Halloween at Six Nations brings out the community
Photos by Jim C. Powless and Barbara Latkowski...
Register
Six Nations Elected Council land rights trial focuses on language
By Barbara Latkowski Writer Language and its transfer from generation to generation was key in the testimony of Joseph Martin at the Six Nations of the Grand River’s (SNGR) land claim trial this week. SNGR has waited over 31 years since suing Canada and Ontario over sold land and mismanaged trust funds spanning more than 100 years, something Martin says continues to have detrimental impacts on his community today. “I don’t know if anyone has been homeless or displaced but that’s what happened to our people by teaming up with the Crown. At war with the Crown, we were ultimately displaced from our homeland,” Martin said. “The effects it has had on our people, physically, mentally emotionally and spiritually were tremendous. We had to leave behind our graveyards, our ancestors,...
Register
Community litigation viewing to continue
Six Nations community members are invited to continue viewing the litigation and staying up to date. Six Nations will resume community viewing of its ongoing litigation in November and introduce written summaries of court proceedings to keep community members informed, CEO Deb Jonathan told Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) on Oct. 27 at the General Council meeting. Jonathan said litigation viewing would resume in the coming days, with details about the viewing location to be announced through the community’s social media channels. Access is expected to remain available until November 23.“I do have to say that our viewing audience has dropped even further, but we will be keeping access to litigation viewing open for our community up to November 23,” Jonathan said.Alongside the viewing arrangements, Six Nations will begin issuing...
Register
HCCC: Court’s Dismissal of Six Nations Elected Band Council’s move to join Men’s Fire’s lawsuit against HDI a “Positive Step Forward”
By Lynda Powless Editor BRANTFORD, ONT- An attempt by the Six Nations Elected Band Council (SNEC) and Men’s Fire to join forces in a court action against the Haudenosaunee Development Institute (HDI) has been ruled out. The Ontario Superior Court of Justice, in a decision Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, dismissed the move saying it would “add complex constitutional questions and cause further delay,” to a case already a decade before the courts. The Davey vs Hill suit was launched 10 years ago. The HDI is the development arm of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council (HCCC). The court also said SNEC/the Band was “not a necessary party to the existing action.” In a statement released today ( Oct., 29 2026) The Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council (HCCC) welcomed the decision saying it is...
Register
Six Nations students’ academics up, but attendance down
Six Nations students are making gains in mathematics achievement, but attendance and secondary school credit accumulation remain areas of concern. Claudine VanEvery, Grand Erie District School Board Trustee presented the annual report under its Education Services Agreement at Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) General Council meeting on October 27. The 2025-2026 report outlined student achievement data, culturally affirming programming and transition supports and identified priorities for the coming school year. Julie White, superintendent of Indigenous Education said continued collaboration between schools, families and the community will be essential to improving student outcomes. Grand Erie reported 504 Six Nations students enrolled during the 2025-2026 school year. While attendance data showed Six Nations students had a higher average number of absences than the board overall, White said attendance had improved compared with...
Register
Community marks Murdered and Missing at Six Nations
By Barbara Latkowski Writer Photographs of those missing and murdered filled the gathering space at Ganohkwasra Family Assault Support Services. One was hung in loving memory of Six Nations community member, Paula Joy Martin, who was murdered in April 1996. She was 31. As the Deyetiyenyadoha murdered and missing Indigenous person’s liaison and counsellor, Chasity Martin supports families who have lost loved ones. But for her, the annual gathering at Ganohkwasra, resonates more deeply. Her aunt was Paula Joy Martin. “For me, my aunt and her son, my cousin, had been murdered. His murder is still unresolved, no accountability and no one has been charged. The investigation, yet again, seems too be at a halt. I’ve had no updates from police. I’ve had to do it all independently. I have...
Register
Go Bus staying
GO bus service through Six Nations will continue as a permanent route. Councillor Dayle Bomberry shared the news during Six Nations Elected Council’s (SNEC) General Council meeting on October 27 as part of an update from the Built Environment, Climate Adaptation, Lands and Membership Committee, saying the Metrolinx route known as 15B had been made permanent. The service began April 5, 2025, as part of a partnership between Metrolinx, Six Nations and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation to expand public transit access in both communities. The initial service was announced as a pilot project with three trips daily in each direction, seven days a week. The route connects community stops with the Brantford Bus Terminal, McMaster University and Aldershot GO Station, providing connections to regional transit and the Lakeshore...
Register
Editorial: SNEC/HCCC time for solutions
Six Nations Elected Band Council (SNEC) needs to explain itself. Now, we realize no matter what the issue is with this current band council there are times when you just have to give your head a shake! SNEC, out of the blue, joined the local Men’s Fire group in an attempt to take the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs’ Council’s (HCCC) development arm the Haudenosaunee Development Institute (HDI) to court. SNEC never explained why they joined the lawsuit? They didn’t explain what they hoped to gain, on behalf of the community, you know the community who didn’t even know the HDI was being taken to court, or if they were just jumping onboard to help the Men’s Fire group pay some legal bills. (And if that’s the case SNEC really needs to...
Register
Today in History
Nov 1 In 1999, Ronald (Lasagna) Cross, died. He was one of the most visible native players in the 1990 Oka crisis that pitted Mohawks against police and eventually the Canadian army. Nov 3 In 2021, Indigenous writers Katherena Vermette and Tomson Highway took home the top prizes at the Writers’ Trust Awards. Vermette, a Red River Métis author and poet in Winnipeg, won the $60,000 fiction award for “The Strangers.” Highway, based in Gatineau, Que., received the $60,000 non-fiction award for “Permanent Astonishment: A Memoir.’’ Nov 4 In 1997, in a landmark decision, a New Brunswick court ruled that aboriginals own the crown lands and forests of New Brunswick. In 1869, Louis Riel seized Fort Garry in Winnipeg during the Red River Rebellion. In 2015, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau...
Register
Haudenosaunee Nationals ‘optimistic’ about playing at L.A. Olympics
By John Chidley-Hill The Haudenosaunee Nationals are still hopeful they can play lacrosse at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. An Indigenous people that live in Ontario, Quebec and New York, the Haudenosaunee invented lacrosse centuries before European settlers arrived in North America. In recognition of their role as creators of the game, the Haudenosaunee Nationals have competed separately from Canada and the United States in all international lacrosse competitions for decades. “We’re cautiously optimistic, but we’ve still got a big lift to do yet,” said Leo Nolan, executive director of the Haudenosaunee Nationals, on playing at the Olympics. “We’re working in that regard.” Men’s lacrosse was contested at the 1904 and 1908 Olympics. Canada won gold both times and a team comprised entirely of Haudenosaunee athletes playing under the Canadian...
Register
SPORTS BRIEFS: Stars register another road win
By Sam Laskaris Writer Stars register another road win For the second straight weekend the Six Nations Stars hit the road and managed to pull out a road win. The Stars downed the West Oxford Inferno 3-1 on Sunday in a match held at the Embro Arena. The Six Nations squad, which competes in the South Western Ontario Women’s Hockey League, is now sporting a 2-1 record this season. The Stars, who play their home games at the Six Nations Sports & Cultural Memorial Centre, were edged 4-3 by the Norfolk Hericanes on Oct. 23. But they rebounded from that setback to blank the Woodstock Wildcats 3-0 on Oct. 25. Keyara Jacobs, Shay Martin and Jenesica Drinkwater scored the Stars’ goals in their victory against the Inferno. The Stars’ next...
Register
Jets snap Ironmen winning streak
By Sam Laskaris Writer The Six Nations Ironmen tasted defeat on Sunday for the first time this season. But Ryan Davis, the head coach for the local Senior A men’s hockey squad, is not overly concerned. The visiting Strathroy Jets downed the Ironmen 7-3 in a Northern Premier Hockey League match held at the Six Nations Sports & Cultural Memorial Centre. The Six Nations club had kicked off its 2026-27 campaign with four straight victories. “The streak ended (Sunday),” Davis said. “We’ve just got to start another one. I’m pretty sure we can get one going again.” The Ironmen return to action this Saturday with a road contest versus the Akwesasne Wild. Six Nations defeated the visiting Wild 8-5 in their first meeting last month. “They will be a different...
Register
Arena Lacrosse League draft coming up
By Sam Laskaris Writer As it turns out Darcy Powless will not have to do a major revamp of the Six Nations Snipers, the defending Arena Lacrosse League (ALL) champions. A few weeks ago, Powless, who is the head coach and general manager of the Snipers, thought there was a chance he could lose several of his key players to the professional American Box Lacrosse League (ABLL), which will kick off its inaugural season in early 2027. And that could have had drastic consequences for the Snipers, who are preparing for this weekend’s ALL draft, which will be held Sunday in Brampton. The new U.S. league, which is expected to feature four franchises, is keen to include various Indigenous players. Powless was supportive of the idea of players from his...
Register
Abolishing Indian Act not a ‘get out of jail’ free card: Rama chief
By Danielle Pitman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, OrilliaMatters.com To abolish or not to abolish? To let it be or not to let it be? That is the question when it comes to the “archaic” Indian Act. “It’s a complex piece of legislation,” Chippewas of Rama First Nation Chief Ted Williams said of the legislation that has returned to the spotlight in recent weeks. The Indian Act applies to more than 600 First Nations across Canada in various stages of development. A lot of conversation is required because even considering one part of the legislation leads to other sections that need to be addressed, said Williams. Despite being surprised by Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew’s statements last week, Williams agrees the Indian Act is outdated. “It’s an archaic piece of legislation,” he...
Register
Two NWT youth addressing Senate about making life better for Indigenous communities
By Kody Ferron, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Yellowknifer Eight Indigenous youth from Across Canada, including two from the NWT, are speaking their piece in the Canadian Senate for Voices of Youth Indigenous Leaders 2026. Participants are testifying on Oct. 27-28 before the Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples about the realities facing present-day First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities and prospects for the future. Makayla Mantla, from Behchoko, and Jaylene Neisa Delorme, a Yellowknives Dene from K’atl’odeeche First Nation, are representing the NWT. “Right now I’m feeling nervous, and maybe not sleeping well,” Mantla said ahead of her Oct. 28 presentation in Ottawa. Despite the nerves, she said she’s beginning to grasp how big an opportunity this is for her and for her family. In January of 2024 her public speaking...
Register
Nunavut Arctic College students can take bachelor of education program in Iqaluit as early as next year
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News Nunavummiut taking bachelor of education courses at Memorial University won’t have to move to St. John’s, N.L., for much longer. Students can instead complete their degree at Nunavut Arctic College’s Iqaluit campus, Memorial University announced on Oct. 29. The teaching program could come to the territorial capital as soon as next fall, if Nunavut Arctic College meets all the regulatory requirements in time. That regulatory work is still in the early stages, according to the minister responsible for Nunavut Arctic College, David Akeeagok. “Rather than requiring Nunavummiut to leave their communities to access higher education, a Nunavut degree program would allow knowledge, research, leadership development and professional training to occur within Nunavut and according to Inuit and Nunavut priorities,” Akeeagok...
Register
Alberta pledges $14M from iGaming revenue to bridge rural-urban casino charity divide, premier announces
By George Lee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Macleod Gazette A new grant drawing from Alberta’s iGaming revenue will help even the playing field for charities that lack access to big city casino nights, the premier was set to announce this morning. Premier Danielle Smith was scheduled to bring news of the program worth $14 million in its first year to the fall convention of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta, a cabinet minister said. Rural charities, the RMA and its more urban-focused counterpart, ABmunis, “have been asking for something like this for years,” said Dale Nally, the minister of Service Alberta and red tape reduction. “They’re going to be very happy to hear that they’re getting this. It’s going to be a good day for rural Alberta,” Nally told The...
Register
Northern B.C. Nations, analysts react to Conservative election victory
By Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Uncertainty and uneasiness remain ahead for B.C. First Nations with regard to DRIPA following elections in the province. Energeticcity.ca spoke to local First Nations’ interests following the Conservative Party’s decisive victory in the recent provincial election. On Oct. 24, the B.C. Conservative Party swept to its first election victory in nearly a century, with Lorne Doerkson now premier-designate. Part of the party’s platform throughout the campaign was the intent to repeal the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (DRIPA). Enacted in 2019, DRIPA serves as the province’s “framework for reconciliation,” aligning provincial laws and other policies in conjunction with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). In the days since the election, Doerkson has...
Register
RCMP investigate photo of man in Nazi uniform while trick-or-treating in Nova Scotia
A mother in the Halifax region says she was shocked to see a man trick-or-treating on Saturday wearing what appeared to be a Nazi uniform. Paige Hoveling said her community of Cole Harbour, N.S., about 10 kilometres east of Halifax, is diverse and tightly knit. She said she was confused and then alarmed when she saw the man in a dark uniform wearing a red armband emblazoned with a swastika amid happy families on Halloween. “Millions of people died because of people that wore these uniforms,” she said in an interview Tuesday. “I want people to be aware that this is not OK. It’s not OK to spread hate in our community, and it’s not OK to make your neighbours feel unsafe in the place where they live.” Hoveling said...
Register
‘Complete recklessness’ warrants criminal probe into federal officals: Lawyer
By Maya Ekman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWOnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY — “In this country, when wanton disrespect of life is displayed, people get investigated,” says Julian Falconer. A criminal investigation into public officials and the delivery of a program is “exceedingly rare” said Falconer, the human rights lawyer representing the family of Miranda Mamakwa as they seek just such an investigation. The 31-year-old mother from Fort Severn First Nation died on Sept. 8 after the federal Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program did not provide the mandated transportation for her to receive follow-up care for open-heart surgery. “The First Nations are absolutely captive to this program,” said Falconer, explaining that four different requests for transportation to already scheduled appointments, made by proper channels and supported by a doctor’s letter, were not...
Register
