Markham named host for 2024 Little NHL tournament
By Sam Laskaris Writer Goodbye Mississauga. And hello Markham. The Little Native Hockey League tournament had been staged annually in Mississauga since 2013, minus the three years, 2020-2022, that it was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But organizers of the event, which has become the largest Indigenous youth hockey tournament in Ontario, announced this past week the tourney, often simply called the Little NHL, would not be back in Mississauga for 2024. Instead, the tournament, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary next March, will be staged in the York Region city of Markham. Thus, instead of travelling to Mississauga once again, Six Nations players and team staff members and local fans will now have to travel a bit further, now north of Toronto instead of west it, for next...
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MontHill club to host Ontario Indigenous golf tournament again
By Sam Laskaris Writer For the second straight year some of the province’s top Indigenous golfers will be teeing it up in Six Nations. That’s because the MontHill Golf & Country Club will once again be hosting the Indigenous Ontario Championship. This year’s event, which will once again feature women’s and men’s categories, will run from Aug. 13-16. The first day of the tournament will include a practice round as well as opening ceremonies. That will be followed by three days of competition. About 90 golfers are expected to participate in the event. Six Nations’ John Monture won the men’s division at last year’s inaugural tournament. And Cheryl Mitchell from Walpole Island First Nation took top honours in the women’s grouping. Monture had to work a bit of overtime in...
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Bee keeper moves over 200,000 honey bees from local church
By Lisa Iesse Writer SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND – Over 210,000 honey bees took refuge at a local church’s doorstep in Six Nations this summer. The bees’ nest was first stirred up back in early June, when a drone was sent to inspect the 183 year-old bell tower at the Ohsweken Baptist Church at 1862 4th Line, Church members Leslie McDougall, and Theresa Mt Pleasant told the Turtle Island news a drone sent up to take a look brushed a nearby tree, which just happened to be the home of hundreds of thousands of bees! A huge black swarm of bees emerged, McDougall said. before heading to the church the bees first “attacked” a truck in the parking lot. The queen bee found her way into a tiny hole,...
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Museum in New York state returns remains of 19 Native Americans to Oneida Indian Nation
By Maysoon Khan THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)-A museum in Rochester, New York, returned ancestral remains of 19 Native Americans and funerary artifacts to the Oneida Indian Nation on Wednesday, striving for a “small step in the service of justice.” The remains of Oneida ancestors include those of five men, three women and two adolescent girls who lived sometime between 200 to 3,000 years ago. A mix of pottery and other items traditionally buried with the dead were also returned, as required by federal law. Hillary Olson, the president of the Rochester Museum and Science Center, apologized for the museum’s acquisition of the remains. “We have perpetuated harmful practices including the excavation, collection, study, and display of Native American ancestors and their belongings,” she said during a repatriation ceremony...
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Two Row on the Grand 2023 paddled its way from Cambridge to Port Maitland down the Grand River
Two Row on the Grand 2023 paddled its way from Cambridge to Port Maitland down the Grand River. The 10 day paddle saw the largest number of canoes yet. The made their way down with wampum belts and were spotted as they made their way through Six Nations under the Chiefswood Road bridge heading to the lake. (Photo by Terrylyn Brant)...
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National Indigenous agenda impacted by Trudeau’s sweeping Cabinet shuffle
By Shari Narine Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Reaction to a wholesale Cabinet shuffle by Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, which included the removal of two ministers integral to the national Indigenous agenda, demonstrates a divide of perspectives between First Nations and Metis in Ontario. Ontario Regional Chief Glen Hare is frustrated that Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller and Justice Minister and Attorney General David Lametti have been replaced. First Nations have been working with Lametti on an action plan to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People which was passed into legislation through Canada’s United Nations Declaration Act two years ago. Work was also ongoing with Miller on changes to the specific claims policy and additions to reserve reform, among other issues. “We just get hopefully...
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Six Nations Walk the Tract aimed at gaining allies for law suit
A friendship walk along the Haldimand Tract and campaign intended to gain support from allies outside the community for Six Nations land and financial litis taking a back seat to the fair. Tuesday Johnson-MacDonald, founder of TAP Resources, and organizer of the Walk the Tract event presented branding options to Six Nations Elected Council at its July 25 general Council meeting, but walked away with more than she bargained for. The Six Nations Fall Fair and the Walk the Tract event were both scheduled to run September 7, 8 and 9, but Elected Chief Mark Hill said the events may both see higher attendance numbers if they weren’t “competing.” “We’ve been trying to revitalize our fall fair,” he said. “Do we have enough to go around?” Initially he hesitated to...
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Manitoba Minister claims he is Métis … but no one else agrees
By Steve Lambert THE CANADIAN PRESS WINNIPEG- A Manitoba cabinet minister who is facing questions about his claim of being Metis says he is on a personal journey about his heritage. Environment Minister Kevin Klein says an uncle on his mother’s side had status granted by the Painted Feather Woodland Metis, and he applied and was granted status as well. The Manitoba Métis Federation itself doesn’t recognize the Painted Feather Woodland Metis neither does the Métis Nation of Ontario. Instead they say its a business based in a private residence near Bancroft Ont Klein’s comments follow a CBC investigation that said there is no sign of Metis or Indigenous ancestors on his mother’s side, going back five generations. The Painted Feather Woodland Metis are not recognized by the Manitoba Metis...
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Development on Haldimand Tract…Yes or No
Six Nations Consultation and Accommodations Process (CAP) Team told Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) they need to make a decision when it comes to development on Haldimand Tract: Either continue to let it happen, or stand up in court. Phil Monture, former director of Lands and Resources, told SNEC development in Brantford has only sped up in the last four years and doesn’t show signs of stopping. He said if they want a piece of the multi-million dollar pie they’ll have to take a hard stance and probably go through a lengthy court battle to get it. “Are we going to take them on or are we going to try to work out agreements? Are we going toward litigation? Who has the legal duty to consult between Ontario and the...
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Six Nations Elected Council to have vote on proposed changes to election code at what its calling it’s Annual General Assembly
Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) is combing a vote on potential election code changes with what it is billing as its Annual General Assembly (AGA). The Six Nations community will be voting on possible changes to the 2019 election code, but for the majority of band members, they will have to attend the Annual General Assembly (AGA) to vote. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) approved a community vote on amendments to the election code at its general Council meeting on July 25. The vote will be held at the Community Hall during the AGA on August 24 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. With Six Nations headed to the polls this November the AGA is the first AGA the council will have held in its four year term. Elders in...
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Crafty fun at Six Nations annual Red Barn Summer Camp
By Lisa Iesse Writer SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND – Six Nations popular Red Barn arts and crafts workshops were back in-person this summer with its biggest enrollment ever! The popular children’s summer workshops had 18 different arts and crafts stations and 170 participants this year said Rachel Martin, Red Barn board chairperson. The more than 60-year-old summer tradition brings Six Nations youth together with artists and crafters to learn the art of beading, woodworking, and others. This year’s two-week session was topped off with an open house at the Sour Springs Longhouse on Friday (July 21). At the open house, students, instructors, elders, parents, and others celebrated an impressive collection of arts and crafts created by the students. Instructor Mya Warner was a student at the Red Barn workshops...
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Election Code discussions need to be free of politics
Something is amiss with the Six Nations Election Code discussions. Firstly, they aren’t with the community, you know the people who actually cast the ballots that lend credence to the electorial system here. The new Chief Electoral Polling Officer (CEPO) appeared at a Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) session last week and not only agreed to SNEC’s plan to hold a vote on code changes at their first, and probably their last, annual general meeting, but appears to be planning on discussing with them a change in when the new council would take office and when they would leave. Discussions that are not up to the either body to decide and are leaving out the people who do make those decisions, the public. While we welcome the novice CEPO to her new...
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Mohawk Institute survivor documentary receive award
By Lisa Iesse Writer A documentary featuring the testimony of Mohawk Institute Survivors received hard-won recognition this week. The Female Eye is an annual festival which features critically acclaimed independent films from women directors across Turtle Island and beyond. This Sunday (July 31), The Nature of Healing received a special award from the Female Eye’s jury for The Most Impactful Film of 2023. On July 26 the documentary The Nature of Healing opened the Female Eye Film Festival at the Hot Docs Cinema in Toronto. T he Three Fires International Film Festival is a cultural organization focussed on bringing Independent Indigenous films to local audiences. At the Three Fires Festival, The Nature of Healing won in the category of Best Canadian Documentary at the award ceremony event at Algonquin Theatre...
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Six Nations councillor concerned band not hiring local people
By Lynda Powless Editor A move by Six Nations Band council’s administration to advertising band jobs internationally before posting locally isn’t sitting well with some councillors. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) learned last week a top job at the band, the health services director position, was posted through a head-hunting service but not locally. Councillor Hazel Johnson questioned the move during the July 17th Finance meeting after receiving a complaint from a community member who had wanted to apply for the job. She said the community member who was looking into the position after Lorie Davis-Hill formally resigned in June. Davis-Hill has taken a position with Indigenous Health Learning Lodge at McMaster Faculty of Health Sciences. Johnson said the community member was told the position had already been filled. “I...
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Six Nations youth lacrosse teams enjoy success at provincial championships
By Sam Laskaris Writer Members of the Six Nations Girls Field Lacrosse Association are certainly beaming with pride these days. That’s because four of the teams from the local association managed to capture some hardware the past couple of weekends during their season-ending provincial tournaments. This included the Six Nations’ Under-9 squad. The team had managed to win just two out of its six regular season matches this year. The squad then participated in the B Division of its provincial championships, two weekends ago in Brampton. Six Nations was one of three entrants in the division. After losing its opening match 11-9 against Kitchener, it managed to register a lopsided 18-7 triumph against Owen Sound. Then, based on a formula factoring in goals scored versus those allowed, the Six Nations...
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Sam Laskaris – BEHIND THE ACTION – Six Nations Chiefs
By Sam Laskaris Writer It’s playoff time in the Major Series Lacrosse (MSL). For local fans that means it is time to figure out whether the Six Nations Chiefs will be able to end a seven-year drought and go all the way and capture a national Mann Cup championship. The Chiefs last hoisted the Canadian championship, the sixth one in the organization’s history, back in 2016. Six Nations has had its share of decent teams since then. But each time the Chiefs ended up short of their ultimate goal of hoisting the Mann Cup. There is a sense, however, that this year could be different. This could very well be the season that the Six Nations squad is the one that is celebrating at the conclusion of the national Senior...
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Top-seeded Tomahawks to host provincial championships at ILA
By Sam Laskaris Writer Jay Smith has done it again. The Six Nations resident seems to have a knack for taking the reins of a lacrosse club and making it a success. “Every time I’m asked to coach, my job is to get players to the next level,” said Smith, the bench boss of the Six Nations Tomahawks, the local Senior C squad. “Oftentimes we are starting from scratch or rebuilding. This team fell into the rebuilding category. I wasn’t handed a team that was already set and just rode their coattails. We built this pretty much from scratch. And here we are with the best record in senior lacrosse in Ontario period.” Smith first became the Tomahawks’ coach back in 2019. He led the team to a provincial title,...
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Rebels inch towards national tournament; Attack prepares for provincials
By Sam Laskaris Writer A squad from an Indigenous community in Ontario will be participating in this year’s Founders Cup, the national Junior B lacrosse tournament. That’s because the two squads that will square off in the Ontario Lacrosse Association’s best-of-five championship final series are the Six Nations Rebels and the Akwesasne Thunder. The series winner will advance to the Founders Cup, which will be staged Aug. 14-20 in Port Coquitlam, B.C. The Rebels earned a spot into the Ontario finals in rather dramatic fashion. They edged the visiting St. Catharines Athletics 11-10 in double overtime this past Friday in the fifth and deciding game of their Western Conference final series. The match was held at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena. Akwesasne moved on to the provincial finals by beating the...
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UNDER THE NORTHERN SKY: Time Is The Great Healer
By Xavier Kataquapit Tragedy seems to be a normal part of life for my people. I’ve known so many sad stories during my life time that with every passing event, I feel numb to the pain that a normal person should realize. It doesn’t mean I am immune to the pain. Instead, I feel a deep sense of sadness when I experience the passing of loved ones in my life as it reminds me of so many others that have gone before. This past month when most of us should be enjoying summer joy several people passed on unexpectedly. My cousin Jeff Kataquapit passed on recently at the age of 57. He had suffered from a chronic pulmonary disease for some time and we had all worried about...
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