Six Nations waiting to see if Indian Day school class action extended
Six Nations continues to wait for a resolution to its attempt to extend the claims period to the Indian Day School class action application deadline. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) launched legal action against the Canadian government in December, 2022 over the class action Settlement Agreement that seeks to provide compensation for the systemic abuse suffered by First Nations children attending the government-run Indian Day Schools. They argued the deadline should be extended to December 30, 2025, but Federal Court Justice Sébastien Grammond reserved his decision on June 13 after a two-day hearing in Ottawa concerning deadline extension. SNEC and Audrey Hill argued the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and deficiencies in the claims process warrant the extension. Six Nations Elected Chief Mark Hill made a statement to the community...
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Six Nations waste transfer station working
Six Nations Public Works Department believes their system for handling the reserves trash is working well and plans to keep the status quo. A 20-year waste management study for the reserve suggested transitioning its landfill site to a transfer station and Mike Montour, director of public works said that was done in 2020 and it’s worked out well. “The last few years have been fantastic, thank you to community for transitioning with the waste and putting it where it’s supposed to be,” he said. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) approved a motion to extend contracts with Norfolk Disposal Services, who move the waste from the transfer site on Fourth Line Road to Thorold in Niagara. The original contract was signed in 2020 and contained an option to extend for five...
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Special Chiefs Assembly or dump day?
The Assembly of First Nations is meeting today to decide on the future of the leadership of the first woman to take the helm of the national organization. A Special Chiefs Assembly (SCA) is being held virtually and there is only one thing on the agenda, the results of a Human Resource Investigation Report. A report into complaints lodged by five AFN employees against the National Chief alleging they suffered harassment and reprisals from the AFN leader. Just over a year later the independent human Resources report has found employees did face harassment and reprisals from National Chief RoseAnne Archibald. The investigations were launched just over a year ago June 14, 2022 when five employees made allegations of harassment and reprisals from the National Chief and had their confidentiality breached...
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Six Nations walks from AFN health meeting, elder shut down
Six Nations isn’t happy with the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) and its facilitators after an elder’s comments were silenced and walked out in solidarity. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) representatives including councillors Nathan Wright and Greg Frazer as well as acting director of Health Services, Alana Hill attended the AFN’s National Health Forum on May 31 and June 1. Wright told SNEC they don’t support the federal government’s proposed health legislation at its Political Liaison Committee meeting on June 19. Wright also hopes that the next sitting council can continue to be cautious of devolution of services to the First Nation and to make public statements on the issue. He’s cautious of involvement in the AFN and says at a breakout session a facilitator was “only interested in hearing...
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Haudenosaunee team finishes with round-robin record of 2-2 at world tourney
By Sam Laskaris Writer The Haudenosaunee squad competing at the world men’s field lacrosse championships in San Diego managed to conclude its round-robin schedule on a positive note. The club, which includes plenty of Six Nations connections, defeated Australia 10-6 in its fourth and final round-robin match held on Monday. That victory enabled the Haudenosaunee squad to finish with a 2-2 round-robin mark. The squad had also kicked off its appearance at the worlds with a lopsided 18-5 victory over England this past Friday. The Haudenosaunee then suffered a pair of heartbreaking losses. First it was downed 9-7 by the United States, the defending world champs, in a Saturday match. Canada then edged the Haudenosaunee side 8-7 in a game on Sunday. The 4-0 Americans and Canada, which posted a...
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SPORTS BRIEFS: Rebels capture first two playoff matches
By Sam Laskaris Writer Rebels capture first two playoff matches It’s a new season for the Six Nations Rebels. Now that they have commenced their playoffs the Rebels have continued to do what they did throughout the regular season. Win. The local Junior B lacrosse squad posted an unblemished 20-0 mark during regular season action. And now the Rebels are one W away from capturing their opening-round series in the playoffs. Six Nations began its post-season this past Friday by downing the visiting Owen Sound North Stars 15-9 in a match held at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena (ILA). The Rebels then defeated the host North Stars 9-6 on Sunday afternoon in Owen Sound. With those two victories the Rebels hold a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-five Eastern Conference quarter-final...
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Tomahawks collect four more victories at Senior Series Lacrosse tournament in Lakefield
By Sam Laskaris Writer The Six Nations Tomahawks have pretty much guaranteed themselves a first-place finish in their league standings. The Tomahawks, a Senior C men’s lacrosse squad, won all four of its contests this past weekend at a tournament in Lakefield. The Six Nations club is now sporting a record of 11-1-0, good for top spot in its eight-team Senior Series Lacrosse (SSL). The Tomahawks are seven points ahead of the second-place Toronto Lightning, who have compiled a 7-4-1 mark thus far. The SSL features a regular season schedule of four tournaments. There is just one event remaining, July 22-23 in Wilmot. League entrants will play four matches each at the Wilmot event. “At 11-1, I don’t think anybody is going to catch up,” said Tomahawks’ head coach Jay...
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Pro Vancouver basketball franchise unveils Indigenous jersey
By Sam Laskaris, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Vancouver Bandits unveiled a new Indigenous-themed jersey in their home contest held Sunday, June 25, dubbed Indigenous Celebration Night. But for members of the Bandits, who compete in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the plan is not to simply just wear the jersey once. Vancouver players will also wear the Indigenous jersey, designed by Jeff Dickson, an artist from Kwantlen First Nation in British Columbia, for several other matches during the remainder of the 2023 CEBL season. “I’m extremely, extremely proud,’’ said Dickson, who is also a teacher at Walnut Grove Secondary School in Langley, B.C. “I didn’t want it to be a one-time thing. I wanted a legacy thing.’’ Dickson is no stranger to officials with the Bandits, a franchise...
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Rivermen earn a single point in two latest outings
By Sam Laskaris Writer It was a less-than-ideal week for the Six Nations Rivermen. The Rivermen, the defending Ontario Series Lacrosse (OSL) champions, are currently jockeying for the best position they can achieve in their league standings. But the local Senior B men’s squad did not do itself any favours as it only managed to pick up a single point in its last two outings. For starters, the Rivermen were downed 11-8 by the host Brooklin Merchants this past Friday. That match was held at the Luther Vipond Memorial Arena in Brooklin. The Rivermen then had to settle for a 14-14 overtime tie against the visiting Clearview Crushers on Saturday. This contest was held at the Six Nations Sports and Cultural Memorial Centre. “We’re not hitting the panic button,” said...
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Supreme Court rules against Navajo Nation in Colorado River water rights case
By Jessica Gresko THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP)- The Supreme Court ruled against the Navajo Nation on Thursday in a dispute involving water from the drought-stricken Colorado River. States that draw water from the river, Arizona, Nevada and Colorado, and water districts in California that are also involved in the case had urged the court to decide for them, which the justices did in a 5-4 ruling. Colorado had argued that siding with the Navajo Nation would undermine existing agreements and disrupt the management of the river. The Biden administration had said that if the court were to come down in favor of the Navajo Nation, the federal government could face lawsuits from many other tribes. Lawyers for the Navajo Nation had characterized the tribe’s request as modest, saying they...
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Hamilton’s founding history is changing
Hamilton is revisiting the city’s founding history to be inclusive By Lisa Iesse Writer HAMILTON -The City of Hamilton is working with Indigenous people in what could be seen as a step towards changing its image as the “Hate Capital of Canada.” The city has begun constructing a number of signs at important urban landmarks that are rewriting the city’s history to include the Indigenous perspectives. At the sites the city signs acknowledge the statues or monuments on site could be “problematic” for the Indigenous community. In Stoney Creek at the Augustus Jones statue a new sign is up that reads: “The City of Hamilton is working together with the community to provide a broader and more inclusive view of the past which may challenge some to rethink what they held...
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Six Nations Elected Council looking at environmental bylaws
Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) plans to make bylaws for the territory a priority for the next council by holding a referendum during council elections this fall. Phil Monture, former director of the Six Nations Lands and Resources Department told SNEC without environmental standards the community is risking one its greatest resources, the largest Carolinian forest in Canada. “What I’m seeking is that this council actually have a plebiscite set at the same time as the next election so we can see the next council coming in can at least have a mandate to start establishing rules and regulations on development and measures to protect the environment even from the dumping of contaminated soils outside of our territory, we know what chaos that has been,” he said. SNEC passed a...
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More housing coming for elders at Six Nations
Six Nations is getting more housing options for elders, in a place that won’t leave them isolated from the rest of the community. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) approved another housing development on Harold Road that will include 54 one and two bedroom units for elders in a semi-assisted living facility at its General Finance meeting on June 19. Lilly-Anne Mt. Pleasant, acting director of Housing said this project is a redesign of the semi-assisted living facility that was passed in December 2022. It was passed as a 20 unit facility for elders in need of some assistance, but not yet in need of the level of care offered in a long-term care home like Iroquois Lodge. “Originally, the plan was to offer a semi-assisted facility, which we currently don’t...
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Brant County getting heat for consulting with HCCC on lands
By Lisa Iesse Writer SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND – The County of Brant’s planning team is retracting claims they consulted the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council (HCCC) a month before submitting the plan to Ontario. The plan is aimed to guide county development into 2051. The proposed official plan would replace it’s 2012 plan now being updated by the county’s policy and planning team to “align with provincial plans, policies, and legislation.” The new plan is meant to “ensure policies align with changing community’s needs, and reflects the planning horizon of 2051,” said a statement from the official plan’s website. It was submitted to the province on May 31. The new official plan outlines ways the county should seek to heal relationships between Indigenous communities and settler communities. “(The plan)...
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Six Nations joins COO call to pause Metis self-governance bill
Six Nations sent its support for Chiefs of Ontario who were protesting a federal bill giving Metis self-governance rights and calling on the government to pause efforts to pass the bill. Six Nations Elected Chief Mark Hill read a statement supporting Monday’s protest on Parliament Hill at the Political Liaison meeting on June 19 and said Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) learned of the protest too late to fly to Ottawa and had already rescheduled its meeting from the week prior. “Earlier this year the government of Canada and Metis Nation of Ontario (MNO) carefully crafted an agreement and recognized large areas of territories as Metis homeland in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta parts of Ontario and northern US. This legislation affirm all Metis communities under MNO have the right to self...
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Time to ZOOM back to in-person meetings?
Things are amuck. The Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) while trying to wear an environmental cloak is trying to push the imposition of any environmental bylaws on the incoming council instead of dealing with it themselves. A controversial issue that if rushed could not just limit both economic growth and development but do more damage to the environment and end up hurting the economy by forcing economic regulations. A move this council should have dealt with three years ago, not with just five months left in its term and suddenly come up with the quick answer of approving a bylaw to make the next council deal with it. They haven’t appointed an election officer to oversee the coming band election and now the Six Nations Election Code Committee, instead of...
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Rebels conclude regular season with perfect 20-0 record
By Sam Laskaris Writer It was a perfect year for the Six Nations Rebels. Well, at least the regular season was for the Rebels, the local Junior B lacrosse squad which registered a 20-0 mark. And now the Six Nations club is hoping to continue its successes in post-season play. The Rebels wrapped up their regular season action this past Friday by downing the visiting Hamilton Bengals 9-4 in a match held at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena. A year ago the Rebels had posted a 10-9-1 record. And they did not win a single playoff game. But 2022 has proven to be much, much different. “A lot of people probably had their doubts about this team,” said Rebels’ assistant coach Stevee General, who primarily oversees the Rebels’ defenders. But General...
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Six Nations Sports Briefs: From funding to Tom Longboat
By Sam Laskaris Writer Six Nations lacrosse association receives funding For the second time this year the Six Nations Girls’ Field Lacrosse Association (SNGFLA) has received some major funding. Back in early January it was announced that the local association was receiving $20,000 via the Jumpstart Community Development Grants. The grants program, operated by Canadian Tire, has two streams. For starters, the SNGFLA received the $20,000 through the Operational Support stream. And then this past weekend the association announced it would receive an additional $9,600 through the Programming Support stream. “This stream of funding assists organizations in delivering sports and recreational programming,” said SNGFLA president Tawnie Johnson. “This can include but is not limited to: covering costs of instructors, leaders and coaches, facility rentals, transportation and equipment needs.” The first...
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