement the Land...
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Petition circulating to stop killer’s release to Nunavut
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News Editor’s note: This story contains details that some readers may find disturbing. When Rachel Seepola Michael was told the man responsible for her mother’s death could be released from prison on Aug. 26, she began fearing for her life. Rachel was 17 when her mother, Kathy Michael, was beaten to death by Pitseolak Peter. “Losing a parent in such a violent way permanently changes every part of your life. More than a decade later, I still carry that trauma every single day,” Rachel said. Kathy and Peter were married in 2013 when he inflicted head trauma, burns, bruising and a broken neck to Kathy, who succumbed to the physical trauma. Peter was sentenced to 12-and-a-half years, on top of time...
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The hidden crisis at Tsawwassen’s ferry causeway beach
By Radha Agarwal, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Delta Optimist The Tsawwassen Causeway Beach is currently facing significant environmental and safety challenges due to high traffic and a lack of clear jurisdictional oversight. Recurring misuse is threatening public safety, culturally significant lands and animal habitat. “There’s sort of like a ‘no man’s land’ between whose responsibility it is,” said Krystal Lockert, member and natural resources manager with the Tsawwassen First Nation (TFN). Lockert explains that the Causeway is essentially a jigsaw puzzle of different authorities. The Ministry of Transportation is responsible for the road and the parking lot, while BC Ferries manages the beach from the moss line down to the water. The City of Delta handles police and fire calls for the area, but the Tsawwassen First Nation’s own land...
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Wiikwemkoong’s new drug strategy sparks debate on safety, healing and community
By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Manitoulin Expositor WIIKWEMKOONG—The sound that echoed through Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory last week was more than gunfire. It was the sound of a community reaching a breaking point. Following a recent shooting and amid what leadership described as escalating drug-related violence, Ogimaa Tim Ominika announced a sweeping new approach aimed at people involved in serious drug trafficking, weapons offences, intimidation and violence within the community—one that includes the conditional removal of offenders from Wiikwemkoong for a minimum period of two years. Standing alongside members of council and Wikwemikong Tribal Police Service Chief of Police Ron Gignac, Ogimaa Ominika spoke with the bluntness of a leader staring directly into a crisis that has already hollowed out too many Northern communities. “We cannot treat...
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B.C. allowed logging in caribou habitat despite its own ministry’s recommendation
By Wolfgang Depner Mike James doesn’t know yet whether his first grandchild will be a boy or girl, but he hopes they will have a chance to see threatened southern mountain caribou during a future visit to his family’s cabin near Quesnel Lake. The snowshoe-like hoofs of southern mountain caribou, also called deep snow caribou, allow them to feed on lichens that grow in high-altitude parts of old-growth forest. The habitat range of the caribou lies mainly in eastern B.C. stretching from the north-central regions of the province southwards, with some pockets in western B.C. and along the U.S. border. But decades of logging have destroyed their habitat, reducing their overall numbers to fewer than 1,400 spread across 18 herds, according to government figures from 2023. There are said to...
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Tseshaht prohibits all fires on reserve and Broken Group Islands
By Nora O’Malley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ha-Shilth-Sa Port Alberni, B.C. – BC Wildfire Service may have flip-flopped on a May 7 campfire ban in the Coastal Fire Centre, but Tseshaht First Nation in Port Alberni is holding the proverbial burn line. The nation is prohibiting all fires on reserve lands and the Broken Group Islands until further notice. Their decision is supported by Hupačasath First Nation and the City of Port Alberni, who are also maintaining a complete fire ban. BC Wildfire rescinded the open fire prohibition on campfires throughout the Coastal Fire Centre within a week of announcing the ban. Citing a shift in weather conditions and “cooler temperatures”, campfires are permitted in the Coastal Fire Centre starting May 15 at noon. “I was surprised by BC Wildfire,...
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Man loses bid to stay off sex offender registry
By Bob Mackin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince George Citizen A man convicted of sexual assault in 2024 lost his constitutional challenge against a judge’s order requiring him to register as a sex offender and report his whereabouts to police for life. A jury found Wayne Michael James Dick guilty, and BC Supreme Court Justice Andrew Majawa sentenced him last July to three and a half years in jail. Majawa also ordered him to comply with the Sex Offender Information Registration Act for life. Dick, who travels throughout BC for construction work, fishing and hunting, argued the requirements violated his rights under the life, liberty and security of the person section of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In a May 1 ruling, Majawa found Dick failed to meet the...
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Families of MMIWG2S+ victims pen letter to PM, including late Sonya Cywink’s story
By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Manitoulin Expositor CANADA—There is a moment in conversation with Meggie Cywink where her voice changes. Not louder. Not angrier. Just tired in the way granite is tired after carrying winter for centuries. “Families are no longer asking to be consulted as an afterthought,” she said quietly. “Families are asking to lead.” For more than three decades, Ms. Cywink has carried the unresolved murder of her sister, Sonya Nadine Mae Cywink, like a stone in her chest. In August of 1994, Sonya Cywink, a 31-year-old pregnant mother from Whitefish River First Nation, disappeared from London. Days later, her body was discovered near the Southwold Earthworks in Elgin County. Her murder remains unsolved. Thirty-one years later, Meggie Cywink is still searching. Not only...
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Nunavut mining company can’t pay back its debts, but iron mine will continue operating for now
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News Baffinland Iron Mines, the company responsible for the Mary River iron ore mine south of Pond Inlet, is unable to pay its debts, the company announced on May 15. The mine’s operations will continue as normal for now and the Steensby component expansion project is expected to continue, the company said. A sale of the company is being considered, however. The company cannot pay back its loans and is seeking protection from its lenders through the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. Baffinland expects no disruptions to its operations at the Mary River mine or Milne port and intends to continue advancing the Steensby railway and port project. “The upcoming 2026 shipping season will commence as planned with all customer deliveries...
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Drone soccer program aims to steer Nunavik youth toward aviation careers
By Dominique Gené, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News Young Nunavimmiut could soon learn to pilot drones through a newly funded initiative. The Arctic Drone Soccer program proposal received $100,000 from this year’s Arctic Inspiration Prize. The ceremony was held May 5 in Whitehorse. “The drone soccer program will streamline opportunities towards STEM and aviation careers,” said Felix Aupalu, founder and program director of Nunavik-based All Arctic, the non-profit that will run the initiative, in an interview. Drone soccer is a team sport where players manoeuvre drones through a hanging goal in an enclosed arena while avoiding other drones. Players learn to build, fix and control their drones while learning about technology and coding. The project was pitched as an addition to Qaulirmat, All Arctic’s youth leadership program in Nunavik....
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Indigenous cellist and composer Cris Derksen dead after car crash, returning from father’s funeral
Juno-nominated Indigenous cellist and composer Cris Derksen has died. AIM Booking Agency, which represents Derksen, says in a social media post she died in a car accident but no further information about the crash was included. A biography of Derksen on the National Arts Centre website says she hailed from northern Alberta and that her music weaved “her classical background and Indigenous ancestry with new school electronics to create genre-defying music.” Derksen told the Penticton Herald in an interview earlier this month that she was living in Ontario. Kathleen Allan, artistic director of the Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto and Chorus Niagara, says she recently worked with Derksen and her death has left many devasted. Allan says Derken’s music challenged audiences to listen more deeply to one another, and to...
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Toronto Rock win NLL Cup with series-clinching 12-7 win over Halifax Thunderbirds
Owen Hiltz and Chris Boushy each had three goals and an assist, Mark Matthews had a goal and three assists, and Nick Rose made 34 saves as the Toronto Rock defeated the Halifax Thunderbirds 12-7 to win the National Lacrosse League championship on Sunday at Scotiabank Centre. Toronto, which won Friday’s opener in the best-of-three series 13-11, claimed its first championship title since 2011 — when they beat the Washington Stealth 8-7 — and seventh overall. The Buffalo Bandits, who won the NLL Cup in 2023, 2024 and last year, also have seven championships. Sam English, Hugh Kelleher, Lucas Hugal, C.J. Kirst and Latrell Harris also scored for the Rock, who led 8-6 at halftime and 9-7 entering the final quarter of Sunday’s game. Clarke Petterson led the Thunderbirds with...
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RCMP in Manitoba say girl dead after dad woke to find door open and daughter gone
A young girl in Manitoba has been found dead after she was reported missing early Saturday. RCMP in Poplar River say in a news release that the six-year-old’s father woke up and noticed the front door was wide open, and the girl was gone. A search by police, the fire department, family and other community members began immediately, the release says. Boats were also launched in the water, and the First Nation deployed its drone. A few hours after she was reported missing, the girl was located dead on the south side of the Nanowin River. RCMP continue to investigate. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 17, 2026. ...
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