Man removed from Wiikwemkoong under community bylaw believes he has the right to stay
By Jacqueline St.Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Manitoulin Expositor WIIKWEMKOONG—A lone pickup truck has idled at the edge of Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory since January 15, its occupant staging a one-man protest where reserve land meets the municipality of Assiginack. Inside rests Evan Lewis, a non-First Nations man who has been formally trespassed from the Territory one day earlier, insisting that his connection to the community — and to an unborn First Nations child — entitles him to remain. The scene is quietly unsettling: a pickup truck plastered with handmade signs, a flashing green light and questions that bears asking and demands attention. Mr. Lewis had been living in Wiikwemkoong since the fall of 2023. During that time, he and his then common-law partner became pregnant; a tragic miscarriage occurred...
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Indigenous leaders priorities for spring sitting of Parliament
By Alessia Passafiume Indigenous leaders were braced for change after the last federal election, when Prime Minister Mark Carney’s win ushered in a new look for the Liberal government after 10 years under Justin Trudeau. That change has compelled those leaders to build relationships with new cabinet ministers and a revolving cast of public servants working on Indigenous files. First Nations, Inuit and Métis leaders have a long list of priorities they want the federal government to work on, including the introduction of a series of bills on self-government and clean drinking water. Here’s what they’ll be watching for. First Nations At the Assembly of First Nations assembly last December, Carney promised to hold a meeting between First Nations leaders, the federal government and premiers. AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse...
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Court denies Kahnawake Gaming Commission
By Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door The highest court in Quebec has dismissed an appeal in the Magic Palace case from the Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC), which had argued that provincial courts lack the power to weigh in on its regulatory decisions. In its ruling, the Court of Appeal of Quebec confirms the Superior Court of Quebec’s November 2024 decision that provincial courts have the power to review KGC decisions, despite the KGC being a First Nations entity established by the Kahnawake Gaming Law, which gives the KGC the responsibility of granting and revoking gaming licenses. The ruling handed down last week is the latest development in the litigation brought by shuttered gaming facility Magic Palace and its owners, Stanley Myiow and Barry Alfred, who have...
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Six Nations Police Keeping Six Nations Safe
It appeared to be the oddest thing surfacing after a massive Six Nations Police (SNP) and Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) combined forces investigation recently. You will remember last spring, when Chiefswood Road, a main artery to go, well, anywhere at Six Nations, was shut down when the huge SNP and OPP operation was launched. The combined forces investigation dubbed Project Panda ended up seeing eight non-Six Nations people charged, all facing charges involving trafficking of contraband tobacco and more than 1,360 pounds of illicit cannabis seized. The five people facing charges ranging from trafficking to unlawful manufacturing and packaging of tobacco products were not Six Nations people. With addresses from Ancaster to Hamilton the non- Indigenous people had been operating the factory, police described as a massive contraband tobacco operation...
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Today in History
March 4 In 1870, a Metis firing squad executed Ontario adventurer Thomas Scott for attempting to overthrow Louis Riel’s government at Manitoba’s Red River Colony. The sentence ultimately led to Riel’s execution 15 years later. In 2019, Treasury Board President Jane Philpott resigned from the federal cabinet over the fallout from the SNC-Lavalin affair, telling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in an open letter she had “lost confidence in how the government” had dealt with the issue. Philpott’s resignation came just less than a month after former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould, and Philpott’s good friend, resigned from cabinet amid allegations that the Prime Minister’s Office had improperly pressured her to stop a criminal prosecution of Montreal engineering giant SNC-Lavalin. March 6 In 2019, Justin Trudeau’s former principal secretary testified the SNC-Lavalin...
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Federal spending on Indigenous Canadians is about to soar due to 300,000 potential new registrants
Aristotle Foundation for Public Policy Health benefits alone could cost another billion dollars2025 ended with the country overlooking the most wide-reaching potential change to come to Indigenous law in 40 years. The question of who can be registered as a legal “Indian,” to use the proper constitutional language, has been contentious as far back as this octogenarian can remember. The federal government, under the Brian Mulroney government, led a major change in 1985 to, quite properly, promote equality between Indian men and women in obtaining status. But other changes aimed at cleaning up issues in the Indian Act also created new dilemmas, making sections 6 through 8 of the Indian Act almost impossible for the layman to decipher. Last year, the federal government introduced Bill S-2, “An Act to amend...
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Ironmen need one more win to eliminate Coyotes
By Sam Laskaris Writer The Six Nations Ironmen are on the verge of winning their first ever playoff series. The Ironmen, a local senior men’s squad, are participating in their inaugural season of the Northern Premier Hockey League (NPHL). Thanks to a pair of weekend victories, the Six Nations squad leads its best-of-seven playoff series versus the Halton Hills Coyotes 3-1. The Ironmen/Coyotes matchup is a North Division semi-final series in the NPHL’s Metropolitan Conference. The Six Nations and Halton Hills clubs had split the opening two games of their series. The visiting Ironmen then posted a 4-1 win in Game 3 on Saturday. And the local squad downed the visiting Coyotes 6-1 in Game 4, held Sunday afternoon at the Six Nations Sports & Cultural Memorial Centre. Ironmen goaltender...
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Rebels gearing up for 2026 campaign
By Sam Laskaris Writer Blue Hill is busily preparing for what he hopes will be another successful season for the Six Nations Rebels. Hill is entering his second season as the head coach of the Rebels, the local Junior B lacrosse squad. Hill guided the Rebels to an impressive 14-6 regular season record a year ago. The Six Nations club then swept the Hamilton Bengals 3-0 in its best-of-five opening-round playoff series. But the Rebels were then beat in the minimum three games in their best-of-five battle against the Elora Hawks, who eventually advanced to the provincial finals. As for this year, the Rebels started their open tryouts in late January. About 65 players registered to try out for the squad. The club had its first controlled scrimmage this past...
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SPORTS BRIEFS: From Chiefs to Bandits
By Sam Laskaris Writer Date of Chiefs’ opener announced Monday May 18. Go ahead and put that date into your calendars. That’s the night the Six Nations Chiefs will officially begin their quest to capture their fourth consecutive national championship. It was announced this past week that the Chiefs, the three-time defending Mann Cup champions, will begin their 2026 regular season on May 18. The Owen Sound North Stars will provide the opposition in the match, which will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena (ILA). The Chiefs/North Stars contest will be part of the annual Six Nations Bread and Cheese Day celebrations. The Chiefs’ home opener was the only date that was announced thus far for the club, which competes in the Ontario-based Major Series Lacrosse...
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Housing is ‘not just a roof over someone’s head’ MPP says
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWOnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY — The ongoing housing crisis in many First Nations is depriving people of more than just shelter. Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa made that point as part of his opening remarks at the 23rd First Nations Housing Conference in Thunder Bay. The annual event is organized by representatives from 10 tribal and chiefs councils and brings together community leaders, housing managers, government funding agencies, builders and maintenance people, industry representatives, and more. Mamakwa thanked the City of Thunder Bay for declaring homelessness a humanitarian crisis, and pointed out that a recent point in time count showed over 75 per cent of people experiencing homelessness in the city identify as Indigenous. “We know that some of the people who ended up homeless...
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A look at Trump’s false and misleading claims ahead of the State of the Union
By Melissa Goldin President Donald Trump will deliver the first State of the Union address of his second term on Tuesday. Priorities for the Republican’s administration have centered largely on the economy, immigration, crime, energy and national security. Trump has spent the last year touting his accomplishments while mocking the record of his predecessor, former President Joe Biden. But much of this bluster is based on false and misleading claims — many of which are likely to be a part of the president’s address to the nation. Here’s a look at some of the false and misleading statements Trump has made at recent public appearances. Economy Trump often says the U.S. is now “the hottest country anywhere in the world” after years as a “dead country.” The U.S. economy was...
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New work by acclaimed poet explores a life lived in ceremony and teachings
By Shari Narine, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com Words matter, writes poet Louise Bernice Halfe-Sky Dancer. “Kêhtê-ayak (Elders) teach that words must be used with caution,” she writes in “Song of the Starved Soul: A Commentary on Ceremony and Protocol,” one of about 30 essays and presentations she includes in her newest book Wītāmōwik/Tell Them: On A Life of Inspiration. The collection also includes a similar number of poems. “In the past, I wasn’t aware that that was something I should be aware of,” Halfe told Windspeaker.com. “I hadn’t been told, ‘Use words with caution’…I know it probably hurt others, and it deeply affects me to know that I went over the line, so to speak. But when I’m writing, I just write as it is. I have to make...
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Banff photography exhibit highlights Indigenous elders across Canada
By Leah Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Rocky Mountain Outlook BANFF – From the parking lot of the Juniper Hotel in Banff to the shores of central Alberta’s Lac Saint Anne, Métis photographer Craig Richards sets up a neutral backdrop and invites an elder into the frame. From there, the elders speak. “The backdrop … allowed them to speak, to sing and it allowed us to see them,” said Richards, former curator of photography at Banff’s Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. In his signature black and white style, Richards has photographed over 60 elders from First Nations across Canada in his portrait series All Our Relations: Portraits from the Elder’s Gatherings. What’s now expanded from coast to coast, all started with the Elders’ Gathering at Banff’s Juniper Hotel, an...
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smǝlqmíx leaders emphasize ‘no consent’ as B.C. approves Copper Mountain Mine expansion
By Aaron Hemens, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews Indigenous leaders from the Similkameen Valley are “deeply disappointed” by a provincial decision to approve a contentious mine expansion in their territories — emphasizing that they did not give consent for the project to move forward. On Monday, the B.C. government announced it had issued Mines Act and Environmental Management Act permits for the New Ingerbelle expansion of the Copper Mountain Mine near Princeton in smǝlqmíx territory. The expansion project will see the century-old mining operation revive its old Ingerbelle open pit gold and copper mine site near nməlqytkʷ (the Similkameen River). The expansion will extend the mining’s operation until 2047, the province said. In the province’s statement, it acknowledged that the mine is in the Upper and Lower Similkameen Indian Bands’...
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‘We’re all in this together’: Town drafts reconciliation policy
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWOnewswatch.com FORT FRANCES — Fort Frances’s mayor says the town is creating a policy to put in writing, and help guide, the town’s commitment to Truth and Reconciliation. The municipality’s Indigenous relations advisory committee has released an initial version and is taking input, Mayor Andrew Hallikas said. “In particular, we want input from the First Nations that surround us and, even to be more specific, we want input from the Agency One bands,” he said, referring to four First Nations very close to Fort Frances — Couchiching, Mitaanjigamiing, Naicatchewenin and Nigigoonsiminikaaning. “We’ve reached out to them and the four chiefs have graciously committed to meeting with us to give us input on this policy because we want to get it right.” That meeting...
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Preferred route for Northern Road Link could be chosen by spring
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWOnewswatch.com MARTEN FALLS — Proponents of a planned road to connect two remote First Nations are closer to selecting the route it would take. A series of open houses are being held in Thunder Bay and Geraldton this week where people can give feedback on the Northern Road Link, a proposed all-season road that would run between other proposed corridors accessing Marten Falls and Webequie. Specifically, according to organizers, the current round of input from Indigenous communities and the general public is to help finalize a preferred corridor for the Northern Road Link as part of ongoing environmental and impact assessment processes. “In Marten Falls, there’s a very high level of excitement at this stage,” Qasim Saddique, the co-lead on the Northern Road...
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Report details B.C. First Nation, Vancouver Police Board collaboration breakdown
By Darryl Greer A man who was handcuffed by police along with his 12-year-old granddaughter after being falsely accused of trying to use a fake status card to open a bank account in 2019 says the Vancouver Police Board and the officers involved have shown they don’t respect his First Nation’s culture. Maxwell Johnson said in statement Tuesday that he’s “deeply saddened” that the police board and the constables involved haven’t made their “best efforts” to attend a ceremony to offer an in-person apology for their wrongful detention. British Columbia’s human rights commissioner released a final review Tuesday, outlining details of a settlement agreement between the board, Johnson and the Heiltsuk Nation. The commissioner’s report said a lack of collaboration between the Vancouver Police Board, the Heiltsuk Tribal Council and...
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Building Indigenous Tourism: Teresa Ryder Speaks at 13th International Conference
By Chevi Rabbit, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News (ANNews) – Edmonton recently hosted the 13th annual International Indigenous Tourism Conference, drawing over 1,000 delegates from 14 countries. The event, organized by the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC), showcased the growth, innovation, and cultural impact of Indigenous tourism across the country – and highlighted the leadership of Teresa Ryder, ITAC’s Director of Partnerships. Ryder, of Musqueam descent from the Vancouver area, has more than 15 years of experience in Indigenous tourism. She began her career with Indigenous Tourism BC and now leads national programs, partnership development, and initiatives that connect Indigenous tourism operators with partners across Canada. She has also overseen the growth of the International Indigenous Tourism Conference, turning it into a global platform for Indigenous tourism...
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Trump lays out his midterm agenda at the State of the Union
President Donald Trump gave his State of the Union address Tuesday. He was slated to champion his immigration crackdowns, his slashing of the federal government, his push to preserve widespread tariffs that the Supreme Court just struck down and his ability to direct quick-hit military actions around the world, including in Iran and Venezuela. Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger gave the Democratic Party response following Trump’s speech. California Sen. Alex Padilla, who made national headlines last yearafter being forced to the ground and handcuffed by federal agents, delivered the party’s response in Spanish. The Latest: Trump makes scant mention of his aggressive moves on immigration Immigration helped carry Trump to victory in 2024 and it has long been a signature issue for him, but he barely discussed the aggressive and highly...
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Proposed Ring of Fire mine in northern Ontario clears another regulatory hurdle
By Liam Casey A proposed mine in Ontario’s Ring of Fire region has cleared another regulatory hurdle despite a First Nation’s protest. The federal government has decided not to designate Wyloo’s Eagle’s Nest project for an impact assessment, which examines the possible environmental, health, social and economic impacts of a project. There are other means to address concerns about the proposed mining project, including several federal and provincial laws and their corresponding legislative mechanisms, said Terence Hubbard, president of the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. Wyloo has been “actively consulting with numerous Indigenous groups, working to address potential impacts of the project,” and is committed to transparency and ongoing dialogue to deal with any concerns, Hubbard said in a statement. Wyloo’s proposed mine has become a lightning rod and has...
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