Security stepped up at satellite courts after fatal shooting
By Carrie Ivardi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWOnewswatch.com DRYDEN — Significant steps have been taken throughout the province to address courthouse security concerns in rural and remote communities. These steps followed an incident at a satellite court last summer when an OPP officer shot and killed 23-year-old Tyresse Roundsky in a Wapekeka courtroom. Dryden lawyer Karen Seeley said the new measures, which include “wanding” with handheld metal detectors, are very much related to the shooting. “Courthouse security has been an issue, not just as a result of Wapekeka but elsewhere as well,” Seeley said. “The province is taking steps across the province to address this and looking at single points of entries to courthouses, security, bringing in bag scanners, so those aren’t in all courthouses yet.” Seeley said she sometimes...
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Lawyers say language change in First Nations water bill looks to shield government
By Alessia Passafiume Two lawyers say the blurring of language on the right of First Nations to clean drinking water in a new bill serves as a shield for the federal government as it argues against that right in court. Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty introduced the legislation on Tuesday. The bill seeks to ensure First Nations have access to clean drinking water on-reserve and the ability to protect source water on their territories if they enter into tripartite agreements with the federal and provincial governments. Bill C-37 states that the federal government will “further the progressive realization, for individuals on First Nation lands, of the human right to safe drinking water, as protected by the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.” A previous bill introduced by the...
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Northwestern ports look to deliver
By Sandi Krasowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Chronicle-Journal Ontario Premier Doug Ford visited Thunder Bay on Tuesday and announced $2,804,955 in funding from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) for upgrades at the Port of Thunder Bay and the Peninsula Harbour Port Authority in Marathon. Ford called both terminals key gateways in Northwestern Ontario for expanding east-west trade in Canada, strengthening domestic supply chains and creating jobs in the North, while reducing reliance on the U.S. Ford outlined the billions of dollars that have streamed into the North from the province as part of a plan to protect Ontario by building a more competitive, resilient and self-reliant economy. “As part of that plan, . . . this funding will be used to expand Thunder Bay’s port storage and...
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Ottawa announces ‘largest funding commitment ever made for First Nations’
By Maya Ekman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWOnewswatch.com OTTAWA — Canada Minister of Indigenous Services put forward the First Nations Clean Water Act, Bill C-37, on Tuesday morning, along with the “single largest funding commitment ever made for First Nations,” $4.6 billion over five years. “Across Canada there are laws and regulations that set minimum standards for drinking water, but in First Nation communities, there are not. This legislative gap that impacts only First Nation people is unacceptable and must be addressed,” said Minister Mandy Gull-Masty. “Today there are 36 remaining First Nations with long-term drinking water advisories. We know that is 36 too many,” she said. Most long-term drinking advisories, 24, are in Northwestern Ontario, including in Neskantaga First Nation which has been under a boil water advisory for...
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Canmore’s ‘Resurgence’ gallery honours Indigenous voices, strength
By Leah Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Rocky Mountain Outlook CANMORE – Tara Beaver watches cattle graze in the field near her home in Mînî Thnî. The mothers care and lead their young, and from afar, the Îyârhe Nakoda artist and poet takes note, turning her observations into her latest sculpture and poetry project. “Cows are matriarchal,” said Beaver. “All the bulls don’t stay in the pen with all the mothers, and the mothers help each other to rest and they take turns.” With a cow skull as her canvas, Beaver uses paint, flowers and a dreamcatcher to create a sculpture that reflects on matriarchal roles and the deep connection she has to the land and the animals sustained by it. “I didn’t understand a lot of things until I...
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Increasing visitation, development in Kananaskis prompt creation of tourism reserve fund
By Leah Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Rocky Mountain Outlook KANANASKIS – With increased development and visitation on the horizon, Kananaskis Improvement District is looking to get a jump on the growth through the creation of a tourism reserve fund. Approved by council in May, the tourism planning and development reserve fund gives the district financial breathing room to manage the impacts of growth anticipated to create pressure on infrastructure, resources and services throughout the region. “If we’re getting bombarded by development permits from every stakeholder in the valley, we’re not a large municipality, we’re an Improvement District, and it needs to be supplemented,” said Cody English, chair of KID council. A final policy creating guardrails around the use of the tourism planning and development reserve fund was unanimously approved...
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New Police Accountability Unit established in B.C. for Indigenous people
By Nora O’Malley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ha-Shilth-Sa Indigenous people in British Columbia who have been affected by police violence, misconduct or negligence can now access free legal supports through the B.C. First Nations Justice Council (Justice Council). First launched as a pilot program in 2024, the Police Accountability Unit (PAU) was created in effort to give Indigenous communities a more meaningful role in police oversight and accountability in the province. “It’s great that they are trying to do something now. It only took so many Indigenous people to die in the hands of law enforcement and people custody. It’s sad that it’s taken this long for it to come,” said Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation Martha Martin. Martin is the mother of Chantel Moore, the 26-year-old Tla-o-qui-aht woman who was shot...
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New hydro dam proposals reopen old wounds in Northern BC
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer BC’s push to study two major hydroelectric dams is reviving old fights over rivers, salmon and Indigenous rights — and environmental groups say the province is getting ahead of itself. Energy Minister Adrian Dix said Monday the province is “seriously” re-examining two large hydro options: Site E on the Peace River in Treaty 8 territory, as well as another connected to the Homathko River, which flows into Bute Inlet northeast of Powell River, near the Discovery Islands. Neither project has been approved. The work now is technical: finding out whether the sites could help meet future electricity demand, which the province expects to rise 20 per cent by 2030 and 50 per cent by 2050. BC is trying to find...
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Candice St-Aubin named interim Commissioner of Indigenous Languages
By Alessia Passafiume A senior federal bureaucrat has been named the interim Commissioner of Indigenous Languages. Candice St-Aubin, who was recently a senior assistant deputy minister of strategic policy with Indigenous Services Canada, will serve in the role for 90 days or until a new commissioner is named. The federal order announcing the appointment says it will be effective as of July 13. The Office of the Commissioner of the Indigenous Languages is currently undergoing a financial audit. Former employees reported a toxic work environment and spending they called improper, including $10 million to host a four-day conference in Ottawa last year. Canadian Heritage Minister Marc Miller called the allegations against the department serious, but stressed due process needs to be followed. This report by The Canadian Press was first...
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Bryan Trottier among Indigenous sport leaders featured on Canada Post stamps
Hockey Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier will be featured on a Canada Post stamp to celebrate Indigenous leaders in sport. Stamps featuring Trottier, a six-time Stanley Cup champion as a player, Chief Wilton Littlechild and Edward Lennie were unveiled Wednesday at the Calgary Public Library. Canada Post launched the first of its Indigenous leaders stamp series in 2022 to highlight the contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Metis people who have helped preserve their culture and improve the quality of life for Indigenous Peoples of Canada. Trottier of Val Marie, Sask., is the all-time leader in points and assists for the New York Islanders. The 69-year-old co-founded the Aboriginal Alumni Hockey Team that has played games, offered clinics and provided mentorship to young people across Canada. A Canada Post...
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Canada’s new water bill backtracks on recognizing human right to water for First Nations
By Carl Meyer and Fatima Syed Federal Minister of Indigenous Services Mandy Gull-Masty has unveiled a new and long-awaited bill to provide safe drinking water to First Nations, which she says was written to ensure “we have provincial partners at the table.” Ontario chiefs say they were shut out and their right to clean water was not recognized. Gull-Masty denied her government caved to provincial pressure in Bill C-37, or An Act respecting water, source water, drinking water, wastewater and related infrastructure on First Nation lands, that sets out principles to provide safe drinking water and disposal of wastewater for First Nations. “My conversations with leadership and the chiefs that have spoken to me understand that we are trying to pass a bill that is going to be protected and...
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Six Nations Police shut down contraband tobacco plant and seize over $10 million of contraband tobacco
A warehouse hidden in a forested area at Six Nations of the Grand River was the site of the combined forces raid . (Photo by Jim C. Powless) By Lynda Powless Editor SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER- Six Nations Police and OPP have seized more than 40,000 kilograms (88,000 pounds) of contraband tobacco with an estimated street value of over $10 million, a handgun and manufacturing equipment after launching Project TRACK a multi-force investigation into a criminal network that was found producing and manufacturing contraband tobacco on Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. Two non-Indigenous men from Hamilton, Ontario were arrested as a result of the Six Nations Police and Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Contraband Tobacco Enforcement Team (CTET) launching Project TRACK in April 2026 when a...
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Six Nations Fire Department marking 60 years
Six Nations Fire department 60 years later: it’s not just “put the wet stuff on the hot stuff” anymore By Alex Murray Writer “We used to fight fires with this,” Six Nations Fire (SNF) Chief Michael Seth said with a chuckle as he looked at the old 1954 fire engine in the parking lot of Station #1 in downtown Ohsweken. It was one of the first fire engines ever used by SNF. It was donated by the City of Hamilton in 1966, the year SNF was founded. This year, SNF is marking 60 years of growth, changes, and serving the Six Nations community. Looking back six decades, Six Nations, like most other First Nations, did not have a dedicated fire department. Until tragedy opened eyes. A three-month period in the...
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Two arrested in illegal tobacco operation “exploiting Indigenous rights”
Two non-Six Nations people have been arrested and a multi-million-dollar illegal tobacco plant has been shut down after Six Nations Police (SNP) raided a “non-Indigenous criminal organization” operating in a Seneca Road warehouse. The largely concealed warehouse, located in a secluded bush area clearcut along Seneca Road, was shut down Thursday, June 11 and massive amounts of tobacco product was still being tabulated and confiscated Monday (June 15). SNP shut down the operation calling it the result of an “extensive” investigation. Police Chief Darren Montour stressed the plant was being operated by “non-Six Nations” people. “[It] involves non-Indigenous criminal organizations exploiting Indigenous rights and lands,” a SNP media release said. “The illicit profits generated from these operations have not been invested back into, or benefited the community.” SNP asked the...
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Six Nations Pride is about “Visibility, Acceptance, Inclusion”
By Alex Murray Writer The “Six Nations Celebrates Pride!” event is all about “visibility, acceptance, and inclusion” to Six Nations Social Services family well-being navigator Maureene Ninham. “Being an Indigenous queer woman myself, I understand the difficulties to be accepted in certain situations,” Ninham, one of the main organizers told Turtle Island News at the event held at the Six Nations community hall this year. “And to be able to be visible and having something like this was something that probably wouldn’t happen 20 years ago.” The decade old Six Nations Celebrates Pride event has been marked for the past decade with a parade down Chiefswood Road. But this year’s event, held at the community hall on June13th, got a helping hand from Six Nations Social Services and Department of...
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Hear the bell..Six Nations Elected Council approves ice cream truck
Six Nations approved a 2026 solicitation permit allowing an ice cream truck business to operate within the community. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC)approved a permit June 9th for Isaac Porteous and Linda Gallagher to solicit business on Six Nations . The permit ends Dec. 15, 2026, subject to compliance with the Six Nations solicitation policy approved Feb. 7, 2024. The required application process, includes police record checks and payment of the required fee of $50. Porteous, the owner from Alberta, was joined by Ontario-based seller Sydney Dupuis. “The ladies in Ontario have requested that we get this permit, so I’ve applied for it,” Porteous said. Porteous said the business specializes in a variety of services. “We do private events, we do public events, schools book us, we do fundraisers, and...
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Six Nations Elected Council joins men’s group in lawsuit against HDI
Six Nations Elected Council joined forces with the Men’s Fire in a class action lawsuit against The Haudenosaunee Development Institute. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) and representatives of the Six Nations Men’s Fire have formalized an agreement to work together in a proposed class action seeking accountability and transparency regarding funds received by the Haudenosaunee Development Institute (HDI) on behalf of the community. Elected Chief Sherri-Lyn Hill announced that SNEC had recently passed a motion to join litigation initiated by Men’s Fire with representatives Bill Montour and Wilfred Davey at the General Council meeting on June 9. The proposed class action names HDI, Aaron Detlor, Brian Doolittle, related corporations and others regarding monies received on behalf of the Six Nations community. “It’s unknown how or if our community has benefited...
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Proposed Agreement on South Caledonia Subdivision Could Net Six Nations $50 Million
By Alex Murray Writer A proposed agreement between Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) and Wildwood Developments Inc. (Ballantry Homes) to build a subdivision in South Caledonia could net the Six Nations community $50 million. Six Nations Land and Resources (L&R) department ran their third and final community engagement session on the Ballantry Homes project on June 11. The virtual session can still be viewed on Six Nations of the Grand River’s Facebook page. The proposal is for a housing development at 1536 McKenzie Road in South Caledonia. The 145-acre area includes 107 acres of developable land. The remaining 38 acres represent woodland features that will not be disturbed and would be transferred to the municipality for permanent protection if the agreement goes ahead. The project is aiming for 725 housing...
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Editorial: All governments must be financially accountable
No one should be surprised to see a local men’s group launching a lawsuit against the Six Nations Confederacy’s Haudenosaunee Development Institute (HDI) demanding an accounting of monies it has received off Six Nations lands. The HDI, by the way, represents the Haudenosaunne Confederacy Council (HCC) when it comes to land interests within the HCC jurisdiction. That jurisdiction extends through areas of Ontario including the Haldimand Deed tract area. At least, that’s one of the only areas in Ontario the HCC has in the recent past intervened in, or received monies from, despite it representing all Haudenosaunee lands. The local men’s group are not alone in their questioning of the HDI authority or what monies the HCC has collected off the lands. In fact, Turtle Island News has for years...
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Today in History
June 15 In 1616, the first schools for natives in New France opened at Trois-Rivieres and Tadoussac. In 2006, the Ontario Provincial Police force admitted to mistakes and apologized to the brother of Dudley George, the aboriginal protester who was killed by a police sniper when Ipperwash Provincial Park was occupied 11 years earlier. In 2007, the B.C. Supreme Court struck down part of the definition of the federal Indian Act, ruling that it discriminates against Canadians who trace their aboriginal roots through their female relatives rather than the male line....
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