Gauge to be installed on river
A new river monitoring system could soon give Six Nations real-time flood alerts at no cost to the community. At the Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) General Council meeting on Feb. 24, the Rachel VanEvery acting director of the Data Analytics and Insights (DA&I) department presented a proposal to install an electronic river level monitoring gauge on the Chiefswood Bridge, in partnership with the County of Brant and Six Nations Public Works. The initiative stems from a December 2024 outreach by Brant County to Public Works Director Michael Montour regarding expanded monitoring. “The Grand River has a need for enhanced monitoring,” VanEvery said. Currently, the closest river flow gauges are located in Galt and Canning, with three new gauges recently installed in Brant County. The County has invited Six Nations...
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200 years and counting…
It’s been 20 years since two Six Nations women walked onto a housing development being built on unceded Six Nations land and reclaimed it for the community. Today the land sits empty. Fields overgrown. It’s been two decades of waiting for the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council (HCCC) to decide how it will work with the people to make use of the vacant lands. And 200 years of waiting for a conclusion with Canada and Ontario, who seem to have a problem with Haudenosaunee reclaiming their lands. For Janie Jamieson and Dawn Hill it wasn’t just about reclaiming lands a housing development was scheduled to be built on. What the two women did was not just bring back the land, but set the stage for the enacting Haudenosaunee rights. They did...
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Today in History
March 7 In 1657, the sale of liquor to Canadian natives was prohibited by King Louis XIV of France. In 2019, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he should have been aware of an “erosion of trust” between his office and former minister of justice Jody Wilson-Raybould over the SNC-Lavalin controversy, but he stopped short of apologizing to her. He said as prime minister and leader of the federal ministry, he should have been more aware. Wilson-Raybould claimed she was improperly pressured to stop a criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin and was punished for her refusal to give in by being moved out of the Justice portfolio to Veterans Affairs in an early January cabinet shuffle. She resigned from cabinet shortly after the controversy erupted. In 2025, Buffy Sainte-Marie returned her Order...
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UNDER THE NORTHERN SKY: Who Is In Control Of Your Social Media
By Xavier Kataquapit We are all part of a great change in human civilization. Whether we know it or not, we are living through humanity’s first steps into the modern digital age. I grew up in the 1980s in my remote home community of Attawapiskat on the James Bay coast. Back then, it really felt like we lived in another world because we only had one reliable radio signal and three television channels with up to date news and content. Long distance phone calls were available but everyone was constantly concerned about the cost of using a phone, so it was only reserved for the most important calls. A generation before the 1980s, there was no direct connection to the outside world in my home community. My parents, Marius and...
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Ironmen win opening-round playoff series versus Coyotes
By Sam Laskaris Writer Bring on the Blitz. That’s what members of the Six Nations Ironmen were able to proclaim following their latest playoff triumph. The Ironmen downed the host Halton Hills Coyotes 6-3 in a Northern Premier Hockey League (NPHL) contest this past Saturday. With that victory the Six Nations club captured its best-of-seven series against the Coyotes 4-1. The Ironmen now move on to square off against the Orangeville Blitz in a best-of-seven North Division final in the NPHL’s Metropolitan Conference. Orangeville advanced to the divisional final by defeating the Woodstock Lakers 4-1 in its best-of-seven semi-final battle. The Blitz wrapped up that series with a 5-4 home win in Game 5 this past Friday. Six Nations forward Steven LaForme, who netted four goals in the series-clinching match...
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Hesquiaht Descendants earn second and Most Sportsmanlike at 66th All Native Basketball Tourney
By Nora O’Malley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ha-Shilth-Sa Hesquiaht rookies Jaysen Touchie, Tessa Charleson and Brielle Tom. By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Prince Rupert, B.C. – With a loss to the Laxgalts’ap Aces (Greenville) in game two of a grueling All Native Basketball Tournament, it could have easily gone sideways for the Hesquiaht Descendants. But the small team of eight players took the defeat, turned it into fuel and rallied to win six tough backdoor games for a spot in the women’s final against the Similkameen Starbirds from the Okanagan Valley. Along with 15 other teams in the women’s division, the Descendents made run for the title of the 66th annual All Native Basketball Tournament (ANBT), which was held Feb. 14 to 21 in Prince Rupert, B.C. “We...
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Six Nations Police seeking information on missing woman
By Alex Murray Writer The Six Nations Police (SNP) and the family of a local Six Nations woman are asking the community for help in finding Kristy Thomas, who has gone missing. Thomas was last seen on February 26, 2026, five days prior to the filing of the missing person report on March 3. The last time her family heard from her was February 27. “The family is concerned for her well-being as she normally communicates with them while she is out,” the report said. The last time she was seen, Thomas was wearing a black Helly Hansen light jacket, blue jeans, and black boots. She was also carrying a sparkly Coach purse. On February 26, Thomas was seen driving her 2007 Red GMC Sierra truck (license plate number: BA...
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Author roots novel in dark times
By Shari Narine, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com Métis author Tara Gereaux dedicates her new novel Wild People Quiet to her late grandfather. It’s a fitting dedication as main character Florence Banks mirrors the actions of grandfather Clarence: They both hid their Métis identity. “I really wanted to write this book to understand the circumstances that my grandfather was living in when he was a young man,” said Gereaux. “I don’t know exactly when he might have made that decision to live as a white man, but I imagine it was probably when he was just a young man starting out on his own.” In 1946, the setting for Wild People Quiet, Gereaux’s grandfather would have been around 20 years of age. “I really wanted to explore that time period...
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NDP politicians set off on road trip to highlight northern Ontario road dangers
By Liam Casey Three Ontario New Democrats have set off on a 3,500-kilometre road trip from Toronto to the Manitoba boundary and back to highlight the dangers of northern roads. Northern legislators John Vanthof, Guy Bourgouin and Sol Mamakwa said the time has come for Premier Doug Ford and his Progressive Conservative government to take action to save lives. They say Ford has not done enough to address dangerous conditions on northern roads. “It’s shameful,” Vanthof said of the high numbers of fatal collisions and lengthy road closures, especially on highways 17 and 11. Those are the two main routes across northern Ontario, most of which is served by two-lane highways. “We’re going to drive from here to Manitoba on Highway 11 and we’re going to come back on 17...
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Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq chiefs see drastic impacts from provincial budget
By Rosemary Godin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cape Breton Post In the shadow of the provincial budget released this week, the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs (Maw-lukutijik Saqmaq ) is calling for a meeting with Premier Tim Houston under the principles established through the Mi’kmaq-Nova Scotia-Canada Tripartite Forum to express their concerns. The assembly has apprehensions with cuts to about 21 different Mi’kmaq-specific programs among a wide sweeping new budget. “The Nova Scotia government’s decisions will have drastic impacts on this province,” said Chief Leroy Denny, co-chair of the assembly. “Programs and organizations that the province and the Mi’kmaq have been partners on for years, this government decided to claw back or push away from. This is incredibly disappointing.” According to a post to Denny’s community of Eskasoni First...
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‘We can set the agenda:’ Carney continues middle power pitch in Australia
By Anja Karadeglija In Australia, Prime Minister Mark Carney continued his argument that middle powers should band together, saying Canada and Australia share the advantages of legitimacy and trust. “Australia and Canada can’t compel like the great powers; but we can convene, we can set the agenda, shape the rules, and organize and build capacity through coalitions that deliver results at speed and global scale,” Carney said in a speech at the Lowy Institute think tank in Sydney. Carney hit on many of the same points as he did in his headline-making Davos speech in January. “Middle powers have more power than many realize,” he argued. Carney gave the example of Europe, Australia, Canada, Japan and South Korea, saying that, combined, they have a larger GDP than the United States...
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Carney says he backs strikes on Iran ‘with some regret’ as world order frays
By Rod Mcguirk MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday he supported the strikes on Iran “with some regret” as they represented an extreme example of a rupturing world order. Carney spoke at the Lowy Institute, a Sydney-based international policy think tank, during the Australian leg of a trade-focused, three-nation visit that began in India. He will address the Australian Parliament on Thursday, then fly to Japan on Friday. “Geostrategically, hegemons are increasingly acting without constraint or respect for international norms or laws, while others bear the consequences. Now the extremes of this disruption are being played out in real time in the Middle East,” Carney said. The Canadian prime minister stressed his country was not apprised beforehand of the U.S.-Israeli airstrikes, in his first remarks...
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Winnipeg security guard charged with using brass knuckles on suspected shoplifter
By Brittany Hobson Winnipeg police have charged a security guard with assault after video surfacing online appeared to show him using brass knuckles to punch out a suspected shoplifter. The 23-year-old guard was arrested Monday evening and charged with assault with a weapon, unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted weapon and uttering threats after police became aware the assault was captured on camera. Police said the case began when officers were called to a Dollarama discount store in the city’s downtown on Saturday, where they arrested a 46-year-old who had been detained by an on-duty security guard. That man is accused of concealing $95 worth of merchandise and trying to leave the store before the guard intervened. That man was charged with robbery and uttering threats. Later on, an...
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In Manitoba, a growing herd of bagwaji-bizhikiwag offers lessons in community
By Crystal Greene, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews A large herd of bagwaji-bizhikiwag (wood bison) call Chitek Lake Anishinaabe Provincial Park in Manitoba home — and their community recently grew even larger. On Feb. 18, the herd welcomed ten new bulls and cows to their territory nestled between Lake Winnipegosis and Lake Winnipeg — more than 300 kilometres northwest of the City of Winnipeg. They’d traveled 12 hours in a massive cattle trailer across provinces, from Elk Island National Park in “Alberta.” Wood bison, once on the brink of extinction, have seen their populations climb thanks to conservation efforts. And even though historically the species wasn’t known to live in this herd’s area, the vast isolation of the park’s boreal forest, fields and lakes helps keep them safe from disease...
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What treating Kashechewan evacuees reveals about Canada’s drinking water crisis: Policy failure is an Indigenous health issue
By Jamaica Cass, Director, Queen’s-Weeneebayko Health Education Partnership, Queen’s University, Ontario When 200 people evacuated from Kashechewan First Nation arrived in Kingston, Ont. on a Sunday afternoon in January 2026 — many Elders, children and medically complex family members — the urgency was immediately clear. By the next afternoon, my colleagues from the Indigenous Interprofessional Primary Care Team and I had brought our mobile clinic to the evacuees’ hotel and were seeing patients who had been abruptly displaced by yet another failure of their community’s drinking water system. At the same time, Kingston’s Indigenous friendship centre was organizing volunteers to lead cultural programming and create supports to help families maintain connection and dignity during displacement. This matters because Kashechewan is not an exception. Research across Canada shows that unsafe drinking...
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‘We never received one complaint’: Native Centre board members speak out against misconduct allegations
By Paige Seburn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Lake Report Conflicting accounts are re-emerging at the Niagara Regional Native Centre, where current leadership is pushing back against allegations of intimidation and mismanagement from past leaders and staff. This comes amid disputes over a Sept. 11 protest outside the centre in Niagara-on-the-Lake, as well as over staff levels, membership approvals and legal cost reimbursements. Former board president Sean Vanderklis, who resigned Feb. 26 last year, said he received a lawyer’s letter on Oct. 17 alleging defamation related to the dispute. A copy of the letter reviewed by The Lake Report shows counsel for former board member Lacey Lewis demanding the removal of social media posts and a public retraction, and reserving the right to pursue legal action. As of right now,...
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Polar Plunge raises over 18k for Special Olympics Manitoba
By Renee Lilley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Portage Graphic Leader A record-breaking number of participants braved the icy waters at Stride Place in recent days, raising thousands of dollars to help local athletes reach the national stage. The eighth annual Portage la Prairie Polar Plunge, held Feb. 28, saw 48 “plungers” leap into a customized dive tank. The event raised $18,500 for Special Olympics Manitoba, marking the highest participation rate in the event’s local history. “Special Olympics is an amazing cause that gets athletes involved in sport,” said Kristen Tompsett, staff sergeant with the Manitoba First Nations Police Service and a longtime event organizer. “This year is particularly important because the national games are in Alberta this August. We want to ensure as many athletes can go as possible.” The...
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‘Blue Heron’ wins best Canadian film at TFCA Awards, ‘Endless Cookie’ wins best doc
By Alex Nino Gheciu A coming-of-age drama about a Canadian-Hungarian family’s turbulent time settling into their new home on Vancouver Island has been named best Canadian feature by the Toronto Film Critics Association. “Blue Heron” writer-director Sophy Romvari accepted the $50,000 Rogers Best Canadian Film Award for her debut feature at a gala Monday night. Centred on a Hungarian family adjusting to life in Canada, her semi-autobiographical film gradually uncovers family tensions through the viewpoint of the youngest child. In December, “Blue Heron” won best first feature in the main slate of the Toronto Film Critics Association Awards — an honour that makes Romvari just the third filmmaker, after Sarah Polley and Zacharias Kunuk, to claim both prizes in the same year. Another major winner announced at the ceremony was...
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Jasper facing higher RCMP costs as Alberta ponders provincial police force
By Peter Shokeir, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Jasper Local The Municipality of Jasper could pay nearly $1.2 million annually for RCMP policing by 2030-31, according to preliminary estimates from provincial officials. In December, the Government of Alberta (GOA) announced changes to the Police Funding Model formula, as well as significant increases to the overall amount of funds collected from municipalities. “Overall, municipalities will face higher costs, unclear benefits, and significant uncertainty,” the Rural Municipalities of Alberta explained after the new model was announced. On Tuesday (Feb. 24), after learning how those changes could affect the Municipality of Jasper’s bottom line, councillors meeting as Committee of the Whole directed municipal staff to work with the provincial Police Funding Model team to identify modifiers and subsidies that might apply to Jasper,...
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Assembly of Treaty Chiefs votes no-confidence in UCP government
By Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News In a historic vote, an umbrella organization representing chiefs from Treaties 6, 7 and 8 has called on the Legislative Assembly to hold a vote of non-confidence in Premier Danielle Smith and the UCP. The vote was unanimous at the Assembly of Treaty Chiefs (AOTC) Feb. 26 meeting at River Cree Resort in Enoch. It’s the first time the AOTC has voted non-confidence in a government. “A responsible government requires independent democratic oversight and a transparent legislative process. The UCP has obstructed and failed to meet these basic requirements to govern,” reads an AOTC news release. The chiefs are calling for UCP, NDP and independent MLAs to “officially and expeditiously” hold a vote of non-confidence in the government in the...
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