Retinal cameras to rotate among 27 communities for crucial eye screenings
By Maya Ekman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWOnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY – Twenty-seven Northern communities will now be able to screen residents for diabetic retinopathy, removing barriers that can delay both diagnosis and treatment. Keewaytinook Okimakanak (KO) eHealth held their official launch of the TeleOphthalmology program on Thursday. The program will allow for four portable screening cameras to rotate among the 27 First Nations that KO eHealth serves. “This program combines advanced retinal imaging technology, artificial intelligence-assisted screening, and virtual care pathways to support the early detection of diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes,” said project lead Allison Palmer. A trained community member will administer retinal screening to patients, saving them from having to travel out of the community, lowering costs to the health-care system, and saving time for physicians. “The...
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South Dakota man whose life sentence was commuted by Noem now implicated in his niece’s death
By Mead Gruver And Jacques Billeaud Two men, including one whose life sentence was commuted by then-South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, have been charged in the death of a 14-year-old girl whose body was found in a rural area five days after she went missing in March. McKenna Wendel was reported missing March 13 and last seen alive in her hometown of Sioux Falls early on March 14. Her body was found outside Brookings, an hour’s drive north of Sioux Falls, on March 19. Wendel’s uncle, Mark Milk, 51, also of Sioux Falls, now faces five counts related to her death. Milk was almost three decades into a life term on a manslaughter conviction when Noem commuted his sentence in 2023. Wendel was raised by her grandparents, loved animals and...
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Premier points responsibility for continued mercury poisoning to Ottawa
By Maya Ekman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWOnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY – The call to shut down the Dryden mill over the ongoing impact on mercury contamination downstream is “a big responsibility on the federal government,” said Premier Doug Ford . “We do more for the First Nations than the feds. Ten times more,” he said at a press conference in Thunder Bay June 15. “On reserve, the federal government should be supporting the Indigenous communities.” “Number one priority is to have clean drinking water for everyone in Ontario, but again, where are the feds? Where are they?” he said. “We’re pouring money into First Nations. I’d love to support them any way we can,” said Ford. In the 1960s and 1970s, the then-owners of the Dryden mill dumped nine to...
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Fort Frances sees first mayoral candidate
By Maya Ekman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWOnewswatch.com FORT FRANCES — More than a month after nominations opened, the city received its first filing for a mayoral candidate on Wednesday. Brent Calder of Fort Frances, now retired, was a construction and project manager and a representative on the Métis Nation Council. “I’m a retired person, and I think it’s time for me to give back to Northwestern Ontario, in particular, Fort Frances, for everything that they’ve given me in the past,” he said. “And with my experience on there, I’m sure I could be a benefit to Fort Frances,” said Calder. Candidate nominations opened on May 1 and will close on Aug. 21. The municipal election in Fort Frances, and across the province, is set for Monday, Oct. 26. Maya...
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‘Everybody will benefit’: What the K’ómoks First Nation Treaty Act means for economic development in the Comox Valley
By Dave Flawse, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Discourse At the end of May, the B.C. government gave a third and final reading of the K’ómoks Treaty Act, which will now go to the federal legislature to be ratified, a moment that has been over thirty years in the making. If passed, the treaty will give K’ómoks First Nation the ability to self-govern and bring economic development to newly acquired lands in the Comox Valley. “The economic opportunities are huge,” says K’ómoks First Nation Chief Nicole Rempel in an interview with The Discourse, adding that “it’s all about working together.” What are the potential economic benefits for the First Nation and wider Comox Valley community? And how does the Nation’s economic development plan compare to other nations with treaties in...
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Artist aspires to continue Squamish’s ‘cultural crossings’ with Scotland, in Indigenous-inspired exhibit
By Ina Pace, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Squamish Chief A local artist, heavily inspired by a Squamish Nation master carver’s work in the U.K., has opened a summer exhibit in Brackendale. Squamish and Scotland (in the U.K.) are more culturally interconnected than you might think. Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) master carver Xwalacktun (Rick Harry) helped carve 34 landmark totem poles across Scotland, visiting twice a year over the course of a 12- year cultural exchange project. The Scottish Pole Project began in the early 2000s when a Scottish woodworker (Kenny Grieve) visited the west coast of B.C. Grieve recruited a group of local carversto support his workshop Brotus (in Fife) in creating traditional story telling through art. The group also included fellow Nation member Tawx’sin Yexwulla ( Aaron Nelson-Moody)....
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Secwépemc stewardship reshapes 53-million-year-old forest
By Breanne Massey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Wren Seven years after taking the internationally renowned McAbee Fossil Beds back from the province, members of St’uxwtéws Bonaparte First Nation, as title holders and stewards, are continuing to shape a vision that combines paleontological research with Secwépemc culture. The handoff in 2019 came after the site had been closed to the public for several years due to conservation concerns, placing one of British Columbia’s most celebrated fossil deposits under Indigenous management and opening the door to a new approach rooted in both science and community history. The fossils found at the McAbee site are primarily well-preserved plants, such as rare Ginkgo biloba, insects, fish such as the oldest known fossil salmonidae, and birds from the Eocene Epoch period. Sitting in the...
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Anti-hate bill passes without residential school denialism clause
By Claire McFarlane, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio While an anti-hate bill passed in the Senate earlier this month, an amendment that would criminalize residential school denialism did not receive the votes required to be included in the bill. Bill C-9, dubbed the Combatting Hate Act, was introduced into the House of Commons by the minister of justice in September as a way to address hate speech and hate crimes. On June 1, Senator Nancy Karetak-Lindell of Nunavut proposed an amendment to the bill that would criminalize statements made outside private conversation that minimize, condone or deny the Indian residential school system. “There is no question in my mind that residential school denialism has placed doubt among Canadian citizens and has paved the way for outright racism towards Inuit,...
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Senior aide of Alberta premier urges First Nations chiefs to fix squalid communities
By Lisa Johnson The executive director of Premier Danielle Smith’s office says that instead of criticizing her, First Nations chiefs should fix their own communities, describing them as entrenched in poverty, drugs and violence. Bruce McAllister, in a post on social media, says the chiefs should focus on their own problems rather than having “the gall” to accuse the premier of treason over Alberta’s looming separation referendum. McAllister also says the chiefs’ misaligned priorities make him wonder if they’re taking orders from someone else. The post comes after the Assembly of Treaty Chiefs, representing First Nations across Alberta, voted to ask RCMP to look into whether the Oct. 19 referendum amounts to criminal treason by Smith and her United Conservative Party. Smith responded to that by saying the chiefs should...
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Grassy Narrows repeats call for Carney to apologize for comments made about protest
By Alessia Passafiume A Grassy Narrows First Nation woman who suffers from mercury poisoning repeated her call Thursday for Prime Minister Mark Carney to apologize for saying he could “outlast” her during a March protest. Chrissy Isaacs stood with Grassy Narrows First Nation Chief Sherry Ackabee, NDP Leader Avi Lewis and a large delegation of community members carrying photos of their deceased loved ones on Parliament Hill to demand both an apology and the termination of the paper mill Isaacs said is still poisoning her people. The Dryden Paper Mill released thousands of kilograms of mercury into the community’s river system in northwestern Ontario from the 1960s to 1970s. Community members are still dealing with the fallout today. “When Mark Carney said that he can outlast me, well, I’m here,”...
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Native Americans mark the US 250th with pride, pain and patriotism
By Susan Montoya Bryan SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Swiftly marching toward westward expansion, the United States in the 1800s brought with it a tidal wave of displacement and cultural suppression for Native Americans. A century of broken treaties already had spawned distrust of the federal government, and widespread forced assimilation was accelerating. With shifting cultural and social circumstances came declining populations. Survival was hanging in the balance. Renowned for their masterful beadwork, Lakota women had a strategy. Incorporating symbols of American patriotism into their work was more than a simple embrace of the stars and stripes. It was an act of quiet resistance that provided an avenue for conserving their values as U.S. policies unraveled their communities. So with America’s 250th birthday come mixed emotions rooted in pain, pride...
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Five people ordered banished from northwest B.C. First Nation territory
A First Nation in northwestern British Columbia has banished five people from its territory for three years. The Taku River Tlingit First Nation says in a statement on Facebook that its council issued the banishment order after receiving “significant concerns” from the community. It says that information led the council to determine they pose “a serious risk to the safety and well-being” of community members. The order says the five people will not be allowed in the area of Atlin, Five Mile and the Taku Watershed until June 2029. No further information on the complaints has been released, and the council did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The nation’s statement urges community members to report any individuals who may pose safety risks or who may be violating...
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Seaweed farming offers climate benefits, but regulatory gaps pose risks
By John Driscoll, Adjunct Professor, University of British Columbia and Edward Gregr, Adjunct Professor, Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia From sea lettuce adorning tidal pools and bull kelp left in windrows at the high tide line to towering underwater forests of giant kelp providing refuge and food for countless species, British Columbia’s seaweeds are both ubiquitously prominent along shorelines as well as hidden from sight in the deep. With iconic species like salmon, whales and bears dominating popular attention and imagination, B.C.’s seaweeds are often easy to overlook. Now, however, the province’s suitability for growing seaweed is attracting attention at a time when seaweed aquaculture is becoming recognized for its potential to yield many benefits. Our team recently reviewed how well-suited the province’s existing regulations...
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Court hears Alberta separatist group’s plea for stay of referendum petition ruling
By Jack Farrell An Alberta Court of Appeal hearing is underway for a separatist group’s attempt to have a ruling that quashed its referendum petition set aside. A judge ruled last month that the Stay Free Alberta petition shouldn’t have been issued and that Premier Danielle Smith’s government neglected its duty to consult First Nations. The petition called for a direct referendum question on the province quitting Canada. Jeff Rath, a lawyer for Stay Free Alberta, has applied for a stay of the ruling so that Elections Alberta can verify the petition’s signatures. The group submitted its petition in May claiming to have collected nearly 302,000 names. Both Rath and the provincial government are also appealing the judge’s decision. Smith has cited the ruling, the separatist petition and a pro-Canada...
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MPs pass spending bill, opt to head home for summer break
By Nick Murray and Sarah Ritchie The House of Commons will rise for the summer Thursday afternoon, after unanimously voting to push through some final pieces of legislation, including the government’s controversial lawful access bill. MPs will return Sept. 21. At a press conference outside the House of Commons on Thursday, Government House leader Steven MacKinnon faced many questions about the Liberals’ fast-tracking of C-22. “Every day matters in this place and a legislative achievement matters,” MacKinnon told reporters. “The Senate can now take this up as soon as they return.” Along with passing C-22 on division, the motion to adjourn for the summer also agreed to pass bill C-27 — the government’s formal recognition of Sahtu Dene and Métis self-governance in the N.W.T. MPs also agreed to adopt, on...
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MCK opposes Quebec’s proposed Bill 8
By Lucas-Matthew Marsh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Iori:wase The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) has publicly opposed Quebec’s proposed Bill 8, raising concerns about its potential impact on Indigenous peoples. MCK Grand Chief Cody Diabo stated that the proposed changes reflect broader legislative efforts to prioritize Quebec’s collective identity over minority rights and treaty obligations. “First Nations are distinct rights holders, not subject to unilateral provincial legislation affecting their language, education, or governance,” Diabo said. “While we’re not surprised, we remind the government that attempts to impose legislative barriers that restrict or disregard our right to self-determination… are not acceptable.” Bill 8 was tabled in the National Assembly last week. The proposed legislation would expand Quebec’s Charter of the French Language to include adult and vocational education programs, restricting English...
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Ottawa introduces Indigenous clean water legislation
By Lucas-Matthew Marsh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Iori:wase The federal government has introduced Bill C-37 in the House of Commons to address the national Indigenous clean drinking water crisis. Minister of Indigenous Services Canada Mandy Gull-Masty introduced the legislation, describing it as an important step toward resolving the clean drinking water crisis. “This is a time for action, with First Nations guiding the way,” Gull-Masty said. “For too long, many First Nations communities have gone without the protections that help keep drinking water safe. That needs to change. The proposed First Nations Clean Water Act would establish, for the first time, a legislative framework to support safe drinking water in First Nations communities, while recognizing First Nations jurisdiction over water on their lands and holding governments to account.” The proposed...
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‘We believe it’s possible to reach a compromise that keeps Bekanon Road accessible’: Henvey Inlet business launches petition on proposed interchange
By Shania Tabobondung , Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Parry Sound North Star After the Ministry of Transportation unveiled three additional redesigns of the Bekanon Road interchange as part of the four-lane expansion plans for Highway 69, the management of S.N. Gas & Convenience started a petition to keep the interchange in its earlier planned location. The proposal is to extend Highway 400 to the east of the current Highway 69 corridor. Plans dating back to 2016 were to extend Bekanon Road east to the Highway 400 interchange. The province is now proposing three new interchange options further north that would include a roadway to Bekanon Road. Currently, drivers come to a complete stop to exit Bekanon Road to enter Highway 69, at S.N. Gas & Convenience. Bekanon Road is the...
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Smith tells First Nations chiefs to ‘check themselves’ over treason accusation
By Jack Farrell Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says a group of Indigenous chiefs need to “check themselves,” after they accused her of potential treasonous activity for calling a separation vote. The Assembly of Treaty Chiefs, representing First Nations across Alberta, unanimously voted to ask the RCMP to look into whether the referendum amounts to criminal treason by Smith and her United Conservative Party. The chiefs say the fall referendum is an intentional violation of the treaty relationship and ignores risks to Canada’s sovereignty. Smith says the accusation is disgraceful. She says her government and the assembly have a collaborative relationship and she wants it to continue but that the chiefs’ language has no place in democracy. Albertans are to vote Oct. 19 on whether they want to remain in Canada...
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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, 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 day the current commissioner’s term is set to expire. The Canadian Press has asked the Canadian Heritage department, which oversees the arm’s-length office, when a permanent commissioner and directors will be appointed. The Canadian Press reported last month an audit is being conducted on the office tasked with helping to preserve at-risk Indigenous languages. Half a dozen sources, including former employees, told The Canadian Press that over the...
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